LA Radio Waves

 Radio: December 3, 2021 The announcement was intriguing: Accuradio goes for the record by adding 100 holiday music channels to its online service. “We’re highlighting the upstart, competitive nature of AccuRadio by launching 100 holiday season channels at a pace of one at least one a day,” says company spokesman Michael Lev.  “Dozens more than Pandora is offering. Last time I looked we were at 68 channels; last year we did 81 stations.: OK, I think they have the record already, though to be honest I haven’t verified the numbers of either Accuradio or Pandora. It’s barely past Thanksgiving … I just started thinking about Christmas. But Accuradio is new to me, so I began my quest to find out more. You can listen to Accuradio through the company website (AccuRadio.com) or via smartphone apps available for the iPhone or Android. Audio quality is superb, with full fidelity as I listened in my truck. One killer feature I found almost accidentally is station blending … if you find a channel you like and want to add to it, you can combine the two. Or three. Or more. I combined top-40 HitKast with Alternative Now and Today’s New Country to create a channel I haven’t named yet. Maybe K-WAG would work. The app is “compatible” with Apple Car Play and Android Auto in the sense that you can stream through your phone into your car stereo, but it is not “native,” meaning you cannot access the app directly and make selections or changes on your car stereo’s main screen, but you can use the “now playing” screen to pause music or skips songs. Likewise, there is no native support for smart speakers, but you can send audio from your phone or computer to your speakers as long as you have the right set-up. Unlike Pandora’s and Spotify’s free versions, Accuradio — which has no paid versions — allows unlimited skips, so if you don’t like a song or just don’t want to hear Maggie May right now, you can just skip on to the next. Or the next, without running out of skips and being stuck with Modern Love. Here’s what caught me off-guard: the service isn’t new! It launched back in the early days of radio streaming in 2000. Originally called RAIN radio due to its connection to founder Kurt Hanson’s RAIN newsletter - Radio and Internet News — Hanson later changed the name to Accuradio. The original three channels — pop standards, modern rock classics, and piano jazz — have evolved into roughly 1000 channels covering more than 50 musical genres. All of therm curated by actual people who are said to love music; many of whom have backgrounds in music, radio, or television. What inspired Hanson to develop an internet music service after a successful career in and around radio itself? Besides RAIN, he founded Strategic Media Research where, among other things, he launched an alternative ratings service to Arbitron (now Nielsen) called AccuRatings. He’s worked in radio since high school and has advised stations throughout the country. “I haven't thought about this for a long time --  it was actually when I was in high school in 1972 in Milwaukee, listening to one of the first FM top 40 stations (WZUU-AM/FM), he explained. “It was a great summer for music -- Jackson Browne, the Stylistics, Badfinger, America, the Chi-Lites, Don McLean, Paul Simon, etc. Except every 70 minutes the station wrecked the music flow by playing Sammy Davis, Jr.'s  "The Candy Man" because 8-year-olds were buying and requesting it!   ARRRGHGH!!!!  I dreamed of the day when radio programmers would have a better handle on what their listeners wanted to hear -- and even better if listeners could control what they heard." That led Hanson to found Strategic Media Research and eventually launch Accuradio. What sets Accuradio apart from other streaming services? Hanson says it’s the personalization and customization. “We have a lot more variety and personalization options than AM/FM streams, and unlike Pandora (which is programmed primarily by computer algorithm

 Radio: October 29, 2021 It’s kind of funny, perhaps a bit sad, and definitely a reality that while some supposedly are working to improve the AM band, others — primarily owners — are doing things that actually hurt it.. I’m not talking programming here, though that is certainly a major cause of the lack of listeners to broadcasting’s oldest and original band. No, I’m talking the economic reality that the land many AM transmitters sit on is often worth more than the radio station itself. To the point where many stations, dominant in the past with monster signals, are now often barely receivable. The next station to make the move appears to be KSPN (710 AM), as the all-sports station has been approved by the FCC to move to a different transmitter site, and at a lower level of power. As explained by Doc Searls —  a fellow since 2006 at what is now the Berkman Klein Center who studies technology and related issues including radio — the plan has KSPN moving to the KRDC (1110 AM)  site and sharing the transmitter.  “That plan is in place because the current KSPN site (in use since the 1930s) is the vast spread of land in the Valley on which the station's three towers sit, and that land, surrounded by suburbs, is worth far more than the signal itself.”  Searls expects that the format and call letters will be transferred to 1110 AM, which is already simulcasting KSPN’s programming, though that is complete conjecture. But the move is not unexpected … as he says,  “AM station owners are doing this everywhere. KHJ (930 AM) and KABC (790 AM)  have already done it — moving to other sites they share with other stations —and unloading the land under their old towers. In both those cases, the signals aren't much different.” Unlike KHJ and KABC, however, this one appears to be something that will cause signal degradation … lower power on a former landfill in Irwindale — worse land as far as signal propagation — cannot be an improvement. I can barely receive 1110 AM in some rooms of my house near San Pedro. But the reality is that real estate is indeed more valuable than many AM stations. Sad, but true. Makes you wonder how much longer the cycle can continue. What’s With Bongino? Dan Bongino, heard locally on KABC from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, has been “fighting” with Cumulus Media — distributor of his syndicated show as well as owner of  many stations on which his show is carried — threatening to quit over the company’s Covid vaccine mandate. Interesting especially since Bongino has already been vaccinated. For his part, he claims he is sticking up for his fellow employees who may not wish to get it; like may others it appears that he is pro-vaccine, anti-mandate. And it may indeed be true. But a few flags were raised when I first heard the story. First off, Bongino is no Limbaugh. Yes, his show is run at the same time, but like all wanna-be Limbaugh’s from both sides of the political isle, Bongino doesn’t get what made Limbaugh tick … what made him popular. Essentially, outside of Cumulus Media management, which would need to find a replacement if Bongino actually did quit, few would care. Secondly, by protesting, he is breaking the intent of company policy … Cumulus doesn’t want to be part of anything that may be considered anti-vaccine. So you have someone with marginal ratings threatening to leave a company barely hanging on when he probably doesn’t much care if he has a daily radio show or not … he can always go back to podcasts and cable television exclusively. My hunch? Cumulus wants or at least likes the publicity. We’ll see how this plays out. War Almost 85 years ago — October 30, 1938 — War of the Worlds was broadcast on CBS Radio, including KNX (1070 AM) here in Los Angeles. In it, Orson Welles scared the nation into believing that the earth was being taken over by martians through his presentation of a radio adaption of H. G. Wells’ book on his program Mercury Theater on the Air. Panic ensued as

 Southern California radio’s latest ratings offer surprises and a new No. 1 As recently as July, KOST (103.5) was getting beaten by KRTH (101.1 FM) in the local Nielsen ratings. But with just a few weeks to go before its annual switch to holiday music (and the annual ratings bonanza), KOST pushed ahead to become the No. 1 station in town a bit early, edging out KRTH by a whisker: 5.5 vs 5.3 in the September ratings. The two dominant stations were almost a full point ahead of third-place KTWV’s (94.7 FM) 4.6, and the 4th place tie of My FM (KBIG, 104.3 FM) and KLVE (107.5 FM) at 4.5. 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 midnight. For the most part, with just a few exceptions, things are generally the same as they were when I last reported the ratings back in July. As usual, KFI was the No. 1 AM station in town, tying KIIS-FM (102.7) for 7th place at 3.8. This made KIIS-FM the top “top-40” station, though there is so much overlap between it and My FM that the lines of top-40 vs. My FM’s “hot adult contemporary” format are certainly blurring. Stations that might be considered true direct competition to KIIS are Power 106 (KPWR, 105.9 FM) at 1.9, and Now (KNOU, 97.1 FM) at 1.5. Both Power and Now beg the question: What are they doing to address this? Both stations have signals that are among the best in the city; to be rated so relatively low makes one wonder why the owners are staying with the formats they currently run. Both stations changed formats in the past with ratings that at the time were higher than they both earn now. Heck, most AM stations abandoned music with ratings higher than that back in the last 1970s and early ‘80s. It was not a good month for alternative rock, with both Alt 98.7 (KYSR) and KROQ (106.7 FM) down compared with the last quarter. For September, Alt was at 2.3; KROQ at 2.0. Back in June, the stations had