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(Chuck Tyler, Doug Steckler, Tim Conway, Jr., Chuck Niles, Jim Hawthorne, Mike Daniels, Dean Torrence, Scott Reiff, Mike Nolan, Jeffrey Leonard, and the World Famous Tom Murphy)
Hear Ache
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(June 26, 2017) Erin Vermeulen, known to Bill Handel listeners as Erin V last year will be joining Big Jim O’Brien next month as the newest member of the WCSX morning team in the Motor City. She begins July 10. Vermeulen began her career at the former 1310 WYUR in Detroit and before that was heard in South Africa, Dubai, Cairo, Denver and Phoenix … Hugh Hewitt, a veteran of KRLA for many years and before that at KFI in the 90s, has joined MSNBC for a weekend show. Hewitt, an ultra conservative, demonstrates the broadening of Talk show hosts on the predominately liberal network ... The LA Times featured Andy Cohen with an article recently titled, New King of All Media. In the first line of the piece, Andy says: “I subscribe to the Ryan Seacrest-ian model of employment, which is to keep adding things that I love.” Seacrest-ian? |
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State of the Site
LARadio was off-line last week. The site server that had housed LARadio for 20 years went out of business. There is a new server, thanks to the generosity of a LARP. The migration of Archives, photos and Where Are They Now material has been completed. My email server, different company, no longer provides mass mailings. I have been exploring a number of options to find one that is cost effective. Sending out ratings, radio-related articles and bulletins may be a thing of the past but I’ll keep you posted. |
Email Tuesday
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(June 20, 2017) "Each year when you post your memoirs
about your parents, it nearly brings me to tears understanding what you
went through in your early years. The 'greatest generation' had issues
discussing their feelings, my father included. Although he was not as
quiet as your dad, there were events from his past that would not be
discussed or even mentioned, and being curious, I always wanted to
know. In particular, his participation as a Medic during 'D-Day.' We share common traits being an only child helping our parents cope with their health issues in their later years. Watching my dad waste away with ALS is something I still think about after nearly 40 years. Only someone who has had a relative or parent deal with this crappy disease understands the punch it delivers riding on an emotional roller coaster of feelings and helplessness. It was near my dad's end when he pleaded with me to give him an overdose or use a pillow to end his suffering. On a happier note, it's great that you are still dabbling with LARadio. You can add material if you like, or just not post anything for a while. Any info you include is always enjoyable to read." - John Hart |
Mary Beth Garber Exits Katz Media Group
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(June 19, 2017) Mary Beth Garber,
best-known as the former president of the Southern California
Broadcasters Association and who appeared frequently on the Top 10
off-air LARP of the Year, has left her position with Katz Media Group.
She recently celebrated six years with the iHeart group. Mary Beth is so
talented that I’m sure she will surface soon. In other news: AMFM Broadcasters, owners of 99.1, have filed a complaint against Disney/ABC for interference to their broadcast signal from the translator for Radio Disney Country. You can read the complaint here. 99.1 is a very busy location: KGGI in Riverside is 99.1 FM, Radio Disney Country is 99.1 FM, and there is a low-power Country music station at 99.1 FM in Simi Valley, "99.1 The Ranch" KWSP. That frequency is starting to get awfully crowded … Scott St. James should leave his rehab center this Friday, following kidney stone surgery. |
Color Him Father
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I ran track at Santa Monica High School and starred in many school productions at Samohi. I was editor of the school newspaper. He never once came to see me run or see me act. I never thought it was strange because that’s the way it was. It wasn’t until later in my life, fighting my own demons, that I was forced to take an inventory of my life. I wasn’t looking for blame as to why I ended up living in a park in Van Nuys, but perhaps some understanding. My father and I went to a football game in the early 80s, the last time we shared an event together. The drive to the Coliseum seemed interminably long. It was always a struggle to talk with him. I asked him about his exploits at Hill School in Pennsylvania and at Colgate University. He was strong in sports and some of his championship records remained for years. I said, “Your parents must have been very proud sitting in the stands cheering you on.” Without missing a beat, he responded, “They never saw me play.” Never? Never. Bingo. That’s all I needed to understand my relationship with my father. It helped explain his reaction when I told him that I was going into the radio business. “Why do you want to do that? Hardly a profession,” I remember him saying. The same reaction when I joined the motion picture business and when I became a family therapist. My life’s work and decisions for a career path were always met with indifference and almost disdain. Even though I have spent decades working on my own personal relationships, his imprint still resides in me with still much more work to be done. Perhaps his death will help the process in letting go. Field of Dreams is a signature film for me. I remember sitting on the aisle at the Motion Picture Academy sobbing like a youngster when Kevin Costner and his father meet in the Iowa cornfield that has been converted to a baseball field and they play catch. I know that whoever wrote that scene had the same kind of father as mine. We never played catch and through the movie, demons were exorcized for all who had strained relationships with their fathers. I have never seen that movie and not been affected in the same way as I did the first time. I know it’s coming; I fight it and then cry one more time. When it was no longer safe for him to drive, we talked about giving up his car. He refused. I took the keys and sold his car. He didn’t acknowledge me for months after that and when I would come into the house he would just glare at me. He had officially lost his freedom. There was no longer flight available. Some time later, Russell Weller hit his accelerator on his car instead of the brakes and mowed down and killed 10 innocent people at the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market. I went all through school with Mr. Weller’s daughter, which made my earlier action to take the keys away from my father all the more personal, even though I was made to feel guilty for years. My father had dementia for at least the last 10 years. It has not been pretty. Unlike Alzheimer’s, dementia is accompanied by anger. In 1994 I moved them into a home next door where I could care for him and also my mother who had ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease. Days were filled with changing diapers on both of them. With no siblings to share the burden, I suddenly found myself being a father to my parents and a father to my young children. When he started throwing his dirty diapers at me and becoming physically abusive, I had to put him into a bed and care a year ago where professionals could deal with his needs.
Like my mother, both had chosen the Neptune Society for their burial at sea. The Neptune Society is unbelievable. I called at 6 a.m. Sunday morning and within an hour they had picked up my father. They will arrange to have his body cremated and his ashes strewn in the Santa Monica Bay. We deal with the challenges of life. As I write this, within an hour of his death, I am moved by the challenges of death – a time to review a life that was filled with his own demons and challenges. I didn’t choose him as a father. It is what was dealt to me. I can only hope and pray that he finds the peace and love in death that eluded him in life. |
LARadio Archives - 8 Years Ago Today
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KMET Stirs Up Memories of an Irreverent and Magical Time
Dave Beasing, the program director at The Sound, is the one who green lighted the project. “The passion that this legendary station still inspires – for both former staff and listeners – is why we’re so proud to host ‘Finally-A-KMET-Friday’ on July 10,” emailed Dave. “This day is obviously long overdue. Bob Coburn’s excellent letter yesterday may have accidentally led some to think that he and others who now reside at other local stations are not invited to participate. They definitely are, and they’re welcome to promote their present radio homes. Updating the listeners on what’s happening in their lives today is part of what the day will be about.”
