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Los Angeles Radio Wires Dec 13, 2003!All Access (registration required)Big news at CLEAR CHANNEL Hot AC KYSR (STAR 98.7)/LOS ANGELES: BRAD SAMUEL is named Station Manager. He was Dir./Sales of crosshall sisters Talk KFI-A & Standards KLAC-A (THE FABULOUS 570). In the wake of the move, KFI-A & KLAC-A GSM JEFF THOMAS is upped to Dir./Sales. Meanwhile, the rumor becomes reality as STAR 98.7 officially announces that afternoon host RYAN SEACREST is exiting his post to concentrate on his AMERICAN TOP 40 host duties and his national TV career. SEACREST's STAR teammate LISA FOXX will stay the course, and she will be joined by station weekender JASON PULLMAN. The station has further revealed that former KROQ midday legend RICHARD BLADE will join to host a daily feature called "RICHARD BLADE'S REWIND MINUTE," during which he will highlight tunes by edgy `80s acts like THE CURE, THE SMITHS, MORRISSEY, DURAN DURAN, and DEPECHE MODE. That particular feature will air each weekday at 3:50p and 5:50p.
San Diego Radio Wires Dec 13, 2003!All Access (registration required)After vacating 550 AM yesterday to end its interference with adjacent-channel Adult Standards XESURF-A (K-SURF)/TIJUANA-SAN DIEGO, XEKTT-A/TECATE, BAJA CALIFORNIA is back on at 560 AM with Spanish music and a signal that appears to cover roughly the same area as the 550 signal (but receives substantial adjacent-channel interference from KLAC-A/LOS ANGELES at ALL ACCESS' two coastal LOS ANGELES offices). The move is good news for K-SURF and CLEAR CHANNEL Talk KFYI-A/PHOENIX, which was getting hammered with co-channel interference from XEKTT at night within the PHOENIX market, and bad news for CCU's KBLU-A/YUMA, which now shares 560 with XEKTT. San Diego Radio Wires 12-12-03!John Maffei - North County Times TV/SportsRadio coverage joins crowd for CIF football finals. Excerpt: Again this year, Channel 4 will carry the day's final three games ---- Divisions III (1 p.m.), II (4:30 p.m.) and I (8 p.m.). The matchups for those games will be determined by tonight's semifinals. And for the first time, all four games can be heard on radio. ESPN (800), which is trying to make a dent locally, secured the rights. KKSM (1320) will carry Division I and II games involving North County teams. Also: With college football fans anxious to see which teams would play in the Sugar Bowl, last Sunday's "BCS Selection Show" on ABC posted its best rating in six years, pulling a 2.5. That's 108 percent higher than last year's show. Read more news at Maffei's website.
Jay Posner - TV/Radio Sports - The San Diego Union Also: XETV Channel 6 has asked to show Seahawks-Rams at 10 a.m. Sunday instead of 49ers-Bengals, but an answer from Fox won't come until today. Last week's Cowboys-Eagles game earned a 5.9 rating here, the second-highest rating for XETV among the six times it has gone head-to-head with the Chargers. Cowboys-Eagles was picked instead of 49ers-Cardinals, but I doubt the latter game would have done any better against Chiefs-Broncos, which almost beat the Chargers in the ratings (18.8-18.5). Channel 6 also will carry Chargers-Packers at 1:15, with Sam Rosen and Bill Maas announcing. KFMB Channel 8 has Bills-Titans at 10 a.m., with Dick Enberg and Dan Dierdorf. Set your alarm clock now: CBS announced its pregame coverage for Super Bowl XXXVIII will begin at 8 a.m. PST on Feb. 1. That's only, ahem, 7+ hours before the 3:25 p.m. kickoff. Read more news at Posner's media report. Fall '03 P2 Arbitrons Out 12-12-03!Not much interesting activity. Just more people listening to the radio. But some trends. Star 100.7 sinks to a 3.3 in the overall 12 plus ratings. KOOL 95.7 rises back up to a 3.1. 94/9 and 91X remain unchanged from last month. Planet is up to a Weird Al decimal number: 2.7. Bob 99.3 is still a flop. XSUR took a slight dip, not that much despite interference from the AM 550 pirate in the past month. KCBQ loses half of its listeners due to the loss of their 50,000 daytime wattage transmitters in Santee.San Diego Radio Wires 12-12-03!All Access (registration required)Hot AC KFMB (STAR 100.7)/SAN DIEGO APD/MD/afternoon co-host JEN SEWELL is stepping down from her APD/MD post to better concentrate on her on-air role as teammate with GREG SIMMS. VP/GM/PD TRACY JOHNSON, Marketing & Promotions Dir. CHAMPAGNE LUU, and Programming Asst. DAYNA MONROE will handle SEWELL's music responsibilities.
