A "career spanning" interview with Ken Levine (aka on the radio as Beaver Cleaver)
Ken's blog: http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/
Ken's podcast: https://hollywoodandlevine.libsyn.com/
Saturday, August 15, 2020
Radio Waves EXTRA: Ken Levine
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
Radio Waves Podcast #261
This radio website has the hit song chart information you used to get at record stores
If you grew up in the 1960s and ‘70s, one of the things you would pick up at your local Music City, Sears, Penny’s, Wards, Licorice Pizza, Wherehouse or Music Plus when you went to buy your favorite 45 RPM records was the local radio station music surveys.
In the early days, the lists were more akin to station newsletters. The KRLA Beat, for example, had station, artist and music news presented in a newspaper style. The later surveys such as the KHJ Boss 30 lists included a list of the top hits of the week — “hitbounds” (that were often not) — a little blurb on one of the DJs and perhaps some info on the latest contest.
Essentially they were cheap promotions for a station, and they were a great way to keep up on the latest hits during an era when so much music was available, an “oldie” was anything more than a few months old … today music even a few years old is considered “new.”
Reader Marilyn Kirkpatrick of Covina remembers. “I’ve never seen you mention this in one of your columns, but, for those people who might have listened to local L.A. stations in the past, there is a web site — oldiesloon.com — that has weekly lists of charted songs for the following stations: KRLA (1959-1966), KFWB (1958-1967), KHJ (1965-1975) and KFI (1979-1980). These are the weekly lists that used to be available in record stores. Although I realize that these are mere lists, they are a really nice reminder of the music that a lot of us grew up with. They have also been invaluable as resources for class reunions, such as the top songs for the week when we graduated from high school.”
Absolutely. And it’s an interesting way to find songs you haven’t heard for years, as many of the top songs of a station were not necessarily popular nationwide, or for whatever reason just are not played today.
In addition to oldies loon, I found another site that has the actual scans of the surveys from KHJ in addition to a ton of station information focussing on the early years Boss Radio, 1965 through 1973. You can see what they have to offer at https://93khj.blogspot.com.
Mess around
Entercom is making a mess of mornings … with a new morning show on Amp Radio (KAMP, 97.1 FM). As you read about in Kelli Skye Fadroski’s piece on the Morning Mess crew, the new show with Joey Boy, Aneesh Ratan, Jeana Shepard, and Karla Hernandez started August 3rd and runs weekday mornings from 5-10 a.m.
In a press release, Entercom Regional President Jeff Federman said that “Joey Boy and The Morning Mess are a true reflection of Southern California. They are diverse, dynamic, socially responsible and completely transparent.”
They are not, however, in Southern California. The Morning Mash is a morning show out of sister station KALV-FM/Phoenix, with a bit of local content added in order so it seems like it’s a local show.
It’s not.
As reported extensively over the past few months by InsideMusicMedia.Com‘s Jerry Del Colliano, Entercom is in the process of reducing its talent payroll by position cuts, salary cuts, and plan to syndicate talent around the country rather than having local programs. “The plan would give the company a chance to syndicate what they consider their top-rated (and paid) talent so they can fire largely morning hosts in other markets,” he wrote on July 22nd, and it appears Del Colliano is right on the money.
In my opinion, a major, full-power station in Los Angeles using a syndicated morning program is an embarrassment; there is absolutely no excuse for the cuts Entercom CEO David Field is making, which seems designed to run the company — and all of its stations — into the ground.
At least, host Joey Boy was grew up in Los Angeles, while Ratan and Shepard were raised in the Valley. Hernandez is a native of Napa. And honestly, I have nothing against the show itself nor any of the hosts; they are seemingly great people. I’ll do a full review of the show in a few weeks, once I give them a fair shake and let them get used to doing a show for here even if it isn’t done here.
My only complaint has to do with the idea itself: Radio is local and should have local shows. Phoenix is not local, sorry.
Tuesday, August 4, 2020
Radio Waves Podcast #260
Radio: August 9, 2020
Entercom is making a Mess of mornings … with a new morning show on Amp Radio (KAMP, 97.1 FM).
It started August 3rd and runs weekday mornings from 5 - 10 a.m., with Joey Boy, Aneesh Ratan, Jeana Shepard, and Karla Hernandez presenting The Morning Mess.
In a press release, Entercom Regional President Jeff Federman said that “Joey Boy and The Morning Mess are a true reflection of Southern California. They are diverse, dynamic, socially responsible and completely transparent.”
They also are not in Southern California. Keeping with Entercom’s corporate mandate to do everything on the cheap, the Morning Mash is actually nothing more than a morning show out of sister station KALV-FM/Phoenix, with a bit of local content added in order for them to be able to pretend it’s a local show.
It’s not.
As reported extensively over the past few months by InsideMusicMedia.Com's Jerry Del Colliano, Entercom is in the process of reducing its talent payroll by position cuts, salary cuts, and plan to syndicate talent around the country rather than having local programs. “The plan would give the company a chance to syndicate what they consider their top rated (and paid) talent so they can fire largely morning hosts in other markets,” he wrote on July 22nd.
It appears Del Colliano is right on the money.
For a major, full-power station in Los Angeles to use a syndicated morning program is an embarrassment, and an indictment of the leadership of Entercom itself, including CEO David Field. There is absolutely no excuse for the cuts he is making, other than the fact that he is running the company — and all of its stations — into the ground.