Jeff Gonzer said that in addition to those former KMETers listed above, others joining the tribute, include David Perry, Rick Lewis, Rick Scarry, Mike Evans, Frazer Smith, Phil Gonzalez, and Bob Griffith. Jeff noted that Jack Snyder is coming in from New Orleans to join the festivities. Shadoe Stevens checked in again this week, offering his response to the note from Bob Coburn that was published yesterday: It is hilarious and pathetic that this continues to matter to me, but Bob’s mixed compliment and criticism was spoken with such conviction, I once again feel the need to comment. My tragic need to be acknowledged for my contributions to KMET doesn’t really diminish anyone else's efforts, talent, or success. As I said before, after I left, I continued to be a listener and admired the efforts to focus and expand the original vision I put in place. First of all, how did you get the impression I was claiming individual responsibility for KMET is incomprehensible to me. Let me say it clearly: I do not feel I was individually responsible for KMET. That would be ignorant and self aggrandizing. Secondly, branding, promotion, slogans, publicity, billboards, and advertising – every detail is a vital consideration, and you cannot minimize the importance of any aspect. They may not make a bad station successful, but they make a great station bigger than life. Ask Coca Cola if billboards, jingles, or promotion are important. Or Nike if branding has worked for them. My specialty was attention to detail, a neurotic need to try to make every aspect and every detail reflect the Brand being created. It's more than a format; it's a complete visualization of an identity and attitude. And finally, the thing I found most unsettling about Bob’s commentary is – selective or mismanaged memory – to remember something that enhances your story as fact and say it with authority gives the impression that it’s true. You don’t have to prove it, you just say it. Here’s what Bob said: ‘...when I arrived [at the exact same time as Jim Ladd] the station was hardly over the top ‘successful.’ In fact, from my perspective, it wasn’t until we quit playing an inordinate amount of performers such as the Pointer Sisters, the O’Jays, the Ohio Players and so much jazz and r&b on a rock station that we began to take off like a rocket blast from Vandenberg.’ Why is there a golden period? Because that's when we finally beat KABC and KHJ and became number one, 12+ in L.A. To me, that is when KMET fulfilled its potential." For what it matters – and it really doesn’t – here are the facts: The Tom Donahue format was a complete disaster in L.A. In fact, the ratings were so bad that L. David Moorhead and Metromedia were thinking of changing the format to an Adult Contemporary station. Moorhead approached me because of the astonishing success of KROQ/fm and KRLA. As everyone knows, KROQ was a ratings phenomenon even though there was no money to promote with billboards, or advertising, or to pay anyone. This was the reason I left the station. Everyone, myself included, was going bankrupt and when I quit, the station went off the air for about a year and a half. Dave Moorhead and Howard Bloom are no longer here to consult on this, but trust me, I was adamant about not returning to radio after the KROQ fiasco. I was building my production company and beginning to make a good living when Dave Moorhead came to me saying, ‘Metromedia is a great company and if you can do for us half of what you did with KROQ, with more promotion, billboards, and support, we will all make a lot of money.’ And he offered me more money than I'd ever made to come do it again. Six months later KMET was number one. I don’t know what happened with the ratings after I resigned due to my lofty ethics and principles, and I don’t know what ratings Bob was shown by management, but the fact is:
The October-November 1974
ARB showed KMET had taken over first place in Adults 18-24,
18-34, and 18-49 – with audience increases of 107%, 135%,
and 117% from the previous rating period. The night time
ratings improved as much as 264%. On Sunday afternoons
alone, my specialty show ‘The Great American Rock Album
Countdown’ had twice as many listeners 12+ as KLOS.
And now I’ve got to stop. This rant is too tragic and I’m laughing at myself all the while I feel the need to speak out. Thanks everyone for your input and for supporting Don Barrett. Thanks Don, for all your efforts, commitment, and dedication. This is a great service and one I turn to every day.
Danny Lemos on KMET from 1977-80 I came to KMET fresh out of the Jesuit seminary, working at KXLU/fm on campus at Loyola-Marymount. I picked up the Sunday paper and saw the radio rankings, with the Mighty Met at the top of the ratings and applied there. I never applied anywhere else. An old KXLU cohort, Gary Zacuto, left the station and tossed his job, editing the surf report for Ace Young, to me. Nobody does news like Ace Young. Nobody. In 30 years he’s never had an equal. He taught me tight, fast, and funny. Nobody could pound on an Underwriter like Ace Young could, banging out pages of copy in 24 point type! I was there a year before my willingness to spend a week in Palo Alto at Marketron made me the youngest department head in Metromedia Radio history – the traffic department at KMET. Pat Gorman and I rocked the traffic department there. Sam Bellamy gave us the opportunity to put their first traffic/sales computer to work – creating ‘Commercial Free Mondays’ on the station by removing the inventory from the sales projections and the computer altogether – blip! – commercial free Mondays. She asked, we made it happen. It was a big family, and everybody played a part. THAT was the secret to KMET. The music? It wasn’t the albums [REAL vinyl albums] that made it happen, it was the artists who played them. REAL radio artists. Radio has forgotten that. It was as if their reign at the top was imaginary. I was 22, what did I know from playlists and clocks, it was easy to see who the real stars of that format were. To my college roommates I was a god because I worked in the same square footage as Mary “the Burner” Turner, Jeff Gonzer, Paraquat Kelley, Jack Snyder, Bob Coburn, and Jim Ladd. There was a reason for that. If you were a listener, you know what I’m writing about. Cynthia Fox worked on staff at KXLU with me and given the Cynthia I knew back in the ’70’s, you have to know how hard she worked to get where she is. Back then, Cynthia was the only one who didn’t know she had it in her. That staff was lucky in one way: They didn’t know any other way to behave than to be themselves. The talented, crazy, wisecrackin’, pot smokin’, music lovin’, truth telling m-f’s they were. Period. And Los Angeles fell in love with them, as did I. I cut my chops at KMET, (thank you Sam Bellamy!) I did my first rock music overnight on KMET, (thank you, David Chaney), I did my first helicopter traffic report at Cal Jam, (thank you, Cynthia Fox!) and I learned how to play hard, fast and loose with sales, (thank you, Howard Bloom.) There will never be another slice of that ‘little bit' of heaven...94-point-7!’
