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a couple of Questions about the Larry King radio program of the 1970's and 1980s
- Thread starter David67
- Start date
Re: a couple of Questions about the Larry King radio program of the 1970's and 1
...I was a board op at two of King's affiliates during the early years, and at the most (IIRC) King had around 250 affiliates. The tally isn't really comparable to Limbaugh's 600+, since King was on a lot of 50kw signals in major markets early on (WCFL Chicago, WNEW New York, WIOD Miami, WTOP Washington, KSTP St. Paul among them) while Limbaugh's lineup staple has always been one-lung daytimers that weren't/aren't on the air overnight...
...I was a board op at two of King's affiliates during the early years, and at the most (IIRC) King had around 250 affiliates. The tally isn't really comparable to Limbaugh's 600+, since King was on a lot of 50kw signals in major markets early on (WCFL Chicago, WNEW New York, WIOD Miami, WTOP Washington, KSTP St. Paul among them) while Limbaugh's lineup staple has always been one-lung daytimers that weren't/aren't on the air overnight...
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fred flintstone
Guest
Re: a couple of Questions about the Larry King radio program of the 1970's and 1
David, usually you are on the money. Not this time.
King had over 500 Mutual affiliates. King did line up some Class I AM stations, as you mention, but mostly he was heard on one-lung stations, which were a "staple" of Mutual.
Rush on the other hand has largely corned the market on Class I AM stations (WABC, KFI, WLS, WPHT, WJR ....). Even if some day timers pick up Rush, it doesn't matter. His show runs noon to 3pm. The sun always shines on Rush's show.
Most important, few people are listening to radio in the middle of the night. Radio is a daytime medium and that's when Rush is on. Larry's cume never came close to Rush's.
Ultimajock said:
David, usually you are on the money. Not this time.
King had over 500 Mutual affiliates. King did line up some Class I AM stations, as you mention, but mostly he was heard on one-lung stations, which were a "staple" of Mutual.
Rush on the other hand has largely corned the market on Class I AM stations (WABC, KFI, WLS, WPHT, WJR ....). Even if some day timers pick up Rush, it doesn't matter. His show runs noon to 3pm. The sun always shines on Rush's show.
Most important, few people are listening to radio in the middle of the night. Radio is a daytime medium and that's when Rush is on. Larry's cume never came close to Rush's.
We carried Larry at a station I worked at in Central PA in the early '80's. It was an FM mono signal, as the mountains caused too much multipath. The show was fed to us on standard AT&T Long lines, and sounded like garbage, with a bandwidth of about 300 to 3,5Kc...on FM. Before I moved on, the show was just getting started as being delivered via satellite, and it WAS a big deal!
And flintstone is correct in his assertion that Rush got the cream of the crop in big signal heritage AM's. King moved on to many small markets looking for CHEAP (read free) programming.
And flintstone is correct in his assertion that Rush got the cream of the crop in big signal heritage AM's. King moved on to many small markets looking for CHEAP (read free) programming.
Re: a couple of Questions about the Larry King radio program of the 1970's and 1
...Limbaugh took several years to move from some suburban one-lung stations to the big heritage signals. For example, as late as '91 he had six suburban daytimers covering the Philadelphia market, partly because he'd berated WCAU on-the-air for tape-delaying his show there in '89-'90. He didn't get WLS until a year into syndication, and his WABC show was still a separate production as late as a year after that. King, on the other hand, was on large signals earlier; I believe WCFL and his old Miami home station WIOD were with him since night one on Mutual. However, after WCFL switched to a religious format circa '82, King was bouncing around Chicago almost constantly; he was on WIND, WMAQ and WGCI-AM (the latter in its days as a Black Talk station) before finally quitting the night shift and moving to afternoons...
amfmsw said:
...Limbaugh took several years to move from some suburban one-lung stations to the big heritage signals. For example, as late as '91 he had six suburban daytimers covering the Philadelphia market, partly because he'd berated WCAU on-the-air for tape-delaying his show there in '89-'90. He didn't get WLS until a year into syndication, and his WABC show was still a separate production as late as a year after that. King, on the other hand, was on large signals earlier; I believe WCFL and his old Miami home station WIOD were with him since night one on Mutual. However, after WCFL switched to a religious format circa '82, King was bouncing around Chicago almost constantly; he was on WIND, WMAQ and WGCI-AM (the latter in its days as a Black Talk station) before finally quitting the night shift and moving to afternoons...
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searadiofreak
Guest
Yep, a different style for King on radio. Much more intimate. However, he handled callers with the same brevity that he does today on TV!
I believe this was an era when a lot of AM music stations were dropping music for talk (80's), and there wasn't much nightime competition for Larry. (in fact, didn't Larry King kind of evolve from the old, boring Herb Jepko night shows?). Larry was really all your heard at night on many stations. (Check out the Albert Brooks movie "Lost in America" ('85) where the opening scene starts with about 2 minutes of audio from his show!).
The show was originally caller-driven, then became interview-driven, and eventually ended as a TV version on CNN in the mid-80's, then the radio show got in the way and he focused totally on TV. Even that show has changed over the years...many serious topics in the early years, now much more frivilous, but still an occasional serious topic.
I believe this was an era when a lot of AM music stations were dropping music for talk (80's), and there wasn't much nightime competition for Larry. (in fact, didn't Larry King kind of evolve from the old, boring Herb Jepko night shows?). Larry was really all your heard at night on many stations. (Check out the Albert Brooks movie "Lost in America" ('85) where the opening scene starts with about 2 minutes of audio from his show!).
