Mark Thompson will join the sound in the morning in february 2015 more info on Radioinsight
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Kwsd fm 100.3
- Thread starter jasonharper2013
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Thomps2525
Guest
Mark Thompson co-hosted mornings at KLOS with Brian Phelps from 1987 to 2012. At KSWD, he'll be joining Joe Benson, who also worked at KLOS, and Rita Wilde, who also worked at KLOS. Benson will replace Andy Chanley in middays and Chanley will be part of Mark's morning show. Why are KSWD's ratings so high now when the station is little more than a clone of KLOS? Many people consider KLOS to be a dinosaur but musically KSWD is no different.
I couldn't find a reference to this in Radio Insight's Los Angeles section, so did some research. It turns out you are correct according to the statiions website but this is confusing. At first I thought you might mean Brian Thompson on KSWD (owned by Bonneville International)? Even the Wikipedia update for the station uses both names
http://thesoundla.com/2014/12/mark-thompson-host-new-mark-morning-show-beginning-february-2015/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KSWD_(FM)
My problem is that Mark Thompson is still on afternoon shift with KFI unless something has changed. His twitter account indicates it has not.
https://twitter.com/markthompsontv
Do we now have two on air personalities using the same name?
http://thesoundla.com/2014/12/mark-thompson-host-new-mark-morning-show-beginning-february-2015/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KSWD_(FM)
My problem is that Mark Thompson is still on afternoon shift with KFI unless something has changed. His twitter account indicates it has not.
https://twitter.com/markthompsontv
Do we now have two on air personalities using the same name?
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Thomps2525
Guest
Art, here is the answer to your question: "Yes." The Mark Thompson who co-hosts the KFI afternoon show with Elizabeth Espinosa was a reporter on KRON-Channel 4 in San Francisco and then spent 20 years at KTTV-Channel 11, mostly as a weatherman. I'm glad that we ordinary schmucks can edit Wikipedia. I just went to the KLOS entry and saw the erroneous name of "Brian Thompson." I changed it to Mark.
The KSWD Wikipedia article also needs to be edited the same way - see the last two editorial sections of the link above.
I knew the background of KFI's Mark Thompson - he also has a podcast that he used to share with Tim Conway. But he appears to be totally different from the former KOST host of the same name who has now popped up on KSWD. Do we indeed now have two Mark Thompsons?
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I knew the background of KFI's Mark Thompson - he also has a podcast that he used to share with Tim Conway. But he appears to be totally different from the former KOST host of the same name who has now popped up on KSWD. Do we indeed now have two Mark Thompsons?
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Thomps2525
Guest
Art, there are two Mark Thompsons. Actually there are probably hundreds of Mark Thompsons but only two who work in Los Angeles radio. You mentioned KOST. I know you meant KLOS. There is a Mark at KOST but he's Mark Wallengren. He co-hosted mornings with Kim Amidon from 1986 to 2007, then worked solo for a year. In 2008, former KYXY-San Diego DJ Kristin Cruz became his new co-host. She left in May of this year and Mark is back to working solo.
To answer an earlier post as to why The Sound is doing so well... Both KSWD and KLOS have somewhat similar playlists, but I'd hardly call KSWD a clone. If you look at both playlists side by side, The Sound is now a pure classic rock station, throwing in the occasional "deep" Track ( as well as a full Album side nightly @ 11pm) and even the occasional pop track from The Beach Boys or The Monkees. The Sound's air talent is really into the music they play. KLOS is trying to be hip with the occasional Soundgarden and Foo Fighter track, and their current Air Talent sounds like they're just going through the motions. IMO, The Sound has the better overall presentation.
Seven posts in and still it is not clear. Which Mark Thompson is it? The former KLOS morning jock who co-hosted with Brian Phelps, of the one who has been on Channel 11 and KFI? I gotta believe it is the latter as the former has moved to the east coast and started a new life there.
It's the former... Mark will be using his home studio and probably ISDN in South Carolina to provide his voice to this new gig on The Sound not unlike Bean from Kevin & Bean has been doing for years on KROQ.