There is, at least, a tie to Los Angeles for the team: Ringleader Joey Boy — aka Nachoo — was raised in los Angeles, while Ratan and Shepard were raised in the Valley. Hernandez is a native of Napa. And honestly, I have nothing against the show itself nor any of the hosts … they are seemingly great people. I will also do a full review of the show in a few weeks, once I give them a fair shake. My only complaint has to do with the idea itself - radio is local, and should have local shows. Phoenix is not local. Sorry.
Feeding LA
While Entercom is destroying the radio industry, it is trying to be a good neighbor. The company has teamed up with the Los Angeles Unified School District to raise money and help feed needy children and families.
All Entercom Los Angeles radio stations — Amp, Jack-FM (93.1), The Wave (94.7 FM), KRTH (101.1 FM), KNX (1070 AM) and KROQ (106.7 FM) — are participating. From August 3rd to the 28th, stations will encourage listeners to donate by texting “NEED” to 76278. The money generated will bring meals to those in need throughout the region through the school district’s Grab and Go program.
More than 50 million meals have been provided via 62 Grab and Go Food Centers since the program began in March, according to LAUSD’s Superintendent Austin Beutner. About one-third are adults hard hit by the COVID shutdowns.
Donations can also be made by visiting need.givesmart.com, and you can get more information on the program by heading to radio.com/feedourfamilies.
Help Request
The special interview that KNXFM93.Com ran a short time ago with Carly Simon brought in some nice emails, many oof which mentioned interviews they remember from years past as heard win the original KNX-FM (now Jack-FM). The problem, explains net station volunteer and production director Douglas Brown, is that no one has the tapes. The Simon interview just happened to be in Christopher Ames’ garage. Others are MIA.
So I thought I’d ask you … if you have, or if you know people who have, original interviews with any of the artists, signers and songwriters as originally run on KNX-FM, let me know and I’ll connect you with the right people. In fact, if you have any from any station, including KHJ’s (930 AM) Special of the Month, let me know that as well.
Elvis Tribute
Elvis: A Three Hour Special tribute show is set to air via the net on August 16 — the day Elvis died at the age of 42 — at noon, and again at 6pm.
The show was produced at Drake-Chenault beginning on the day Elvis died in 1977, and was shipped to clients just two days later … airing that weekend. “Our competitors were shocked and astounded at how quickly we were able to get such a high caliber program on the air in such a short time, said Hank Landsberg who worked at the company back in the 1970s. He explains how it all came together. Much of it was luck in timing!
“The second week of August, 1977, we had just begun production of a new edition of The History Of Rock And Roll,” which originally aired on KHJ in 1969. “The show would be a 52 hour 'blockbuster' that documented the birth and development of rock and roll music. Hours three and four were already planned to chronicle the life and music of Elvis Presley.”
Basically, the team decided to pull the material already planned for HRR, and use it for a tribute to Elvis’ life and career. Explains Landsberg: “The ‘Elvis hours’ scripts were already written, music was researched and pulled, instrumental tracks for voiceover backing were ready, interviews and other actualities had been edited and were ready for final production by studio engineer Mark Ford.
“We had everything ready to go when Elvis died on Tuesday, August 16! HRR writer Gary Thoreau made some last-minute script revisions; Bill Drake came in Tuesday afternoon and began recording the voice tracks for the show. We all pulled an 'all-nighter'...staying thru the night while Mark did the studio production. I believe he finished about 10 a.m. the following day.
“The master tapes went into duplication, and we had station copies ready to ship Wednesday afternoon. They went via UPS-2 Day, and arrived at the stations on Friday, for air that weekend.”
Elvis: A Three Hour Special will be presented without commercial interruption, and will run about 2 1/2 hours. Listen at: https://la2.indexcom.com/player/6
Entercom is making a Mess of mornings … with a new morning show on Amp Radio (KAMP, 97.1 FM).
It started August 3rd and runs weekday mornings from 5 - 10 a.m., with Joey Boy, Aneesh Ratan, Jeana Shepard, and Karla Hernandez presenting The Morning Mess.
In a press release, Entercom Regional President Jeff Federman said that “Joey Boy and The Morning Mess are a true reflection of Southern California. They are diverse, dynamic, socially responsible and completely transparent.”
They also are not in Southern California. Keeping with Entercom’s corporate mandate to do everything on the cheap, the Morning Mash is actually nothing more than a morning show out of sister station KALV-FM/Phoenix, with a bit of local content added in order for them to be able to pretend it’s a local show.
It’s not.
As reported extensively over the past few months by InsideMusicMedia.Com's Jerry Del Colliano, Entercom is in the process of reducing its talent payroll by position cuts, salary cuts, and plan to syndicate talent around the country rather than having local programs. “The plan would give the company a chance to syndicate what they consider their top rated (and paid) talent so they can fire largely morning hosts in other markets,” he wrote on July 22nd.
It appears Del Colliano is right on the money.
For a major, full-power station in Los Angeles to use a syndicated morning program is an embarrassment, and an indictment of the leadership of Entercom itself, including CEO David Field. There is absolutely no excuse for the cuts he is making, other than the fact that he is running the company — and all of its stations — into the ground.
There is, at least, a tie to Los Angeles for the team: Ringleader Joey Boy — aka Nachoo — was raised in los Angeles, while Ratan and Shepard were raised in the Valley. Hernandez is a native of Napa. And honestly, I have nothing against the show itself nor any of the hosts … they are seemingly great people. I will also do a full review of the show in a few weeks, once I give them a fair shake. My only complaint has to do with the idea itself - radio is local, and should have local shows. Phoenix is not local. Sorry.
Feeding LA
While Entercom is destroying the radio industry, it is trying to be a good neighbor. The company has teamed up with the Los Angeles Unified School District to raise money and help feed needy children and families.
