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(Craig Rossi, Paul McCartney, Gene Michellini, Brian Phelps, Mark Thompson, and Scott Shannon)
Batter Up
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(June 20, 2018) TALKERS’
editor Mike Kinosian takes a look at flagship baseball
affiliations. The following April 2018 scoreboards are for an MLB team’s
English-language, Nielsen Audio subscribing key station. Specifically,
information for the flagships of the Mets (WOR) and Yankees (WFAN) is
limited to their home market – New York City – even though they may
appear as well in Nassau-Suffolk (Long Island) and
Middlesex-Somerset-Union. Key stations for the two Bay Area teams – the San Francisco Giants (KNBR) and Oakland A’s (KGMZ) – have San Francisco ratings info only (not San Jose). Things though admittedly get especially thorny for ratings stats of the primary flagship for the Los Angeles Angels, as KLAA is unlisted (April 2018) in both the Los Angeles and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario reports. Therefore, “NA” (Not Available) is frequently displayed next to KLAA throughout this entire overview. |
Is the Bloom Off the Rose?
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(June 20, 2018) Lisa
Bloom was featured in a massive eight-page story in Los
Angeles Magazine. The title of the piece was The Trials of Lisa
Bloom. Some highlights from the Bryan Smith story: The legal pundit and civil rights attorney made a name of herself taking on powerful men on behalf of her female clients. Then she came out defending Harvey Weinstein last fall, and all hell broke loose. She anchored her own show on truTV, Lisa Bloom: Open Court (for eight years) and had parlayed appearances as a legal analyst on cable news and entertainment show into a career as the go-to pundit on CNN, MSNBC, CBS News, Dr. Phil, Dr. Drew, KABC, and the Joy Behar Show. Her reputation ignited when it was learned that Lisa represented Harvey Weinstein. How could she, of all people? She didn’t just work with him. She defended him. Lisa received death threats and rape threats against her and her daughter. To make matters worse word surfaced that Bloom, in the course of her work with Weinstein, had struck a deal for his production company and the rapper Jay-Z to make a docuseries based on a book she had written about the Trayvon Martin case. “It was probably one of the worst times that I’ve ever seen for her, or at least that I’ve witnessed,” says Bloom’s daughter Sarah, an attorney who joined her mother’s shop. The central rule in most crisis management is not to make matters worse. In the Weinstein case, however, Bloom didn’t just breach that rule, she trampled it, tore it up, and turned it into confetti. Even she admits that she stumbled in those first fraught days. At 56, Bloom is lean and fit. She works at a stand-up desk with a treadmill and, characteristically Type A about how she spends her off-hours, she’s summited Mount Kilimanjaro, backpacked both the Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire and the Inca Trail in Peru, completed the New York City marathon, and visited more than 40 countries from Cambodia to Costa Rica. Law school wasn’t part of the plan early into Bloom’s days at UCLA. Like her daughter, Gloria Allred didn’t set out to become a lawyer at first. Bloom worked for her mother’s firm for nine years after graduating from Yale Law. There was an early marriage, though Bloom talks little of it. You can read the complete story at: http://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/lisa-bloom/ |
Fox 11's Good Day LA Reunion
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(June 19,
2018) Whotta’ fun reunion at KABC the other day when the
longtime hosts of Good Day LA got together on the John
Phillips and Jillian Barberie show. “It was
wonderful,” enthused Phillips. It was the first time the three of them have done a broadcast together since Dorothy Lucey left the show. They talked, they interacted, they laughed, and they talked over each other, just like they did for 20 years doing the Fox 11 Morning Show. Steve said he felt like a referee. There were times over two decades when Jillian and Dorothy didn’t like each other, but they were unable to explain why. Later, Steve remembered what happened after 9/11 happened. “The tenor of our shows changed for the next six months.” He was hopeful that it would be a more peaceful period in our society but he said it didn’t last that long. He addressed the issue of polarization. “Fox and CNN can be talking about the same story, yet they speak a different language.” When GDLA started in 1995, Steve said there were five morning shows “and we were in 12th place on local tv.” Steve didn’t talk about the circumstances regarding why he left the Fox show. It would fun to have three of the together again. They were unpredictable and fun to listen to. In other news: former KNAC dj Diana DeVille has joined middays for at 99.1/The Ranch (KWSV-LP) – Simi Valley. "Our listeners are a very vibrant and involved community of Country music fans, and I’m really looking forward to entertaining them through their workdays," said Diana ... KPFK’s Bill Gardner, host of Saturday’s Rhapsody in Black, participated in a documentary on Sam Cooke, one of the best Top 40/r&b singers. If you loved Sam's music, it is a fascinating story. |
Jim Ladd is One-of-a-Kind
By Rich Piombino, RD Music & Marketing
 |
I was fortunate enough to work at KMET from 1983
– 1986. Having previously worked with some amazing air personalities on
previous occasions, I was especially proud to share space at The Mighty
Met with Cynthia Fox, Pat “Paraquat” Kelley, Jeff
Gonzer and a man who I feel is the best rock dj of all time, Jim
Ladd. Honestly, I didn’t meet him for a full three months after I started at KMET on June 6, 1983. One Friday night on the way out, I stuck my head in the studio, said hello, he nodded and shook my hand. I spent many “late hour” evenings at the station, so I was in a position to be an average listener with the distinct advantage of being 15 feet from the studio. What I remember most, and what makes Jim the “essential” rock jock, is based on his overwhelming knowledge of the artists and the music, much of it based on personal relationships with many of them. Second are the narratives — if you’ve ever seen, heard Bruce Springsteen at shows, we all know the kind of intros Bruce makes as lead up to the songs. Jim is amazing there – I always remember best how he intro'd Panama from Van Halen, any number of Pink Floyd and Doors tracks. As a matter of fact, hearing Jim’s intro of LA Woman sealed my respect for ‘both' Jim’s, the Doors were the second and third concerts I ever saw in the late 60’s at Madison Square Garden and the Felt Forum in NYC. Jim Ladd and I did a promotion together when Elektra released Dance On Fire, the first Doors video compilation. We gathered fans and listeners for a “Dinner with the Doors,” including Robbie, John and Ray – it’s no coincidence that it was Jim Ladd who rounded out that foursome. After I left The Met, I went to work for Norm Pattiz, Thom Ferro and Brian Heimerl at Westwood One. We were assigned to tape one of Roger Waters’ early Radio KAOS shows at Great Woods outside of Boston. Roger had handpicked Jim to “narrate’”the dj parts on that record, thus capping an amazing era and close-up opportunity to work with one of the all-time greats. These memories are sealed forever... |
Nostalgia Father's Day - 6 Years Ago Today
|
Vin Scully Honors His Father
“Dad
was working late as usual,
finishing up a 14-hour shift at
the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Vin
Scully had finished his homework
and was getting sleepy. Although
something was on his mind, he
couldn’t wait up, so he wrote a
note and put it on his dad’s
breakfast plate before going to
bed. It was
1943 and Vin was 15. His
stepfather, Allan Reeve, left
for work each morning at 4:30,
riding buses and subways to the
shipyard, often not returning
home until after nightfall. Reeve
had an opportunity take a
civilian job on a ship headed to
the combat zone in Europe. The
money would be good, maybe even
enough to get the family out of
the $40-a-month, fifth-story
walk-up apartment in Washington
Heights. Vin had
only a hazy memory of his
biological father dying of
pneumonia 11 years earlier, but
he knew the toll it had taken on
his mother, Bridget. The thought
of losing Reeve, a reserved,
pipe-smoking Englishman who had
brought stability and love to
the household, terrified him. So in
the note, Vin asked his dad to
turn down the job. ‘I was
afraid he might be put in harm’s
way,’ Vin said. ‘I didn’t want
him to risk the family to make a
few more dollars.’ Vin
remembers his father, a silk
salesman at an upscale clothing
store, from a few grainy photos.
