Moving From AM to FM... A Question

[davideduardo]

[ But there was a consistency to the quality and level of performance...the overall excellence of the station. Whether you liked the basic Drake approach of Tom Rounds, the loose, fun "Hippie Thing" as Bobby Ocean calls it of Sebastian Stone, the near-blinding polish of Michael Spears or the rhythm and rhyme of Gerry Cagle's time (get Bill Lee to deliver that line, please!), you knew no one on earth was doing it any better...nor could they.

Nicely put. I think the implementation of the Drake concept by TR is one of the less-noticed "great station" situations of the era. TR did not follow the same path as Jacobs in LA, and, at least I think, did a very nice and appropriate adaptation to the Bay Area. And I think the change from the "old" KFRC to the new format may have been even more shocking than the KHJ transformation.

 

[Bryan Simmons]

Wow, go to sleep for a few hours... But really, great posts Lew & Michael, very insightful, and I've got to agree with what you've both said. I will say however that the "Game Zone" on KFRC was probably one of the better sounding game show blocks around at the time. There were many AM's flirting with game shows for a few years and while not as good as it could have been, it was better than most. Personally, and I was a target demo back then, I never cared for Cagle's approach at KFRC even though it reaped great numbers, it just didn't feel like KFRC to me, but that's probably because I came of "radio age" around the time Eric Chase was on the Big 610 and was a big Drake fan. Guess we can all look back and see the mistakes and I guess we're discussing this because most of all we are big fans of those great stations and to me it hurt to watch them go out the way they did...

Well, and that's where I struggle with defining KFRC, Bryan. Because it really wasn't consistent in the purest sense. Grab airchecks five years apart from KFRC...1966, 1971, 1976, 1981...and it will sound like four different radio stations. But there was a consistency to the quality and level of performance...the overall excellence of the station. Whether you liked the basic Drake approach of Tom Rounds, the loose, fun "Hippie Thing" as Bobby Ocean calls it of Sebastian Stone, the near-blinding polish of Michael Spears or the rhythm and rhyme of Gerry Cagle's time (get Bill Lee to deliver that line, please!), you knew no one on earth was doing it any better...nor could they.

You're right, KFRC, like a great entertainer kept re-inventing itself, all the while keeping a consistent thread of quality and certain station features. There have been great radio stations in every part of the United States and even Canada, from WABC to CKLW, WFIL to KJR and so many others but you have to admit that KFRC was a quality station through most of it's time as a Top 40 and really beyond. Magic 61, while not a format that many may care for, was a very well programmed and executed Standards station.

Personally I always wanted to work at KFRC, but that was a place of rarefied air and few of us get to breathe it in. I did visit a few times, once when my mentor Terry Nelson was doing nights. That evening will always live in my memory, to actually stand in the KFRC control room was a thrill. But so was having lunch with Tom Parker, meeting John Mack Flanagan who regaled us with radio stories and Dr. Don Rose who I met on 3 occasions, once as a high school student, another during my lunch visit and again years later in the lobby of KFI/KOST when I took part in a conversation with DDR and Gary Owens. I had worked around Gary for a few years at that point and although still in awe of him, I could almost carry on a normal conversation (still thinking to myself that I was actually talking to GO, a living legend) but to be there with two of the all-time best made me dizzy.

 

[michael hagerty]

I did visit a few times, once when my mentor Terry Nelson was doing nights. That evening will always live in my memory, to actually stand in the KFRC control room was a thrill. But so was having lunch with Tom Parker, meeting John Mack Flanagan who regaled us with radio stories and Dr. Don Rose who I met on 3 occasions, once as a high school student, another during my lunch visit and again years later in the lobby of KFI/KOST when I took part in a conversation with DDR and Gary Owens. I had worked around Gary for a few years at that point and although still in awe of him, I could almost carry on a normal conversation (still thinking to myself that I was actually talking to GO, a living legend) but to be there with two of the all-time best made me dizzy.

Lucky man. I've kicked myself for a few years now after admitting to John Mack Flanagan on the San Francisco board that I never was in the building and he told me "All you had to do was ask...would have loved to have you visit."

I did, however, watch Jackson Armstrong do his show from the mobile Sturgeon at the Fort Mason Christmas Fair back in '82...and had the pleasure of meeting DDR at Ben Fong-Torres' book signing back in '98.

And Garish...well, I first met him in '79 at an R&R convention...have communicated maybe three times total, and he always remembers.

All great guys. Including Big Tom Parker, who I always enjoyed listening to on KFRC.

 

[michael hagerty]

One other thought occurred to me about this topic, and that is that, for L.A. teens, Top 40 stopped being hip in the very early 70s and (despite KIIS' popularity), never recovered it again until the advent of hip-hop. KHJ lost the coolness contest to KLOS in '72, KMET took it away from KLOS in '78, and KROQ stole it from KMET in '82.

