The old KRTH

[MadMan]

K.M., you expressed your doubt that "CBS would have gone to a satellite-delivered format in Los Angeles." Until 1993, I never would have thought that any radio station in the nation's second largest media market would switch to satellite programming...and then Shamrock bought KLAC from Malrite and changed the format from country to adult standards, using Transtar's satellite-fed "AM Only" programming. I was outraged that a Los Angeles station would choose to have no local news and no local DJs. And newsman Dean Sander was fired after 31 years! Eventually he was brought back to do an occasional one-minute travel feature. Shamrock's chairman was Roy E. Disney, son of Roy O. Disney and nephew of Walt Disney, and he hated country music. Shamrock also bought KZLA and there were rumors that Roy wanted to change formats at that station too.

Perhaps CBS did not want to be the first company to run a satellite format on a Los Angeles station...but in 2005 they installed an automated format, "Jack-FM," on the aforementioned 93.1 FM. No local news, no sports, no weather, no DJs---automation isn't much different from a satellite feed, is it? But CBS did it and the format has lasted for almost ten years so far.

K-Lite on the 6 Floor of the CNN/ Jolly Roger building was the Flagship station for Transtar's on the 4th floor Format 41, and that was in 85. Even made the newspaper as the new wave of Radio delivery for the future! I think the Drake Boss Radio format could have run well on 93.1 although I'm not even sure the exact months they were on the bird, never heard it. KRLA ran the Transtar Oldies Channel in 88 but hated using it!

 

[davideduardo]

This would finally explain why KRTH-FM dropped all their longer music specials in 1988. Licensing issues to the music was one factor after the sale. A much tighter rotation was the end result and Mr. Hamilton was history.

The only "music licensing" in the 80's was for BMI, ASCAP and SESAC for the compositions, not the performances. Music stations had what was called a "blanket license" which covered any and all songs from each rights collection entity. You could play 10,000 songs one time or one song 10,000 times in a month and the license fees would be the same.

In the 80's fees were based on a small percentage of a station's adjusted gross revenue. A station then might have paid somewhere around 3% of that adjusted gross, divided up between the 3 agencies (not in equal amounts). The fee structures were determined through an industry music licensing committee which negotiated with each performance rights agency.

So the number of songs on the playlist or the additional number of songs in a weekend feature did not change by one penny the amount of money paid to license the songs being played.

 

[davideduardo]

Thank you. Still CBS FM could have used KAHJ or some variant for FM 93 which I felt you have already addressed. Appreciate the clearer understanding!

By 1986, I don't think the KHJ call letters had any heritage value for a CHR station. In fact, the image, if any, was that of an old AM station that did not sound as good as the FMs.

 

[MadMan]

By 1986, I don't think the KHJ call letters had any heritage value for a CHR station. In fact, the image, if any, was that of an old AM station that did not sound as good as the FMs.

Those of us who grew up with KHJ & or Boss Radio could have easily supported that sound on FM in the late 80's. All the players were still going strong. KODJ was a really bad Oldies station even with The Real Don Steele, Charlie Tuna and Machine Gun Kelly with so many others available to take on K-EARTH, yet it never happened. For some of us the Drake sound, even on the fake Drake stations were a big part of us and always will be. You didn't have to be in radio to remember that exciting sound!

 

[davideduardo]

Those of us who grew up with KHJ & or Boss Radio could have easily supported that sound on FM in the late 80's.

The problem is that the 70's and 80's were a period of dramatic growth for LA, with most of the growth coming from migrants from other parts of the country. KHJ meant nothing to them, as they grew up on KLEO and KRIG and KOMA and KAKC and WHB and KOIL and whatever the local Top 40 was in middle America.

 

[K.M. Richards]

I'm pretty sure that from the first sign-on of Jack, they had board ops in the studio because most of the drops were listener voiced, and were not reused. They were recorded, edited and quickly dropped into the format... things like a Friday afternoon at 5 PM with a guy saying "we're on our way to Vegas on the 15 and listening to Jack".

I can confirm that, unless MadMan thinks my repeating something Freddy Snakeskin has confirmed to me is somehow also suspect.

And they still have board-ops.

As for KLAC in 1993 ... that was not CBS. I said "I doubt CBS would have gone to a satellite-delivered format in Los Angeles." What Shamrock did four years later is tangential.

MadMan, please tell us all: What is this obsession you obviously have with trying to discredit me?

