Radio Waves Podcast #375

 

All Day, Every Day: American Top 40

I’ve never been a fan of the iHeart Radio app you can download to your smartphone. I always thought it too cumbersome to use compared to alternatives, and I don’t like the way iHeart restricts its own stations to its own app rather than allowing them to be available on other apps as well. If iHeart really believed in the app, why do they not let it compete on an even playing field?

But I broke down and started using it recently. Keep in mind I still don’t actually like it, but there is a reason to use it … American Top 40.

Yes, the very same AT40 you can find on SiriusXM channels 7 — for the 1970s version — Saturdays at 3 a.m. and 9 a.m., Sundays at 6 a.m.; or our own semi-local KOLA (99.9 FM) which airs the ‘80s version Saturdays at 5 a.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m.

But what if you want to totally live in the past and listen to nothing but AT40, the countdown show hosted by former original KRLA (now KRDC, 1110 AM) personality Casey Kasem, launched on July 4th, 1970 on but a handful of stations, and eventually heard on stations around the globe as the most popular countdown show … ever? If that’s you, the iHeart Radio app — or iHeart.com on a computer — has you covered.

A special channel called Classic American Top 40 plays old AT40 countdowns continuously. The ‘70s followed by the ‘80s followed by the ‘70s, etc. 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As I write this they are just starting a replay from 1983 after the completion of a week from 1973.  Audio heaven, for those who grew up listening to the classic program … and a major reason to use the iHeart app.

Ryan Seacrest, by the way, hosts the current version of AT40 heard locally on KIIS-FM (102.7), starting at 6 a.m. Saturdays, 8 a.m. Sundays.

Billboard Controversy

Was the top song for at least one week of mid-July, 1978 not really the top song? Was there behind the scenes shenanigans? It wasn’t a problem with AT40 directly, but what AT40 used as the basis for the countdown list: Billboard Magazine. I read about this first on (I believe) the AT40 fan page of Facebook. 

The story goes that Gerry Rafferty’s Baker Street should have been the number one song on the Billboard charts in the second half of July, 1978, but that pressure to keep Andy Gibb’s Shadow Dancing at the top spot won out. Here’s what I found at https://djrobblog.com/archives/6222:

“Among the many tales of “Baker Street’s” undying legacy is the one involving a bit of chart shenanigans that may have robbed Rafferty of ascending to that coveted No. 1 spot.

“As reported in several publications since, legend has it that in one of its final weeks at No. 2 in July 1978, Billboard had actually calculated “Baker Street” to be No. 1.  At the time, Billboard’s charts were based on phoned-in radio station lists and record store reports, which staffers or computers would then compile, before the advent of more modern and accurate airplay and sales tracking technology in the early 1990s.

Apparently, Gibb threatened to back out of a show being sponsored by Billboard if his song didn’t remain number one, said show being the pet project of then-chart manager Bill Wardlow. “It was alleged that Wardlow had a change of heart about the No. 1 position after having dined with Andy Gibb’s management on the night the chart was compiled. The story goes that Wardlow casually mentioned over dinner that Gibb’s tune had been displaced by Rafferty’s – much to RSO Records’ displeasure.”

So Billboard issued a “correction,” apparently forcing American Top-40 to re-record the ending of the how, without the new number one song. Baker Street remained stalled at the number two slot on Billboard, though other sources did indeed put it at the top, such as including Cash Box which had it there on July 15, 1978.

It is said that Baker Street is one of the all-time most beloved number two hits; the incident proves the power that top-40 radio once held over American culture. And as former newsman Paul Harvey used to say, now you know … the restof the story.

No Static Here

This is an old story, but but comes from former KHJ (930 AM) Production Director (among other stations) Douglas Brown. When FM by Steely Dan was released in 1978, may top-40 stations were still on the AM band, including in Los Angeles area, KHJ, Ten Q (KTNQ, 1020 AM), KFI (640 AM), and KEZY (1190 AM). 

Many of the stations across the country didn’t want to play a song that hyped the FM band, so a few figured out that the “A’ in Steely Dan’s Aja matched the note well, and simply changed the song so that it played as “A-M, no static at all.” Which, of course, is somewhat absurd.

The more powerful and influential stations, such as KHJ, convinced the musical band’s record company at the time to produce a special version of the song, one in which the the radio band is not mentioned at all. The resulting song simply refrains “no static at all.”

A testament to the power that AM radio once held over American culture.

Letters for April 28 Radio

            Some email reaction from recent column topics …

            “WABC has come back from the radio graveyard twice:  first when Rick Sklar created the legendary MusicRadio77 and now. In ratings released today the station is #9 with a 3.7, the first AM rated in NYC.  They gotta be doing something right!” — Steve Moravec

            “To paraphrase a movie line: If you play it (great local content) they will listen.

            “Local : News. Weather. SPORTS (high school and college). Talk with and by local leaders and personalities. City and  county government. One station doing this and while still learning is doing it well is KYCA-AM in Prescott, AZ.

            “AM will not die in spite of Detroit.” — Dusty Baker

            “I agree w/ every word u wrote. Hate Google, and all this ‘new’ approach to radio … for auto manufacturers to go along with this travesty is unconscionable. Keep up the good work and clear writing on this subject. — Beverly Riggs, La Habra (who describes herself as “a devoted sincere Radio junkie for 40+ years” and says that “radio has always been my ‘preferred passenger’ since I first learned how to drive”

            “I wanted you to know how much I enjoy your articles about radio in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune … always informative, interesting and your passion for radio come thru loud & clear.

            “Yes, my wife & I are with you…keep AM radio in our autos!

            “I grew up in the ‘40s and ‘50s with radio; we listened to music and live shows in the evening on a Farnsworth that become mine at about 8 years old when we finally got a TV and Pop setup he own ‘stereo’ system in the living room. But I still used my home made crystal set with a surplus store military ear-phone.

            I remember driving Van Nuys Blvd between Bob’s Big-Boy and  A&W Root beer with my radio blazing away was a real treat. Work/home/yard/shop, the radio was always on – and still is much of the time, albeit much lower and slower music these days. In the car, my wife is addicted to AM talk-show radio.

            “Again, thank you for sharing your passion about a media that was most impactful during most of the 20th century — Drexel Smith

 

Radio Waves Podcast #374

 Radio: April 21, 2023

                InsideMusicMedia.Com’s Jerry Del Colliano posted a column on March 31 that — like many of his columns — could have been written by me. Great minds think alike, you know. Entitled The AM Station That Defies Failure, it tells the story of WABC/New York and the success it has had since being bought by a local owner from Cumulus.

