Radio Waves Podcast #242

Radio: April 3, 2020

Did you know that the town of Castaic has its own radio station? Indeed it does. KHUG is a low-power commercial-free FM community station broadcasting at 97.5 FM. You can hear it online (www.khug.rocks … I never knew there was such a domain) or via your smart speaker.

According to the website, KHUG is curated as art … “every song played on the air is chosen by a music lover, not an algorithm.” There’s a special show highlighting bands from the area, a roots of rock show, and more. The format I suppose is primarily blues rock, something I found quite nice.

The station began broadcasting in January, 2017  from a ridge overlooking the Santa Clarita Valley, and according to the website, they “proudly play more music than any station in Southern California … We’re having fun, and hope that you enjoy listening!”

Frosty Out

Another cut at KLOS (95.5 FM) with the news that Frosty Stillwell has been let go from the morning show. Stillwell had been part of the show since August of 2016 when he reunited with the rest of the “Triplets,” as they were known when the show was heard on KLSX (now KAMP, 97.1 FM) and later KABC (790 AM). Heidi and Frank had joined KLOS in 2012, replacing the long-running Mark and Brian morning show.

Decreased advertising revenue is the given reason in this case specifically, but this is just a continuing trend at the station. A few months ago almost all of the weekend/fill-in staff was let go, replaced with computer-recorded voice tracking, where a DJ records his or her announcements and a computer inserts the recordings at the appropriate time. This makes you wonder if Lisa May, previously part of the morning show, decided to retire a short time ago because she saw what was coming down the pipe.

What’s Next?

It’s a tough time in radio due right now to the COVID-19 shut down. But the virus could go a long way to making radio relevant again. Instead of more music, less talk, computer-delivered re-recordings, how about talking to your listeners, actively engaging them on the air? Doing what some shows already do — I’m thinking Stryker and Klein on KROQ (106.7 FM), Heidi and Frank, some of the local talk shows — and doing it all day? Some stations are doing this, but when you only have live personalities from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m it’s a bit difficult. 

Keep your format in tact, but let your DJs get more personal on the air. Open up to letting music radio be a foreground listening experience again, rather than background. This is an opportunity to bond with listeners show are craving new entertainment sources while they are safe at home … give it to them. Now.

Harsh Cuts

Jerry Del Colliano reports on his Inside Music Media that the major radio ownership groups are in the process of speeding up “dislocations” (aka layoffs and firings) … using COVID-19 as an excuse to do what they were going to do anyway. But the CEOs? Their pay is intact.

According to Del Colliano, iHeart has suspended matching 401k match, and no one really expects it to return. Entercom has already fired an entire staff or part-timers. And more is to come, including the possibility of having no actual studios at all: talent using their own studios at home as they become independent contractors. 

And Then

COVID-19 slowed down the plan, but Saul Levine announced last week that once the crisis is over, live personalities will return to K-Mozart, found on line and via HD digital radio (special tuner needed) at 105.1 HD4.

If you have an HD Tuner, online access or a smart speaker — Alexa, Google and Siri can all play K-Mozart — you can hear the commercial-free classical music right now. It’s been available for many years but Levine wants to make it a viable, compelling alternative to KUSC (91.5 FM).

Radio Waves Podcast #241

KOST (103.5 FM) continued settling down back to normal after its traditional holiday boost, but it still managed to dominate the Los Angeles ratings released last week. For the month of February, the adult top-40 station earned a 5.7 rating, down from 6.5 in January and 13.7 during the holiday season, but a half-point above second-place KRTH (101.1 FM)’s 5.2.

KFI (640 AM was the top-rated talk station as usual, and the top-rated AM station in town, earning a 3.8 share at tied for 7th place overall … and proving that AM radio is still, indeed, viable. News radio KNX (1070 AM) was not far behind, with a 3.0 share at 10th place. Unfortunately, the next highest-rated AM station was way down and tied for 29th place at 1.1, that station being KRLA (870 AM).

Alt 98.7 FM beat out KROQ (106.7 FM) but just barely: Alt at 2.6 vs. KROQ at 2.5;  Alt tied for 12th and KROQ tied for 14th. Keep this in mind when you hear about the ousting of KROQ’s entire morning show.

For a change, the news was good for KABC (790 AM), which while still low at 0.9 and tied for 35th, was the station’s highest rating in recent memory.

And just because I love the call letters, it is nice to still be able to mention KHJ (930 AM) in spite of the fact that they don’t let me program music on the station. For the month, KHJ was 47th place with a 0.1 share. Yes, it’s low, but the call-letters are still around after almost 100 years.

Each Nielsen rating is an estimate of the percentage of listeners aged 6 and over (also called “six plus”) tuned to a station between the hours of 6 a.m. and 12 midnight.

1. KOST (5.7) 2. KRTH (5.2) 3. KTWV (4.7) 4. KBIG/My-FM (4.5) 5. KIIS (4.4) 6. KLAX (4.1) 7. KLVE, KFI (3.8) 9. KCBS-FM/Jack (3.5) 10. KNX (3.0) 11. KLOS (2.9) 12. KYSR/Alt, KRRL/Real (2.6) 14. KROQ, KRCD (2.5) 16. KKGO/Go Country (2.4) 17. KPWR/Power, KLYY (2.3) 19. KXOL (2.2) 20. KSCA, KPPC (2.1) 22. KAMP/Amp Radio (2.0) 23. KUSC, KKLQ/K-Love, KBUE (1.6) 26. KLLI (1.4) 27. KDAY (1.3) 28. KFSH/The Fish (1.2) 29. KRLA, KJLH, KCRW (1.1) 32. KLAC, KKJZ, KEIB (1.0) 35. KWIZ, KSPN, KABC (0.9) 38. KKLA, KDLD (0.7) 40. KFWB (0.6)41. KCSN/88.5 FM (0.5) 42. KTNQ (0.4) 43. KWKW, KSUR/K-Surf (0.3) 45. KYLA, KPFK (0.2) 47. KHJ (0.1)

Cutbacks

You probably read in this very newspaper that Kevin Ryder and the entire morning team of Kevin in the. Morning (formerly known as Kevin and Bean until a month after Gene “Bean” Baxter left the show) was, according to Ryder, “fired,” laying to rest the remnants of a program with a 30-year history in Los Angeles.

