560

[michael hagerty]

The AM decline in the Bay Area really didn’t happen till a few years later.

It's only possible to go back to April/May '76 in the R&R Ratings Directories at WorldRadioHistory-dot-com, but let's look at what already was happening to AM.

KABL-AM had a 4.3. Two years later (April/May '78), it was a 3.1.

KNBR went from a 4.6 to a 3.3.

KNEW from a 3.6 to a 3.2.

KSFO was still getting a lot of mileage out of Giants baseball...6.3 in spring '76 to a 6.5 in spring '78...but the fall book went from a 6.3 in
'76 to a 3.8 in '78. And that was the Giants' last season before moving to KNBR.

Apart from KFRC, KCBS and KGO, all the major AM frequencies were worse off in '78 than they were just two years before.

 

[michael hagerty]

I used to jokingly tease Steve Rivers when I worked for him, as the 610 KFRC killer since he was the KMEL PD in the early CHR days 1984-1986.

What killed KFRC was a combination of young adults moving to FM and a resurgence in pop music in 1983. KFRC had gone very urban to offset the music doldrums of 1981-82 and while KYUU might have called itself AC, it sounded, as Lippincott said, like a CHR.

That made KYUU and KIOI sound like they were playing the hits, and KFRC was still playing R&B hits that charted very low or not at all on the pop charts.

By the October/November 1983 book, KIOI had passed KFRC in the ratings. They were the first. In the Jan/Feb '84 book, both KIOI and KYUU were ahead of KFRC.

In March, RKO fired Gerry Cagle and hired Mike Phillips who took KFRC absolutely mainstream CHR, but it was too late.

610 never had the lead again and it wasn't until spring of '85 that KITS and KMEL got past them. But KFRC started the Game Zone three days before the book began and fell 1.2 points. If they'd been able to maintain the winter '85 number, they'd have beaten KITS and KMEL, but still lost to KIOI and KYUU.

 

[Michael Rivers Kramer]

I do remember the urban lean.

 

[michael hagerty]

I do remember the urban lean.

Here's the playlist (from R&R and WorldRadioHistory-dot-com) for the first week in November, 1983---midway through the October/November book, the way it was done back then:



The first five were mainstream hits you'd hear anywhere.

#6, Elvis Costello, peaked at #33 in Billboard.

#10, Freeez, didn't chart on the Hot 100 (it did peak at #1 on Billboard's Dance chart.

#11, Joboxers peaked at #36 in Billboard.

#12, Klique, peaked at #50 in Billboard.

#15, New Edition, peaked at #85 in Billboard.

#22, Jeffrey Osborne, peaked at #30 in Billboard.

#24, Stephanie Mills, didn't chart on the Hot 100 (it was a Top 10 Dance record).

#28, Human League, peaked at #30 in Billboard.

#29, Jennifer Holliday, peaked at #49 in Billboard.

#30, Cliff Richard, peaked at #73 in Billboard.

#32, James Ingram, didn't chart on the Hot 100 (it peaked at #21 on the R&B chart)

And in "Adds", Earth, Wind & Fire's "Magnetic", peaked at #57.



That's a chunk of stiffs, and up against a tightly-focused hit music station, which both KIOI and KYUU were at the time, it put KFRC at a disadvantage. It was the first book KFRC lost to another contemporary music station (KIOI, with KYUU close behind---again, KYUU beat them the very next book).

