I think it'll be more interesting to see what the new PD across the hall at KLOS plans to do (just in from KSAN, San Francisco...a Cumulus sister station).
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KABC Format Change
- Thread starter Surfer
- Start date
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Thomps2525
Guest
From 1929 to 1954 the station was KECA, for owner Earle C. Anthony, who also owned KFI. Before that it was KFVF. Mister Radiogui says there is no longer an advantage to owning the KABC call letters. I agree. I was shocked when 930 gave up the KHJ call letters and became KRTH-AM. I was shocked when KGFJ, faced with competition from KDAY, tried to update its image and became KKTT, "The Kat." I was shocked when the mighty 'Met, KMET, became KTWV, "The Wave." I was shocked when the historic KRLA call letters were taken by a talk station. Over the years I've gotten used to the never-ending succession of call letter changes and format changes and now I realize that what we consider to be "heritage call letters" are not the least bit sacred to the current crop of programmers. Several years ago KLAC was planning to switch to an edgy talk format as "The Buzz." Jamie White was set to host middays. For reasons I never learned, the format change was halted...but I wonder if an edgy talk format (and new call letters) would help KABC. I have a feeling that there are hundreds of thousands of people who haven't listened to KABC for 25 years but still associate the station with Ken Minyard and Bob Arthur. Time for a "makeover"!
An edgy Asian talk format, maybe.
And I re-thought things a few years back when it comes to "heritage" call letters. If they don't stand for something as good as what they stood for when they became legendary, it's time to broom them. The endless re-use of KFRC in San Francisco for a series of comeback attempts, each worse than the one before, was more a desecration than anything else.
KABC meant it was an ABC station. Doesn't mean that anymore.
It meant Ken & Bob, Michael Jackson, Ray Briem and the Dodgers. Doesn't mean that anymore.
But it only matters if they use them more than once an hour. If you're going to call it (let's just roll with the rumor) "CBSSports790", someone whispering "KABC, Los Angeles" at the top of the hour doesn't hurt the legend any more than the last 20 years have.
And I re-thought things a few years back when it comes to "heritage" call letters. If they don't stand for something as good as what they stood for when they became legendary, it's time to broom them. The endless re-use of KFRC in San Francisco for a series of comeback attempts, each worse than the one before, was more a desecration than anything else.
KABC meant it was an ABC station. Doesn't mean that anymore.
It meant Ken & Bob, Michael Jackson, Ray Briem and the Dodgers. Doesn't mean that anymore.
But it only matters if they use them more than once an hour. If you're going to call it (let's just roll with the rumor) "CBSSports790", someone whispering "KABC, Los Angeles" at the top of the hour doesn't hurt the legend any more than the last 20 years have.
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Thomps2525
Guest
And since I mentioned KHJ, what was the point of giving up a legendary (64 years!) set of call letters and becoming KRTH-AM in 1986 if the call letters were to be said only once an hour? And, while I'm at it, what was the point of that idiotic "Smokin' Oldies" identifier? Did they think we "all grew up to be smokin'"? (I got in two little digs with that line!) And why did they advertise "music from rock'n'roll's first ten years" when they played 1955-65, an eleven-year span?
Mister Chime, 710 was KTZN, "The Zone." in 1997-98. I remember Joe Crummey and Bernie Ward and the "Two Chicks on the Radio" show with Tracey Miller and Robin Abcarian. Who else was there? As it turned out, nobody really wanted to hear "two chicks" in morning drive. Remember, before the album-rock format was installed, when KMET had female DJs? They were known as the "KMET Fems." "Fems"---"FM"---get it?
Mister Chime, 710 was KTZN, "The Zone." in 1997-98. I remember Joe Crummey and Bernie Ward and the "Two Chicks on the Radio" show with Tracey Miller and Robin Abcarian. Who else was there? As it turned out, nobody really wanted to hear "two chicks" in morning drive. Remember, before the album-rock format was installed, when KMET had female DJs? They were known as the "KMET Fems." "Fems"---"FM"---get it?
LARadioRewind said:
There was no value left in the KHJ calls by that point. You're right that at once an hour, they didn't need to ditch them, but it didn't really matter. Saying "KHJ, Los Angeles", "KRTH-AM, Los Angeles" or "W-Eat My Shorts, Philadelphia" once an hour wouldn't change a thing in terms of who listened to automated oldies on AM in 1986 (actually, the last one might do better).
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Thomps2525
Guest
I always thought that "EMS Radio" stood for "Emergency Medical Services" but, after what you just said, now I'm not so sure! I wonder if Bart Simpson listens. 
http://emsradio.com/
http://emsradio.com/
michael hagerty said:
Maybe pairing an North Korean host with a South Korean host in the mornings?