Now, 30 years is an amazing number, one of the longest ever. For comparison, most shows historically — I am thinking Robert W. Morgan on KHJ, Charlie Tuna on KHJ, Ten-Q and a few others — tend to last five or so years, the better deals occasionally lasting longer. The point being that longterm associations with any station are rare.But to suggest that it was ratings is wrong. Had it been ratings, they never would have offered Kevin the chance to continue the show in the first place … Kevin and Bean had long passed their ratings prime. But it was a heritage show and brought a lot of street cred to a station that desperately needed it against relative newcomer Alt 98.7.

In my opinion, it was the economic conditions the radio industry finds itself in after years of neglect. Station ad rates are at an all-time low, and the companies that own the stations are desperately trying to remain afloat. So it all comes down to money. KROQ, now being owned by Entercom, is just like the others, cutting talent that makes “too much” … that decision being decided by executives who rake in big salaries while the companies they run slowly die.

Correction

Last week I mentioned that a competing digital radio broadcasting system called DRM is used in numerous other countries. I received an email correcting me, and while the writer prefers to remain unnamed, their information is correct.

“You mentioned the digital radio system DRM (for Digital Radio Mondiale) and said that DRM is ‘in most of the rest of the world.’  In fact, the only country to make widespread use of DRM is India, and at present there are approximately 1 million receivers in that country.  By contrast, there are over 70 million HD Radio receivers now in the US which are capable of receiving AM-band HD Radio signals.”

Many countries are just shutting AM — and sometimes FM — off. This could be a big thing as we move forward.

Radio Waves Podcast #240

Radio is responding to the novel Coronavirus pandemic, though unlike, say, toilet paper, radio stations are on the hunt for in-demand items like microphone windscreens and remote codecs.

They need windscreens so that each personality can have their own to prevent the spread of viruses, and codecs so that stations can have personalities broadcast from remote locations — including their own homes — via computers.

Like other businesses, many station owners are having as many employees telework, including people in sales, programming, and engineering. Personalities are next, as home and remote studios are connected. It may make for an odd sound for a while, but it is one way stations are coping.

On the Air

I was talking to my wife about how cool it would be to program an AM music station — you may have heard me say that before — when I realized, there actually are a small handful in our area already.

Not what I would do exactly, but it at least gives a fighting chance for those who own a fully stock classic car from the 1960s or prior to listen to the radio without adding an FM converter. In case you missed it we have:

KSUR (1260 AM), playing oldies from the 1950s through the ‘80s. The signal is limited, unfortunately, as the transmitter was originally designed to serve the San Fernando Valley area, but it does reach most of the metro LA area and parts of surrounding cities.

KRDC (1110 AM) playing country via a Disney — yes Disney — programming service. The signal is still a bit weak — the original KRLA used the same frequency and broadcast site, and it was never stellar in the fringe areas. But it does hit metro LA strongly.

XEPRS (1090 AM) plays a version of top-40 from studios and a transmitter based in Rosarita, Mexico. Interestingly, the format is a simulcast of KJAV/Brownsville Texas, which is an FM station at 104.9. It is primarily an English-language station but some cool Spanish-language songs are in the mix as well.

More AM

Over the years there have been a few attempts to “revive” AM radio, as FM stations grabbed the available audience away from the once-dominant band. The most known is AM stereo, which was approved for use in the 1980s even though it dates back to the 1950s (stereo was developed for AM at roughly the same time as FM but the FCC refused to allow its use on-air in order to help give struggling FM stations an audio boost). While the various systems worked well, it was a bust for a variety of reasons.

Other initiatives included a system in which the audio was actually harmed in an attempt to boost perceived audio quality on bad AM radios. It worked by boosting the highs on the station’s end, so that cheap/bad radios would pass through more treble and help the sound. Good radios ended up sounding distorted and harsh unless they had the appropriate circuit to counteract … that system is still in place. FM actually uses something similar.

To cut interference between stations, stations were eventually ordered to limit fidelity. The idea being that humans (especially older humans) don’t hear much above 10 KHz, so just roll them off. So while it worked to reduce interference, temporarily as it turns out, stations sounded worse once again.

The latest improvement is digital in nature, called HD radio (AM and FM) in the US and a competing system DRM (AM only) in most of the rest of the world. Currently, the systems operate in hybrid mode, in which a digital stream “sandwiches” the analog signal, to be decoded by special radios. The system works reasonably well, especially on FM.

But while the AM is almost eerie when the digital signal kicks in, there is a problem when it comes to HD AM in that the analog signal is compromised. Analog audio is cut even more — to 5 KHz, the same as an old telephone, to allow the digital signal to “fit” within a station’s frequency space — and the digital signal actually causes more interference to adjacent stations than the old high fidelity version of AM before all of this started.

It’s basically a hot mess, though when received well, AM HD sounds great.

