LA Radio Waves

Radio: March 5, 2021 It’s not happening locally — yet — but there is something happening to radio that could benefit both stations and listeners: more music on the AM band. And it’s from an unlikely source: FM. Confused? I understand. Let me explain. As part of a dubiously-named AM Revitalization Effort launched by the Federal Communications Commission back in 2015, owners of AM stations were given an opportunity to apply for an FM translator license.  An FM translator is a low-powered FM transmitter that is required to carry the programming of the connected AM radio station. How that helps AM I will never know. If anything, it would seem to give people even less reason to tune in to AM if they can hear the same programming on FM. Besides, the low power of the translators limits the coverage area, so essentially only a relative few listeners benefit. I do know the original plan was that the translators would fill a void in coverage area that the AM signal had trouble reaching. There are a few translators locally, including one for KRDC (1110 AM) that sends the signal into Beaumont and Arcadia using 250 watts on 99.1 FM. K-Mozart has one as well, covering part of the San Fernando Valley with 100 watts. But none of them seems to really make a dent in listenership numbers. Part of the problem is that the FM band in Los Angeles is already crowded, and our weather and geography allows signals from other areas to enter as well. Both 98.1 and 99.1 are strong signals that basically make the translators impotent. But outside of  Los Angeles — indeed outside of big cities where the FM band is less crowded — having a translator with even as few as 100 watts can catch quite a decent potential audience. And that is where the action is … just not in the way intended by the FCC, if indeed there was any real intent by the FCC. What is happening, in cities like Merced, California and others nationwide, is AM owners using the FM translator to run innovative music formats. But due to the required simulcast, it automatically puts the signal on AM as well. Thus, when people in such cities scan the band, instead of hearing the same stale political talk, sports, or syndicated fare, they hear Active Rock (KBRE/Merced). Or Hip-Hop (KGA/Spokane, Washington). Or alternative rock (WGMP/Montgomery, Alabama). Often the stations make little mention of the AM signal, which is unfortunate and frankly, stupid on the part of owners. The translator has just a fraction of the power of the AM signal, and if you hook listeners they will listen on AM if the FM drops out. But I digress. Add those to the list of stations that never gave up on music (KCJJ/Iowa City, Iowa; WION/Ionia, Michigan and our own K-Mozart as but some examples) and the future of AM radio gets just a little brighter. For it is music, and particularly music formats that attract an audience that is currently underserved — those who can’t get their music anywhere else on the dial — that will bring people back to the band. And back to radio. Done right, and it will attract kids and young adults, who have shunned radio totally for the past decade. So if the FCC’s plan accidentally saves AM? I’m OK with that. If these stations can succeed in even just a small way, it opens the window to do what I’ve been preaching for years. My message to owners: just do it. What have you got to lose? Strange Days It is well known that Rush Limbaugh got his start in radio playing top-40 music. Did you know that Larry King wanted to do stand up comedy? And apparently actually did in his pre-radio days? When he was honored a few years ago by the Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters (Now known as the Hollywood Media Professionals), I am told, he had the crowd rolling. After he retired, he had planned to start a traveling comedy group. That never got going, but it got me thinking - if he did any stand-up shows in his younger days, perhaps there are recordings of it as well. So my new search is to find early comedy routin

 Radio: February 26, 2021 Something happened on the way to the future: the past got in the way. I’ve been spending time lately reading online forums and other pages dedicated to “vintage” electronics. This includes sites that involve sharing the passion and getting help, as I did with an old Zenith console television my wife and I bought shortly before we were married. Certainly it isn’t truly worth anything, but I hate to dump it; $2, three capacitors and some time later, it’s working fine. I’ll be using sites like this as I repair and restore some old tube radios, along with the RCA transistor radio I mentioned here months ago. In reading the information and viewing videos (one account on YouTube.com from Shango066 has been my guilty pleasure; a So Cal local, he gets old stereos and televisions working again … including some just found dumped on the side of the road) I have discovered something fascinating. Remember those console stereos that could be found in living rooms of the 1950s and 1960s? They’re back. Seriously. This was from an era prior to component stereos that took over in the late 1960s and ‘70s. The better models from Magnavox, Zenith, and others combined fine furniture, good sound, and even occasionally a large screen — for its time — television. Earlier models were of course tubes; solid state designs came later.  