After he died, Bridget took
4-year-old Vin to Ireland to
spend time with her family. ‘My
mother told me later that when
we came back, I had a brogue you
could cut with a knife,’ he
said. ‘My
ache now is all the things I
missed because of my job,’ he
said. ‘Mother’s Day, Father’s
Day, birthdays, anniversaries,
graduations, you name it. It has
been a series of misses. And it
had made my heart ache. Baseball
just devours you. Allan
Reeve read Vin’s note at
breakfast and did not take the
job that would have sent him
overseas. His relationship with
his stepson continued to grow
over the years. ‘To me, he was Dad,’ Vin said. ‘I never thought of him as a stepdad. I had an ache because I never knew my father and it was washed away by my dad.’” |
Email Saturday, 6.16.18
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** Listening to Cousin Duffy
“I remember listening to Warren Duffy when he was ‘Cousin Duffy’ with WMEX – one of the two leading AM Top 40 station in my hometown Boston. I would visit the station’s lobby, where the public was allowed to come in and watch the djs working through a large picture window on the left as you entered the building. On one visit, Duffy came out to say hi to me and my friends. I think one of us asked him how he decided what songs to play. His answer was he didn’t. ‘I don’t even know what I’m playing now,’ he said with irritation. I looked at the 45 spinning on the turntable through the window behind him and wondered how anyone could be unhappy in such a job. It was obvious that he was very passionate about music and that he was frustrated there. He was a wonderful dj, though.” – Sandy Wells ** Duffy’s Full Life “I listened to Warren Duffy quite often in the 1990s. I'm sorry to hear of his passing. Here is a page with dozens of his airchecks, newscasts, promos and commercials, plus several photos and Duffy's essay about his early years in radio by clicking Warren's photo.” – Steve Thompson |
| ** Ratings “Twenty years after all of us are long over the mountain, whoever takes over this site will STILL be reporting KRTH at #3 behind those other two! What d’ya wanna bet? Been goin’ on for decades. Why not a couple more? As they say, some things never [seem to] change.” – Rich Brother Robbin ** Non-Com in the Race “I believe that one of the most interesting things about the ratings over the last several months is the slow but steady rise of KPCC. Here is a listener supported station that is doing what KQED [another listener supported station] in the San Francisco Bay Area has done. I haven’t heard much talk about how KPCC has done this, but kudos to them. KPCC has now cracked the Top Ten. Maybe some of the other news/talk stations should take a few KPCC classes.” – Sterrett Harper, Burbank |
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** Red Ryder Collection “I really enjoyed the re-cap of Frank Bresee’s life. When I was 10 years old I had the complete collection of Red Ryder figures. Now I know that I was not the only Red Ryder voice. I recall one time that Irv Ivers and myself were at the Malibu Colony and we had the rare opportunity to see Paul Newman’s 944 Porsche. Whotta’ treat.” – Stan White, Seattle ** Bresee Memory “I got to know Frank Bresee from his association with Roger Carroll, while I was at KMPC as apd from 1972 – 75. When Frank found out I loved the radio Gunsmoke show with William Conrad as Matt Dillon, US Marshall – ‘the first one they look for and the last they want to meet; it’s a chancy job, and a little lonely’ – he gave me a carton of tapes of the show. Sorry, indeed, to hear it is gone.” - Eric Norberg, Portland, Oregon ** More Bresee “Frank Bresee started Golden Days of Radio on my KMPC show. It was on for years at 7 p.m. with 5 or 10 minutes of old shows. I just talked with his wife and she doesn’t sound well. I introduced Frank to Bobbie years ago.” – Roger Carroll ** Wall of Fame “I read of Frank Bresee’s passing and the story of the autograph wall in his basement theater. I’m happy to report that the wall is intact and restored. The house was purchased a few years ago by Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, who asked my company to do some lighting and hardware work. We are friendly with them and they asked us to take a look at the theater. I knew a bunch of the names [other than the obvious ones] on the wall and explained who they were. They wondered if they were real, so we called a friend who is an autograph expert and he came over and authenticated them all. That is when Sharon decided to restore the wall as there was some water damage. The attached photos are from before the restoration.
Once they started restoring the wall they found out about Frank Bresee and contacted him. He remembered all the stories behind each of the names including the circumstances of each signing. He told them about the beginnings of Let's Make a Deal as well as the signatures of Elvis and Natalie Wood. It seems they were there together and wound up having an argument, which continued right out into the street.” – Gary Gibson |
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** One is a Lonely Number “I love the K-Earth promotion and how great is it to see Jerry Mathers :) As for your question about one LARP that is one of a kind. That’s a tough one. There are so many great ones. I idolized Robert W. Morgan [until I met him]. The Real Don Steele was, of course, a tremendous talent and unique. Casey Kasem started something special with American Top 40 and was a very nice as well. Sadly though, we have all been replaced at one time or another.” – Mike Butts ** One Perspective “To my way of thinking — the LA radio personalities who broke thru barriers are the unduplicatable ones as the barriers are no longer there to break and as such cannot ever be duplicated.” – Roy Laughlin |
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** LARadio Newsletter
“John Newton forwarded a copy of your newsletter. I worked with John and Mark Morris at KKLA back in the 80’s. Can’t believe what a service you are providing. What a wealth of radio history you have put at people's fingertips. So many names popped up that I recall. Thank you so much for doing this. Could I possibly be put on your email list? It would be such a pleasure to receive. Thanks so much.” – Joseph Roth |
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** Mentions About Mary Lyon and Gene
Weed “1. On people leaving California, I realize it isn’t what it once was, but I moved to Oregon for nine months in 1973. The summer was almost ‘dream like,’ but when the reality of the cold and gray and rain of the Pacific Northwest kicked in at the end of summer, I asked myself, ‘what have I done?’ By November of ’73, I became a permanent resident of California, and have never considered moving away again. #2. On Gene Weed, he had a show on Los Angeles TV on Saturday night's in ’65 and '66 called Shivaree. One Saturday night, while living in Lompoc, and working with ‘YOU’ (Don Barrett), I was watching Gene’s show, and his guests that night were The Righteous Brothers and Stevie Wonder. At the end of the show, Gene thanked his guests and invited us to tune in ‘next Saturday night, when our guests will be Len Barry and The New Beats.’ Gene says ‘Goodnight’ and then, he, Bill and Bobby of The Righteous Brothers, and Stevie, start waving goodnite to the camera, except Gene and The Brothers are facing the camera, and Stevie, is facing left and waving to the side and back stage area, and Gene, suddenly realized this, and quickly grabs Stevie by the shoulders, and turns him about 45 degrees towards the camera. [True story].” – Joe Collins |
K-EARTH Locks Up Perfect Promotion
 |
(June 15,
2018) K-EARTH ran a near-perfect sales/programming promotion,
the “Locks of Love Week” for the eighth year. The morning team of Gary
Bryan and Lisa Stanley were the face of the
promotion, along with Supercuts, Paul Mitchell, and the Girl Scouts. This past Monday, Gary and Lisa were at Universal CityWalk 5 Towers stage where 101 listeners and Girl Scouts got their haircut by Supercuts stylists. The first 50 donors each received a pair of tickets to Universal Studios. Locks of Love provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children with medical hair loss. Last year, 1,208 people participated donating more than 12,500 inches of hair. Everyone wins. The station received high visibility at the event and at Supercuts. And ultimately it is for a great cause. Congratulations. In other news, Entercom is returning Kevin Weatherly to the programming post at AMP Radio. He will continue as pd at KROQ and JACK/fm. At the same time, former AMP and current K-EARTH pd Chris Ebbott has added operations manager duties for Radio.com in Los Angeles. “We are proud to cultivate our existing talent at Entercom/Los Angeles,” said Jeff Federman, svp/market manager “Kevin was the original architect of AMP almost 10 years ago. He was successful at creating a format lane that was duplicated across the country. With Chris focused on Radio.com in Los Angeles, we are guaranteed compelling, creative and innovative ideas that will lead to growth in our consumer base and expand our relationships with our clients.” |
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Hear Ache. People are still
buzzing how iHeart ceo Bob Pittman could make another
$10.4 million, under iHeart’s “incentive plan for insiders.” During
iHeart’s bankruptcy. Pittman, whose regular deal includes access to a
Dassault-Breguet Mystere Falcon 900 aircraft, has a “target award” of
nearly $7 million this year. He could make another 50% above that,
depending on the metrics, and that would equal $10,462,500 … Not
everything is a sure thing. Didja know that 20th Century Fox slated Alvin
and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel a week after they released Avatar as
insurance due to fears that Avatar could bomb, according to
Stan White. “20th called it their ‘secret weapon.’" … Earlier this week,
870/KRLA afternooner Mark Levin was honored with a
“Speaker of Truth” Award at the Endowment for Middle East Truth’s “Rays