Joe Maleskey, Henderson, Nevada (and still part-time So. Cal. resident) The key to the longevity and lasting fond memories of KMET were due to the perfect blend of AOR music and even more so the extraordinary personalities that made ‘The Mighty Met.’ The creative genius and vision of what this theatre of the mind could be was none other than Shadoe Stevens. It began in 1970 at KRLA where he first assembled a group of disk jockeys who were truly air personalities. He moved it to upstart KROQ/fm where, of course, the owner at the time had no money, and then finally to KMET. He started it with legendary talents such as B. Mitchel Reed, Lee ‘Baby’ Simms, Jimmy Rabbitt, et. al. We didn’t watch tv back then, all of our entertainment was right there on the radio. Push buttons on car radios and tuners on our stereo systems weren’t needed. We never switched stations, which is why to this day I can still hear the ‘Come to Henry's’ Camera commercials, BMR telling me the great deals at ‘Waterbed Warehouse, and ‘you can put your trust in us – we’re Music Plus. We listeners would get together and talk about who said what and would no doubt end up singing The Rabbitt’s ‘If You See Kay – tell her that I love her.’ When he began the upstart KROQ/fm, Shadoe had written a story about ‘The Adventures of Alice in The Underground’ that was played several times as the station began and included all of the personalities. Geez, would I ever love hearing that again. The genius of Shadoe Stevens was just beginning. A lot of the personalities that we remember from KMET came after Shadoe had left and I remember vividly that any jock who had any real talent wanted to work at KMET. Sure, it took a Village, but it is without a doubt, Shadoe Stevens who opened the door for so many to soar to the heights that otherwise probably would have never existed. And for that, each and every one of them owes a huge thanks to the man who was the creative force, who had the vision, and encouraged others to the limitless possibilities. And for those of us who listened, and in reality took ownership of ‘Our Radio Station,’ thank you Shadoe Stevens. |
Steve Harvey's Radio Success is Good News and Bad News
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(June 16, 2017) No sooner had Steve Harvey
signed up his 100th radio station in syndication than Kevin Ross wrote in his tasty newsletter: “His success is a great story
for him but a sad story for many young black radio announcers who want
to get into urban radio. While traveling around the country over the
last few weeks, I am amazed and disturbed at the young black radio
talent relegated to part-time or shift positions that do not allow them
to shine and grow. As a former programmer, I find it unfortunate that
they are stuck and that their dreams may never be realized because they
can’t get on to do mornings, which is a radio station’s most prized time
slot. Unfortunately, Steve Harvey and his morning show are one of the
main reasons.” When you combine Harvey’s 100 stations and Ryan Seacrest’s 140 stations, there are almost 250 opportunities lost for up and coming talent. Steve Harvey morning show vp of Affiliate Relations, URBAN Programming Martin Melius said, “I’ve talked to many black programmers who tell me they would love to have a local morning show but Harvey’s parent company, Premiere Radio, is adamant to block the morning slot at as many urban radio stations as possible to keep Harvey in the position over anyone else and many are under contractual obligation to keep the show on. Listeners are none the wiser about how radio works and to Harvey’s credit, they are entertained by segments of the show.” Ross, formerly with KGFJ, KKBT, and KACE in the 90s, continued: “Radio was a springboard for Harvey’s current massive success but he is not a radio professional. He’s a comedian who used radio as an opportunity to advance his career. Nobody can be mad at him for that but at what point will he consider giving radio back to young black kids who want to have the same success who are already at odds with opportunities to work in other formats besides urban radio? As listeners continue to have more options to listen to music, Millennials are not as interested in commercial radio as previous generations and commercial Urban radio is going to have to establish a more progressive approach with listeners in order to continue to compete with the growing streaming industry." |
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Ryan Seacrest Rebooted: 'Live,' a
New York Move and the Bumpy Road Back to 'Idol' "Who am I if not the 'American Idol' guy?'" asks the busiest man in showbiz as THR goes inside his fraught negotiation (a lowball offer, ABC's last-minute scramble toward an eight-figure deal), why he nearly walked away and his reinvention as a morning host. Says Kelly Ripa: "When I look at him, I see the future of this show." Read the intriguing story of Ryan Seacrest by clicking the cover of The Hollywood Reporter |
Hear Ache
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(June 15, 2017) Tami Heide (l), long-time KROQ and JACK/fm personality, is now doing weekend/fill in on 94.7 the WAVE. “Please join me this Sunday June 18th from 3-8 p.m., I’m in for Maggie McKay,” emailed Tami … The Steve Harvey Morning Show, heard on KJLH in the Southland, has reached the 100th affiliate milestone. “This milestone has me beaming,” shared Harvey, who recently renewed his long-term partnership with Premiere Networks’ parent company iHeartMedia. “To be in the 100 club is so gratifying, and to have growth after all this time is a testament to my crew’s hard work and willingness to evolve … Earlier this week, Neil Ross wrote to say that for the eighth year, he was the announcer on the AFI Life Achievement Award telecast, which will air tonight on TNT. “This year’s honoree was prolific actress Diane Keaton. On hand to help bestow this well-deserved award were: Woody Allen, Al Pacino, Warren Beatty, Meryl Streep, Jane Fonda and many others.” The appearance by the elusive actor / director of Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters, and many other memorable movies was a clandestine undertaking. “They kept Woody Allen’s appearance at the close of the show under wraps. I didn’t find out about it until a few seconds before I made the announcement. Needless to say, the crowd went nuts.” No sooner had Neil sent out his good news, another email arrived: “Sorry to report that I have just learned that TNT has decided they want a woman announcer on the Diane Keaton Life Achievement telecast. Everything I did will be replaced. It was a great night, I had a lot of fun and I think if you decide to tune in, you will too. Just don’t expect to hear me.” Neil said he sent the email from the cutting room floor … There will be a Jed The Fish comeback, according to his Facebook page. “I have a new twist on 80s songs I am anxious to share.” |
Kars 4 Kids Under Investigation Again
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(June 14, 2017) Two years ago, LARadio disclosed a
number of state organizations that were investigating KARS-4-KIDS, which
was advertising on a number of LA stations. The jingle is tough to
forget with repeating the phone number: 1-877-KARS-4-KIDS. There is a new report from
the Minnesota Attorney
General who "found that KARS4KIDS raised $3 million from
Minnesota donors, but only spent $11,600 on charitable programs for
Minnesota residents from 2012 to 2014," reports KMSP (FOX9)-TV.
