Aircheck: KLSX Flips From Talk to AMP Radio (Feb 22, 2009)

This is an aircheck of KLSX between 4:30 and 7pm as it changed formats at 5pm to a top 40 format.

Opinion: Amp 97.1 FM (Feb 21, 2009)

Unfortunately, this is what terrestrial radio needs to do.

Compete head-on against Clear Channel's contemporary hit radio format in Los Angeles.

With men listening to satellite radio, podcasts, talk radio, rock, oldies, etc., terrestrial radio has to mostly mirror what terrestrial television is aiming their programming at: women and teenagers.

KIIS-FM hasn't had a serious hit music format contender since Pirate 100.3 signed on 20 years ago with a rock-leaning top 40 format.

KIIS-FM survived the threat of the popular glorious early days of Power 106 when it launched as a churban station (urban and CHR) featuring house mixes of popular songs in 1986. It has since morphed into a hip hop and R&B format.

KIIS-FM hasn't had a competetor for over a decade, going from ownership under Gannett to Jacor to Clear Channel in that timespan.

What CBS Radio is doing could possibly be the answer to break the stranglehold that Clear Channel enjoys with its CHR format.

Why didn't any station try this before?

A competeting CHR format on a full-power station is what is needed to jolt the monotonous top 40 playlists on KIIS and other stations run by Clear Channel.

Top 40 radio wars is what is missed by everybody, even those who never listen to top 40 radio but are interested in the business aspects of the medium. These top 40 wars are good for the music industry overall. Stations will break out new songs that would attract the listeners to their station more often than not. They will bring back the money prize contests, radio stunts, station vans, and other kinds of promotional ideas to get the attention of people.

Here in San Diego, we haven't had a serious top 40 or CHR format since Channel 933 was launched as a CHR station in August of 1998. That's well over 10 years. Before channel 933, the last CHR that flipped to hot AC was Q106 sometime in 1993 as it quit playing rap, which was a staple of top 40 charts.

The torch of top 40 radio went from the days when KCBQ 1170 and Boss Radio 1360 were feuding for listeners to just KCBQ in 1972 to KCBQ vs. KSEA in 1973 to KCBQ vs. B100 in 1975 to B100 vs. 13K in 1979 to 13K vs. K105 vs. Mighty 6900 in 1980 to 13K vs. Mighhty 690 in 1981 to Mighty 690 vs. KS-103 in 1984 to Hits FM 90.3 vs. KS-103 in 1984 to KS-103 vs. Q106 in 1987. Six months after Q106 was launched, KS-103 died, suggesting that KS-103 was too weak to retain its listeners from its competetor.

In Los Angeles, since 1981 when I first started listening to L.A. radio on my home stereo in San Diego, I heard KIQQ until 1985, KIIS-FM was launched around that time, there was also a competetor at 93.1 for a short while in the mid 80s, Power 106 launched in 1986, Pirate 100.3 in 1989 (lasting a year as a rock 40 format), and nothing on the CHR competetive front since Power 106 sequeued into urban.

With KIIS-FM standing alone in the CHR format for the longest time, it's about time that station got shook up seriously with a competetor that will shake them up into coming up with ways to freshen up the sounds of their playlist.

AMP 97.1 (not sure if KLSX will be retained or new call letters will be applied for) plans to take on the long dominant KIIS-FM and bring them down several notches, but don't think that KIIS-FM will be taking it on the ropes while AMP gets in all of the punches. Expect playlists to become more current, tighter, but allow new ideas in popular music to get on the air to keep the listeners interested, as both stations will be going at it for the same women and teenager audience.

If successful, AMP could arrive in San Diego's 103.7 owned by CBS, pushing Sophie into an HD2 channel, and taking on Channel 933.

The other stations that came and went in the last ten years are probably scratching their heads wondering why they never thought of going head-to-head with Clear Channel CHR in the longest time, letting it have CHR all to itself in a given market. AMP is a good business move to get an already-established audience for CHR, and could possibly have the genre attract listeners away from other non-CHR stations in town.

Let's see if AMP could shock CHR into relevance on today's non-fans of top 40 once again!

