LA Times Article On Call Letters

[K.M. Richards]

You need to update the Call List K.M

I thought about it, but decided not to. It is a moment in history from a regionally iconic radio news site (LARadio.com) run by a former radio management professional (the late Don Barrett) to fill the void in radio reporting in local media -- and which actually grew out of two books he previously self-published giving bios of Los Angeles "Radio People" as he called them.

The date stamp on the page identifies it as having been published on the 70th anniversary of KRTH's start (as K45LA) and so it obviously is only intended to be accurate to that date.

Besides which (consults my notes) there have been only nine call letter changes in the 13 years since I wrote that article. If it makes you happy, those changes were on 92.3 (KRRL), 92.7 (KLSI and KYRA in Thousand Oaks, KLST-FM and KYLA in Fountain Valley), 93.9 (KLLI), 97.1 (KNOU, KNX-FM) and 100.3 (KKLQ).

But, no, I do not "need" to update that list, Mario.

 

[MarioMania]

Fair Enough

 

[radiocph]

It did. Cord gave the station the KFAC calls in 1931. It didn't become a mostly Classical station until 1938, and prior to that, carried, among other things, a daily children's program and baseball games (the PCL Los Angeles Angels).

Even after largely going Classical, it made room for other programming, including Lucky Lager Dance Time, in the 1940s.

The schedule was cleared and the station went all-Classical about the same time KFAC added an FM, in 1948.

An aside, anyone interested in the antics of Cord, Fuller, etc. (including the stations) should check out O.R. Fuller, Auburn-Fuller Co., Pioneer Commercial Auto Co., White Auto Co., KFVD, KFAC, Los Angeles, Pioneer Truck and Transfer Co., Auburn California Co., Auburn Automobile Sales Co. California Branch, Olive Ransome Fuller, Motor Transit Co. - CoachBuilt.com

Lots of information there. Someone ought to write a book.

 

[yeoldeschool]

and even then it almost didn't happen, as KWHY filed a protest because Zenith had itself tried to buy 22 a few years earlier and even though that didn't happen (Coast even sued Zenith over backing out) they were already in negotations to lease their prime-time and weekend hours to the company that eventually launched DirecTV a year or so later.

SelecTV.

I still remember all the ONtv antennas on the rooftops in my neighborhood as a kid, and the receiver boxes atop the televisions inside. I also remember watching the funny guys with the orange hats starting to hang coax feeders beneath the telephone trunks on the poles adjacent to my elementary school one spring. Not long after that, all of those ONtv boxes started disappearing from people's set tops.

Now and then, I still see an old ONtv panel antenna up on a roof around here.

Incidentally, your knowledge of all this material is amazingly encyclopedic. I rarely encounter anyone who even remembers those two services -- the OddityArchive guy on Youtube is really all who else comes to mind. And he isn't even a local.

 

[KeithE4]

SelecTV.

I still remember all the ONtv antennas on the rooftops in my neighborhood as a kid, and the receiver boxes atop the televisions inside. I also remember watching the funny guys with the orange hats starting to hang coax feeders beneath the telephone trunks on the poles adjacent to my elementary school one spring. Not long after that, all of those ONtv boxes started disappearing from people's set tops.

I was in Chicago during the ONtv era on WSNS/44, and I don't remember even one special antenna for it. Such antenna had to work on both Channels 44 (ONtv) and 60 (Sportsvision). In most cases, other than far outlying areas, an indoor UHF bowtie was good enough.

Now and then, I still see an old ONtv panel antenna up on a roof around here.

Probably good enough for today's digital UHF channels, even though they're far lower in frequency than RF 52.

 

[Daryl Lynn L.A.]

For such a wide-ranging article, she manages to get multiple mentions of KPPC ("LAist") in there. A lot of coverage for such a small station. Nothing wrong with that of course, but it does make one wonder if that wasn't the article's real purpose.

I have heard the station has fallen on hard times lately and every little bit helps, as they say.

A lot of radio fans have probably juxtaposed these 2 calls, but at the risk of being "picky", just wanted to point out that "LAist" is KPCC 89.3 (named after Pasadena City College) , and KPPC 106.7 was named after the Pasadena Presbyterian Church, where the underground music station was located in the basement.

KPPC featured notable talent such as Tom Donohue, Mitch Reed, and Dr. Demento, whose show originated from there. It was very cool, very underground, but later became more commercialized as KROQ. ( K-Rock). I realize that everyone from SoCal already knows this trivia - but it's quite easy to unwittingly mix up these two call signs, especially since both studios were located in Pasadena.

 

[yeoldeschool]

I was in Chicago during the ONtv era on WSNS/44, and I don't remember even one special antenna for it. Such antenna had to work on both Channels 44 (ONtv) and 60 (Sportsvision).

