Radio Wires (September 19, 2002)

"Night Talk" got bumped when KCEO decided to air golden oldies from 6 p.m.-6 a.m. The new show will feature host Ken Treadway with sports journalist Tom Sheridan and science/tech expert Dave Drake.

Treadway is perhaps better known as Ken Leighton, frequent contributor to a weekly San Diego Reader column. Leighton/Treadway writes about local music and his competitors in the world of local radio.

The programming switcheroo at KCEO has sent financial talk show host Jerry Klein (www.investorstalk.com) to KSDO, where his "Investor's Voice of Reason" show now airs from 5-6 p.m. weekdays.

The San Diego Reader Blurt

Radio legend Happy Hare (Harry Martin) is back on the air with his first full-time radio gig in 30 years.

Martin started doing morning drive again last week, playing Perry Como and Peggy Lee hits on KPOP (AM 1360).

"Regis called in on my first day back on the air and said, 'Harry, I just want you to know you've got the greatest voice in radio. You're the one that got me into television because I knew I could never compete with you.' "

Regis Philbin got his TV break in San Diego in the 1960s. Happy Hare started here in radio at KCBQ in 1955. "I was one of the first rock jocks in San Diego." Martin was there when KCBQ flipped to rock and roll.

"I had a 40 [percent] share," he said of his ratings. (Today's number-one morning show, Jeff & Jer, shows a 7.6 percent share.) "On the basis of those ratings, I was sent to New York."

Martin returned to KCBQ in 1969. He played the hits there until 1972, then sold radio airtime and did national voiceovers for commercials after that. "I officially retired in 1991."

Two years ago he started playing "adult standards" on weekends on KPOP.

"I outranked everyone [in ratings among listeners] 45 years and older. That's why they asked me to come back full time."

DJ John Regan worked at KPOP for nine years. He says he respects Martin's on-air work, but he thinks KPOP has repelled its once-loyal listener base. Regan is now heard on "the Surf," which originates in L.A. but is carried on Tijuana station XSURF-AM (540).

"KPOP did its listeners an extreme disservice when they had nothing but talk in the morning until noon. They killed the format."

A 9 a.m.-to-noon financial talk show was taken off KPOP last year after the station received "a huge number of complaints," said Regan. Martin's new morning DJ shift replaces Joe Bauer's talk-heavy program.

Happy Hare can be heard weekday mornings at KPOP from 6 to 9 a.m. and weekends from noon to 3 p.m. John Regan can be heard on the Surf weekdays from 3 to 7 p.m.

The San Diego Union TV/Radio

Former KUSI anchor returns to full-time broadcasting at Fox - Brian Christie - the former KUSI/Channel 51 anchorman who came to San Diego from CNN (and went back to CNN after KUSI) - is scheduled to become a news anchor at San Diego Fox affiliate XETV/Channel 6, beginning Sept. 30. With his arrival, Lynda Martin - longtime co-anchor of Fox6News' 10 p.m. report - will leave the station, said news director Alberto Pando. Christie was with KUSI for five years until his contract was not renewed in late 1999. Over the past year, Christie has worked as vice president of public relations and corporate communications for Aradiant, a Kearny Mesa-based company that specializes in worldwide telecommunications calls and paging, and for Remote MVX, another local business. In addition, Christie continued to work part time for CNN and other broadcasting entities around the country.

Saxon's showbiz - Channel 6 entertainment reporter Fred Saxon has a new half-hour show that will start on XUPN/Channel 13 at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 5. For some time, Saxon has been on XETV twice a week only during the 8 to 8:30 a.m time frame. Beginning Oct. 1, his Channel 6 work will be known as "Fred on Fox" and will be seen Tuesday through Thursday. "Fred is a wonderful and talented man, and we are thrilled to have him expand his relationship with Bay City Television (owner of XETV and XUPN)," said Richard Doutre Jones, Bay City Television vice president and general manager.

Bauer out at KPOP - San Diego radio broadcasting icon Joe Bauer is out at KPOP/AM 1360, but he may pop up on sister station KSDO/AM 1130. Bauer's last day on KPOP was Sept. 4. He says managers took him off the air because they wanted to increase the amount of nostalgic music and to de-emphasize talk, which Bauer admits he did do his share of. "Happy Hare" Martin - another local radio legend - has replaced Bauer on the KPOP's 6-to-9 a.m. slot. Bauer is hoping to work out a deal with Clear Channel Communications for him and his wife - a clinical psychologist - to move over to the talk format of KSDO with "The Bauers in the Morning." The couple's current show - from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturdays on KOGO/AM 600 - will continue, he said. Bauer went to work for KPOP in June 2001. That relationship began after Bauer - citing a 75 percent pay cut over 18 months - quit KFMB/AM 760, where he had worked 26 years. All but four of those years were spent as half of "Hudson & Bauer."

KCEO tweaking - Astor Broadcasting's Carlsbad-based KCEO/AM 1000, which has primarily a financial talk and health format, is playing adult standards daily from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. The reason for the change was due to poor ratings and a poor nighttime signal. With a small range, few people could listen to Bruce Williams or Jim Bohannon at night.

In other Astor news, the company is launching a trimulcast show, "The Sunday Show," beginning at 6 a.m. Sunday. The hour-long call-in talk show will air on KCEO, and KFSD/AM 1450 and KFSD/FM 92.1, connecting surfers, churchgoers and others who wake early on Sundays. The program is modeled on "Night Talk," which has aired on KCEO since 1988.

Radio Wires (September 19, 2002)

Also:

-- An article in the Wall Street Journal, and RAIN Analysis from Kurt, show how the adoption of wireless home networking will increase the usability and popularity of Internet-delivered radio...

-- Cable and satellite digital music provider Music Choice has petitioned the U.S. Copyright Office to allow parties who do not participate in fee-setting processes -- but are nonetheless subject to the results -- to file comments on those determinations...

-- The Copyright Office is soliciting written proposals on formats for recordkeeping data that webcasters are to submit to SoundExchange, and will hold a conference to discuss the formatting requirements next month.

-- Epic Records, in an effort to prevent music critics and radio programmers from leaking music to the public via the Internet, has delivered at least two promotional CDs sealed in portable CD players with glue...

Radio Wires (September 18, 2002)