I think there was a less severe defection from Top 40 in other cities around the country, allowing an almost-seamless transition from AM Top 40 to FM CHR. But in Los Angeles, it was, as KLOS' Frazer Smith used to say: "Too hip, gotta go."

 

[LKellerIII]

One other thought occurred to me about this topic, and that is that, for L.A. teens, Top 40 stopped being hip in the very early 70s and (despite KIIS' popularity), never recovered it again until the advent of hip-hop. KHJ lost the coolness contest to KLOS in '72, KMET took it away from KLOS in '78, and KROQ stole it from KMET in '82.

I think there was a less severe defection from Top 40 in other cities around the country, allowing an almost-seamless transition from AM Top 40 to FM CHR. But in Los Angeles, it was, as KLOS' Frazer Smith used to say: "Too hip, gotta go."

Among my social group of self-consciously 'hip(pie)' UCLA students, Top 40 radio was uncool as early as 1969. When we spoke of "AM radio" it was a put-down. It was all about KPPC-FM and KMET, and KLOS/KABC-FM to a lesser degree. Since none of us could afford FM car tuners, we kept our Top 40 AM pre-sets in our cars, but even then the default was nearby KDAY (once it went to an album rock format in 1970 - I think), and KRLA. Even though KHJ was still the ratings champ overall, it was the least cool among the college age people I knew because the Drake formatics and "Boss" terminlogy was considered corny and only fit for 13 year old 'teeny-boppers' chewing bubble gum and carrying Bobby Sherman binders.

Probably the biggest radio event in those years (a tragedy of huge proportions for hippies) was the day KPPC's owners canned the entire staff we listeners loved (Les Carter, Steven Clean, etc.), and brought it what we considered weak substitutes. At least in my group, KPPC was boycotted forever at that point, and KMET became the top pick.

To possibly confirm Michael's thesis - when I got to the Bay Area in 73, KFRC and KYA did not seem to suffer from the same un-cool image among my new friends here. Yes - KSAN and other FM album rock stations were the default, but we still couldn't afford FM tuners in our cars. I can't remember anybody complaining about Top 40, and in fact - we'd share whatever antics and corny jokes Dr. Don Rose had fired at us that morning. DDR was so square, he was hip.

 

[briancraig]

Hip is such a subjective concept that I'm not sure it can be qualified that easily.

I'm sure to teens in Woodland Hills, KLOS might have been "hip" in 1974, but to kids in Baldwin Hills, KDAY would have been the "hip" station.

What would be interesting to me would be non Top 40 stations that have been #1 in teens. I know that in the one 1970s L.A. ratings book I have actually seen (Fall 1978) KMET was clearly number 1 in teens.

But I would guess that KHJ would have been number 1 in that demographic at least through 1976. When KIIS had double digit 12+ ratings in the mid 1980s, I would think they would have had to have out rated KROQ in teens.

But it does appear that L.A. teens did listen to AOR in greater numbers than in other markets. WLS was clearly the number 1 teen station in Chicago up until the early 1980s. New York teenagers seem to have also been more "top 40" oriented.

 

[michael hagerty]

Hip is such a subjective concept that I'm not sure it can be qualified that easily.

I'm sure to teens in Woodland Hills, KLOS might have been "hip" in 1974, but to kids in Baldwin Hills, KDAY would have been the "hip" station.

What would be interesting to me would be non Top 40 stations that have been #1 in teens. I know that in the one 1970s L.A. ratings book I have actually seen (Fall 1978) KMET was clearly number 1 in teens.

But I would guess that KHJ would have been number 1 in that demographic at least through 1976. When KIIS had double digit 12+ ratings in the mid 1980s, I would think they would have had to have out rated KROQ in teens.

But it does appear that L.A. teens did listen to AOR in greater numbers than in other markets. WLS was clearly the number 1 teen station in Chicago up until the early 1980s. New York teenagers seem to have also been more "top 40" oriented.

Brian: It's hard to find anything deeper than 12+ numbers...especially 30 and more years out. But a good indicator of teen trends is the 7PM-12Midnight daypart (NOTE: These are still overall audience 12+ numbers). Here's what I have from that:

Fall 1968 Pulse

1. KHJ (Top 40): 14.0
2. KGFJ (R&B): 8.0
3. KLAC (Talk): 5.0
3. KNX (News): 5.0
3. KOST-FM (Beautiful): 5.0
3. KRLA (Top 40): 5.0

The teens there are most likely listening to KHJ, KGFJ and KRLA. The only other stations that might have significant teen listening that book were KDAY, KEZY, KMET and XERB, all tied for 21st with a 1.0.


