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(July 8, 2020)
Back-to-back 1st place finishes for Classic Hits
KRTH (K-EARTH) in the just release June '20 Monthly
PPM Nielsen survey measuring 6+ Mon-Sun, 6a-12Mid.
Three stations had notable jumps from the May '20
survey: KNX up a full point, KOST was up almost a
full point and Alternative KYSR went from a 2.4 -
3.1. Here are the Top 40: 1. KRTH (Classic Hits) 5.6 - 5.7 2. KOST (AC) 4.2 - 5.2 3. KBIG (Hot AC) 4.5 - 4.9 4. KFI (Talk) 4.6 - 4.4 5. KTWV (Rhythmic AC) 4.3 - 4.1 6. KNX (News) 2.9 - 3.9 7. KIIS (Top 40/M) 3.3 - 3.7 8. KLAX (Regional Mexican) 3.4 - 3.6 KLOS (Classic Rock) 3.9 - 3.6 10. KLVE (Spanish Contemporary) 3.3 - 3.3 |
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(July 7, 2020) Michael Sheehy was
part of the success of the Mellow Sound at KNX/fm in
the 70s and 80s. He’s been in Sacramento for many
years and manages a delightful website of
positive/fun music (Planetpootwaddle.com). Lately,
he’s had some medical challenges. In late June after
a failed angioplasty procedure, Michael had triple
bypass open heart surgery. “Having been a Type 1 Diabetic for the past 51 years, heart issues were never off the table, but I’d never imagined anything this extreme,” emailed Sheehy. The surgery was a success, he said he would be easy to find someone in worse condition. “No complaints here, so why start whining now.” |
| His diet may have helped prevent a
more serious situation. “My circumstances are all
helped by the fact that I haven’t eaten red meat in
over 44 years but have been hindered by the fact
that I smoked for 25 years despite quitting over 30
years ago. My heart is very strong, and my arteries
are now in good shape. However, the years of
diabetes and taking certain statins caused
calcifications within three of my main cardiac
arteries and left me a walking timebomb,” Michael
wrote. He praised the caregivers at Sutter General Hospital in Sacramento who went beyond the call of duty. “Their kindness and caring helped me walk through this experience. They made it a point to come in and poke and prod me every 4 hours, 24 hours a day for the entire week. I had a heart monitor central line, wound drains, chest tubes, IVs, and a few other assorted devices hooked up this retched body. My only complaint was they would constantly be infusing my IVs with morphine and stool softeners which made the thought of farting terrifying, for fear I may redecorate the room.” His wife Denise was unable to visit due to the Covid crisis and restrictions, which meant that not only was she not able to visit every day, she was not allowed to visit even once. “This was particularly stressful as we have not spent this much time apart in our 46 years together. She’s an absolute Godsend and is devoting all her time to babying me. I am truly blessed to have such a spectacular friend and partner in my life. I truly got lucky. Coughing hurts a bit and walking from one end of the house to the other causes near exhaustion that requires about 15 minutes to recover from. Other than that, I’m in no severe pain. It’s a relief and a blessing to be home with my family which includes our dog and two cats.” Michael described Pootwaddle Radio. “I no longer chase money, I chase happiness and as our old friend Dale Evans told Denise and me, ‘If you want to be happy, make other people happy.’ Hear Ache. Consultant George Johns says the real purpose of billboards is to piss off the other radio stations in town and guarantee that the sales force doesn’t have to hear, ‘never heard of ya.’ … KFI producer Michelle Kube received test results of second mass removed in surgery. “Not cancer...so yay!” wrote Michele on Facebook. “Now just finishing recovery with some leftover soreness, a rainbow boob bruise and the whites of my eyes are returning to white from red after post-surgery puking ... Ira David Sternberg, former KOSTer who is tracking the recovery scene in Las Vegas observed: “There’s one convention definitely scheduled - the National Risk-Takers Association,” he wrote in his tasty website …. NPR regains the #1 podcast slot, followed by iHeartRadio and the New York Times, according to Potrac … KIIS nighttimer JoJo Wright shared on social media that his father tested positive for COVID-19, but appears to be recovering … Bob Applegate, former KPPCer, got out of the house after three months. “I am dealing with severe COPD and have been at home," Applegate wrote on social media. “My son came by and took me for a ride to Oceano and Monarch Golf Course. I wanted to get out of the car jump in a golf cart but that’s not happening for a while. It just felt good to get out.” … A love story from 51 years ago. “I knew from our first date this was the love of my life,” wrote Judy Chandler. Jim Chandler proposed that night. “I said no. We went out the next night he proposed again. I said YES!” |
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(July 6, 2020) How
often does a radio personality make a market move
and it gets entered into the Congressional Record?
Well, that’s what happened when Steve
Allison left WWDC-Washington DC to join
KABC in 1967. Steve’s daughter, Amy, wanted to
update her father’s entry in Where Are They Now. Steve worked at WPEN-Philadelphia before moving to DC. After a decade in Washington, ‘the Man Who Owned Midnight’ (as he was known) traveled west to be one of the early Talkers at 790AM. John Conyers entered into the House record on March 13, 1967: “I know that many of my colleagues had the opportunity to appear on Steve’s show. Congressmen were among his favorite guests.” Conyers had high praise for Allison: “The city is not the same without one of its major promoters. I wish Steve much luck in Los Angeles at station KABC. I would like to insert after my remarks several articles which describe Steve’s long career in Washington radio and as a personality in his own right.” Steve died in 1969, at age 53, of lung cancer. |
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Kimmel Apology. Former KROQer Jimmy
Kimmel was the subject of five emails in
the Feedback section of yesterday’s LA Times.
When he and Adam Carolla hosted The
Man Show, Jimmy appeared in blackface
impersonating NBA star Karl Malone.
He apologized last week but how did he handle it? A
writer from Granada Hills wrote, “Comedy is about
talking ideas and turning them on their head, often
to powerful, truth-telling effect.”
