Frosty, Heidi, & Frank Gone Oct 1st

[accessdlp]

Frangela is no longer at KTLK. Another Cheap Channel cut. I can go on about `TLK`s problems, which are more along the lines promotion and money than being "on the left." As for `ABC, maybe its time for some new blood infused.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

The only reason KTLK exists is because CC has more AM properties than formats to put on them. Since they have an extra frequency, they will gladly take whatever revenue they can generate from the dozens of true-red lefties they can reach.

The station's format, talent, and quality speak for themselves. Fortunately, few are actually hearing.

 

[Robnoxious]

So are they going to rename the podcast the "Frank & Heidi & Frank's Non-Existent Gay Friend To Make His Jokes About Show"?

Without Frosty, Frank has even less material to work with. And by material I mean make gay jokes at Frosty's expense. He has nothing.

 

[Big E]

Well, maybe it's time for Mr. KABC to make a come back.

I have not been able to figure out why someone didn't snap him up long ago. Now he's moved to Las Vegas, and I doubt that he'd be willing to move back to L.A. Perhaps a broadcast from LV studios?...

Well he has been doing fill ins for Doug McIntyre for Red Eye Radio lately. Maybe Al Rantel or Larry Elder...they both would have instant audience, would be easy to sell, and would actually "FIT" the station. Now if they could only get rid of Hannity and Levin.

 

[westfield60]

Don Barrett was teasing this morning about the idea of Larry coming back. But in my opinion it is the worst decision KABC can make. Why would they hire someone that has proven that he couldn't get ratings before. This new management came in with the goal of taking over KFI, but if you put on personalities that put KABC in the ratings toilet in the first palce then what sense does it make bringing them back? That's utterly stupid, but then again Radio programmers aren't know to be smart.

Larry after being unemployed for three years must be willing to work for a sandwich at this point. He left promising a revolution and a "world to change" but after three years of nothing the guy must be begging to come back. So KABC may get him back if only for the reason they don't have to pay him anything. There is no way he can draw any listeners from Limbaugh and the only ones that will come back are the 80 year olds that were not even willing to pay for his podcast. So dumb move for KABC.

 

[Big E]

i dont have the exact numbers at hand...but i believe KABC had better numbers with Larry than they do now...so they can only do better. When Larry left wasnt KABC still Disney owned? Maybe he didnt fit they're squeeky clean image. But KABC is owned by Citadel now, so different way of thinking, obviously if FHF was on. If not Larry, who else is out there?

 

[WTFman]

If not Larry, who else is out there?

Well, there's Moe Ansari...

Larry could compete with Limbaugh since he's at least local. He'd cannibalize Prager's numbers though which would not be a good thing. I'd rather Larry replace Levine in afternoon drivetime. It would be a reason to listen to KABC again. Hannity is too popular to touch in his slot though I don't listen all that much since I do other things at that time.
I think John Phillips is a funny guy and like him in his time slot opposite Conway. When one is off the rails the other is often doing something I like. I didn't care for Phillips initially but he's quite witty.
The Mr. K advocates should let him go quietly into that good night.
I'm all for NEW talent. It's a big country.

 

[aznbobbo]

If not Larry, who else is out there?

Well, there's Moe Ansari...

Larry could compete with Limbaugh since he's at least local. He'd cannibalize Prager's numbers though which would not be a good thing. I'd rather Larry replace Levine in afternoon drivetime. It would be a reason to listen to KABC again. Hannity is too popular to touch in his slot though I don't listen all that much since I do other things at that time.
I think John Phillips is a funny guy and like him in his time slot opposite Conway. When one is off the rails the other is often doing something I like. I didn't care for Phillips initially but he's quite witty.
The Mr. K advocates should let him go quietly into that good night.
I'm all for NEW talent. It's a big country.

You think John Phillips is funny? Wow....that's who you would replace for FHF? Jeez...

 

[westfield60]

All of you guys make good points, but I cannot believe Citadel brought in all new management only to hire back the same people that put KABC in 27th place. Sure with Larry and Al they were a little better but I certainly don't think Citadel is looking to be 25th in the ratings rather than 27th. They need new outside the box thinking, which I sadly don't think they are capable of.

I come from the premise that KFI is number one only because there is no competition. If any other talk station had strong talent KFI would and could be toppled. Look at that afternoon slot, First Bill Handel and now Bill Carroll, it is certainly a weak spot for KFI. They the Tim Conway Jr show is a total disaster. He makes John Philips look like a mensa member.

It is tough trying to come up with new personalities on a shoe string budget. But how about this, hire Frosty Stillwell for his own political show. I think the old biddies at KABC loved him out of the three and liked his opinions too. So I think he could have some success. Another option is Doug Steckler who is really smart, entertaining and certainly passionate and could also bring in ratings. Maybe Kevin James in that FHF slot. He is excellent at covering local LA politics and could do well. So there are options for KABC.

I would personally like Doug McIntyre on 24 hours a day but I'm sure Penny Peyser would like her husband home once in a while. I do acknowledge that Doug did fail in the morning slot. Probably because he simply was too smart for that morning slot which is tradionally supposed to be a lighter group oriented show. But he has tremendous success overnight and I suspect he would also do well against John and Ken or against Limbaugh.

 

[SuperRadioFan]

Hey you guys, Larry Elder was on KABC thru mid-December 2008, so that's less than two years. I don't think he's hurting for money though.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

Hey you guys, Larry Elder was on KABC thru mid-December 2008, so that's less than two years. I don't think he's hurting for money though.