All Entercom Los Angeles radio stations — Amp, Jack-FM (93.1), The Wave (94.7 FM), KRTH (101.1 FM), KNX (1070 AM) and KROQ (106.7 FM) — are participating. From August 3rd to the 28th, stations will encourage listeners to donate by texting “NEED” to 76278. The money generated will bring meals to those in need throughout the region through the school district’s Grab and Go program.
More than 50 million meals have been provided via 62 Grab and Go Food Centers since the program began in March, according to LAUSD’s Superintendent Austin Beutner. About one-third are adults hard hit by the COVID shutdowns.
Donations can also be made by visiting need.givesmart.com, and you can get more information on the program by heading to radio.com/feedourfamilies.
Help Request
The special interview that KNXFM93.Com ran a short time ago with Carly Simon brought in some nice emails, many oof which mentioned interviews they remember from years past as heard win the original KNX-FM (now Jack-FM). The problem, explains net station volunteer and production director Douglas Brown, is that no one has the tapes. The Simon interview just happened to be in Christopher Ames’ garage. Others are MIA.
So I thought I’d ask you … if you have, or if you know people who have, original interviews with any of the artists, signers and songwriters as originally run on KNX-FM, let me know and I’ll connect you with the right people. In fact, if you have any from any station, including KHJ’s (930 AM) Special of the Month, let me know that as well.
Elvis Tribute
Elvis: A Three Hour Special tribute show is set to air via the net on August 16 — the day Elvis died at the age of 42 — at noon, and again at 6pm.
The show was produced at Drake-Chenault beginning on the day Elvis died in 1977, and was shipped to clients just two days later … airing that weekend. “Our competitors were shocked and astounded at how quickly we were able to get such a high caliber program on the air in such a short time, said Hank Landsberg who worked at the company back in the 1970s. He explains how it all came together. Much of it was luck in timing!
“The second week of August, 1977, we had just begun production of a new edition of The History Of Rock And Roll,” which originally aired on KHJ in 1969. “The show would be a 52 hour 'blockbuster' that documented the birth and development of rock and roll music. Hours three and four were already planned to chronicle the life and music of Elvis Presley.”
Basically, the team decided to pull the material already planned for HRR, and use it for a tribute to Elvis’ life and career. Explains Landsberg: “The ‘Elvis hours’ scripts were already written, music was researched and pulled, instrumental tracks for voiceover backing were ready, interviews and other actualities had been edited and were ready for final production by studio engineer Mark Ford.
“We had everything ready to go when Elvis died on Tuesday, August 16! HRR writer Gary Thoreau made some last-minute script revisions; Bill Drake came in Tuesday afternoon and began recording the voice tracks for the show. We all pulled an 'all-nighter'...staying thru the night while Mark did the studio production. I believe he finished about 10 a.m. the following day.
“The master tapes went into duplication, and we had station copies ready to ship Wednesday afternoon. They went via UPS-2 Day, and arrived at the stations on Friday, for air that weekend.”
Elvis: A Three Hour Special will be presented without commercial interruption, and will run about 2 1/2 hours. Listen at: https://la2.indexcom.com/player/6
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Radio Waves Podcast #259
Radio: July 31, 2020
Special Guest: Douglas C Brown
A controversy of sorts is being played out on Don Barrett’s LARadio.Com: What is the origin of the term “boss radio?”
If you grew up in 1960s Los Angeles, you know the term “Boss Radio” was used to describe the programming on KHJ (930 AM). Boss Hitbounds, Boss Angeles, the Boss Jocks. The word was everywhere, which is somewhat ironic because the term “boss” itself was dated. The precursor to “cool” or “bitchin’,” “boss” was on the way out as far as teen slang went.
But KHJ was most definitely not the first station to use the term. KHJ consultant Bill Drake worked at KYA in San Francisco when they were known as “The Boss of the Bay.” And the term predated even him in the very early 1960s.
Letters on LARadio.Com confirm the early use. But does that mean then-KHJ General manager Ken DeVaney lied when he insists in Ron Jacob’s book, Inside Boss Radio, that he was the one who initiated the name?
Not necessarily. Being the Boss of the Bay and Boss Radio can actually be two different things, and I am not sure that much thought was put into either. The Boss of the Bay could very well have been using the term as it is used today … meaning leader. I honestly don’t know that, but it’s plausible. Boss Radio was meant to be “cool” or ”bitchin’” radio. Unfortunately, most of the architects of that era of radio are gone, so we may never know the answer. But it’s fun to look back.
Online Issues
One of the best ways to listen to radio today is through a good-sounding smart speaker. You can place them throughout your house and play stations individually, or have the same station throughout. And for the most part, once you figure out the station (i.e. “Hey Siri, play KNX-FM 93” works; “Hey Siri, play KNX-FM 93.com" does not) the system is solid. Sound quality is great — AM stations truly shine — you can easily tune into stations, and you can control it with your voice.
The problem arises when stations don’t monitor their own stream. For example, if you happen to tune in to Rush Limbaugh on KEIB (1150 AM), the sound drops out. I thought it was a problem with there awful iHeartRadio system that provides audio for the station, and it may well be, but the reason has more to do with programming details.
You see, there are extra costs in some cases for commercials that air on internet streams (as used by smart speakers), so stations will often substitute alternative programming during some advertisements unless the advertiser specifically pays for the spot. In the case of KEIB, though, the speaker just goes silent for a time. Usually it will pick up when the show comes back on, but not always. Regardless, the listening experience is greatly diminished.