The show was originally caller-driven, then became interview-driven, and eventually ended as a TV version on CNN in the mid-80's, then the radio show got in the way and he focused totally on TV. Even that show has changed over the years...many serious topics in the early years, now much more frivilous, but still an occasional serious topic.
D
Don62
Guest
Re: a couple of Questions about the Larry King radio program of the 1970's and 1
I used to love to listen to King.
One thing I recall was that he was always very short with his callers.
Get to the point! Or... What's the point? He would frequently say.
He didn't have any call screeners, as he often bragged, because he did the screening.
I also remember him always getting his nose all bent out of shape during the late 80s- early 90s when a caller would ask him what he thought about Rush's show. I think the two had a small fued then.
--
Did anyone hear his very last daytime show?
During the last week his daytime radio show ran, I think he got so fed up with the "right wing"-ization of talk radio.
He got upset with the callers and would just start singing or saying a syllable long, covering up the callers' points.
His last week on radio wasn't anything to be proud of or worth listening to.
--
Regarding affiliate counts, I think his show was comparable to the George Noory/ Art Bell lineup. You could find his show in most citiies.
I used to love to listen to King.
One thing I recall was that he was always very short with his callers.
Get to the point! Or... What's the point? He would frequently say.
He didn't have any call screeners, as he often bragged, because he did the screening.
I also remember him always getting his nose all bent out of shape during the late 80s- early 90s when a caller would ask him what he thought about Rush's show. I think the two had a small fued then.
--
Did anyone hear his very last daytime show?
During the last week his daytime radio show ran, I think he got so fed up with the "right wing"-ization of talk radio.
He got upset with the callers and would just start singing or saying a syllable long, covering up the callers' points.
His last week on radio wasn't anything to be proud of or worth listening to.
--
Regarding affiliate counts, I think his show was comparable to the George Noory/ Art Bell lineup. You could find his show in most citiies.
A
actioncentral
Guest
Larry King replaced Long John Nebel on Mutual
Jepko was replaced on Mutual by legend Long John Nebel and his wife Candy Jones.
It was a simulcast of Nebel's WMCA, NYC program. Long John came down with cancer, but continued his work. Mutual wanted to take the show on the road, but he was too ill; so MBS replaced him with Larry King and Nebel continued for awhile on WMCA until he died.
action central
Jepko was replaced on Mutual by legend Long John Nebel and his wife Candy Jones.
It was a simulcast of Nebel's WMCA, NYC program. Long John came down with cancer, but continued his work. Mutual wanted to take the show on the road, but he was too ill; so MBS replaced him with Larry King and Nebel continued for awhile on WMCA until he died.
action central
T
tcsnrayp
Guest
wpiv926 said:
Wow--that guy can sure ad lib! ;D
Re: a couple of Questions about the Larry King radio program of the 1970's and 1
...WWDB didn't pick up the Limbaugh show until the mid-'90s. The Philadelphia market's reaction to Limbaugh's tape delay on WCAU in '89 was so bad it went a long way towards CBS' decision to kill that station off the following year. The night after Limbaugh guested on the Tom Snyder ABC show in 1990, Snyder pointed out on the air that Limbaugh's production company was putting out affiliate information that had Limbaugh on a string of six suburban daytimers on the fringes of the Philadelphia market...
...WWDB didn't pick up the Limbaugh show until the mid-'90s. The Philadelphia market's reaction to Limbaugh's tape delay on WCAU in '89 was so bad it went a long way towards CBS' decision to kill that station off the following year. The night after Limbaugh guested on the Tom Snyder ABC show in 1990, Snyder pointed out on the air that Limbaugh's production company was putting out affiliate information that had Limbaugh on a string of six suburban daytimers on the fringes of the Philadelphia market...
D
Don62
Guest
Re: a couple of Questions about the Larry King radio program of the 1970's and 1
His TV show - while it paid him more $$ - was more of a step-down in terms of quality from his radio program. His show wais okay- maybe fair. It's usually choked with celebrities.
I wish there were more similar-type talk radio shows on now, instead of mostly conservative talk.
Coast to Coast with George Noory, Art Bell and Ian Punnet someteimes gets into general interest (ala not weird alien stuff) programming, so it's the closest we have now.
They did a show on "The Buddy Holly" curse and info on the "Big Bopper." That's more general interest that I like to hear.
I think King was one of the best nationally-syndicated radio hosts of all time.tcsnrayp said:
His TV show - while it paid him more $$ - was more of a step-down in terms of quality from his radio program. His show wais okay- maybe fair. It's usually choked with celebrities.
I wish there were more similar-type talk radio shows on now, instead of mostly conservative talk.
Coast to Coast with George Noory, Art Bell and Ian Punnet someteimes gets into general interest (ala not weird alien stuff) programming, so it's the closest we have now.
They did a show on "The Buddy Holly" curse and info on the "Big Bopper." That's more general interest that I like to hear.
K
kirkiefan
Guest
Larry is STILL the king...Before TalkNet,before Dr. Toni, Dr Laura,Rush or Franken there was Larry..if it wasn't for him, Mutual would have been a dinosaur back in the 70s...granted the feed sounded crappy over unequalized land lines but it got better when Mutual went sattellite..they were the first net to go in that direction.
At one time Mutual had the largest number of affiliates of any single network. ABC had much more when you added ingr8oldies said:
ABC-C, ABC-D, ABC-E & ABC-I, but in terms of single affiliations, I think at one time Mutual had nearly 800 stations. All on those horrible 3-KC lines that made them sound like they were coming out of a garbage can filled with kleenex. Of course a lot of those stations were daytimers who couldn't carry King if they wanted to, or they had an AM dyatimer simulcasted with a class-A FM, so King ran on the FM in the late night. All complete with Mutual's deep-doop automation tones.
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