For middays a capitalist Taiwanese host with an old-school Communist Chinese host, and from 3PM-7PM (at which time they go to Pinoy rap) comedian Russell Peters.
LARadioRewind said:
In April, 1945, Earle C. Anthony was ordered to sell KECA. After petitioning for some short delays, the station was sold to the American Broadcasting.
radio-darn said:
Gary Owens horoscope from decades ago on KMPC:
"Taurus. If you're a Taurean, it's better to be a South Taurean than a North Taurean."
I hope I'm not going to confuse everybody reading this. But, the license for KABC-790 is a complicated story, and dates back to February 1925 as KFVF, and another radio station license that started in 1925, KFXB in Big Bear Lake.
KFVF changed to KNRC in September of 1925; It changed ownership and call letters again in November of 1928 to KTM; then to KEHE in 1935 under Hearst Radio's Los Angeles Evening Express.
KFXB moved from Big Bear to Los Angeles in 1927 and changed calls to KPLA. KFI owner Earle C. Anthony bought KPLA in November of 1929 and changed the calls to KECA for his own initials.
While KFI went from 5 kw to 50,000 watts in 1931 was at 640-AM, KECA was only 1,000 watts at 1430-AM.
KTM was at 780 on the dial and shared time with KELW-780 in Burbank. Both had license troubles in the early-'30s. Anthony had hoped for years of moving KECA to 780 for better signal coverage and higher power.
In 1937, KEHE-780/ Hearst Radio bought out KELW so they could be full time on 780. KEHE-780 had their new 5 kw transmitter site built where today's KABC-790 tower site is.
By 1939, Hearst was selling off their stations, so some of them. Earle C. Anthony paid $400,000 for KEHE and took it off the air. He moved KECA from 1430 to 780. The license for KECA-1430 was deleted. (In 1942, new station KWKW-Pasadena went on the air on 1430)
KFI and KECA-780 moved inbto the former KEHE studiuos at 141 North Vermont in December of 1939. In March of 1941, KECA moved from 780 to 790-AM. And yes, in 1943, due to duoply rules at the time, the
FCC allowed a station owner to have only one radio station per market. So, Anthony had to sell his beloved KECA-790 to the Blue Network (formerly the NBC Blue Network), which became ABC.
And in 1954, KECA-790 became KABC for American Broadcasting Company
I hope that is clear. For a recap, here's a bit from my own AM call frequency history charts.
Jim Hilliker
Monterey
AM 790 (November 15, 1929)
KABC is actually the result of the merger of two stations. KABC began in August of 1925 as KFXB in Big Bear Lake and moved to Los Angeles in 1927 as KPLA. KFI owner Earle C. Anthony bought KPLA and changed it to KECA for his initials on November 15, 1929.
KECA was on 1430 AM. Anthony decided to buy out KEHE 780 and move KECA to that dial position. KECA 1430 license was cancelled by the FCC on 7/31/39 and KEHE became KECA 780 on 8/8/39. KECA moved from 780 to 790 AM on 3/29/41.
KABC has been talk radio since August 1,1960.
KFVF February 16, 1925
KNRC September 22, 1925 Kierulff ‘N’ Ravenscroft Company
(Charles R. Kierrulff, the owner, also was the first owner of KHJ in 1922 when he ran it for the Los Angeles Times for 7 months.)
KTM November 1928 Tom Morgan
KEHE May 6, 1935 Evening Herald Express
KECA August 8, 1939 Earle C. Anthony
KABC February 1, 1954 (or 2/10/54) American Broadcasting Company
KFVF changed to KNRC in September of 1925; It changed ownership and call letters again in November of 1928 to KTM; then to KEHE in 1935 under Hearst Radio's Los Angeles Evening Express.
KFXB moved from Big Bear to Los Angeles in 1927 and changed calls to KPLA. KFI owner Earle C. Anthony bought KPLA in November of 1929 and changed the calls to KECA for his own initials.
While KFI went from 5 kw to 50,000 watts in 1931 was at 640-AM, KECA was only 1,000 watts at 1430-AM.
KTM was at 780 on the dial and shared time with KELW-780 in Burbank. Both had license troubles in the early-'30s. Anthony had hoped for years of moving KECA to 780 for better signal coverage and higher power.
In 1937, KEHE-780/ Hearst Radio bought out KELW so they could be full time on 780. KEHE-780 had their new 5 kw transmitter site built where today's KABC-790 tower site is.