There is a small but dedicated group that is restoring these old consoles, and there are companies around that will do it for you. Some restorations bring in modern technology such as bluetooth connections and media players. But what surprised me is that you can even buy models brand new from more than one company. They are not cheap. In part because the wood used in crafting the furniture is stunningly beautiful, and the products are handcrafted here in the United States. Models from Wrensilva (wrensilva.com) and Luno (iamluno.com) are constructed in California; list prices run from about $7500 to $15,000 depending on the model. The new consoles include a record player but no radio tuner. To play radio, they rely on streaming internet services, or you can add an auxiliary tuner. That’s not necessarily bad, as the apps they use are often as easy to use as an old radio and the sound is usually better. So what’s the purpose in bringing back an old idea that is in most minds way past its prime? Interestingly, it is a new technology driving it: flat screen televisions. Match a new wall-hung large flat screen with a new or refinished console stereo made of finely polished walnut or mahogany, and you have a new elegance missing from most modern electronics. The added bonus: even the old ones can make your home entertainment system sound great. Kevin and Sluggo In case you missed the story, Kevin Ryder, longtime morning star on KROQ (106.7 FM) when he was half of Kevin and Bean, has been paired with Doug “Sluggo” Roberts for the Kevin and Sluggo Show on KLOS (95.5 FM). The program airs weekday afternoons from 3-7 PM. So what are two ex-KROQ jocks doing on KLOS? Playing music and having fun. KLOS’ management is taking a different path than so many other stations by maintaining not only a local presence, but allowing the station to still have some personality.  Weird. I am looking to connect with station programmer Keith Cunningham over longterm plans, but I am absolutely pulling for this to work. In my mind, radio needs to be local to compete against Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora and the like. And KLOS is being smart by making the move just as other stations across the country go with regional or national programming. Smart. Very smart. I’ll be watching and listening closely. Limbaugh’s Effect It’s funny. Whenever I mentioned Rush Limbaugh in this column, no matter what I wrote, I’d get mail and emails from people accusing me of being both a left-wing wacko and a right-wing fanatic. I suppose this shows that there has been polarization with politics longer than I realized. But it cannot be

 Radio: Feb 19 Civil rights attorney and longtime KABC (790 AM) contributor and host Leo Terrell has been named to a new role on Fox News Media, available on various cable television channels as well as SiriusXM satellite subscription radio. Terrell will act as an analyst and commentator across the various Fox channels and platforms including the Fox News Channel and the Fox Business Network. He will also continue his appearances on KABC radio — often heard on the John Phillips Show noon to 3 p.m. — and his program “Leo Terrell, America’s Fair Minded Civil Rights Attorney” heard on the Cumulus/KABC podcast network, available at KABC.com. Side note: Phillips’ show is required listening in my house due to his 1 p.m. Doctor Hour. But I digress… Terrell has been a practicing attorney since 1990, and has held leadership roles at such organizations as the Black-Korean Alliance, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and California’s Statewide Commission Against Hate Crimes. For many years on various radio and television programs, Terrell was the liberal commentator often taking the opposing side to conservative Larry Elder. Something happened over the past few years, and in the most recent Presidential campaign, Terrell shifted positions and supported the reelection of President Trump. Calling himself Leo 2.0, it raised more than a few eyebrows. I asked Terrell if that made a difference in how his friends and associates saw him, and how he responds to the various critiques of Trump. “I have definitely lost a few friends because of the change in my support of President Donald Trump,” he told me. “For the most part it’s been people who seem to have lost my phone number. A few friends on the golf course will say a word or two or just ignore me. My feeling is, if it’s that easy to lose a friend then they weren’t really a friend. “I respond to the nonsense about President Trump being an alleged “racist” or “homophobe” by asking them to find the exact quote. The media seems to love taking parts of President Trump’s statements and making it fit their narrative. The truth is far far different. Prior to Covid-19, President Trump brought us the greatest economy in our history. This benefited minority communities more than any legislation from past Presidents. People may not like President Trump’s tweets - or his personality - but his policies did make America great again.” Does he see problems with perceived or real censorship with news or social media? How should someone respond if they feel their views are being held back? “This is very simple - you must tell the truth and call the opposition out on their lies and talking points,” he said. “You can never argue with the truth. Ask the media what exactly they are afraid of. Put the pressure back on them to tell the truth and not just sell the narrative they’re being paid to sell.” Any thoughts as he moves forward? “My experience since the Democratic party left me, and I joined sides with President Trump, has been wonderful. I have been embraced by a wide range of people from all over the country and all different backgrounds. People say I smile and laugh more on TV and it’s true. I definitely feel lighter since I stopped drinking the democratic koolaide. I am proud to be a Trump Republican.” MailBag “I enjoyed your article on many of the wonderful voices that I grew up with on the radio.  However, there was one missing that all my high school friends and I listened to at night until the early morning while we played cards and drank beer.  It was in the early 70's and we used to be in love with "The Burner" Mary Turner on KMET.  She played great music and all the long version of songs.  Can you please tell me what became of her?” — Larry Hatfield What a great question!   Turner was among radio’s first female DJs when she arrived at KMET in 1972. She stayed with the station for a full decade, then reappeared on KLSX (now KAMP, 97.1 FM) in 1993. Explains Don

 Radio: February 12, 2021 Entercom is trying something new on its secondary HD digital stream for KCBS-FM, which can be heard if you have an HD radio at 93.1 HD3 as well as on the radio.com app available for smartphones. Called “The Bet,” it’s a bit of a gamble (get it? OK, bad joke …) and replaces most, but not all, of the programming formerly heard on the station when it was running the CBS SportsRadio format. The format is designed to tap into a growing interest in sports gambling, which may indeed become legal in California sometime in the future. For now you have to use out-of-state services such as those in Nevada to place bets on events. Right now the programming is a bit of a hybrid, utilizing new programs as well as some that were previously heard on SportsRadio. According to company regional President Jeff Federman, “the move gives us an opportunity to dip our toes into the format in Los Angeles and Denver;” the plan is for The Bet to eventually be on its own. Federman told me that the move follows Entercom’s purchase of BetQL, an online betting info app and service, providing information on anything game related: “Details on any game, how people are feeling, who is expected to throw more touchdowns … anything,” he explained. “It’s like having an electronic ‘tip book’ like is done for horse racing.” Can the format work? In a sense, it doesn’t have to. The extra channels on HD radio currently, in general, make no money anyway. If this attracts people to the app and helps BetQL attract more users, it’s done its job. Federman says his favorite program on the station is You Better You Bet, heard weekday afternoons from 1-5 PM. He’s also a big fan of SportsRadio’s Jim Rome, airing 10 AM to 12 noon. For more information and a full program schedule, heads over to tinyurl.com/RW20721. Casey at (the KRLA) Bat If you listened to radio any time during the 1970s through the ‘90s, you probably at least heard of Casey Kasem, the master of countdowns - the original voice behind American Top-40,  Casey’s Top 40, and Casey’s Countdown. If you’re like me, you made it a regular listening habit. Perhaps not always for the entire show, as the bottom 20 songs could often be, well awful save for some new hits that would make their way to the top. But Casey had a previous life, and it could be heard locally on the original KRLA (now KRDC, 1110 AM) from 1963 to 1969. Here you could hear elements of what would become his signature style of talking about the music rather than just playing it, a style he started developing in San Francisco at KEWB just prior to making the move to Los Angeles. And though the magic of the internet, you can hear a sample as well … I just happened to run across one from 1964 via my friends on Facebook … at tinyurl.com/RW20721a. One of the really “cool”  things of this air check is a full newscast, so you can get a feel for the era in which it aired in addition to hearing