The report says a, "compliance report found that KARS4KIDS does little direct charitable work itself. Instead, it acts as the fundraising arm for OORAH, INC., a New Jersey charity whose mission is to promote Orthodox Judaism among children. OORAH’s two largest programs are summer camps and tuition assistance. Two-thirds of the participants in those programs are children from New York and New Jersey. As of March 2015, only three Minnesota children have participated OORAH’s programs." FOX9 adds, "Nationwide, KARS4KIDS raised more than $87.8 million from the sale and scrapping of donated vehicles from 2012 to 2014. Of that $87.8 million, KARS4KIDS donated more than $40 million – or over 90% of its actual expenditures on charitable programming – to OORAH." |
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As turnarounds go, this one is a
disaster. At radio giant Cumulus Media, things have gone from bad to
worse. A quick look at the stock price tells the tale. When former Chief
Executive Lew Dickey exited
in September 2015, the stock
was already an anemic $5.45. On Friday, Cumulus shares closed at 52
cents. Back in the halcyon days of early 2014, Cumulus stock was trading
at $64.04. Now things are in tatters, and a Nasdaq delisting looms — as does a possible bankruptcy. Meanwhile, current CEO Mary Berner keeps receiving bonus payments, which are now being paid on a quarterly basis instead of the typical end-of-year cycle, perhaps learned from her bankruptcy with Reader’s Digest. “Cumulus continues to make tremendous progress in our multi-year turnaround, having reached a financial inflection point driven by ratings share growth, stabilization of the operations, and sustained outperformance against peers despite a tough market environment,” the company told On The Money. Cumulus owns hundreds of radio stations and syndication company Westwood One, and competes with the likes of iHeart and CBS Radio, now in the hands of Entercom. Now private equity firm Crestview Partners has adopted a poison pill to stop an activist from coming in as it staves off bankruptcy. For the year 2016 (a presidential election year), Cumulus reported that net revenue fell 2.3 percent while adjusted Ebitda — earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization — was off 20.6 percent from a year earlier. Radio-business watchers are intrigued to hear that former CEO Dickey has raised a $209 million investment fund. Dickey came off the Cumulus board in March. |
Morning Has Broken
(June 13, 2017) The morning drive (6a-10a) PPM ratings for May '17 have been released by demographic categories:
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Persons 12+ 1. Valentine (MY/fm) 2. News Team (KNX) 3. Pat Prescott (the WAVE) 4. Ryan Seacrest (KIIS) 5. Bill Handel (KFI) |
Persons 18-34 1. The Woody Show (KYSR) 2. Ryan Seacrest (KIIS) 3. Valentine (MY/fm) 4. Big Boy (KRRL) 5. Omar y Argelia (KLVE) |
Persons 25-54 1. Valentine (MY/fm) 2. Ryan Seacrest (KIIS) 3. Omar y Argelia (KLVE) 4. The Woody Show (KYSR) 5. Kevin & Bean (KROQ) |
My, Oh, My ... MY/fm Once Again on Top in May Ratings
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(June 12, 2017) The May '17 PPM 6+ Mon-Sun,
6a-12Mid: 1. KBIG (MY/fm) 5.6 - 5.8 2. KTWV (The WAVE) 5.5 - 5.3 3. KIIS (Top 40/M) 4.8 - 4.8 KRTH (Classic Hits) 5.0 - 4.8 5. KOST (AC) 4.6 - 4.7 6. KLVE (Spanish Contemporary) 3.7 - 3.6 7. KFI (Talk) 3.5 - 3.5 8. KNX (News) 3.4 - 3.4 9. KCBS (JACK/fm) 3.1 - 3.1 KRCD (Spanish Adult Hits) 2.8 - 3.1 |
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11. KPWR (Top 40/R) 2.6 - 2.9 KSWD (The Sound) 2.6 - 2.9 KYSR (Alternative) 3.0 - 2.9 14. KKGO (Country) 2.7 - 2.8 15. KAMP (Top 40/R) 2.6 - 2.7 KRRL (Urban) 2.8 - 2.7 KSCA (Regional Mexican) 2.7 - 2.7 18. KXOL (Spanish AC) 2.3 - 2.4 19. KROQ (Alternative) 2.2 - 2.2 20. KLOS (Classic Rock) 2.2 - 2.1 21. KXOS (Regional Mexican) 2.2 - 2.0 22. KBUE (Regional Mexican) 1.9 - 1.8 KLAX (Regional Mexican) 1.6 - 1.8 KLYY (Spanish Adult Hits) 2.0 - 1.8 25. KPCC (News/Talk) 1.6 - 1.7 26. KJLH (Urban AC) 1.7 - 1.6 27. KUSC (Classical) 1.4 - 1.5 28. KCRW (Variety) 1.5 - 1.4 29. KDAY (Rhythmic AC) 1.3 - 1.3 30. KSSE (Spanish Oldies) 1.3 - 1.1 KWIZ (Spanish Variety) 0.8 - 1.1 32. KRLA (Talk) 0.9 - 1.0 33. KEIB (Talk) 0.9 - 0.9 KLAC (Sports) 0.9 - 0.9 KSPN (Sports) 0.8 - 0.9 36. KABC (Talk) 0.7 - 0.7 37. KFSH (Christian Contemporary) 0.6 - 0.6 KFWB (Regional Mexican) 0.5 - 0.6 39. KKJZ (Jazz) 0.5 - 0.5 KSUR (Oldies) 0.3 - 0.5 |
A Cindy Crawford Dream Lands a Fan on the Mark & Brian Show
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(June 12, 2017) For a
quarter of a century, Mark & Brian dazzled morning
drive. For a couple of generations, fans delighted in sharing stories about
where they were when the zany pair did one of their outrageous stunts.