Here's what KYUU's chart looked like the week before (I can't locate one for the exact week or one for that general time period for KIOI):

1	2		Lionel Richie	All Night Long (All Night)
2	3		Billy Joel	Uptown Girl
3	1		Kenny Rogers With Dolly Parton	Islands In The Stream
4	6		Stevie Nicks	If Anyone Falls
5	5		David Bowie	Modern Love
6	9		The Fixx	One Thing Leads To Another
7	13		The Motels	Suddenly Last Summer
8	4		Sheena Easton	Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair)
9	12		Huey Lewis And The News	Heart And Soul
10	16		Michael Jackson	P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
11	7		Spandau Ballet	True
12	17		Paul McCartney And Michael Jackson	Say Say Say
13	14		Journey	Send Her My Love
14	8		The Police	King Of Pain
15	18		Jackson Browne	Tender Is The Night
16	10		Bonnie Tyler	Total Eclipse Of The Heart
17	21		Bryan Adams	This Time
18	11		Men At Work	Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive
19	23		Peabo Bryson/Roberta Flack	Tonight, I Celebrate My Love
20	26		The Human League	Mirror Man
21	29		Matthew Wilder	Break My Stride
22	--		Daryl Hall & John Oates	Say It Isn't So
23	15		Rod Stewart	What Am I Gonna Do (I'm So In Love With You)
24	--		Culture Club	Church Of The Poison Mind
25	28		Dionne Warwick And Luther Vandross	How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye
26	--		Irene Cara	Why Me?
27	--		Rick Springfield	Souls
28	30		Cliff Richard	Never Say Die (Give A Little Bit More)
29	--		Asia	The Smile Has Left Your Eyes
30	--		Kim Carnes	Invisible Hands

The urban thing worked for KFRC in '81-'82, when everyone else was playing Air Supply and Juice Newton. But what 1983 proved was that KFRC wasn't KROQ---it couldn't make its own hits.

 

[Mediafrog+]

That's a chunk of stiffs,

That was quite the memory jog. However the Joboxers and Human League songs got a lot of MTV play at the time.

 

[Kent]

That was quite the memory jog. However the Joboxers and Human League songs got a lot of MTV play at the time.

I have a copy of the Joboxers “Just Got Lucky,” and, at least a few years ago, Shazam didn’t recognize it.

In 2012, the ex-wife and I were headed home from my mother's house, and we heard it on the Muzak at a Cheddar's where we stopped for lunch. That was the last time, and probably the only time since 1983 or 84, I heard it anywhere outside of my personal playlists that include it.

 

[Fighting Irish]

Here's the playlist (from R&R and WorldRadioHistory-dot-com) for the first week in November, 1983---midway through the October/November book, the way it was done back then:

View attachment 8738

The first five were mainstream hits you'd hear anywhere.

#6, Elvis Costello, peaked at #33 in Billboard.

#10, Freeez, didn't chart on the Hot 100 (it did peak at #1 on Billboard's Dance chart.

#11, Joboxers peaked at #36 in Billboard.

#12, Klique, peaked at #50 in Billboard.

#15, New Edition, peaked at #85 in Billboard.

#22, Jeffrey Osborne, peaked at #30 in Billboard.

#24, Stephanie Mills, didn't chart on the Hot 100 (it was a Top 10 Dance record).

#28, Human League, peaked at #30 in Billboard.

#29, Jennifer Holliday, peaked at #49 in Billboard.

#30, Cliff Richard, peaked at #73 in Billboard.

#32, James Ingram, didn't chart on the Hot 100 (it peaked at #21 on the R&B chart)

And in "Adds", Earth, Wind & Fire's "Magnetic", peaked at #57.



That's a chunk of stiffs, and up against a tightly-focused hit music station, which both KIOI and KYUU were at the time, it put KFRC at a disadvantage. It was the first book KFRC lost to another contemporary music station (KIOI, with KYUU close behind---again, KYUU beat them the very next book).