But now there’s a fix: all-digital AM. The idea is that if you turn off the analog signal, you can fit the digital signal well within a station’s assigned frequency, increasing fidelity even more and reducing/eliminating interference. Basically, the idea is to do to AM shat was done to television. The big downside? Most current radius won’t pick up the station, obviously limiting the size of the audience.

The FCC has been allowing some stations to try it out experimentally; now it proposes to allow all-digital AM for any station that wants to try it. On a volunteer basis. The commission was taking comments in response to the proposal through March 9; our own local Mount Wilson Broadcasters owner Saul Levine sent me his comments in support of allowing AM stations to broadcast in 100% AM digital mode, which I’ll quote in part below:

“AM in the 100% digital mode would provide better performance and be competitive with existing FM facilities. Operating in the 100% digital mode, however, will take many years to become profitable until a majority of radios are compatible with the technology,” wrote Levine.

“Mount Wilson took a gamble in 1959 placing an FM station on the air when AM was dominant and FM receivers were not prevalent, but the investment paid off. AM operators need to approach this new technology and its challenges the same way. One hundred percent digital AM has the potential to revive the AM Band. We urge the Commission to adopt a policy of allowing AM stations to operate full time with digital technology.”

The FCC is expected to rule on the issue in the coming months.

Radio Waves Podcast #239

This episode also features legendary LA air personality Rita Wilde and radio promo man CW West talking about their new podcast "Rock and Roll Confessional - The Podcast".

Radio: November 29, 2019

I was an intern at Magic 106 (and for a few months, Power 106) during my days as a student at UCLA. I had the opportunity too took with some truly wonderful people who I will always remember, both in front of the microphone and behind the scenes.

One of my favorite things to do was to hang out in the engineering office and talk with the station’s engineering staff, Tom Koza and Terry Greiger. Their knowledge of stations was like having a walking encyclopedia of radio, not only from the technical perspective but formats and personalities.
The two helped me repair and build things for KLA, the UCLA student station where I was a DJ and student engineer; that help allowed me to repair the main broadcast board and add the ability to take and record telephone alls from the KLA studios for later airing.

Over the years I stayed in touch with Tom, but had lost touch with Terry. Until a fateful day visiting The Sound (now KKLQ, 100.3 FM) … turns out that Terry was the chief engineer for the station. Programmer Dave Beasing knew this but made it a surprise to me for the visit. A very pleasant surprise.

Terry and I caught up over the next few years; he told me of his living in the transmitter area of one of his pervious stations, other projects he was working on, the state of HD Radio … which was the reason I was able to truly keep in touch. When the analog and digital HD signals got out of sync, I was one off the first to notice, so I could give Terry a heads up and he would re-set the system.

After The Sound changed owners and formats, Terry moved on to become the senior Director of Engineering for Meruelo Media, meaning he was back in charge of Power 106 and proving that the radio world really is a small world at times.

In early November, Dave Beasing wrote to tell me that Terry had suffered a bad stroke while en route to a transmitter on Mount Wilson; last week came the news that Greiger passed away on November 18th.

Rick Cummings, Emmis Communications President of Radio Programming, worked closely with Grieger. He shared this memory:

“Every year we used to do a giant fireworks show in Indianapolis. Terry would come to town to help with tech.

“One year we decided to add a laser show, not the easiest thing to do in an outdoor setting. The rehearsal the night before was spectacular.

“One thing we did not plan on though was the fire department. They plugged in their pumps to put rain on the rooftops of the nearby zoo to mask the explosions for the animals sheltered inside. That dropped the water pressure and the water cooled laser cannons failed.

“I still remember Terry sprinting to the zoo and back. Upon return, he was gasping for air so hard he was unable to explain the problem. It became a funny story to tell through the years. He claimed it was the only time he ever ran in his adult life.

“His passing was sad news to many at Emmis.”

Another one of radio’s good guys, the unassuming Greiger had worked on the technical sound of many Los Angeles stations. Memories of him and his work can be found on LARadio.Com, as Don Barrett did an extensive interview with him back in 2006 and printed highlights and reader tributes after his death.

Gould Passes

Art Gould, the longtime co-host of KPFK’s (90.7 FM) The Car Show, passed away earlier this month. He was 76.

Gould kept his private life extremely private, but Dave Kunz, who cohosted The Car Show with Gould, sent the following:

“Born in Los Angeles, Art grew up in the Washington D.C. area and at a young age developed a strong musical talent, teaching himself to play the piano by age 7. By the time he was a teenager, he was playing clarinet and saxophone professionally, working as part of a musical group that backed up Roy Clark on a record album. The youngest member of the band at age 15, Art was already making great money and could have had a career as a professional musician.

“But the California car culture was calling, and quite loudly, so Art headed west to San Jose State University and automobiles. He had a long career at General Motors on the west coast, then was recruited to become the general manager of Cormier Chevrolet in Carson in the 1970s.

“By the late 1980s Art had taken an early retirement, and started offering expert car buying advice on The Car Show as a favor to the show’s founder, the late John Retsek. With his broad car knowledge, Art eventually became the show’s third co-host, joining John Retsek and Len Frank in the booth each Saturday.

“Upon Len’s passing in 1996, the show was back to two co-hosts, and it was John and Art as a duo for many years. Eventually, John decided to step down from the show, but Art continued full-speed-ahead. He was also a contributor to various automotive publications, including Seattle-based Global Auto News.”

A special tribute to Gould is to be presented soon on The Car Show.