                WABC is much like numerous AM stations across the country. Powerhouse top-40 format leaders in the 1960s and ‘70s, they lost their way when large corporate owners couldn’t figure out what to do with them. They dropped music, sometimes found temporary success with political talk, and then floundered once programmers focused more on their FMs.

                Weird how a neglected station would lose listeners.

                Anyway, for all intents and purposes, WABC was a failure in 2019 when Cumulus Media, owner of KABC (790 AM) here in Los Angeles, sold the station to a 74-year-old New York businessman named John Catsimatidis, Jr. — a guy with no radio experience other than being a radio fan.

                Catsimatidis then did what some think is impossible: brought a dead radio station back to life. How? He made it local. He served his local audience. He wasn’t afraid to embrace older listeners, and he started super-serving those willing to tune in.

                And tune in they did. The station has been above a 3.0 share for at least the last six months, and has had a 3.9 share the last two months. It is the top-rated AM station in New York. Under previous ownership, it had fallen to the mid to upper 1s. Could other stations learn from the recent success?

                Yes … more than that: the entire industry could learn from its success. The formula is so simple, it’s almost as if stations of the past could help with the lesson. In fact, that’s pretty much all Catsimatidis did … look at what made previous stations “tick,” and applied it to his new toy.

                WABC found an audience that was being underserved, then designed a format that would appeal to that audience, in this case an eclectic mix of talk, news, and music. Yes, music … on AM. Weird.

                Cousin Brucie, a legendary WABC disc jockey, plays oldies on weekends. The station runs its old iconic jingles. News coverage focusses on the local area. The talk hosts are mostly local, including former mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Rush Limbaugh producer Bo Snerdley, and a founding member of the Guardian Angels, Curtis Sliwa.

                Catsimatidis even has his own show, hosted by himself and local broadcaster Rita Cosby.

                While it is impressive that Catsimatidis took a failing station and made it successful, he is not alone. I’ve written about the success of stations such as WION/Ionia, Michigan and WRDN/Durand, Wisconsin. What all three and others like them have in common is local owners who care enough to program to their local audience and not rely on cheap syndicated programming.

                This approach benefits not only the stations and listeners, but local businesses that can advertise to reach an audience otherwise hard to find. That Catsimatidis does it in New York City, arguably one of the toughest markets in the United States, makes it even more impressive …. and in my opinion, frankly, embarrassing to owners like Audacy that has gone so far as to just shut down some of its AM stations.

                This lesson isn’t just for AM, though. FM stations definitely can use more local content , and in the cases in which the local audience is super-served, the results are impressive. Local content is the one thing that Spotify, Apple Music, or any other streaming service simply can’t match.

                Fight for the Dashboard

                On the heal of the news that engineers at Ford are as lazy or incompetent as those at BMW, Mazda, Polestar, Rivian, Tesla, Volkswagen and Volvo due to the decision to remove AM radio from their future automobile offerings — because unlike every other company they are unable to deal with interference — comes news that GM has decided to drop Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support from future EVs.

                While I hate that AM is being dropped, and I believe it to be a bad decision, at least you can — usually, at least — use apps to replace the tuner and in some ways have better reception and better sound.

                But dropping CarPlay? That’s a non-starter for me. My family, starting with my grandfather, my father and now me, has owned GM almost exclusively since 1926. If CarPlay is not offered, I will not buy one.

                I want the choice to use the mapping software I want to use. I want the ability to use the apps I want to use, for example StreamsHiFi Audio and MyTuner Radio for online radio streams.  I can connect my phone to any of my current car stereos and have all of my apps and preferences ready to go; without CarPlay I’d have to set all my preferences individually in every car.

                And I certainly don’t want my life controlled by Google, which GM plans to use as the basis for its dashboard infotainment system. I am not a Google fan by any means, and I certainly don’t want their intrusive anti-privacy ad-based system in my car.

                In my opinion, GM is making a tremendously bad decision in dropping CarPlay and Android Auto. In doing so, though, you can now understand what is in store for the future … the ability to charge for being part of and using the dash. It is anti-competitive and anti-consumer.

                I hope that the move is met with consumer resistance similar to my own - as I said, I will never buy a car without CarPlay ability. Even if I have to keep my current truck forever.

                ///

Radio Waves: April 14, 2023

KIQQ entertainment reporter Francesca Capucci passes

I was a huge fan of KIQQ (now KKLQ, 100.3 FM) during the station’s new-wave top-40 days of the early 1980s. It wasn’t necessarily the most polished station; indeed, the station could at times sound very low-budget. But it had a playlist that overlapped the best of KROQ (106.7 FM) and was often the first station in town to break new music and new bands with an emphasis on British acts along with homegrown artists.

Often KIQQ was so far ahead of its competition, primarily KIIS-FM (102.7), that it seemed like a song was at the top of the charts forever. The reality was that KIQQ would break the song and then it would later hit the charts and other stations. KIQQ was where I first heard Eddie Grant, The Style Council, Rick Springfield and more. I don’t think I ever heard the wonderful “She Means Nothing to Me” by Phil Everly and Cliff Richard on any other station, with the one exception of UCLA’s student station KLA … because I played it there.

Personalities included Bruce Chandler, Tony Saint James, GW McCoy, and a few others who stayed with the station until it gave up on the format and went light rock in mid-1985. One personality left early and went right to television, to become KABC-TV Channel 7’s entertainment reporter. That was Francesca Capucci, who started at KIQQ in the public affairs department, later moving up to report entertainment and celebrity gossip news, as well as features on and interviews with many of the bands and artists played on the station.

For a time, in addition to her other duties, she worked with Jay Coffee in morning drive, but her best-known work was her features. If you were a faithful listeners as I was, you may remember her extended sign-off: “I’m Francesca Capucci on K ……….I ………..Q ………………………………….Q.”

I never knew why they had — or allowed — her to do that; it was actually kind of cheesy. I was told later that it was designed to make her sound a bit sexy. True or not, she was definitely distinctive, and her features added a lot to the station’s on-air presence.

After leaving KIQQ in 1984, she moved over to Channel 7, reporting on entertainment news for ten years. Other television work included acting on such shows as Columbo, 7th Heaven, The Practice, and Charmed, usually playing, of course, a reporter.

Last week, I got the bad news from KPFK (90.7 FM)  Car Show host (and column reader) David Kunz that Capucci had passed away; she died at the age of 64 due to cancer.

If her name sounds familiar, it may also be because it was used in the recent movie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. There is no connection between her and the character in the movie; I am told that Quentin Tarantino just liked the name. 