A Yorba Linda writer wrote: “Bad taste is part of being a comedian.” Another slant on their show appeared from a writer in Pacific Palisades: “I’m glad Kimmel has apologized for the blackface segments on The Man Show. I will not hold my breath, however, for him to address the objectification of women that was a regular part of that show. Does ‘Girls on a Trampoline’ sound familiar?” Hear Ache. Former KABC Talker Jillian Barberie was upset Saturday night and posted on Facebook: “I’ve lived in the San Fernando Valley for 22 years and NEVER have I heard fireworks like this non-stop. I thought they were banned no? Fuck yu law breakers. I want to go to bed” … Ex KNACer Bryan Schock has been named operations manager for three LM stations in Charleston, South Carolina … Consultant Julian Breen had a great truism. “Regarding ‘format change’ rumors: If management tells you not to worry about it – WORRY!” … Mr. Master, the company behind Automation Import Manager (AIM) and the industry’s leading provider of workflow optimization software, has extended its partnership with Cumulus Media to include all of its 424 local stations across 87 markets. |
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Douglas Brown sends another scan from his archive. "R&R going for a funny on their famous "The Back Page" Top 20 in October 1978 for their 5th anniversary. Some pretty clever madness. Irrational indeed! My faves are #10 and #20," emailed Douglas. |
Email Saturday - 7.4.2020
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** AT 40 at W4
“It was so great to read your story about Casey Kasem and the 50th anniversary of American Top 40. First of all because it’s Casey, and you also shared when you brought American Top 40 to W4 [WWWW] in Detroit. I was so thrilled to come work for you in the Motor City at W4. It was such a great station and to have Casey made it even better. Through my career I have had the pleasure of interviewing Casey four times on my show, but what was really special was when I came to Los Angeles to do my show live via satellite back to Texas. Casey was gracious enough to get up early and broadcast with me from the Universal Studios lot at six in the morning. I only wish my promotion person had taken more pictures. Casey was so nice and kind, I’ll always cherish it.” – Mike Butts |
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** Loved AT 40 Story “Wonderful story on Casey Kasem and American Top 40!” – Bob Sirkin ** Original Seven “Enjoyed the AT 40 50th Anniversary post today. KJR was also part of the original seven stations. Hope you are still coping with all the COVID 19 stuff OK. Have a Safe & Sane 4th. Don’t hear that one much anymore.” – World Famous Tom Murphy ** AT 40 Discrepancies “After years of asking many people, including Billboard staff and American Top 40 staff, I still have no idea how Casey Kasem, and others, came to use an end-of-the-year chart for 1966 that Billboard never published for its official statistics, despite the fact that the end-of-the-year chart that Billboard did publish, on p. 34 of the 24 December 1966 issue, bears no resemblance. For both charts, see here. A similar controversy concerns the end-of-the-year chart for 1963. If you get an answer from anyone, whether from the American Top 40 staff or otherwise, to resolve the discrepancy, please let me know. Also, among many other stations that air classic American Top 40, see, e.g., American Top 40 - the 70s and American Top 40 – the 80s under http://www.alannicklin.co.uk/ . And, if you would like to hear classic American Top 40 all the time, check out this site. Your thoughts?” – David Dana-Bashian |
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** Ocean of Memories
“Wow! Imagine my surprise as I spot the old 93 KHJ logo and say to myself ‘Look, it’s Ocean, Chucker, John Thomas, Rick, Mooch and holy crap that’s Me!’ Years later when I hit the voiceover job with Fox Sports Radio, it was because Mucho Morales told his son Chris that I taught Mooch how to bowl! Also note that Bobby Ocean wearing the ‘fake teeth’ was because our team name was ‘The Melrose Werewolves.’ I still have that shirt! Yours in retirement.” – Pat Evans (Terry Foster) |
| ** Poorman Airs on Lucky
98 “Just thought I’d give you a little background on KLUK [Lucky 98] adding Poorman. Based here in Bullhead City, it serves Kingman and Lake Havasu City as well. It ran Mark & Brian for years, but has had NO morning show since M&B went away. The station segues Classic Rock day and night except for afternoons when it’s live. This is a station Craig Powers programmed until rejoining Curb.” – Neil Young ** Glory Road “Thank you for the story about my new book, The Glory Road: A Gospel Gypsy Life. You were the first of our colleagues to publish and market your books, and since then it seems the publishing industry had reinvented itself several times. I’m glad self-publishing is available. I chose a University Press for this story because it covers a chunk of American religious and musical history and I wanted it to exist in libraries. Certain academic presses today publish both scholarly work and ‘to the trade’ and I’m fortunate to be somewhere in the middle. Who knows where the next one will land?” – Anita Garner ** Wayne Resnick’s Question “In response to Wayne Resnick: totally agree about all ZZ Top songs sounding the same! Add most of Jack Johnson’s tunes to that list, and just about every song on Christian radio [except here on KWAVE!] And anything in the Mariachi genre! I always thought it’d be funny if someone did a skit called ‘Name That Tune, Mariachi Style!’" – Brian Perez ** Repetition Repetition “You asked, ‘What band has the highest percentage of songs that sound the same?’ Destiny’s Child. Among their hits are Jumpin’ Jumpin,’ Bills Bills Bills and No No No. Not only do their songs all sound the same, even the titles are repetitious!” – Steven Thompson ** Here’s to You Mrs. Robinson “The Graduate: The author’s name [Charles Webb] was omitted. Was that intentional? I was surprised to learn that he lived in the UK. Highest percentage of songs that sound the same: Coldplay. But I still like them. Since the coronavirus lockdown, I’ve been home by myself for days at a time. I haven’t seen my friends or family in person, and I don’t have much contact with them, even the ones who use social media. So just for a living voice in the house, I’ve been listening to radio more than ever. Mostly AM, and now through websites since all the electronic gadgets in the house cause so much static. I particularly like Gary & Shannon on KFI – smart, funny, not panic-ridden. I need to hear Shannon say Jesus, Mary and Joseph at least once a day. Your column continues to be a daily read for me. My guy friends especially like your more rancid jokes. I know people appreciate all the work of it and I hope they tell you so.” – Janice Jacobson, Culver City ** Record Correction “Keep publishing, you are an inspiration to all that have ever had that creative A or F Modulation rush through their brains, either on-the-air or in support of attaining the elusive listener. Your style and integrity is needed now more than ever. As my hero, The Real Don Steele would say, ‘enough about you babeee, I’m writing to talk about me.’ About a month ago you posted a nice pic of ‘Rug-burns’ Liz Fulton [AM News] and Lon Thomas [AM Drive] taken at KIIS/fm just before the introduction of ‘Rick Dees in The Morning. If my memory isn’t failing me, at that time during one of my three stops at 102.7 KIIS/fm I was doing fill-in and weekends. Soon after the picture was taken Lon departed KIIS and I was plugged into mornings, [prior: AM Drive in Salinas-CA, Salt Lake City-UT, KMEN-San Bernardino and among other shifts, afternoons at KEZY-Anaheim and 9-noon at 93/KHJ]. My hope was that general manager Wally Clark would stick with me. Rick was playing the Home-Game because of a non-compete with KHJ. You see, in November of 1980 KHJ went Country in the middle of my friend, Bob Shannon’s show and Rick left KHJ. After a number of months Rick’s N-CC was exercised. Yep, Rick Dees replaced me mornings at 102.7 KIIS/fm. That may have been as late as May, ’81. I went back to weekends and remember Rick calling often during those shifts to ‘check in’ just to make sure I was [as a friend, casually] plugging his weekday morning show. This was aside from his produced promos running twice an hour. His greatness was beginning. I believe that’s for the record and keep up your great service Don.” – Dave Sebastian Williams ** Don Burden vs FCC “Do you remember how it was that the FCC ended up taking all of Don Burden’s radio stations away? He was caught, making illegal contributions to Senator Mark Hatfield of Oregon’s campaign. The FCC had been disturbed by Don’s operations for a while, this was the nail in the coffin.” – Joe Collins ** Sale of KABC “It will be interesting to see how much KABC sells for with WABC-New York getting $12.5 million. Maybe Richard Wagoner will buy it, he loves AM radio.” – Bob Koontz |
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(July 3, 2020) Arguably the classiest syndicated show in radio
history, American Top 40 debuted 50 years ago this weekend. If the
show with Casey Kasem was before your time, you can listen to the
original countdown show each week on SiriusXM’s ‘70s On 7 Channel.
