Pack Your Bags Nicole Sandler!!!

[codedude2]

With the new AAA in LA my bets are on Nicole Sandler moving back to L.A. and becoming the PD of it. Since the demise of Channel 1031, she has been all over the country and doing all sorts of gigs.

 

[calguy]

With the new AAA in LA my bets are on Nicole Sandler moving back to L.A. and becoming the PD of it. Since the demise of Channel 1031, she has been all over the country and doing all sorts of gigs.

Ya think? I don't know, but I'm sure she's been burning up the phone lines between wherever she went and Salt Lake City. But really, why? It's not like she's the only person on earth who has worked that format. She sure does get a lot of press though. She seems to know how to play the publicity game very well, at least on LARadio.com

 

[bababui]

She was horrible on KLOS and would be horrible now.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

Ya think? I don't know, but I'm sure she's been burning up the phone lines between wherever she went and Salt Lake City. But really, why? It's not like she's the only person on earth who has worked that format. She sure does get a lot of press though. She seems to know how to play the publicity game very well, at least on LARadio.com

She has had her shot - twice even and failed both times. This is the last go around on this format so let's give someone else a shot.

And whoever is programming this thing is already leaving somewhat of a signature. They have gone pretty deep into the Springsteen library today ("Growing Up" on the radio - when was the last time anyone heard that? ever?). Greater variety is great for me, but terrible for the station. They should get over this affliction soon, very soon. They may be playing off of the Bruce concerts, but that is no long-term strategy.

Otherwise, sounding pretty tightly formatted - nothing too hard rock - even nicole through in a Zep record every once in awhile to wake you up.

 

[RadioFanBoy]

Yep....lets keep that playlist at 30 songs.....I sell more IPODS that way ;D

 

[JimmyJames]

I've heard Zep on the Sound today. As for Nicole, she's a talented professional with a long term love for this format. Would be great to hear her back on the Sound, but whoever's doing the mix now also isn't doing a bad job. Just don't pull an RXP and start playing Nickleback.

 

[goriajk]

Re: Pack Your Bags Nicole Sandler!!! JUST, DON'T LET BONNEVILLE MAKE YOU...

Carry a "Book Of Mormon" around. If 100.3 'The Sound' comes calling, C'mon back here....We miss you. Joe G

 

[Indielover]

Just don't pull an RXP and start playing Nickleback....

as of late they are no longer playing nickelcrap...and have been sounding better and better...

 

[djmimi]

In all fairness to Nicole (I worked with the girl so I know a few things) she really IS a dedicated and wonderful pro who loves her music. People forget that while she was part of the airstaff at KSCA, she was NOT the program director (which was Mike Morrison). Also KSCA did quite well in the market (actually REALLY well compared to what was there before) and was sold because the Autrys wanted to liquidate their holdings due to Gene's impending departure from this world. Let's just get the record straight guys.
Nicole DID program 103.1 "world class rock" which is a signal that has always been a bear to market due to weak signal problems. (just look at indie 103) I don't think any programmer should be faulted for circumstances beyond their control (esp when it comes to weak signals!) I dig Indie and just wish I could HEAR it better!

I sincerely hope Nicole gets to come back, there is a reason why people in this town adore her.

 

[Hunter]

In all fairness to Nicole (I worked with the girl so I know a few things) she really IS a dedicated and wonderful pro who loves her music.

I've never heard anyone say anything but very nice things about Nicole and I'm sure she's a wonderful person. But, for the sake of giving the format an honest effort, let's hope that Bonneville brings someone in who REALLY knows how to execute the format. IMHO both KSCA and Channel 103.1 sounded more like AC stations than AAA. Whoever does come in will need to know what they are doing. Their is much stronger competition now with additions of Jack, Star and Indie in the adult rock arena than there was 10 years ago.

I'm surprised that Citadel didn't evolve KLOS toward AAA when they took over.

 

[LA_Guy]

Just the FACTS please!

Nicole really didn't program Channel 103.1 very long. It was mainly programmed by Dave Benson, then the PD of KBCO in Boulder, CO (Denver). When Benson moved to KFOG in S.F., Nicole (finally) got to make her own programming decisions. In my opinion, she programmed it more for LA then Benson did. The last few months it was on were the best it ever sounded, IMHO. Unfortunately, only a few months later they sold the station out from under her and put it on the Internet. They were WAY ahead of their time there (few had broadband in 2000) and only lasted about a year.

Nicole would do well there, and I'd be honored to work with her again, should I get the chance!

 

[davideduardo]

Also KSCA did quite well in the market (actually REALLY well compared to what was there before) and was sold because the Autrys wanted to liquidate their holdings due to Gene's impending departure from this world. Let's just get the record straight guys.

KSCA was a 1.0 to 1.1 range radio station... barely better than what the much-criticized Movin' has today. Yet the perception of KSCA doing well with AAA exists even to this day.

Whether the LMA in 1997 was done for estate planning reasons or not, the fact is that it was a 1 share station.

 

[gerald]

Yet the perception of KSCA doing well with AAA exists even to this day

Isn't it amazing how we still talk about that station? As some have noted (you perhaps?), it was close but no cigar, programmed a little too female so it lost males. But now with streaming internet radio, it's easy to replicate (and improve).