Here's what KYUU's chart looked like the week before (I can't locate one for the exact week or one for that general time period for KIOI):

1	2		Lionel Richie	All Night Long (All Night)
2	3		Billy Joel	Uptown Girl
3	1		Kenny Rogers With Dolly Parton	Islands In The Stream
4	6		Stevie Nicks	If Anyone Falls
5	5		David Bowie	Modern Love
6	9		The Fixx	One Thing Leads To Another
7	13		The Motels	Suddenly Last Summer
8	4		Sheena Easton	Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair)
9	12		Huey Lewis And The News	Heart And Soul
10	16		Michael Jackson	P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
11	7		Spandau Ballet	True
12	17		Paul McCartney And Michael Jackson	Say Say Say
13	14		Journey	Send Her My Love
14	8		The Police	King Of Pain
15	18		Jackson Browne	Tender Is The Night
16	10		Bonnie Tyler	Total Eclipse Of The Heart
17	21		Bryan Adams	This Time
18	11		Men At Work	Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive
19	23		Peabo Bryson/Roberta Flack	Tonight, I Celebrate My Love
20	26		The Human League	Mirror Man
21	29		Matthew Wilder	Break My Stride
22	--		Daryl Hall & John Oates	Say It Isn't So
23	15		Rod Stewart	What Am I Gonna Do (I'm So In Love With You)
24	--		Culture Club	Church Of The Poison Mind
25	28		Dionne Warwick And Luther Vandross	How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye
26	--		Irene Cara	Why Me?
27	--		Rick Springfield	Souls
28	30		Cliff Richard	Never Say Die (Give A Little Bit More)
29	--		Asia	The Smile Has Left Your Eyes
30	--		Kim Carnes	Invisible Hands

The urban thing worked for KFRC in '81-'82, when everyone else was playing Air Supply and Juice Newton. But what 1983 proved was that KFRC wasn't KROQ---it couldn't make its own hits.

However, there was a KROQ-type station (consulted by their PD) making waves in the market in 1983 - The Quake (98.9). They played the heck out of the Joboxers, Costello and Human League tracks. So obviously, those songs probably did better in the Bay Area than other markets.But it seemed like, around this time, they were throwing things at the wall to see what stuck.

And I do remember their urban lean around 1982. First place I heard Prince (Controversy). Also played the Time (Cool), Junior (Mama Used To Say), Gap Band and others.

Weren't KYUU and K101 more AC/Hot AC at the time, though? Or did they go full CHR when KITS debuted?

 

[michael hagerty]

However, there was a KROQ-type station (consulted by their PD) making waves in the market in 1983 - The Quake (98.9). They played the heck out of the Joboxers, Costello and Human League tracks. So obviously, those songs probably did better in the Bay Area than other markets.

KQAK was 20th in the market with a 1.9 in the Fall '83 book (which is what we're talking about here).

But it seemed like, around this time, they were throwing things at the wall to see what stuck.

At the KFRC 20th Anniversary party in 1986, there was a curtain with 45s stapled to it as a background. When Les Garland (PD from 1977-80) got up on the stage to make his remarks, he gestured to the 45s and said:

"Hey, Cagle! $2,500 a pop!"

The room erupted in laughter. Gerry Cagle (PD from 1980-84) taking cash for airplay had long been rumored. It would explain some of the real longshots.

In 1989, Gerry also wrote a highly autobiographical novel about the radio business called PAYOLA! , in which his character blatantly took money for airplay.

Payola!

The author, who is an award winning programme director …

www.goodreads.com

And I do remember their urban lean around 1982. First place I heard Prince (Controversy). Also played the Time (Cool), Junior (Mama Used To Say), Gap Band and others.

Right. And as I said, when Top 40 was at its low point, with a lot of Air Supply and Juice Newton, KFRC sounded vibrant.

Weren't KYUU and K101 more AC/Hot AC at the time, though? Or did they go full CHR when KITS debuted?

Going back through the archives, KYUU called itself CHR beginning in the fall of 1982---several months before KITS. KYUU's PD was Mike Novak, a two-time KFRC alum, who first went to KFRC in 1972 from KYNO.

KIOI was still calling itself AC, but in that era, most ACs were playing the same music as CHR, minus the five hardest records. That changed when KOST's "Continuous Soft Hits" approach started getting numbers.