I think smart speakers and the future evolution of the idea may be the future of radio, especially AM radio. But it requires attention to detail that is sorely lacking, at least on KEIB. I have not noticed the issue on other stations, including the small independents I listen to from across the country.
K-Mozart Update
By now Saul Levine’s K-Mozart (105.1 HD4, kmozart.com) was supposed to have gone through a full re-launch, bringing back air personalities and features to better compete against KUSC (91.5 FM). Alas, the Covid pandemic continues to delay the plan.
But Levine loves classical music, so he’s helped the music on the station going regardless, and he’s initiated a “soft-re-launch” bringing back Susanna Guzman and Nick Tyler. As time goes on, Levine plans many more additions, as he plays “the world’s best classical music 24-7.”
“I am proud of the fact that I have programmed Classical for 62 years,” Levine told me. “Probably a world record. I have a vision for KMOZART that will incorporate that experience. There are many Classical works that are accessible and beautiful … I know what they are and we will be playing them.
“The same with Opera. Many people consider Opera boring but it need not be. Light Opera will also be presented. I have a rendition of Fidler On The Roof, in Yiddish. It will be played as well!”
Levine added that The LA Chamber Orchestra and the American Youth Symphony are being very supportive of the station.
Tuesday, July 21, 2020
Radio Waves Podcast #258
Radio: July 24, 2020
One of the joys of the Summer — and it has been even more apparent during the COVID shutdowns and restrictions — is the ability to tune in to the recreation of the Mellow Sound as heard on KNX-FM (now KCBS-FM, 93.1) on the internet, via online streaming, a smart phone, or a smart speaker.
Full disclosure: There are actual two recreations with a slightly different feel, one at knxfm.com and another at knxfm93.com. Both are worthy, but in this instance I am referring to the latter.
Back in the 1970s, the original KNX-FM would occasionally produce showcase specials on some of the artists played. In July of 1978, the station was able to score a rare, sit-down interview with Carly Simon, one of the big stars of the day and one of the Mellow Sound’s core artists.
Says Douglas Brown, one of the volunteers who makes knxfm93.com tick, “Lucky for us today, the show’s writer and host Christopher Ames saved the tape! So we are going to play it exactly 42 years later!”
It’s called An Evening with Carly Simon, an hour-long program of Simon’s words and music, presented with no commercials. It will air on knxfm93.com at 5 p.m. Monday, July 27. If you miss it on the actual 42-year anniversary date, you can hear it on the repeat: July 31 at 5 p.m.
It’s funny that this happened to come up when it did. I recently happened to be listening to a recording of Mark Elliot on KHJ (930 AM) from about the same year, and one of the promos was for the KHJ Special of the Month, which also spotlighted artists special to the audience. I will bring these back when I buy my station … but I digress.
If you were a fan of the Mellow Sound or of Simon, this is required listening. And if you find yourself feeling down with everything that is happening in the world, give the station a listen. It definitely lifts my mood.
Overload
I haven’t noticed it here yet, but according to the Fort Worth Star Telegram, ratings for news and talk stations in Dallas-Fort Worth are down 25 percent. The reason? “People are just overwhelmed,” according to podcaster Jody Dean.
News and talk stations are down, says the newspaper, while music stations are up.
(https://www.star-telegram.com/opinion/bud-kennedy/article244177012.html)
Mailbag
“I have a recommendation for you after discovering this station a few weeks ago while running in Palm Springs with my little Sony radio: Q102.3 Classic Rock (KRHQ/Palm Desert)
“Best radio station that I have heard since The Sound went to Christian Radio. It is awesome. Give it a try - you might discover a new favorite. — Tish Husak
In the interest of honesty, Tish sent me this letter over a year ago and I found it when clearing out my email boxes. But the station is indeed still on the air, and you can hear it at q102classicrock.com.
The playlist is typical classic rock but it’s a good mix: songs I heard while sampling include Caught Up in You (.38 Special), Rebel Rebel (David Bowie), Running on Empty (Jackson Brown), Locomotive Breath (Jethro Tull), Fool for the City (Foghat), Black Betty (Ram Jam), My Sharona (The Knack), and Breakdown (Tom Petty).
Like most good stations I have found over the past few years, the station is locally owned.
“Just wanted to email you to thank you for the Radio columns I the Register. As a guy who grew up in 60’s Los Angeles listening to KHJ and occasionally KRLA, it’s somewhat rival, it is always great to read about the history and personalities of the era as well as the other locations not only in Southern California (KLAC with Bill Balance and Jim Healy at 5:30) but also around the country. I went to school n the East Coast and really enjoyed WNEW out of NYC in the 80’s.
“Keep up the great work. Thank you for the news and unfortunately blues of the theater of the mind.” — Paul Reza
This is why I do it. I love radio, and I love promoting what I consider good radio. The industry is going through a challenging time, but as the large companies get broken up either by legislative action as they should, or by economic realities as they are, I fully believe the industry will come back stronger. My son even asked to borrow a radio he can listen to … the first time he has done so in at least a decade. That must mean something …
One of the joys of the Summer — and it has been even more apparent during the COVID shutdowns and restrictions — is the ability to tune in to the recreation of the Mellow Sound as heard on KNX-FM (now KCBS-FM, 93.1) on the internet, via online streaming, a smart phone, or a smart speaker.
Full disclosure: There are actual two recreations with a slightly different feel, one at knxfm.com and another at knxfm93.com. Both are worthy, but in this instance I am referring to the latter.
Back in the 1970s, the original KNX-FM would occasionally produce showcase specials on some of the artists played. In July of 1978, the station was able to score a rare, sit-down interview with Carly Simon, one of the big stars of the day and one of the Mellow Sound’s core artists.