The very first show will air tomorrow at 3 a.m. and 9 a.m. On Sunday
you can countdown the original hits with Casey at 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.
I share a slice of history with AT 40. Fifty years ago, I was general manager at W4 (WWWW) in Detroit. The head of the production company Watermark, Tom Rounds called me and pitched the show. I jumped at the chance. I was familiar with Casey from San Francisco radio and 11-10/KRLA. W4 was one of the first seven stations to carry the countdown. Casey called the next morning to thank me. He grew up in Detroit and his parents were kind of unclear what their son was doing in California. “Now my parents will be able to listen every week on W4, thanks to you.” We started a lifelong friendship as Casey went on to super stardom. Pete Battistini is another fan of the countdown show. He shares with LARadio what happened behind the scenes. Thanks, Pete. |
This coming Saturday, July 4th, marks 50 years since the broadcast of the first program in 1970. What took place – the writing, recording, duplicating, shipping, and then broadcasting the first program – took dedication, professionalism and teamwork. And considering the first show’s incredible start-to-finish turnaround production time, this entire effort may have been nothing short of a miracle. During a 24-hour period beginning Tuesday afternoon (June 30, 1970) and ending Wednesday afternoon (July 1, 1970), the offices and studios of Watermark Inc., located at 931 N. La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles, were filled with anxiety and excitement, as a group of radio and music authorities were gathered, energized and focused on accepting the challenges of introducing a new, national radio program. In the year 2020, you may recognize the names of these individuals – Casey Kasem, Don Bustany, Tom Rounds, Ron Jacobs, Bill Hergonson, Earl Jive, Ben Marichal, David Freese, Stew Hillner and Tom Driscoll. But in 1970, most of us wouldn’t have known much about them, if anything. Taking a look back to the production of the first show, as documented in Rob Durkee’s book, American Top 40: The Countdown Of The Century, the staff recalled what it was like as they initially worked on what is now one of radio’s greatest success stories. According to producer/writer Don Bustany, “we got the chart in the afternoon and it took maybe four or five hours to get the script in shape.” Once recording was underway in the Watermark studio later that day, it became a very lengthy and tedious session to produce a three-hour countdown. According to record coordinator Earl Jive, “I remember that first show was 18 hours. The sun was up in the morning when we walked out of there.” In short, the studio portion of launching this new radio program began Tuesday evening and wrapped up Wednesday morning. So why would a 3-hour radio show take 18 hours to record? One reason was to give the utmost audio quality to a syndicated radio show, something that similar ventures were known to lack. Another reason was to achieve a desired sound, to give the impression that Casey Kasem was hosting a live radio program, and by playing one record after another. According to Rob’s book, “All the elements of AT40 were recorded at the same time – that is, in ‘real time.’ Everything – Casey’s voice tracks, the jingles, the theme music, and the records – was recorded at once. There was no editing of voice tracks or anything else.” And during this particular recording session, since the show was divided into six 25-minute, 'live radio show' segments, if Casey made a mistake during one of those segments, they stopped and started over. Casey further explained the concern. “The people producing the show didn’t want to cut the tape. They were afraid it’d break in high-speed duplication and we’d lose it. So I’d have to go for 20 minutes at a time without making a mistake.” Once one segment was completed, they moved on to the next one. In a nutshell, that's a description of how they recorded the show. However, while most AMERICAN TOP 40 fans may be aware of the countdown’s overnight recording session, most don’t realize that scarcely 60 hours transpired after board engineer Bill Hergonson turned off Casey Kasem’s microphone – and the newly formed staff wrapped up the countdown’s production for the first time – when AMERICAN TOP 40 debuted ON-THE-AIR in San Diego. Barely 60 hours later. And then, a day or two after that, in six other cities scattered all over the USA, from Boston to Honolulu. In order to meet this incredible delivery deadline, immediately following an 18-hour studio session, the next step in Watermark’s assembly line was program duplication. Once the first show’s recording was ‘in the can,’ making copies of the master for all seven of AT40’s affiliates took place. Each of 3 program hours were transferred to individual Scotch-brand, 10-inch reel-to-reel tapes. And with seven radio stations under contract, seven sets of three reels were produced, then boxed and labeled for shipment. And those boxes of AT40’s first show were sent that same day – Wednesday, July 1st – undoubtedly marked “urgent” and slated for delivery, no later than Friday, July 3rd, to all seven radio stations. And just in time for a weekend broadcast. To say it was a rushed process is an understatement. And even though hurried, they maintained the highest levels of industry quality. And believe it or not, this ‘breakneck speed’ set of production/duplication/shipping procedures went on every week until May 1971. In fact, in April 1971, there were approximately 100 affiliates airing the countdown every week. And that meant Watermark was responsible for duplicating and shipping 100 sets of 3 reel-to-reel tapes every week. Should I mention here that AT40’s affiliates were then required to return the reel-to-reel tapes every week? Indeed, they were. And, as operations manager, it was Stew Hillner’s responsibility to coordinate this entire process. So here it is, 50 years later -- to the exact day of that evening recording session -- on the occasion of a momentous anniversary. Now may be an appropriate time to tune in and enjoy AMERICAN TOP 40's first program. And it's also a fitting time to express gratitude to a handful of dedicated individuals -- Casey Kasem, Don Bustany, Tom Rounds, Ron Jacobs, Cap'n