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560

There's a clean version available now.
I think CC was referring to the processing and overall audio quality of the station, not the particular song. I have that song on an early production run of the LP, and while it's been a long time since I pulled it off the shelf and played it, my recollection is the analog audio quality was superb. It was probably remastered a few times over the years, and the first remaster(s) for digital probably sounded harsher due to the lower bitrates used in those days. (Probably the early-mid '80s.)
 
I think CC was referring to the processing and overall audio quality of the station, not the particular song.
Yes, exactly. It's not the song, but the station.

I have heard the song on a vinyl copy of Elton John's Greatest Hits, and on a 45, and in both cases, it still sounds better than anything on KISQ.

c
 
I have heard the song on a vinyl copy of Elton John's Greatest Hits, and on a 45, and in both cases, it still sounds better than anything on KISQ.

Which is how it's supposed to be. If you could hear music with CD-quality on free broadcast radio, there would be no reason to buy the music. It's for this reason that broadcast radio is not required to pay label or artist royalties as stipulated in the DMCA. On the other hand, all streamers must pay those royalties to artists and labels, to make up for their loss of physical sales.
 
Which is how it's supposed to be. If you could hear music with CD-quality on free broadcast radio, there would be no reason to buy the music. It's for this reason that broadcast radio is not required to pay label or artist royalties as stipulated in the DMCA. On the other hand, all streamers must pay those royalties to artists and labels, to make up for their loss of physical sales.

I think it should be pointed out that artists and their record labels have been seeking royalties for songs played over the air, regardless of sound quality, for a very long time, long even before the Internet came into existance. The broadcasters won that war (back in the 1940s, if memory serves) but that has *never* stopped artists or their labels from abandoning that goal.
 
I think it should be pointed out that artists and their record labels have been seeking royalties for songs played over the air, regardless of sound quality, for a very long time, long even before the Internet came into existance. The broadcasters won that war (back in the 1940s, if memory serves) but that has *never* stopped artists or their labels from abandoning that goal.

However, they have stepped up their demands since the DMCA, because the structure exists to collect it, whereas it didn't prior to 1997. The main justification for the label & artist royalty then was that it would make up for the loss of physical sales. You can't blame broadcast radio for that. If anything, we encourage people to buy music.
 
I do agree that KISQ’s audio quality is poor, considering that FM stations in the market have a history of better sound quality IMHO. It sounds shimmery likes being fed by a 48k stream. At least it did last year when I was there. Artifacts galore. I think it’s the only station iHeart has on Mt. Beacon.

I’m guessing stations are using STLs less and less now. Is that true?
 
The Holiday book came out yesterday. We now have a seven-book trend for KSFO (810) since July 2025:


1.5-1.3-1.2-1.1-0.8-0.7-0.6


In San Jose, the switch to 810 resulted in some very good numbers early on. I don't have April, May, June or July, but here's the six book trend since August 2025:

2.7-1.9-1.7-1.5.-1.6-1.3


Yikes.
 
The Holiday book came out yesterday. We now have a seven-book trend for KSFO (810) since July 2025:


1.5-1.3-1.2-1.1-0.8-0.7-0.6
{...}

Yikes.

With numbers like that, one has to wonder when the plug on 810 will be pulled.
Here's today's KGO, er, KSFO schedule:

12:00am – 3:00am Red Eye Radio
3:00am – 5:00am Fix California w/ John Phillips & Randy Wang
5:00am – 6:00am Fox News Rundown
6:00am – 9:00am Armstrong & Getty Show
9:00am – 12:00pm The Vince Show
12:00pm – 3:00pm The John Phillips Show
3:00pm – 6:00pm Mark Levin Show
6:00pm – 7:00pm Howard Jarvis Radio Show
7:00pm – 8:00pm The Jeff Santos Show
8:00pm – 9:00pm America at Night
9:00pm – 12:00am Sean Hannity Show

The 6-8 pm slots rotate daily among various shows; it wouldn't surprise me if that time was purchased...that would be my guess. I thought Howard Jarvis was dead, but his association lives on. Maybe he should be the poster child for KSFO (motto: It's Almost But Not Quite Dead Yet). Anyhow, look at the schedule and ask yourself: which of the syndicated shows would not be cleared in the San Francisco market if KSFO went away?

