1260 Going Country Gold

[michael hagerty]

His reluctance to sell that station has never made sense to me.

Honestly, I never understood his buying it in the first place. In 1993, it was clear that music on AM was a dead duck or would be soon. And 1260's signal is such that even his attempts at news and talk failed, despite some significant investments in name talent, including Michael Jackson.

 

[yeoldeschool]

Honestly, I never understood his buying it in the first place. In 1993, it was clear that music on AM was a dead duck or would be soon. And 1260's signal is such that even his attempts at news and talk failed, despite some significant investments in name talent, including Michael Jackson.

Hmm. I'm suddenly reminded of a specific scene from the series finale of WKRP in Cincinnati. It starts at 18:24.

 

[kevtronics]

The story so far on 1260 AM in L.A.:

1993-1995 Adult Standards
1995-1996 News
1996-1997 all-Beatles
1997-1998 Broadway show tunes
1998-2000 Adult Standards
2000-2002 Jazz
2002-2004 Adult Standards
2004-2005 Oldies
2006-2007 Country
2007 Classical
2007-2009 Talk
2009-2011 Oldies/Adult Standards
2011-2016 Classical
2016-2017 Adult Standards
2017-2020 Oldies
2020-2024 Classical
2024+ Classic Country

 

[yeoldeschool]

I specifically asked that question of Music First's Joe Crowley last year and he said NO. Emphatically no. There will be no discounts for radio, and no interest in bringing down streaming rates. Every three years, SoundExchange goes to the Copyright Royalty Board and asks for an increase, and every year it gets granted. They're still complaining that they can't make money with the current rates. So the answer is a big no.

This is an intolerable situation. Copyright law was never meant to give combines so much organized control over intellectual property that they could price out the very people interested in legally consuming it.

This is especially dire when considering we just finished watching a decade plus of intellectual property owners price-squeezing cable subscribers out of the linear television pen, forcing them to coalesce around a new and lower-cost pay paradigm (OTT). Yet now that the majority is on OTT, the same price escalator treadmill has started up all over again, and the fleeing of subscribers has commenced anew.

These boa constrictors aren't simply trying to milk people for all they are worth. They are toppling industries like dominoes as they pursue their victims from one to the next. We used to have trust busters to combat this kind of shit.

 

[TheBigA]

These boa constrictors aren't simply trying to milk people for all they are worth. They are toppling industries like dominoes as they pursue their victims from one to the next. We used to have trust busters to combat this kind of shit.

Welcome to the world of free enterprise. Everybody wants to get rich. Me included. And yes, we are all to blame for the crisis we've created.

A few months ago, there was a hearing on this music royalty in congress. The head if the NAB told congress they want a negotiated royalty, handled the same way we work with BMI & ASCAP. The music industry said they want a royalty right, imposed by the government, with no negotiation. That's what they have now with streaming, and they don't want that to change. It's also what they have in most other countries around the world.

 

[K.M. Richards]

Seriously, he's running 1260 like his personal iPod. But my iPod takes two double A batteries and his takes three phase. Where's the logic? If he simply must keep 1260 going as a personal jukebox, why not rent it out during all the hours he isn't awake to listen, and at least break even? God's country all morning, classic country all day?

Yes, he does, he always has, and he always will. You do not know Saul as well as I do. 1260 is his "toy", and I have no doubt that was entirely his intent in buying it He's lived long enough (and been a radio station owner for more than 65 years of his life) to have one. And he actually can afford to keep it on the air without revenue, as I and others have repeatedly pointed out.

Stop trying to tell Saul what he should do. The man is 97 years old. I should be so lucky to live that long.

 

[michael hagerty]

Hmm. I'm suddenly reminded of a specific scene from the series finale of WKRP in Cincinnati. It starts at 18:24.

The difference is that while Mrs. Carlson wanted/needed to lose money, Saul I don't think did. I think he wanted an AM to replace KMPC, which had bailed on music the year before (he hired a lot of their heritage talent). But my puzzlement is that he chose an underpowered AM with which to do it. Most of that demographic was driving cars with FM in them by that point. In fact, they were not only being cut loose by KMPC, but by Beautiful Music FM stations that were morphing to A/C (KJOI, KBIG).