Billy Hergonson, Earl Jive, Ben Marichal, David Freese, Stew Hillner and Tom Driscoll -- as well as dozens of other members of the AT40 family. And here are a few of them: Nikki Wine, Alan Kaltman, Sandy Stert-Benjamin, Peter Skye, Paul Grein, Scott Paton, Matt Wilson, Johnny Biggs, Steve Buth, Brian Heimerl, Tom Kratochvil, Gary Landis, Ron Shapiro, Jeff Leonard, Janis Hahn, Lynn Meriwether, Allen Goldblatt, Darryl Morden, Nancy Conover, Dana Schwarzwalter, Ranais Jeanne Hill, Larry Nixon, Paul Liebeskind, Stu Jacobs, Anne Strohecker, Maura Sindell, Guy Aoki, Barbara Rounds, Robin Carr, Imad Jamal, Tom Sottrell, Shannon Lynn, Ken Martin, Rob Durkee, Shadoe Stevens, Scott Lakefield, Lorre Crimi, Merrill Shindler, Elizabeth Rollins, Jay Goldsworthy, Elaine Stieglitz, Paul Colbert, Tracy Pierson, Mike Williams, Michael Sullivan, David Cohen, John Musgraves, Bill Stroum, Toby James Petty, Bobbi Kaminski, Ray Hernandez, Michael Cooper, Sal Cocio, Kerri Kasem, Gonzalo Venecia, Michael Cross, Mike Savage, Khalilah Dawkins, Dade Nunez, Mike Kasem, Julie Kasem and Larry Morgan. |
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Author: With a transistor radio tuned to WLS and WCFL, Pete Battistini became a Top 40 radio fan during the summer of 1968, and began picking up their weekly singles surveys every week. “Soon after, I discovered Billboard magazine [thanks to ABC-TV's Music Scene] and Casey Kasem's American Top 40. My interest in AT40 continued throughout the 70s and 80s, resulting in the publication of two American Top 40 books. Although an outsider to AT40 and Watermark, its parent company, I continue today to be fascinated with the show's history and what brought it to worldwide popularity,” said Pete. (Photo: Pete meeting Casey at an industry conference in August 1981) |
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(July 2, 2020) I got into book
publishing quite by accident. Back in the early 90s I was wondering
where some of my early radio heroes at KFWB/Channel 98 rock ‘n roll
Color Radio had gone and what they were doing now. They played such
an important role in my sibling-less life as they became my brothers
and sisters as I cruised the streets of Santa Monica. Chuck Berry
was blaring from my ’54 Ford convertible radio or while on the beach
with my transistor radio down at State Beach, Muscle Beach or
Neeny’s Sorrento at the bottom of the incline. There was no Google, heck computers were barely navigable to me. I tracked down the Seven Swinging Gentleman, one by one. Some by phone. Some by snail mail. One lead seemed to lead to another on how to find them. Once finished, I turned to the 11-10/Men at KRLA. Now it was becoming fun. Some had gone on to a tv career like Bob Eubanks. Others not so fortunate. One I found living in a box on Vermont near Hollywood Blvd. I had been out of radio in LA for twenty years at that point. After being the first hire to put together KIQQ (K100/fm) for the Weyerhaeuser Lumber family, the station was sold to Drake/Chenault and I left radio and got into my second love – movies and became a marketing executive for Columbia, Universal, and MGM/UA for the next two decades. While mulling over the KFWB and KRLA lists of these pioneering djs, a radio buddy thought this would be a fascinating book. Yeah, right. Maybe for a handful of people. I decided to enlarge the landscape to include jocks from all formats and create a quick look at those on-air folks who have entertained us. Each time I talked with someone, I would get contact info on colleagues. Almost like a game of tag. |
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During this process, I had lunch with Anita
Garner, who worked afternoons at KBIG. We didn’t know each
other at this point but beyond research for my book, we
discovered we had much in common, including mothers struggling
with ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease. I found her background and history fascinating. I knew others would love discovering a unique world of a family following a preacher father and gospel-singing mother through the tent revival South. Well, Anita went on to write that story and after a decade-plus of rewriting for print and the stage, it is finished. “University of Alabama Press is moving forward with production of The Glory Road: A Gospel Gypsy Life scheduled for Spring 2021,” wrote a thrilled Anita, who now makes her home in Northern California. “This book still feels like a miracle, considering how many decades the story waited for me to finish writing it.” Anita never considered self-publication, Amazon or vanity press. Her efforts were good enough to attract a big-time publisher and against formidable odds, the finish line is in sight. “Book publishing is a long process. It’s complicated and sophisticated stuff and for me every stage is exciting. I plan to keep enjoying it. I can’t think of a different way to say ‘uncertain times', ‘unprecedented’ or ‘challenging’ so let’s just say everything about book tours, appearances and marketing in general continues to shift. The new approach may be a marathon rather than a sprint.” For all the Los Angeles Radio People who have written memoirs and then challenged with the daunting marketing challenge to sell the book in a world overloaded with messages, our hats are off to Anita. She has done it. She has beaten the odds in finding a publisher to do the heavy lifting. Anita’s enjoying the process, allowing someone else to steer the ship. She’s been through the editing system allowing a team of editors and proofreaders to dissect the book. That part of the process is finished. And now she just received the cover for her book and is she excited! Marketing is down the road. “Who knows how we’ll meet readers in 2021? Meanwhile, I’m going to keep enjoying this cover,” said Anita. |
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| Thanks to Douglas Brown for this capture of a February 1979 R&R page with a fun shot of some KHJ staff. |
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(July 1, 2020) A LARP is heading the
new 24/7 national and local all-News audio service from iHeartMedia.
The Black Information Network will be dedicated to providing an
“objective, accurate and trusted source of continual news coverage
with a Black voice and perspective,” according to a press release.
