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Could KABC become KNX's sister station?

michael hagerty said:
You're saying that a guy whose entire L.A. terrestrial radio audience were FM listeners would tolerate KABC's signal to hear him?

That wouldn't have even been true in the 90s.

There's a long list of big stars in L.A. radio who did the same show on different signals to very different results. By this logic Dick Whittington should have had the #1 morning show in L.A. in the 1970s. People in Orange County would have been putting up with static to hear him on KGIL.

Charlie Tuna should have been huge on KROQ-AM.

Again: People don't use radio that way. They didn't 50 years ago. Now?
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Hold on here. The 790 signal can't be compared to the old 1500/Burbank. I think of the 790 signal as having a bit more of a regional kick than 1500. Now that you mention Charlie Tuna, he was on a Class A in the O.C., KIKF just before KLAC/Standards? Anyway, it is perhaps all moot since 790 is an AM station. Thanks again for all the old stats and your observations. It really brings back memories.
 
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BLA said:
Hold on here. The 790 signal can't be compared to the old 1500/Burbank. I think of the 790 signal as having a bit more of a regional kick than 1500.
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It's an inexact comparison, but if you're talking about the percentage of the rating survey area, then vs. now, that both stations cover with a listenable daytime signal, it's not as far off as you might think. You had to cover way less physical territory in '72/'73 than you do now.

BLA said:
Now that you mention Charlie Tuna, he was on a Class A in the O.C., KIKF just before KLAC/Standards?
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Yep. And that was FM, and Charlie didn't have people putting up with an iffy signal just to hear him. I had the chance to correspond with Charlie after that and he said the reaction when he got back on KLAC---and then on KBIG and on KRTH after that was---"Where've you been?" or "It's nice to have you on a radio station I can get again."

BLA said:
Anyway, it is perhaps all moot since 790 is an AM station.
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Yeah. WNBC was the last time anyone would tune to Howard Stern on an AM. Nobody in L.A. ever had to.

BLA said:
Thanks again for all the old stats and your observations. It really brings back memories.
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You're welcome---and thanks to @DavidEduardo for WorldRadioHistory.com, which makes finding that information easy.
 
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TheBigA said:
How many AM stations still play music? When did that change? How were those stations replaced?
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My understanding is that in the US the only English speaking AM 50,000 watt station in 650 WSM In Nashville. There are many 1,000 watt AM stations that still play music often simulcasting with an FM like WTRN 1340 in Tyrone, PA. Toronto, Canada has a 50,000 watt music station. At 740 AM playing adult standards. I’m sure our experienced readers will correct my errors if I missed another example.
 
Robert Douglas said:
So, other than amazing programming, how did KGFJ become number 2 in the market back in 1969? Nothing but 1000 watts and a clothesline looking "thing" on the roof of the odd fellows building at the corner of the Harbor and Santa Monica freeways. Any idea what they did for a ground system?
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Top loaded wire antennas don't necessarily require ground radials.
 
TomásEstefan said:
Top loaded wire antennas don't necessarily require ground radials.
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They require a ground of some kind. I've seen many that used things like a buried automobile frame, old car radiators, steel building frames, railroad tracks and the like.

KGFJ had a counterpoise system, which is a ground system suspended in the air... same today for KTNQ and KEIB in City of Industry.
 
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