Pulse Fall 1969

1. KHJ (Top 40): 12.0
2. KBCA-FM (Jazz): 9.0
2. KGFJ (R&B): 9.0
4. KABC (Talk): 8.0
4. KRLA (Top 40): 8.0
6. KMET (AOR): 5.0

KHJ's slipping, KGFJ is up a bit, KRLA has Jimmy Rabbitt in the timeslot and he's pushing in an AOR direction and they're up three full points and KMET has five times the number it had the year before.


Pulse Fall 1970

1. KABC (Talk): 14.0
2. KBCA-FM (Jazz): 8.0
2. KGFJ (R&B): 8.0
2. KHJ (Top 40): 8.0
5. KFAC(Classical): 5.0
6. KMET (AOR): 4.0
6. KRLA(Top 40): 4.0

KHJ loses a third of its evening number and its #1 nighttime ranking, ties with KGFJ. KMET loses a point and KRLA loses half it's audience. What's new? KABC-FM's "Love" AOR format...which debuts tied for #11 with a 2.0.


Pulse Fall 1971

1. KABC (Talk): 11.0
2. KHJ (Top 40): 10.0
3. KGFJ (R&B): 6.0
3. KRLA (Top 40): 6.0
5. KJOI-FM(Beautiful): 5.0
5. KLOS-FM(AOR): 5.0

KHJ picks up a couple of points, but stays #2, KGFJ drops a couple, KRLA loses two and KLOS (the former KABC-FM) blows into the Top 5 with its new, live AOR format. KLOS knocks KMET down to a tie for 13th place with a 2.0...but that's still a 7 share listening to AOR at night on those two stations alone (factor in KPPC and KNAC and it's a 12).


Pulse Fall 1972

1. KABC (Talk): 14.0
2. KLOS-FM (AOR): 7.0
3. KRTH-FM (Oldies):6.0
4. KFI (Big Band/Country): 5.0
4. KMET-FM (AOR): 5.0
6. KBCA-FM (Jazz): 4.0
6. KKDJ-FM (Top 40): 4.0
6. KHJ (Top 40): 4.0

And here's the "Oh, crap!" moment on Melrose. KLOS #2 with a 7.0. KHJ's oldies sister's first fall book is a #3 with a 6.0. KMET rebounds to #4 with a 5.0 (that's a 12 share for AOR on two stations. Add KPPC and KNAC and it's a 16.0). And KHJ ties for 6th with an automated Top 40.


Fall 1973 Pulse

1. KKDJ-FM (Top 40): 5.1
2. KHJ (Top 40): 4.7
3. KLOS-FM (AOR): 4.4
4. KEZY (Top 40): 2.2
5. KGFJ (R&B): 2.0
6. KMET-FM (AOR): 2.0

KKDJ goes live, adds Charlie Tuna, Jay Stevens, Billy Pearl, Humble Harve and Kris Erik Stevens and runs straight to #1, KHJ climbs back to #2 but really only adds 7/10ths of a point to last year's disaster. And there's a lot of L.A. kids listening to Top 40 from Anaheim (KEZY). KLOS and KMET both go down. Total AOR share: 6.4. Way down.


Fall 1974 Pulse

1. KLOS-FM (AOR): 6.4
2. KABC (Talk): 4.2
3. KHJ (Top 40): 4.0
4. KDAY (R&B): 2.8
5. KIQQ-FM (Top 40): 2.5
6. KRTH-FM (Oldies): 2.0

KLOS rebounds nicely...all the way to #1. KHJ is 3rd and loses 7/10ths. Beaver Cleaver does okay for KIQQ. Total AOR share (KLOS, KMET, KNAC) is an 8.6.


I don't have 1975. So we skip a year and shift from Pulse to Arbitron


Fall 1976 Arbitron

1. KABC (Talk): 6.4
2. KHJ (Top 40): 6.3
3. KFI (A/C-Talk): 5.5
4. KBIG-FM (Beautiful): 5.0
4. KJOI-FM (Beautiful): 5.0
6. KLOS-FM (AOR): 4.6

Charlie Van Dyke's rescue of KHJ gives it one last good night book...though it isn't # 1 and hasn't been since Fall 1969. KLOS looks soft, but if you add it, KMET, KWST, KNAC and KROQ together, there's an 11.4 AOR share.


Fall 1977 Arbitron

1. KABC (Talk): 6.5
2. KBIG-FM (Beautiful): 6.3
3. KLOS-FM (AOR): 5.2
4. KJOI-FM (Beautiful): 4.4
5. KHJ (Top 40): 4.0
5. KRTH-FM (A/C): 4.0
7. KNX (News): 3.8
8. KMET-FM (AOR): 3.7

KLOS overtakes KHJ...which ties with the new A/C format on sister KRTH. KMET is only 3/10ths behind KHJ. There's a total 12.9 AOR share with KLOS, KMET, KWST, KROQ and KNAC.


