Sports Radio in LA

[Uncle Rob]

OK, High School Football State Championship Game and me, being the busy guy that I am have to tune in to the radio to listen to the game. 2 sports formatted stations in LA and one is talking about headaches and the other snow boarding. And they wonder why noone listens to them? And please, save it. I know they are "No. 1 in their demographic" just like every other station in town. Apparently their demographic is one legged, cross eyed, bald, eunuchs with a speech impediment, and ingrown toenails. Once again I have to go elsewhere for what I want because LA radio CANNOT provide it. And these idiots seriously wonder why people don't listen to radio anymore?

I remember some years back a friend telling me that Dan Patrick had a great show. So I tuned in for 15 minutes and all he talked about was Madonna and Britney Spears kissing. A few years ago, friend tells me again to tune in, because he ain't talking about that anymore. Yep, you guessed it, he was still talking about Britney Spears. And this is the best they can do? I have a novel idea. Instead of talking about headaches or celebrities or the 3rd string bench warmer for the Northwest Central Southeastern Middle State LaCrosse team, why don't they put SPORTS on their SPORTS station. WOW! What a concept.

Jim Rome and David Stein are the only good sports related shows on the radio in LA. The rest is a waste. I always thought the whole idea of sports radio was to have sports on it.

 

[radio1015a]

...And please, save it. I know they are "No. 1 in their demographic" just like every other station in town...

,,,And this is the best they can do? I have a novel idea. Instead of talking about headaches or celebrities or the 3rd string bench warmer for the Northwest Central Southeastern Middle State LaCrosse team, why don't they put SPORTS on their SPORTS station. WOW! What a concept...

Uncle Rob, Uncle Rob...haven't you heard? Sports radio isn't supposed to be about sports - it's "guy talk." Oh, at one time, a "sports" station was devoted to actual sports (mostly talk, sometimes play by play) but now that's not enough. It needs to be about celebrity and lifestyle and fashion and general testosterone related stuff because let's face it, if you're tuning in to a sports station today, you really don't want to hear about just sports, do you? Why that's just plain silly.

Actually, there are 3 sports stations in the metro (KLAA, KLAC, KSPN) but I understand how you could think there's only 2. And really, there are 4 in the LA/OC area if you throw in KAVL in Lancaster which does get into the metro, but really 2. Because KAVL and KLAC share the SAME SCHEDULE. Brilliant. Both with outstanding SYNDICATED Fox Sports drivel. True, KLAC does originate some of the garbage, but it's still the SAME. That's 1. KLAA carries all the NATIONAL stuff (except mornings) that KSPN doesn't carry from the network so that's actually 2 ESPN stations, 1 of which is almost wholly SYNDICATED. So that's 2. And really, is it fair to ask a host who has to serve a NATIONAL audience to address your petty local sports issues? You might think that stations have an obligation to address local issues but Uncle Rob, you ask too much.

Why don't sports stations specialize in sports anymore? Because 1) as you pointed out, the prime demo for this crap apparently listens enough to justify ad buys and after that, it's game over. "You don't like our garbage? Well, people who write checks to us do, so go peddle your papers elsewhere, sonny." 2) geniuses like Don "how do I still have a job" Martin at KLAC/Fox decided that sports wasn't good enough and people like you, Uncle Rob, better wake up and smell the non-local, non-sports drek because that's what we're cookin' today. Makes you proud to be a radio listener, don't it?

 

[Pronkie]

Sports talk in LA is alive if you want to talk about the Lakers or Dodgers, otherwise you get guy talk...........The injustice is that the main LA guys is no longer on the air.....Joe McDonnell is probably the only guy I miss listening to....Pair him with Doug Kirkioian and you had the best sports talk show in the day.....

 

[davideduardo]

And really, there are 4 in the LA/OC area if you throw in KAVL in Lancaster which does get into the metro,

A little clarification... Lancaster, Palmdale and every other part of LA County are in the LA Metro. I know it seems like the Antilope Valley is a separate market, but it isnt.

 

[radio1015a]

And really, there are 4 in the LA/OC area if you throw in KAVL in Lancaster which does get into the metro,

A little clarification... Lancaster, Palmdale and every other part of LA County are in the LA Metro. I know it seems like the Antilope Valley is a separate market, but it isnt.