Here's a good market overview from R&R a month before the start of the October/November 1983 book. The July/August book hadn't come out yet, so KFRC still looked good from the April/May---third overall with a 4.2, behind only KGO and KCBS.

https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-RandR-IDX/IDX/80s/83/RR-1983-09-16-OCR-Page-0022.pdf#search=%22kyuu%20format%22

Second page:

https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-RandR-IDX/IDX/80s/83/RR-1983-09-16-OCR-Page-0024.pdf#search=%22kyuu%20format%22

 

[Mediafrog+]

I have a copy of the Joboxers “Just Got Lucky,” and, at least a few years ago, Shazam didn’t recognize it.

In 2012, the ex-wife and I were headed home from my mother's house, and we heard it on the Muzak at a Cheddar's where we stopped for lunch. That was the last time, and probably the only time since 1983 or 84, I heard it anywhere outside of my personal playlists that include it.

I don’t have any specific memory of hearing Just Got Lucky anywhere since the mid-1980s. It’s one of those obscure/forgotten tunes that has somehow remained in my brain, probably due to the quick, catchy beat.

I do recall hearing Human League’s Mirror Man on a New Wave focused Music Choice channel some years back. I’ve also come across it on KHPT HD-2 “The Point” which is an 80s format.

 

[HenryOchs]

Do you have any info on 1170 KLOK from back in the 1970's-August 1988?

 

[davideduardo]

Depends on how you’re gauging it. KFRC lost half its share between 1978 and 1980. KSFO had been in decline since 1975. KNBR was forever in the high twos and low threes.

So, really, the only AMs that didn’t decline by the late 70s were KCBS and KGO. And they had a couple of decades of good ratings left.

And therein is the real cause of the death of music on AM. If AM stereo had been approved in late 1978 as anticipated, and if the AM music stations had self-promoted, there was a chance. In ‘78 AM still had a significant music audience, although it was rapidly declining.

But Leonard Kahn blocked the implementation for about 4 years and left us with a confusing FCC non-decision. By them, nearly all sales demo music listening was on FM and there was no base on which to build AM stereo and music formats on AM.

In the large market I was in, FM listening went from about 14 share points in 1978 to over 60 points by 1982. And what was left on AM was talk, news and older music.

 

[michael hagerty]

And therein is the real cause of the death of music on AM. If AM stereo had been approved in late 1978 as anticipated, and if the AM music stations had self-promoted, there was a chance. In ‘78 AM still had a significant music audience, although it was rapidly declining.

But Leonard Kahn blocked the implementation for about 4 years and left us with a confusing FCC non-decision. By them, nearly all sales demo music listening was on FM and there was no base on which to build AM stereo and music formats on AM.

In the large market I was in, FM listening went from about 14 share points in 1978 to over 60 points by 1982. And what was left on AM was talk, news and older music.

Absolutely. And KFRC was one of the first AM Stereo stations in the 1982 launch---using Kahn/Hazeltine:

https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-RandR-IDX/IDX/80s/82/RR-1982-05-21-OCR-Page-0024.pdf#search=%22kfrc%20am%20stereo%22

As for the difference between 1978 and 1982 (thanks to WorldRadioHistory-dot-com...gotta buy the guy who created that site a beer someday), KFRC's all-time peak was an 8.4 in the Spring '78 book.

The Spring '82 had just been released prior to KFRC turning on stereo. They had lost half their share---down to a 4.2. It went up to a 5.0 for the summer book, but the AM Stereo exciter didn't get activated until late August...after that book.

They went back to a 4.2 for the first full book in stereo---Fall '82, and, as we've discussed here, it went down from there.