Fall 1978 Arbitron

1. KABC (Talk): 7.7
2. KMET-FM (AOR): 6.6
3. KNX (News): 5.4
4. KBIG-FM (Beautiful): 4.5
5. KFWB (News): 3.9
6. KJOI-FM (Beautiful): 3.8
7. KHJ (Top 40): 3.4
7. KLAC (Country): 3.4
9. KLOS-FM (AOR): 3.3

And here's KMET...nearly double KHJ's number...as KHJ falls out of the Top 5 and manages to only get a tenth of a point more than the wounded KLOS. Total AOR share 12.4.


Fall 1979 Arbitron

1. KMET-FM (AOR): 8.5
2. KABC (Talk): 6.0
3. KRLA (Oldies): 5.4
4. KBIG-FM (Beautiful): 4.6
5. KNX (News): 4.5
6. KJOI-FM (Beautiful): 4.4
7. KLAC (Country): 3.7
8. KFWB (News): 3.2
9. KLOS-FM (AOR): 3.1
10.KRTH-FM (A/C): 3.0
10.KUTE-FM (Disco): 3.0
12.KIIS-FM(Disco): 2.7
13.KHJ (Top 40): 2.6

And that's all folks...KHJ's last Top 40 nighttime book. 13th with a 2.6. KMET #1 with an 8.5 all by itself. A total AOR share (KMET, KLOS and KWST) of a 13.2.


So really, AOR was a contender from '69 onward...which was KHJ's last #1 nighttime rating. And with the exception of '73 and '74 (and '75, for which we don't have numbers, AOR's nighttime share was between an 11 and a 16...usually somewhere in the 12s.

 

[david]

Michael....Excellent! One of the best posts on any thread here on R-I that I have seen on any topic.

Having lived as an active listener in North OC through this exact period; here are some collected thoughts and questions:
* KEZY 1190 - I recall it being a dominant Top 40 contender for much longer than just the 1973 period. Of course, living in North OC the KEZY 1190 signal came in like gangbusters, stronger than anything else on the dial, which aided its dominance locally amongst the folks I hung with
* KIQQ 100.3 - Similarly, I recall KIQQ being a factor for more than just 1974. In fact, their "Pick Hit of the Week" feature ran for years and broke many tunes in this market. KIQQ also had a run as K100 before rebranding as KIQQ with the same calls
* KKDJ 102.7 - Its quick fall from grace after 1972-73 is a story waiting to be told. I still recall their celebrated on-air "marriage" with KIIS-AM 1150
* KBIG 104.3 - Acknowledging that I am referencing memory rather than actual ratings book on this next point - I seem to recall that KBIG was the big cheese in beautiful music, but your numbers suggest that KBIG only really entered the game in 1976, and that prior to that Beautiful Music was not consistently a major factor in LA area ratings. I recall one TV ad in the 70s showing two beautiful music orchestras ..... one for KBIG and the other for KOST. In that spot, the camera started at the KBIG musicians but began to pan away toward the "superior" KOST musicians. KOST was trying to lay claim to the "us too" positioning. Yet, it was only a year or so later that I recall KOST making its big switch to AC and have been the absolute dominant AC in this market ever since. Years later when KBIG decided to make the same move they morphed very slowly, first adding vocals, and very gently nudging away from AC. Ultimately, they became a bright AC ("Big Mix 104.3"), and then more recently, nearly a full breed dance AC, before rebranding to MY FM around 2007.

 

[LKellerIII]

An observation off the general tone of the thread: Michael, I know you've posted ratings from this era before, but I was never aware (or perhaps had just forgotten) that KBCA was so highly rated with their jazz format. That's gratifying to know. It was a great station - I caught onto it about 71 - my boss at the time played KBCA in the Westwood deli I was working in. I was not aware that (real) jazz stations in any large market ever reached any mass popularity.

 

[michael hagerty]

Michael....Excellent! One of the best posts on any thread here on R-I that I have seen on any topic.

Having lived as an active listener in North OC through this exact period; here are some collected thoughts and questions:
* KEZY 1190 - I recall it being a dominant Top 40 contender for much longer than just the 1973 period. Of course, living in North OC the KEZY 1190 signal came in like gangbusters, stronger than anything else on the dial, which aided its dominance locally amongst the folks I hung with
* KIQQ 100.3 - Similarly, I recall KIQQ being a factor for more than just 1974. In fact, their "Pick Hit of the Week" feature ran for years and broke many tunes in this market. KIQQ also had a run as K100 before rebranding as KIQQ with the same calls
* KKDJ 102.7 - Its quick fall from grace after 1972-73 is a story waiting to be told. I still recall their celebrated on-air "marriage" with KIIS-AM 1150
* KBIG 104.3 - Acknowledging that I am referencing memory rather than actual ratings book on this next point - I seem to recall that KBIG was the big cheese in beautiful music, but your numbers suggest that KBIG only really entered the game in 1976, and that prior to that Beautiful Music was not consistently a major factor in LA area ratings. I recall one TV ad in the 70s showing two beautiful music orchestras ..... one for KBIG and the other for KOST. In that spot, the camera started at the KBIG musicians but began to pan away toward the "superior" KOST musicians. KOST was trying to lay claim to the "us too" positioning. Yet, it was only a year or so later that I recall KOST making its big switch to AC and have been the absolute dominant AC in this market ever since. Years later when KBIG decided to make the same move they morphed very slowly, first adding vocals, and very gently nudging away from AC. Ultimately, they became a bright AC ("Big Mix 104.3"), and then more recently, nearly a full breed dance AC, before rebranding to MY FM around 2007.

