Rick Dees lands afternoons at KQLH

[Hot Hits]

(July 30, 2018) Rick Dees has joined KQLH-Yucaipa for afternoon drive. The one-time top L.A. morning man begins later in August at his new gig. He'll be doing afternoons. There was a very brief story about Dees in the Yucaipa/Calimesa NewsMirror.

Rick has had quite the distinguished career in LARadio, heard in the mornings at: KHJ (1979-80); KIIS (1981-2004); KMVN (2006-09); KHHT (2011-12).

KQLH 92.5 LPFM is a locally-powered FM grassroots radio station from Yucaipa. It serves portions of the Inland Empire and Palm Springs. The stations’ website describes KQLH as airing an eclectic mix of the “Music of America’s Mainstreet.” KQLH states they offer tunes: “From the era of the 40's,50's, 60, 70's and beyond. From Big Band Music to Rock not heard otherwise.”

Mark Westwood is running KQLH. He’s also general manager at KCAA in the Inland Empire. “We are getting a lot of love from our listeners who lost their music on K-EARTH and KOLA,” Mark told me yesterday. “Radio for a generation who loves radio. Whodda Thunk??? Lol. Comments from people who say things like KHJ has come to Yucaipa.” Because KQLH is a non-profit operation, it doesn’t run ads. However, it does run sponsorships. Businesses and organizations who sponsor the station get a tax deduction for donating to a non-profit.

http://www.laradio.com/

 

[TheBigA]

Interesting story...is he actually doing a local show, or are they carrying his syndicated format? My bet is the latter.

The rumor was KRTH offered him a gig 15 years ago when he left KIIS, and he didn't want to play older songs.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

Interesting story...is he actually doing a local show, or are they carrying his syndicated format? My bet is the latter.

The rumor was KRTH offered him a gig 15 years ago when he left KIIS, and he didn't want to play older songs.

Which was a huge mistake at the time. KRTH was going to back the Brinks truck up to him (so said the rumor mill anyway) and let him do his thing. If he had taken their money and did his thing, he would probably still be there and his place cemented in LA Radio history (even more than it is). As it is, his career has floundered since he left KIIS-FM and attempts to revive it have not gone well.

When he was at KMVN and KHHT, (unlike those other guys I mentioned in a previous post), he seemed more than happy to "fax it in". Reports at the time said that he taped at least the first hour of the show a day ahead of time and never got in before 7 am to do a 6am - 10 am show. And on the occasions I tuned in, it sounded like it and I posted how uninspired his show sounded on this board even then. Now he is down to doing afternoon drive in Yucaipa? That sounds like the end of some bad radio joke, but in his case it has become reality.

 

[TheBigA]

Now he is down to doing afternoon drive in Yucaipa? That sounds like the end of some bad radio joke, but in his case it has become reality.

As I said, he does some long form daily shows (at Rick.com) that are syndicated by Compass Radio. I assume that's what this is.

I doubt he's driving down there.

 

[Hot Hits]

Which was a huge mistake at the time. KRTH was going to back the Brinks truck up to him (so said the rumor mill anyway) and let him do his thing. If he had taken their money and did his thing, he would probably still be there and his place cemented in LA Radio history (even more than it is). As it is, his career has floundered since he left KIIS-FM and attempts to revive it have not gone well.

When he was at KMVN and KHHT, (unlike those other guys I mentioned in a previous post), he seemed more than happy to "fax it in". Reports at the time said that he taped at least the first hour of the show a day ahead of time and never got in before 7 am to do a 6am - 10 am show. And on the occasions I tuned in, it sounded like it and I posted how uninspired his show sounded on this board even then. Now he is down to doing afternoon drive in Yucaipa? That sounds like the end of some bad radio joke, but in his case it has become reality.

I was with KIIS from 1983 to 1985, probably the best low paying fulltime job I ever had! Even then Rick didn't do his first hour live. Same with Gary Owens down the hall on KPRZ. I played generic voice tracks and we did live news and traffic with Commander Chuck

 

[Gregg.]

And these days, the 6am hour on KIIS is also prerecorded by Ryan Seacrest, so he can do "Live with Kelly and Ryan" on TV.

 

[TeaPartyDude]

Some people don't know when it is time to quit and retire!

 

[TeaPartyDude]

Remember Disco Duck?

 

[DrAkbar]

Remember Disco Duck?