Scott Gerling, 25 years old in 1993, was a huge fan and had his 15
minutes of fame with the morning duo. You can hear and read his story this
morning: I listened every day for hours as I was a pool cleaner so I was able to do so freely. A friend of mine knew how big a fan I was of M&B, and also knew the background of how I had come up with an invention I had been working on for the past couple of years. She wrote a letter to their show, I was invited for an interview after a brief meeting with Sluggo, their runner/intern who sussed out if I was sane or not. The goal of the show was to see if Cindy Crawford would respond to a dream I had where she inspired the invention. She was HUGE at the time. She was on every magazine cover they could fit her on, and it was a looooooong shot at best. Mark and Brian loved this storyline because they were just as in love with her as the media was. Also, the story contained the essence of “Field of Dreams” - build it and she will come - and they constantly talked about how much they loved that movie theme. Anyway, I was brought in to the KLOS studio and treated very well by everyone on the show including Chuck Moshontz, who was very supportive and in on the interview. I remember at the time I was very nervous about telling them what the actual idea was, because I was freaked out somebody would hear about it, and steal the idea. You can hear, in the show, where they actually state what the idea is, and I froze for a second. I realized the cat was out of the bag, and I just switch to total commitment, as if nothing was wrong. Chuck asked if it was patented, and I said yes, but inside I was flipping out because of the exposure. Silly I know, but that’s what happened. Anyway, after they wrapped up the show with me. Scott Reiff, the Skylord took it even further by trying to underscore the need to make it a national story. After the show, M&B called me, I called them for updates, but nothing really materialized, save for the pure thrill of being next to my two heroes for a brief moment in time where they shined a spotlight on me. I am really grateful for that memory, and grateful to Mark & Brian. It is a beautiful memory for me, and I am very fortunate to still have this recording, which was on a cassette tape and not converted to digital until today. I hope you enjoy it. Here is the link: Scott Gerling on the Mark and Brian Show March 31, 1993. |
Email Sunday
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(June 11, 2017) "The 1110 AM frequency has gone
full-circle in 72 years!:
1942: KPAS 1110 debuts from Pasadena
1945: KXLA 1110 is a Country music station
1959: KRLA 1110 is a Top 40 station
2000: KSPN 1110 is a Sports station
2003: KDIS 1110 is Radio Disney
2017: KRDC 1110 is a Country music station
The 1110 transmitter site was moved from El Monte to Irwindale in
1987." - Bill Kingman
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** More on Woodruff "To add a few additional words about Norman Woodruff at the time he graduated from Huntington Beach High School. Norm arrived in Ridgecrest late summer of ‘57 when Victor M. Ferrell was finishing constructing 1360 KRCK, 1000 watts. I would make bicycle trips after school to the transmitter site and the studio under construction a mile east in town. I met Norman at the transmitter site who had just been hired by Victor. Norm let me do the 'Equipment and Maintenance Checks' at midnight. Norman had a better voice than mine, somewhat intimidating. He was so professional it made me a little insecure as a young lad standing in the small news booth. Norman finally let me read some news for real. It wasn’t my best listening to the tapes 60 years later. Norman would always critique my news readings in an encouraging way; how to re-write the yellow teletype pages, how to breath, recover from a mistake, stand in front of the mike and how to make every sentence sound a little 'urgent.' In 1958 a local store caught fire. He sent me down the street for phone coverage. Later that day Norm encouraged me to make radio my career of choice. He was also very interested in my AM transmitter that I had boosted up power from an Allied Kit with the help of my next door neighbor at China Lake who was an electronic engineer. I was able to practice being a dj with a homemade studio set up with two turntables and two tape decks I had borrowed from Burroughs Hi being the AV kid. The signal reached out many miles to US 6. Norm gave me all my RAD jingles and regional commercials on acetates to sound professional. In 1959 Norm got a new gig at Palmdale’s KUTE . Victor Ferrell assigned me Norm's spot afternoons and the 6 a.m. shift Saturday and Sundays. Norm had prepared me to last through two managers during the summer of ’59. The following year Lee Spence at KRKS, 1240, 250 watts hired me for the summer; 6a to midnight. |
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Norm had long left the valley, but my show,
Cousin Doug ,with a different sounding newscast, was popular throughout
the Indian Wells Valley. KRKS was owned by three producers from Capitol
Records. I interviewed Tennessee Ernie Ford , Nelson Riddle, Peggy Lee,
Less Paul and other Capitol stars as they stopped by to promote their
new records on their way north to Mammoth. KRKS had great promo’s by
Frank Sinatra. Great experience for a kid at 19. In ’61 I worked as a tour guide and weekend news at San Diego’s KOGO/TV when I joined production on the live Regis Philbin Show. I would still visit Norm at KRLA and enjoyed several dinners at his home with his mom in LA. We would drive around LA, mom in the backseat, looking for news in his black Ford with speakers on top and a dashboard of gadgets much resembling LAPD patrol cars. A happy moment when Norman made me copies of KRLA and KFWB’s jingle packages. Norman's brief and serious focus on broadcasting was better than any of my SDSU or UCLA broadcasting classes. His guidelines, principles and intensity for broadcasting during those summers still remain with me as a distant radio signal; like from KOMA of the 1950’s, the 50K Giant Killer of Oklahoma beaming West across the evening desert sky, reminding me I might have made radio my career. Now at 75, I can give it another shot. I’d like to do traffic for KFI. Norm would be proud. For the record, thank you." - Doug Huse, Pasadena |
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** New Direction for KABC "Surprised I haven't seen this mentioned: KABC-790 has boosted its power from 5,000 watts to 6,600 watts day and 7,900 watts night [still directional], effective May 31st." - DRA David R. Alpert |
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** New Country Format at 1110 AM
and 99.1 FM "I don't see Saul Levine shaking in his boker boots. The impact didn't even tilt his yarmulke." - Don Elliot |
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** Blast from the Past "And I could not help but notice a pun this week: 'Archivist at AdSausage.com sent me a link'. Thanks for the laugh!" - Mike Sakellarides |
Disney Launches New Country Station
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(June 10, 2017) Radio Disney Country is now
broadcasting at 1110 AM (formerly KDIS) and on an fm translator at 99.1.