Her friend Kim Fitzgerald Kelly wrote on Capucci’s Facebook page on March 30,  “It is with profound sadness that I share the passing of Francesca Cappucci. As those of you on this page know, Francesca was a force of nature, a source of true joy, a devoted mother to sons Ian and Will, and a great lover of music.

“Francesca’s name was itself a melody and it played throughout Los Angeles radio and TV stations for decades beginning in the early 80s. A celebration of life, love, and music is currently being planned and details will be announced. Until then, every time you hear a song by Foo Fighters or Crowded House, let it remind you of this beautiful icon.”

You can read tributes on that same page: facebook.com/francesca.cappucci

Commercial Breaks

For years, I have felt that it was a huge mistake for stations to run large blocks of commercial-free music. I am referring to the hour or two — sometimes longer — periods of nothing but music. The problem, of course, is that it shifts the commercials that have to be run to other hours and makes the commercial breaks longer during those hours, as well as making each advertisement of less value to the advertiser.

Seems like a lose-lose to me — the station earns less per advertisement because they are worth less as a longer block than they would otherwise be, the advertiser loses potential exposure due to listener tune-out, and listeners have to endure up to ten minutes of commercials when the breaks do come.

But I recently found out why they do this, from an expert on the industry. It seems the stations sell the advertisements based upon the entire shift a DJ is on. For example, perhaps 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. If the station can get a ton of listeners by playing no commercials the first two hours, it doesn’t care what happens during the rest of the show. The station can still sell the ad based upon the average rating over the entire four hours.

No wonder radio is suffering…

Nothing is Sacred

Ford announced it is removing AM radio reception not only from future EVs, it is also removing it from future gas-powered vehicles. On the heals of that news came General Motors announcement that it is removing Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on its future EVs.

The reason? GM wants subscription income from the dashboard.

I don’t know about you, but I love CarPlay. I won’t buy a car without it. Seems like a bad idea to me … what are your thoughts? More on this topic next week.

///

 

Damion Passes

                He may be retired, but it was Don Barrett of LARadio.Com who broke the news: Damion — last name: Bragdon, though he rarely used his last name on the air — formerly heard on KLOS (95.5 FM), KMET (now KTWV, 94.7 FM) and KLSX (now KNX-FM, 97.1) has passed away from complications related to cancer.

                Immediately prior to landing in Los Angeles to be part of the KLOS air staff in 1971, Damion was at WDAI/Chicago as the station evolved from its “free-form” progressive rock format to the more traditional album-oriented “Rock ’n Stereo” … in essence repeating exactly what he did in Chicago here in Los Angeles.

                Those changes were not coincidence … the two stations were both owned by ABC, and in 1971 ABC decided to have all of its owned and operated FM stations nationwide take on the same format, as well as take on new call letters to distinguish the FMs from the co-owned AMs.

                In the case of KLOS, Damion joined Jeff Gonzer, J.J. Jackson, Jim Ladd, and programmer Tom Yates to launch the new format here. By the late 1970s, he would work up to the position of station programmer himself, a position he would give up when he left to work at then-competitor KMET.

                In 1986, he found himself at brand-new classic rocker KLSX, where he stayed through 1994. After that he moved on to satellite-delivered formats with Unistar and Westwood One/Dial Global, between times doing a stint in Hawaii including programming an AM/FM combo. He finally retired in 2008 but kept busy producing a one-hour program called Rock and Roll Cowboy — modern country music mixed with classic rock — that aired on a few stations across the country.

                In an interview with Barrett back in 1994, Damion spoke of some of the highlights of his career, which included partnering with Ladd to produce early “InnerView” programs; interviewing Led Zeppelin, being part of the California Jam in 1973, and more.

                “The end was terrible,” his wife Joy Hall told Barrett in an email. He was put on life support against his directive, and as they took him off some of his medications, he suffered multiple strokes. He passed away March 26th at the age of 79.

                Friends and colleagues always spoke highly of Damion, describing him using such words as kind, sweet, friendly, and considerate. “He was truly one o’ the good guys — a sweet man with virtually no ego,” wrote Michael Benner in an email to Barrett, as but one example.

                All of that was something you heard over the airwaves as he did his shows, no matter what station he was on. His delivery was always - always - smooth: the perfect album-rock DJ, and someone who like many of his contemporaries loved the music he played.

                You can hear airchecks for yourself searching YouTube.com for Damion KLOS and KMET.

                February Ratings

                The February Nielsens showed a narrowing of the gap between 1st place KOST (103.5 FM) and 2nd place KRTH (101.1 FM), with only 0.1 separating the two: 5.5 to 5.4. The rest of the top-10 included KTWV (4.6), KBIG (4.5), KFI (4.1), KLVE (4.1), KIIS-FM (3.9), KRRL (3.9), KBUE (3.2) and KCBS-FM (3.1)

                That Real 92.3 tied with KIIS-FM would in the past be a wake-up call to KIIS-FM … but now that both stations are owned by the same company, in this case the beleaguered iHeart Media, it won’t be. Just shy of the top-10 tied with KRCD at 11th was KNX … still no better than it was as a standalone AM station. Now using both the 1070 AM and 97.1 FM frequencies, it earned a 2.9.

                Cutting the B.S.

                Bo Snerdley was conservative talker Rush Limbaugh’s longtime producer; he helped line up guests, screened calls, and most importantly helped put together the day’s news for Limbaugh to expound upon.

                Since Limbaugh’s death, Snerdley stayed busy producing shows for the replacement hosts, produced the Limbaugh Letter, started a podcast, and launched his own program on WABC/New York entitled Bo Snerdley’s Rush Hour.

                He also produces a twice-daily conservative-leaning news headline email called Bo Snerdley’s Daily BS - Bo Cuts Through It. If you’re interested, subscribe at http://eepurl.com/hKLLg9

                Snerdley’s on-air name was inspired by Bo Jackson; his given name is James Golden. He spent 30 years working with Limbaugh, right until the very end.

                ///

Radio Waves Podcast - Special Edition - Ken Levine

SPECIAL Podcast:  We are re-publishing our career spanning interview with the multi-talented Ken Levine - who is featured in Richard's column this week.

The Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters/Hollywood Media Professionals played host to a special “Coffee With …” interview as Master of Ceremonies and interviewer Chuck Street spent two hours talking with Ken Levine.

You may not know the name Ken Levine when it comes to radio, though he did use his real name on KFI (640 AM) in the 1980s. But he was a young, up-and-coming top-40 radio star known as Beaver Cleaver on Ten Q (KTNQ, 1020 AM) here in Los Angeles and on the great B-100 (KFMB-FM — now KFBG, 100.7 FM) in San Diego, among other stations.