 

[MadMan]

I can confirm that, unless MadMan thinks my repeating something Freddy Snakeskin has confirmed to me is somehow also suspect.

And they still have board-ops.

As for KLAC in 1993 ... that was not CBS. I said "I doubt CBS would have gone to a satellite-delivered format in Los Angeles." What Shamrock did four years later is tangential.

MadMan, please tell us all: What is this obsession you obviously have with trying to discredit me?

I don't and I don't know Jack. I too found it odd that you made that statement about 93.1, considering it was automated for many years. I read David's information with great authority and interest. You are like a second banana, that is how I perceive you. In fact when Michael Haggerty posts about L.A. Radio I find his information to be well written and enjoyable to read. You just seem too authoritative and opinionated to be taken seriously all the time, sorry that's just my opinion from knowing your style of communicating.

 

[michael hagerty]

I don't and I don't know Jack. I too found it odd that you made that statement about 93.1, considering it was automated for many years. I read David's information with great authority and interest. You are like a second banana, that is how I perceive you. In fact when Michael Haggerty posts about L.A. Radio I find his information to be well written and enjoyable to read. You just seem too authoritative and opinionated to be taken seriously all the time, sorry that's just my opinion from knowing your style of communicating.

Personally, I find K.M.'s information well-written and enjoyable to read. I've learned a tremendous amount from reading K.M.'s posts over the years, and consider him to be considerably more knowledgeable. My strength is research, looking up what I don't know.

 

[MadMan]

Personally, I find K.M.'s information well-written and enjoyable to read. I've learned a tremendous amount from reading K.M.'s posts over the years, and consider him to be considerably more knowledgeable. My strength is research, looking up what I don't know.

Your strength is expressing what you know in an easier to read presentation, much like David. I too have learned from KM but statements like CBS would "never" use a Satellite, or the reason KRTH AM changed calls and format in preparation of the Beasley sale left me scratching my head, much like the Disney/Fidelity comments contrary to the Los Angeles times/FCC announcement. My original question answered by KM why CBS could 'never' use a variant of the KHJ calls on the FM was an opinion, not fact. Coming from a market that has a KZLA, and KRLA, and KOLA, and KKLA and others? In any case I learn from all of you, thanks!

 

[K.M. Richards]

I too found it odd that you made that statement about 93.1, considering it was automated for many years.

Ignoring the rest of your post where you again diss me ...

I said CBS would not go with a satellite-delivered format. I said nothing about automation until you posted the erroneous view that the Jack format was automated.

There is a huge difference between the old, homegrown, KNX-FM mellow rock automated format and any (including the legendary Bill Drake) format delivered via satellite. Don't put words in my mouth that I didn't say and leave the impression that I equated the two.

 

[MadMan]

Ignoring the rest of your post where you again diss me ...

I said CBS would not go with a satellite-delivered format. I said nothing about automation until you posted the erroneous view that the Jack format was automated.

There is a huge difference between the old, homegrown, KNX-FM mellow rock automated format and any (including the legendary Bill Drake) format delivered via satellite. Don't put words in my mouth that I didn't say and leave the impression that I equated the two.

You must have me mixed up with Steve. I know nothing about the JACK format and NEVER posted anything about JACK in my life, never. You have had many things in your mouth, I will never be one of them KM. You said CBS wouldn't have considered using a variant of KHJ. I also found it odd you would know in 1986 Beasley would be the owner of KRTH? Sometimes I think you are full of yourself my friend?

 

[davideduardo]

You must have me mixed up with Steve. I know nothing about the JACK format and NEVER posted anything about JACK in my life, never. You have had many things in your mouth, I will never be one of them KM. You said CBS wouldn't have considered using a variant of KHJ. I also found it odd you would know in 1986 Beasley would be the owner of KRTH? Sometimes I think you are full of yourself my friend?

What I think reasonable is to believe that as soon as RKO found there might be a way to escape license revocations across the country they began to line up buyers.

The buyers, of course, would not commit until it was clear RKO and the FCC had established a way to get out from under the strike applications. RKO's solution was to designate a percentage of the applicable sales to buy out the competing applicants. This is what happened in LA with the KHJ stations.

I would expect that a number of potential buyers, Beasley included, would have signed letters of intent or otherwise expressed interest several years before the actual transfer applications could have been files.