The new call letters are KRDC. "As Country music continues to deliver
some of the biggest artists in music today, we are broadening the reach
of Radio Disney Country through both terrestrial and digital extensions
of its brand," said Phil Guerini, VP of Music Strategy, Disney Channels
Worldwide and GM of Radio Disney Networks. The new translator,
K256CX, is licensed to Beaumont and broadcasts from Irwindale, covering
eastern Los Angeles County. (Disney bought the construction permit from
Calvary Chapel in February.) The original Radio Disney pop format continues on KRTH's HD-2 channel. KRDC officially began broadcasting on 99.1 FM and 1110 AM yesterday morning, kicking off with Kelsea Ballerini's new single, Legends. In addition to the fm launch, Radio Disney Country will now be available on iHeartRadio and TuneIn, and as curated playlists within Spotify and Apple Music. Radio Disney Country will also launch a musical.ly account @RadioDisneyCountry. There are so many platforms these days that old timers have a hard time sorting out the best way to listen. I remember the days when you had only five choices to set on your car radio. Not only do few kids listen to Country music, most of them don't even listen to radio, especially AM stations. They have their iPods, MP3 players and music apps. This format change may turn out to be a goofy decision. |
Blast from the Past
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(June 9, 2017) For over
20 years, LARadio has attempted to preserve the rich history of radio in
the Southland. From time to time we get memorabilia that jogs pleasant
memories. On Facebook there is a wonderful collection of memories from
KFWB. Jeffrey Leonard has been collecting memories of
LARadio at another site - in fact, he is hosting a radio reunion
tomorrow at Fuddruckers in Burbank. Earlier this week, J.J. Englender, curator and archivist at AdSausage.com sent me a link to a collection of incredible pieces of nostalgia from old KRLA Beat magazines to material from the Los Angeles Free Press. "I'm a Los Angeles-based historian and archivist, focusing on film preservation and Los Angeles history," emailed Englender. "As part of my Special Collections, I've curated a thorough selection of original artifacts and covers from L.A.'s legendary underground newspaper - the L.A. Free Press. I hope you find some of this material to be of interest, as there's a wealth of material covering late-1960’s Los Angeles history, using historical ads and new essays on cinema, music and places of interest from Venice to Culver City to Silverlake. It's a fascinating look into the days of: Hullabaloo, KPPC, KMET, the Peace and Freedom Party, experimental film at Cinematheque-16, psychedelic coffee houses on Fairfax, and double-features at the downtown Mayan." The archives can be found here. AdSausage preserves historical material and provides an exhaustive archive of vintage advertising, spanning the past five decades. Ongoing acquisitions of related collections include photographs, slides, newspapers and pop-culture ephemera, with an emphasis toward film. The digital archive library is free and available to researchers, historians and curiosity seekers. |
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Al Michaels Set for PPB Event and You Are Invited
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(June 8,
2017) I’ll always be
grateful for your hard work and dedication from
Los Angeles Radio People
to LARadio.com, keeping our broadcast community entertained, connected,
and informed. Last year I was
elected to the board of directors for the "Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters"
who serve a similar mission, going back to the 1960’s. Rarely, have
we opened the doors to non-members for our celebrity luncheons, but
next Friday, June 16th, we’re making a notable exception as we honor
sportscaster Al Michaels with a distinguished dais,
including Vin Scully and Bob Miller. If LARadio.com
readers want to join us for good food and fun in a historic L.A. venue,
there are two ways to reserve seats. Facebook
members can type in “Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters” to reach the luncheon
ticket link OR if you’re not on Facebook, order tickets on-line at www.PPBWebsite.org Either way, its
secure and major credit cards are accepted, but tickets will not be sold
at the door. Hoping to see
lots of Al Michaels' fans on Friday, June 16th.
– Mike Sakellarides |
LARPs Dominate AllAccess WWRS Honors
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(June 7, 2017)
Congrats to the All Access World Wide Radio Summit 2017 Industry Award
Winners. Many LARP were honored:
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In other news:
KLAC's Matt “Money” Smith
is the new radio voice for the Los Angeles Chargers, debuting this season
on KFI … George Noory,
host of Coast to Coast AM (heard on KFI) has reupped with Premiere
Networks. “I first partnered with Premiere Networks to host Coast to Coast
AM in 2003, and I’m excited to carry the torch for years to come,” shared
Noory. “I want to thank the incredible team at Premiere and my amazing
show staff, who have been with me since this remarkable journey started.”
… Steve Thompson wrote to say that not only was Jimmy Piersall's
book turned into a movie in 1957 but there was also a made-for-tv movie
adaptation in 1955 starring Tab Hunter …
Magnum P.I.
star Larry Manetti
and his wife will host “The Lounge with Larry and Nancy Manetti” on CRN 1
channel. |
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(June
6, 2017) Edwin Jed Fish Gould III, known to radio listeners as
Jed the Fish, for decades on KROQ, is selling his Queen
Anne-style home in Pasadena for $2.299 million, according to
Pasadena Now. The house dates back
to 1894 when it was built by investor Charles Foster, and was later home
to wealthy railroad executive Louis Blankenhorn and his wife Lillian. A listing on Podley
Properties described the property as a single-family home, with two
bedrooms and three bathrooms, 3,017 square feet in size, and sits on a
0.31-acre lot at 346 Markham Place in Pasadena. The listing described the home as “an enduring icon of turn of the century Pasadena grandeur sensitively updated and peppered with whimsical modern surprises. Throughout the years this stunning Queen Anne Victorian has sheltered an eclectic mix of distinguished people including a railroad baron, a professional golfer and a celebrity radio dj.” The estate made its
big screen debut in Lucille Ball’s 1968 blockbuster Yours, Mine and
Ours. It features a dramatic redwood staircase, 11-foot ceilings and
round turret rooms. The back yard offers super-sized lighted sculptures in
a park-like setting. Off the home’s
two-car garage is a large sound-proofed recording studio that Jed the Fish
had been using throughout his radio career. The studio has a separate
vocal booth that could double as a office, gym or guest room. The Los Angeles
Times said the home was last purchased in 1994 for just $425,000. |
No Safe Spaces for Dennis Prager and Adam Carolla
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(June 5, 2017) Dennis Prager
and Adam Carolla have launched a crowdfunding campaign
for their No Safe Spaces documentary. A video previewing the
film features students attending the fictional "Utopia University,"
where they get to identify as whomever or whatever they want, "check
their privilege," and punch any "fascist" who dares disagree with them.