An LA iHeart station is not part of the launch but AM stations, translators and HD signals in Atlanta, Augusta, Charlotte, Cleveland, Columbus, GA, Detroit, Greenville, Macon, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, Norfolk (full-powered fm), Riverside, San Francisco and Seattle will be. The company seems to be focusing on different platforms to build brand awareness for the network overall and getting listeners to stream or listen to podcasts on the iHeartRadio app. Tony Coles has been tapped as president of the new network. He arrived in the Southland in 1996 to program Soft AC station, KXEZ, which he later switched to KIBB. Coles is currently the division president of the iHeartMedia Markets Group. “BIN: Black Information Network will fill a void by providing continual news and objective information with full focus on the Black community. We began developing our 24/7 Black news source last year, and events of the last few weeks, especially the senseless and tragic death of George Floyd, highlighted the need for this network. Now is the time for our voice to be heard, and I could not be more proud of our work and the team we are assembling at BIN,” said Coles. |
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The network will also be available on the
iHeartRadio app and some of BIN’s content will be distributed every
day as podcasts across iHeartRadio’s podcast network. In addition to traditional advertising, the company will provide sponsorship, similar to the way NPR stations will announce, "this segment brought to you by..." iHeart has lined up some impressive sponsors such as Bank of America, CVS Health, GEICO, Lowe’s, McDonald’s USA, Sony, 23andMe and Verizon. BIN will be a standalone business for iHeart. BIN will also provide the news service for iHeartMedia’s 91 Hip Hop, r&b and Gospel stations across the country, including Power 105.1-New York, Real 92.3 in Los Angeles, WDAS and Power 99 in Philadelphia, WGCI and WVAZ in Chicago, WJLB-Detroit, The Beat in Houston, The Beat in Miami, WQUE-New Orleans, KMEL-San Francisco and more. Hear Ache. Buster Bodine, ex-KPWR jock, noted that Into the Night’s Benny Mardones, died at age 73 from Parkinson's disease in Menifee, CA. RIP … Poorman’s Morning Rush is being added to the KLUK-Needles morning line-up … Local tv news got a little more naked as two longtime personalities create a familiarity hole. 43-year KCBS/2 veteran Dave Lopez is retiring while KNBC/4 weatherman Fritz Coleman ended his career last weekend … KCSN (88.5/fm) is throwing its support behind independent music, as they host a two-day, virtual music festival over the July Fourth weekend. … Saga Communications has added former KHTZ personality Steve Kamer as the new imaging voice for its 11 CBS-affiliated News-Talk stations. |
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(June 30, 2020) The radio highway is
littered with huge stars from a particular market, yet for one
reason or another they never translate that stardom to Los Angeles. Clark
Race was as big as they get in Pittsburgh at KDKA and also host
of a tv dance show at KDKA/tv. He came to 710/KMPC and really never
became one of the stars at the Station of the Stars. There are plenty of others, but this story is about Joe Light. He was the two timer at KIQQ (K-100) who might be the biggest jock in the history of Omaha. He was a legend in the 60s and 70s in his market. He worked at Don Burden’s KOIL on and off (mostly on) from about 1961 until about 1978. He was always getting into trouble with station management and getting fired, so he would take a job with a competitor. But he was so popular, KOIL would hire him back. Joe was to Omaha what Larry Lujack was to Chicago, or The Real Don Steele was to Los Angeles. “Well the first time Joe came to KIQQ in 1979 was when general manager Pat Shaughnessy brought him in to do mornings,” remembered Bruce Chandler who was on the air with Joe at K-100. “Pat was from Omaha so he obviously knew him from those days. The second one was when George Wilson teamed him up with comedian Jeff Thomas. It was Jeff & Joe in the morning. He never really caught on.” “Joe left Omaha in the late 1970s, never to be heard from again in these parts,” said an Omaha colleague. Born Charles Springer, he died March 28, 2013, four days before his 80th birthday. “After Omaha, we went to Council Bluffs, Iowa, then to Denver, Kansas City, Texas, Oregon, a few others, and then Hollywood,” said Joe’s son on a tribute site. “That was his goal. To one day make it to Hollywood as a dj and so he quit. When dad quit and went into radio advertisement, he did a couple more little radio shows a number of years later, one in San Diego and one in Sacramento but he really didn’t have his heart into it anymore. The style of DJing had changed so much and the place in Sacramento wouldn’t allow him to use the name Joe Light, he just moved on to other things. I would like to be able to tell you that he continued to do great things but in all honesty his heart never really got into anything else like it did the radio.” His sign-off was, "Light's Out everybody." |
| Side note. Radio owner Don Burden was enamored with the success of our Robert W. Morgan in the 60s and 70s, he cloned the character and created “Roger W. Morgan” for his stations. At one time he had a “Roger W. Morgan” at his stations in Portland, Omaha, and Indianapolis. There were two different “Roger W. Morgans” in Indianapolis. One actually changed his name legally to Roger W. Morgan. |
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(June 29, 2020) The author of The
Graduate has died at the age of 81. The book was a failure but
a Hollywood producer got the film rights and turned it into an
instant classic. It was the story of the Dustin Hoffman character
having an affair with Mrs. Robinson, the wife of his father’s
business partner. One could argue the success of the movie came from
the incessant radio play of the Simon & Garfunkel hit song.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. The author once said: “After college I got
interested in the wife of a good friend of my parents and realized
it might be better to write about it than to do it.” Hear Ache. Former KFWB news anchor Ken Jeffries is celebrating 37 years of marriage to Stephanie Yellin-Mednick. Happy news … David Schwartz found a list of radio truths collected by Julian Breen, former programing exec with WABC-New York ad KYA-San Francisco. Here’s an example: No matter what she says, the sexy-sounding girl on the request line who wants to do the wild thing with you is ugly and underage and if your General Manager likes the way the station is sounding, you're in trouble … Think Zoom was created for the coronavirus pandemic? Wink Martindale was Zooming in the 60s. “ZOOM was a local show and it was my first job as a game show host,” recalled Wink. “It was a simple concept: Zoom in close up on a person, place or thing. With every correct response by contestants, the camera slowly zooms out to show more of the subject until there was a winner … Bill Gardner, host of Rhapsody in Black on KPFK, is celebrating 50 years of marriage with Paulette. There must be a Sam Cooke song to play at the virtual party … Consultant George Johns asks rhetorically: “Have you ever heard of a radio market where the sales department led the station into battle?” … One LARP couldn’t see a woman’s face while shopping at Costco over the weekend because of the mask she was wearing, but he could see her tee-shirt that had “Guess” on it. He shrugged and said, “Implants?” She punched him … KFI’s Wayne Resnick posed an interesting question on social media over the weekend. “What band has the highest percentage of songs that sound the same?” Wayne is thinking ZZ Top ... Barry Funkhouser is producing a new podcast series on the history of Camarillo. Listen here. |