Why Beaver Cleaver, the name of the character on the old “Leave It to Beaver” TV series? It was catchy and helped him stand out much more than the name he used previously, Ken Stevens.

Outside of radio, Levine is a highly-respected writer, producer, and director in the television and film industries, an accomplished playwright, and even a play-by-play announcer for Major League Baseball. His numerous credits include television programs “M*A*S*H,” “Cheers,” “Frasier,” “Wings,” “The Simpsons,” “Almost Perfect,” “Everybody Loves Raymond” and more; he has co-written feature films, and more recently has written and produced short plays acted live over Zoom.

His baseball work includes stints with the Baltimore Orioles, the Seattle Mariners, and the San Diego Padres, and he spent a few years as co-host of Dodger Talk, the call-in program that followed every Dodger Game on the radio.

And just to show that he can do just about anything, he is also an accomplished cartoonist, with his work appearing in the prestigious New Yorker magazine. In his spare time(?), he writes a blog and produces a thoroughly entertaining podcast … go to kenlevine.blogspot.com and hollywoodandlevine.libsyn.com/

Honestly, I have no idea how he manages to find time for all of his interests, let alone all the differing careers all the while being a loyal husband and family man. But the two-hour coffee interview just wasn’t enough … as many in the audience could attest, it was among the fastest two hours on record.

Levine tends to downplay his accomplishments in radio, stating that his voice is “too squeaky” compared to his many heroes and contemporaries. I disagree, but regardless, he more than made up for any perceived personal deficiency with a quick wit, biting sarcasm, creative double entendres, and much more.

This all came out anew during his interview, with such radio-related stories as:

• Trying to get fired at KMEN/San Bernardino (now KKDD, 1290 AM).

Management wanted him back in the overnight shift; he asked to be fired instead. They refused, so he stopped by the record store to buy a special album to play.

“Radio stations were getting hip and playing album cuts more and more, so this idea was perfect.” The album he purchased to play in its entirety? “Fiddler on the Roof,” he said. “In Yiddish … I was fired before ‘Anatevka’ finished playing.”

• Convincing the General Manager of WLS/Chicago — at the time one of the most popular radio stations in the country — to put him on the air during the overnight shift leading into Thanksgiving Day.

Who was the GM? His father. “My Dad,” Levine explains, “left a memo stating that ‘My son will be doing the all-night show.’ No word on who I was or my experience on the air.”

The guy on the air immediately before Levine’s shift had no idea who he was, so Levine pretended to be entirely clueless. “Wow, what are all these buttons,” he remembers asking the other DJ. By the time his shift was up, the other DJ was convinced this was going to be bad and was scared to leave the station in the hands of an amateur. “He was just freaking out,” Levine says.

Finally, when the time came, the DJ watched as Levine leaned into the microphone, played the top-of-the-hour jingle, and opened his show with “This is Ken Levine; I’ve been on the air in Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, Bakersfield, San Bernardino … but never at the same time! This is W-L-S!”

When Levine shut off the microphone, he remembers, “The DJ says, ‘You’ve done this before!’ I said, ‘Yes, of course; my father’s not going to put someone on the air at a 50,000-watt clear channel station in Chicago who’s never done it before!’”

• The time that a program director at K-100 (now KKLQ, 100.3 FM) worried they might get sued over his on-air name.

Levine told the program director not to worry: “If we get sued, we’ll get a ton of free publicity, and the worst that will happen is they’ll make me change my name.”

The program director called the station co-owner for direction, and Levine describes the response this way: “What’s the problem?” Levine says was the response. “The worst that would happen is that we’d get some free publicity and they’d make him change his name.”

You can hear recordings of some of Levine’s on-air work by searching YouTube.Com using the keywords Beaver Cleaver, Ken Levine, Ten-Q and B-100. Mike Stark and I did a full career-spanning interview with Levine, which can be found at http://la-radiowaves.blogspot.com/2020/08/radio-waves-extra-ken-levine.html

Richard Wagoner is a San Pedro freelance columnist. Email rwagoner@socalradiowaves.com

Radio Waves Podcast #373

 Radio: March 24, 2023

            It is time to admit: executives of the major radio corporations - Audacy, iHeart, and Cumulus, primarily - have no faith in the future of the industry they control. 

            There is no fighting from them against automakers who are removing AM from the dashboard of new cars, and the potential future removal of FM. There is no marketing plan to attract listeners to their stations, and hasn’t been for years. And they don’t even pretend to try to attract younger listeners, the lifeblood of the future.

            You need proof? Remember KROQ (106.7 FM)? You know, the station that knocked KMET (now KTWV, 94.7 FM) totally out of the album rock format by beating it to the punch playing new bands and new artists, just as KMET had done years before … before they got too successful and, one might argue, lazy.

            KROQ became the “Roq of the ‘80s,” and earned a reputation of being the place to go for new music. That was a long time ago, though. Now KROQ is basically an oldies outlet playing music primarily from decades back.

            Need proof? Here are two sample hours taken from the 3-5 p.m. shift on a random day about a week ago. Now remember, this is afternoon drive, which is one of the dayparts that would in the past have been programmed to young people just getting out of high school or college classes for the day, not the mid-day hours where more oldies might be found:

            3-4 p.m.: Toxicity (System of a Down), from 2001; Bad Dreams (Cannons), 2001; Basket Case (Green Day), 1994; Somebody Told Me (Killers), 2004; Time to Pretend (MGMT), 2007; Welcome to the Black Parade (My Chemical Romance), 2006; Landslide (Smashing Pumpkins); 2001; Bones (Imagine Dragons), 2022; Kryptonite (3 Doors Down), 2000; Africa (Weezer), 2018

            4-5 p.m.: Tighten Up (Black Keys), 2010; Personal Jesus (Depeche Mode), 1989; Uprising (Muse), 2009; Clint Eastwood (Gorillaz), 2001; The Boys of Summer (The Ataris), 2022; Black Summer (Red Hot Chili Peppers), 2022; Friday I’m in Love (The Cure), 1992; Sex, Drugs, Etc. (Beach Weather), re-released but originally from 2016; In Bloom (Nirvana ); 1992, Jumper (Third Eye Blind), 1997

            There was a time that KROQ would not even go back more than a year or two, all music being new and current. In fact, most stations popular with young adults did so, including KHJ (930 AM) when they played top-40, KIIS-FM (102.7) of the 1980s, and even, yes, KMET. That in two hours, KROQ only played five songs released or re-released in the past two-three years is, frankly, surprising even to me. But there it is.

