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With all the talk about Jhani Kay

R

ronkaram

Here is some of what he told Don Barrett. From this it looks like Glenn did know something when he made his prediction.


Jhani had high praise for the folks at Clear Channel. “They have been wonderful to me. I’ve had a great experience with Charlie Rahilly [senior/vp, West Coast Division for Clear Channel] who gave me so many opportunities, as well as Greg Ashlock [regional vp for Clear Channel/LA]. They paid me well. I’ve earned it and I left them in great shape. I finished the job. My assignment was to be a mentor and coach to these two first-time program directors [Stella Schwartz at KOST and KBIG pd is Dave “Chachi” Denes]. It was to end on 12.31.05 and that’s when it will end.”

CC on Kaye’s Departure. In an internal Clear Channel memo from Greg Ashlock obtained by LARadio: “Jhani was retained by Clear Channel to assist Stella [Schwartz] and Chachi [Dave Denes] as they transitioned into the PD roles. Over the last couple of years, it has become very clear that they are more than capable of leading these two stations into the future.

Accordingly, Jhani and I had a discussion a few weeks ago that we would not be renewing his consultancy role.
 
Re: More talk about Jhani Kaye

> Here is some of what he told Don Barrett. From this it
> looks like Glenn did know something when he made his
> prediction.
>
> Jhani had high praise for the folks at Clear Channel. “They
> have been wonderful to me. I’ve had a great experience with
> Charlie Rahilly [senior/vp, West Coast Division for Clear
> Channel] who gave me so many opportunities, as well as Greg
> Ashlock [regional vp for Clear Channel/LA]. They paid me
> well. I’ve earned it and I left them in great shape. I
> finished the job. My assignment was to be a mentor and coach
> to these two first-time program directors [Stella Schwartz
> at KOST and KBIG pd is Dave “Chachi” Denes]. It was to end
> on 12.31.05 and that’s when it will end.”
>
> CC on Kaye’s Departure. In an internal Clear Channel memo
> from Greg Ashlock obtained by LARadio: “Jhani was retained
> by Clear Channel to assist Stella [Schwartz] and Chachi
> [Dave Denes] as they transitioned into the PD roles. Over
> the last couple of years, it has become very clear that they
> are more than capable of leading these two stations into the
> future.
>
> Accordingly, Jhani and I had a discussion a few weeks ago
> that we would not be renewing his consultancy role.
>

So it looks as if Jhani Kaye was a free agent for a while.
His move to K-Earth makes sense too. If other PD's didn't
want the job due to the many reasons pointed out in an earlier
thread like the high cost of living in LA as well as
other factors like having to adhere to certain parameters
set by CBS and so forth, hiring Jhani seems like a good fit.
There’s no way he can hurt KRTH is the way I see it. Plus, as he
pointed out in LA Radio's Friday entry, he's been given wide
discretion as to where to go with the station. He has the
experience and track record to warrant that kind of decision
making power. He knows the market and has a background as a
successful Top-40 PD in the 70's. That would seem to work
since KRTH musically sounds very much like a 70's era station.
Still, with the changes to sister station KFRC-FM, there would
be speculation that he may take the station in the same direction.
The only drawback there is that KOIT in San Francisco has a much
larger share of the market in SF than KOST does in LA, so it
wouldn't be a good move to fragment the much smaller audience...
 
krth

the KRTH gig isn't near THE gig it once was. Questionable dedication to the format from corporate. Almost a non-win situation. Good luck to anybody there, they'll need it.
 
Re: krth

> the KRTH gig isn't near THE gig it once was. Questionable
> dedication to the format from corporate. Almost a non-win
> situation. Good luck to anybody there, they'll need it.
>
Hey Oldiescat...if it was EASY, anybody could do it. Maybe even you.

KRTH is in the Number One media market in the world. It's a great job, and Jhani Kaye is not going to need luck, he's got skills. He may have the best long-term track record in the Los Angeles market. He's probably the perfect person for the position.