Says Douglas Brown, one of the volunteers who makes knxfm93.com tick, “Lucky for us today, the show’s writer and host Christopher Ames saved the tape! So we are going to play it exactly 42 years later!”
It’s called An Evening with Carly Simon, an hour-long program of Simon’s words and music, presented with no commercials. It will air on knxfm93.com at 5 p.m. Monday, July 27. If you miss it on the actual 42-year anniversary date, you can hear it on the repeat: July 31 at 5 p.m.
It’s funny that this happened to come up when it did. I recently happened to be listening to a recording of Mark Elliot on KHJ (930 AM) from about the same year, and one of the promos was for the KHJ Special of the Month, which also spotlighted artists special to the audience. I will bring these back when I buy my station … but I digress.
If you were a fan of the Mellow Sound or of Simon, this is required listening. And if you find yourself feeling down with everything that is happening in the world, give the station a listen. It definitely lifts my mood.
Overload
I haven’t noticed it here yet, but according to the Fort Worth Star Telegram, ratings for news and talk stations in Dallas-Fort Worth are down 25 percent. The reason? “People are just overwhelmed,” according to podcaster Jody Dean.
News and talk stations are down, says the newspaper, while music stations are up.
(https://www.star-telegram.com/opinion/bud-kennedy/article244177012.html)
Mailbag
“I have a recommendation for you after discovering this station a few weeks ago while running in Palm Springs with my little Sony radio: Q102.3 Classic Rock (KRHQ/Palm Desert)
“Best radio station that I have heard since The Sound went to Christian Radio. It is awesome. Give it a try - you might discover a new favorite. — Tish Husak
In the interest of honesty, Tish sent me this letter over a year ago and I found it when clearing out my email boxes. But the station is indeed still on the air, and you can hear it at q102classicrock.com.
The playlist is typical classic rock but it’s a good mix: songs I heard while sampling include Caught Up in You (.38 Special), Rebel Rebel (David Bowie), Running on Empty (Jackson Brown), Locomotive Breath (Jethro Tull), Fool for the City (Foghat), Black Betty (Ram Jam), My Sharona (The Knack), and Breakdown (Tom Petty).
Like most good stations I have found over the past few years, the station is locally owned.
“Just wanted to email you to thank you for the Radio columns I the Register. As a guy who grew up in 60’s Los Angeles listening to KHJ and occasionally KRLA, it’s somewhat rival, it is always great to read about the history and personalities of the era as well as the other locations not only in Southern California (KLAC with Bill Balance and Jim Healy at 5:30) but also around the country. I went to school n the East Coast and really enjoyed WNEW out of NYC in the 80’s.
“Keep up the great work. Thank you for the news and unfortunately blues of the theater of the mind.” — Paul Reza
This is why I do it. I love radio, and I love promoting what I consider good radio. The industry is going through a challenging time, but as the large companies get broken up either by legislative action as they should, or by economic realities as they are, I fully believe the industry will come back stronger. My son even asked to borrow a radio he can listen to … the first time he has done so in at least a decade. That must mean something …
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Radio Waves Podcast #257
Radio: July 17, 2020
One of the stations that benefited from changed listening habits brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic is KABC (790 AM), which in April earned its highest rating in years at 1.4, double that of January January and a full point above the 0.4 the station found itself in some months of last year. As of the latest rating released in June, the station is still 43 percent up from the January rating among listeners aged 6 and over.
One of the true bright spots of KABC’s broadcast day is the John Phillips Show, heard from 12 noon to 3 p.m. weekdays; one of the highlights of Phillips’ program is the daily 1 p.m. “doctor hour,” in which prominent medical doctors — usually Kelly Victory, but occasionally others including Nan Hayworth and Daliah Wachs — talk with Phillips and answer listener questions on any topic. Of course the topic now is usually (read: always) COVID-related.
I was turned on to the segment by my friend, Bruce Thomson, who sent text message reminders to me almost daily asking essentially the same question: “Are you listening? Dr. Kelly Victory is on talking about COVID … you have to listen.”
So I did. And I found Bruce was right … the Doctor Hour has become required listening for me and obviously many others … Phillips’ show tends to be among the highest-rated show on KABC, and the Doctor Hour tends to be the highest-rated hour of the show.
Phillips has been on KABC for many years, in various time slots. He’s done afternoons, late mornings, mornings snd now early afternoons. “This is my favorite shift,” he admits, especially compared with the mornings. “I tend to be someone who goes to bed early and gets up early, but there is a difference between waking up early and going on the air versus waking up, having some coffee, swearing at the headlines, and then doing the show.”
The Orange County native formerly worked at CNN for about two years, until the news service wanted him to move to the East Coast. "I just didn’t want to move,” he said. Besides, radio is his true love. “I am doing what I have wanted to do since I learned to talk,” Phillips says of hosting his own talk radio show.
His program overall is an interesting hybrid of topics. It’s a political talk show without being overtly political, and he is never combative. The word “polite” permeates the program that can truly cover any topic, though politics absolutely plays a role. Think Johnny Carson monologue. Or the attitude brought out by one of his idols, Lakers play-by-play announcer Chick Hearne.
Old-timers like me can make a comparison to the old TalkNet programs such as Bruce Williams, as outside of mocking Governor Newsom, Phillips is genuinely nice to everyone, listeners and guests alike.
“I will never be abusive,” he says, adding that all viewpoints are welcome on the program. “I have views, of course, but I am not trying to convince anyone of anything … I am not trying to sway elections, and I am not trying to change anyone’s mind or convince them to think like me. My show is a safe place for conversations for people of all views.