of Light in the Darkness” dinner in Washington DC … Loving Channel 4 at
SiriusXM. All Beach Boys music this summer with some wonderful and
insightful vignettes from all of the living Beach Boys. A true surfin’
safari all summer long. Also, my favorite daughter picked a Beach Boys
song for the father of the bride dance … Brad Chambers is
celebrating “Mother Miriam’s 80th Birthday Bash” at a Martini In the
Morning event at Catalina Jazz Club on June 25. Performing is Dave
Damiami and the No Vacancy Orchestra along with Johnny Blue, Gloria
Loring, Deana Martin, Jane Monheit, among others. My Heart at iHeart/SF. Many familiar LARP names are reemerging in the San Francisco market. iHeartMedia is bringing Progressive Talk back to the Bay Area at Real Talk 910 (KKSF), replacing ESPN Deportes. The station features a line-up led by Stephanie Miller (formerly heard on KFI, KABC, KTLK), Thom Hartman (ex-KTLK), along with KEIB consumer expert Clark Howard. One is a Lonely Number. Have you figured out the personality who was a one-of-a-kind on LARadio? The person who jumped out of the radio every day probably still resonates with you today. If you want to share your fan fave, be sure to include all the reasons they were so unique. We’ll start revealing your favorites next week. Send your one-of-a-kind to: AvilaBeachdb@gmail.com |
Warren Duffy Has Died
 |
(June 14, 2018)
Warren Duffy, veteran of KMET (1970 – 71), KDAY (1973 – 1974),
and KKLA (1994 – 2004), died June 13, 2018. He was 80. Warren was prominent on the Los
Angeles airwaves as both an original voice of progressive rock and as a
longtime host on Christian talk radio. He began his career as a singer on the radio before he started in a weekly television show at age 10. After graduating from high school at the age of 15, Warren started his long and varied career in broadcasting, including Washington D.C. where “I literally ruled the roost.” Warren helped launch the legendary progressive rocker KMET. “The station was a melting pot for some pretty talented people. To give us some validity with ad agencies when we were but a fledgling operation unable to afford 24-hour-a-day jocks, we were one of the first 'automated' music stations in the country,” recalled Warren. “We hired B. Mitchel Reed to host our afternoon drive-time show, so the agencies would recognize us.” After time at KDAY, Warren left radio to become the national album promotion director for 20th Century Fox records. Within a year, he was promotion director for the Beach Boys, putting together the group’s worldwide tour celebrating their 15th anniversary. Warren soon found himself with a serious drug problem. He started his recovery in the late 1970s, leading to his religious conversion and renewing his faith through Robert Schuller Ministries. |
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In the early 1980s, Warren joined the staff of the
Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, where he served as executive
administrative assistant to Dr. Schuller. Warren later moved to Kauai,
Hawaii to serve as a church pastor. “I feel that everything I have gone
through, from being a child prodigy to overcoming drug addiction to
pastoring a church, has contributed to my ability to relate to people on
a ‘heart’ level,” said Warren. After stepping down from the pastorate, Warren created his own marketing and consultancy agency. One of his clients was Salem Communications, which at that time owned 30 Christian radio stations nationally. It led to his afternoon drive program “Duffy and Company – Live from L.A.” on Salem-owned KKLA. Warren declared his program was a home for the “Not-so-Silent Majority.” He left KKLA on January 4, 2004, the tenth anniversary of his talk show. Warren’s friend John Loftus shared details of his passing: Pam (Warren’s wife) called to share the news that our beloved brother, Duffy, left us this morning of June 13, 2018 and is now in the arms of Jesus. She was at his side during his final days, giving comfort and tender care and receiving the blessing of his inimitable smile. I know that each of us has been touched in special ways by Duffy's life and have fond memories of this dear man. God used him mightily for His kingdom and is now partaking, face to face, of Duffy's most radiant smile yet! In April 2016, Warren was diagnosed with Stage IV brain cancer. In spite of his situation, Warren remained joyful and valiant. I cherish the many ways Duffy has touched my life. From when I first heard him over the airwaves on KKLA to my riveting initial phone conversation with him that occurred completely by chance (err, that is, by God's providence!), to his deep care for my youngest son, Jason, during his teen years (and ultimately officiating his wedding), to standing by me in some of my darkest times, Duffy has left an indelible impression on my life. Pam and I both express our heartfelt thanks for your prayers, remembrances, and financial support during these past months. You helped ensure that Duffy received exceptional care and that his wishes will be carried out for his final arrangements. Though a memorial celebration is planned, the Duffy family depleted their personal funds because of the prolonged cancer fight, plus the expenses of assisted living and funeral costs. Loftus established a GoFundMe page to assist the Duffys, https://www.gofundme.com/warren-duffy. Donations will be administered by Warren’s widow Pam Duffy. (Photo: Warren and Pam Duffy) |
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Do We Have One-Of-A-Kind LARPs?
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(June 13, 2018) I came late to
the Anthony Bourdain party. I hate to admit I thought it was one of
those tacky food shows that CNN threw in when there was not a
catastrophic news calamity to cover. My family only watches 60 – 90 minutes of tv each evening. We have to make choices with our limited time in front of the screen. About a year ago I was probably watching some news event on CNN and Parts Unknown came on. I watched and after the first viewing I was hooked. OMG. Where had I been? I recorded everything and relished each viewing. I thrive on storytelling, and Bourdain had such a strong knack to do just that. And the way he would weave in pop culture to a program was masterful. Anthony Bourdain was truly one-of-kind. In local media we’ve had a few. Ralph Story was one of the best storytellers. You would also have to include PBS' Huell Howser. Golleeeeeee. But have we had a real original in LARadio? Who would you think was truly a one-of-kind personality and why? Send your suggestion to: AvilaBeachdb@gmail.com |
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Frank Bresee, Actor Who Played Little Beaver, Has Died, at 88
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(June 12, 2018) Frank Bresee,
radio historian and character actor, died June 5, at the age of 88. In 1942, Bresee was Alvin on the radio show Major Hopalong also starring Mel Blanc and Arthur Q. Bryan. Bryan was perhaps better known as the original voice of Elmer Fudd. Arthur later became a second father to Frank. The two often collaborated on projects. Bresee was also Little Beaver on the Red Ryder radio show until 1946. Bresee was probably one of the first dumpster divers. As a little boy, he took his wagon, went behind radio stations and retrieved from the trash various radio broadcast transcription discs. He also collected radio scripts after attending many of the broadcasts. What began as a childhood pastime grew into an important private collections of radio memorabilia. In addition to the discs and scripts, Bresee’s tape archive of approximately 3,900 reels is held at the Thousand Oaks Library. In August of 1949, Bresee began hosting the “Golden Days of Radio” show with his large collection of transcription discs. He played early recordings from then-current radio shows while new shows were being broadcast. He wrote a book with artwork portraying every big radio show of its time. Bresee was one of the first people in Hollywood in the late 1950s to have a movie theater in his home. The theater had around 30 seats and a projector purchased from a local movie theater. Mel Torme, Elvis Presley and Natalie Wood were some of the celebrities who came over to watch films. Many autographed the wall inside the theater, then a chalk board. This theater became the home where tv shows would have their first run through. Monty Hall and Stefan Hatos ran Let’s Make A Deal for six months in Bresee’s theater before they sold it to the NBC network in 1963. |
| Around this time, Bresee’s “Golden Days of
Radio” was being featured on KGIL and KMPC. In 1966, his program started
being offered in Germany over the Armed Forces Radio Network. It went on
the full network in 1967, becoming one of the main features for the next
29 years. Bresee played highlights from shows and interviewed radio
people. Some of his guest included Mae West, Bob Hope, Jack Benny and
George Burns. During KFI’s celebration of its 50th birthday, Bresee produced a 12-hour special hosted by many of the stars heard over KFI during the golden days of radio, from the 1920s – 1950s. Some of the hosts were Rudy Vallee, Jim Jordan (Fibber McGee from “Fibber McGee and Molly”), Edgar Bergen and Hal Parry (“The Great Gildersleeve”). Throughout his long career, Bresee received numerous awards, including the Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters’ Diamond Circle Award, The Society to Preserve and Encourage Radio, Drama, Variety, and Comedy’s Byron Kane Award. He was a past president of Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters. (Thanks to Tom Vernon of Radio World, Jerry Fry who kept “The Golden Days of Radio” on Armed Forces Radio for 29 years, AFR's longest-running show, and Roger Carroll [pictured on right with his wife and Bresee]) |
KBIG Big in May '18 PPM
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(June 11, 2018) KBIG has
regained the top spot in the May '18 Monthly PPM Nielsen ratings, but
only by a breath over #2 KOST, which fell almost a half point.