| ** Sweet Mentor “Two amazing men launched my radio career: Rick Scarry and Sweet Dick Whittington. I was just a teenager, stumbling through my first professional gig. Sweet Dick would spontaneously call me into the studio to read a spot live on the air and praise me for all to hear. I was terrified and thrilled. Looking back, one realizes that ‘sweet’ is the most apt word to describe this funny, gentle, generous human. Loved by many.” – Keri Tombazian ** Sweet Dick Was a Gift “Sweet Dick Whittington was a gift to all who heard him and despite word of his temper he was the kindest, most generous person you could ever imagine to those of us who shared his space on a daily basis. I had the pleasure of being part of his menagerie at both KFI and KGIL. Captain America, His Sweetness, Sweet Dick. To me he will always be Sonny [it's what his grandfather called him].” – Ed Ziel ** Open Email to Sweet Dick “Great photo with Don Barrett in LARP this morning. I bet you miss your time at KNJO more than ANYTHING, right? I miss you too, especially with all the craziness these days. Good to see you are well and happy.” – Harvey Kern ** Response from Sweet Dick "Thank you Harvey. I hope you are doing well, and taking care of yourself. I begged Barrett to substitute your name instead of mine in his column. He wouldn't budge. He hates you because you're taller than he is. Come to think of it - I hate you for the same reason. I guess the 'touchy, feely era' is gone forever, isn't it? There are some women whom I have touched that are glad it's over. But that's for another time. My best to you. You are a good man Harvey Kern." - Dick Whittington ** Sweet Lunch “So. Jealous. ;)” – Mike Nolan ** Amazing Man “Loved your article on having lunch with Sweet Dick. He's an amazing man. He was friends with my partner Guy Hackman at K-Jewel. He cut all our fantastic station promos. He's the best.” - Kyle Ronemus ** Keep the Legends Alive “Enjoyed your State of the Site and the insight you gave us on your life and career. Would love to see a page from ‘Don’s Scrapbook’ from time to time. You hear about us, now we need to hear more about you and your illustrious career! LARadio.com is MUCH appreciated by those who made radio in SoCal great. The names in your stories and the emails you receive are all from those people who inspired us to get into this business and want to work in one of THE greatest radio markets ever. PLEASE continue your work, at least for the short term. Life imposes change, but do know that we APPRECIATE YOU and all that you do to keep the Legend alive!” – Mike Wagner, KDES, KEZY, KIIS/fm, KBZT/KEZR, KRLA ** Appreciates Site “Loved your State of the Site, especially good picture of you and your grandson. Thank you for the reading tip, too. You are truly blessed. Thanks for everything.” – Phil Harvey ** Site Should Be Fun “All I want is for you to continue as you have — but only for as long as it’s fun! You’re having more of an influence than you know. When I was teaching radio at LBCC, I would often bring the site up in the classroom. Today’s kids live online, of course, and the stories and personalities featured in LARadio.com proved to them that the medium was important, that it mattered. It sure made my job easier.” – Ken Borgers ** Radio Has Been ’Belly-Belly Good to Me “I read your post about the State of the Site. You have suited up and showed up daily, for a long time. People touch base with you, on an almost daily basis. I look forward to your posts each day, and also understand that you are way past retirement age, and deserve to ‘have a life,’ if you choose. I would in no way begrudge you if you decided to move on and do something different with your life. You live in a beautiful setting, have a strong foundation in sobriety, and have passed on so much and touched so many, I understand how you are taking a look at your life. I did it every day for 56 years, until November 15, 2018 when I was able to call my shot, and name the day that I wanted to retire. I haven’t regretted it for a moment. My life is full. Whatever you choose, I’m grateful to have you for a valued friend and co-inhabitant of an industry that has been, ‘belly-belly good to me.’ Lots of love from Fresno.” – Joe Collins ** Mack Attack “I am so happy to see you’re able to get on with your grandparenting and child spoiling. I, like you, have many episodes of Bosch under my belt and am enjoying it thoroughly. A really fine production. Stay well my friend. Write LARP forever.” – Gary Mack ** Tom Clay Fan “I always like the Father’s Day post about your dad. I do hope you are around with LARP, for a while longer. I miss my dad and mom a lot, and as the years go by, I think of how blessed I have been. I think of my friend Tom Clay often. He was a great friend, mentor and got me involved with radio, at KRLA and KWIZ. His son Ron, and how he sounded like Tom, and died so young. I have lost track of his daughter Candace ‘Candy.’ I hope she is doing well. The last time we were all together, was at his rented condo at 7232 Penn Way, in Stanton. We were at KWIZ at Willow Wick golf course. Since we both knew Tom, you before me, I just wanted to share and let you know how much I have enjoyed reading Los Angeles Radio People, and keeping up with my friends. Nice pic of you and Matthew. I wish we could have met in person.” - Gary Lane ** Radio Will Never Be What is Once Was “After reading your very reflective-contemplative article about the future of LARadio.com I agree with several of your assessments. The main one is that commercial radio isn’t what it used to be. With consolidation and announcers doing voiceovers for a wide selection of radio stations, many are not even located in the market. And radio isn’t EVER GOING TO BE WHAT IT ONCE WAS. I can tell you put in a lot of work for your site. If you decided to say goodbye to this hard work I for one would wish you VERY WELL. Although you would be missed.” – Chuck Norton, Salt Lake City (retired – formerly from So.Cal) ** Grandparenting “So glad I logged in today. What a wonderful column! Isn’t being a grandparent the greatest invention of all time? We were able to give the kids a break and had our 2-1/2 year-old granddaughter overnight. It put a cherry on top of Father’s Day. Couldn’t help but notice the quote from Merrill Schindler. His sister is/was a NICU nurse at Sierra Vista. I look forward to our next cup of coffee.” – Ron Yukelson, San Luis Obispo ** LARPs in Yesteryear “Thanks for your State of the Site. A very fine look at life today, from a very fine and good man who writes about the glories and accomplishments of our blessed ‘yester-years.’" – Anthony Ochoa ** State of DB “Today’s column! Pictures! Great stories. Great thoughts from D.B. Love that you got that producer credit! Great column. I wouldn’t mind a bit if you want to keep weaving State of D.B. stories like this is. They’re fun. Perfect time for it, during pandemic.” – Anita Garner ** Sam Rubin Thoughts “I have been meaning to write you since you published your ‘State of the Site’ on June 22. I was particular struck by this sentence from you. ‘At some stage, LARadio will come to an end. It will have served its usefulness, so before someone pulls out a pistol and puts it out of its misery, I’ll get the message, pack up and go home.’ Doubtlessly my thoughts here are reflected and amplified by many others when I emphatically state in no uncertain terms – now is NOT the time to go home. I think we all realize that broadcast commercial radio is in especially dire straits. Ratings and revenue are a shadow of what they once were, the over reliance on automation and syndication has taken the ‘live’ and ‘local’ out of live local radio, and the late-model hybrid I drive everyday doesn’t even an AM band option for the radio. Meanwhile, podcasts flourish, and other audio options are doing really well too. It begs the question, what has gone so very wrong with local radio? I think the excuse is that audio technology has become better, and thus there are so many more options for audiences. The real answer is that local commercial radio has become so much worse. They’re literally chasing audiences away with ridiculous commercial spot loads, and incredibly shoddy treatment of the broadcasters, the live bodies that made live local radio so vital and so great to begin with. It occurs to me that maybe one key to the success for the future, lies in the past, and that is one reason why LARadio matters more than ever. Your site continues to serve as a source of both information and connection. Here is why it worked for this person, here is why it worked for this station, here is why it worked for this audience. Also, as you well know, LARadio is a huge source of community. Here is what all these people are doing now. Lastly, LARadio has become a forum of ideas. Can local radio rise from it’s backside? Is it really possible for a live and local station that is well programmed to succeed? I sure hope so, and maybe some of the answers will come from the digital pages of LARadio and it’s many loyal readers. I have LA Radio in my blood. I was 16 when I started as a request operator at 93 KHJ, and I was in the room when Chuck Martin hired Rick Dees from Memphis for a then unheard of $100,000 salary. I have loved and listened to LA Radio ever since, and I am heartbroken at the state of some stations and the idea that somehow smart management is better than smart on-air personalities. I don’t think that has ever been the case. The audience is always right, and right now, their ears are mostly elsewhere. How do we lure them back? Again, maybe some of the answers will be found in the digital pages of LARadio. Lastly, it is really rare that someone can be of service. Your site is exactly that. You provide a service that no one else does, and it is deeply appreciated and it really matters. The State of the Site is sound!” – Sam Rubin ** 50 Shades of Gray “I love everything about LARadio! Idea: Using a different color background behind the Nostalgia pieces to highlight them as such. Perhaps a color similar to the shade paper turns after aging.’ – Greg Glaser ** Movie Recommendation “Thanks for the updates on your goings-on with the pandemic changing life as we know it. Since you brought up the subject of movies and using them to pass the time, I thought I’d recommend one, on the slim chance you’re unfamiliar with it. The Big Picture should be one that hits close to home, given your years in the film business. Released in 1989, it was Christopher Guest’s directorial debut, and stars a young Kevin Bacon, along with a treasure trove of supporting familiar faces. In an inexplicably uncredited part, Martin Short nearly steals the whole movie, playing a somewhat effeminate, rather neurotic talent agent. A biting send-up of Hollywood, studio execs were apparently none too pleased with the film [as you can imagine], so it got a very brief theatrical release before then heading to cable and home video. Definitely worth a look, or I’m assuming in your case, a re-look. Stay well, and I look forward to possibly seeing you in October.” – Dave Kunz ** Custer’s Second to Last Stand “The Custer cartoon brings to mind something you may have seen during your days down here. It was on Santa Monica Boulevard in Santa Monica. When I was at KTTV, I would pass it if I used an ‘alternate route’ to get to work. It was a newsstand named ‘Custer's Last Newsstand.’ And like the 7th Cav’s namesake commander, it’s gone, but it always made me smile as I drove by.” – Warren Cereghino ** Kimmel’s Red Face “I appreciate your mention of Jimmy Kimmel’s apology for his past use of blackface when he was doing Comedy Central. I read his apology, and as both a Christian and minority I believe him. For the LA Times opinion writer to judge his words as lame is an assumption I choose not to make. Congrats on your Father's Day with your family. That is a cute picture of you and your grandson! It was the first Father's Day that my sister and I couldn’t go see my brother and sister-in-law and kids [4 girls, 2 boys and 5 grandchildren!] but we got to call him and say hi. Yesterday really did enforce that the ‘new normal’ will never be normal, just something we have to get through until things get better. I wouldn’t change a thing about LARP. I really enjoy the different viewpoints and histories of the personalities and movers and shakers behind the mike. You do a great job of being inclusive to both the heyday of radio and the uncertainty but hope of its future. When you mention your days in the movie business it made me think of how my uncle Ruben Lopez started. He was with Pacific Title and then was a professional artist in promotion for the studios before he became a courtroom artist for KTTV. I loved the article by Alan Oda about the lunch you both had with Dick Whittington; his ‘invasion of Catalina’ alone is priceless!” – Julie T. Byers ** On the Flip Side of Kimmel "I’m sorry Jimmy Kimmel, but your apology, while it did what it was supposed to accomplish on your end, falls on deaf ears. If you had apologized without the comment regarding 'leaders who prejudice to divide us' then it would have been more of an apology. Just own up to it. It was wrong. And by the way, I am a big fan of yours." - Ruben Gonzalez ** Endorsements by Newspeople “The other day, on one of the talk stations, I heard a news anchor, who identified herself by name, doing a commercial for a financial institution. I didn't think radio stations permitted their news people to do endorsement spots. I’m curious to know how LARP feel about this. Does it lessen the credibility of the news operation?” – Tom Burfield ** San Diego Reader Story Re Foreign Ownership “Phoenix Radio probably is trying to keep a lower profile because it was highly – perhaps too highly – visible when they were part of an attempt to purchase KDAY several years ago. Unfortunately for them, I was affiliated with Don McCoy’s Magic Broadcasting at the time and he was trying to reacquire the majority ownership himself, and I uncovered the fact that Phoenix had strong ties [a large chunk of their ownership] to the Chinese government. I then filed an objection with the FCC in which I laid the results of my investigation out for display. The FCC never got to rule on it, as the consortium suddenly decided that KDAY’s signal ‘didn’t cover the right parts of the market’ [which I also found suspect, because no one enters into an agreement to purchase a station without including in their due diligence where the signal covers] and withdrew their bid. Therefore, it does not surprise me that Phoenix is part of this and that they are trying to conceal it. My filing against the KDAY deal suggested in no uncertain terms that they were attempting to deceive the Commission by the ‘lie of omission’ and that alone made them unfit to hold a license. [The worst thing you can do when dealing with the FCC is lie to them.] In my opinion, the cross-border program origination authorization should be terminated with prejudice. And to Alex Meruelo: Now you know who was responsible for KDAY being available for you to purchase.” – K.M. Richards ** History of Market #2 “Great piece on me, very well written. So well put together that it brought tears to my own eyes. Fantastic picture of you and your grandson. Thank you for all the years of LARadio.com. Stories on the current state and the history. It has been incredible to be a small part of your site and the history of market #2.” – Michael Davis |
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| My older son will frequently