A professor explains that at Utopia students will be taught to think
"the right way." Eventually, Carolla pops up and states,
"That doesn't even look like parody to me. You could run that after Don
Lemon's show on CNN and it would just play as a commercial." The documentary will feature Prager and Carolla traveling to various college campuses across the fruited plain to expose the lunacy of so-called safe spaces and conduct interviews with "students, professors, commentators and comedians from both sides of the political aisle about freedom of speech," per Townhall. The dynamic duo will also be featured in live shows. College campuses that Prager and Carolla travel to are California State University Northridge and University of California Berkeley. A crowdfunding campaign for the movie can be found on the Indiegogo website, where they hope to reach a fundraising goal of $500,000. The campaign has raised $127,945 at the time of this writing. "We’re not making this film to solve all of America’s problems, but we are making this film to wake the country up to the fact that we've become a place that’s no longer adult enough to discuss ideas," the Indiegogo page states. "And there’s no more dangerous place to talk about ideas than on college campuses." All it takes is $25 to receive a digital copy of the film. The film is slated to be released in 2018, during either the spring or the summer. |
Baseball Great and Former KABC Talker Jimmy Piersall Dies
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(June 5, 2017) Jimmy Piersall,
the Boston Red Sox Hall Of Famer and KABC Talk show host back in 1965, died
Saturday, June 3, after a months-long illness. He was 87. KABC was in
its second season of experimenting with "Sports Talk" when Piersall
joined the station as co-host. Piersall spent eight of his 17 major league seasons with the Red Sox (1950, '52-58). The two-time Gold Glove Award winner appeared in 931 games for Boston, primarily as a center fielder alongside fellow Red Sox Hall of Famers Jackie Jensen and Ted Williams. He was named an All-Star in 1954 and 1956. Elected to the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2010, Piersall still holds the club record for most hits in a nine-inning game, as he went 6-for-6 in the first game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Browns on June 10, 1953. Following his time with the Red Sox, Piersall played for the Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators, New York Mets, and Los Angeles/California Angels. His lifetime career batting average was .272. He was regarded as one of the best defensive players of his era, even ahead of several Hall of Famers including Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays. Piersall suffered a nervous breakdown in 1952 and courageously battled mental health illness throughout his career. His autobiography, Fear Strikes Out, was published in 1955 and made into a movie in 1957, advancing awareness of mental health issues. Piersall's on-field antics when he first broke into the majors with the Red Sox full-time in 1952 cracked up fans and provided fodder for newspaper columnists. In one game against the St. Louis Browns, he made pig noises and mocked the odd throwing motion of aging Hall of Fame pitcher Satchel Paige. But Piersall also had furious arguments with umpires, broke down sobbing one day when told he wouldn't play and got into a fistfight with the New York Yankees' Billy Martin at Fenway Park, followed minutes later by a scuffle with a teammate. "Almost everybody except the umpires and the Red Sox thought I was a riot," Piersall said in the 1955 autobiography, later made into a movie starring Anthony Perkins and Karl Malden. "My wife knew I was sick, yet she was helpless to stop my mad rush towards a mental collapse. The Red Sox couldn't figure out how to handle me. I was a problem child." He played 56 games in the majors before being admitted to a mental hospital with what was later diagnosed as bipolar disorder. He wrote in his book that he had almost no memory of the season or his time in the hospital. He returned to the majors in 1953 "sound and healthy" thanks to "shock treatments, faith, a wonderful wife, a fine doctor and loyal friends." He went public to shatter society's stereotypes of the mentally ill. "I want the world to know that people like me who have returned from the half-world of mental oblivion are not forever contaminated," he wrote. Piersall distanced himself from the 1957 movie, claiming it was largely fictional and portrayed his father too negatively. Although he never descended to the depths of mental illness of that first season, he embraced the notoriety it brought him and remained a loose cannon known for his crowd-pleasing stunts and mercurial temper. Born on November 14, 1929 in Waterbury, Connecticut, Piersall grew up a Red Sox fan. He signed with the Red Sox at age 18. |
Controversial Firing at KABC 50 Years Ago
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(June 4, 2017)
Censorship on LARadio and LA TV involving competing philosophies is
nothing new in the landscape of Southern California media. Controversy
raged 50 years at KABC. A peek into the subject is provided by Paul
Eberle in a May 1969 article in the
Los Angeles Free Press.
Some highlights:
“Recent months have seen the removal of
the Smothers Brothers, Les Crane, Mort Sahl,
Arbogast and Margolis, Jill Schary from the airwaves. All plead guilty
to the offense of trying to deal with the realities, the vital issues of
our time. (The big guys don’t like that.)
Last year, Stan Bohrman
resigned as moderator of television’s Tempo II show in protest
over what he described as ‘pure censorship.’
After being out of work for several
months, Bohrman was hired by KABC to fill the 10-12 evening slot left
vacant by the death of Steve Allison. During the two
months he worked the KABC talk show, Bohrman invited some highly
controversial guests to rap with him on the air, and there were no
repercussions from management.
But when he brought Mark Lane on the program for two full hours last
Friday night, he was fired the very next day. |
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"We’ve had some very heavy shows in the past two months. I had a feeling that I had to say what I had to say very quickly, because it might not last very long. I had no contract – they wouldn’t give me a contract," said Bohrman.
‘They said they hired me because they
wanted to lower the age average on our demographics, and raise the
listener ratings. I asked them, what about censorship and they said no
censorship – just do your thing. THEN last Friday night, I had Mark Lane
on for two full hours, and he talked about the assassination and Jim
Garrison and the Shaw Trial. The next night, I see Bob Walsh,
the assistant program director, waiting around. When I got through he
says, ‘Can I see you in my office?’
I said, ‘Oh … are you going to can me, man?’
“And he said, ‘Well yes, I guess so.’ He said that I was only hired
temporarily anyway. Now that is strongly contradicted by the fact that
they had my name on their schedule, running through December. They also
spent a lot of bread on photographs and brochures on me, which were sent
to the ad agencies, telling them of their new, dynamic personally.”
“So then I asked him if I was being fired because management felt I went
too far in my views, and he said, ‘Well, yes … that’s it.” |
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“Now, they knew who they were hiring,”
Bohrman said. “They came to me. They knew my views. Jack Meyers,
the program director, one of the first things he told me was that they
wanted to lower the age of their audience. They were reaching the
Geritol crowd. And he said they wanted another point of view, and they
wanted to involve young people. The official statement they are making
now is that they feel Stan Bohrman did not fit the image. But they
sought me out, man! They knew who I was. Friday I had Mark Lane on and
the next day I was fired.”