“And you won’t get beaten up for disagreeing.”
The genesis of the Doctor Hour actually began long before COVID. “Kelly was on the show even back when I was doing afternoons with Jillian (Barberie),” he explained. But the COVID scare brought new importance to the segment, and it expanded to a daily segment, led primarily by Victory.
“I met her through a friend, and find her to be an amazing person,” Phillips said. “She has numerous degrees from elite universities, she is a trauma doctor, she is the world’s greatest cook, greatest gardener, runs marathons … she’s one off the rare individuals who excel at everything,”
The pandemic brought in questions from listeners who were frightened of the virus and needed straightforward information, factual, and to the point. “With all the conflicting information coming from various sources, people just want — need — to know what’s true, what’s not, and how to stay safe, especially for the at-risk population,” says Phillips. “So we started taking calls that included basic questions that weren’t being answered elsewhere. ‘Is my baby safe if I encounter someone with COVID?’ ‘Can I visit my mother who is in assisted living and keep her safe?’ Things like that.”
Victory, told me that she considers the segments the highlight of her day. “I am thrilled that I can help people,” she told me, “and it is so gratifying when people tell me that I helped them understand the disease and have some of the fear taken away.” Her segments on the show — usually three or four hour segments per week but occasionally even more — is volunteer time, which she gladly donates as part of what she considers an obligation to help people due to her expertise not only in medicine but her extensive knowledge of public health.
If you haven’t heard it, like my friend Bruce says, you have to tune in. It’s one of the best hours on radio.
One of the stations that benefited from changed listening habits brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic is KABC (790 AM), which in April earned its highest rating in years at 1.4, double that of January January and a full point above the 0.4 the station found itself in some months of last year. As of the latest rating released in June, the station is still 43 percent up from the January rating among listeners aged 6 and over.
One of the true bright spots of KABC’s broadcast day is the John Phillips Show, heard from 12 noon to 3 p.m. weekdays; one of the highlights of Phillips’ program is the daily 1 p.m. “doctor hour,” in which prominent medical doctors — usually Kelly Victory, but occasionally others including Nan Hayworth and Daliah Wachs — talk with Phillips and answer listener questions on any topic. Of course the topic now is usually (read: always) COVID-related.
I was turned on to the segment by my friend, Bruce Thomson, who sent text message reminders to me almost daily asking essentially the same question: “Are you listening? Dr. Kelly Victory is on talking about COVID … you have to listen.”
So I did. And I found Bruce was right … the Doctor Hour has become required listening for me and obviously many others … Phillips’ show tends to be among the highest-rated show on KABC, and the Doctor Hour tends to be the highest-rated hour of the show.
Phillips has been on KABC for many years, in various time slots. He’s done afternoons, late mornings, mornings snd now early afternoons. “This is my favorite shift,” he admits, especially compared with the mornings. “I tend to be someone who goes to bed early and gets up early, but there is a difference between waking up early and going on the air versus waking up, having some coffee, swearing at the headlines, and then doing the show.”
The Orange County native formerly worked at CNN for about two years, until the news service wanted him to move to the East Coast. "I just didn’t want to move,” he said. Besides, radio is his true love. “I am doing what I have wanted to do since I learned to talk,” Phillips says of hosting his own talk radio show.
His program overall is an interesting hybrid of topics. It’s a political talk show without being overtly political, and he is never combative. The word “polite” permeates the program that can truly cover any topic, though politics absolutely plays a role. Think Johnny Carson monologue. Or the attitude brought out by one of his idols, Lakers play-by-play announcer Chick Hearne.
Old-timers like me can make a comparison to the old TalkNet programs such as Bruce Williams, as outside of mocking Governor Newsom, Phillips is genuinely nice to everyone, listeners and guests alike.
“I will never be abusive,” he says, adding that all viewpoints are welcome on the program. “I have views, of course, but I am not trying to convince anyone of anything … I am not trying to sway elections, and I am not trying to change anyone’s mind or convince them to think like me. My show is a safe place for conversations for people of all views.
“And you won’t get beaten up for disagreeing.”
The genesis of the Doctor Hour actually began long before COVID. “Kelly was on the show even back when I was doing afternoons with Jillian (Barberie),” he explained. But the COVID scare brought new importance to the segment, and it expanded to a daily segment, led primarily by Victory.
“I met her through a friend, and find her to be an amazing person,” Phillips said. “She has numerous degrees from elite universities, she is a trauma doctor, she is the world’s greatest cook, greatest gardener, runs marathons … she’s one off the rare individuals who excel at everything,”
The pandemic brought in questions from listeners who were frightened of the virus and needed straightforward information, factual, and to the point. “With all the conflicting information coming from various sources, people just want — need — to know what’s true, what’s not, and how to stay safe, especially for the at-risk population,” says Phillips. “So we started taking calls that included basic questions that weren’t being answered elsewhere. ‘Is my baby safe if I encounter someone with COVID?’ ‘Can I visit my mother who is in assisted living and keep her safe?’ Things like that.”
Victory, told me that she considers the segments the highlight of her day. “I am thrilled that I can help people,” she told me, “and it is so gratifying when people tell me that I helped them understand the disease and have some of the fear taken away.” Her segments on the show — usually three or four hour segments per week but occasionally even more — is volunteer time, which she gladly donates as part of what she considers an obligation to help people due to her expertise not only in medicine but her extensive knowledge of public health.
If you haven’t heard it, like my friend Bruce says, you have to tune in. It’s one of the best hours on radio.