            There’s hope, though, right? LA’s New Alternative (using that slogan for the past decade at least) Alt 98.7 must be playing new music, right? Think again. Another recent afternoon:

            3-4 p.m.: Fat Lip (Sum 41), 2001; Dissolve (Absofacto), 2017; Wake Me Up When September Ends (Green Day), 2004; Lovefool (The Cardigans), 1996; Just Like Heaven (The Cure), 1987; The Kill (Thirty Seconds to Mars), 2005

            4-5 p.m. Lost (Linkin Park), re-released but originally from 2003; Doin’ Time (Lana Del Rey), 2019; Dreams (The Cranberries), 1993; I write Sins Not Tragedies (Panic! At the Disco), 2005; Friday I’m in Love (The Cure), 1992; Bad Dreams (Cannons), 2021; Come as You Are (Nirvana), 1991.

            That’s two songs from the past three years or so. Any wonder why young people use Spotify for “radio” and in fact call it “radio?” That’s where they find new music.

            Now keep in mind that I am most definitely not commenting on the music itself, most of which I personally like. That’s not my point. My point is that if you can’t rely on KROQ or Alt to play new music, what station can you count on? KRTH (101.1 FM)? I didn’t check, but I’d bet they aren’t that much different year-wise … and at least they admit it! What to do?

            Legend has it that FM progressive rock radio got its start when Tom Donahue made telephone calls to local stations. Those that had disconnected phones due to non-payment — remember that everyone listened to AM at the time, and few people even owned FM radios — got pitched his new format. As the new format caught on and spread, people started buying FM radios. Eventually the band took over to the point that roughly 75% of radio listening is on FM.

            Which brings me back to my broken-record point: if you want to attract young listeners back to radio - real radio - you have to play what they want to hear. And I argue that it doesn’t matter if it’s on AM or FM, weak signal or strong. 

            I see kids listening to music on their phones or via cheap bluetooth speakers all the time … hardly the epitome of high fidelity. AM stations playing modern rock/pop/progressive/whatever would compete just fine. … certainly better than with political talk or sports. And they have less to lose … it is likely the stations are already losing money, just like the stations contacted by Donahue over fifty years ago.

            It is long past the time to do this. It can be done. It will take effort, time, and marketing, but the rewards will be great … I have faith in radio. But if the industry wants to let Spotify take over as the “radio”of choice, it won’t happen … unless a small company wants to take a chance.

            What are your thoughts?

            Richard Wagoner is a San Pedro freelance columnist. Email rwagoner@socalradiowaves.com 

Radio: March 17

KLOS (95.5 FM) broke a fundraising record - its own - by raising more than $1.27 million in just 26 broadcast hours last month during the 6th annual KLOS St. Jude Rocks radiothon. That beat the stations previous recored of $1.24 million earned in a previous year.

During the event, listeners making donations became eligible to go on adventures with station personalities in addition to receiving specially-designed attire … mainly t-shirts commemorating the drive: The T-Shirt that Saves Lives.

KLOS programmer Keith Cunningham was ecstatic over the results off the drive, telling me how proud he is of both his staff and loyal listeners and humbly stating that “it is very rewarding to be able to help.” 

“For many of us, it is the most rewarding two days of the year,” he said.

The money raised benefited St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, and will help kids at St. Jude to fight cancer. Also supporting the drive were station sponsors and artists. In a press release, KLOS owner Meruelo Media’s Otto Padron said “(this) is a fierce reminder that live and local radio compels, and deeply connects with the community to make a positive difference.”

Emmis Podcast

My podcast partner Michael Stark and I recently sat down and spoke with Emmis Chairman/CEO Jeff Smulyan and President of Radio Programming Rick Cummings for an open discussion of Emmis, radio in general, marketing, and more. It was supposed to last about a half hour but ended up going almost 60 minutes … and in reality, there is so much more to talk about we hope to have them back at a future date.

Emmis is the former owner of Power 106, which was known as Magic 106 at the timethey bought it; later creating Power and for a time dominating local radio. The company is what I consider one of the “good ones” in radio, running their stations like they actually like radio. In fact, the love of radio oozes out from both Smulyan and Cummings as they speak.

I realized in speaking with them that my own ideas on how to save radio - especially AM - evolved form my time interning at Magic and Power. Apparently their corporate structure stuck in my head without me realizing it.

Hear the interview and subscribe to the podcast at https://apple.co/3T8g1ny.

New Morning Show 

Speaking of Power 106 - now owned by Meruelo Media and thus a sister to KLOS, by the way - the station has a new morning show.

Called the Brown Bag Morning Show, it airs from 6 to 10 a.m. and is a former podcast of a similar name hosted by Letty Paniche with co-hosts Rosecrans Vic and DoKnow.

You may remember Paniche as “Rikki Martinez” when she worked with Big Boy on Power mornings from 2011 to 2014; she left to work at KRRL and returned to Power in 2021. 

The Brown Bag Podcast also debuted in 2021; the show moved to the Power airwaves on February 16. I’ll have a full review in a future column; in the meantime if you have heard it, let me know your thoughts

. 

Top-10

In the past I covered ratings quarterly, primarily because that is when the full “books” were released. But it’s been years since Nielsen (formerly Arbitron) moved to a new system allowing monthly results to be released, perhaps it is time to update may thinking.

I’ll still do a more in-depth look quarterly, but give the top-10 monthly. This way we are all current without getting too predictable. Here’s the first top-10 of the year for the month of January, recognizing listeners aged 6 and over tuned to a station between 6 a.m. and 12 midnight:

1. KOST (6.8) 2. KRTH (4.9) 3. KTWV (4.7) 4. KBIG (4.6) 5. KLVE (4.3) 6. KFI (4.1) 7. KIIS-FM (3.6) 8. KCBS Jack-FM (2.9) 9. KLAX, KLOS, KNX, KRRL (2.8)

I’m a little late covering the January ratings, released by Nielsen at the end of February; the February ratings will be out in just a couple weeks.

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Radio Waves Podcast #372

 A VERY SPECIAL "Radio Waves":  Join Richard and Mike for an interview with two of Emmis Communications' top execs - CEO and founder Jeff Smulyan and President of Programming Rick Cummings.  In the full podcast, we discuss a variety of "radio" topics, Jeff's new book titled "Never Ride A Roller Coaster Upside Down:  The Ups, Downs and Reinvention of an Entrepreneur" and they give us their thoughts on the future of the radio business. 

Radio Waves: March 10, 2023

Austin’s SXSW Radio Day Concert on The SoCal Sound

There is a huge music, film and television festival happening March 10 through the 19th in Austin, Texas: SXSW 2023. Festival organizers describe it as “an essential destination for global professionals,” featuring “conference sessions, film and TV festival screenings, music festival showcases … and much more.”