“I feel there has to be a voice that represents another point of view on
the mass media. And management has seen to it that only the
Establishment point of view can be heard. I think they have a
responsibility not to silence me and take me off the air because they
disagree with what I say.” |
3 Years Ago Today
Elliot Field - Last Living KFWB
Seven Swingin’ Gentleman Tells All
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(June 3, 2014) On the 50th
anniversary of Color Radio/KFWB in 2008, LARadio ran a two-part story
commemorating the historical event. That same year, Elliot Field, who
hosted the Field Frolic (PM drive on the legendary Channel 98) began writing
about his part in the launch of the iconic station. His book,
Last of the Seven Swingin’ Gentlemen, has just been released. Elliot’s book grew to include stories about his road
to Hollywood, including the personal challenges he encountered. Many who heard
his voice on radio or television never knew he navigated the entertainment
industry while wearing braces, as a result of childhood polio. “Until someone
met me, they wouldn’t know of my physical situation. It certainly wasn’t going
to deter me from this Hollywood opportunity, so while some were perhaps
surprised on first seeing me with my appliances, I always wanted the performance
to be remembered, rather than the braces or crutches,” said Elliot. His career spans decades and includes work as an
actor, playing characters in famous cartoons and commercials, live-announcing
for television, radio station management, politics in Palm Springs, and more. Written with LARP Anita Garner, Last of the Seven Swingin’ Gentlemen has just been released on Amazon. (The book can be downloaded onto any device, Kindle not required.) Click artwork to purchase the book. |
Hear Ache
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(June 2, 2017) Inland Empire’s morning Country co-host Scott Ward has been upped to program director for the CBS Radio five-station cluster. He will continue morning show duties at KFRG (K-FROG). He’s been with the cluster since 1995. Ward replaces Riverside ops manager and pd Lee Douglas … More than 18 months after it was announced, Killing Patton appears to be dead, according to the National Geographic Channel. The cable channel said they were scrapping its latest adaptation of a Bill O’Reilly book. The channel did not mention O’Reilly’s recent legal woes or his firing from Fox News Channel, instead calling it a “difficult project to crack.” … A bitter dispute at two of L.A.'s most popular fm stations is going on, and Erika Garza (l), former co-host to Hollywood Hamilton at K-EARTH is at the center of the controversy. ... Fortune magazine recently dissected the success of the 2016 World Series champion Chicago Cubs. The number one conclusion on what we can learn from the Cubs and their big win was their philosophy of “Hire For Character.” Would this work in radio? Fortune: “How employees treat one another or cope with adversity can be more important to your success than other skill sets. People don’t like working in isolation.” … National Radio Hall of Fame voting begins next week. Up for Music Format On-Air Personality is Ryan Seacrest and Hollywood Hamilton. In the Spoken Word On-Air Personality category is KFI’s Bill Handel and KSPN’s Mike & Mike … Sean Hannity has invited Julian Assange to fill-in for him this summer. |
He was featured in a recent four-page story in People Magazine
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... and in the June + July issue of Esquire. Last Sunday he was on CBS Morning News. Quite the recent PR push
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Hear Ache
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(May 31, 2017) Wonder what the wonderful Dodger broadcaster for 28 years, Ross Porter, is up to nowadays? He’s a contributor to the LA Times’ “Dodgers Dugout,” a free newsletter. You can sign up at latimes.com/dodgers … Larry King was featured in a May issue of Fortune Magazine. He was asked how the news business has changed since he started. “The change in tv has been unbelievable. But what I did in the late ‘50s is what I’m doing now, just transmitted differently. I’m just asking questions, getting answers, moving the show along.” … Mary Berner, ceo of Cumulus Media (KABC/KLOS), was featured in The Hollywood Reporter. In the article, she said: “Ninety-three percent of Americans listen to radio each week, which makes it the largest medium in the U.S. in terms of reach, but it’s under-appreciated by advertisers.” … Merrill Markoe, former Talker at KTZN/KABC (1997-98), was fascinated with the word “pussy” that had a prominent role in the latest election. The Emmy winner and novelist began by jotting down her own personal experiences with the word, plus Googling, consulting dictionaries and polling friends, which led to “pussy overload,” and that ended up being featured in a roundtable discussion at The Hollywood Reporter … Michael Steele, former pd at Indie 103.1, has joined the Warner Music Group as director of Playlist Programming & Curation … Can on-air talk hosts go home together? Joe Scarborough (ex-KABC) and Mika Brzezinski (l) think so. “We have a crackling on-air chemistry, and a crackling off-air chemistry, too,” the pair told The Hollywood Reporter … Saul Levine continues to send out weekly numbers for his new Oldies station, K-SURF (1260AM). Week 2 of the May Book: .6 (6 Plus), .8 (35 Plus), 1.2 (55 Plus) … Jeff Biggs is on NBC Sports Radio (SiriusXM channels #202 & #213) every week day with sports updates … Radio legend Dick Biondi (ex-KRLA) has been missing in action since early April. Currently heard on Chicago’s WLS/fm, the “Wild I-Tralian”said he’s looking forward to getting back on the air as soon as his doctors get him “back into fighting shape,” according to Robert Feder. Biondi, 84, was said to be recovering from a leg ailment for which he was hospitalized earlier this month. No other details have been disclosed. |
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Before the Motion Picture Academy announced that Jimmy Kimmel
would return to host the 2017 Oscarcast,
Variety took a poll and
almost 80% favored his return
40 Years At KROQ Comes to an End for Rodney Bingenheimer
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(May 30, 2017) For four decades, Rodney
Bingenheimer has been a fixture at KROQ. He would hardly be
considered a disc jockey in the traditional sense, yet there he was,
playing records and breaking artists on the Alternative station for a
long, long time. Rodney’s last show will air next Sunday night from
midnight to 3 a.m., not an entirely unique timeslot for the man who
loved playing music he loved, no matter how bizarre. He discovered or was the first to play music by now well-known groups, including Duran Duran, Blondie and Dramarama. Bingenheimer says KROQ management called him to a meeting where he was told his long-running show, “Rodney on the ROQ,” was over, according to a story by Peter Larsen in the OC Register. “They said they were going through a lot of changes, a lot of cutbacks, and they’ve got new management people coming in,” Bingenheimer said. “I didn’t leave the show on my own, but they were very good to me the whole time I was there.” On his Facebook page he posted: "It has been an amazing run, and I will be thanking all of you when I say goodbye to KROQ next week. I am planning on some special callers and special music as I say a proper goodbye. "As this chapter closes, I will be opening another chapter of my rock life soon. I may be done with KROQ, but I am not retiring. "I hope you continue to join me on that journey. I have the greatest fans of all time and you’ve made my time at KROQ a fantastic one. "Here’s to Rock and Roll. More to come..." |
Memory of Gregg Allman
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(May 28, 2017) "Very sorry to hear about the passing of
Gregg Allman. Back in 1973, I was working as a dj at one of the most influential Top 40 stations in the South - WQXI-Atlanta. Our program director, Bill Sherard, had a feeling about a new single called Ramblin' Man by a group from Macon, Georgia, The Allman Brothers. He added the song to our playlist and The Allman Brothers quickly had their first [and really only] huge national hit single as radio stations all over the country added the song, too, based upon the initial play at WQXI. Every time I hear that cut, I remember being at WQXI when The Allman Brothers released probably the biggest hit of their career. And we were lucky [and smart] enough to play it first!" - John Leader (Photo courtesy: Jemal Countess/Getty Images) |
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LARadio Archives: January, February, March 2017 April, May 2017 |
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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 50 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. |