Retiring

Lisa May is retiring from radio after 30 years waking Los Angeles. Most recently part of the Heidi, Frosty and Frank Show on KLOS (95.5 FM), May spent many years with Kevin and Bean on KROQ (106.7 FM). Her last day will be December 13th; I’ll have some career highlights next week; if you have some personal memories as a listener, send them over.

Radio Waves Podcast #238

Radio: October 26, 2018

I’ve decided to branch out … I’m going to contact the judge involved in the Sears bankruptcy to convince him or her to let me run Sears. As part of my revival of the storied catalog and retail company, I will buy WLS/Chicago and return the station to the company that launched it more than 90 years ago.

I know what you’re thinking. Sears? WLS? What’s the connection?

Sears actually launched WLS — the calls stood for World’s Largest Store — on April 12, 1924 after a few days of experimental broadcasts that “lit up” the Sears switchboards at the company headquarters in Chicago with listeners calling in after hearing the broadcasts.

The idea for WLS was simple. Sears had been buying time on area stations to target the lucrative farming market in the Midwest. By the early 1920s, the company understood the potential of radio and decided to launch its own outlet; Sears president at the time Julius Rosenwald approved a plan to construct a station as the company set up the Sears-Roebuck Agricultural Foundation, a clearinghouse of farming information and assistance. The station and the Foundation would work together to help local farmers.

And of course sell stuff. A lot of stuff. Not only farm equipment, which was a major part of the catalog, but radios. Like RCA, Sears understood that it was easier to sell radios when there was compelling content. And it didn’t hurt that Sears sold a full line of radios … and the electronic tubes needed to keep them playing.

According to the website, WLShistory.com, “As stated in the 1925 Sears Catalogue, ‘WLS was conceived in your interests, is operated in your behalf and is dedicated to your service. It is your station.’

“Broadcasting several hours a day, the station's slogan becomes ‘Bringing The World To The Farm.’ According to accounts, in little more than four years, WLS went from being an obscure signal to a Midwestern powerhouse. It was even rumored to be heard as far away as New Zealand!

“The station aired speeches from President Calvin Coolidge, Ralph Stockton's sermons, the comedy of Pie Plant Pete and  the wit of Will Rogers. WLS hosted a 1925 Military Tournament as well as Chicago's reception of Colonel Charles Lindbergh.”

Of course none of this has anything to do with retailing or radio today. Except that it does. In fact, it has everything to do with today. Sears lost its way by not focussing on the customer. I worked for Sears years ago, and I can tell you, the customer was absolutely the focus back then. From training on how to help customers buy the best items for their needs — not just the item with the highest markup — to customer service backed by a true Satisfaction Guarantee that had no time limit, Sears was a company I was proud to be part of.

Similarly, radio lost its way by not focussing on the listener. Instead the focus became bean-counting. How much can we cut programming costs so we can increase the pay of upper management of the huge companies that bought up the majority of radio stations throughout the country?

Listeners are no longer the focus of most stations; I’d venture that listeners are not even mentioned in the Mission Statements of most major radio group owners. That is why so many listeners are no longer are loyal to the majority of stations and radio ad revenues are still down years after the end of the last recession.

By focusing on the consumer, whether in retail, catalog … or radio, you benefit all. So I see no conflict or problem with taking over Sears and WLS. Eventually, I will buy back other legendary stations such as KHJ (930 AM), KCBQ/San Diego, and relaunch KFRC/San Francisco where it should be at 610 on the AM dial. When my Sears dominates retail again and my network of stations — I think I’ll call it RKO — shows the big boys how radio can be done, then I’ll start looking to do things that are actually difficult.

November 2

My wife Jean and I were having an ‘80s flashback last weekend as we watched the movie “Valley Girl.” Some of the best elements of the movie are the songs chosen to represent the various parts of Los Angeles, particularly Hollywood and the Valley.

Of course, the oddball radio guy in me came out halfway through the movie: It reminded me too much of KIQQ (now KKLQ, 100.3 FM). Now keep in mind, I’m weird. Some people remember a song by the life event they associate with it. I remember music (sometimes artists) by which radio station I heard it or them on.

Bryan Adams’ “Cuts Like a Knife?” KFRC/San Francisco. REO Speedwagon’s “Take it on the Run?” K-West (now KPWR, 105.9 FM). Almost every song in Valley Girl? KIQQ.

That KIQQ could be so represented by music in a movie where music is an essential element of the storyline is a testament to what the station once was: a new music force the likes of which have not been seen since.

KIQQ is what most people think KROQ (106.7 FM) was … even if it didn’t get the credit. While KROQ at its FM inception under then programmer Rick Carroll was intended to be a more open top-40 format with an emphasis on new music, the station quickly found its niche and tended to focus on alternative bands.

On the other hand, KIQQ focussed on top-40, with an emphasis on breaking new bands and new songs before anyone else, including that new thing on cable television, MTV. The new wave of British bands were heard first on KIQQ, often months before they were heard on stations elsewhere. Sometimes the songs were played so long on KIQQ that by the time they made the playlist of KIIS-FM (102.7), they were already burnt.

Every song in Valley Girl was played on KIQQ, and that says a lot about the influence of the station. General Manager George Wilson (Crowell) wanted the station to take chances, and it did. And there was more: Most hits from Prince were heard first on KIQQ. Michael Jackson’s songs often hit KIQQ first. Eddie Grant’s “Electric Avenue” was a hit there long before anywhere else. Spandau Ballet, Culture Club, Rick Springfield… the list goes on.

