Los Angeles Radio Wires 12-29-02

EXCERPT: "...but 94.3 FM struggled in the ratings. More importantly, to Astor, it was losing a lot of revenue - $1.5 million in the past year - to giants Infinity and Clear Channel, which offered packaged deals to advertisers. Astor had been approached earlier by Liberman Broadcasting to sell, and this past week he took the company up on the offer. Within days, KMXN will go Spanish, simulcasting the "Que Buena" format heard on KBUE/105.5 FM and KBUA/94.3 FM in the San Fernando Valley."

A top radio story of 2002: "6. Consolidation - Mergers and frequency flips and format changes never stopped in 2003. Infinity put all-news KFWB/980 AM into a trust. ABC's Disney radio is to be 1110 AM. ESPN sports will be 710. XTRA 690 and KXTA 1150 are one. Entravision is buying KLYY/107.1 FM, where it will simulcast its KSSE/97.5 "Super Estrella" format. "

Another one: "7. KRTH changes - Veterans Huggy Boy and Johnny Hayes were gone. Frazer Smith appeared briefly, to be replaced by Gary Bryan. Brian Beirne moved to weeknights, with Shotgun Tom Kelly in middays. The oldies station seemed to be loosening up a bit at year's end. More personality and an expanded playlist may be the ticket to keeping successful in 2003."

San Diego Radio Wires 12-28-02

"After 13 years on XTRA, Coach John Contera is gettin' Clear Channel's uncerimonious boot! His ratings haven't tanked, and he always got quality guests and callers for his evening stints! So what's Clear Channel's criteria? It's sad that in this era of sports shouters, an even keeled voice is once again being silenced ! Mayhap they're clearing a spot for Fox's J.T. the Brick in SoCal's market! Hopefully, Coach will find a spot on Sactown's Hot Talk 1140 ! What a New Years' gift that would be for NorCali ! Thanks once again, coach, for 13 quality years of pro, college, & hi-school sports coverage! Your void will be vast & unfillable! 73s from all your loyal listeners up-n-down Cali & points beyond !!!"

San Diego Radio Wires 12-27-02

San Diego Radio Wires 12-25-02

Where's Clear Channel AT?!?!? - I work at a job where people order food for delivery, and I regularily get phone calls from employees at that Clear Channel building, you know, the one that houses, um, 13 stations or so, and nothing on.

The past month, I get calls from interns and other employees whom I ask what their address is. I get variations of their address such as 6990 Granite Ridge, 6550 Granite Ridge, 5660 Granite Ridge, 9696 Granite Ridge, 9966 Granite Ridge, and 9666 Granite Ridge Rd.

Finally, after some five minutes of being given addresses that doesn't exist, I directly asked one of them if they worked at the Clear Channel building. He said "yes." Then he was shocked when I told him that his address was really 9660 Granite Ridge Rd and I was at the building 27 times in the past year.

Are the employees at that Clear Channel building really as ignorant as I have been reporting here? They can't even get their address right!

North County Times - Randy Dotinga
365 days, five lowlights... "Mikey" Esparza, the potty-mouthed evening disc jockey on Rock 105.3, managed to get busted not once but twice for saying stupid things on the air. Four more at his website!

North County Times - Ann Zivotsky
Add these shows to resolutions list... The gifts are opened and the new year is approaching. Now's the time of year when we look back at the past year and wonder about the future. Having given up the notion of personal resolutions, TV viewers should resolve to watch these shows, the best of 2002. Also: New Year's Eve has become a stay-at-home holiday for many, and TV programmers know it. Here are some offerings to keep you entertained on Dec. 31 and into the new year.

San Diego Radio Wires 12-24 1/2-02

Yes, that's right. San Diego is now officially part of the Los Angeles metro area!

Due to the overwhelming ignorance and apathy of San Diegans who do nothing on the part of improving radio in the San Diego Outland area, radio from the Lost Angle-less Outland is apparently taking over the San Diego area little by little.

San Diego already has L.A.-style gridlocked freeways with out of towners working in San Diego but live in other Outlands such as Ramona, Temecula, and Orange County. The workers here aren't really San Diegan's; they just work here, but live elsewhere in another area.

Now, radio in the San Diego area is sounding not just more like L.A. all the time, but BE from L.A. as well. KSYY 107.1 Fallbrook used to be its own station serving North San Diego county; it's been a simulcast of a Los Angeles County based broadcaster from Arcadia for about ten years. January 6th marks the day that XTRA Sports 690 becomes XTRA Sports 690/1150 based in the same Clear Channel house that hosts Rick Dees on KIIS-FM (AM 1150 used to be KIIS-AM simulcasting its FM station in the 80's and early 90's run by Gannett). The Mexican owners of 90.7 FM in Tijuana will soon give half of its broadcasting day to KUSC 91.5 out of Los Angeles to program classical music from L.A. 89.9 FM from Lemon Grove is a booster for KCRW, also on 89.9, out of Santa Monica. AM 540 KSURF is basically the same thing as AM 1260 out of San Fernando valley.

And now, with the purchase of 107.1 Fallbrook among others by Entravision, it is possible that programming heard on KSSE 97.5 in Riverside and 103.1 in Los Angeles will also be simulcast on 107.1 in San Diego county, as well as the 107.1 in Ventura county, but 107.1 in Arcadia could also extend the same Spanish pop programming from KSSE as well.

Some radio critics say that nobody from San Diego listens to Los Angeles radio. Well, it doesn't look like the inhabitants of the San Diego Outland even care about who runs what station. They just want the programming.

More possibilities of the L.A.-ization of San Diego, a Los Angeles suburb: KIIS-FM 102.7 simulcasts on KHTS 93.3, forcing AJ's Lame House over to Z90 while Rick Dees takes over mornings for "Cheap" Channel to save more money. Since both top 40 formats are the same thing, who will notice? 933 has dance mixes daily at noon and weekends from 9pm through 1am and 3am. 102.7 has Full Frequency Saturday mornings and Club KIIS Saturday nights 10pm-2am. Both stations run Rick Dees Weekly Top 40. KIIS-FM runs Carson Daly's voicetracked show. Would the stations end up with more Dees and dance?

Another possibility: ESPN 710 (effective January 1) and ESPN 800. Use the 800 to extend the signal of 710, but sell San Diego commercials on AM 800 only.

How about Arrow 93.1 out of Los Angeles taking over The Planet 103.7? Classic rock oldies. Same thing.

Welcome to San Diego, a Suburb of Los Angeles, now both are America's Behindest Cities!

San Diego Radio Wires 12-24 1/2-02

The San Diego Union "Mark Larson Reelected To San Diego Radio Broadcasters Assn. The current morning host and former GM of KCBQ & KPRZ/San Diego will serve his sixth consecutive term as President of the association, which is 25 stations strong. His show also airs on KRLA/Los Angeles."

The Wires (Dec 2002)