David Eduardo can and will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Santa Ana-Anaheim was its own market in the 60s and 70s, just like Riverside-San Bernardino. KEZY was huge in the OC...and very good on its own merits. I believe Rick Carroll programmed it in between his stints at KKDJ and KROQ.

KKDJ wasn't so much a fall from grace as a victim of math. KIQQ split the available FM Top 40 audience...but looking over the dayparts it looks like it took mostly teens away from KKDJ. Billy Pearl won the timeslot at KKDJ, put KIQQ into the Top 10 at night and then went to KHJ.

KIQQ seemed to do best after school let out. Afternoon drive in fall '74, measured just weeks after The Real Don Steele walked out, ranked #8. Robert W. Morgan was #32 in morning drive.

KKDJ was smart to go AC as KIIS-FM. It allowed them to build on the adults still listening to Tuna and Jay Stevens without having to get into a dogfight to win their teens back.

The Beautiful Music stations had been around for a long time...but the afterburners didn't kick in until the mid 70s. My theory is that they got the people who were 40-something KMPC and KFI listeners in the 60s who now were in their 50s, unhappy with the switch to hit music on those stations and who now had FM stereo units in their new Buicks and Mercuries.

In the same way Top 40 lost its teens to AOR and adults to AC, KMPC lost its core to Beautiful and could never attract enough of the baby boomers their new music might appeal to to make up the difference. KFI, by contrast moved quickly from MOR through AC to Top 40.

 

[michael hagerty]

An observation off the general tone of the thread: Michael, I know you've posted ratings from this era before, but I was never aware (or perhaps had just forgotten) that KBCA was so highly rated with their jazz format. That's gratifying to know. It was a great station - I caught onto it about 71 - my boss at the time played KBCA in the Westwood deli I was working in. I was not aware that (real) jazz stations in any large market ever reached any mass popularity.

Yeah...somewhere in this board is a thread I did a year or more ago that goes through L.A. ratings from 1966 to 1979...and in '69, '70 and '71, KBCA was on fire. I was 13 in 1969 and I listened.

Jazz was on a hot streak...LPs like Herbie Mann's Memphis Underground, Miles Davis' Bitches Brew, Quincy Jones' Walking In Space, Herbie Hancock's Fat Albert Rotunda and Freddie Hubbard's Red Clay were huge sellers by jazz standards. And articles in Billboard magazine from that era (God bless Google Books) indicate that it was becoming the format of choice in L.A. for African-American adults whose tastes had broadened beyond the R&B hits on KGFJ.

I don't know which, if any, other cities had a jazz station do as well as KBCA...but it was a big deal for those three years.

 

[LKellerIII]

Thanks, good info. I continued to listen to jazz when I moved to the Bay Area - KJAZ (92.9 here) was a seminal jazz radio station founded 1959 But it suffered from a limited signal and the legendary lack of business acumen possessed by its owner - jazz DJ Pat Henry. It would be interesting to know if KJAZ also enjoyed popularity in the early 70s. For the time I've lived here, the station barely survived, and Henry finally sold out in the early 90s.

Happily, some of KJAZ's DJs (Dick Conte, Bob Parlocha) work to this day on non-commercial KCSM.

 

[emailfailed]

Oh yes, KEZY was the station for OC.

In fact, in a review of local radio stations in the early or mid-70s Los Angeles magazine said, "Simply put, KEZY is the KHJ of Orange County." It was indeed.

KEZY was located at 1190 AM with studios at 1190 Ball Road in Anaheim. In their earlier days KEZY used to have their studios at the Disneyland Hotel.

To the poster earlier, yes, Rick Carroll was PD here before moving up the 5.

I do not know how much fact is in this legend; come sundown KEZY had to reduce their signal, but there was an incident with the transmitter and for a time they were unable to reduce their signal. As a result, legend has it, 1190 was now receiving many regular listeners in L.A.

For a time in the early 80s KEZY-FM had a KROQ-ish format (right as Mr. Carroll was bringing KROQ into the spotlight, timely enough; make of that what you will), while continuing with top 40 on 1190.