Yes, poor choice of words. I meant that the signal gets into the basin - obviously, Lancaster is part of both LA County and by extension, the metro.

 

[RBB05]

Re: where is the audience?

OK, High School Football State Championship Game and me, being the busy guy that I am have to tune in to the radio to listen to the game. 2 sports formatted stations in LA and one is talking about headaches and the other snow boarding. And they wonder why noone listens to them? And please, save it. I know they are "No. 1 in their demographic" just like every other station in town. Apparently their demographic is one legged, cross eyed, bald, eunuchs with a speech impediment, and ingrown toenails. Once again I have to go elsewhere for what I want because LA radio CANNOT provide it. And these idiots seriously wonder why people don't listen to radio anymore?

I remember some years back a friend telling me that Dan Patrick had a great show. So I tuned in for 15 minutes and all he talked about was Madonna and Britney Spears kissing. A few years ago, friend tells me again to tune in, because he ain't talking about that anymore. Yep, you guessed it, he was still talking about Britney Spears. And this is the best they can do? I have a novel idea. Instead of talking about headaches or celebrities or the 3rd string bench warmer for the Northwest Central Southeastern Middle State LaCrosse team, why don't they put SPORTS on their SPORTS station. WOW! What a concept.

Jim Rome and David Stein are the only good sports related shows on the radio in LA. The rest is a waste. I always thought the whole idea of sports radio was to have sports on it.

What you were listening to was network programming, because the 2 major local stations do not do local programming on weekends other than the games for the local teams and pre-game/postgame. So, to your point, why could they not do a live broadcast yesterday. Because few would listen. Servite vs De La Salle is a compelling only for the hardest of the hard core or the families/friends of the schools....in which case they were more likely to be at The Home Depot Center watching the game....a high school game on the radio in so cal would draw hundreds of listeners...no more...check out the tv ratings when the elite high school teams in so cal are on....they are poor ratings....now imagine putting it on radio.....This is not Texas, or a small town in the south where high school football is a significant media draw.

 

[Rusty Muck]

...And please, save it. I know they are "No. 1 in their demographic" just like every other station in town...

,,,And this is the best they can do? I have a novel idea. Instead of talking about headaches or celebrities or the 3rd string bench warmer for the Northwest Central Southeastern Middle State LaCrosse team, why don't they put SPORTS on their SPORTS station. WOW! What a concept...

Uncle Rob, Uncle Rob...haven't you heard? Sports radio isn't supposed to be about sports - it's "guy talk." Oh, at one time, a "sports" station was devoted to actual sports (mostly talk, sometimes play by play) but now that's not enough. It needs to be about celebrity and lifestyle and fashion and general testosterone related stuff because let's face it, if you're tuning in to a sports station today, you really don't want to hear about just sports, do you? Why that's just plain silly.

...and THAT'S why the noon-7pm block on KLAC (FSR) is the worst sports talk that's currently syndicated. And in my informal listing of worst sports hosts in the nation, Petros is #1 with Victor Jacobs at a strong #2.

Why don't sports stations specialize in sports anymore? Because 1) as you pointed out, the prime demo for this crap apparently listens enough to justify ad buys and after that, it's game over.

Bear in mind I'm from Cleveland, where the lone all-sports outlet here is run by rank amateurs and interns and features the same dreadful "guy talk," but mixed in with girlie bubble gum pop music as bumpers (Lady Gaga, Kei$ha... you get the picture) and talk about one of the "star" producers' $100+ designer jeans (that kid is best friends with the station's owner), mixed in with worn-out cliches and endless advertising embedded into show segments. Oh, and phony contrarian voices that are cheap, irritating and worthless.

It's a station so bad, the PD can't stand the "talent," but has no power to do anything. And yet... there's no competition on the terrestrial side of the dial, so people tune in by default.

"You don't like our garbage? Well, people who write checks to us do, so go peddle your papers elsewhere, sonny." 2) geniuses like Don "how do I still have a job" Martin at KLAC/Fox decided that sports wasn't good enough and people like you, Uncle Rob, better wake up and smell the non-local, non-sports drek because that's what we're cookin' today. Makes you proud to be a radio listener, don't it?

That or you it drives you to listen to KTLK or KFI, which benefits CC anyway.

 

[Uncle Rob]

Re: where is the audience?