Kasem six years before the debut of AT40. Commercials, too, including one for the new Ford Mustang. KRLA at this time was the most popular station in town, just about a year away from the launch of Boss Radio KHJ (930 AM) And a little known fact about Casey that I heard straight from his daughter, Kerri: In spite of his extensive knowledge of artists, bands, musicians and the popular songs they produced, Casey didn’t really like many of the songs he played. That surprised the heck out of me! And if you want just a little more of KRLA from that era, head over to tinyurl.com/RW20721b for an hour of Bob Eubanks and Dick Mooreland. Eubanks was of course just a short time away from hosting televisions Newlywed Game, while Moreland was a DJ and programmer of KRLA, known to help expose new music on the station. He and his wife, Pat, later founded the record chain Music+.  Remarkable is how professional the DJs all sounded on KRLA. The format was not nearly as “tight” as KHJ’s would be, but it’s definitely a sound that is “bigger than

 Radio: February 5, 2021 KOST (103.5 FM) absolutely dominated the Nielsen radio ratings for Los Angeles in December, or the so-called Holiday ratings period (the 13th four-week ratings period of the year) after also dominating the “December” ratings (the 12th four-week period that are primarily in November). The Holiday ratings had KOST at 13.9, almost three times the rating of second-place KRTH (101.1 FM), which earned a 5.0 share. That’s an even bigger spread than “December,” when KOST earned a 10.7 share compared with KRTH’s 10.7, and may be a highest-ever rating for KOST. The holidays were good for KFI (640 AM) as well, which was a strong third-place finisher at 4.7, followed by KTWV The Wave, 94.7 FM) at 3.9 and KBIG (104.3 FM) at 3.8. If you add in KTWV’s stream, which earned a 0.1 share on its own, The Wave had a 4.0. The holiday period was not as kind to KLOS (95.5 FM), which for whatever reason had a drop that began in the December period, only to intensify in Holiday. This probably means it will spring back, but we’ll see … for Holiday, the station had a 2.7 share, preceded by 3.1 in December, 3.5 in November … and 3.8 back in August. That’s a full point drop since Summer. KROQ (106.7 FM) had a little bump, which was some good news for the station which hit a low of 1.5 in October. With competitor KYSR (Alt 98.7) flat for the month and down since it had a 2.7 in November, the two alternative rock stations are once again within striking distance of each other. But, and this is important, both stations mirror the problems alternative rock formats are having in attracting large audiences nationwide. Neither station is tremendously popular compared with years past. And what happened to Power 106? The rating for the station that once knocked KIIS-FM out of the top spot back in the 1980s is down to 1.5 … a lower rating than years ago when it dropped top-40 when it was known as K-WEST and even lower than when the station played adult contemporary music as Magic 106. Can we hope for a return of K-West? Is Chuck Martin willing to program it again? One can hope … Power’s direct competition KRRL (Real 92.3) was at 2.1. Stevie Wonder’s KJLH (102.3 FM) — still licensed to the city of Compton, which I think is kind of cool  — is holding on to nice increase that began in November, 1.6. Just one month prior, it had a 1.2; it has been steady at 1.6 for three ratings periods. Go Country 105, which dropped country during the holidays in order to play holiday music, dropped a half point from the “December” period, 1.5 vs. 2.0. Back in November, Go Country had a 2.4. KABC (790 AM) had a rough month, coming in at 0.8, a drop of 0.3 from December and 0.7 from November, when it had a year-long high of 1.4. Classical on AM — KMZT (1260 AM) came in lower than its previous incarnation as LA Oldies, but it didn’t drop off the map completely … earning a 0.1 share. That may not sound impressive, but the station was starting from nothing, and it marks the first time a station has earned any rating at all playing classical music on AM in, well, decades. In total, iHeart earned a combined 31.5 share of the audience for its group of stations; Entercom earned a combined 19.1. Let that sink in for a second … one company controls almost one-third of the listening in town, and two companies combined control over 50 percent. Can we get the FCC to break up this essential monopoly before they drag every station in town into the revenue toilet? In my dreams … The full story … each rating is an estimate of the average percentage of listeners aged six and older listening to a station between the hours of 6 a.m. and 12 midnight. 1. KOST (13.9) 2. KRTH (5.0) 3. KFI (4.7) 4. KTWV (3.9) 5. KBIG (3.8) 6. KCBS-FM (Jack), KLAX (3.4) 8. KLVE (3.3) 9. KNX (3.2) 10. KIIS-FM (2.9) 11. KLOS, KPCC (2.7) 13. KSCA (2.5) 14. KRCD (2.3) 15. KYSR (Alt) (2.2) 16. KKLQ, KRRL (Real 92.3), KXOL (2.1) 19. KROQ (2.0) 20. KLYY (1.8) 21. KUSC (1.7) 22. KJLH (1.6) 23. KCRW, K