shares of 3.2 and 2.3, respectively. In San Francisco, the former alternative leader once known as Live 105 just changed to a Jack (KCBS-FM, 93.1) clone called Dave. That won’t happen here as we already have Jack, but it does make you wonder how much longer KROQ’s ratings in particular will be tolerated. As mentioned, KFI was the top AM station in town, and therefore has the top talk ratings in town as well. KFI’s competition? KRLA (870 AM) earned a 2.0 share, KABC (790 AM) had 1.1, and KEIB (1150 AM) had a 1.0. That means KFI had just slightly less than the total of its competition … not bad, not bad at all. On the strength of the Dodgers, KLAC (570 AM)  took top sports honors, with a solid 2.1 share. KSPN (710 AM) — which simulcasts its programming on KRDC (1110 AM) — was at 0.5. Repeat: 0.5. On two signals. Wow. Perhaps oldies on 1110 AM would work better? And perhaps some middle-of-the-road music combined with sports on 710? Just thinking out loud. People are listening to online streams … KLOS (95.5 FM), which earned a 2.6 share on FM, earned another 0.2 on its stream. KPWR earned a 0.1 share with its stream. And a couple of HD Radio signals showed up as well, with LA Oldies on 105.1 HD2 and ‘80s alternative on 106.7 HD2 both earning 0.1 shares. Interestingly, while you’d think that Mose people would listen to classical music on HD or online, it was KMZT’s AM signal (at 1260) that earned the rating … also at 0.1. Here’s one I can’t figure out: What happened to KKLQ (100.3 FM)? They seemed to be doing fairly well just a short time ago. Did something happen? Or is this a case of one or two ratings meters making a huge difference in the ratings calculations? Or are people not liking a canned syndicated format? The full story:1. KOST (5.5) 2. KRTH (5.3) 3. KTWV (4.6) 4. KBIG “My FM”, KLVE (4.5) 6. KCBS-FM “Jack” (4.2) 7. KFI, KIIS-FM (3.8) 9. KLAX (3.5) 10. KNX, KPCC (3.0)12. KLYY (2.7) 13. KLOS, KRCD (2.6) 15. KRRL (2.5) 16. KSCA, KYSR (2.3) 18. KKGO, KLAC (2.1) 20. KRLA, KROQ (2.0)22. KLLI, KPWR, KXOL

 Radio: October 15, 2021 By now — especially if you’ve read this column very long — you’ve probably heard of HD Radio, the broadcasting system authorized by the FCC where digital broadcasts are sent along with regular analog signals, giving supposed better sound quality (promised in last advertising as “like FM on AM, like CDs on FM”) and for now only on FM, extra channels. All of which available over the air only if you have an HD Radio tuner. But what are those extra channels, and is it worth upgrading to an HD Radio at home or in your car? Those are the big questions, and today I will try to answer them. First the extra channels you can hear broadcast along with your favorite FM station; the following is a list of the available extra HD stations in Los Angeles, and the format they run. (Key: 88.1-2 refers to the second audio channel for KKJZ, found at 88.1 FM; all -1 channels duplicate the regular analog station and are therefore omitted). 88.1-2 Jazz vocals 88.1-3 Cal State Long Beach student run station; various programs from oldies to hip-hop; the home of Mornings on the Beach, an award-winning morning program covering various lifestyle issues 88.5-2 Contemporary Jazz, local news, and entertainment from Saddleback College 88.5-3 The Latin Alternative: Alternative music, electronic dance music, indie pop, Sal Soul and classic rock … en espanol 89.3-2 The Current: Contemporary alternative music from Minnesota Public Radio 89.9-2 Eclectic 24: a continuous stream of eclectic music curated by KCRW’s own Chris Douridas 92.3-2 News/Information from the Black Information Network 93.1-2 Simulcast of K-Frog’s (KFRG/Riverside) country music programming 93.1-3 The Bet: Sports gambling information and CBS Sportsradio programming 93.9-2 Spanish adult contemporary music 94.7-2 Rhythmic contemporary music 94.7-3 Radio Hamrah: News, information and talk programming for the global Persian community 95.1-2 Owner Audacy lists KFRG-HD2 as Next Country, supposedly playing the next country hits before they are hits. But when I tuned in, the station was playing light rock in Spanish. 95.5-2 Southern California’s FM Talk Station… 24/7 repeats of KLOS (95.5 FM) morning show, Heidi and Frank. Other shows were/are promised, but for now that’s it. 95.5-3 News, information and talk in Armenian from SoCalArmenian.com 97.1-2 Channel Q: Electronic Dance Music and other programming designed to appeal to LA’s LGBTQ residents 97.1-3 Firelane: non-stop dance music 98.7-2 Simulcast of KLAC ’s (570 AM) sports programming 100.3-2 Air 1 Radio: contemporary Christian religious/worship music (essentially a simulcast of KYLA/Fountain Valley 92.7 FM and a handful of other stations in areas surrounding Los Angeles) 100.3-3 Radio Nueva Vida: Christian music and talk in Spanish 101.1-2 Simulcast of KNX (1070 AM) newsradio 101.9-2 Simulcast of KTNQ (1020 AM) Spanish-language news/talk 101.9-3 Armenian Music Radio 103.5-2 Simulcast of KFI (640 AM) talk radio 103.5-3 The Breeze: Soft Rock similar to what KOST (103.5 FM) itself used to play 103.9-2 El Sembrador: Spanish-language Catholic radio programming from El Sembrador Ministries’ ESNE Radio network. 