....a high school game on the radio in so cal would draw hundreds of listeners...no more...

I know plenty of people who say they wish it was on the radio because they didn't have access to cable TV. But hundreds of listeners is hundreds more, and the game is more compelling than listening to someone talk about headaches or snowboarding. The only snowboarders I know are NOT affluent so It's not like they are going to buy what's advertised on the station. Adult High School football fans on the other hand are more affluent and CAN buy what is advertised. Once again, the people running the radio station missed the boat by so much that they are floundering and in danger of drowning.

 

[radio777]

Re: where is the audience?

....a high school game on the radio in so cal would draw hundreds of listeners...no more...

I know plenty of people who say they wish it was on the radio because they didn't have access to cable TV. .... Adult High School football fans on the other hand are more affluent and CAN buy what is advertised.

If adult high school football fans were indeed still affluent after all that's happened in the economy recently, they'd probably elect to keep cable around a bit longer rather look towards the airwaves.
Sadly, the only thing that's still doing marginally well is either Laker talk or pro football talk, anything else is being diluted with lockerroom humor from former college football players who think they are witty and hip.

 

[Rusty Muck]

So few major-market sports stations do major HSFB coverage on a weekly basis for the reasons given.

Usually it's on the smaller market stations, regardless of the format, where high school sports does well. Mainly because such coverage is an automatic revenue booster for those stations. Plus, some stations can simply use a small mixing board and a telephone line back to the control room.

The people that listen to said games is typically a very targeted audience to the communities covered, so it's a perfect fit.

 

[Uncle Rob]

Re: where is the audience?

.

If adult high school football fans were indeed still affluent after all that's happened in the economy recently, they'd probably elect to keep cable around a bit longer rather look towards the airwaves.
Sadly, the only thing that's still doing marginally well is either Laker talk or pro football talk, anything else is being diluted with lockerroom humor from former college football players who think they are witty and hip.

What makes you think these people can't afford cable? Not everyone works 9 to 5 and not everyone in every job has a TV with cable at their desk or internet access in their job that they can watch it. This is the type of myopic thinking I find in people in the radio industry today. The "everyone has to fit the same mold" thinking.

Most adult high school football fans that I know are like myself, home owners that even in this economy have disposable income. And yes we can afford cable. I don't know that many snowboarding homeowners or people who listen to radio shows about headaches. (As a matter of fact, I don't know any.) As I said, Radio misses the boat again.

 

[film@11]

Jim Rome, David Stein, and Petros must be the worst sports talk hosts on radio. I would rather listen to Andrew Siciliano than those guys.

 

[Rusty Muck]

Jim Rome, David Stein, and Petros must be the worst sports talk hosts on radio. I would rather listen to Andrew Siciliano than those guys.

Petros is easily the #1 worst sports host in the country. Matt Smith is simply annoying. It's shameful that their abortion of a program was sent nationwide - not by any actual achievement, but by budget cuts at Clear Channel.

 

[the golden boy]

They should've never gotten rid of Siciliano for PMS. Petros has annoyed me for years in the times in which he's filled in for Jim Rome and other personalities. And how many times do I need to hear about his playing days at USC?

 

[BMedina]

Andrew Siciliano and Mychael Thompson OUT and Max Kellerman IN at KSPN 710:

From Ben Maller:

Kellerman lands LA Sports Radio Show
Max Kellerman, boxing commentator for HBO Sports, has landed a midday sports radio show in Los Angeles, according to radio moles.

710 ESPN in LA has picked Kellerman to host its midday show with ESPN NFL analyst Marcellus Wiley.

Kellerman hosted a sports radio show at ESPN 1050 in New York.

Andrew Siciliano, star of DirecTV’s RedZone Channel, was dropped along with Mychael Thompson who will continue doing Lakers radio work. Siciliano also is an anchor on FSN’s Final Score.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

The worst thing to happen to sports radio was the two (or more) host format. T

The best sports show hosts are invariably solo acts. Rome and Colin Cowherd are the best in the business right now. In the past, the best shows on the old KMPC were Jim Lampley's morning show and of course the late great Jim Healy. Hacksaw's show is very good as long as he not looking for Charger fans from Lemon Grove and Chula Vista to show him their lightning bolts.