Tuesday, July 7, 2020
Radio Waves Podcast #256
Radio: July 10, 2020
There was some big news down in San Diego last week: The return of KGB to the AM band, with the former KFMB (760 AM) picking up the legendary calls.
The original KGB (now KLSD, 1360 AM) was among America’s Finest City’s first radio stations, first signing on in 1922. It was the area’s “Boss Radio” station in the mid 1960s; in 1972 it was “recycled” to become a progressive rock station — and one of the few on the AM band — under the direction of former KHJ “Boss” programmer Ron Jacobs. In the later 1970s the station returned to top-40 as 13-K and for a time beat out KGB-FM (101.5) in the ratings. Formats that followed, including news, talk and the current sports format are uninspiring and low-rated, but like KHJ here, the calls have special meaning to this who grew up on AM radio.
KFMB was a full-service station from 1964 to 1974, playing middle of the road music along with news and information. In 1975 the station added sports and talk programming, and was fully news/talk/sports by 1994. It was KFMB’s sister FM - popularly known as B-100 — that set the area on fire as San Diego’s first top-40 FM in the mid 1970s.
So how do legendary music call letters end up on another station’s talk format frequency? The complicated world of radio consolidation and station sales. Last December, then-owner Tegna agreed to sell KFMB AM and FM to Local Media San Diego, but the sale did not include the call letters which are staying with KFMB-TV, which Tegna still owns.
Local Media turned around and sold KFMB (AM) to iHeart Media, which happens to already own KGB-FM; rather than placing the calls back on 1360 — which it also still owns — management decided to assign them to 760.
Normally, three-letter calls do not return to stations once lost — the FCC stopped assigning them decades ago. But they are allowed to be easily assigned when a co-owned station still uses them, as is the case with KGB-FM.
Personally, I’m kind of excited that iHeart actually recognizes the historical significance of the call letters, though I would rather see them tied to 1360. What would be even more exciting is if iHeart allowed the station to return to a music format playing either ‘60s and ‘70s oldies, or an “adult top-40” format that I think could attract listeners back to the AM band. I can already hear the 76-KGB jingle in my head…
They probably won’t do that, and will most likely stick with a lame, low-rated, cheap, forgettable talk format, but I continue to dream.
Settling Down
Ratings seem to be settling down a bit and becoming a bit more normal. KRTH (101.1 FM) was back in the top spot for both the second and third week of June, according to ratings service Nielsen. KFI (640 AM) was still doing well at the number 5 spot in the third week, and KNX (1070 AM) was right behind in 6th.
KABC (790 AM) has held on to its COVID-19 boost, tied for 32nd but maintaining a share of the audience above 1.1, compared with the pre-COVID-days in which it was closer to 0.3 or so. One of the reasons for the station working itself out of the cellar is John Phillips, heard weekdays noon to 3 p.m…. I will be talking with him soon to get his perspective on news, talk, radio, and more.
Letterbag
“I read with interest your column on John & Ken, and it confirmed something I had long suspected: In approx. 1989 or so I was in New Jersey on business, and while driving I heard on the car radio these two guys discussing some local issue. They were funny and in agreement with some of my own ideas.
“Then in about 1993, I was listening to KFI (back in Los Angeles) and heard J & K talking about those two guys convicted of murdering their parents, and they reminded me of the New Jersey guys, and I have always suspected that K & J were them. Good to have my suspicions confirmed.
“Now for some really ancient radio stuff. While in high school, I used to listen to two disc jockeys who were pretty much the only ones playing modern jazz on local AM radio. One was Bill Sampson, on the obscure station KWKW during late hours (around midnight), and around noon, Joey Adams (who, if I remember correctly had a British accent), on a station whose letters I can't remember. Both, incidentally, were black guys.
“Finally, there used to be a guy named Phil Hendrie who was one of the funniest guys I ever heard, and He was on KFI back in the early '90s or so, so I'm pretty much a confirmed KFI guy. Whatever happened to Hendrie anyway?” — Robert Schwartz
Great questions. Sampson was one of LA’s first black DJs, and was indeed heard on KWKW (then at 1300 AM; now at 1330 AM). He also owned The Scamm Sound record label based in Los Angeles. He’s before my time, though, so I know very little about him … so I am asking you to help fill in the details.
A little more is known about Joe Adams, also among LA’s first Black DJs, and I believe even earlier than Sampson. Adams was heard on KOWL (later to become KDAY and currently KBLA, 1580 AM) in the 1940s, and had the most popular program on the station … in fact, he was among the most popular music DJs in Los Angeles. At the time, KOWL was a daytime-only station, and had to sign off to protect other signals on the same frequency at disk.
According to an obituary on Adams in the LA Sentinel, “During an era when deejays were required to solicit their own sponsors, Adams attracted an incredible 56 paid advertisers to pay for airtime on KOWL, marking the beginning of an auspicious radio career that eventually spanned twenty years.”
In addition to radio, Adams was an actor on television and movies … he was Frank Sinatra’s psychiatrist in The Manchurian Candidate and won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Husky Miller in Carmen Jones.
He was one of the Tuskegee Airmen, an elite fighter and bomber pilot group during World War 2, leading to his becoming qualified to fly planes commercially. In addition, he was a professional photographer, worked for a long time as Ray Charles’ road manager, and even headed the Ray Charles Corporation until he retired in 2008.
Can you say “Renaissance Man?” And I’m not even covering all of his talents and accomplishments… that would take a book. Adams passed away in July, 2018 at the age of 94.
Finally, Phil Hendrie is still around, but online now. You can find him at philhendrieshow.com, where you can listen online or via iTunes.