What I don't get is why. Minus the podcast with his wife he's been doing (which I haven't listened to one second of) I thought Mark's intention was to ride out into the sunset and retire from the daily radio grind. Everyone has a right to change their mind on their personal career choices sure but what I don't get is why Mark now has this desire to get some skin back in the Los Angeles radio game from over 2,000 miles away 2 years after he abandoned it in the first place. Home life and retirement must either be boring or deep down Mark still has that radio itch he needs scratched.
Because he's out on the right coast and the time difference it's not like the hours would be horrible. Roll out of bed around 8 or 9am and be done by lunchtime all from the comforts of his own home. He doesn't even have to take a shower if he doesn't want to because as of yet radio has no smell-o-vision. I just don't see this lasting very long which makes it's creation even more baffling to me. The Sound hasn't been much of a chatterbox gabfest in the mornings and I believe the people listening prefer it that way.
Then again, it could just be Mark voice tracking in some filler and anecdotes in between music tracks and collecting a paltry paycheck for it. What is abundantly clear with this announcement is Mark has zero intentions of working with Brian Phelps ever again. Based on the stories of their relationship over the years at KLOS that bridge was torched ages ago and the Earth salted so it would never grow again.
Yeah, the move is somewhat puzzling. I respect people who leave it all on the table and when they say they are done, they are really done. Johnny Carson is the biggest example of this for me. When Johnny signed off, it was forever, period. NBC went back to him multiple times asking him to do anniversary and birthday specials and the like and each time he said no. He was proud of the legacy and he wanted it to stand on its own, which it very much does. Mark talked the same way on the way out the door; said he was going to do something different, and I respected him for that.
For anyone who followed the Mark and Brian saga though, this is just a case of more of the truth coming out. Mark clearly had no intention of retiring from "radio", what he retired from was Brian. It's really too bad that they couldn't get along because I always thought the secret to their success was that yin and yang in their different personalities that played so well off of each other.
I agree that for people like me who tune into the Sound in the morning just to catch a few tunes and not some chatter, we may have to find something new because Mark is not known for his brevity in delivery, and it seems like he is putting together a "team" which means there will be other voices as well and they will all need their time too. But this isn't about us twelve complainers, this is about the Sound delivering the knockout blow against KLOS. They have passed KLOS in the ratings on their own strength and have them against the ropes with virtually no new ideas to counter program. Bringing in a heavy hitter that will definitely get many current Heidi and Frank listeners to check out the show they would really rather have, which is any incarnation of the old M&B show. It is a master stroke of genius on the Sound's part, and even if it only lasts a year or two, it will have accomplished its goal.
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Thomps2525
Guest
Mister MadMan, radio weathermen sometimes take scattered showers. 
After Mark & Brian split up, Brian launched a daily podcast with Jill Whelan, who is best known for playing the sick girl on Airplane and Captain Stubing's daughter Vicky on The Love Boat. Mister Robnoxious said that Brian and Jill are husband and wife. Actually she was married to Brad St. John (1993-96) and then Michael Chaykowsky (2004-14). She filed for divorce in June of 2014. As for the podcast of The Brian & Jill Show, the most recent one was January 15, 2014. Robnoxious said he never listened. Apparently nobody listened!
http://www.brianandjillshow.com/blog/
After Mark & Brian split up, Brian launched a daily podcast with Jill Whelan, who is best known for playing the sick girl on Airplane and Captain Stubing's daughter Vicky on The Love Boat. Mister Robnoxious said that Brian and Jill are husband and wife. Actually she was married to Brad St. John (1993-96) and then Michael Chaykowsky (2004-14). She filed for divorce in June of 2014. As for the podcast of The Brian & Jill Show, the most recent one was January 15, 2014. Robnoxious said he never listened. Apparently nobody listened!
http://www.brianandjillshow.com/blog/
Mister MadMan, radio weathermen sometimes take scattered showers.
After Mark & Brian split up, Brian launched a daily podcast with Jill Whelan, who is best known for playing the sick girl on Airplane and Captain Stubing's daughter Vicky on The Love Boat. Mister Robnoxious said that Brian and Jill are husband and wife. Actually she was married to Brad St. John (1993-96) and then Michael Chaykowsky (2004-14). She filed for divorce in June of 2014. As for the podcast of The Brian & Jill Show, the most recent one was January 15, 2014. Robnoxious said he never listened. Apparently nobody listened!
You might want to reread what I wrote.
I never said Brian Phelps and Vicki from The Love Boat were married nor did I mention Jill Whelan in my post at all.