National Radio Wires 12-12-03!rronlineAre Listeners Tuning Out All-Christmas Formats? Study shows diminished desire for holiday format. According to a study released today by Harker Research, the number of listeners who want continuous Christmas-music stations has dipped slightly in 2003: Just 14% of those surveyed prefer stations to play all-Christmas music, down from 20% last year. Furthermore, listeners were nearly two-to-one against an early start on Christmas music, with many suggesting that stations wait until after the Thanksgiving holiday to switch their on-air presentation. However, half of all radio listeners do want to hear holiday music between two to three times per hour. Almost 90% of all listeners wouldn't mind hearing at least two Christmas songs per hour. More details in Today's News. KISS Automation Crackup 12-11-03!All Access (registration required)The dangers of automation and voice-tracking came into earshot on MONDAY (12/8), as CLEAR CHANNEL Top 40 WKSC (KISS 103.5)/CHICAGO's overnight show became a festival of jingles, spots, and promos. The station's computer system malfunctioned and spewed out the music-free set beginning at midnight. WKSC PD ROD PHILLIPS tells ALL ACCESS they had the problem fixed in an hour.
550 AM from Tijuana-Tecate Shut Down 12-11-03!Update: between 5pm and 7pm, it moved to AM 560, then it disappearred. It's back on as of 10pm. No word whether the SCT has acted on a complaint or if the station is daytime only, but in either case, it interferes with KLAC 570 in Los Angeles in several areas in Orange and other nearby areas. Wish the SCT would also shut down XLNC1 90.7 as well.Update from allaccess.com: XEKTT-A/TECATE, BAJA CA vacates the 550 AM signal it fired up early in NOVEMBER, thus ending its interference with adjacent channel Adult Standards XESURF-A/TIJUANA-SAN DIEGO. The legality of XEKTT's move to 550 is unclear, but the operation was shut down after interference to XESURF and other stations drew complaints. Parts are from this morning's LARadio.com: In November 2003, an unauthorized frequency change occurred as XEKTT Tecate, which was once licensed to broadcast on AM 1600 until November 16 according to the SCT database, made an illegal frequency shift and a power boost to AM 550, possibly broadcasting from hills near Tijuana. The pirate radio operation on AM 550 has caused severe adjacent-channel interference from XESUR (X-SURF) 540 located nearby in Rosarito just 30 miles south of Tijuana. XESUR broadcasts most of KSURF 1260's programming for Orange and San Diego counties with pop standards programming. XSURF was losing listeners due to the illegal pirate activity of AM 550 Tijuana. The Mexican Government acted on complaints from the operator of XESUR in Mexicoand shut them off the air. "WeÆre back to being normal again," said a relieved Saul Levine, owner/gm of the 540/1260 AM Pop Standards signal to laradio.com. "This hurt us because we were doing a tremendous job with 2/3rds of the audience of Clear Channel's KPOP-San Diego. People in L.A. were using 540 as fill-in in areas where 1260 was not strong. And weÆve just totally lost that. It has been a tremendous burden, but fortunately theyÆve been taken off the air. 540 is back and now heard all over the Southland. WeÆre just very grateful that the Mexican government moved in and stopped this."
Tazy Update 12-11-03!Hello Everyone,Thought I would email you an update on yours truly - Tazy! My birthday (12/05) went well! Thank you for those who remembered! On the jobfront, although I am still looking for a full time position, I am currently writing and producing GRAMMY specials again for Westwood One (the national radio syndicator)! Also, I have been asked to do some work as a Coordinator for the "2004 Orange County Music Awards/OCMA"! (Thanx Martin!) Now in it's 3rd year, the OCMA's are a great way for your band or solo act to establish a foothold and gain more exposure within Orange County, CA! Musically yours - Tazy email: SPradio1@aol.com; web: SP RADIO ONE National Radio: San Diego's Flores Resurrects Radio Syndication Company Dec 11, 2003San Diego radio vet Julio Flores was a late night, then evening deejay from 1985-89 at the old KGMG "Magic" 102.1, then licensed to Oceanside. Now, he's back with some new programming show concepts to sell to radio stations as Flores resurrects his radio syndication company - "Western Front Radio Networks." Programming will include Alternative, Triple-A, Smooth Jazz and Talk programming.Western Front Radio will debut with their flagship show "Modern Rock Classics," a classic alternative show featuring the late 70's to early 90's alternative rock. Sex Pistols to Nirvana. This format should fit in with 91X or 94/9, two alternative rock radio stations. The radio shows will be available after the first of the year 2004. You can get more info by e-mailing him at: julioanthonyfloresNOSPAM@earthlink.net (remove "NOSPAM" to e-mail Julio; we put it there to thwart spambots from harvesting e-mail addresses.) Western Front Radio Networks started in 1983 syndicating alternative programming to college radio making the transition to commercial radio in the late eighties and early nineties. San Diego Radio Wires 12-11-03!All Access (registration required)JEFFERSON PILOT Country KSON/SAN DIEGO morning team TONY & KRIS have crowned yet another SUPERFAN for the upcoming SHANIA TWAIN concert. ANGELA CHAMBERS of SAN DIEGO and her fiancT GLENN took the honors by competing in the SHOCKED FOR SHANIA contest where husband and wife teams battled each other in rounds of SHANIA trivia. The shocking part came when the husbands had to put on a shock collar and if they answered a question incorrectly their wives shocked them via remote control. The lucky winners received front row tickets to the SAN DIEGO SHANIA concert, backstage passes, an invite to SHANIA's soundcheck party, dinner with her band, CD's and a lot more. Voice pro STEVE STONE re-ups for another year of voice duties at INFINITY Classic Rock KPLN (103.7 THE PLANET)/SAN DIEGO. STEVE has also just signed on as the narrator for "Rally Round The House," the popular home improvement show on THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL. For more on STONE, visit http://www.stonecreativeproductions.com.