By 1939, Hearst was selling off their stations, so some of them. Earle C. Anthony paid $400,000 for KEHE and took it off the air. He moved KECA from 1430 to 780. The license for KECA-1430 was deleted. (In 1942, new station KWKW-Pasadena went on the air on 1430)
KFI and KECA-780 moved inbto the former KEHE studiuos at 141 North Vermont in December of 1939. In March of 1941, KECA moved from 780 to 790-AM. And yes, in 1943, due to duoply rules at the time, the
FCC allowed a station owner to have only one radio station per market. So, Anthony had to sell his beloved KECA-790 to the Blue Network (formerly the NBC Blue Network), which became ABC.
And in 1954, KECA-790 became KABC for American Broadcasting Company
I hope that is clear. For a recap, here's a bit from my own AM call frequency history charts.
Jim Hilliker
Monterey
AM 790 (November 15, 1929)
KABC is actually the result of the merger of two stations. KABC began in August of 1925 as KFXB in Big Bear Lake and moved to Los Angeles in 1927 as KPLA. KFI owner Earle C. Anthony bought KPLA and changed it to KECA for his initials on November 15, 1929.
KECA was on 1430 AM. Anthony decided to buy out KEHE 780 and move KECA to that dial position. KECA 1430 license was cancelled by the FCC on 7/31/39 and KEHE became KECA 780 on 8/8/39. KECA moved from 780 to 790 AM on 3/29/41.
KABC has been talk radio since August 1,1960.
KFVF February 16, 1925
KNRC September 22, 1925 Kierulff ‘N’ Ravenscroft Company
(Charles R. Kierrulff, the owner, also was the first owner of KHJ in 1922 when he ran it for the Los Angeles Times for 7 months.)
KTM November 1928 Tom Morgan
KEHE May 6, 1935 Evening Herald Express
KECA August 8, 1939 Earle C. Anthony
KABC February 1, 1954 (or 2/10/54) American Broadcasting Company
People listen to AM radio? I'm not sure my car radio or alarm clock even receives AM.
Shouldn't the rumor mill be moving on to what, if any, changes will happen over at KLOS? Some old white people will be affected by that. No one will be affected but what changes occur at KABC.
Shouldn't the rumor mill be moving on to what, if any, changes will happen over at KLOS? Some old white people will be affected by that. No one will be affected but what changes occur at KABC.
...you're forgetting that RKO still had a chance to keep KHJ-TV/9 (and WOR-TV/9 Secaucus) in 1986 (the final Appeals Court decision against RKO didn't come down until '87). Thus, RKO would still hang on to the KHJ call sign and could have reapplied them to AM 930 if the decision went their way...michael hagerty said:
Ultimajock said:
No, Daevid, I didn't forget. But I doubt bringing the calls back to the AM was in anybody's mind. Automated oldies was an admission that RKO was out of ideas for any kind of AM radio that would work in 1980s L.A.
I would like to ask david eduardo who's opinion i respect if it is very likely to be a format change at 790 kabc and if so what the new format will be? Even though we totally disagreed about indie 1031 i value his opinion.
hotpatrick2004 said:
This is not a simple situation.
On first view, this is a radio station that can't possibly sustain billings and must change.
But then we add in these ingredients:
- Cumulus has syndicated shows that produce national revenue that are on the current format. If they make enough, then a change is unlikely.
- Cumulus and CBS have formed a strategic alliance (whatever that means) to populate the country with sports stations. KABC would be adequate for that based on giving the company an LA outlet.
- Inertia. There is a tendency to think that once great stations can come back. I know it is delusional, but we see this with frequency.
Add all the issues we know such as signal disadvantages, the ethnic composition of LA and the dominance of KFI and my guess would be a change to the sports option by year-end. Caveat: I have no knowledge of the inside workings of The Cloud or The Eye, so I am armchair quarterbacking... your guess is absolutely as valid as mine here.
A little experimenting might be in order. Radio reinvented itself in the '50's and it seems due again. Let your imagination go. How about a talk station aimed at women. Women hosts for talk shows, not angry political shows but welcoming comfortable shows with topics women might find interesting, presenting a sympathetic, kind face. Professional talk might work, lawyers love to talk law, health care people are always interested in news in their profession, realtors and the construction industry, too. It took some imagination for radio to succeed as hugely as it did in the '50's and '60's, it needs an infusion of creativity now.
Lopaka said:
KABC's then-sister station, KMPC (re-branded at KTZN) tried all-female talk in the late 90s, crashing and burning rather spectacularly. Next move was Radio Disney.
The re-invention that saved radio in the 50s was largely "more hits more often" (even in formats other than Top 40). The issue here isn't saving radio, it's saving a less than city-grade signal on a band that doesn't sound as good as FM, which very few people under 50 even sample anymore.
Whatever you do, demographics will be key. I can't imagine what would make women in the desirable demo, with the ethnic mix found within KABC's usable signal, listen to AM.
Sports is only viable because advertisers will pay for smaller batches of young men. And Asian-language because it's underserved and currently on worse signals than KABC's.
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