103.9-3 Another simulcast of KTNQ 104.3-2 Pride Radio: “The Pulse of LGBTQ+ America” - iHeart’s version of Audacy’s Channel Q. Electronic Dance Music and a little top-40. 105.1-2 LA Oldies, as formerly heard on the old KSUR (now KMZT, 1260 AM). Oldies from the 1950s through the early 1980s with an emphasis on the late ‘60s and ’70 105.1-3 Unforgettable FM: all Frank Sinatra, all the time 105.1-4 Simulcast of K-Mozart (KMZT): classical music with a few related specialty programs 105.9-2 Simulcast of KDAY (93.5 FM) old school Hip-Hop 106.3-2 AAX Radio: Not really sure here. Supposedly Vietnamese programming, but when I tuned in I heard an english-language discussion on weddings and masks. 106.3-3 Simulcast of KYPA’s (1230 AM) Korean-language programming of music (including english-language oldies) and information. Int

 Radio: October 8, 2021 It was more than 56 years ago when Boss Radio launched in 1965 on KHJ (930 AM). I was just two years old when the format debuted in town with a young but experienced on-air staff, but I’ve had a connection to the station and the format long enough to understand its significance. KHJ literally changed Los Angeles top-40 radio forever. So while perhaps it should not be surprising to lose another, it is still sad when an original Boss Jock passes away. It happened this past week as news came out that Sam Riddle passed away at the age of 85 on September 27th. Riddle’s passing leaves only two remaining original Boss Jocks still living, Gary Mack and Johnny Williams. KHJ was not Riddle’s first local station. He actually came to Los Angeles from the former KDEO (now KECR, 910 AM) in San Diego to work at the original KRLA (now KRDC, 1110 AM) in 1960 to take on former top-40 leader KFWB (980 AM). Riddle stayed at KRLA a few years, leaving in 1963 for a spot on KFWB, and then in 1965 for KHJ, where he stayed until 1970. Sam Riddle passed away at the age of 85 on September 27, 2021. (Image courtesy of KHJ) It was during those Boss Radio years that Riddle’s broadcasting career truly took off. In addition to his work on-air at KHJ, he became a television star via the programs “9th Street West” and “Boss City,” both airing on the then-KHJ sister television station, KHJ-TV Channel 9. Other television shows included “Hollywood A Go Go,” “Sounds of Now” and perhaps his most famous work, the syndicated “Star Search,” which he produced throughout its run. (He’s even listed as providing voice work on an episode of “Gilligan’s Island”, “Don’t Bug The Mosquitoes.”) But radio was his first love and he stayed with it for quite some time. After leaving KHJ in 1970, he found himself up the dial at KDAY (now KBLA, 1580 AM), the top-40 version of KROQ (1500 AM, no longer on the air)  in 1972, and once more on KHJ in 1974. His famous opening line to his shows was, “Hello music lovers,” a line he used for many years. Friends of Riddle were posting remembrances of him on Facebook recently, with one in particular from Beach Rogers (KNX 1070 AM Newsradio fame) that described Riddle succinctly: “Got to know Sam during his two years at KFWB, and it was one of the best of times. Such a good guy to be around and not surprising he went on to be a success at whatever he tried. A Good Man now lost.” I was supposed to do a career-spanning interview with Riddle on the podcast series I do with Mike Stark, but due to the pandemic and Riddle’s health issues, it never happened. That is a shame, but Riddle will be remembered as one of radio (and television’s) best. Alas, another good one gone. He is survived by his wife Adrienne, children Scott and Courtney, and grandchildren Miracle and Garin. Morning Shows The emails started arriving almost immediately after the column hit the street: Who do you like in the morning and why? Please keep the emails and letters coming; here are a few of the initial responses… “I am very old school and still enjoy radio. I grew up in New York City listening to lots of AM stations. I even got to see the Beatles live in concert twice! In the morning, I listen to KOST 103.5 the Ellen K Morning Show. I enjoy the banter and the contests. However, I don’t agree with Christmas music starting in November. In fact, the station loses me as a listener until right before Christmas.” — Phyllis Metzger, Long Beach Don’t get me started on that Christmas music. Apparently, you and I are the only ones who feel that way, since KOST dominates the ratings when they do it. But Ellen is fabulous as the morning host on KOST, exhibiting a great talent that solidified when she got out on her own after playing second fiddle on the KIIS-FM (102.7) morning show for many years. “My favorite morning show is Poorman’s Morning Rush on KOCI (101.5 FM) out of Newport Beach. You probably remember him from the ’80s KROQ. He does what you have