I was referring to Mark Thompson's podcast with his wife.
Since you brought up Brian & Jill's podcast, for the record I haven't listened to one second of their show either.
So your point about nobody listened is probably correct.
The whole idea does sound somewhat cushy. Contrast that with Tom Joyner, who from 1985 to 1993, did mornings in Dallas, afternoons in Chicago and hopped a plane between the two, on a daily basis!
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What a post....outstanding perception.....but like you I wonder why?
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I don't feel fans of either Mark & Brian or Heidi & Frank have ever been on the same page. There are probably some M&B stalwarts that have waved the white flag and kept KLOS in their presets just because of routine and rode along with H&F simply because of that. Others fragmented off to Kevin & Bean, K-Earth, The Sound or even *gasp* Bill Handel.
Heidi & Frank are and have been horrible ever since Frosty bolted. Frosty kept the other two chucklef*cks in check with some ounce of real professionalism. With Frosty out of the picture, H&F is nothing more than tabloid journalism and other assorted "zoo" like fare with stoner Frank steering the ship badly. There are far better and listenable things out there than Heidi's obnoxious laugh and Frank's continued quest to score weed and screw Hollywood wannabe cheesecake flavors of the month as he himself approaches manopause. Frosty, Heidi & Frank had a very good and successful run on KLSX but that good run is going on 10 some odd years ago. It's old hat and not really a hat with a lot of luster. At least not the Heidi & Frank hat variety. KLOS and Cumulus preferred to wallow in complacency and familiarity which they are prone to do because it's cheaper to do so than to scout new talent. That is their biggest mistake.
In the interim, The Sound plugged away with less schmooze more schmusic approach and it has served them quite well. Since I don't have access to the deep hard rating numbers someone else will have to fill in the blanks into how KLOS and The Sound morning ratings have panned out over the past few books. Based on nothing but +6 it appears The Sound has a better pull but I will refrain from any bold statements due to lack of true evidence.
So what does Mark Thompson bring to the table with his return? Familiarity and myopic retrospect is an obvious but beyond that what else? Is Mark really the death nail upon KLOS that The Sound is going for and who is to say it's worth this effort. ChannelFlipper, much like I don't see this lasting very long so the bigger question is WHY? KLOS is obliterating itself on it's own with very little effort from The Sound other than staying the course. That speaks greater volumes than bringing Mark Thompson back into the fold for what will ultimately be short lived stunt programming.
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Thomps2525
Guest
Rob, I apologize for misunderstanding your post. I have a hard enough keeping Mark and Brian separate, even without adding their podcast partners to the mix. I never knew Mark Thompson did a podcast with his wife. The Mark & Lynda Show focuses on relationship issues. Apparently it's considerably more popular than the ill-fated Brian & Jill Show. Has anybody ever left radio and launched a podcast that had more listeners than the radio show did?
Adam Carolla and Chris Hardwick are both doing fairly well with their online endeavors having left their humble beginnings at KROQ.
Who knows what the hard numbers are because Apple doesn't release them to the public but The Adam Carolla Show and Hardwick's The Nerdist are consistently listed in the overall Top 10 podcast lists on iTunes along side the fare coming from NPR and ESPN. That can't be small potatoes to accomplish. Chris Hardwick is especially blowing up lately with his nightly panel show @midnight on Comedy Central that trends on Twitter nightly but that's on the television side of things.
The LA music Radio scene is indeed dreadful to me. Regarding Mark Thompson, Peter Burton (whom I have met) claims that "Mark's return is probably the biggest thing to happen to L.A. radio since his departure." As Tom Leykis would say... REEEEEEEEEEALLLY??!!?? Just for sh*ts and giggles, I tuned into The Sound yesterday around lunch time and heard Led Zep's "Kashmere"... WOW no one plays that one anymore. On the drive home, again I sampled 100.3 and happened to randomly hear "Over the Hills and far Away" by .....uh ... who was that group I heard? Again it was a random tune-in to hear twice a very popular and well known band that gets as much airplay as KRTH used to play "Brown Eyed Girl". This kind of programming is on a "white-hot" radio station poised to bring in from the bullpen an AT who feels this return is "beyond exciting". Good for him... Just a continuation of insipid and uninspiring SoCal Radio at its "best".
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