I always wonder why he doesn't show up on as a talking head guest on the cable news shows. He has done it before on a limited basis and I think he makes a good guest because he definitely shows up with a distinct point of view. I think guests like Larry are far more interesting than, "we have Republican strategist <fill-in-the-name> and former advisor to Democrat Bill Clinton <fill-in-the-name>...". I immediately turn those segments off. I immediately know all I am going to hear for the next six minutes is the latest talking points from both parties.

But these guest appearances would be a good way for Larry to keep up his profile. From what I can tell, I thought he had been in the witness protection program for the last few years.

 

[SuperRadioFan]

LOL @ witness protection!!

Actually I did see Larry on a few segments (maybe on CNN and/or FoxNC?) but I haven't noticed him lately. Also heard him interviewed by Hannity on the radio show a few times.

 

[westfield60]

You don't think Larry has tried to land a job at one of the cable outlets. When he was laid off from KABC the first thing he tried was to look for another radio gig but his salary demands were so out of line that no one wanted to touch him. Then he tried to get a gig in the TV cable news land and a well publicized attempt at MSNBC but that too failed and then it was he was going to save the world through his podcast. But I believe four people said they would pay for it. So that stalled. So the guy has been trying but his demands for salary have been crazy for today's economy where every radio station is one advertiser away from bankruptcy. So I imagine he must be desperate to get back somewhere.

But I'm sure he is thanking the current adminstration for extending the unemployment benefits ;D

Also for a guy like him, the longer he is off the air the easier it becomes for people to not even miss him. I think Leykis will have this problem too when he tries to return to the airwaves in 2011 or 2012. People will go Leykis who?

 

[Ashbinz]

And it’s weird that there’s a radio show with a huge, loyal audience that no radio station wants to carry.

I think FHF were honest about the problem. With most shows, you just pay the host the big bucks. In this case, there were three hosts.

A station can only make so much money per hour with ads. Here's an example (figures just pulled out of the air). If the amount of money the station can make is enough to support paying one host $100,000 a year, it works. In FHF's case at KABC, they had that but had to split it three ways, such as each getting about $33,000 a year.

The radio landscape has changed. FHF would have to have good ratings on one of the top 5 stations in LA to be able to be paid enough (all three of FHF) to have enough income to live on.

Ad revenue is down at most stations, including KABC. They wanted to cut FHF's salary even further, a salary already so low that Frank lost his house, Heidi sounds worried about keeping hers, and I'm not sure how Frosty is doing.

I think they saw that if they stayed at KABC with a further reduced salary, they were on the way to personal financial bankruptcy. So they feel they have to try something else in order to put food on their table and pay their bills.

 

[SandyG]

They went from splitting close to a million a year to splitting a $100k....rumor had it that they were actually getting endorsement deals only and no pay...hard to do if you don't get ratings.

I do feel sorry for them, but when you build your career/audience on Howard Stern's shoulders, you should be glad you were able to keep your gig for so many years after.

They could go to a small market somewhere (Heidi and Frank) and prob make $60K each doing a wacky morning show. It's way way below what they were doing, but at least they'd be employed.

I doubt the podcast is going to get them much $$. Carolla is not raking in the bucks from his and he's the "King of New Media"

At least they aren't doing mornings in Sacramento with Jamie White! (yet)

 

[westfield60]

Great points by Ashbinz and Sandy G about the sobering situation in radio today.

In light of that I wish Frank would stop saying that Frosty is retiring. It makes it look like he has enough financial security so that at this point in his mid-fifties he can retire and not have to worry about money. The reality is the exact opposite. Frosty was brutally honest that they have been living on their savings and that he needs to find another gig whatever that is. He is not retiring. He is leaving the FHF team and KABC but he is not retiring.

Also another point which I think applies generally to most americans is the apparent lack of savings by these guys. In the 8 years at KLSX as Sandy G points out they probably were making a killing or at least better than the average salary out tehre. How is it that your house isn't secure at this point or you don't have enough savings to hold you through for years to come? Why is Heidi selling jeans on Ebay? What happened to the great pay from the KLSX days? I guess the answer is she was buying $200 and $300 jeans.

 

[RealityBites]

I'll be honest, i've never once tuned into FHF.
But let me tell you something about money and living in LA.
If what Westfield60 states is perceived to be accurate regarding
the FHF wages, I must say that you couldn't possibly live in Los
Angeles. A single person living in LA cannot make under $150K
and lead a truly decent quality of life. If you are married it changes
drastically. If you are divorced dad in LA supporting 2 families
forget it. I know all of this to be fact.

However, the true point that is made here which I agree with
is that we can all live much more reasonably than we did before no question.
But seriously my rent alone in Santa Monica was $2.5k a month, then when I
bought my mortgage was almost $5K a month. Not uncommon to live in a
decent part of town. But it adds up fast.

How many of us were living paycheck to paycheck thinking we'd keep
making more. Everyone got hit hard and as a society, this is the worst example
of how to live financially. We'll all be a touch more reserved in our spending in the future...

 

[colininla]

I'll be honest, i've never once tuned into FHF.

A single person living in LA cannot make under $150K and lead a truly decent quality of life.

1) Unless you're a fan of bad puns, cackling and a self-importance gone amok you haven't missed much.

2) Nonsense.

 

[musicfan101]

Frosty just updated his facebook status saying the last show will be on Sept. 24th. Wonder what happened?

 

[DeuxX]

Frosty just updated his facebook status saying the last show will be on Sept. 24th. Wonder what happened?

KABC is flipping.