 Radio: October 1, 2021 Radio has always had trends, and one trend that always seems to periodically reappear is the idea of “narrowcasting” — generally thought of as limiting the various genres a station may play. The idea is relatively sound in a programming research way: super-serve your audience by playing what they want to hear, and leaving out the songs that many cause tune-out. And over the years in its various cycles, the plan has worked, broken up by the sudden (and sometimes unexpected) resurgence of mass-appeal top-40 formats that broaden the playlist significantly. One example harkens back to the late 1970s, in which many of the formerly top-rated Am top-40 stations were replaced by stations forcing on one style of music, be it rock, alternative, new wave, disco, or even country. But then stations like KIIS-FM went mainstream in the early 1980s and brought top-40 back into the limelight, blowing out the competition by playing a wide playlist once again. It seems like this is the way it goes… stations get big playing a huge playlist, then others come in and steal listeners by going narrow. Indeed, KIIS-FM itself was temporarily knocked out of the top spot by Power 106 in 1986, when Power focussed on dance music, though one could easily argue that KIIS reacted too much and started sounding too much like Power itself, sending listeners elsewhere. More recently, it seems that narrowcasting has become the norm again, and longer than the typical cycle. Yet a recent article on PowerGold questions the wisdom of the trend in today’s competitive reality. In the column, Sean Ross argues that with online music services — he specifically mentions SiriusXM, but the same argument could be applied to Apple Music, Spotify, and even many independent streaming services — doing the narrowcasting, is it truly a good idea for a broadcast station to maintain such a narrow playlist? Might it be better to expand? In Ross’ opinion, yes. And he gives examples of stations that have expanded with great success. WISX/Philadelphia, WLTW/New York, WFEZ/Miami as a few examples, and the resurgence of a format known as Active Rock, a format I’ve been pushing to get in Los Angeles for years.  Ross’ examples are mostly related to light-rock and adult contemporary formats, and he is on the money. One reason that KOST (103.5 FM) and My FM (KBIG, 104.3 FM) beat sister KIIS-FM (102.7) — at one time the music leader of all music stations in the country — is that KOST and My FM tend to play more styles of music … exactly what KIIS-FM used to do when KOST and KBIG stayed tight with only light hits and oldies. If you were not paying that close attention, you might even say that My FM, especially, sounds much KIIS-FM of the 1980s. And like KIIS-FM of the 1980s, My FM is one of the dominant music stations in town. The problem with narrowcasting is that it works … but only for a while. Eventually, people tire of the same sound. That’s what happened with KROQ (106.7 FM), KLOS (95.5 FM), to a lesser degree Alt 98.7, and why KRTH (101.1 FM) and KOLA (99.9 FM) have thrived by adding more recent but still older songs and leaving behind what many consider true oldies, the songs from the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s. KLOS figured it out … the playlist has been expanded (though still not as much as I’d like), and the ratings have rebounded. I think the time is ripe for an Active Rock station — one playing a wider variety of rock and roll — to make an appearance, perhaps at KROQ, a station that once defined the format. Active Rock plays literally anything, and can adapt with the times. You aren’t stuck with songs from Twenty One Pilots. And it must be noted that KIIS-FM is even expanding somewhat, such that you can once again hear songs that don’t sound like all the rest. So while it may be an accident, and many successful business decisions and creative ideas are, stations that stop trying to program against online services are going to be the next big thing. You’re