..as never heard first on WMPS? And to think Dees was canned by Plough for being successful!

 

[TheBigA]

..as never heard first on WMPS?

Interesting that WMPS and WHBQ are now co-owned. Yikes!

 

[briancraig]

Interesting that WMPS and WHBQ are now co-owned. Yikes!

Not really, the WMPS that Rick Dees worked at was 680. That frequency is owned by Entercom and now has the call letters WMFS with a sport talk format. Flinn Broadcasting owns WHBQ and a suburban AM station at 1210 that now has the WMPS call letters.

The long top 40 battle in Memphis was between WHBQ 560 and WMPS 680. It lasted from the mid 1950s until 1978 when WMPS went country. The 1210 station didn’t even sign on until 1986.

 

[Hot Hits]

Rick Dees emailed to clarify his role at KQLH-Yucaipa for afternoon drive. “It is only PARTIALLY true,” wrote Rick. “Here is the TRUE report: KQLH begins airing my syndicated Rick Dees – Daily Dees show daily from 2 - 6p starting August 13

 

[TheBigA]

Rick Dees emailed to clarify his role at KQLH-Yucaipa for afternoon drive. “It is only PARTIALLY true,” wrote Rick. “Here is the TRUE report: KQLH begins airing my syndicated Rick Dees – Daily Dees show daily from 2 - 6p starting August 13

Yep...just as I suspected.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

Yep...just as I suspected.

I still suspect he should have taken that KRTH cash. Then syndicating to Yucaipa would never have been in the discussion.

 

[TheBigA]

I still suspect he should have taken that KRTH cash. Then syndicating to Yucaipa would never have been in the discussion.

Maybe. It's not always about the money, but doing what you like. When he registered Rick.com, that gave him the ability to do his own thing. He did it when he was still at KIIS. Since then, the syndication has been mainly a fun thing to stay active and work with his son, who handles the actual work part of it. I'm surprised its taken this long for a small station in the area to carry one of his shows. Someone in another thread asked if he still does his Weekly Top 40, and the answer is yes.

 

[firepoint525]

Some people don't know when it is time to quit and retire!

Seems to me that this represents semi-retiring for him.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

Maybe. It's not always about the money, but doing what you like. When he registered Rick.com, that gave him the ability to do his own thing. He did it when he was still at KIIS. Since then, the syndication has been mainly a fun thing to stay active and work with his son, who handles the actual work part of it. I'm surprised its taken this long for a small station in the area to carry one of his shows. Someone in another thread asked if he still does his Weekly Top 40, and the answer is yes.

Who is taking the syndicated show and Weekly Top 40? I knew he was doing these things, but I have not heard any station actually air them. Maybe in Des Moines?

 

[TheBigA]

Who is taking the syndicated show and Weekly Top 40? I knew he was doing these things, but I have not heard any station actually air them. Maybe in Des Moines?

Probably much smaller than Des Moines. There are lots of small radio stations in towns like Yucaipa that run satellite delivered programming all day.

Here's the thread on Weekly Top 40. I think it says Kansas City is the largest market:

https://www.radiodiscussions.com/showthread.php?711073-Rick-Dees-Weekly-Top-40

 

[davideduardo]

Probably much smaller than Des Moines. There are lots of small radio stations in towns like Yucaipa that run satellite delivered programming all day.

Yucaipa itself has a population of around 50,000 (the sign along the freeway says 41,000 but it has not changed in a decade). It's hilly and spread out, but that LPFM is very well situated where the 100' HAAT actually puts them several hundred feet more above the Redlands area, so it seems to have about a quarter million folks in the 60 dbu contour.

In any case, Yucaipa is mostly a bedroom community for the Inland Empire (Riverside / San Bernardino / Moveno Valley) so essentially all the significant IE stations cover the area.

I'll try to give the station a listen as I drive through Yucaipa for a work meeting in LA tomorrow.

 

[TheBigA]

It's hilly and spread out, but that LPFM is very well situated where the 100' HAAT actually puts them several hundred feet more above the Redlands area, so it seems to have about a quarter million folks in the 60 dbu contour.

The thing about LPFMs is they are non-commercial, and carrying a syndicated show likely costs the station money, since they can't air the barter spots. It might be underwritten by a local business. Unless it's being done as a vanity clear (if you know what I mean). So if you listen, check for how it's funded.