Top 10 Spring '78:

1. KFRC-AM (Top 40): 8.4
2. KGO-AM (Talk): 7.6
3. KSFO-AM (MOR): 6.5
4. KCBS-AM (News): 5.8
5. KFOG-FM (Beautiful): 4.4
6. KIOI-FM (AC): 3.9
7. KABL-AM (Beautiful): 3.5
7. KOIT-FM (Beautiful): 3.5
9. KSFX-FM (Dance/Disco): 3.4
10. KNBR-AM (AC): 3.3

Top 10 Spring '82

1. KGO-AM (Talk): 8.6
2. KCBS-AM (News): 4.9
3. KSOL-FM (R&B): 4.8
4. KFRC-AM (Top 40): 4.2
5. KSFO-AM (AC): 3.7
5. KMEL-FM (AOR): 3.7
7. KNBR-AM (AC): 3.5
8. KRQR-FM (AOR): 3.3
9. KBLX-FM (R&B): 3.2
10. KFOG-FM (Beautiful): 3.1

Five FMs in the top ten instead of four---but an erosion for music on AM (largely represented by KFRC---both KSFO and KNBR benefitted from baseball in the spring and summer books).

 

[michael hagerty]

Do you have any info on 1170 KLOK from back in the 1970's-August 1988?

The ratings online at WorldRadioHistory-dot-com only go back to spring of '76.

KLOK's peak in the San Francisco ratings was July/August, 1977...a 3.0, which made it 10th, behind KOIT but ahead of KABL-FM.

A year later, July/August, 1977, they were down to a 2.1, which would have been a tie for 17th with KSAN, ahead of KSJO, but behind KABL-FM.

In San Jose, of course, KLOK did better, though its peak came earlier---April/May, 1976, with a 6.9. That put them in third place, behind KBAY-FM and KOME.

A year later, April/May, 1977, they were down to a 6.0, still third, this time behind KBAY and KOIT.

And a year after that, April/May, 1978, KLOK was down to a 5.5, which put them in fourth place behind KGO, KBAY and KFRC.

I don't have the time to do everything from that point on, but you can see these ratings at:

RADIO and RECORDS RATINGS REPORT: 90's and 00's ratings results

R&R Directories: Ratings SectionsSemi-Annual 12+ Ratings Rankers Includes several ratings summaries from other sources

www.worldradiohistory.com

No idea why the preview says "90s and 00s"---the numbers do go back to 1976 for the Bay Area and 1975 for some markets.

 

[K108 Sacramento]

All water under the bridge now. AM is dying and FM will not be to far behind. Perhaps some station owner will let radio programmers get back to the basics of entertaining the audience. I believe that will not be with music the competition from streaming is to high to fight now. I could be wrong. The choices for listeners now is just amazing. Wish we had these choices 50 years ago.

 

[TheBigA]

Perhaps some station owner will let radio programmers get back to the basics of entertaining the audience.

Funny...nobody has ever told me how to do my job (except for the occasional poster here). The only station owners who think of themselves as programmers are small single station owners like Saul Levine. By the way if you really want to see big corporate ownership at work, spend some time with the people who run Spotify and Apple Music. They think they know everything.

 

[K108 Sacramento]

Funny...nobody has ever told me how to do my job (except for the occasional poster here). The only station owners who think of themselves as programmers are small single station owners like Saul Levine. By the way if you really want to see big corporate ownership at work, spend some time with the people who run Spotify and Apple Music. They think they know everything.

They are probably the worst of all.

 

[mikecroaro]

🎼Magic 560...your home for America's best Music ! (Mike daydreaming in the afternoon....)

 

[JJSPC]

Even people who grew up listening to music on AM don't want to do it today with the poor quality receivers and man made noise floor. Except radio geeks. 🙂

 

[radiofan2023]

Even people who grew up listening to music on AM don't want to do it today with the poor quality receivers and man made noise floor. Except radio geeks. 🙂

The only time I listen to AM is when I’m going to sleep.

 

[KilowattKat]

Here is a news article from the San Francisco Chronicle regarding 560:

https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/560-ksfo-off-air-cumulus-restructuring-20215785.php