Important distinction---half the share of a much larger market. KIIS had 1.2 million weekly listeners back in 1984. It has 1.77 million now.
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Things ive noticed about Rick dees when he was on kiis fm
- Thread starter 30james
- Start date
Important distinction---half the share of a much larger market. KIIS had 1.2 million weekly listeners back in 1984. It has 1.77 million now.
I'm sorry---what are you talking about?
KIIS wasn't playing "Disco Duck" (was anyone?) by 1981, when Rick arrived.
I don't even think it was getting much play if any at all by 1977 aside from novelty show's, old countdowns or disco shows.
Like any novelty record, once it was off the chart, it was done. I don't think anyone had it in recurrent, much less Gold.
There's a story from a long time back that after he left KIIS, Dees was offered to do the morning show on KRTH and he turned it down. So he had the offer and from what I've heard, he didn't want to do the classic format.
Of course he did take the job at Movin' but I get the impression that the daily grind got to him. So what he's doing now is probably the best.
Of course he did take the job at Movin' but I get the impression that the daily grind got to him. So what he's doing now is probably the best.
It's a true story. Rick didn't want to be an "oldies jock". He'd worked hard and by most metrics succeeded at staying relevant. He stayed in Top 40 a lot longer than most L.A. morning men before him stayed in the format.
Gary Owens went from KFWB to MOR at KMPC at age 30, Wink Martindale to MOR at KGIL at age 36 and Robert W. Morgan went to Adult Contemporary (KMPC) at 38.
Bob Hudson was doing Top 40 at 39, when KFWB morphed into AC for its last year before going all-news. Charlie Tuna rode a format change from Top 40 to AC at KHTZ at age 35, Charlie Van Dyke made that transition (at WRKO in Boston) at 33.
Rick Dees got within a month of his 54th birthday at KIIS. Helluva run.
Footnote: Dees did just under 23 years at KIIS. Ryan Seacrest has now had the gig for 21, and he'll turn 51 this year.
I've actually heard it a couple of times on air within the past year. And no, it wasn't on any "specialty" shows such as Dr. Demento [who I wish was still syndicated on the airwaves]. Nobody said anything, just played and went on with the rest of the 70s/80s tunes......probably hoping no one would notice.
Actually Gary is 73, born in 1952.
Sorry I thought Gary was younger
He’s had 75 birth”Dees”
Those are two attributes I had never heard about Rick Dees, a "great guy with a big heart"? Plus I'm not sure doing a weekly show is a testament to his personality? He's 75 and spends time with young Christian boys
Rick Dees was the co-founder of the Fine Living Network, and DDN—The Dees Digital Network. He is active in Young Life, a Christian organization and remains active in Boy Scouts, where he was an Eagle Scout.
But the KRTH sales target is 35-54 so the Gary, not that much older at 73, fits right in.
It wasn't the daily grind. It was the absence of ratings. Movin' showed that even very strong programming-oriented companies can get it wrong.
Exactly. Once you get outside the youngest demos, the age of the jock (as long as it's not obvious by voice or attitude) matter less.
That said, 73 is 73, and Gary will probably choose to stop getting up at 3:30 a.m. sooner rather than later (Gary, if you're reading this, I recommend it highly).
If he wants to be doing morning drive in Los Angeles on KRTH at 80, more power to him.
As for a successor---who knows? KRTH may have someone on their air staff right now who'd be great in mornings, but you'd never know it because the format in the rest of the day doesn't really allow for much.
After KRTH's post-Robert W. Morgan roulette (Charlie Van Dyke, Jim Carson), they brought in an outsider---Gary Bryan---from KFRC. And even then they futzed around, moving Gary to afternoons and putting Hollywood Hamilton in mornings before putting Gary back in mornings 19 years ago this month.
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