I don’t even know if it was a hit or not, but “She Means Nothing to Me” by Phil Everly and Cliff Richard was so popular on the station that it must have made some mark – though I honestly cannot remember hearing it on any other station beside UCLA’s student station KLA. I know it was on KLA because I played it there, after hearing it first on KIQQ.

I bring this up not to be nostalgic. I save that for my ongoing discussions about buying KHJ (930 AM) and proving top-40 music could make it in AM radio even today. What I am thinking is that we desperately need a station like KIQQ, now.

Don’t get me wrong – I do like KROQ and Alt 98.7. Both do a superb job of presenting new(er) music from some interesting bands. But it’s not the same thing as was done by KIQQ … KIQQ was truly mainstream, yet cutting edge. And even KROQ and Alt 98.7 suffer from nostalgia sickness: You can still hear songs in rotation that are many years old on stations that have reputations — often deserved, sometimes not — of focusing on new music. Under Wilson, supported by his wife, Paula, no song older than a year or two was played on KIQQ because they had so many new songs to play.

I’d like to hear new music that isn’t the typical bland pop heard on KIIS-FM or My FM (KBIG, 104.3 FM). That isn’t just typical alternative fare as on KROQ and Alt. I want a mixture of everything, from local bands to up and coming national talent to talent from other countries.

There is an amazing amount of good music that can’t get airplay in the overly formulated afraid-to-take-chances radio of today.

And that includes KROQ and Alt. If it doesn’t fit the niche, it’s not allowed.

Lack of new music is one reason kids shun radio. Even I get tired of the same songs I’ve heard forever. A KIQQ for today would be a breath of fresh air in a city stagnating in repetition and copycats. Of course, this is the same format I would put on my AM station just to prove it would work, but until then, perhaps someone else can try.

Radio: November 9, 2018

Power 106 (KPWR, 105.9 FM) is focussing on new music through a new program that made its debut recently: New at Night, which airs every Tuesday through Friday early morning, 12 Midnight to 2 a.m.

The first hour of each show is hosted by personalities Felli Fel and Justin Credible; the second hour by Mando Fresko. The show is programmed and mixed by Few and Credible as well.

“Over the years I have been able to watch artists like Kendrick, YG, Logic, J. Cole and Big Sean grow from our new music platforms to become superstars off their first airplay and discovery on Power 106!” Incredible told All Access Music Group (AllAccess.Com). “I’m excited to help bring two hours of new Hip Hop every night from Soundcloud to the streets! I look forward to breaking more new artists both in LA and around the world.”

While Hip Hop is most definitely not my style, I have to commend Power 106 for adding this show to the on-air lineup. And it is not the only way for new music to hit the station’s airwaves. The Power website, Power106.Com, has a link for artists to submit their songs for potential addition to the station playlist.

As I mentioned recently, it is imperative for at least some stations to focus on new music if young people are going to listen to traditional radio instead of alternatives like Soundcloud, Apple Music, or even discovering new bands on Facebook. Now if we can just get other formats on board …

Cancer Scare

Jillian Barberie, half of KABC’s (790 AM) afternoon (3-7 p.m.) The Drive Home alongside John Phillips, announced last week that she has breast cancer. She told of the diagnosis on Twitter, and her story has inspired other women to tell their own stories or simply have their annual mammograms.

"Results back. It’s cancer in my right breast but also it has spread to my lymph node,” she wrote November 1st. “Appointment at Bedford Breast to assess everything. I’m going to be super aggressive and do double mastectomy and they said I need chemo for the lymph. Thanks for coming on this journey with me!

“Meeting with team this morning to get a game plan,” she said the next day. “To be honest, I just want the boobs gone and the cancer outta me. Then tackle the lymph node. But hey I’m no expert. And all I can think is ....... damnit. I should have done Playboy while I had those beauties.”

Surfing with Allen

Yes, that is Laurie Allen playing the oldies weekday afternoons on K-Surf (1260 AM, 105.1 HD2). Allen has been doing weekends and fillips at sister station Go Country 105 (KKGO, 105.1 FM) for quite some time; it is nice to hear her daily again … I used to work with her as an intern when she did weeknights years ago on Magic 106 (now Power 106).

Speaking of K-Surf, the station will be adding recordings of Dick Clark’s Rock, Roll and Remember starting November 18th. The program will air Sundays from 8 a.m. to 12 Noon.

Write-Back
“I appreciate your articles in the daily breeze on radio, and I'm a fellow San Pedran. I like to listen to Jack-FM 93.1 in the morning. On some days, it is very clear. On others we can hardly hear it. I wondered if you could explain why that is happening.” — Lauren

Absolutely. It is caused by good weather.

What is happening is that the clear weather conditions have allowed stations from San Diego and possibly Northern Mexico to travel up the coast; the signals, which have a nice straight path over the ocean, can at times be quite strong, and they interfere with the signal from Jack-FM. Southern San Pedro is especially vulnerable to such interference as the hills tend to block out the signals from Los Angeles giving San Diego or even Santa Barbara stations to come in as strong or stronger than the locals.

I noticed it last week when KROQ (106.7 FM) was barely receivable on some radios. Interestingly, the digital HD stream was able to push through even when the analog signal was compromised, so I was able to hear it in my truck — I have an HD Radio — fairly consistently.
///

Radio Waves Podcast #237

Radio: October 19, 2018

It still seems odd for me to say, but KBIG (104.3 FM) — aka My FM — earned the top spot once again in the Nielsen Ratings released earlier this month. My FM has led the ratings race for five of the last six months and was a full half-point (is that an oxymoron?) above second-place KRTH (101.1 FM): 5.5 vs. 5.0.