I would hazard to guess that the antennas ONtv installed here were for the customers who still had VHF-only (or no) roof antennas. In Los Angeles, until PBS appeared on KCET-28 in 1970, you could receive every channel of any importance with only a VHF roof antenna. I still remember the ONtv antenna that was on my neighbor's roof. They didn't even have a regular roof antenna, so it was mounted on its own mast. All of them looked roughly like this one.

 

[KeithE4]

I still remember the ONtv antenna that was on my neighbor's roof. They didn't even have a regular roof antenna, so it was mounted on its own mast. All of them looked roughly like this one.

That's a standard 4-bay outdoor UHF bowtie. That design has been around for decades.

 

[K.M. Richards]

SelecTV.

This is what I get for trying to participate in the Disney/DirecTV thread and also comment on KWHY!

 

[K.M. Richards]

A lot of radio fans have probably juxtaposed these 2 calls,

Or just typo'd. I'm sure Flipper meant to type KPCC because he knows those are the calls, but any of us that know KROQ's original calls will sometimes type them instead, without even realizing it. (Witness the fact that it took weeks for anyone to notice before you finally did.)

Kind of like me substituting "DirecTV" for "SelecTV".

 

[K.M. Richards]

In Los Angeles, until PBS appeared on KCET-28 in 1970, you could receive every channel of any importance with only a VHF roof antenna.

I think KMEX/34 (on air September 30, 1962) might take issue with not being considered "of any importance".

And KCET first signed on September 28, 1964, only two years later. Also, strictly speaking, there was no "PBS" prior to October 5, 1970 (succeeding NET). Or is that what you meant to say?

 

[K.M. Richards]

Incidentally, your knowledge of all this material is amazingly encyclopedic.

That knowledge comes from several factors in my personal history: First, I was part of the ill-fated KKOG-TV/16 in Ventura in 1967-68, went from there to the local origination channel of the Ventura cable TV system, and from there to radio in 1973. So I have a good working knowledge of the history of L.A. television.

As far as specific knowledge of KWHY, what I had not already known I learned in researching one of my many articles at the UHF History site, on same:

History of UHF Television

uhfhistory.com

 

[yeoldeschool]

That's a standard 4-bay outdoor UHF bowtie. That design has been around for decades.

In deed. Undoubtedly ONtv mass purchased them for its installations from some established vendor rather than inventing anything "special" for its own purposes. (And it would have been unwise to do so, such as for one specific frequency, in the event they suddenly needed to switch stations.)

I think KMEX/34 (on air September 30, 1962) might take issue with not being considered "of any importance".

I wasn't aware they existed that far back. Televisions weren't even required to include UHF until the mid-1960s, and since it would have taken a good many years even beyond then for sufficient numbers of old televisions to die and be replaced by new sets, I always pictured there being very little besides independent, shoestring budget operators on UHF at least until the 1970s.

there was no "PBS" prior to October 5, 1970 (succeeding NET). Or is that what you meant to say?

Yep.

Oh, and thanks for the UHF history link. Looks like a great read!

Edit: speaking of PBS, why they ever allowed so many affiliates to compete with each other in Southern California, I will never understand. There have been discussions here recently of Muruelo Media foolishly competing with itself on FM among all its holdings except KLOS. Well. between KCET and KLCS in L.A. alone and KVCR and KOCE for those with cable subscriptions in eastern Los Angeles county, I'm not surprised KCET wound up imploding financially years ago. As much as I loved getting to watch Ed Rothhaar's "I Remember Television" on KVCR and KOCE's all-day college telecourse marathons on fascinating subjects like astronomy and history thanks to my cable system importing both into east L.A. county, I always figured all the competition must have been spreading what money KCET could've captured from its viewers awfully thin.

 

[K.M. Richards]

In deed. Undoubtedly ONtv mass purchased them for its installations from some established vendor rather than inventing anything "special" for its own purposes. (And it would have been unwise to do so, such as for one specific frequency, in the event they suddenly needed to switch stations.)

And indeed, when KBSC was sold to Telemundo in 1985 and the remaining ON TV subscribers -- only 156,000 at the time, down from a high of 379,000 only three years previous -- were migrated to SelecTV beforehand (they even had a weird combined on-air logo for a while), the new decoders had to work with the old antennas. Not that it mattered much, because SelecTV only had 59,000 subscribers itself at that point and the whole thing went bankrupt in early 1989 and KWHY went all Spanish-language.

 

[TheBigA]

Edit: speaking of PBS, why they ever allowed so many affiliates to compete with each other in Southern California, I will never understand.

PBS and NPR are membership organizations, and they don't see it as competition.

KCET's problems were all internal and had nothing to do with other stations. At the time, they were the primary affiliate, and gave that up.

 

[yeoldeschool]

PBS and NPR are membership organizations, and they don't see it as competition.

Well, I think they should have seen it that way. Imagine someone on a fixed income answering the pledge drive call to arms on KVCR, followed only weeks later by seeing KCET going into begging mode. "Oh no," they say aloud, shaking their cane scornfully at the screen. "I already donated to PBS last month. You people get a job!"