 Radio: September 24, 2021 Audacy — owner of numerous stations in Los Angeles including KRTH (101.1 FM) and KROQ (106.7 FM) — is getting ready for the 8th Annual “We Can Survive” concert to be held at the Hollywood Bowl on October 23rd. Black Eyed Peas, Coldplay, Doja Cat, Shawn Mendes, The Kid LAROI and more will use their musical powers to help strengthen — and raise money to help — mental health via a partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The Foundation funds research, supports survivors of suicide loss, advocates for public policies to help mental health, and educates the public about the issues. Tickets are on sale at Ticketmaster. Where’s Red? “I was a listener to Rock ‘n Roll in the 50’s/60’s living in the San Fernando Valley … a cruiser of Van Nuys Blvd back when … I went to school with the local DJ Red Blanchard’s daughter…..do you have any updates on his whereabouts?: — Drexel Smith This was an interesting one to me, as Blanchard is just a little before my time. But I love a mystery; here’s what I found: Richard Bogardus “Red” Blanchard was a DJ on a variety of stations in town, including KABC (790 AM), KXLA (before it was KRLA; now KRDC 1110 AM), KPOP (now KTNQ, 1020 AM), KFWB (980 AM) and KNX (1070 AM). His longest tenure at any of the LA stations was about five years - from 1960-65 at KNX; the others were only for a year or two. But he had a long history in radio prior to arriving in town back in 1956: he was interested in radio at a very early age and in 1938, at the age of 18, he got his first ham radio license (W1LDI). Commercial radio came after he got out of the Army, starting in 1945 at Riverside’s original KPRO. After that he was at a variety of stations in San Diego, Las Vegas, and San Francisco; his last station before arriving in town locally was at the Bay Area’s KCBS. As a DJ, he specialized in novelty songs and comedy, making for a very entertaining program and explaining his presence on many of the top stations in town of the era. One description had him as a master of puns and parodies, along with the always on hand “gross out” gag. He made a few of his own novelty recordings as well, including Captain Hideous (King of Outer Space), Pagan Love Song, and Ape Call, among others. In San Diego, the Daily Journal gave him the recognition as “Show of the Month.”  His work at KNX included staff announcer, but he always had a love of the technical side of things, so in 1965 he left radio for television, and became the technical director for KHJ-TV Channel 9, where he stayed until he retired sometime around 1980. Talking about his career with LARadio.Com's Don Barrett, Blanchard spoke of being let go from one of his stations: “I was fired due to illness,” he said. “The boss got sick of me.” Blanchard passed away in June of 2011 at the age of 91; his death was from complications during his recovery from cancer surgery. Hawking Wares “When I started listening to talk radio in the 80's, it was unheard of for the radio hosts to hawk their books on the air. One host who did that was Dr. Toni Grant, who was fired from at least three stations (KFI, KRLA, and one in Texas) for doing that in the 90's. Now they all do it to some degree. Mark Levin is by far the worst and for five months he has spent 90% of his show reading from and hawking his latest book.  “Why do the syndicators allow that … is that part of the hosts' compensation? And why do the affiliates put up with it?” — Judd Silver Easy one: money, and lack of caring. An unfortunate side-effect of the modern radio model is a singular focus on easy money. It takes time to develop a program, let alone a full format, so many stations rely on free (where the show is provided at no cost to a station in exchange for the show being able to sell some of the commercial time) or even paid programming (where the host or distributor pays to have the programming carried by a station) to make ends meet. It isn’t the best quality, b

 Radio: September 17, 2021 KOST (103.5 FM) morning personality Ellen K has been selected to host the annual 2xU Malibu Triathlon to be held at Zuma Beach in Malibu on September 25th and 26th. The event is sponsored by Bank of America and brings together triathletes of all levels who compete to support the Pediatric Cancer Research Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Participants come from around the country and include professional athletes, Hollywood celebrities, amateurs and what the organizers call “challenged athletes” to race on what many consider one of the most beautiful courses in the sport of triathlon. This year the event is expecting to include Super League Triathlon athletes and recent Tokyo Olympic triathlon medalists Flora Duffy, Georgia Taylor-Brown, and Katie Zaferes. Celebrities will include Chace Crawford, Eric Etebari, Daniela Ruah, Sean Dominic, and Alexi Papas … and many more. For a full list of celebrities and professional athletes who are participating, go to https://malibutri.com/celebrity-division.  