The "we want to lose money" thing much more accurately describes KRLA in the mid to late 60s.

 

[michael hagerty]

This is an intolerable situation. Copyright law was never meant to give combines so much organized control over intellectual property that they could price out the very people interested in legally consuming it.

And again, I'm reminded that this board would be the place where you heard, not too long ago:


"The radio business and the record business are separate things that really don't have much to do with each other."

 

[TheBigA]

And again, I'm reminded that this board would be the place where you heard, not too long ago:


"The radio business and the record business are separate things that really don't have much to do with each other."

I'll add one word to the end of the sentence: Anymore.

At one time, they were very close. Thus the industry periodical Radio & Records. Sadly, that ended a long time ago.

Currently the radio business is simply dependent on the record business for content, and the latter doesn't want to give radio any preference.

 

[michael hagerty]

I'll add one word to the end of the sentence: Anymore.

At one time, they were very close. Thus the industry periodical Radio & Records. Sadly, that ended a long time ago.

Yeah, but that was a middle period. Early on (1920s), the record companies resisted airplay, fearing it would harm sales.

 

[TheBigA]

Yeah, but that was a middle period. Early on (1920s), the record companies resisted airplay, fearing it would harm sales.

Ironically, at that time, those record companies were owned by companies that also owned radio stations. (RCA and Columbia)

 

[K.M. Richards]

The difference is that while Mrs. Carlson wanted/needed to lose money, Saul I don't think did. I think he wanted an AM to replace KMPC, which had bailed on music the year before (he hired a lot of their heritage talent). But my puzzlement is that he chose an underpowered AM with which to do it.

Toy. An expensive toy, but given that Buckley had already sold the FM to Liberman and wanted to exit the market, he got a good deal ($2.5 million, including the real estate ... BTW, he paid cash) and he could do whatever he wanted to do with it.

Although I have never asked him, I think you're correct about his motivations.

Most of that demographic was driving cars with FM in them by that point. In fact, they were not only being cut loose by KMPC, but by Beautiful Music FM stations that were morphing to A/C (KJOI, KBIG).

Actually most of the "morphing" had already happened before then:

KJOI started in 1989 by replacing a lot of instrumental covers of hits with vocals, also reducing the MOR vocals as the added vocals were soft AC. The instrumentals disappeared completely by year's end (remember that brief period when they called themselves "Touch 98.7"?) and the changed the calls to KXEZ in early 1990 using the slogan "Easy Oldies". By the time Saul bought 1260 they had gone full ahead AC under the KYSR calls as "Star 98.7".

KBIG had done a similar transition to AC a couple of years ahead of 98.7, only they were more abrupt and went soft AC virtually overnight, just as KOST had back at the end of 1982. Both KBIG and Star went "hot AC" wirhin about a year of each other.

Of course, the other Beautiful Music stations had bit the dust ahead of KOST ... KWST went progressive rock on New Year's Day 1975 (then CHR in 1981 and AC after that, before becoming KPWR in 1986). KLVE (which had been BM since 1971, as KPSA) went soft AC in 1974 before being sold to Univision's predecessor and adopting a Spanish-language version of AC. KPOL simulcast its AM for the most part during its first two decades of operation, then went soft rock as KZLA in 1977, transitioned to Country right after KHJ did the same thing in 1980, and stayed in the format for a little over 25 years before becoming the ill-fated "Movin' 93.9" (KMVN) in 2006, followed by the sale to Grupo Radio Centro three years later and did a variety of Spanish-language formats under the KXOS calls before selling to Meruelo a decade later.

All of which probably made Saul happy about buying a station he could just "play" with to suit his own tastes and whims.

 

[Mediafrog+]

Yeah, but that was a middle period. Early on (1920s), the record companies resisted airplay, fearing it would harm sales.

Ironically, at that time, those record companies were owned by companies that also owned radio stations. (RCA and Columbia)

RCA didn't acquire the Victor Talking Machine Company until 1929, while CBS purchased Columbia Records in 1938.

Columbia Records was a founding partner of CBS, but quickly sold its share of the company. The 1938 acquisition brought things full circle.

 

[K.M. Richards]

I think he wanted an AM to replace KMPC, which had bailed on music the year before (he hired a lot of their heritage talent).