There was some big news down in San Diego last week: The return of KGB to the AM band, with the former KFMB (760 AM) picking up the legendary calls.
The original KGB (now KLSD, 1360 AM) was among America’s Finest City’s first radio stations, first signing on in 1922. It was the area’s “Boss Radio” station in the mid 1960s; in 1972 it was “recycled” to become a progressive rock station — and one of the few on the AM band — under the direction of former KHJ “Boss” programmer Ron Jacobs. In the later 1970s the station returned to top-40 as 13-K and for a time beat out KGB-FM (101.5) in the ratings. Formats that followed, including news, talk and the current sports format are uninspiring and low-rated, but like KHJ here, the calls have special meaning to this who grew up on AM radio.
KFMB was a full-service station from 1964 to 1974, playing middle of the road music along with news and information. In 1975 the station added sports and talk programming, and was fully news/talk/sports by 1994. It was KFMB’s sister FM - popularly known as B-100 — that set the area on fire as San Diego’s first top-40 FM in the mid 1970s.
So how do legendary music call letters end up on another station’s talk format frequency? The complicated world of radio consolidation and station sales. Last December, then-owner Tegna agreed to sell KFMB AM and FM to Local Media San Diego, but the sale did not include the call letters which are staying with KFMB-TV, which Tegna still owns.
Local Media turned around and sold KFMB (AM) to iHeart Media, which happens to already own KGB-FM; rather than placing the calls back on 1360 — which it also still owns — management decided to assign them to 760.
Normally, three-letter calls do not return to stations once lost — the FCC stopped assigning them decades ago. But they are allowed to be easily assigned when a co-owned station still uses them, as is the case with KGB-FM.
Personally, I’m kind of excited that iHeart actually recognizes the historical significance of the call letters, though I would rather see them tied to 1360. What would be even more exciting is if iHeart allowed the station to return to a music format playing either ‘60s and ‘70s oldies, or an “adult top-40” format that I think could attract listeners back to the AM band. I can already hear the 76-KGB jingle in my head…
They probably won’t do that, and will most likely stick with a lame, low-rated, cheap, forgettable talk format, but I continue to dream.
Settling Down
Ratings seem to be settling down a bit and becoming a bit more normal. KRTH (101.1 FM) was back in the top spot for both the second and third week of June, according to ratings service Nielsen. KFI (640 AM) was still doing well at the number 5 spot in the third week, and KNX (1070 AM) was right behind in 6th.
KABC (790 AM) has held on to its COVID-19 boost, tied for 32nd but maintaining a share of the audience above 1.1, compared with the pre-COVID-days in which it was closer to 0.3 or so. One of the reasons for the station working itself out of the cellar is John Phillips, heard weekdays noon to 3 p.m…. I will be talking with him soon to get his perspective on news, talk, radio, and more.
Letterbag
“I read with interest your column on John & Ken, and it confirmed something I had long suspected: In approx. 1989 or so I was in New Jersey on business, and while driving I heard on the car radio these two guys discussing some local issue. They were funny and in agreement with some of my own ideas.
“Then in about 1993, I was listening to KFI (back in Los Angeles) and heard J & K talking about those two guys convicted of murdering their parents, and they reminded me of the New Jersey guys, and I have always suspected that K & J were them. Good to have my suspicions confirmed.
“Now for some really ancient radio stuff. While in high school, I used to listen to two disc jockeys who were pretty much the only ones playing modern jazz on local AM radio. One was Bill Sampson, on the obscure station KWKW during late hours (around midnight), and around noon, Joey Adams (who, if I remember correctly had a British accent), on a station whose letters I can't remember. Both, incidentally, were black guys.
“Finally, there used to be a guy named Phil Hendrie who was one of the funniest guys I ever heard, and He was on KFI back in the early '90s or so, so I'm pretty much a confirmed KFI guy. Whatever happened to Hendrie anyway?” — Robert Schwartz
Great questions. Sampson was one of LA’s first black DJs, and was indeed heard on KWKW (then at 1300 AM; now at 1330 AM). He also owned The Scamm Sound record label based in Los Angeles. He’s before my time, though, so I know very little about him … so I am asking you to help fill in the details.
A little more is known about Joe Adams, also among LA’s first Black DJs, and I believe even earlier than Sampson. Adams was heard on KOWL (later to become KDAY and currently KBLA, 1580 AM) in the 1940s, and had the most popular program on the station … in fact, he was among the most popular music DJs in Los Angeles. At the time, KOWL was a daytime-only station, and had to sign off to protect other signals on the same frequency at disk.
According to an obituary on Adams in the LA Sentinel, “During an era when deejays were required to solicit their own sponsors, Adams attracted an incredible 56 paid advertisers to pay for airtime on KOWL, marking the beginning of an auspicious radio career that eventually spanned twenty years.”
In addition to radio, Adams was an actor on television and movies … he was Frank Sinatra’s psychiatrist in The Manchurian Candidate and won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Husky Miller in Carmen Jones.
He was one of the Tuskegee Airmen, an elite fighter and bomber pilot group during World War 2, leading to his becoming qualified to fly planes commercially. In addition, he was a professional photographer, worked for a long time as Ray Charles’ road manager, and even headed the Ray Charles Corporation until he retired in 2008.
Can you say “Renaissance Man?” And I’m not even covering all of his talents and accomplishments… that would take a book. Adams passed away in July, 2018 at the age of 94.
Finally, Phil Hendrie is still around, but online now. You can find him at philhendrieshow.com, where you can listen online or via iTunes.
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