The regulars rounded out the top-five: KOST (103.5 FM) at 4.7; KTWV The Wave (94.7 FM) at 4.6, and KIIS-FM (102.7 FM) at 4.4.

Complicating matters just a little bit is a new rule from Intercom that their stations are now to be sold separately from the on-line streams, such that advertising differs. Since the programming is not 100 percent duplicative, the streams register separately from the stations.

While this makes little difference in the scheme of things, had streams been combined with the station’s main signal, The Wave would have had 0.1 more, and would have been tied with KOST. According to one programmer, the change could meant the difference between a financial bonus … or more likely not getting one … which is probably why it was done.

After going head to head for most of the past year, Power 106 (105.9 FM) pulled away from direct competitor KRRL - Real 92.3 FM, with a 3.2 share compared with Real’s 2.9. Likewise, KROQ (106.7 FM) pulled ahead of Alt 98.7, 2.8 to 2.3. Considering the lead Alt had for a long time, it is interesting to see the reversal. Add in the KROQ stream rating of 0.1 and the difference is more than a half point.

Speaking of KROQ, the rejuvenation of KROQ HD2 — the digital stream playing Roq of the Eighties on HD Radio — seems to be paying off. The HD2 earned a 0.1 share, the first time I’ve seen this in Los Angeles.

Go Country KKGO (105.1 FM) held stead with a 2.4 share — not bad for a format that can’t survive in los Angeles.

Poor KABC (790 AM). The originator of full-time talk programming in Los Angeles just cannot break out of the doldrums, and is being beaten by just about every talk station in town outside of the Communists at KPFK (90.7 FM). KFI (640 AM) was 6th at 3.7, KPCC (89.3 FM) was 16th at 2.5, KRLA (870 AM) was tied with sports-talk KLAC (570 AM) for 227th at 1.2, and KEIB (1150 AM) tied with sports talker KSPN (710 AM) for 32nd at 0.9. Where was KABC? Tied with regional Mexican music station KDLD (103.1 FM) for 41st at 0.4.

For its part, KPFK was tied with a group of others (including streams) at 47th with a 0.1 share of the listening audience.

The full story: Each rating is an estimate of the percentage of listeners aged 6 and over tuned to a station between the hours of 6 a.m. and 12 midnight.

1. KBIG (5.5) 2. KRTH (5.0) 3. KOST (4.7) 4. KTWV (4.6) 5. KIIS-FM (4.4) 6. KFI (3.7) 7. KCBS-FM, KLVE (3.6) 9. KPWR (3.2) 10. KXOL (3.1)

11. KNX (3.0) 12. KLOS, KRRL (2.9) 14. KROQ (2.8) 15. KRCD (2.6) 16. KPCC (2.5) 17. KBUE, KKGO, KLAX (2.4) 20. KAMP, KYSR (2.3)

22. KSCA (2.0) 23. KUSC (1.8) 24. KCRW, KDAY (1.5) 26. KXOS (1.3) 27. KLAC, KRLA, KSSE (1.2) 30. KJLH (1.1)

31. KLYY (1.1) 32. KEIB, KSPN (0.9) 34. KFSH, KFWB, KKJZ, KKLQ (0.8) 38. KKLA (0.7) 39. KWIZ, KYLA (0.6)

41. KABC, KDLD (0.4) 43. KIRN, KSUR, KTNQ, KWKW (0.3) 47. KAMP stream, KHJ, KPFK, KROQ HD2, KROQ Stream, KTWV Stream (0.1)

Contested contest

When is a contest not a contest? I would argue when it's Stay or Go on KLOS.

As a disclaimer, I have a personal stake in this item. Stay or Go is a segment on KLOS’ (95.5 FM) Frosty, Heidi and Frank morning show. It's an opportunity for local unsigned bands to get played on the air and critiqued by both the morning team and listeners. In addition to the on-air exposure, there's a chance to play at the show's Birthday Bash in October.

So here's where my role as a radio columnist and father collide: My son’s band, Divine Intervention, entered the contest, held weekly Fridays on the morning show. But in spite on-air announcements that the band with the highest Stay vs. Go rating would play the show’s annual Birthday Bash later this month, the bands chosen were both ranked below Divine Intervention and in one case below about several others as well.

I am told that programmer Keith Cunningham will make good. That would be nice. Every one of the bands involved is talented, and I’d hate to see a controversy like this overshadow the segment, which airs every Friday morning at 9 a.m. It's one of the best things on local radio.

Radio: October 12, 2018

Two weeks ago I wrote of Bob Goodman’s great Whole ‘Nuther Thing program on KCSN/KSBR’s (88.5 FM) HD2 signal. I used it as an example of programming you can find on the extra channels sent along with the main format of a station if you have an HD Radio tuner to pick up and decode those extra channels.

“I’m not sure why KCSN’s Sky Daniels hasn’t put it on the main signal for 88.5 FM,” I wrote, “but for now, it’s worth the trouble to find.”

Daniels — KCSN’s programmer — apparently read the column and thought the same thing. As of last weekend, Whole ‘Nuther Thing is available on the main signal of 88.5 FM, available on any FM tuner you own, every Sunday from 3:00-5:00 p.m., following Mimi Chen’s “Peace, Love & Sundays” show.

"I had been considering the move with Bob and your article closed the deal,” Daniels told me. Perhaps he’s stretching the truth, but I am running with it … I like to think that I had an influence on making Los Angeles radio just a little better. Makes the column worthwhile. But I digress.

Goodman told me that the program will continue to air in the 88.5 HD2 stream as well. “Both versions will have original content,” he explained, and the recordings will still be available as before on TuneIn, MixCloud, and podomatic.Com.