Entercom's K-EARTH and the WAVE (KTWV) are strong at 3rd and 4th. KIIS
comes in 5th. KFI seems to have benefitted from politics and the local
election conversation. Ratings represent 6+ Mon-Sun, 6a-Mid: 1. KBIG (Hot AC) 5.7 - 5.7 2. KOST (AC) 6.0 - 5.6 3. KRTH (Classic Hits) 4.8 - 5.0 4. KTWV (the WAVE) 4.8 - 4.8 5. KIIS (Top 40/M) 4.5 - 4.5 6. KFI (Talk) 4.1 - 4.4 7. KCBS (JACK/fm) 4.4 - 4.2 8. KLVE (Spanish Contemporary) 3.7 - 3.7 9. KYSR (ALT 98-7) 2.8 - 3.2 10. KAMP (Top 40/M) 2.5 - 2.7 KLAX (Regional Mexican 2.5 - 2.7 KLOS (Classic Rock) 2.7 - 2.7 KNX (News) 2.6 - 2.7 KPCC (News/Talk) 2.6 - 2.7 KRLL (Urban) 2.8 - 2.7 KXOL (Spanish AC) 2.6 - 2.7 |
| 17. KRCD (Spanish Adult Hits) 3.0 - 2.6 KSCA (Regional Mexican) 2.2 - 2.6 19. KPWR (Top 40/R) 2.5 - 2.4 KROQ (Alternative) 2.3 - 2.4 21. KKGO (Country) 2.2 - 2.1 22. KBUE (Regional Mexican) 1.7 - 1.9 23. KXOS (Regional Mexican) 2.0 - 1.8 24. KJLH (Urban AC) 1.7 - 1.7 25. KUSC (Classical) 1.4 - 1.6 26. KDAY (Rhythmic AC) 1.4 - 1.4 27. KCRW (Variety) 1.5 - 1.3 28. KSSE (Spanish Oldies) 1.2 - 1.2 29. KSPN (Sports) 0.9 - 1.0 30. KLAC (Sports) 0.9 - 0.9 KRLA (Talk) 1.0 - 0.9 32. KEIB (Talk) 0.8 - 0.8 KFWB (Regional Mexican) 0.6 - 0.8 KKJZ (Jazz) 0.7 - 0.8 KKLQ (Christian Contemporary) 0.9 - 0.8 36. KFSH (Christian Contemporary) 0.7 - 0.7 KLYY (Spanish Adult Hits) 1.0 - 0.7 38. KWIZ (Spanish Variety) 0.7 - 0.6 KYLA (Christian Contemporary) 0.4 - 0.6 40. KABC (Talk) 0.5 - 0.4 KDLD (Regional Mexican) 0 - 0.4 KSUR (Oldies) 0.5 - 0.4 |
Driven to Buy Paul Newman's Cars
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(June 11, 2018) Adam
Carolla collects cars – specifically race cars – and more
specifically, Paul Newman’s race cars. Carolla’s automobile collection
caught the interest of the LA Times, placing the story on the
front page of the Business section. The introduction of the story
started: “Adam Carolla is a comedian, carpenter, podcaster, filmmaker,
bestselling author, race car driver and entrepreneur.” The writer didn’t
mention Adam’s a LARP. He was morning man at KLSX for a time, as well as
the co-host of KROQ’s “Loveline” with Dr. Drew Pinsky.
Adam thought that cars raced by Newman might increase in value after the actor died, making them a sensible investment. Carolla spent $1 million securing Newman’s collection and another $1 million in restoration. He recently won at auction, Newman’s 1979 Porsche 935 that he driven to second place at the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Charles Fleming story can be accessed by clicking artwork. In other news, Sean Hannity will host his radio program from Singapore all this week to cover the historic June 12 summit between President Donald Trump and North Korea Leader Kim Jong Un … Saul Levine started a new radio station last Friday, June 8, according to Steve Nieto of Yorba Linda. “It's on KKGO 105.1-HD4. He's calling it ‘LITE/fm LA.’ The station plays soft rock songs and a few Disco treats that used to be played by KRTH and KOST before they moved their library to more current tracks. Congrats to Saul and Fred Missman for putting together another station that fills a large gap on the LA radio dial.” ... LARadio subscribers will get their first look at the May '18 PPM this afternoon. |
Sunday Nostalgia - 4 Years Ago Today
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KGIL Staffers and Talent Reunite to Share Wonderful Stories (June 10, 2014) KGIL (1260 AM) was a factor in the LA market during the 60s and 70s. Many LARP who are currently on the air got their start at the San Fernando Valley station. Arguably the face of the station was Sweet Dick Whittington. When I was running a Detroit station in the late 60s, ad buyers loved to tell me stories about KGIL knowing I grew up here. KGIL would fly a group of key automotive buyers and ad execs to Los Angeles. Once at LAX, they were joined by KGIL executives and they all boarded a private plane and headed for the San Fernando Valley. When they reached the top of the Santa Monica Mountains, the exec would direct his guests to look out their windows. "This is the San Fernando Valley where a million people live and only ONE radio station exclusively broadcasts to the Valley." The station with a limited signal all of a sudden was elevated to get a piece of all automotive buys. Very smart selling and marketing.
Tom Bernstein, Judy and John St. Thomas Newton, Jim Thornton, Ed Ziel, Rick Scarry, and Larry Van Nuys Many travelled great distances to attend the KGIL Reunion. Gary Parker flew in from Florida for the event. "And the amazing Johnny Gunn - 88 years young - was as present and joyful as ever," said Keri Tombazian, who hosted the event for close to 50 partygoers in her backyard. Ed Ziel traveled from his home in Yerington, Nevada," added Tom Patterson who took the photos and was instrumental in planning the event. "Also Ed Krovitz drove 4.5 hours from Morro Bay to attend the party, then drove back home that evening. 9+ hours of driving, what a trooper, no, he’s nuts."
Ed Ziel, Joe McDonnell, Cary Ginnell, Ned Skaff, Tom Patterson, Jane Platt, Ed Krovitz, Richard Lyons, Jerri Levi, and Johnny Gunn Sweet Dick Whittington was unable to attend the event, but he did send a note to Patterson and Tombazian: God, how I loved seeing those pictures. You all are aging so gracefully. I wish I could say the same. How did that kid Jim Thornton get in there? I truly am sorry that I was a no-show, but my "kid", whom I haven't seen, nor much heard from for six or seven years has 'pulled himself up', and his brothers and I welcomed him home. Sorry for the conflict, but I know you both can understand. As hard as life can be sometimes; I guess we all three agree that raising kids to become what you hope for them is perhaps the most difficult, but now happily rewarding. In celebration, we all got "stupid" and sang about 250 verses of Pharrel Williams Happy. You both deserve so much credit for bringing together this sometimes disparate group of winners, and the undisciplined morning man should have been there. You are such good people and you're both lookin' good! I hope Keri that you are keeping your spirits up. Maybe that's an unnecessary statement, but I just wanted to again let you know that I have the fullest confidence in you, and that your professional life will be better than ever before, when that 'call' comes. You certainly have already succeeded as a person. Tom: You have always been a successful person and professional. We are all very proud of you. I'm beginning to sound like a delusional sage, aren't I? Age does that to you. So this is both an apology and congratulations to you both for what you obviously so successfully achieved last Saturday. You are both simply the best, and I glad to know you. If I'm around for the next one, I'll be there. Love to you both, Dick |
Email Saturday, 6.9.18
| ** Lyon Queen “WOW what a story from Mary Lyon. What a history. What a writer. Mary WAS LARadio. Soooo many stations. Soooo many buddies! I heard so many of those interviews down through the years. She made those people come alive. AND she was SO human on the air, no fancy ‘radio voice!’ Mary, thanks so much for being there for L.A. all those years.” – Alan F. Ross ** Move to Oregon “I really enjoyed Mary Lyon’s story on her move to Oregon. KC and I are seriously considering a move to a ranch in Northern Idaho. We’ve found one with a pond, horse stables for KC and acreage. Even though we live on a small ranch in Big Bear, the absolute best part of SoCal, the taxes, traffic, etc. is really getting to us. Will let you know what we decide.” –Larry Huffman ** Busy Lyon “WOW, Mary Lyon has done a LOT – all those early photos with her guests is amazing.” – Mike Butts ** Weedy One “Scrolling down on your site today, I again saw Gene Weed and it brings back an ancient war story which I heard from a colleague at KPHO/TV in Phoenix back in 1960 or ’61. It was told to me by Pat McMahon, who joined the station in 1960. By 1961, he and I were both in uniform, as our Arizona Air National Guard fighter squadron was activated for the Berlin Crisis, as ordered by President Kennedy. Prior to moving to Phoenix, Pat had done radio and tv [including a teen dance show] in the Quad Cities when he was drafted. He was in basic training at Fort Carson, Colorado, with Gene Weed, likewise a drafted disc jockey. Their platoon sergeant hollered ‘anyone here have radio experience?’ Pat, all 5’10” of him, and Weed raised their hands. They were instructed to pick up the heavy back-pack walkie-talkie base units and march with them. They protested. ‘We don't know anything about this stuff.’ The platoon sergeant: ‘I thought you said you had radio experience...’ Weed and McMahon answered in unison, ‘Yeah, but we’re disc jockeys.’ They were stuck being radiomen in their assignments. I don't know if Pat’s alive or not. He spent his entire career in Phoenix. We’ve lost touch.” – Warren Cereghino ** Goodtime Steve Mitchell “One of the highlights of my radio career was when I made it to LA. That was a goal for me. I was part of the original staff of KIQQ (K100), along with some great radio talent, big names in the biz. We were there before the furniture in the offices. It was a brand-new station. We started up with used equipment in the studios, located smack dab in the middle of Hollywood, within walking distance of Martoni’s bar and next door to the Cinerama Dome. The two guys in charge were Irv Ivers, who later went to the movie business, and Don Barrett, who later created the highly regarded and well-known LARadio.com which keeps track of Los Angeles radio and its people. Yes, my nickname was Goodtime Steve. Credit Michael Butts for that.” – Goodtime Steve Mitchell (Ingold) ** Goss Update “Thank you for the update on what Dean Goss is up to. I had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of times during the ‘Mousersize with Mickey’ days at KRTH and he was so nice, even working a United Way event for Bank of America at the Arco Towers. I hope he tells the students what a difference he made in the mornings for Angelenos. I was sorry when Disney put the kibosh on his entertaining bits. By and large, most of the djs who worked fm especially during the 80’s and 90’s did so much not just for the music, but for the artists. Even stunts like playing ‘State of Shock’ almost 24 hours straight [K-100] or Machine Gun Kelly supposedly getting fired for something similar kept us laughing during the hardest of times. Nowadays we need our personalities even more, not just to showcase music and the artists who create it, but to encourage listeners to speak out about the issues. And if you enjoy someone’s show, let the suits know it!” – Julie Byers ** Regan Memories “As a radio guy, these record boys were cousins in our success. Without their product radio as we know it, would never have been. Russ Regan was a real prince. As it works out, his illness zapped the family’s finances. One of his main promotion guys, Bill Pfordresher, is putting together a concert to raise money. He has already secured the group Ambrosia [You’re The Biggest Part Of Me] to get involved. I know you get inundated with emails and I’m not askin’ you to do anything for Russ, just lettin’ you know how great a man he was.” – Rich Brother Robbin ** Viscott Memories “I have fond memories of attending Santa Monica High School in the mid-80’s where due to a light schedule during my senior year, I was able to listen to KABC in the afternoons. I was instantly drawn to Dr. David Viscott due to his calming voice and his no-nonsense analytical style which was radically different from the long drawn out scholarly exercises employed by others in his field. I recall he would often say ‘Where do you want to be in five years?’ That was very resonating since it stripped away all the excuses and only focused on moving forward with achievements. I see a lot of this in use with today’s impatient millennium generation where the goal is to achieve something fast. If utilized correctly it can be very successful. I feel sad how his own life took a downturn and his eventual early death, but I appreciated him greatly and feel he was ahead of his time. I have no doubt he would have been embraced by today’s generation. God bless you Dr. Viscott, and thank you for being a part of my life.” – Steve Chang ** More David Viscott "As an avid listener to his show, I was also fortunate to have been a patient of Dr. David Viscott. Hoping for some clarity about issues in my life, I made an appointment to see him. Dr. Viscott was quite different than your average shrink. My previous experiences with therapy took place in high-rise office buildings; our sessions, however, were in a light, airy screened-in porch at his home. Dressed informally in khaki shorts, a brightly-colored, short-sleeve hawaiian-ish shirt and sandals, he proudly explained that his method consisting of four two-hour sessions dramatically condensed the intensity and resolution of the work, thereby eliminating the need for years of prolonged therapy. At the end of the two hours, he handed me a tape of our conversation and instructed me to review it every day for two weeks. My homework was to note, in writing, how many times and about what I lied. I pushed back hard suggesting I didn’t lie. With a kind, knowing smile he said, 'Yes you did, everybody does.' And then he did something remarkable. As I was about to leave, he gave me a big friendly hug, kissed me on the cheek and said, ‘I have a great deal of affection for you. See you in two weeks.’ After listing to my tape for a week, I heard myself be less than honest many many times. It clearly pointed out there were things in my life too difficult for me to be honest about. Hearing myself do that was a revelation. Unfortunately, funds dried up which prevented me from completing two remaining sessions. But I probably got more out of those four hours than a good year with more conventional therapy. Dr. Viscott’s hug and affection was not just for me, but for all of humanity. He was a terrific person and a gifted, artful therapist.” - Jeff Maxwell ** Snap Chat "I enjoy seeing all of the photos of the various LARP you show at the beginning of each post you do. I was wondering how you choose which photos to show. Do you ave a system? I am amazed at how many names I know [and can now put a face to those names], but even more amazed at how many photos you have of these mainly faceless and wonderful people.” - Sterrett Harper
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New Day for Sue Fruend
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(June 8, 2018) Sue Freund,
former general manager at KDAY and vp of sales for the Western Region of
SiriusXM, has joined two colleagues – Ron Hartenbaum and Scott Calka –
to form a new company, Crossover Media Group Sales. The company was
specifically developed to provide advertising-sales representation
across multiple platforms for an array of established and emerging
program personalities and formats. “Crossover Media Group Sales is
equipped to help content creators maximize their ad revenue regardless
of delivery platform,” said Sue. “There is a strong and surprisingly untapped market for advertising to support personalities and brands seeking to maximize revenue potential across all the platforms available to them. If you have an audio presence, we can be your video partner. If you have a video brand, but have had difficulty breaking through the clutter, we can help. We understand cross-platform branding, promotion and monetization, and how to serve the needs of content providers, media buyers and brands alike.” Crossover Media Group Sales’ initial clients include a variety of radio and podcast products by Stephanie Miller and Thom Hartmann, among others. |
| In other news, Mike Carlucci is
headed for Russia. “I will be working as an English Announcer for the
FIFA World Cup Soccer tourney,” emailed Mike … Dean Goss,
former morning man at K-EARTH and KODJ) is now teaching radio at Palomar
Community College in North San Diego County. “I’m having a ball. I get
to tell all my radio stories every semester...lol.” … Also now in the
classroom is Lori Kelman, former newslady at KFWB and
KABC. She is teaching two news classes at The Academy of Radio &
Television Broadcasting in Huntington Beach. Bill Davis is stepping down as president/ceo of Southern California Public Radio (SCPR), which runs KPCC. He wrote to supporters: “I am humbled by the accomplishments that your generous contributions have made possible during the past 19 years, and I know that SCPR is well-positioned to build upon these accomplishments in the years and decades to come. Local news coverage in greater Los Angeles is essential to the civic and cultural life of one of the world’s great metropolitan areas. And civic engagement is critical to the region’s future as one of the world’s most diverse regions. These are the twin pillars of SCPR’s public service mission. Thank you for helping us more fully realize this vision and for making greater Los Angeles a better place to live.” We’re saddened to hear of the passing of Reelradio's founder and curator, Richard Irwin. The man known as “Uncle Ricky” died in Sacramento yesterday at the age of 67. His online museum of Top 40-era radio airchecks -- at which dozens of us who contributed were given "collections" -- was award-winning and ahead of its time. Due to illness and concerns over the pirating of these recordings, Ricky closed down Reelradio earlier in 2018 after 22+ years. Rest in peace, Uncle Ricky. |
Debunking the Myths about Radio DJs
By Kevin Ross -
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(June 7, 2018) RFFocus editor Kevin Ross was a radio dj for many years working in many markets including monumental stations like KKBT in Los Angeles. There are some very interesting myths about radio djs that the pubic just assumes. Well, Kevin is here to tell you the truth about MOST DJs. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule but this profile fits MOST radio djs. Read his column here. |
There Was a Time When The Doctor Was In
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(June 7, 2018) Psychology and
therapy driven programming is largely gone from LARadio. But there was a
time when we had some pretty big names – Toni Grant, Dr.
Laura Schlessinger (now on SiriusXM) and David Viscott –
who dispensed a quick diagnoses and prescription for change in usually
five minutes or less. In the 1990s, Marnell Jameson was on assignment for a radio industry magazine to interview Viscott. She thought maybe he would give her 45 minutes, instead the interview ended up being four hours. She only took one 90-minute cassette to record the interview, so Viscott ended up providing additional tapes until he finished talking. The interview took place in his Hancock Park home. It’s been a decade since she reminisced about David on that chilly fall afternoon for the LA Times. “Forget my prepared questions – I just let Viscott talk and rant through a riveting free association that resulted in a more complete portrait of the man than I could have ever achieved through questioning,” Jameson wrote. At his height, Viscott appeared to be everywhere, from his daily KABC radio show to a midday television program on KNBC/tv. He offered the “quick hit” Viscott method to patients via therapists he personally trained, based on four two-hour sessions at $1500 per session. He travelled around the U.S. leading seminars, teaching others to find their “inner gift.” Viscott also wrote more than a dozen books, including two autobiographies, and even had a greeting card line. |
| Eventually both the tv and radio shows were
cancelled, cutting off the source of new clientele. The Viscott Center
in Beverly Hills was relocated before the clinic and all of his
satellite facilities were closed down while his seminars were downsized.