 

[SuperRadioFan]

Re: Just the FACTS please!

Nicole would do well there, and I'd be honored to work with her again, should I get the chance!

Jeff? Mike? Julio? (I even know Julio's birthday is at the end of October, that's how much a fan I am!)

 

[SuperRadioFan]

Yet the perception of KSCA doing well with AAA exists even to this day

Isn't it amazing how we still talk about that station? As some have noted (you perhaps?), it was close but no cigar, programmed a little too female so it lost males. But now with streaming internet radio, it's easy to replicate (and improve).

Good point which shows that the station had a loyal but small following. How many big time stations can claim that in 2008? KLOS? KBIG (who discarded those calls for a vanilla generic sounding Hot AC)? KYSR? Maybe KROQ comes closest but the KROQ of today is quite dissimilar to the KROQ of 1984-1990 except today's KROQ actually gets decent ratings. 92.3? KKGO (give me a break)?

The KSCA from July 1, 1994 to late 1995 was a very good representative of the AAA format. They had a few natural segues (no sweepers after EVERY single song like Channel 103.1 had) for every set, song sets usually 4-6 songs max, back announced every song in the set and usually indicated the CD/album it was from and sometimes the year as well. They also front announced the first song of a set (instead of the practice these days of coming out of a commercial break by playing the song with no DJ announcing it) Just a few of the formatics I liked. When they tightened their playlist somewhat playing less adventurous music and at the same time they went to the (IMO) dreaded 10-song-set, they declined in quality. The DJs had no time to properly ID many of the songs in the 10-song-set because there were too many; they just announced the artists' names. But then with the tightened playlist at that time they didn't have to ID the titles because the songs were familiar already. They loosened up the playlist again only near the end when it was known the days were numbered.

As noted, Channel 103.1 was really a poor imitation and it was really annoying to hear the ID after every single song (as if they thought the listeners didn't know what station they were hearing).

Now David et al might pick apart what I've written, but unlike them, I actually am a big fan of AAA and seek it out where I can whether OTA or on the 'net. I know what I like and I'm not that much different from other fans of the genre, except I am more familiar with the formatics.

 

[talkjim]

Add me to the list of BIG!! Nicole fans posting here--I suppose I'm biased because I know her and have worked with her, but like some posters above, I've had nothing but the most positive experiences with her. She's currently building a following hosting mornings on progressive talk WINZ in the highly competitive and over-radioed Miami market, but I'd be hard pressed to think of a more strategic choice for a prominent role at The Sound.

Nicole is an instantly compelling radio presence, and she's proven it again and again--KSCA, KLOS, the late and great KNX-FM, and as some may not be aware, WPLJ/New York, where she produced Jim Kerr's morning show. And again, she now anchors mornings at WINZ in Miami. I know that at one point a few years she left radio for awhile, but there is always some strategic thinker around who wants Nicole on their staff.

I guess what impresses me most about Nicole though is her integrity--all you have to do is listen to her for five seconds to figure out that she could have a substantial voiceover career--and she does that stuff to this day--but my strong guess is that she's sacrificed some substantial income over the years to focus on doing Triple A and progressive talk--a couple of niche formats that she happens to be quite passionate about.

Trust me, radio would be a much better business with more Nicoles.

 

[djmimi]

This for the people who were examining the ratings of KSCA. First off, you are just looking at the general numbers, you're not talking individual demos. There were demos that the station did well in. Also, what really counts at a station is HOW MUCH DOES IT BILL??? And yes, KSCA was raking it in... Golden West was quite happy with the format because K-lite (the previous format) was rather paltry in both numbers and billing. And to be able to bring up the revenues from a previously weak format, who is going to complain about THAT??
nuff said.

 

[goriajk]

YOU GO MIMI!!! Words of wisdom from the great Mimi Chen!!! - Joe Goria --- 'Remember me??' I still have the KSCA story on my website http://socalspinner.com/personal_02.html - keep in touch!! If Julio is in the crowd, e-mail me. Joe

 

[JimmyJames]

Unfortunately, the days of the independent owners like Golden West who would look at those factors are in many instances past. Radio like the old KSCA would probably still be in more markets if independent owners could afford to buy stations and hold onto them.

Add me to the group who liked KSCA from the start, and found it extremely well done. I didn't like the playlist narrowing later in its life, but overall, it was still a very well done station and one of my inspirations.

 

[davideduardo]

This for the people who were examining the ratings of KSCA. First off, you are just looking at the general numbers, you're not talking individual demos. There were demos that the station did well in.

Not really. When you have a 1.1 overall, even the core demos will be less than a 2, and way below 15th in those demos.

Also, what really counts at a station is HOW MUCH DOES IT BILL??? And yes, KSCA was raking it in...

They were losing money.

Golden West was quite happy with the format because K-lite (the previous format) was rather paltry in both numbers and billing.

And KSCA was not much better. They actually made money on K-LIT.

And to be able to bring up the revenues from a previously weak format, who is going to complain about THAT??
nuff said.

KSCA, for all the good things that might be said about it, was a 1 share station. Management blamed the signal... yeah, right.