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DrLove
Guest
RICK THOMAS has been named PD at CBS RADIO Classic Hits KRTH (K-EARTH 101) and Smooth AC KTWV (94.7 THE WAVE)/LOS ANGELES, effective JUNE 17th. [EDIT-Truncated to comply with Fair Use standards]
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Thomps2525
Guest
Most recently, Thomas was programming Ohana Broadcasting's rhythmic top-40 KDDB "Da Bomb" in Waipahu, Hawai'i.* And, as we learned from Lilo & Stitch, Ohana means family.
So...any guesses as to what he may do at KRTH? Expand the playlist? Add 1990s hits? Start phasing out the 1964-69 songs? Have some long-overdue new jingles made? Launch an all-request show that doesn't just play the same old songs we always hear? Welcome, Rick---we'll be listening!
(*You won't catch me anglicizing the spelling!)
So...any guesses as to what he may do at KRTH? Expand the playlist? Add 1990s hits? Start phasing out the 1964-69 songs? Have some long-overdue new jingles made? Launch an all-request show that doesn't just play the same old songs we always hear? Welcome, Rick---we'll be listening!
(*You won't catch me anglicizing the spelling!)
LARadioRewind said:
The whole resume' is rhythmic. He understands the music that are the oldies for the 35-50 year olds who are residents of today's Southern California. I'd bet on KRTH and The Wave finding different but complementary approaches to late 80s and early 90s music.
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Thomps2525
Guest
KRTH plays the 1960s-70s hits of Elton John, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Beach Boys and other artists who are still recording. Why couldn't KRTH play some of those artists' music from the 1990s-2000s? I thinkm for example, that Dance Tonight and That's Why God Made The Radio would fit right alongside Listen To What The Man Said and Good Vibrations. I know several classic-rock stations have played current music from their core artists---"It doesn't have to be old to be classic," as the slogan goes---but have any oldies stations or classic hits stations done so? And if not, why not?
Rick will program both KRTH + KTWV The Wave: http://news.****************/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=n26905
Most recently he was PD at Local Media San Diego's Rhythmic AC Magic 92.5 (XHRM) and Rhythmic CHR Z90 (XHTZ).
Kevin Weatherly continues as VP/Programming for CBS Radio L.A. and PD of KROQ, KAMP + KCBS-FM.
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As for the "then and now" segments that could be programmed with classic hits/oldies artists: only if the most current songs were across-multiple-format hits (think Santana/Rob Thomas "Smooth", a song that airs occasionally on KRTH). Yes, wish there'd be more, but...
The 2 newer McCartney songs mentioned by LARadioRewind were briefly played on classic rock outlets, but really have no place on classic hits stations; sadly, they're simply not "hits", no matter that there may be sonic similarities.
Most recently he was PD at Local Media San Diego's Rhythmic AC Magic 92.5 (XHRM) and Rhythmic CHR Z90 (XHTZ).
Kevin Weatherly continues as VP/Programming for CBS Radio L.A. and PD of KROQ, KAMP + KCBS-FM.
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As for the "then and now" segments that could be programmed with classic hits/oldies artists: only if the most current songs were across-multiple-format hits (think Santana/Rob Thomas "Smooth", a song that airs occasionally on KRTH). Yes, wish there'd be more, but...
The 2 newer McCartney songs mentioned by LARadioRewind were briefly played on classic rock outlets, but really have no place on classic hits stations; sadly, they're simply not "hits", no matter that there may be sonic similarities.
pjc1961 said:
Rick left San Diego four years ago. He's been programming in Honolulu since.
RicoGregg said:
Well, at least not in June.
As The Real Don Steele said introducing the O'Jays "Backstabbers" right after a PD change..."And from the album "We Expect No Major Changes" (laughter)...BACKSTABBERS, Baby!"
Seriously, I think it signals that he and CBS think there's a way forward for KTWV.
JON BRUCE said:
He also did a couple of seasons with hip hop The Beat in San Antonio.
Rick Thomas basically created Jammin' Z-90 in San Diego (90.3 from Tijuana). Owner Victor Diaz brought him in from, I believe, Milwaukee. That was about 1990. The station had no promotion budget, but did have a copier that did tabloid size copies, so Rick got reams of colored paper and printed hundreds of copies of a simple Z90 sign and he and a couple helpers went out in the dark of night and stapled them to power poles throughout the San Diego area. As the company's VP for Communications and Public Affairs, it was my job to field all the angry calls from various city officials wanting to know why we were defacing their local power poles (and it wasn't like one sign per every couple of blocks: it was more like one sign on every pole!).
It was very effective for building a buzz and the start of Z-90's displacing the existing urban station of that time, 92.5.