In 1993, Viscott declared bankruptcy with more than $1 million in debt, leading to the loss of his Hancock Park home. Viscott tried to re-emerge on the radio, returning to an early evening program on KABC frequently pre-empted by Dodger baseball broadcasts. The psychiatrist was then heard on KIEV, sponsored by the Pain Relief Network. Viscott had to find his own advertisers to try to stay on the air when the Pain Relief Network backed out of their deal. In 1995, Viscott was hired for the 9 p.m. to midnight shift at KMPC, a station which had recently switched to an all-talk format. After initial hopes of syndication, the show was cancelled as both Viscott and the station suffered low ratings. His last regular radio gig was once-a-week appearances on KIIS/fm with Rick Dees. When David died in 1996, he died alone at his Studio City home of an apparent heart attack. He had been separated from his wife, Katherine, whom he’d been with for nearly 20 years. A cleaning crew found him deceased in his bed. David’s publicist, Bonnie Fleming, wasn’t surprised he was alone in the end. “David had his own source of problems,” said Fleming. “I wish he could have taken more of his own advice and gotten help when he needed it.” Viscott had lofty goals. “I’m still earning my wings,” he would say to friends. “I’m here to help solve the great problems of Earth: Better distribute justice and food, create a unified government, make it safe from nuclear weapons, clean up disease, fix the ecology, and here I am doing my best. Most of all I want to do what I came here to do, to make people feel stronger in their lives so that everyone’s life can be the source of strength and nurturing, and gradually the world becomes better. Then I can die in peace.” He referred to death often. Viscott had a bad heart. Twice, he said, his heart stopped and he was taken for dead. The heart problems stemmed from a condition he was born with called situs inversus totalis, “in which all the organs of the body are on the wrong sides.” I only met David Viscott once. It was at one of his gatherings in Orange County. Waiting outside with hundreds of others, once the doors opened, the crowd, mostly women, stormed inside to get a seat upfront with the hopes of sharing a personal problem and having David fix that problem. The sense of excitement outside and inside the auditorium was not unlike waiting for a rock star to appear. David had certainly been given a gift, and the LARP community is better for his taking part. His publicist friend feels the cause of David’s death, ironically, was due to a broken heart. (Alan Oda contributed to this story) |
Good Time for Steve Mitchell
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(June 6, 2018) In the early
1970s, we were a bunch of ragamuffins who had a dream of creating a
unique radio station. One of those at the launch of KIQQ (K-100) was Good
Time Steve Mitchell, who was teamed up with pd Rich
Brother Robbin, Mike Butts, Jim Maddox, Roger
Christian, Gene West, and Craig
"Hurricane" Hines. Good news for Good Time Steve. He’s being
inducted into the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame later this year. In 1974, Steve became program director at 96 Rock (WKLS), Atlanta. While at 96 Rock, Steve became part of the station’s “Wakeup Crew” team during morning drive. Next, mornings at KSHE-St. Louis followed. In 2005, Mitchell opened INGO Studios producing everything from commercials to documentaries. He also hosts Thunder Road, a nationally syndicated country radio NASCAR-themed program airing on over 100 stations weekly. In other news, didja know that the late Jan Berry’s (half of Jan & Dean) father worked for Howard Hughes? He was a project manager of the "Spruce Goose" and flew on its only flight with Hughes … Congratulations to Mary Beth Garber on being appointed to the California Private Security Disciplinary Review Committee by Governor Brown. “I am so excited,” said Mary Beth. “We meet monthly to review decisions handed down by the Bureau that oversees everything to do with security services. People or companies whose licenses have been revoked can appeal to us to re-evaluate their situations … Think there is any chance that I can find out my life trajectory if I go back to age 14 and find the #1 song? … KOST producer Roger Rodriguez is moving down the iHeart hallway to be the local producer for the MY/fm (KBIG) evening show, ‘On With Mario Lopez.’ … Salem’s Larry Elder, nights at 870/KRLA, is guesting with Michael Harrison on his local podcast, “The Michael Harrison Interview.” Links and more info at TALKERS.com … LA Times reviewed last week’s KIIS Wango Tango: “Saturday’s five-hour program was about as exciting as a marketing meeting, with competent but unremarkable performances.” … Vin Scully remembered the spectacular catch by Dwight Clark (he died this week of ALS) of the SF 49ers in the playoffs leading to the Super Bowl. It was Vin's last NFL broadcast. “After the catch, I was on the plane going home. I thought it can’t get much better than that. That’d be a great game to walk off on. By the time the plane landed I had quit football. That was it. I had done it.” |
Lyon Queen
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(June 5, 2018) Mary Lyon had quite the LARadio career, making stops at KFWB, KNAC, KLOS, KHJ, KRTH, and KLSX. She grew up in West Los Angeles, attending Marymount High School before graduating from UC Irvine. At KHJ, she was the first woman news director. She has made a major move and we knew you would like to come along for the ride. Mary tells her story: |
| Bruce (my husband of now 42 years) and I have made a major move as we embrace the passage of time and our status as empty-nesters, and our shared desire to "dial it back" a little. We’ve formally said goodbye to Southern California and moved north, trading L.A. for L.O. – beautiful Lake Oswego, Oregon! Escrow closed yesterday on the sale of our way-too-big-for-just-the-two-of-us house in Brentwood. We’re Oregonians now. Most important, we’re a lot closer to our married daughter in Idaho, especially for whenever she and our son-in-law decide to start a family of their own. Our son remains in L.A., studying to advance and expand his career in music and finish his college degree, but he stays in close touch. It’s quite a transition, lemme tellya! |
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(Mary Lyon w/ Elton John, Tom Cruise, BeeGees, Arnold Schwarzenneger, and Jane Fonda)
| We have seasons! We moved in January so we got a
taste of snow – which was rather mind-bending! Spring is here, and the
whole area is in bloom! We frequently have different kinds of snow
flurries now – hundreds of thousands of little petals from all the
ornamental cherry trees up here, blown about and swirling through the
air when the wind kicks up. And driving through various parts of town
remind me of the Wilshire Corridor, except that instead of tall,
concrete-and-glass high-rises, it’s tall stately TREES! I’m only just starting to discover the radio scene up here, the political issues up here, and the lay of the land in general. It’s so green and gorgeous up here, mellow as can be, well-hydrated (because of all the rain), and a gentle vibe that permeates everything. The lake, the towering trees, the forests and rivers, gentle people in good moods, everywhere and friendly neighbors stopping by to chat while out walking their dogs. This must be where old hippies go to retire! I do miss L.A. But I think I miss what L.A. WAS while I was growing up. When it wasn’t quite so crowded and congested, rush hour was really a mere hour long, and there still was a something of a rainy season we could plan on. Or maybe it felt that way because I was a kid. Radio was a big part of that. I still remember being stretched out on my towel at the neighbor’s pool, with my transistor radio blaring KHJ, KFWB, and KRLA, with all the Boss Jocks and the explosion of the Beatles and the “British Invasion,” how long it took for J. Paul Huddleston to intone his name at the end of his newscast (held onto that “JAAAAAAAAAAAAY Paaaauuuul” part for what seemed like an entire daypart just by itself!), the “KFWBeatles or KFWBeach Boys? Call in and vote!” (Beatles won, btw) and so much more. Never did I dream that I’d eventually be one of those voices on two of those stations. I was also across the hall from the third, when KRLA was in the same large suite of offices as its then-FM complement, KLSX, doing the morning news for Phil Hendrie. Never did I expect I’d actually wind up working with that Charlie Tuna guy I listened to religiously. |
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(Mary Lyon w/Ringo Starr, Harrison Ford, Dan Akroyd, and Tina Turner)
| Never did I dream I’d be one of the first
woman’s voices on any of those! Indeed, in a couple of cases, I WAS the
first female voice providing morning news updates for an astonishing
lineup of famed and brilliant morning men. Never dreamed I’d become even
a minor sort of broadcast “pioneer.” I met and became friends with some
of the most talented and towering figures in local, and later network