San Diego Radio Wires 12-10-03!All Access (registration required)JEFFERSON PILOT Country KSON/SAN DIEGO names parttimer JR ROGERS for overnight duties as JONES RADIO NETWORKS' DANNY WRIGHT exits. AT 40 Update 12-10-03!rronlineIt's Official: Casey Kasem Off American Top 40! However, he'll still be counting down the hits for Premiere Radio Networks, as the veteran countdown announcer signs a new long-term contract with Premiere that keeps him on as host of American Top 20. Kasem will host both the Hot AC and AC versions of AT20, but his new deal does not include the long-running American Top 40 program. As R&R reported yesterday, KYSR/Los Angeles afternoon host Ryan Seacrest is expected to be named as AT40's new host. In a release issued by Premiere, Kasem said, "I've been working with Premiere over the last several months to find a way for me to be with my audience in every market in the nation without having to compete with myself by being on both CHR stations with American Top 40 and AC stations with American Top 20. With this new contract, I'll be counting down the hits for my listeners into the next decade." Terms of Casem's new deal with Premiere were not disclosed. Ryan Seacrest Officially Named New American Top 40 Host! R&R first told you Monday that the KYSR/Los Angeles afternooner and American Idol host would replace Casey Kasem as host of the long-running countdown show, and syndicator Premiere Radio Networks today formally announced that Seacrest will begin hosting the four-hour program the weekend of Jan. 10, 2004. Upon Seacrest's debut, American Top 40 will add new interactive features such as letting the audience vote for their favorite songs via the AT40 website and allowing listeners to communicate directly with Seacrest. In naming Seacrest, Premiere Radio Networks President/COO Kraig Kitchin said, "It takes a great talent to measure up to the standard that Casey Kasem has set. Ryan brings a vibrancy and a consumer connection to this program, the likes of which our industry has not seen in a long, long time. Premiere has lots of innovation in store for American Top 40." AT40 will originate from a glass studio at the Hollywood and Highland complex in Hollywood, CA, where Seacrest will also host his new live daily TV program On Air with Ryan Seacrest, set to debut Jan. 12.
National Radio Wires 12-9-03!rronlineRyan Seacrest Set To Count 'Em Down? KYSR host expected to helm American Top 40. Although Premiere Radio Networks representatives had no comment to R&R late Friday, there's rampant speculation that the Clear Channel-owned syndicator will announce today that the KYSR/Los Angeles afternoon host will replace Casey Kasem as host of American Top 40, beginning in January. AT40 will be based at new studios in Hollywood, CA, along with his forthcoming syndicated daytime TV program. Add to that his American Idol hosting duties, which resume in January, and R&R hears that Seacrest will have to relinquish his KYSR duties to accomodate his busy schedule. More details in Today's News.
All Access (registration required) SIRIUS has officially surpassed the 200,000 subscribers mark, the company announced today. Of the announcement, SIRIUS Pres. and CEO JOSEPH CLAYTON stated, "We achieved another important milestone for SIRIUS, which clearly demonstrates the growing interest in our premium service of nationwide satellite radio entertainment. More consumers are discovering the pleasures of our commercial-free music offering, and more are also recognizing the value of receiving such premium quality programming, such as play-by-play sports, for only $12.95 per month."
San Diego Radio Wires 12-9-03!XEKTT 550 AM is apparently reaching into the San Fernando Valley area, possibly clashing with the listeners who are used to getting KUZZ 550 from Bakersfield.Call Sign Changes: KFSD-FM, Escondido, to KSOQ-FM (92.1). That station now relays programming from KSON-FM 97.3. Los Angeles Radio Wires 12-9-03!rronlineKSPN's Todd Donoho Exits... The veteran Los Angeles sportscaster and commentator, who has been part of ESPN Radio's West Coast flagship for the past year and a half, got the bad news Friday from KSPN PD Ray Kalusa. Reportedly KSPN's highest-paid host, Donoho tells the Los Angeles Times his firing was "simply a case of the station having a new Program Director, and me not being involved in his plans." Donoho has a long history with ABC in the L.A. market, having done sports on KABC-TV from 1989-1998 and on co-owned Classic Rock KLOS-FM for the past 15 years; he tells the Times he assumes he's out at KLOS as well. Does CC Want SoCal's 'KDL'?... ST hears that Clear Channel is close to reaching a joint sales agreement with Entravision's Los Angeles-area Dance simulcast, KDLD & KDLE (103.1 KDL). CC/L.A. RVP/Market Manager Roy Laughlin told ST he would not comment on rumor or speculation but, should something occur, he'll definitely let us know. Calls to Entravision went unreturned, and neither company would comment on a rumored format change for the stations.
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