Music festivals are held with various themes Monday through Saturday; Thursday March 16th is dedicated as Radio Day, and our own “So Cal Sound” (88.5 FM) will carry that day’s concerts live beginning at 10 a.m.

Each artist will perform for an hour, beginning with Bailen at 10:00, followed by Blondshell, Sunny War, Ron Gallo, Girl Scout, and Katie Toupin. 

Can’t get the station clearly on your radio? It’s on smart speakers, all the smartphone apps as well as online, at thesocalsound.org.

Fighting Back

Radio in the dashboard of cars has become a battle ground between auto manufacturers and radio station owners. Not just for AM, which is being pushed out due supposedly to interference from electric car internal electronics, but potentially FM as well as carmakers look to push subscription services that allow radio apps receiving stations over the internet rather than the traditional airwaves. The thinking is that if AM can easily be pushed out and replaced by apps, then by extension FM can be removed easily as the same apps can receive FM station streams as easily as they receive AM streams.

The problem for radio stations is two-fold: people may not bother getting the apps, especially if they are difficult to use or the access to use them costs extra, and there are extra costs to stations running streams, including music licensing fees.

So some station owners are beginning to fight back. A recent article in industry engineering newspaper Radio World highlighted the perspectives of Tom King, of Kintronics Labs — an expert on AM transmission and noise interference, Saul Levine, owner of K-Mozart (1260 AM) and Go Country (105.1 FM), Don Elliot, owner of Schwab Multimedia.

Essentially the consensus among the three is that interference concerns are overblown, that there are easy fixes including special antenna setups, and that many electric cars do indeed have reliable AM radio reception without issue. Who benefits from the removal of AM from cars, Elliot asks? Certainly not listeners.

In a related move, broadcaster Neal Ardman has announced an initiative to force electric vehicle manufacturers to stop causing interference to the AM band, a problem I eluded to in a previous column. In a nutshell, if EVs cause enough interference to cause in-car reception problems, they are potentially creating interference outside the car as well … which is illegal.

Broadcasting stations, including radio and television, is a protected medium in part because of its use in emergency situations. And AM stations in particular are often the hub of the emergency alert system. And that brings up an important issue, as Ardman stated in a press release announcing his initiative: “EVs don’t just cause noise to the radios built into the EV they also cause harmful interference to the cars that are nearby.”

Adrian told Radio World that he hopes to work out an agreement without going to court, but that if a lawsuit is needed to protect the AM band from this interference, “we will do just that.”

Mail Bag

“I liked your article today where you mention ‘The Woody Show.’

“Another fun morning show is on KRTH 101 with Gary Bryan, Lisa Stanley and

Brandon. They have listeners call in for various things and is so fun to hear. I’ve even called in a few times and have been on the radio with Gary Bryan! They do such a fun show and crack me up a lot!

“Always enjoy your column – especially when you talk about old-time radio from the 60s and 70s – my fun era of radio!” — Michele

Absolutely! There are actually a few who still take advantage of phones when allowed, including those and afternoon drive hosts such as Kevin and Sluggo on KLOS (95.5 FM) and Booker and Stryker on Alt 98.7. It seems that some stations have finally rediscovered that entertainment between the records is often what makes a station win.

“I look forward to your Friday columns in the Daily Breeze and today’s was a good one. I’m a longtime listener of KPFK and enjoy The Car Show while running errands on Saturdays.

“If I wake up and don’t want to get out of bed I listen to the radio with headphones and check in to The Woody Show. It’s so much better than the (competition)” —  Richard Graling, Redondo Beach

Here’s a little trivia regarding The Car Show … did you know that host Mark Vaughn graduated from San Pedro High? Yes, he is a local boy!

Radio Waves: March 3, 2023

Car Show celebrates a half century on the air

My first car — and the car I learned to drive in — was a 1974 Chevrolet Vega GT Hatchback, bought new by my sister’s college roommate, Roxanne. Roxanne taught me to drive it when I was 12, in the back parking lot of Food King in San Pedro. In 1979, she gave it to me, and it became my cherished first car to drive in high school, while my Dad and I worked on rebuilding his 1967 Camaro RS that would eventually be my second car. 

The Vega got passed over to my Mom, sold to my friend, then another friend. Eventually I saw it in one of one of junkyards where you pull parts off of cars yourself … it still had the back window sticker I had put on it years before. I have to admit, it was a bit sad seeing my old car there… I learned a lot about cars from it and had fond memories of it.

I use that story for perspective … the Vega would have been 49 years old now, and it long ago bit the dust. (The Camaro was stolen, so keep an eye out for it). On the other hand, a radio program about cars the year before is still on the air: KPFK’s (90.7 FM) The Car Show just celebrated its 50th birthday in February.

It all started in the Fall of 1972 when John Retsek and Jack Kirkpatrick were asked to talk about cars on KPFK’s Helpful Hints consumer-oriented program. The two had so much fun with their occasional appearances that then-station programmer Ruth Hirschmann proposed that Retsek host a car-oriented show weekly. So, in February of 1973, The Car Show was born.

Much has changed since then … Hirschmann became Ruth Seymour, moving on to become general manager of KCRW (89.9 FM) in 1978 and creating one of the most prestigious public radio stations in the country. Carburetors became obsolete, replaced by fuel injection of various forms. Steel belted radials replaced bias ply tires. Unleaded gas became the norm. FM radios started showing up more and more, as did in-dash tape players, then CDs, then smart phone connections and bluetooth. Fuel mileage increased. Maintenance needs decreased. Safety and cost went way up.

But the Car Show has held on, and is now the longest-running automotive program in history, predating National Public Radio’s Car Talk by four years “and obviously outlasting it,” says current co-host Dave Kunz. Now, in addition to hearing it live over the KPFK airwaves Saturdays from 1-2 p.m., you can also find it in podcast form on various apps and sites including Spotify and TuneIn.

Described as “everything about the automotive world including listener call-ins, event calender, industry news, racing news, new products, vehicle road tests, classic and collector vehicles, in-studio and call-in guests on all automotive and related subjects,” the program is now hosted by Kunz and Autoweek magazine journalist Mark Vaughn.

Explains Kunz: “The show has been through numerous hosts over the years. Retsek was at the helm until 2010, when he retired. Art Gould took over with me moving from fill-in to regular co-host. When Gould passed away in 2019, I sort of inherited the program, and that is when I was joined by Vaughn.”

Through the years the program has remained true to its purpose: talking about cars, the technology involved , new and exciting trends in the industry … and fun. That translates to some long time listeners, according to Kunz. “I have heard from listeners who’ve been fans for decades,” he says. “One listener recently called to tell he he’s been listening since the beginning!” That’s dedication.