Joshing aside, multiply that many times over and poof goes their revenue stream.

Not that it mattered much, because SelecTV only had 59,000 subscribers itself at that point and the whole thing went bankrupt in early 1989 and KWHY went all Spanish-language.

Was piracy the primary downfall of those services, or cable? I never encountered a bootleg ONtv decoder in those days, but I heard they were common.

 

[TheBigA]

Well, I think they should have seen it that way.

PBS doesn't fundraise from the public. Stations do. It's up to those stations to distinguish themselves so that they stand out with their viewers. As I said, KCET had all of the advantages they could have had, and squandered them completely.

Similar situation on the radio side. No exclusivity for NPR. LA has several NPR affiliates, with two of them airing All Things Considered. But the stations have done a lot to create their own lanes and there should be no confusion over which station is which.

 

[K.M. Richards]

Well, I think they should have seen it that way. Imagine someone on a fixed income answering the pledge drive call to arms on KVCR, followed only weeks later by seeing KCET going into begging mode. "Oh no," they say aloud, shaking their cane scornfully at the screen. "I already donated to PBS last month. You people get a job!"

Even though I live in L.A. and only got to view KVCR for a brief period when I had DirecTV, one of their pledge weeks came right after they had practically gone into hock to buy a new klystron tube for the transmitter. Those things were expensive.

I mailed them a check directly, explaining that I was really a KCET viewer but that I felt they needed the money more at that point.

Was piracy the primary downfall of those services, or cable? I never encountered a bootleg ONtv decoder in those days, but I heard they were common.

Nope. Cable. Most systems would give you both HBO and Showtime for only a couple of bucks more than either of the OTA subscription services by themselves, and the 80s was when the explosion of basic cable channels was taking place. I remember getting a bundle that included CNN, USA, TNN, Nickelodeon, ARTS, CBN, C-SPAN, SuperStation WTBS, MTV, ESPN -- and later, Lifetime and VH1 -- for some ridiculously low monthly rate (didn't even double the basic bill).

 

[yeoldeschool]

Nope. Cable. Most systems would give you both HBO and Showtime for only a couple of bucks more than either of the OTA subscription services by themselves, and the 80s was when the explosion of basic cable channels was taking place. I remember getting a bundle that included CNN, USA, TNN, Nickelodeon, ARTS, CBN, C-SPAN, SuperStation WTBS, MTV, ESPN -- and later, Lifetime and VH1 -- for some ridiculously low monthly rate (didn't even double the basic bill).

I grew up in a city whose analog cable system did not scramble any of its basic channels -- nor HBO, nor Cinemax, nor The Disney Channel (it was still a premium then). For some reason, they only scrambled Showtime and The Movie Channel. I could never understand why. When HBO, Cinemax, and The Disney Channel did their nationwide "free previews" every year, all the addressable converters in the city -- which they forced everyone to rent for each coax/room outlet installed -- would be sent commands from the head end to open up those networks' channels, so they could be tuned. And when those free previews ended, all those boxes -- of the subscribers not paying for those networks anyway -- would be hit with new instructions to disable those channels again. Yet on the actual coax, they never bothered to physically scramble them, no matter how many times free previews came and went, presumably bringing their technicians' attention to their signals' scrambling status. (Whenever Showtime or The Movie Channel ran free previews, their signals' scrambling would be switched off, leaving them in the clear until the ends of their free previews. So it was obvious that the head end technicians weren't just sending box commands, but operating the scramblers themselves when those premium channel previews began and ended.) And this was the way it worked for at least 7 or 8 years straight, until one fateful day, there was suddenly no more free Disney ... and then, months later, no more free HBO ... and a little after that, no more free Cinemax.

I can only imagine how much they lost in all those years to everyone who realized coax straight to the backs of their TVs meant free goodies. Did nobody but nerdy kids even try things like that?

 

[K.M. Richards]

I grew up in a city whose analog cable system did not scramble any of its basic channels -- nor HBO, nor Cinemax, nor The Disney Channel (it was still a premium then).

I remember that Disney was still about a year away from starting up when my city held its periodic franchise public hearings for the cable systems -- the city was split in half, with a locally-owned company having given up the easternmost part of the city (which grew faster than they were prepared to wire) to Cablecom General, with an interconnect so Cablecom for the local origination channel, including City Council meetings -- and more than one commenter insisted that the city make both companies carry Disney as a condition of renewal.

Although that could not legally be part of the franchise terms, both companies said that if there was demand by the subscribers for a channel that they could access the satellite feed for, it would be in their best interests as well to carry same.

Then Disney launched ... as a premium channel. You should have heard the outcries of the "wounded" subscribers complaining to the City Council about it not being a "free" service. As I recall, it took a letter from a Disney Channel executive to the City explaining that their channel was not available for carriage without a premium charge to end the matter (or at least, let the City Council declare it off-topic at future meetings).

I wonder how many of those families decided not to go to Disneyland that year?