Go get 'em Jhani!
 
Re: krth

> > the KRTH gig isn't near THE gig it once was. Questionable
>
> > dedication to the format from corporate. Almost a non-win
>
> > situation. Good luck to anybody there, they'll need it.
> >
> Hey Oldiescat...if it was EASY, anybody could do it. Maybe
> even you.
>
> KRTH is in the Number One media market in the world. It's a
> great job, and Jhani Kaye is not going to need luck, he's
> got skills. He may have the best long-term track record in
> the Los Angeles market. He's probably the perfect person
> for the position.

Still, Jhani has a major challenge. LA is 300% more ethnic than when KRTH went on as an oldies station. The market is 42% Hispanic, 10% Black, 12% Asian and another 10% foreign born immigrants form othe rplaces, particularly Russia, Persia and such. To many of not most of these groups, 60's American oldies are not as relevant.

In November, the Spanish oldies station beat KRTH for the secnd month in a row based on individual month extraps.

Jhani will have to come up with a very new way of looking at the format... or change it... to have KRTH work in LA again. Too much has changed.

That said, Jhani would be on my very short list of people who could make it happen. I would have enjoyed, also, seeing Bill Tanner get the gig as I think Tanner would have brought something innovative to the morning show and would also have figured out how to make the station appealing to a broad range of Hispanics.
 
Re: KRTH

Yeah, that is the key concept - innovation. Jhani may be on a short list of PDs qualified for the gig, but he's hardly known for innovation. Granted its hard to prove innovation in the AC format, but the last thing KRTH needs is a tight heavily tested list (got that already!) and jocks that pronounce all thier intros the same way.

The secret to oldies is...FUN! People turn on oldies to have FUN, but not to hear "My Girl" yet again. And what makes for the best FUN - sponteneity! Having something really cool happen (like a great song, or bit!) that one wasn't expecting. And that sponteneity is exactly what made KRTH great in the glory days and the lack of it such a drag now. Every minute of the hour can be predicted, and certain songs play more than once in a twelve hour span! That repetition is fine for new records on KIIS that haven't worn their welcome, but not for oldies. The audience isn't 16 and their intelligence is insulted.

Can Jhani bring the FUN back? I'm doubtful but hopeful...this station only has one chance left.


> That said, Jhani would be on my very short list of people
> who could make it happen. I would have enjoyed, also, seeing
> Bill Tanner get the gig as I think Tanner would have brought
> something innovative to the morning show and would also have
> figured out how to make the station appealing to a broad
> range of Hispanics.
>
 
Re: krth

> Still, Jhani has a major challenge. LA is 300% more ethnic
> than when KRTH went on as an oldies station. The market is
> 42% Hispanic, 10% Black, 12% Asian and another 10% foreign
> born immigrants form othe rplaces, particularly Russia,
> Persia and such. To many of not most of these groups, 60's
> American oldies are not as relevant.
>
> In November, the Spanish oldies station beat KRTH for the
> secnd month in a row based on individual month extraps.
>
> Jhani will have to come up with a very new way of looking at
> the format... or change it... to have KRTH work in LA again.
> Too much has changed.
>
> That said, Jhani would be on my very short list of people
> who could make it happen. I would have enjoyed, also, seeing
> Bill Tanner get the gig as I think Tanner would have brought
> something innovative to the morning show and would also have
> figured out how to make the station appealing to a broad
> range of Hispanics.
>
No doubt about the challenge. I think the great PD's love a challenge. And Tanner would have been a great choice, also.
Y100 and Power 96!!!

The market is what it is. I think K-Earth's goal should be Top 10 25-54.
Is that still possible, David?

KRTH's cume is still high, but the TSL very low.
Play the hits, but create some fun and surprises.
 
Re: David

What is KONO in San Antonio doing right? And, why shouldn't
that work in LA?
KONO looks to be coming back strong after the initial impact of the
Jammin Oldies station.
 