So raise a glass to the show that originated on a station that, when the show first debuted, couldn’t even be heard in most of the cars on the road due to the then-dominance of AM radio. Happy birthday, The Car Show!

Old Tech

As I was driving into work this week — due to the rain I couldn’t ride my bike — and listening to Alt 98.7’s  The Woody Show as I usually do, it struck me: Here is a show that embraces old technology, at least to an extent. Many of the contests, bits, and listener participation segments on the popular program involved listeners calling in on the telephone.

Yes, the telephone, something that so many seem to have forgotten exists in the era of text messaging and Instagram posts. Yet that banter with listeners is one of thew things that makes The Woody Show so entertaining.

It also creates a conduit for personalization, as callers who participate and win contests can be promoted on the air, unlike generic “text this number to win” contests that not only don’t really do anything to drive listenership, they don’t give the rest of us a chance to hear someone else win. 

Something to think about … maybe Woody proves the past is the future. Perhaps these are the Days of Future Passed. Or like sand through an hourglass, these are the Days of Our Lives. Showing my age again …

Radio Waves: February 24, 2023

Riding the Emmis rollercoaster

Never ride a roller coaster upside down. Good advice, and also the title of a new book by Emmis Broadcasting founder and CEO Jeff Smulyan. The subtitle perhaps better describes the technical content: “the ups, downs and reinvention of an entrepreneur,” but the roller coaster imagery is fitting, as I am sure many entrepreneurs will attest. 

It’s certainly not always smooth sailing.

This is not a radio book in the traditional sense, nor is it a book on broadcasting. It definitely stays true to its title and focusses on the trials and tribulations experienced by Smulyan as he built his radio empire, branched into professional athletics team ownership, and in many ways tried to help keep an industry he loves on track and profitable … unfortunately to no avail. 

In its pages, the book explores all aspects of his multi-faceted career, and at times is brutally honest toward himself and others. He gives accolades when appropriate; derision when necessary. And while it is not a tough read, it is a long read solely due to the details presented and the passion behind his words.

Not that I always agree fully with him … As you know, I have long held that AM station owners and programmers pushed listeners to FM through bad programming — and other — decisions. Yes, FM can sound better, but doesn’t have to, and had programmers presented something people value, they would have stayed with the band. Smulyan actually proves my point with the initial failure of WFAN — a formerly successful country music station before he changed it to all-sports, which took years to catch on and like conservative talk radio became a popular format to present — if not listen —on the AM band … to the band’s ultimate demise.

Also demonstrated by Smulyan, the current decline of FM is due to the same type of forces … content not appealing to listeners, and a commercial load approaching 25 minutes per hour on some stations. But I digress.

In reading the book you get a feeling that you are there. In. My case, in one example, I was there … I was an intern at Magic 106 (now Power 106, 105.9 FM), working with on-air personalities such as Sonny Melendrez, Brian Roberts, Laurie Allen, and the great Robert W. Morgan. Emmis had spent a lot of money on Magic, but it was never the force they had hoped for … mainly due, in my opinion (and something I sensed even as a college intern) … a music mix that was too limiting. Magic never wanted to break songs, and instead relied on KIIS-FM (102.7) to do so … to its ultimate decline.

Smulyan and his executives including Rick Cummings, who I believe at the time oversaw programming for the entire company, let me listen in and even take part on some of their evening strategy meetings, which was a tremendous opportunity for a radio nut like me. I never forgot the experience, and it helped me not only understand the inner workings of radio, but develop a periphery understanding of Emmis itself. Indeed, my experience with Emmis matches what Smulyan describes as the corporate attitude within the company – a company that values people; they treated me — unpaid intern radio nut —  as a valuable employee. No wonder the same executives I sat with in the mid 1980s are for the most part still with the company.

So I was there when the decision to drop the adult contemporary music and move to a rhythmic top-40/dance format was announced. At the time I remember thinking that it would be a  tough move; KIIS-FM was firmly entrenched as the top-rated music station in the United States, setting records for listenership and revenues. Emmis executives came up with a format designed to appeal to young, hip listeners cutting across cultural barriers (sound familiar? Chuck Martin did the same at KHJ 930 AM). Ultimately, Power was the only station ever able to knock unstoppable KIIS-FM out of the top spot, at least for a while.

Smulyan later describes the purchase of the Seattle Mariners … what went right and what went terribly wrong, including a reflective analysis of how he totally misread the market for professional baseball in Seattle. That chapter in the book may change a few opinions on Smulyan being a “terrible owner” of the team, even though that is not the intent. 

He speaks of his competitors both good and bad, talks about initiatives he was part of that may have indeed helped extend the reach of radio, and discusses the problems — including in particular one short-sighted competitor — that led to Emmis ultimately becoming less of a “radio” company and more of a media company … a move that you correctly sense makes him somewhat sad. Smulyan is, indeed, a radio guy, and it is his first love.

As I mentioned, one thing I found interesting in reading the book was that the attitude of Smulyan and the corporate culture he claims to have encouraged at Emmis matches that of my limited experience way back in my intern days, which were only a few years after Emmis was founded. Over time I watched the company’s successes and declines, and was impressed when — unlike so many other companies — Emmis actually worked to pay down debt by selling stations, including one that Smulyan loved, Power 106. 

As I said, it’s not truly a radio book, but well worth the read for both radio fans as well as anyone interested in starting a business. Smulyan imparts knowledge that successful business owners learn by experience; perhaps his experience will help others avoid mistakes … or at least help others understand what entrepreneurs often go through …

Radio Waves Podcast #371

 Radio: February 17, 2023

Last October, Adult Album rocker 88-5 … aka The SoCal Sound (KCSN/KSBR, 88.5 FM) … ruffled a few feathers by moving specialty programming out of “prime” hours, described as Monday through Friday 6 a.m. to 7p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

General Manager Patrick Osburn stated emphatically at the time that all hosts were offered new slots and no shows were outright canceled, but that not everyone wanted to make the move and some hosts decoded to hang it up.

This prompted numerous emails and letters at the time, and some observers wondered if it made a difference in support and donations to the stations, with the thinking being that listeners of specialty programming are more likely financially support a public radio station.

So I reached out to Osburn and asked directly … was there any fallout? His response is that it was basically a wash: 

“For several weeks I got a lot of hate mail and resentful notes that missed the Beatles show, and others,” he explained. “I made a big effort to explain,  placate them, and even compromise. In the end, I generally stuck to the plan for the good of the future of the station.  