I am not too sure when its top 40 format moved to 95.9 FM, but when it did the station referred to itself as KEZY 96 FM with a simulcast on 1190.

in 1989 1190 attempted to become an all-news station for Orange County. I don't remember much of it, but from what I understand it was poorly executed.

Concerning KHJ's last time being number one in 1969 here is something to consider, do you think Ron Jacobs leaving that year had anything to do with what would be the slow downfall of the once mighty Boss Radio? After all, once Mr. Jacobs (who frankly, with all due respect to Mr. Drake, I feel never quite received full credit due to him for his contributions to KHJ) left Melrose there seem to be a revolving door of PDs who were never quite able to capture the glory of the "Boss" days.

While evidence in this thread shows AOR and some other factors slowly brought the Big 93 down I do wonder if things just may have been different had Mr. Jacobs stayed a little bit longer.

 

[michael hagerty]

]
Concerning KHJ's last time being number one in 1969 here is something to consider, do you think Ron Jacobs leaving that year had anything to do with what would be the slow downfall of the once mighty Boss Radio? After all, once Mr. Jacobs (who frankly, with all due respect to Mr. Drake, I feel never quite received full credit due to him for his contributions to KHJ) left Melrose there seem to be a revolving door of PDs who were never quite able to capture the glory of the "Boss" days.

While evidence in this thread shows AOR and some other factors slowly brought the Big 93 down I do wonder if things just may have been different had Mr. Jacobs stayed a little bit longer.

Ron had one thing his successors lacked...an incredible flair for promotions. Actually, make that two things. He also took chances on records and played album cuts by artists if they mattered (Rolling Stones, Beatles, Dylan). He probably could have fended off FM a bit longer.

 

[briancraig]

Thanks for posting the old ratings Michael. It is always interesting to see old Arbitron/Pulse numbers. The numbers show just how competitive radio was/is in L.A.

No other market has had that much competition over the years especially in the era when AM was still viable. Chicago had a more limited number of signals and New York always had more stations doing ethnic and brokered programming that were not really in the ratings game.

The era of Boss Radio dominance was fairly short lived. I was too young to have experienced it first hand, but there is not a better era or place for pop culture than L.A. in the 1960s. But when it went away, it went fast as I find L.A. radio, music and pop culture of the 1970s to be about as boring and useless as it gets. As I've said before, maybe you had to be there but I simply don't get what was so great about 1970s KMET stoner rock culture.

I'll take the Beach Boys, Association, Doors, Turtles, Love, Merry Go Round any day over the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac etc.

 

[michael hagerty]

Well, just when I said it would be hard to find demos for that many years ago, guess what I found in my closet tonight? Demos for the fall 1968-1974 Pulse ratings.

And when we actually look at teens, the picture is a bit different from the overall 7-Midnight audience. Top 40 holds up a lot better...as does AM....but you can see the trends toward lower shares, more stations getting teen listening, and some serious trouble for KHJ from KKDJ, KLOS and KDAY from 1972 onward.


1968

6-10 AM:

KHJ (Top 40): 46.0
KGFJ (R&B): 18.0
KRLA (Top 40): 15.0

(everyone else was a 6.0 or less in teens)


10 AM-3 PM:

KGFJ (R&B): 55.0
KHJ (Top 40): 15.0
KRLA (Top 40): 14.0

(everyone else was a 3.0 or less in teens)


3-7PM

KHJ (Top 40): 42.0
KRLA (Top 40): 21.0
KGFJ (R&B): 19.0

(everyone else was a 4.0 or less in teens)


7PM-12Midnight

KHJ (Top 40): 35.0
KGFJ (R&B): 23.0
KRLA (Top 40): 15.0

(everyone else was a 5.0 or less in teens)



1969

6-10 AM

KHJ (Top 40): 52.0
KRLA (Top 40): 13.0
KGFJ (R&B): 12.0

(everyone else was a 3.0 or less)

10 AM-3 PM

KHJ (Top 40): 33.0
KRLA (Top 40): 22.0
KGFJ (R&B): 21.0

(everyone else was a 5.0 or less)

3-7PM

KHJ (Top 40): 35.0
KRLA (Top 40): 27.0
KGFJ (R&B): 20.0

(everyone else was a 3.0 or less)

7PM-Midnight

KHJ (Top 40): 36.0
KRLA (Top 40): 23.0
KGFJ (R&B): 15.0

(everyone else was a 4.0 or less)


1970


6-10 AM

KHJ (Top 40): 40.0
KGFJ (R&B): 20.0
KRLA (Top 40): 11.0

(everyone else was a 5.0 or less)

10 AM-3 PM

KHJ (Top 40): 38.0
KRLA (Top 40): 15.0
KGFJ (R&B): 8.0
XEGM (Spanish): 8.0
KFWB (News): 6.0

(everyone else was a 4.0 or less)