And that became the nucleus of Chuck Southcott reviving The Music Of Your Life™ for Al Ham as a satellite-delivered format, with the key air talent being Wink Martindale, Gary Owens, Pete Smith, and himself.

 

[TheBigA]

RCA didn't acquire the Victor Talking Machine Company until 1929, while CBS purchased Columbia Records in 1938.

Columbia Records was a founding partner of CBS, but quickly sold its share of the company. The 1938 acquisition brought things full circle.

The record label lawsuits against radio airplay mainly occurred in the 1930s. They ended with a major court decision that said radio stations could play records because airplay wasn't a violation of copyright. That ruling still holds today. It's why radio stations don't pay royalties to record labels.

 

[michael hagerty]

Toy. An expensive toy, but given that Buckley had already sold the FM to Liberman and wanted to exit the market, he got a good deal ($2.5 million, including the real estate ... BTW, he paid cash) and he could do whatever he wanted to do with it.

Although I have never asked him, I think you're correct about his motivations.



Actually most of the "morphing" had already happened before then:

KJOI started in 1989 by replacing a lot of instrumental covers of hits with vocals, also reducing the MOR vocals as the added vocals were soft AC. The instrumentals disappeared completely by year's end (remember that brief period when they called themselves "Touch 98.7"?) and the changed the calls to KXEZ in early 1990 using the slogan "Easy Oldies". By the time Saul bought 1260 they had gone full ahead AC under the KYSR calls as "Star 98.7".

KBIG had done a similar transition to AC a couple of years ahead of 98.7, only they were more abrupt and went soft AC virtually overnight, just as KOST had back at the end of 1982. Both KBIG and Star went "hot AC" wirhin about a year of each other.

Of course, the other Beautiful Music stations had bit the dust ahead of KOST ... KWST went progressive rock on New Year's Day 1975 (then CHR in 1981 and AC after that, before becoming KPWR in 1986). KLVE (which had been BM since 1971, as KPSA) went soft AC in 1974 before being sold to Univision's predecessor and adopting a Spanish-language version of AC. KPOL simulcast its AM for the most part during its first two decades of operation, then went soft rock as KZLA in 1977, transitioned to Country right after KHJ did the same thing in 1980, and stayed in the format for a little over 25 years before becoming the ill-fated "Movin' 93.9" (KMVN) in 2006, followed by the sale to Grupo Radio Centro three years later and did a variety of Spanish-language formats under the KXOS calls before selling to Meruelo a decade later.

All of which probably made Saul happy about buying a station he could just "play" with to suit his own tastes and whims.

Point was that the demo in large part was already FM-friendly. A lot of them migrated to those Beautiful Music stations when KFI, KMPC and KGIL went from MOR to AC and started playing most of the Top 40.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

And that became the nucleus of Chuck Southcott reviving The Music Of Your Life™ for Al Ham as a satellite-delivered format, with the key air talent being Wink Martindale, Gary Owens, Pete Smith, and himself.

And his son Carl was PD of the WW1 standards network for years and one helluva radio guy... knows his audience and radio. Whenever I called him up to chat about business related to our affiliate, wed almost always end up on the phone for half an hour about this that or the other thing. (Was on the network in afternoons, 12 to 6 as Karl Hampton)

 

[K.M. Richards]

And his son Carl was PD of the WW1 standards network for years and one helluva radio guy... knows his audience and radio. Whenever I called him up to chat about business related to our affiliate, wed almost always end up on the phone for half an hour about this that or the other thing. (Was on the network in afternoons, 12 to 6 as Karl Hampton)

He moved up after his father, Gary, and Wink all left. Originally he was on MOYL nights and acted as OM at Jones' uplink.

 

[davideduardo]

Yeah, but that was a middle period. Early on (1920s), the record companies resisted airplay, fearing it would harm sales.

And the best story of all from the earlier era of radio is how Petrillo's union tried for well over a decade to force stations that wanted to play recorded music to also have many hours a week o live station bands!

The labels did now want radio to hurt record sales, and the union did not want record airplay to diminish the need for live musicians.

 

[TheBigA]

Country Aircheck reports that KMZT will be changing its call letters to KKGO to match the FM station.