Shocking Talent Raid

That’s not the only new program on KCSN. Daniels announced that he was able to convince Gary Calamar to move down the dial from KCRW (89.9 FM) to host the Sunday 5-7 p.m. slot. Calamar had been with KCRW for 25 years.

“Gary established a singular reputation at KCRW (and as a music supervisor) with this keen sensibility curating a powerful blend of new artists with critically acclaimed legends, Daniels said through a press release and an email. “His instincts for melody make him a wonderful addition to the 88.5 FM staff.”

Calamar said he is excited to be a part of his new station with its passion for music. “I am also thrilled to work with Sky Daniels and share the airwaves with my former colleague Nic Harcourt and the amazing music people at 88.5 FM,” he added.

Coffee With Wink

It may be too late to get tickets, but Saturday, October 13th, longtime radio and television personality Wink Martindale will sit down for a couple hours with Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters President Shotgun Tom Kelly for coffee and a chat.

Martindale will talk about his long career including hosting television’s Tic Tac Dough, High Rollers, Gambit, and Trivial Pursuit; his radio shows on such stations as KHJ, KRLA, KGIL and the Station of the Stars: the original KMPC; his friendship with Elvis Presley; and much more. Rumor has it that he will even explain how he got the name Wink…

Martindale is genuinely one of the nicest people you will ever meet, and the program should be a good one. He’ll have on hand copies of his book, Winking at Life, which I hope to review here soon.

The coffee will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at the Airtel Plaza Hotel, 7277 Valjean Avenue in Van Nuys. Tickets are $20 and include coffee and a danish; seating is limited to 50 people. For information, call the PPB at 323-461-2121.


Radio: October 5, 2018
KRTH (101.1 FM) got some good news last Thursday (9/27) when the members of the National Association of Broadcasters got together for their annual Marconi Radio Awards dinner gala in Orlando. The celebration for broadcasting excellence singled out the station as the Classic Hits Station of the Year.

Classic hits? Yes, as the term “oldies” has taken on a negative connotation in the radio world even though the entire non-broadcast world still calls the music they play “oldies.” Purists of course say that oldies has to come from the 1950s, ‘60s, or perhaps even ‘70s … and of course KRTH plays music from as recently as the ‘90s.

But consider: KRTH in 1972 played music only as old as 1955, or a maximum of 17 years old. Today, 17 years ago would be 2001. Kind of makes you feel old, doesn’t it? That movement of music into the 1980s and (gasp!) 1990s on the KRTH playlist has allowed the station to remain relevant as well as extremely popular. Indeed, KRTH has been toward the top of the ratings for years.

New Face

That's not all the KRTH news … local boy Kevin Schatz - formerly heard on sister station Amp Radio (97.1 FM) - has moved down the hall to handle weekends at the classic rock station. He can be heard Saturdays from 6 - 11 p.m. and Sundays 3 - 8 p.m.

Schatz is a South Bay native who has been working at the Entercom - formerly CBS - cluster of stations for a few years. Previous experience includes background work at KROQ (106.7 FM) as well as his on-air work at Amp.

“It’s surreal to join a station as historic and beloved as this one, Schatz wrote on his Facebook page. “K-Earth is the first station I can remember listening to as a kid; my mom always had it on when she drove me and my siblings to school in the morning. It was also the favorite station of my late Uncle George who I know would’ve been beyond thrilled for me.”

PPB Luncheon

Patrick Duffy will be the guest of honor at the next Pacific Pioneer Broadcaster Luncheon October 5 at the Sportsman’s Lodge in Studio City. On the dais will be Linda Gray, Suzanne Summers, James Duff, Conor Duffy, Pedraic Duffy, Mike Robin and Bill Bickley.

None of those are radio guys, of course. Patrick Duffy is best known for his portrayal of Bobby Ewing on the popular 1980s CBS television program Dallas. What makes this luncheon special is that it marks the first luncheon under the direction of new PPB president Shotgun Tom Kelly.

Kelly is radio. He was heard locally on KRTH (what … is this KRTH Day?) for over 20 years, spent much of his career in San Diego at legendary stations such as KCBQ, KGB and B-100, and is currently hosting afternoons (3 - 7 p.m.) on SiriusXM satellite radio’s Sixties on Six, Channel 6. He knows radio’s history and is personal friends with numerous personalities and managers. Consider him a walking radio encyclopedia.

“We’re making a lot of changes,” Kelly told me about the luncheons. I want the program to move faster and put increased focus on the guests of honor.” This will be a good year.

Have ten years experience in the broadcasting industry (radio, television, or an allied field)? You should join. Hey, they let me in due to this very column and of course my extensive on-air experience at UCLA’s campus station, KLA … as well as the amazing announcing I do in my car. 47 new members joined the PPB as Summer began.

Radio Waves Podcast #236

Radio: September 28, 2018

You probably don’t know the name Bob Goodman. But you should ... he is the host of a program called Whole “Nuther Thing, a program you might call a flashback to the early days of FM radio heard locally on KCSN’s (88.5 FM) HD2 digital stream as well as on line at ksbr.org, via the TuneIn app, on iTunes, Mixcloud, and at Podomatic.Com.

Goodman hails from New York City and cut his teeth on early FM. His program aired on the former KSBR since 1984; last year when Saddleback College’s KSBR merged with Cal State Northridge’s KCSN, the program was moved - along with the rest of KSBR’s programming - to the simulcast’s digital HD2 stream, which means you have to have a special HD radio to hear t over the air. Indeed, it is one of the reasons to buy an HD radio.