10 Years Ago on Feb 20, 1999

The Wires (Feb 21, 2009)

Radio World: Radio Posts Worst Revenue Year in Decades. RAB says U.S. sales were off 9% overall

All Access: Top 40 97.1 AMP Radio/Los Angeles Debuts. Following much speculation, rumors became reality as CBS Talker KLSX announced the move to Top 40 as L.A's Hit Music Channel, 97.1 Amp Radio, and the station debuted at 5pm (2/20) under VP/Programming Kevin Weatherly with 10,000 songs in a row. Tom Leykis closed down the Talk format at CBS Radio's KLSX/Los Angeles Friday afternoon with an abbreviated two-hour show leading into the station's previously-announced flip to Top 40 as 97.1 AMP Radio at 5pm PT. "We will resurface when the time is appropriate," Leykis said, advising fans to check his Myspace page for updates. Taking his last caller out "bong hit and Laci Peterson style," Leykis finished up the show by playing Joe Jackson'S "I'm The Man," saying that the lyrics "are about me," followed by one last "Blow Me Up, TOM."

Where Should Tom Leykis Go? (Feb 21, 2009)

Any radio station in the L.A. market should grab him as soon as they can. The sports talker on KLAC 570 could use a serious ratings improvement by having Tom replace a mundane block of sports talk, which just doesn't get the ratings.

KFI 640 was his first Los Angeles home until the morons that ran the station drove him away. KSPN 710 (when it was KMPC) was his second home until the twits at Disney dumped him. He's been at KLSX in 1997 in its third year in existance ever since until yesterday.

It's unlikely that KFI or KSPN would hire him for various reasons. Neither would KABC 790.

KLAA 830, a station virtually nobody listens to, could get a ratings boost by having Leykis on.

Forget KRLA 870. That's owned by Salem Communications, which is too conservative, as is the mentioned KFI.

KTLK 1150 is iffy, and its southbound signal is weaker by comparison to most of the lower frequency stations.

No other station in the Los Angeles basin would be a suitable employer for his show.

What do you think?

The Wires (Feb 20, 2009)

Gary Lycan: Tom Leykis talks about leaving KLSX -- On the Radio: The talk show host says he departs with 'no regrets.' "I don't owe anybody anything. CBS has been remarkable - way different than Howard Neal and David G. Hall at KFI. KLSX has such a history and has had a great run – they wanted me to be the last voice heard on the station," he said - Friday's plan is to let all the talk hosts sign off live one last time – Adam Carolla, Heidi, Frosty & Frank, Danny Bonaduce and Leykis. Also: Adam Carolla announced on air Thursday that he will be podcasting his show beginning Monday at www.adamcarolla.com

Wires: KLSX To Top 40 (Feb 19, 2009)

Gary Lycan: Talk KLSX/97.1 FM will flip to a new Top 40 format called "AMP RADIO" at 5 p.m. Friday, CBS announced Wednesday. Current talk show hosts Adam Carolla, the team of Frosty, Heidi & Frank, and Tom Leykis will do their final shows live Friday, with Leykis tossing the switch at 5 p.m. to "AMP RADIO", a Top 40 format. The format, described as playing "all the hits," will also be online at www.ampradio.com. Current KLSX Programming Director Jack Silver is leaving CBS, a company spokeswoman said. CBS L.A. programmer Kevin Weatherly is the "architect" of the "Amp" format, which is designed to be for "on-air, online and mobile audio destinations." Amp is integrating mobile apps like Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and other social networking resources. The "Amp Radio" concept originated last year as an online and HD-2 channel. Now it takes over at KLSX. The Amp Radio format originally debuted in February 2008 as an online entity and HD-2 station on KCBS/Los Angeles.

John Rook From John Rook -- As this website first reported on 2-9, KLSX-fm in LA after a long run as "free-talk fm" will be challenging KIIS-fm's CHR format almost immediately. Within days of Westwood One pulling the plug on talker Tom Lykis, he now will be shown the door at KLSX, as is Adam Carolla and the rest of the stations personalities. Don't be surprised if some of the KLSX gang find a new home on S. La Cienega Blvd.

LA Times: KLSX (97.1 Free FM) will switch formats Feb. 20 to CBS Radio's latest concept, titled AMP Radio

Mredindc posted on a radio-info board some jokes about Amp Radio. Here's some inside info on the workings of the new Amp 97.1: Songs will be called "Amp Currents". PSAs will be "Short Circuits". Commercials will be "Blown Fuses". Requests will be "Crossed Wires". Stop sets will be "Circuit Breakers". And air personalities will be ... wait for it ... "Shock Jocks". Somebody stop me!

Just In...KLSX to Change? (Updated 11:00am Feb 18, 2009)

KLSX will not only lose Carolla, but the station is also cutting middays Frosty, Heidi, and Frank loose, as well as Tom Leykis, whose syndicated show was dropped by Westwood One earlier.

More to come later.