Sean Hannity probably wouldn't be harmed if KSFO pulled the plug...as it is, he's delayed to a crappy time slot...but some of the rest (and Westwood One) might feel a little pain if they no longer had clearance in a market of San Francisco's size.

Between clearing some shows and getting a little money for those early-evening hours (I'm guessing) plus some weekend shows, it may be just enough to justify keeping KSFO on the air.
 
Come August, Howard will have been dead for 40 years.
Just for avoidance of doubt, I knew he was dead. The title of the radio show was startling, knowing that.

A bit off-topic, but a funny story. About fifteen years ago, we were in our Oakland CPA's office going over our tax returns. That CPA was a wisecracker and a master of sarcasm. Someone called on the phone while we were talking to him. It turned out to be someone from the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, soliciting money. Our CPA ranted right into the phone: "You people are disgusting! You're ruining the state! I will never give you a single cent! Don't you dare call me ever again!" He then slammed down the phone.

It was hilarious.
 
Until now I had no idea Randy Wang was still on air, he was great when he was on KFI. If it was just him I’d listen, John Phillips wasn’t my cup of tea when he was on KABC with Jillian Barberie. The Jeff Santos Show seems interesting.
 
Here's today's KGO, er, KSFO schedule:

12:00am – 3:00am Red Eye Radio
3:00am – 5:00am Fix California w/ John Phillips & Randy Wang
5:00am – 6:00am Fox News Rundown
6:00am – 9:00am Armstrong & Getty Show
9:00am – 12:00pm The Vince Show
12:00pm – 3:00pm The John Phillips Show
3:00pm – 6:00pm Mark Levin Show
6:00pm – 7:00pm Howard Jarvis Radio Show
7:00pm – 8:00pm The Jeff Santos Show
8:00pm – 9:00pm America at Night
9:00pm – 12:00am Sean Hannity Show

The 6-8 pm slots rotate daily among various shows; it wouldn't surprise me if that time was purchased...that would be my guess. I thought Howard Jarvis was dead, but his association lives on. Maybe he should be the poster child for KSFO (motto: It's Almost But Not Quite Dead Yet). Anyhow, look at the schedule and ask yourself: which of the syndicated shows would not be cleared in the San Francisco market if KSFO went away?

Sean Hannity probably wouldn't be harmed if KSFO pulled the plug...as it is, he's delayed to a crappy time slot...but some of the rest (and Westwood One) might feel a little pain if they no longer had clearance in a market of San Francisco's size.

Between clearing some shows and getting a little money for those early-evening hours (I'm guessing) plus some weekend shows, it may be just enough to justify keeping KSFO on the air.
And here's the lineup for 790 KABC:

Tuesday

12:00 AM – 3:00 AM: Red Eye Radio
3:00 AM – 4:00 AM: America in the Morning
4:00 AM – 6:00 AM: ABC7 Eyewitness News
6:00 AM – 9:00 AM: Armstrong & Getty
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM: The Vince Show
12:00 PM – 3:00 PM: John Phillips
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Howard Jarvis Radio Show
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Mottek On Money
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM: The Guy Benson Show
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM: Howard Jarvis Radio Show
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM: Fix California Hour
8:00 PM – 9:00 PM: What’s Cookin’ Today
9:00 PM – 10:00 PM: Armstrong & Getty: The 4th Hour
10:00 PM – 3:00 AM: Red Eye Radio

At this point both KABC and KSFO could cut cost even more and run both out of the same studio at Westwood One. And just focus on KNBR and KSAN in San Francisco.
 


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