But as with so much of radio today, online is where its at, and Goodman says that he’s averaging 2000 downloads and plays each week on Podomatic alone, placing the program in the top-200 out of the service’s tens of thousands of available programs. In the category of “freeform,” he is often number one.

“My show is true ‘free-form’ radio,” Goodman explained to me recently. “All genres of music are featured in hand-mixed sets. I refer to it as ‘radio the way it ought to be.’”

A recent show featured songs from William Devaughn, War, Earth Wind & Fire, Dave Brubeck, Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers, Graham Parker, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ram Jam, ZZ Top, Billy Squire, Mark Knopfler, Chris Isaak, Garland Jeffreys, Procol Harum, Rod Stewart & The Faces, The Eagles, Pat Metheny, Neil Young, George Harrison, Lovin' Spoonful, and many more. Eclectic? Absolutely.

Goodman’s voice is reminiscent of early FM freeform or underground radio as well. In fact, he sounds like he could be found on any of the stations that set the stage for FM’s success: KMPX and KSAN in San Francisco, KPPC and KMET here in Los Angeles.

His early radio work was in New York City as General Manager of Hunter College’s campus station. From there he moved to Long Island’s WCRN as Music Director, eventually making the trip out West to the former KSRF (now KDLD, 103.1 FM), back to New York and then finally Philadelphia ... all during the 1960s when FM radio was experimenting with formats trying to attract an audience in the days of AM dominance.

The program is a wonderful mix of musical styles that is thoroughly enjoyable to hear. You can listen to each show live every Saturday from 3-7 p.m. or download/stream the podcasts at your leisure; Goodman says that archives go back six months on TuneIn and MixCloud; three years at https://bobksbr.podomatic.com.

“I've got listeners all over the world with an especially large following in UK,” Goodman told me. If you haven’t listened yet, give it a whirl and let me know what you think. I think it’s great. I’m not sure why KCSN’s Sky Daniels hasn’t put it on the main signal for 88.5 FM, but for now, it’s worth the trouble to find.

Ring of Honor

Longtime (Spanish) voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers Jaime Jarrin has been inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor, the 12th person to be inducted and the second broadcaster as he joins Vin Scully in the Ring.

Jarrin will have his name permanently affixed to Dodger Stadium.

The longtime broadcaster has been with the Dodgers since 1959, and will be with them at least through 2020 ... his contract was just renewed last week. He is as beloved by his audience as is Vin Scully, who retired in 2016.

Radio: September 21, 2018

Real 92.3 (KRRL) morning man Big Boy -- aka Kurt Alexander -- and a friend escaped serious injury due to the effectiveness of their seatbelts when they were hit from behind at a red light.

"I heard a screech, but not long ... and everything from the back of the car went to the front," Big Boy told KABC-TV’s Eyewitness News.

At first Big Boy suspected that the driver of the car that hit them was using a cell phone. He was shocked to discover that the driver was drunk ... and still drinking.

"As we were sitting here talking to him, he gets his bottle of vodka and he's just sitting there. Just dazing, just drinking," he said.

While the seatbelts helped save their lives, being hit may have saved the lives of others, as the area they were stopped at was near a school, and the accident could have been far worse had a pedestrian been hit.

The other driver was identified as an on-leave employee with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. Video shows him drinking from his vodka bottle while still in the car after the accident.

That story caused me to flash back to my own high school days when my friend Dean and I were waiting at a light in my super-cool 1974 Chevy Vega GT hatchback. We heard a screech and suddenly - bam - a motorcycle hit the back of my car and the driver landed on my hood. No damage to the Vega, though the front forks of the motorcycle were bent.

The driver of the motorcycle -- a student at my school -- said later that it had to be our fault, even though we were stopped for a red light. “I wasn’t drunk of stoned or anything” he told us, “that morning.”

Mr. October Radio

Reggie Jackson -- yes, that Reggie Jackson -- has returned to SiriusXM to host a new show on Mad Dog Sports Radio, Channel 82. Called “Swing Away with Reggie Jackson,” the show made its debut on September 15th in time for the 10th anniversary of the channel and will air Saturdays from 8 to 9 a.m. local time.

A member of the baseball Hall of Fame, Jackson says his show will cover more than baseball, as he is a lover of all things sport. “Like many fans out there, I’ve had a passion for all sports my entire life. I’ve also had a lot of great experiences in college and professional sports. So I’m excited to dive in each week and drive a discussion on anything and everything from around the sports landscape, share my thoughts on things, and talk to many of the great sports figures I’ve met along the way,” he said in a press release.

Jackson’s baseball career spanned over 21 seasons, and he was an All-Star for four different teams: Athletics, Orioles, Yankees and Angels. At an early age he excelled in baseball, as one would suspect, but he also was known for his accomplishments in football, basketball and track & field as well. 

He was recruited by numerous colleges for football and he accepted a scholarship to play at Arizona State University. While there he was asked to join the baseball team and the rest, as they say, is history. 

Sold

Reports have surfaced that Entercom has sold the property at 5901 Venice Blvd in Los Angeles that once served as the transmitter site for the legendary KHJ (930 AM) and later, the studios for KHJ, KRTH (101.1 FM), and most recently, Jack-FM (KCBS-FM, 93.1) and KROQ (106.7 FM). The part of the property where the old KHJ broadcast towers were located was sold in 2013 and now features single-family houses in the area where Boss Radio once made its way into the airwaves.

Jack and KROQ will now join the rest of the former CBS-owned cluster on Wilshire.