My old radio prof always referred to LA as "Las Angle-us". He was 59 in 1973 and was Don Ameche's announcer in Hollywood for three years. He was PD of KGW/KEX when they were the Red and Blue network afilliates respectively.
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As the Earth Turns.
- Thread starter davideduardo
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My old radio prof always referred to LA as "Las Angle-us". He was 59 in 1973 and was Don Ameche's announcer in Hollywood for three years. He was PD of KGW/KEX when they were the Red and Blue network afilliates respectively.
two ways to pronounce Colorado: "Col-uh-RAWHD-oh" and "Col-uh-RADD-oh". Courtesy Acura in Littleton always wanted the "RADD" version
According to the old television ads for the New York City-based Greenwich Savings Bank (now defunct), the bank's name was pronounced "GREEN·wich." Its extant headquarters building, situated a block north of Herald Square, is just one express stop away from the Village.
Point well made. We'll take our chances on a day trip to Ajo, and a quick stop in Why. But don't ask who's on first.
L.A. Mayor Sam Yorty (1961-73) also said "Las Angle-us".
Purest coincidence---I was listening to a 1959 Los Angeles aircheck yesterday. There was a guest from out of town who pronounced it "Lohs (long "o") Angle-us". Never heard that combination before.
I think Humble Harve was the only jock I heard growing up using the long "o".
This Los Angeles Times article from 2011 adds a few insights: Devil of a time with City of Angels' name.
Sam Yorty. He was a piece of work, and would never be tolerated in modern day Los Angle-us. I still remember the year (1970-71?) he ran for re-election against Tom Bradley. He would openly say stuff like (paraphrasing), "Just want to remind people that my opponent is a person of darker skin tone, similar to the members of the Black Panther party..." Then Yorty would appear on The George Putnam News and he and Putnam would pretty much openly accuse Bradley of being a closet radical. It worked too - Yorty defeated Bradley, who won the Mayor's office in the following election.
I was listened to a KHJ aircheck a while ago - can't remember which jock - but it included 20/20 News anchored by Art Kevin. He mentioned the Dodger game that day at "CHA-ves Ravine" - actually pronouncing it the proper way. Back in the 60s, proper Spanish pronunciation was not a thing, and most of us called it "Sha-VEZZ Ravine."
And on that topic, a hysterical SNL skit from sometime back in the 90s, IIRC:
www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/enchilada/n9970?snl=1
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A guy named Vince Chavez worked with me some years ago and when answering his phone always pronounced his name "Veence CHA-vez". He did not have a noticeable accent when you spoke to him face to face.
When the Cincinnati Reds were beating the Boston Red Sox in the 1975 World Series, Tony Perez was "puh-REZZ" to every announcer. When the Red Sox got him five years later, he had become "PEH-rezz." Obviously, he never had really been "puh-REZZ," but American broadcasters didn't start trying to pronounce Spanish names accurately until late in his career.
There was a TV reporter in the Bay Area - retired now, named Rigo Chacon. He would always sign off with, "Reeeeeego (rollling the "r") Chacohhhhn, ABC 7 News." Kind of like "eeeenchillllladasss" in that SNL skit. There was local stand-up comic (Bob Sarlotte) who did an entire comedy bit around Rigo.
But mispronouncing "Spokane" is more agregious than others because it clearly states that the ad agency/announcer/copywriter has no clue of who they are marketing to. This is a pet-peeve of mine. There is a pool/spa company that comes into Tri-Cities, WA twice a year and bombards the market with a huge media buy and continues to mangle the name of the host city. But the local media accept it because of the huge buy. This is just a market ignoring basic media principles to instead the mighty dollar. But if the parties and/or company makes money, they don't give a flying leap.
Not sure how this has anything to do with K-Earth, however. This topic has gone off the rails.
We in the Phoenix area can always tell if an ad has been made in the East as well because they pronounce the name of the city "tem-pee" instead of the local's "tem-PEE".
Totally agree.
I was actually going to post the same - we have had a lot of threads go off the rails in the past and I have to confess that I have at times contributed as much. But this one has gone so far out in left field it is beyond even the bullpen fence.
Ok, I will try to bring it closer to topic. I posted several years ago that when KRTH started dumping the 60s and even some of the 70s to go more 80s and 90s, that it really hit home for making me feel "old". It was OK when KRTH played oldies that predated me, like early Stones, Beatles, Motown, etc. - they really were oldies. But when they transitioned to music I grew up with and even some that were hits after I grew up, well, that was something different. If they are "oldies", by extension, I am an oldie too (although I am still in demo for just a few more years!).
But just as I was coming to accept all of this, I heard Guns 'n' Roses on KRTH not long ago. OMG! I remember when G 'n' R first hit the scene, they were not immediately accepted on rock radio even though their debut album "Appetite for Destruction" would later go on to sell millions. I remember being hip to them because one of my hard rockin' friends who had his radio knob welded onto heavy metal KNAC turned me on to them and told me I got to hear this new metal band. I knew as soon as I heard "Sweet Child o' Mine" for the first time, that this wasn't your obscure average garage metal band like Anthrax that was otherwise the milieu of KNAC and he was turning me onto a band that was definitely going to be big, but for at least several weeks, if not a few months, low-power, low-rated KNAC was the only station playing them. In light of all of his, hearing G 'n' R on KRTH after all of these years, was a bit jarring. I probably aged two more years just in the course of a four minute song.
And you know, I was never into that heavier rock scene like Guns & Roses, Def Leppard or even Whitesnake or Bon Jovi, but I can think of at least 20 more songs from 1987, 1988 that K-Earth should be playing, instead of these worn out rock tunes. I think I've had enough "Sugar" poured on me to last a lifetime. Will KRTH really play "Bad Medicine"?
How about Will to Power's version of "Baby I Love Your Way", or former Go-Go's Belinda Carlisle "I Get Weak"...Of course you've got the Rick Astley songs, music from Madonna (La Isla Bonita, Who's That Girl...etc..). "Shattered Dreams" by Johnny Hates Jazz, "What Have I Done to Deserve This" by the Pet Shop Boys or even "Say It Again" by Jermaine Stewart.....The list goes on. But you are right Flipper, metal Guns & Roses on a station that was once known for its cruisin' beach music, is a shocker to say the least and really does not belong.
I am not saying they don't belong. KRTH's ratings show that there is really very little room to question management decisions. The whole point is KRTH is doing a great job changing with the times; me, not so much. I guess my next shock will be when G 'n' R start getting spins along.... the KOST!
The real issue is that KRTH under Entercom has obviously done research in LA and the LA listeners told them that people in LA want to hear those songs, not the ones that you, who are not in LA, think don't belong.
I didn't think Hotel California belonged anywhere, except maybe in hell. But do you radio programmers listen to me? No.
Generally, on music choices, we don't listen to individual listeners. We listen to replicable groups of listeners who reflect the taste of our target audience. And we then play what they tell us to play.
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