3-7PM

KHJ (Top 40): 26.0
KGFJ (R&B): 18.0
KRLA (Top 40): 15.0

(everyone else was a 6.0 or less)

7PM-Midnight

KHJ (Top 40): 22.0
KGFJ (R&B): 17.0
KRLA (Top 40): 12.0
KBCA-FM (Jazz): 9.0

(everyone else was a 6.0 or less)


1971

6-10AM

KHJ (Top 40): 29.0
KRLA (Top 40): 17.0
KGFJ (R&B): 17.0

(everyone else was a 5.0 or less)

10 AM-3 PM

KGFJ (R&B): 39.0
KHJ (Top 40): 17.0
KGBS (Top 40): 9.0-----Bill Ballance's "Feminine Forum"...considered "Sex Talk" at the time.

(everyone else was a 4.0 or less)

3-7PM

KHJ (Top 40): 24.0
KRLA (Top 40): 15.0
KGFJ (R&B): 13.0
KEZY (Top 40): 10.0
KDAY (Top 40/AOR): 8.0
KKDJ-FM (Top 40): 6.0

(everyone else was a 2.0 or less)

7PM-Midnight

KHJ (Top 40): 24.0
KRLA (Top 40): 15.0
KEZY (Top 40): 8.0
KGFJ (R&B): 7.0
KWIZ (Oldies): 6.0

(everyone else was a 4.0 or less)


1972

6-10AM

KHJ (Top 40): 33.0
KGFJ (R&B): 16.0
KEZY (Top 40): 12.0
KRLA (Top 40/AOR): 7.0
KRTH-FM (Oldies): 6.0
KLOS-FM (AOR): 5.0

(everyone else was a 3.0 or less)

10 AM-3 PM

KHJ (Top 40): 22.0
KGBS (A/C): 13.0------Bill Ballance's "Femine Forum"...considered "Sex Talk" at the time.
KEZY (Top 40): 11.0
KLOS-FM (AOR): 8.0
KRTH-FM (Oldies): 8.0
KDAY (Top 40/AOR): 7.0
KKDJ-FM (Top 40): 7.0
KFOX (Country): 6.0
KIIS (A/C): 6.0

(everyone else was a 4.0 or less)

3-7PM

KHJ (Top 40): 29.0
KGFJ (R&B): 11.0
KEZY (Top 40): 8.0
KKDJ-FM (Top 40): 7.0
KLOS-FM (AOR): 7.0
XEPRS (R&B): 7.0
KIIS (A/C): 6.0
KRLA (Top 40/AOR): 5.0
KRTH-FM (Oldies): 5.0
KDAY (Top 40/AOR): 4.0

(everyone else was a 1.0 or less)

7PM-Midnight

KHJ (Top 40): 16.0
KKDJ-FM (Top 40): 13.0
KEZY (Top 40): 12.0
KLOS-FM (AOR): 10.0
KRTH-FM (Oldies): 7.0
KDAY (Top 40/AOR): 6.0 ----Wolfman Jack, who never got this kind of number of XERB/XEPRS, which he's most remembered for.
XEPRS (R&B): 6.0
KFI (Big Band/Country): 5.0
KGFJ (R&B): 5.0
KMET-FM (AOR): 5.0
KPPC-FM (AOR): 4.0
KIIS (A/C): 3.0
KRLA (Top 40/AOR): 2.0

(everyone else was a 1.0 or less)


NOTE: Pulse went through a massive methodology change in 1973...share numbers are much smaller than in previous years, but the rankings appear solid.


1973

6-10 AM

KHJ (Top 40): 2.8
KKDJ-FM (Top 40): 2.1
KGFJ (R&B): 1.1
KEZY (Top 40): 0.8
KLOS-FM (AOR): 0.8
KMET-FM (AOR): 0.6

(everyone else had a 0.4 or less)

10AM-3PM

KHJ (Top 40): 1.6
KLOS-FM (AOR): 1.6
KKDJ-FM (Top 40): 1.2
KRTH-FM (Oldies): 1.1
KEZY (Top 40): 0.9
KGFJ (R&B): 0.6
KIQQ (Top 40): 0.4

(everyone else had a 0.2 or less)


3-7PM

KHJ (Top 40): 8.0
KKDJ-FM (Top 40): 6.8
KLOS-FM (AOR): 3.5
KRTH-FM (Oldies): 2.6
KEZY (Top 40): 2.3
KGFJ (R&B): 2.1
KDAY (Top 40/AOR): 1.1
KMET-FM (AOR): 1.1

7PM-Midnight

KKDJ-FM (Top 40): 4.5
KHJ (Top 40): 3.9
KLOS-FM (AOR): 2.2
KGFJ (R&B): 1.6
KEZY (Top 40): 1.3
KMET-FM (AOR): 0.9
KIIS (A/C): 0.8
KRTH-FM (Oldies): 0.6