send a movie poster that punctuates our life together. This week I received this poster with a curt: "I know what you were doing 41 years ago today." |
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(June 26,
2020) KNAC has a special place in the history of Southern
California radio. At 105.5, the Long Beach fm station went through a
variety of heavy metal machinations, with their moniker “Pure Rock”
being arguably its most successful. The birth of the "Pure Rock"
format was the response to Iron Maiden selling out four shows in a
row at the Long Beach Arena with no significant radio airplay. The station attracted some popular personalities like Thrashpie, Killer Kat, "Wild Bill" Scott, Lady Di, Gonzo Greg, Stew Herrera, Long Paul, and the late Tawn "The Leather Nun" Mastery. Michael Davis got his early radio start at KNAC in 1989. He spent a few years at KFMG-Albuquerque before joining KNAC. What is fun about his story is that this 38-year broadcast professional just celebrated 30 years at KRKC-Monterey. "It's been phenomenal, endless on-air fun, Bay Area rock concerts and sports.” emailed Michael. “I've been granted a lifetime of opportunity on top of my two previous gigs. Gratitude to my parents, grandparents and Davis family. How in the world did he last three decades at the same station? "Perseverance, Integrity, dignity, respect for the listeners and our KRKC clients is paramount,” Michael responded. “My appreciation to Bill Gittler Lola R. Berlin, Mark Fitzmayer, Darren Nutt and all who have made KRKC incredible over three decades." |
| Hear Ache. Have you been to a Zoon memorial celebration yet? Former KFI personality in the late 70s, Terry Nelson, died last month, at age 73 and you can participate with his celebration of life tomorrow. Barry Salberg has sent along Zoom info: Saturday at 11 a.m. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85058082774...Meeting ID: 850 5808 2774 … Eleven years ago, Farrah Fawcett lost her battle with cancer at the age of 62. Our marketing department worked on an awful movie starring Farrah and Kirk Douglas called Saturn 3. She couldn’t have been nicer, especially in trying times. She was red hot. During an industry dinner in Las Vegas she had to go to the bathroom. The insane paparazzi followed her in and started pointing their camera over and under the stall as Farrah was trying to relieve herself. We restored order, fending off the bunch of jerks but she remained gracious throughout the ordeal … Which reminds of a story that former KABC and KNX morning newsman Dave Williams had with Jack Lemmon. Dave walked in on the actor who was standing there in his skivvies. Read the embarrassing story here … Brian McKnight, former morning man at KTWV (the WAVE), will give a special remote performance for fans as part of the “Keith Sweat Presents the iHeartRadio R&B Live Concert Series” at 5 p.m. on: KSweatLive.com … Bet if Cheryl Lynn had the backing of Neil Bogart, she would have been the Queen of Disco, and not Donna Summer. Cheryl was hot stuff … KSPN’s Keyshawn Johnson is scheduled to be part of a new morning show at ESPN Radio. |
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Photo Link: Chuck Blore, creator of KFWB/Color Radio Channel 98, was a guest lecturer at Don Elliot’s class a few years back. Don recapped Chuck’s philosophy about radio: “Talk to people in their own language, voiceover techniques, and a discussion of how he creates his concepts. There is a great bio talk here on his formation of KFWB Color Radio 98 in Los Angeles. I hope you will find it informative and entertaining, as the principles involved are just as applicable today as the day he spoke about them,” emailed Don. |
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| Howard Stern | Nancy Plum | Neil Ross | Steve Fredericks | Ken Davis | Harvey Kern | Dave Zorn | Johnny Olson |
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| Hettie Lynne Hurtes | Rob Archer | Richard Blade | J.J. Johnson | Neale Blase | Rob Archer |
Archives 1st Quarter 2019: Passing Parade: Sylvia Chase; Eva Ross Kilgore; David Horowitz; Richard Kimball; Super Dave Osborne, Harvey Mednick; Bruce Williams; Let's Go Trippin' with Dick Dale; Larry Van Nuys jumps into the (K)Surf; KABC shuffles line-up; LARP who died in 2018; Art Laboe set for PPB honor luncheon; Jaime Jarrin honored; Marketing lesson from Fiji Water Girl; Cindy Dole out styling; Saul Levine essay on his 105.1/fm beginnings; How will a recession hurt the radio biz?; Update on KFI reporter Hanna Scott; Series to preserve radio archives; Golden Night; 1,000 homes on site of KLOS/KABC; Video in cars; Jimmy Steal to Chicago; New head of Southern California Public Radio; Celebrating Scott St. James; Laughs are on Phil Hendrie; Afternooner like no other; Art Laboe honored by Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters; Wendy Williams show postponed indefinitely; KNX vet Diane Thompson set to retire; Delilah tells all; Motown at 60; Martoni's; Steve Harvey and Mo'nique in kerfuffle; It's news to Steve Gregory; Auspicious start for 88.5/fm; Triplets 10-year anniversary; How Pete Weber made the hockey team; We Will Rock You; Randy Keith is the piano man; Triplets partner in hope; History of Gary Theroux; New news from Diane Thompson; John Batchelor reveals he has cancer; Bean announces in leaving KROQ morning show; Actor Sal Mineo was a LARP; Sky Daniels retires from 88.5/fm; Ask Dr. Ruth; USC broadcast rights; Buzzards return to Hinckley, Ohio; Nancy Plum's new book; Elaine Perkins perks up the news; Podcast with Passion
Archives 3rd Quarter 2018: Anniversary of AT 40; Passing Parade: Ed Schultz, Johnny Morris, Fred Beaton, Dave Zorn; New Role for Kelli Gates; Art Laboe is One-of-a-Kind; Savage as Supreme; Vic the Brick is Feelin' You; Rita Pardue a thing of Senior beauty; Marcellus Wiley jumps team; Doug Dunlap has the keys to happiness; Highest paid LARP; Martoni LARP Noms; Former KIIS GM retires; Sad Sage Sylvester story; Carlucci, voice of Russia World Cup Games; Is there a Smart Radio? Springsteen on KMET; Is podcasting for you?; Rick Dees slated for Yucapia station; Time for a Southern California Radio Hall of Fame; National Radio Day; Big Boy makes unwanted news; Judging Amy Lewis; Jim Rome looking for LARadio home' K-SURF adds morning personality; What keeps Kevin LeGrett up at night? Alex Cohen moving to new Specrum; Silver celebration at NBC Sports Radio; Jo Jo Wright takes his KIIS show to Beijing; Paxton Quigley, armed and strong with a new radio show; Mt. Rushmore of sports; Neil Ross pens new book; Highest paid radio people; Looney looks to add game show host to eclectic career; Burt Reynolds apologizes with a twinkle; Traffic reports won't be so Rosie (Wedel); Voice of Trojan basketball headed for Thunder; the night Elvira spent with Elvis
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, Bill Jenkins, Don Bustany, Arnie McClatchey, Mark Morris, Roger Collins, Art Bell, Mike Walker, Frank Bresee, Warren Duffy, 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; Marriage of Alexandra Barrett; Lyon Queen; David Viscott king of psych Talker; Debunking myths of a dj; New day for Sue Fruend; Adam Carolla is driven to buy; Is the Bloom off the rose?; Paul Newman's cars; One of a Kind LARPs Series with Jim Ladd, Jim Healy; K-EARTH's Locks of Love excellent promotion; Good Day LA crew reunites at KABC; Baseball ratings; Jersey Boys interruption; Rita Wilde interview; LARPs inducted into Radio Hall of Fame
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 (Man of the Year, 1964). He also earned a master's in psychology. He spent 10 years in radio working as a disc jockey, program director, national program director (Gordon McLendon Corp) 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. |