 Radio:  January 29, 2021 In case you’ve been away from pretty much every news source, longtime radio and television personality Larry King passed away on January 23rd. And while most probably remember him for his work on the Cable News Network (CNN), it is radio where he got his real start. A start that most happened primarily because station owners were cheap. More on that in a second. Born Lawrence Harvey Ziegler in November of 1933, his first radio job was at a small station in Miami Beach, Florida, WAHR (now WMBM) He was hired for off-air work; his work as a DJ, news and sportscaster began on May 1, 1957. The name Ziegler was too hard for people to remember, he was told, so he took on the name Larry King after seeing a newspaper ad for King’s Wholesale Liquor, and eventually changed his name legally. In 1978, The Larry King Show made its debut on the Mutual Broadcasting Network, giving him a national audience from 12 midnight to 5:30 a.m. Eastern time, eventually moving to an 11 p.m. start. Because of the timing, his show was not always carried for the full time, nor necessarily live. Some stations would carry portions live and then play previous hours after the live segments. This allowed stations to run it overnight even if they were not in the Eastern time zone. King’s show was ultimately extremely popular and eventually had over 500 affiliates, but it did not get carried on so many stations because of its content, at least not at first. The show’s appeal at inception was that it was free, offered on a barter basis in which stations could trade advertising time for the ability to carry the show. This gave stations across the country the ability to have big-name talent and respectability overnight without a huge commitment. As time went on the show became more popular. King started to have more power and influence as well, including influencing what stations carried his show. In 1991, KFI (640 AM) abruptly dropped the program when King announced on the air that he’d be moving to KMPC (now KSPN, 710 AM). King wanted the move because, while KFI had a superior signal, KMPC offered to carry him live beginning at 8 p.m. rather than on tape delay beginning at 1 a.m. King made the move to CNN in 1985, though he kept with radio until 1994. But it is an interesting story to me that without station owners essentially being cheap and looking for basically free programming, King may never have been the successful national radio host he was, nor would he have necessarily been the CNN star he later became. And it once again points to the fact the good, compelling programming doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive … just creative.  New Radio It’s been a while since I last shopped for a car stereo. Last time it was a replacement for my wife’s car because she wanted built-in bluetooth in order to use a cell phone in the car. This time it was for the same reason, but it was my son who needed one. And I was frankly amazed how much I got for the price. I was not looking for a touch-screen model, just a simple unit that included what I consider essential features: bluetooth, CD, iPhone compatibility, HD Radio built-in, and the ability to add a SiriusXM tuner. Basically everything I can think of that can be used in a car short of video. The model I found? A Kenwood, costing less than $150. $139.99 plus tax to be exact. Now I did have to get a few extras … an interface to use the car’s built-in amplifier, an interface allowing steering-wheel controls to work, and a dash piece that allows the radio to look better than OEM factory. But the fact that the basic unit great specs and built-in HD at less than $150 was surprising. If I didn’t want CD, I could have saved another $20. And it even works with the phone (including both iPhone and Android) to play and control Spotify and Pandora, as well as play Apple Music and any apps you might use to tune into internet radio. For that price, if you have a reason to upgrade your car ste

 For years, political talk radio has been on the decline, both in ratings and influence. This is due to various reasons including an aging listenership in an era when advertisers want younger. This places formerly popular hosts on lower-quality signals such as when Rush Limbaugh was moved from Clear Channel blowtorch KFI (640 AM) to candle-powered KEIB (1150 AM) more than a few years back. With rare exception, conservative talk radio was never the overall ratings juggernaut that people thought it was. Limbaugh helped put KFI on the map, but KABC, KRLA and KGIL all tried going conservative and it killed them. Same for just about every station in the country with few exceptions. So Limbaugh made it seem easy, but others couldn’t follow his success.   