 

[Thomps2525]

My point about KLAC's format in the mid-1990s is that a satellite-fed format is not much different than automation. Yes, there were DJs...but Chick Watkins, for obvious reasons, could not tell me about traffic jams in Los Angeles, nor could Jeff Rollins tell me the chance of rain or Don Gordon give me the highlights of the Dodgers game. Automated stations can insert newscasts and weather updates but most of them do not. Remember in 1967 when KBLA, prior to switching to country as KBBQ, fired their entire airstaff? I didn't like the station after that. I want to hear real people broadcasting live...and I want to feel that they're speaking to me. That doesn't happen with automation and satellite feeds.

 

[MadMan]

My point about KLAC's format in the mid-1990s is that a satellite-fed format is not much different than automation. Yes, there were DJs...but Chick Watkins, for obvious reasons, could not tell me about traffic jams in Los Angeles, nor could Jeff Rollins tell me the chance of rain or Don Gordon give me the highlights of the Dodgers game. Automated stations can insert newscasts and weather updates but most of them do not. Remember in 1967 when KBLA, prior to switching to country as KBBQ, fired their entire airstaff? I didn't like the station after that. I want to hear real people broadcasting live...and I want to feel that they're speaking to me. That doesn't happen with automation and satellite feeds.

That technology is in place with today's Satellite feeds. In fact SMN (ABC) was doing more personalization way before Unistar. Saul Levine also used AM Only and it was a great fun format with a great staff. I once had Chick air Tom Clay's MoWest hit, "What the World Needs Now". The complaints from PD's poured in, big mistake. Chick was rated the #1 AM Music personality nationwide and was a fun person to know and work with! Our Music of your Life format on the other hand was really bad. I mentioned KRLA using our Oldies channel overnights in 87/88, and who can forget KBLA using BRN, the Business Radio Network in 1991 and of course Format 41 on KIQQ starting in 85 with Jim Carson doing the local morning show and Bob Sky as P.D. I am happy for KM that JACK uses Board Operators though for what its worth...

 

[K.M. Richards]

Sometimes I think you are full of yourself my friend?

Scott, I am no longer going to answer your "gotchas", because everyone can read for themselves my clarifying statements. You've even read David's expansions of my statements ... and still you attack me.

I could take the above quote and turn it back upon you, since you appear obsessed with trying to discredit me.

And when threads get this convoluted and repetitive, it becomes quite easy to confuse you and Steve. You have similar styles and personalities.

 

[MadMan]

Scott, I am no longer going to answer your "gotchas", because everyone can read for themselves my clarifying statements. You've even read David's expansions of my statements ... and still you attack me.

I could take the above quote and turn it back upon you, since you appear obsessed with trying to discredit me.

And when threads get this convoluted and repetitive, it becomes quite easy to confuse you and Steve. You have similar styles and personalities.

Why that's a shame KM. To make it clear to your Coco, I never posted about JACK as I have no interest in JACK? Where you got that I don't know. You just can't back down about this and other possible misstatements, and you continue to pick on Steve as well. Why at times like this I'd love to see Flipper step in to keep you in check? I did get a kick out of your fantasy scenario that in 1985 Sabo would devise a format called Smokin' Oldies so RKO could drop the KHJ call letters in 1986 and change format, all this in preparation of a future sale of the AM, FM, & TV to an unknown slew of applicants at an unknown time period that only you, KMR would know to be Beasley years later in 1988/1989. You must be clairvoyant~

 

[K.M. Richards]

You just don't know when it's time to drop it, do you?

Show me where I said Walter Sabo designed the Smokin' Oldies format just so the KHJ calls could be dropped.

I never said that. That's your fantasy.

 

[BOZ Profit]

The ad hominems and unnecessary barbs must stop. This is not a request.

 

[semoochie]

It has been mentioned many times on this board that for most listeners, if they like a song, they want to hear that particular song, not one that sounds similar. It just occurred to me, that is Pandora's entire business model. You choose a song or artist and they provide other music with the same attributes. I-Heart does the same thing.

 

[LKellerIII]

It has been mentioned many times on this board that for most listeners, if they like a song, they want to hear that particular song, not one that sounds similar. It just occurred to me, that is Pandora's entire business model. You choose a song or artist and they provide other music with the same attributes. I-Heart does the same thing.

Yes, and that's why I don't use Pandora much. For example, I'm not a big fan or soft rock, but I find an occasional song I like. Just because I like a particular Norah Jones song doesn't mean I automatically like all her music, or anything by Ed Sheeran.