(everyone else had a 0.3 or less)


1974

6-10 AM

KDAY (R&B): 3.8
KHJ (Top 40): 3.5
KKDJ (Top 40): 1.5
KEZY (Top 40): 0.9
KLOS-FM (AOR): 0.8
KGFJ (R&B): 0.6
KMET-FM (AOR): 0.6
KRTH-FM (Oldies): 0.6

10AM -3 PM

KDAY (R&B): 1.5
KGFJ (R&B): 0.8
KHJ (Top 40): 0.8
KKDJ-FM (Top 40): 0.7
KLOS-FM (AOR): 0.6

3-7PM

KHJ (Top 40): 6.4
KLOS-FM (AOR): 5.5
KDAY (R&B): 3.5
KKDJ-FM (Top 40): 3.4
KIQQ-FM (Top 40): 2.2
KEZY (Top 40): 1.9
KRTH-FM (Oldies): 1.6
KGFJ (R&B): 1.4
KRLA (A/C): 1.3
KMET-FM (AOR): 1.1

(everyone else was a 0.9 or below)

7PM-12Midnight

KLOS-FM (AOR): 5.1
KHJ (Top 40): 3.2
KDAY (R&B): 2.6
KIQQ-FM (Top 40): 2.0
KKDJ-FM (Top 40): 1.6
KRTH-FM (Oldies): 1.3
KGFJ (R&B): 1.2
KJLH-FM (R&B): 1.0

(everyone else was a 0.8 or below)

 

[michael hagerty]

I simply don't get what was so great about 1970s KMET stoner rock culture.

\

KMET's big success came when it ditched the laid-back stoner approach and went for the "party till you puke" mentality. It was rebellion and a sense of danger and reckless youth that powered KMET. Trouble is, the music was getting predictable by 1978/79/80 and they were ripe for getting plucked off by KROQ, which was so outlaw it made KMET look like KFAC.

 

[LKellerIII]

Oh yes, KEZY was the station for OC.


I do not know how much fact is in this legend; come sundown KEZY had to reduce their signal, but there was an incident with the transmitter and for a time they were unable to reduce their signal. As a result, legend has it, 1190 was now receiving many regular listeners in L.A.

I can confirm that "legend." Granted - I wasn't your typical LA teen radio listener, glued to KHJ and KRLA - I liked to spin the dial and listen to other stations - MOR, country, brokered programming on KTYM, whatever.

I discovered KEZY around 1969 from my home in Tujunga, over 40 miles north of Anaheim. The signal came in just fine in the daytime. I don't recall whether or not the signal came in after sunset.

 

[emailfailed]

If you listened to KMET in the late 60s compared to the late 70s you will notice a difference in presentation.

Early KMET, with people like B. Mitchell Reed, very much had that "freeform underground FM rock sound" with deejays making statements mixed in with music along with sponsoring, officially or unofficially, political rallies, protests, etc. Listening to late 70s KMET the playlist was dominated by what has now been defined as "arena rock" and gone were the ads for such political rallies, which were replaced by spots for monster truck rallies and the like.

It was too bad KMET resisted much of the new "KROQ-type music" as it really did make the station, once considered a rebel radio station, look and sound boring. Yet, to be fair, at the time KMET did find a format that worked and was rather successful for a few years.

If anybody hasn't read it yet, an interesting book on the rise and fall of KMET, and to some degree AOR radio in L.A., is Jim Ladd's "Radio Waves." (Speaking of resisting new music, in the book Mr. Ladd notes how he, along with other members of the KMET "tribe," had such disdain for KROQ and its new wave of music.)

In the late 70s KROQ really was unlike any commercial station in the market. The playlist would consist of, if they were on the air, some punk/new wave/alternative song, followed by something from the 60s, then maybe jazz, then some arena rock song and some other obscure stuff.

Though some people within the industry along with such music fans have lambasted Rick Carroll for "ruining" KROQ he gave it the direction it needed to basically survive in the market. Mr. Carroll's real mistake was adding AOR titles when he arrived, which he quickly removed.

 

[briancraig]

After KHJ in the late 1960s, I think KROQ of the 1980s is the most interesting L.A. radio station. 3rd would be KFWB in the late 50s/early 60s.

Again, I'm judging this by airchecks for KHJ/KFWB and tapes and a few visits to the area for KROQ as I did not grow up or ever live in the market.

While I admire KRLA for their longevity and their story as told by Bill Earl's books is interesting, listening to airchecks of KRLA they don't come across as anything all that special and it is easy to see how KHJ won that battle.

The other problem I have with KMET and Jim Ladd and his fans is that they over emphasize their importance to music and culture. I was never a fan of underground/progressive or AOR radio but while it is easy to see how much better KHJ was than WABC or WMEX or WSAI, I don't see KMET is being anything better than KSHE or WNEW or WIOQ or KZEW etc.