What they all have in common is they run solo. When it is just you and the mic and a listening audience of thousands, you have to come prepared with your A game. These guys came prepared with content and nearly all could carry a call with virtually no callers if they need to. Rome often does.

To carry the concept a step further, who is the best play-by-play guy? Vin Scully, of course. He has always run his own booth save for network appearances. Even at his advanced age he still calls the best game in baseball. Why? Because he talks to you. More accurately, it's almost as if he is talking with you. The fact that one can feel like they are having a real conversation with him when of course the conversation is only going one way is the mark of his genius. And the sad thing, he is and will be the last of his kind. Every other booth in baseball (and I believe the other major sports as well) are at least two-man booths, and very few of these announcers are anywhere near as good as the ones that came before them.

Going back to sports talk radio, as soon as you involve another person in the booth, it ceases to become a show and morphs into a bar conversation argument. If I want that, I'll actually go down to the local watering hole. At least there I can get a cold beer. Petros and Money are the best(worst) example. Each of them on their own are very interesting and knowledgeable. But together they are unlistenable as they try to outscream each other in their daily diatribe duel. But the rest are no good either. Hartman and whoever he is paired with this week - terrible. Mychael and Andrew - boring conversations every day. I don't care what Mychael's opinions are on the rest of life just because he used to be a Laker. The East cost guys are even worse. And the fact that Vic the Brick even has an on-air job represents all of the problems of sports talk radio personified.

The next worse thing is the concept of guy-talk has completely overridden the concept of sports talk. For those who miss KLSX, they're doing nearly the same thing all day over on KLAC. Once you take the lack of show prep for sports content and combine it with instructions from management to more like Leykis, it becomes a complete train-wreck. I am sure this is because studies have shown that this type of talk gets ratings and the old style doesn't. Plus I'm sure it appeals to the younger demo. They want the 25 year-old who doesn't know much about sports but does know what the current action flick or MTV show is all about to tune in. The 55-year old who wants to hear intelligent talk or sports play-by-play? Fuhgetaboutit. They have no interest in him as a listener. If you're not in the demo, you don't exist to these guys. So don't expect anything to change.

BTW, For those who dislike Petros, check him out on the Fox Sports PAC-10 game of the week. He is a very capable and insightful color guy and handles that assignment very professionally. That is why he has had the gig for a number of years now. Fortunately this "new" style of sports broadcasting for the most part has not morphed to TV sports yet. The key word of course, is yet. Just last week I read about a lame-brained idea by Fox Sports to put a music bed underneath the broadcast while the action is going on. For me that will be the last straw. I love football, but not so much that I am willing to be irritated by purposeful distractions during the game.

 

[Rusty Muck]

BTW, For those who dislike Petros, check him out on the Fox Sports PAC-10 game of the week. He is a very capable and insightful color guy and handles that assignment very professionally. That is why he has had the gig for a number of years now.

I won't argue about that gig one bit. Petros just isn't a good national sports talk show host at all - and "PMS" is simply terrible radio.

And to the argument about solo broadcasters, I totally agree. In fact, two good examples of great broadcasters come to mind easily. Chick Hearn was practically synonymous with the Lakers for nearly 40 years. Joe Tait has called Cavaliers games solo for 38 out of the teams' 40 year existence - he was set to retire this year, but has been sidelined for the past few months, battling pneumonia and other major complications.

Fortunately this "new" style of sports broadcasting for the most part has not morphed to TV sports yet. The key word of course, is yet. Just last week I read about a lame-brained idea by Fox Sports to put a music bed underneath the broadcast while the action is going on. For me that will be the last straw. I love football, but not so much that I am willing to be irritated by purposeful distractions during the game.

Remember the glowing hockey puck that Fox tried when they had the NHL? All you need to know. :-\

 

[saraswati]

channel flipper - thank you for you great post.

 

[BMedina]

I guess nobody cares that Andrew Siciliano got blown out at KSPN to be replaced by Max Kellerman. ;D

 

[saraswati]

weird move to bring in kellerman/wiley. might be related to the AM 830 synergy? or a bristol mandate?

seems like a lateral trade out for the station - probably the first of many...

wonder if they will push more national ex-athletes or ESPN platform veterans on the LA station. maybe a jalen rose/ja adande show or trent dilfer/jon anik show?

i'm sure that was the plan with jay mariotti before the incident.