But there is no denying that political talk has declined in importance, and nothing says that more clearly to me than a recent decree to tone it down. Cumulus — the owner of KABC (790 AM) locally  — recently sent a memo to all personalities and hosts stating that they would no longer allow suggestions that the election hadn't been decided. It came from the company’s Brian Phillips, who wrote that the company was adopting a “zero tolerance” policy when it came to various topics, including any mention of a “stolen election.” This was sent to all on-air talent at all 416 Cumulus-owned stations. Any violation would lead to immediate termination. To my knowledge, I know of no Cumulus hosts, local or national, who were calling on anything close to a protest, and Jerry Del Colliano at Inside Music Media has speculated that this might be a way to reduce costs by cutting people or closing stations since they lose money on so many.  So are the days of talk radio numbered? And if so, why? The why part is easy. In addition to the above, there are numerous alternatives that did not exist when Limbaugh was king. Facebook, Twitter and other social media. Fox News. Online news sources. And more. With so many alternatives, talk on radio became less compelling and more loaded with commercials, and thus just like with music, talk fans found alternatives. But a force is at work that may change that, and I definitely stress the word “may.” In addition to the above, with all that is going on with perceived and real censorship of political voices on social media, there is the potential for issues-oriented talk radio to return to the airwaves, bringing with it the kind of open discourse and listeners who are willing to work together to make things better. This may affect conservative voices more than liberal, at least at first, but I can foresee that - if done right - something very positive may come out of it.  It’s not going to be easy or fast, but I can see it happening. What it will take is a good host to make it happen. Just one, as Limbaugh did in the 1990s. While Limbaugh, who has been doing it nationally since 1988 (and was local in Sacramento prior to that), probably isn't the guy for the future at this point, someone like him could be. The trick is to recall what made Limbaugh so popular in the first place. And I am going to argue that it wasn’t (or wasn’t only) his political views. Limbaugh’s start was in top-40 radio. He knew how to entertain. Fast. Fun. Satire … bits. When he moved into talk, he kept those elements while he spoke — sort of a top-40 of talk, and similar to what KFI is still today. Indeed, if you hear airchecks of his work playing music, you can basically hear the same show he does today. Who could do it now? It’s certainly not an easy job, and frankly, I am not sure a lot of people would want it. It’s much easier to be Limbaugh-lite. You need someone much stronger. Maybe Ben Shapiro if he could manage to speak slower and take a few calls. But if social media continues its current course, it is certainly possible that the importance of radio will increase once more. Podcasts — Shapiro’s current focus outside of the Daily Wire (indeed his podcast is

 Radio: January 15, 2021Have you ever binge-watched one of those home shows such as “Love It or Leave It,” and noticed that every episode has some major problem show up at the same time in every episode? That’s because, like all “reality” shows, they are all scripted. There are no surprises, just scripts that the producers feel will be good television. And while it may make for some interesting home improvement ideas, once you know that the shows are far from reality, you are left feeling a little bit cheated; a little hollow. That’s the feeling I get when listening to The Morning Mess on Amp Radio (97.1 FM). Scripted. Cheated. Hollow. The Mess has been heard on Amp since August of last year, though it has been heard on Phoenix, Arizona’s Live 105 FM since 2013. The show features Joey Boy (aka Nachoo), Aneesh Ratan, Jeana Shepard and Karla Hernandez talking, calling, and playing a lot of music.  It’s a show I really wanted to like. The team exudes friendliness and fun, something that I think the world could use more of. But it also exudes an artificial feeling that is just too hard to shake. Everything just seems to be too contrived, too convenient. One of the staples of the show is a variation of the old Candid Phones done by Rick Dees years ago on KIIS-FM (102.7) and that guy who replaced Dees — Ryan Seacrest — who does a segment called Ryan’s Roses. The Mess does Nachoo’s Revenge… The idea is that someone sets up a story, the station calls an unsuspecting person to be pranked, and hilarity ensues. The problem is - like all such calls, they are fake. They have to be: it is absolutely illegal to do them. According to Section 73.1206 of the FCC’s rules, it is prohibited to broadcast, or record for purposes of broadcast, telephone calls without first getting the consent of the person on the other end of the phone. That means that anyone “pranked” is in on the prank. If they are not, the station risks a huge fine for airing the call.  