broadcasting. The L.A. radio scene was very, very good to me. One of the biggest things I’ve learned about all this has come with the unpacking of all those boxes of our stuff and our decades of memories. Some of these things I fished out of storage were mementos and framed photos, awards and testimonials, much of which I’d long ago forgotten. It helped remind me about tons of things, people, events, breaking stories, and other happenings. I kept thinking about that valuable advice I received years ago: If you're ever feeling down about things in your life or the passing of years, stop for a moment, and put your resume together. Doing that will compel you to revisit some of your finest accomplishments that will make you feel proud and help renew your spirit. It’s even more powerful when you pull out those old photos and press clippings and actually hang ’em up on the wall. It’s incredibly reaffirming! I won’t be a complete stranger, though. Our son’s still there, for one thing, and for another, I refuse to miss the 50-year and 60-year reunions of KUCI, in Irvine, the 10-watt FM station at U.C.I., to which I owe my career, and where most of my decades-long record collection now resides. They’ll find some real gems in there, including some LPs with “KABC-FM” stamped on them, from when the KLOS music department was cleaning out its library and leaving huge stacks of old albums in the hallway for those of us interested employees to take home if we wanted them. Geographic changes notwithstanding, I’ll never really leave all of that completely behind. |
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(Mary Lyon on her Lake Oswego patio, Mary with Dean Goss, Donna Summer, and her press passes over the years)
| And thanks to you, Don, and your LARadio.com, I will happily be able to stay connected. Much love to you all! -- Mary Lyon |
Hall of Fame Voting Begins Today
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(June 4, 2018) Voting for the
Radio Hall of Fame begins today. For the next two weeks, you can
participate in the vote via RadioVote.com or by texting. You’ll find
some LARP among those nominated for this year’s honors. Here’s how you can vote via texting. Send your message to 96000, then submit your selection from the following: For Ellen K, text 100. For Kid Kelly, 200. For Angie Martinez, 300. And for John Tesh, 400. For Mark Levin, text 500. For Joe Madison, 600. For George Noory, 700. And for Jim Rome, 800. Voting ends June 18. In other news: Artie Lange, longtime part of the Howard Stern show, has avoided a prison term for possessing heroin. He is to serve four years of probation and complete an outpatient drug treatment program. He wrote on Twitter: “The judge was very fair! But 4 yrs probation is a long time. I am gonna try my best. If I end up in jail for yrs, (add comma) let my life be a lesson to you kids battling heroin. I had everything! And more. I traded it for powder. Don’t make that mistake. Ur better than that. & I love u!” … Mike Novak, formerly a dj at KIQQ, steps down as ceo of Educational Media Foundation. EFM is part of the ministry that operates the K-LOVE and Air1 radio networks. They recently bought KSWD/fm (former home of 100.3/The Sound) … Shotgun Tom Kelly announced at the Burbank radio reunion that he is joining the Oldies channel “60s on 6” at SiriusXM … Actress Gwyneth Paltrow was on with Howard Stern. She recounted the time in 1995 that her then-boyfriend, Brad Pitt, confronted Harvey Weinstein. Said Pitt: “If you ever make her feel uncomfortable again, I’ll kill you.” |
Nostalgia Sunday -17 Years Ago Today
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“Mega” Perfect Fit for George Lopez (June 3, 2001)
“I remember telling my wife, if there were any way to bump off Danny
Romero, like taking him to Vitello’s for dinner, ‘Mega’ would be the
best gig I could ever want,” KCMG’s morning man George
Lopez said recently. Interviewed at a Memorial holiday remote at Michael’s
Furniture Store last weekend, George talked about how he was hired at Mega, his
philosophy about the morning show, his competition and his special relationship
with sales. Over the years George would go on
morning radio to promote his club dates. One morning he was on the Rick Dees
Show at KIIS. “Roy Laughlin, the gm, heard me. He said Rick has two
laughs – the one you use on the radio and the real laugh that says, ‘Wow,
this guy’s funny laugh.’ He heard that coming out of the speakers,”
recalled George. “Roy met me in the hallway and tried to put me on some other
stations, but when Clear Channel bought ‘Mega,’ two days later he called and
asked, ‘What would it take to get you off the road to do radio in L.A.?’ So
we inflated the number and he met us at the price we wanted.” George talked about starting the Mega morning show at 22nd in the ratings. “Now we’re 15. We’re the underdog. I’d like to crack the Top 10 and I think we’re going in the right direction.”
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Email Saturday, 6.2.18
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** Last DJ Standing “I’m pleased to see ongoing interest in KFWB’s Seven Swingin’ Gents. As the last of ‘em, interesting to note my Amazon book, Last of the Seven Swingin’ Gentlemen has been translated in German and we are having Europe sales. Guess some Field Frolickers moved East. Happily still at it in my ninth decade and celebrating a new May born granddaughter. Always pleased to share the latest with LARadio readers. Happy Summer Time!” – Elliot Field ** Alexandra’s Marriage “Congratulations on the marriage of your daughter, Alexandra. She is truly beautiful and from what you have written about her, it is apparent that she has a great mind and is self-sufficient and industrious. I know how much you love her and are happy for her. My good wishes to you and your family. You are a wonderful father and person.” – Bob Fox ** Oldies 300 “Love the look back at the Memorial Day 300’s from KRTH through the years. Somehow, I don't think most of those songs would be on this year’s countdown! I was reminded of a contretemps some years ago between you and Heidi of Heidi, Frosty and Frank this morning. Since they came to KLOS, they have been funny without [mostly] going over the line. However, they were in very poor taste today and I had to change the station. Anyone who can turn a heartwarming story about the dad who took his late son's prom date to the prom into something dirty, doesn't deserve my listening to them. Sad thing is they have ripped off so many bits from The Woody Show, which sometimes is off putting, and made them funny, that this was one they should have skipped.” – Julie Byers |
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** Devastated at Russ Regan’s News “I was devastated when I learned of Russ Regan’s passing. Our friendship dated back to the glory years of KFWB, ‘Color Radio,’ Channel 98. Russ was a record promotion man during that period, and among the very best. What a pleasure it was to get ‘off the air’ at 9 a.m. and have him waiting [usually with record librarian Don Anti at his side] to hand me a 45 copy of the ‘Next #1 hit in the country!’ [He was correct with this prediction more times than not.] Russ had an ‘ear’ for what was ‘commercial,’ i.e. ‘a hit or a miss.’ His talents led him to become ceo of one of the top independent labels in the business. It was Russ who introduced us to such mega-stars as Barry White, Elton John and Neil Diamond, among others. It’s a cliche to say this – but with this gentle man, the cliche has merit. There was only ONE Russ Regan. And God knows he will be missed. May he rest in peace.” – Wink Martindale |
| ** On the Highway with Mark Denis
“Just the other day, I stumbled upon an old episode of Highway to Heaven, circa 1984. During one scene filmed at an airport, I heard a familiar voice, then saw that familiar face. It was the legendary Mark Denis. I had to grab a screen capture and send to you. Like so many, Mark was a wonderful friend and mentor to me in my early days in radio. He is greatly missed. It was sure nice to receive this 'surprise' visit from him from a bit part on an old tv show!” – Jim Governale |
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** Camarillo State Hospital Notoriety
“Congratulations on your son's graduating from college, as well as you daughter's wedding. On Camarillo State Hospital, both Charlie Parker, and Billie Holiday, spent some time there back in the day. And on another thought, I'm attaching a picture of my youngest granddaughter, Scarlett. It's so wonderful, getting to experience holding your grandchild, surrounded by family. This picture was taken at my wife's sister's memorial service this past Saturday at Adele's parent's home in Fresno. We started at noon, and I finally went home to bed, a little after 11, stone cold sober. Like the promises say, ‘we will know a new happiness and a new freedom’ ... yadda-yadda.” – Joe Collins |
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a·pos·tro·phe1
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** Apostrophe’s “Love that Randy West finally called us [radio people] on the butchering of the English language. A few weeks back I heard an LA news anchor [not on KNX] refer to ‘Bing-HAM-ton,’ a city in New York. Maybe not difficult to mispronounce if you've never been there-or exposed to McHale's Navy. Several days later the same news anchor used a story about two military ships bumping into each other and she referred to the ‘Collusion’ of the vessels. Here in SD we're currently running a commercial about where to put your car when you're flying out of the airport. According to the spot it's a convenient ‘Parkeen’ lot. Parking without the ‘G.’ Early on, those of us in the eastern part of the country learned that ‘W’ was double -yew. I guess since radio and tv stations west of the Mississippi start with a ‘K,’ the use of the term ‘Dubba-Yew’ will live forever. Thanks for your fun, compelling content. If you were a radio station you'd be #1. And congrats on becoming an ‘In-Law’.” – Dave Mason, Sunny 98.1, KXSN-San Diego. |
Jimmy Kimmel in People
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| Family Fun Los Angeles, May 20 Jimmy Kimmel stepped out for the Hammer Museum's annual benefit K.A.M.P. (Kids' Art Museum Project) with wife Molly, son Billy, 13 months, and 3-year-old daughter Jane - People Magazine, June 4, 2018 |
San Diego Sports Voice Diagnosed with Cancer
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(June 1, 2018) Ted Leitner, the
voice of San Diego sports for almost four decades, announced that he has
cancer. The malignant tumor is in a kidney, which he will have removed.