By the way, in 1990 Rick brought in from Milwaukee Kristi Knight, who stayed in San Diego and has for a long time has been part of the duo Jagger and Kristi (on 92.5). Between her and Z90, Rick has a little bit of legacy here in San Diego (although his Linked In profile doesn't mention his first Z-90 gig).
He always impressed me as one of those radio people who had a permanent account with U-Haul so it will be interesting to see if he can stay around long enough to leave his mark in Los Angeles: certainly the lure of being a big time PD in LA is quite strong, but he's at the age when the lure of being retired or even semi-retired in Hawaii would tempt a lot of us.
My guess is that he will pretty much leave KRTH along and work on KTWV. CBS long ago brought Charlie Quinn to San Diego to be PD of the always successful KYXY and its poor sister station 105.7. For the most part he seems to have left KYXY alone (other than changing the morning show) and they've had a 12-year-long experiment with 107.5.
It was very effective for building a buzz and the start of Z-90's displacing the existing urban station of that time, 92.5.
By the way, in 1990 Rick brought in from Milwaukee Kristi Knight, who stayed in San Diego and has for a long time has been part of the duo Jagger and Kristi (on 92.5). Between her and Z90, Rick has a little bit of legacy here in San Diego (although his Linked In profile doesn't mention his first Z-90 gig).
He always impressed me as one of those radio people who had a permanent account with U-Haul so it will be interesting to see if he can stay around long enough to leave his mark in Los Angeles: certainly the lure of being a big time PD in LA is quite strong, but he's at the age when the lure of being retired or even semi-retired in Hawaii would tempt a lot of us.
My guess is that he will pretty much leave KRTH along and work on KTWV. CBS long ago brought Charlie Quinn to San Diego to be PD of the always successful KYXY and its poor sister station 105.7. For the most part he seems to have left KYXY alone (other than changing the morning show) and they've had a 12-year-long experiment with 107.5.
radio-darn said:
KTWV younger and more rhythmic to do a lateral attack on KBIG. Less alternative leaning stuff to enable attracting more Hispanics, and a preservation of the African American appeal The Wave has always had.
KRTH can move in between the current classic hits and the KHHT space, and also improve Hispanic appeal while lowering the seriously aging demos.
DavidEduardo said:
Would you go as far to say that KTWV is headed in the Rhythmic Hot AC direction or Adult CHR with a rhythmic lean to go after KBIG? I've been saying thats the most obvious hole in the market for a while now- and KBIG's recent success seems to speak to this.
do u think amp will play mixshows yet it only station of some sort of CHR Not having a mix show
justpassingthough said:
This is armchair quarterbacking at its best... I know no more than you at this point. But I'd guess a move to the Hot AC arena, with a more rhythmic, less alternative blend, would be logical. Position in between KBIG and KHHT. Make KRTH go after the older part of KHHT, plus the younger existing cume.
RicoGregg said:
This may have as much to do with the status of the national product that is CBS Sports Radio and their lack of sports properties to put on FM. I'm sure they would love to have clearance in LA, but the fact of the matter is, as I have alluded to before, that CBS Sports Radio national network is simply not ready for prime time. Outside of Jim Rome, the bench is a virtual string of Mario Medozas who cannot be expected to produce. LA FM requires big time talent or big time properties, like the Dodgers or Lakers, and CBS has neither. For the time being, tinkering with KTWV (buh-bye John Tesh) probably makes the most sense for them.
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Thomps2525
Guest
In the 1990s KRLA had a format that was described as "r&b oldies" but was actually just r&b songs that were big pop hits---not quite the same. But---and David can come up with specific numbers---KRLA was very popular among Hispanics in their teens and 20s. Has KRTH ever tried to attract Hispanic listeners, apart from continuing to play La Bamba and one Selena song? Would KRTH's ratings be helped by playing more 1960s-70s r&b oldies?
KTWV, on the other hand, is sounding too reminiscent of KUTE's old "Quiet Storm" format. KTWV, probably moreso than KRTH, could see a ratings boost by adding more 1960s-70s r&b.
These are my suggestions and they're free. (And worth it!)
KTWV, on the other hand, is sounding too reminiscent of KUTE's old "Quiet Storm" format. KTWV, probably moreso than KRTH, could see a ratings boost by adding more 1960s-70s r&b.
These are my suggestions and they're free. (And worth it!)
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Thomps2525
Guest
I mentioned KUTE...but I forgot to point out that Rick Thomas was a weekend DJ there in 1982. He was hired by Lucky Pierre, who was KUTE program director during the "Quiet Storm" days. Thomas also worked at KFXX in Tucson and KPTY in Phoenix. Maybe in two or three more weeks, if we continue to search the Internet, we'll finally have a complete list of all the stations he's worked at. 
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