You can be there too, either as a competitor or spectator … go to https://malibutri.com for information and to register. Ellen K has been a longtime supporter of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and is even a CHLA Foundation Board of Trustees member. The annual broadcast has helped raise more than $650,000 for CHLA . Banana Joe Passes Cable television Game Show Network’s David Schwartz — formerly with the late-great original KRLA (now KRDC 1110 AM) — broke the news locally that Banana Joe Montione passed away on September 11 at the age of 67. Natural causes is the official reason, though that seems way too young for my 58-year old soul. Regardless, if you  were listening to KHJ (930 AM) during the famous “miracle” that via great programming and a top-notch staff on the air and off brought the station back to greatness, you would have heard him: Banana Joe was an instrumental part of that resurgence. Then-programmer Chuck Martin recently spoke of Montione on KHJ, stating that he was exactly what the station needed on the air - someone young, upbeat and hip. Unfortunately, personal issues caused Montione to leave the station, something that Martin still feels badly about today, fully 42 years after the separation. Yet in spite of letting him go, “we remained good friends throughout the years,” Martin said. After leaving KHJ, Montione eventually became a station owner along with an investment group that purchased a station in York, Pennsylvania, and another soon after in Pittston, Pennsylvania. He held them for a few years, then sold them in 1988 to get his production company off the ground, launching the syndicated Banana Joe Flashback Show in 1991 that ran on KIIS-FM (102.7) locally.  In 2003 he formed the Banana Joe Radio Group, and launched an internet station soon after called FlashbackTop40.Com, a version of which has been syndicated to a handful stations across the country. He called the format, consisting of hits from the 1970s through the ‘90s with a top-40 sound, “a modern version of the great top-40 radio sound so dominant during the eras we cover.” Through the years of this column I conversed with him occasionally, and he was always upbeat and sounded just as I remember him on KHJ. Even though he hasn’t been on the air here in many years, he will be missed. Titanic Limits The National Association of Broadcasters is trying to convince Congress and the FCC to allow even more stations to be owned by even fewer companies than is currently allowed — including total abolishment of ownership caps in some cases. This means that one company could own every AM station in a city, as but one example, depending on circumstances. Considering how poorly the radio industry has fared under deregulation, the NAB’s position is akin to thinking that the Titanic would not have sunk had it only hit more icebergs.

 This LA radio station is doing something that no other is doing right now Bilingual Latin pop station KLLI (Cali 93.9 FM) has gone with an on-air lineup solely of women on the air for much of its schedule. All daytime shifts are now held by women, and the station claims it is the first time this has ever been done in the history of Los Angeles radio. Well, not quite. KOST has had an all-women air staff for a while now. But as KOST afternoon personality Sandy Stec broadcasts her show from a studio in San Francisco, Cali does seem to be the first all-female air staff broadcasting locally. (Stations have been using distance broadcasting for a while now – half of the former teams of Kevin and Bean and Mark and Brian Show were beaming in from thousands of miles away.) Regardless, it wasn’t that long ago that having just one female DJ was unusual, so I understand Cali’s excitement. Angelica Vale starts the day at 6 a.m., followed at 10:00 by Caro Marquez, and Melissa Rios from 3 – 7. Moreover, in this era of negativity, Cali stands out by trying to be as uplifting on the air as possible. “We’re just getting started,” said General Manager Irma Barrios, who is proud of the success the station has seen thus far. “And it’s going to be a lot of fun.” Long-distance local? When the FCC realized that local communities were being left behind in the post-deregulation era of radio, it began licensing low-powered stations designed to super-serve those same communities. And while not perfect, the idea is not only sound but needed. Indeed, the major broadcasters often don’t even have a local studio anymore, and programming is often done from cities thousands of miles away. But what happens when the low-powered community stations are themselves run from a city thousands of miles away? We’re finding out right now right here, as KLBP-LP (99.1 FM if you are near Long Beach; online at klbp.org) General Manager Rose Lozon announced on her Instagram that she’s been in Philadelphia for a while now. “So the cat’s out of the bag … We moved to Philadelphia, intuitively following some opportunities,” she announced. “I love the culture, the activism, the food, the nature, the people … and I’m just really so truly happy.” She hasn’t resigned from her post as GM of the LPFM community station she runs, at least yet. In her Instagram message, she writes that October is when she plans to do so, though she plans to stay on as an advisor. Considering the spirit of what a local station is and should be, I hope the next GM is a member of the community. Country Guest Superstar Jason Aldean has taken over the midday shift on Go Country (105.1 FM) for the month of September. Weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Aldean can be heard spinning the tunes along with friends Hardy and Lainey Wilson, both of whom are part of Aldean’s Back in the Saddle tour of concerts. The guest shift runs through September 24th. Letter of the Month In response to my column last week regarding how to get young listeners back to radio, I received this from reader Mark Bradley:“I have 5 kids in their 20’s and 30’s. They have Spotify, so they don’t need radio…The problem is a lack of good new musicians. You don’t get it.” Actually, I do get it, and you do, too: They are listening to Spotify because radio doesn’t play what they want; that was exactly my point. The sad thing is that programmers don’t get it. I just don’t understand why they don’t remember history. The story is that in the 1960s, Tom Donahue actually reached out to stations that had disconnected numbers — the ones having financial issues — and they were the ones he would pitch his format to — the very format that helped put FM radio on the map, and helped make FM eventually be the dominate radio band. Why stations that are essentially losing money — and make no mistake, they are — don’t just try something different is beyond me. And beyond stupid. Radio needs young people to survive. Of course maybe if they keep going the way they

 Radio: September 3, 2021             Radio’s Future Problem             Besides writing about what I love - radio - I also teach high school math classes. This year I teach two sections of statistics, and as an introductory lesson I had my students create a set of questions for a survey. There were few rules, as it were, as I wanted them to discover for themselves the basics of what makes a good survey question.             As an example, I did my own basic survey and asked the students — all juniors and seniors — if they listen to the radio. To my shock, not one did. Two classes, with an enrollment of 39 students each, had not one person who stated that they listen to the radio.             Now, as any statistician knows, these two classes are not necessarily representative of the world at large. Certainly there are young adults who do indeed listen, but the fact that none here do is a problem nonetheless.             So I asked why, and I asked others including the guitarist of local band Law, which had just come back from playing a show in Ventura. The responses were surprisingly similar: in general, radio stations don’t play anything that appeals to them.             This, of course, is not news to me. You may remember my AM Improvement column a while back in which I would use high school and college students to help me program my station by finding what they like, what they listen to on streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music, along with what they find entertaining on YouTube, TikTok, and the like. I’d even hire teens and young adults to both consult and work on the air, and get them out into the community to serve as station ambassadors.             My ideas are not new by any means … that was the game plan for top-40 stations years ago. But somehow this has all been lost in the modern era, when most local stations don’t even have local DJs on the air all day, if they have local DJs at all. And don’t get me started on contests that are run nationally, such that the chance of anyone in Southern California actually winning are lower than winning the lottery.             The problem is, it’s not being done …  so young listeners - radio’s future - are being pushed away to the competition. If something doesn’t happen soon, it’s all over… meaning that radio could be dead within one generation.             What can be done? Stop marketing solely to old folks like me. Or better yet, stop assuming that even someone as old as I am (58) only wants to hear the same music I heard in my high school days. Here’s a clue: I don’t. I like new music. I don’t like knowing every song I hear. But like Law’s guitarist Aidan Palacios explained, “unless you like oldies or one type of pop, you are not going to find anything of interest on the radio today.” Country music excepted.             The great thing is, young people aren’t truly averse to radio listening if they found something of interest. They don’t shun radio because it’s old technology, as so many experts say. They just want to hear something designed for them. So rather than this being a doomsday message, this is actually a message of hope. All it would take is a local owner to start the trend. Now to get that trend started …             Mailbag             “I lived in Southern California for 26 years, moving to Arizona 14 years ago. I continue to listen to John & Ken, John Phillips, and Frank Mottek on-line. I do visit SoCal four times a year.             “AM sounds so tinny compared to online and KFI on KOST-HD2 has dropouts on the 405 around the  Sepulveda Pass and i