Ted has never been out of the Padres booth for more than a series and never missed a road trip since he began calling Padres games in 1980, according to an in-depth story by Kevin Acee in the San Diego Union Tribune (and thanks for the photo). “I’m so thankful that it isn’t my kids, so thankful it hasn’t spread where it’s chemotherapy and all the stuff, which it’s not, and it’s not ‘You’re going to miss the entire rest of the season,’” Leitner said. “… The fact they haven’t found anything else and I’m not 40 years old at the peak of my career — I’m 70 — I’m really thankful as hell.” Leitner has been the radio voice of the Clippers, Chargers, Padres and San Diego State football and basketball. He hosted a radio show for many years and he was for 25 years the sports anchor on KFMB/tv. |
| Hear
Ache. Didja know that Lisa Osborn’s sister, Gina,
is an FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Cyber and Computer
Forensics? She works at the crime lab in Orange. Her status on leaving
the FBI to focus on script writing prompted a story in the OC
Register … With the story earlier this week that people are not
going to put up with six minutes of commercials, a number of you wrote
that it is not uncommon to hear eight minutes, and even one station that
regularly airs 10 minutes in a commercial cluster … Thanks for all the
nice notes about my daughter’s wedding. Very touching. PPM Re-Issue. Tom Taylor, in his tasty radio newsletter Now, did a wonderful job in analyzing Nielsen’s re-issued L.A. PPMs for March. He said the big losers – with meters from four households surgically removed from the original sample – were KLAX, which had a 30% drop and KXOS dropped 13%. Nielsen hasn’t revealed its reasons for pulling those four households, then reissuing its PPMs back to last October. With the sample re-done, there were also gainers in the book. In fact, they were all up one-tenth of a share. The top six stations all slightly increased (KOST from 5.9 to 6.0, KBIG from 5.7 to 5.8, and so on through KRTH, KIIS, “Wave” KTWV and KFI). We’ve never seen a reissue that re-writes this much history. Something else about the re-issue – many demo cells, for men and women across the board from 6+ to 65+ – were impacted. The members of those four households must have ranged from kids through grandparents. |
Two Lady LARPs of Grace
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(May 31, 2018) The Alliance for
Women in Media Foundation (AWMF) handed out their 43rd Annual Gracie
Awards at the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles. Host Lisa Joyner led the evening, which included the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Rita Moreno, the award presented by Norman Lear. The evening also featured a special performance by Grammy-nominated Country Kelsea Ballerini. Two LARPs were honored: Shirley Strawberry, (co host of the The Steve Harvey Morning Show, heard locally on KJLH) and Whitney Allen (The Big Time with Whitney Allen). |
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Grammar Police. Randy West took note of the Entercom offer of employment: “They expect a lot of writing skills for a company that hasn’t figured out the proper use of apostrophes.” Part of yesterday’s posting: Entercom’s all-News KNX is looking for a fearless, aggressive, energetic, enthusiastic, and creative team player. Must have a strong rolodex, good news judgment and the ability to write quick, clear, compelling and concise scripts without the usual cliche's or news speak. Maybe they should also define news speak? |
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Robert Feder, all-knowing about Chicago media,
is reporting Dick Biondi, a giant in Chicago radio (and
briefly at Top 40 KRLA), is out at WLS. “When Dick Biondi turned 85 last September 13, WLS honored the legendary radio personality with a daylong celebration that included an outpouring of on-air salutes and social media messages along with a ‘Happy Birthday, Dick Biondi’ web page,” writes Feder. “No one knew it at the time, but those tributes turned out to be Biondi’s farewell from the Cumulus Media classic hits station. The move signals the end of an era in Chicago radio — and an association between Biondi and WLS that dates back six decades. At night on Top 40 powerhouse WLS 890-AM from 1960 to 1963, ‘The Wild I-Tralian’ commanded a 60 percent share of all listeners, attracting millions of adoring teens in 38 states and Canada. After numerous stops along the way, he was reunited with the iconic call letters at WLS 94.7-FM in 2006. Regarded by some as the greatest disc jockey of all time, Biondi is enshrined in the National Radio Hall of Fame, the radio exhibit of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Illinois Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.” |
"Six-Minute Ad Load is Death"
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(May 30, 2018) With the tv upfronts just completed, the subject of
commercial clutter once again surfaced. Some of the observations may
help explain the loss of revenue in the radio sector. “Stuffing
seemingly interminable commercial blocks into programming is a losing
battle,” acknowledged NBC chair Bob Greenblatt. “People are running away
from advertising in droves.”
So far, ad buyers seem willing to pay a premium for a less cluttered environment. One observer noted: “The six-minute ad load is death. Nobody is sitting through that.” Two of our largest LARadio groups are in bankruptcy reorganization, struggling to secure every dollar possible. At some stage, iHeart, Cumulus, Entercom and the others will have to address this revenue issue. It is not acceptable to always respond with the statistic that 93% listen to radio each week. You have to keep them engaged, then present the most compelling ad message possible to get the listener through the door to purchase the product. Wanted. Here’s a recent job posting: Entercom’s all-News KNX is looking for a fearless, aggressive, energetic, enthusiastic, and creative team player. The right candidate is a real show producer and not just a guest booker. Must have a strong rolodex, good news judgment and the ability to write quick, clear, compelling and concise scripts without the usual cliche's or news speak. Must work and play well in a fast, high-pressure all-news environment. Intimate knowledge of socializing content in all platforms is a MUST. Prior major-market producing and news writing experience required. Strong multi-tasking and computer skills required. Familiarity with Southern California including politics, pop culture, lifestyle, etc. preferred. Must be available to work all hours, overnights, and weekends. Required to join the Writers Guild of America. More info here. This week, Dusty Street marks the 50th anniversary of KSAN in San Francisco. “It started several years earlier at KMPX when Tom Donahue had a vision for what radio could be and for a while it was ... all across the country,” wrote Dusty on her Facebook page. “I am sad, but happy Tom never had to see what was made of his beautiful dream. We had many great years as did the people who listened to us. I still get emails from old KSAN fans and it warms my heart. Happy 50th to all who loved KSAN Jive 95.” In other news: Congrats to Donna and Alan Oda on their 19th wedding anniversary! ... Vince Daniels joins news/talk KMET 1490 AM/Hemet/Banning/Beaumont for the 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. shift. “Speaking of KMET, I'll have a segment twice per show at 9:35 and 10:35 called ‘KMET Remembers KMET’ where I'll feature a portion of a Classic Rock song that the old rocker would have played in their heyday,” wrote Daniels.
My daughter, Alexandra, and Simon Poulton were married over the weekend at a ranch near Temecula. It was a beautiful afternoon. Pictures tell the story. We danced to the Beach Boys. I was a mess all weekend. Cried all the way down the aisle. |
Archives 2nd Quarter 2018: Michael Benner's new book; Brian Beirne in concert; KNX celebrates 50 years; Uncle Joe to Townsquare; Amp says Yes to Yesi; Click and Clack to automotive Hall of Fame; When is an Oldie Not an Oldie? Passing Parade - Mark Morris, Bill Watson, Dex Allen, Dick Orkin, Don Bustany, Mark Morris, Roger Collins, Art Bell, Mike Walker, Frank Bresee, John Mack Flanagan; 3 LA stations in revenue Top 10; NAB nominations and voting; Kimmel in People; Ted Leitner diagnosed with cancer; PPM re-issue issue; Lady LARPs of Grace; Dick Biondi out of WLS after six decades; 6-minute commercial load too much; Purely Personal with son's graduation and daughter's marriage; Len Chandler songs for Credibility Gap; Alfonzo Ortiz @KNX; THR award to Harvey; Stern cut and he's not happy; 2 LARPs on Time list of 2018 Most Influential; Ladd is back and Tribe thrilled; Larry Gifford diagnosed with Parkinson's; Is Savage being set-up; Walker needed for pd; Good Time Steve Mitchell to Georgia HOF; LARPs nominated for HOF
About the Publisher of LARadio.com, Don Barrett
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As publisher of LARadio.com, Don Barrett chronicles radio news and lists 6,000 people in Los Angeles who work or have worked in radio in the past 60+ years. Barrett is a historian of contemporary Los Angeles radio history and author of Los Angeles Radio People, published in 1994. He published a second volume of the book a year later, along with the launch of a daily website column. In 2013, he started as the radio columnist for the Orange County Register. Barrett's Southern California roots (Santa Monica) include a bachelor's degree from Chapman University. He also earned a master's in psychology. He spent 10 years in radio working as a disc jockey, program director and general manager (W4-Detroit and WDRQ-Detroit). He launched KIQQ (K-100) Los Angeles in the early 1970s. In the mid-1970s Don joined the motion picture business, working as a marketing executive at Columbia, Universal, and MGM/UA. Barrett was part of the marketing team that released E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Back to the Future, Thelma and Louise, Rocky and James Bond movies. He also represented a number of films at the Cannes Film Festival. He was the first recipient of TALKERS Magazine's Lifetime Achievement Award. Don has been honored with an honorary Golden Mike and Special Recognition from the Society of Professional Journalists. |