There are actually actors and writers who can provide the content needed for a morning show to air such calls, and that is exactly how they are done. Consider it reality television on the radio.But that’s not the only problem with the Mess. Regular listening indicates other calls and segments seem to be rehearsed as well. Last week there was a supposed live caller talking about something when a vulgar word was uttered. To my ears the caller seemed just a little too “polished” to be a typical listener, and I don’t mean that as an insult. Audio quality was just too pristine and the inflections and reactions seemed rehearsed. But when the word was used, instead of the call being “dumped,” in which the station’s delay system causes a noticeable jump in the audio, the word was simply “beeped.” This can’t happen in a live call system and was therefore either rehearsed or was previously recorded and edited. The same day, references to “downtown” were not clear to listeners since the show is based in Phoenix, that the downtown was not Los Angeles. And it continues: it also seems that the hosts are just too conveniently stereotyped for their reactions to issues and events.  Now, it’s certainly not a bad show. But it would be so much better if it were more “real.” If I were station management, I’d be working to let these kids fly. But then, I wouldn’t be relying on a show from out of town. Problems at Entercom It seems that KROQ (106.7 FM) is not the only alternative station having ratings issues in the Entercom-owned chain of stations. Jerry Del Colliano reported this week on his InsideMusicMedia.com  that outside of San Francisco, Seattle and Boston, Entercom’s alternative stations are underperforming both in ratings and revenue. What’s causing the problem? Lack of events and concerts due to the COVID shutdown is certainly an issue, says Del Colliano, but a major problem is self-inflicted: The alternative format was

 Radio: January 8, 2021 Oh, my … I don’t think I’ve ever received so many emails so quickly after a column ran than last week’s call for Radio Hall of Fame nominations! I will try to respond to all of them so that you know I received your suggestions, but if I miss you, be assured that I am compiling the suggestions and reasons in a list that will be presented to the Hollywood Media Professionals/Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters’ nominating committee. That is the group that is working on setting up the West Coast Radio Hall of Fame. Speaking of that, it is “West Coast,” not just Los Angeles or even Southern California. Nor just the major cities. And it is an idea whose time is long overdue. Here are a few more of your nominations: “Since you asked … the mid to late ‘60s DJs at KHJ (along with Dave Hull at KRLA) should be inducted as a group. Humble Harv, the Real Don Steele, Charlie Tuna et al., were part of a remarkable cultural moment in Southern California pop music that may not be duplicated and still resonates over a half- century later.” — Mark Kemp “Cannot imagine that Dick Whittinghill was not at the head of the list. Just the mention of his name recalls his Story Records, Costume of the Day and of course, the Romance of Helen Trump ( "Down the hill and up your street”). Thinking of him makes me smile; he did some pretty racy things in his time, and was severely reprimanded by ‘Mahogany Hall' per his reports.” — Sue Olholler “Jim Hawthorne — an early example of the drive time crazy DJ.  (What TIME is it?) (I once knew a man with a wooden leg named Sam.  Oh, yeah?, what was his other leg’s name?).  He was really funny and the one I’ve always used to measure drive time DJ’s.  I think those that followed did too. “Hunter Hancock and the Harlem Matinee.  Ol’  HH played black music in the early 50’s and it was the first time us white kids had ever heard anything like that! (What the heck is THAT? Wow, I guess some of this is pretty good!)   “And, of course, the eternal Art Laboe.  What can one say about Art Laboe?  Going to Scrivner’s was a long way for a burger and a malt but I’m sure glad I got to go a few times.” — Duffy Walton Others also mentioned Art Laboe, along with such stars as Roger Carroll, sportscasters Chick Hearn and Vin Scully, Paul Compton, “Sweet” Dick Whittington, Bob Hudson, Bob Crane, and some suggestions from stations as far away as Fresno. “We cannot overlook Lohman and Barkley, of KFI morning drive time fame, says Steve Cate. “You mentioned you can still hear Bruce Wayne in your head. Likewise, I can hear Lohman and Barkley's banter in my head, including impressions of Dominic Longo of Giant Longo Toyota in El Monte. You mentioned Rick Dees … Well, we can't forget his friend, Liz "rug burns" Fulton.” “In my mind no hall would be complete without Brother John, Brian Beirne, Tom Murphy, and Shadoe Stevens, writes Joe Daniels (from KIIS, KHTZ, KRTH, and KLAC fame) “In fact there should be an award named after Brother John (similar