“Over a few weeks, the number of letters decreased.  Nothing for a few weeks, then back to notes and donations”

  Osburn insists that the move was needed to help ensure the longterm visibility of the station, explaining, “our goal to evolve for the next 10 years is working, and the previous donations are being replaced by the new.  In short, it’s a push, but we are well set up for the future.”

The Real Threat

Radio engineering newspaper Radio World recently ran a story on what the writer feels is the real threat to radio longterm: subscriptions. Not to the stations or content providers, but to auto manufacturers who want to expand monthly payments to include in-dash entertainment services.

A couple throwaway lines in the story written by InsideMusicMedia.Com’s Jerry Del Colianno, namely that electromagnetic fields in electric cars make AM radio virtually unlistenable and that manufacturers claim that AM radio drains batteries in electric vehicles prompted letter reply from a Radio World reader that succinctly states what I have been saying for years: Those companies using interference as an excuse for removing AM are basically lazy … or worse, just bad.

Writes Broadcast Engineer Jeremy Burnham (bit.ly/3HSHkgu), “The article states, 'Fact: electromagnetic fields generated in non-gasoline engines make AM virtually unlistenable.’ Apparently Chrysler found a way around this issue because my 2021 Pacifica EV has a radio that receives AM just fine. I can even do some DXing (long distance listening) with it at night. If Chrysler can build a necessary filter, so could other automakers.

“The article goes on saying that manufacturers claim: ‘AM radio drains the batteries of their electric vehicles.’ Really? Quick, get me an ammeter; I need to see for myself that the radio draws excessive current while tuned to 570 AM but not for 102.7 FM or Willy’s Roadhouse on satellite radio.”

Could they both be right? Yes, absolutely. It would not surprise me one bit if automakers wanted to expand a subscription base launched with in-car internet services, or going back further, services like On-Star. And if the companies can use the excuse that it is “too hard” for regular radio reception as a way to remove AM and/or FM from the dash of future models, then subscriptions will — perhaps — increase.

But it is true that with correct shielding and a good antenna, reception of both AM and FM in electric vehicles is absolutely possible. GM, Toyota, Chrysler and others have proven it. And if the electronics and motors produced so much interference that it negatively affected reception in the car, it is likely that the cars themselves are interfering with others on the road, or even at homes and businesses nearby. Which means, basically, the cars themselves are operating illegally. It is up to the manufacturer to eliminate the interference of the products they build. Has been that way for decades.

Oh, and the claim about draining the battery? That is just bull.

Radio Waves Podcast #370

 Radio: February 10, 2023

            The holiday ratings period - representing roughly the last four weeks of the year - were kind once again to KOST (103.5 FM), which dominated the local ratings by playing holiday music. Earning a 13.1 share of the audience , KOST earned almost three times the rating (2.79 times actually, rounded off) held by second place KRTH’s  (101.1 FM) 4.7 share.

            Interestingly, though, the rating was a little lower than last year at the same time, when KOST earned a 13.4 share, and down even more from 2020’s 13.9. I wouldn’t read anything into that … many things are at work, not the least of which is the fact that people were allowed to leave their homes more freely, unlike the past two years. Still - interesting. 

            Also interesting: Go Country’s switch to holiday music didn’t seem to make a dent one way or another, with the station earning a 2.5 … about what it earns normally. 

            KFI (640 AM) was 3rd with a 4.4, followed by KLVE (107.5 FM) at 4.2 and My FM KBIG (104.3) at 3.9.

            Moving down the list a bit, the competition of Alt 98.7 and KROQ (106.7 FM)  found the stations closer together than they have been in a while, which Alt earning a 15th place 2.3 share and KROQ tied with KPCC (89.3 FM) for 19th at 2.0

            KLOS (95.5 FM) fell a little, to 2.5 from December’s 2.9 and the 3.0 share it held in September, October and November. This gave Jack-FM KCBS (93.1) a chance to take back the classic rock lead even though it was flat from December’s 2.8. The problem for Jack is that back in August, it had a 3.9 share, and other than in November, the trend has been down. It should be interesting to see what happens the first half of this year.

            KLOS sister station Power 106 (KPWR, 105.9 FM) is still struggling. In spite of an excellent signal, it continues to languish far below closest competitor KIIS-FM (102.7), with a 23rd place 1.6 share against KIIS’s 7th place 3.0. There was a time when Power beat KIIS, and it wasn’t that long after KIIS set records for FM ratings — as high as 10.0 — in the mid 1980s. Kind of makes you wonder why either station doesn’t try harder.

            And from the files of “I Told You So,” KNX (1070 AM, 97.1 FM) earned a 2.5 share of the ratings, tying KLOS and Go Country at 11th place. For historical comparison, KNX earned a combined AM-FM 2.8 share in Holiday 2021, and an AM-only 3.2 share in Holiday 2020. Clearly the simulcast on FM has not helped, and owner Audacy lost the approximately 1.5 share it had with the old KNOU format it ran on 97.1 before the simulcast, even as bad as that format was. In the meantime, KFI has increased its ratings over the same period. Weird. 

            Honestly, Audacy should drop the simulcast, move the call letters back to 93.1 FM and play mellow rock on the FM. But they won’t.

            Perhaps the biggest surprise of the Holiday ratings? KRTH’s online stream earned a 0.7 share … higher than 15 rated stations on the list and just below KABC’s (790 AM) 0.8 share of the audience.

            Each rating is an estimate of the percentage of listeners, age 6 and over, tuned to a station between the hours of 6 a.m. and 12 midnight, as determined by Nielsen.

            1. KOST (13.1) 2. KRTH (4.7) 3. KFI (4.4) 4. KLVE (4.2) 5. KBIG (3.9) 6. KTWV The Wave (3.4) 7. KIIS-FM (3.0) 8. KCBS-FM (2.8) 9. KRRL (2.7) 10. KLAX, KXOL (2.6)

            12. KKGO, KLOS, KNX (2.5) 15. KYSR Alt (2.3) 16. KBUE, KLYY, KRCD (2.1) 19. KPCC, KROQ (2.0)

            21. KUSC (1.9) 22. KSCA (1.7) 23. KPWR (1.6) 24. KLLI (1.5) 25. KJLH (1.4) 26. KKJZ (1.3) 27. KDAY, KFWB (1.2) 29. KCRW, KLAC (0.9)

            31. KABC (0.8) 32. KDLD, KRTH Stream (0.7) 34. KCSN, KEIB, KRLA (0.5) 37. KFSH, KWIZ (0.4) 39. KKLA, KPFK (0.2)

            40. KCBS-FM Stream, KHJ, KIRN, KNX-FM Stream, KROQ Stream, KTNQ, KTWV Stream, KWKW (0.1)

            ///