to the Walter Payton award in the NFL. He was a great talent, but maybe the best person I ever was around in radio …  or life … period.” Legendary talk hosts Ken Minyard, Bob Arthur, and Michael Jackson were mentioned by a few, as was B. Mitchel Reed, who was instrumental in launching free-form rock radio on the FM band both in Southern California and in the Bay Area. As I said before, this is not an easy selection process. There are SO many deserving people both in front of the microphones and behind that it is a daunting task just putting together a list. Perhaps the initial inductees will be a “class” rather than a few, and that we will learn even more about their histories than just names and stations. I am certain that we will. In that vein, I will be presenting biographies right here, when I can, of the nominees so that they aren’t just names passing in the ether… And keep those suggestions coming! Radio Disney Returns

 Radio: December 18, 2020 One of the treats of the holidays is Sounds of the Season, which will once again be heard on Ken Borgers’ internet tribute to the original KNOB (now KLAX, 97.9 FM). You can find it — as usual — at www.JazzKnob.org.  A separate, though very similar, version — also produced by Borgers —  will air concurrently on KSDS/San Diego (88.3 FM). The program is a 36-hour program that starts at noon Christmas Eve and runs continuously through midnight on Christmas day. It features some excellent jazz instrumental and vocal interpretations of holiday music favorites; along with what many consider a highlight of the season: a reading of the classic “Twas the Night Before Christmas” by the late, great LA Jazz DJ Chuck Niles. This reading will be heard six times throughout the program: 12 noon and 6 p.m. December 24th; and at 12 midnight, 6 a.m., 12 noon, and 6 p.m. on December 25th. Niles was on heard on a variety of jazz-formatted stations including KLON (now KKJZ, 88.1 FM), KBCA (now KKGO, 105.1 FM), KFOX  (now KFRN, 1280 AM), and of course KNOB. JazzKnob.org harkens back to Sleepy Stein’s KNOB/Long Beach, which played mainstream jazz. Stein was the owner of the station in 1957 when he launched the jazz format with just 320 watts at its original frequency of 103.1 FM. One year later, he was able to increase power to 79,000 watts by moving to a new frequency, 97.9 FM. Stein sold the station in 1966 and the new owners changed the format to MOR (Middle of the Road) music … think standards and lighter fare … then Beautiful Music and eventually soft rock. Today the station is known as La Raza, playing Regional Mexican music, which it has been playing since 1988. Now at JazzKnob.org, you can tune in any time 24/7 and hear mainstream jazz from artists both past and present. As I write this the internet station is playing Bright Moments by The Ken Peplowski Quintet There’s actually some interesting history about the old KNOB, which originally launched as the Long Beach-area’s first FM station in 1949 and broadcast programs daily from 3-9 p.m. The original studio was found at the transmitter site on Signal Hill, not far from the Long Beach airport. I am told that the building and tower still exist at that location, though I am not certain.  The first high-power transmitter used by KNOB after the approval of the power increase/frequency switch came out of KNX-FM (now KCBS-FM, 93.1) which had recently updated its equipment. After a time, the studios and offices were moved to Anaheim. Nowadays the station can be found with studios on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles; the transmitter is on Flint Peak near Glendale. Nominations The Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters, also known as the Hollywood Media Professionals, is embarking on a new project - a West Coast Radio Hall of Fame. This is a case of a great idea that I never noticed we didn’t have. Considering the talent we have had both in front of and behind the microphone in the area, why the heck didn’t we have such a thing before?  Anyway, while they didn’t ask me, I am going to ask you: if you could nominate someone for the Hall of Fame, who would it be and why? It doesn’t have to be someone famous, or someone recent, or even someone considered a “pioneer.” I’m open to any nominees … and I will forward the names to the group for them to use or ignore as they wish. Speaking of the PPB/HMP Popular DJ and all-around great guy “Shotgun” Tom Kelly resigned his position as President of the Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters, leaving about six months prior to his term ending date in July. Replacing Kelly in the interim until his own term begins is former record promoter Ron Alexenburg. Kelly — who can currently be heard on SiriusXM’s “60s on 6” every afternoon — is among my all-time favorite radio personalities. I was able to pick up San Diego radio quite well from my home in San Pedro growing up, so I’ve listened to him on such stations as KCBQ (1070 AM) and ot