Re: David

> What is KONO in San Antonio doing right? And, why shouldn't
>
> that work in LA?

... because San Antonio Hispanics don´t speak Spanish, while LA ones are nearly the opposite.

> KONO looks to be coming back strong after the initial impact
> of the
> Jammin Oldies station.
>
 
Re: krth

That said, Jhani would be on my very short list of people
who could make it happen. I would have enjoyed, also, seeing
Bill Tanner get the gig as I think Tanner would have brought
something innovative to the morning show and would also have
figured out how to make the station appealing to a broad
range of Hispanics.

I've never spoken to Jhani (except via e-mail)...don't know Tanner...
but know their work well. I agree, they are the two best choices.
I discovered Tanner's programming secret to programming success the
first time I visited Miami in 1978, and listened CLOSELY to Y-100.
I had expected to hear big-voiced boss-jock types on air, but was
shocked to hear high-voiced ordinary voices. But there was something
different going on...a feeling...a 'buzz'. After a day or so it hit me:
"real people having fun on the radio". That simple. Incredibly difficult
to pull off, but that's it. People related to the jocks, and the station
was on EVERYWHERE! I tried to copy the approach (Y-107 Nashville with
calls of WYHY...sound familiar?)...but even though I got the calls changed,
new management brought in their own people...that's for another board.
KRTH isn't dead yet: hopefully Jhani can move it from life support to
reasonable health. Looks like CBS will give him the resources to try.


<P ID="signature">______________
but wait...there's more!</P>
 
Re: KRTH

> Yeah, that is the key concept - innovation. Jhani may be on
> a short list of PDs qualified for the gig, but he's hardly
> known for innovation. Granted its hard to prove innovation
> in the AC format, but the last thing KRTH needs is a tight
> heavily tested list (got that already!) and jocks that
> pronounce all thier intros the same way.
>
> The secret to oldies is...FUN! People turn on oldies to have
> FUN, but not to hear "My Girl" yet again. And what makes for
> the best FUN - sponteneity! Having something really cool
> happen (like a great song, or bit!) that one wasn't
> expecting. And that sponteneity is exactly what made KRTH
> great in the glory days and the lack of it such a drag now.
> Every minute of the hour can be predicted, and certain songs
> play more than once in a twelve hour span! That repetition
> is fine for new records on KIIS that haven't worn their
> welcome, but not for oldies. The audience isn't 16 and their
> intelligence is insulted.
>
> Can Jhani bring the FUN back? I'm doubtful but
> hopeful...this station only has one chance left.
>
>
> > That said, Jhani would be on my very short list of people
> > who could make it happen. I would have enjoyed, also,
> seeing
> > Bill Tanner get the gig as I think Tanner would have
> brought
> > something innovative to the morning show and would also
> have
> > figured out how to make the station appealing to a broad
> > range of Hispanics.
> >
>

Jhani Kaye is a believer in liner cards and having his jocks use the same inflections when reading them. Even at AM-FM's KBIG before Clear Channel took over that was the way it was. But the music was M-U-C-H better then than it is now. The station was actually starting to happen with an Adult Hits near KIIS sound at the time. But then came in Clear Channel and ruined it by demanding that KBIG not compete with KIIS or the other AC's in the new cluster. So goes for where KBIG's fortunes have remained since.

Can he fix the music at KEarth? Probably. Will the jocks have personality? Probably not. Will their be on air staff changes? Yes. Gary Bryan will be the first to exit when his contract comes due next year but not Hollywood Hamilton. He is there to stay and will not be touched.

The best thing that could happen to KEarth is a format change. If it continues as an oldies station and doesn't become a Mega or a (1990's sound) 1110 AM KRLA like station, it won't work in this market.
 
Re: krth

First off, you can cut the attitude.

Secondly, nobody said it would be easy NOR that Kaye couldn't pull it off. The bigger question is the company's commitment to a format they've abandoned in at least 3 markets recently. Plus, if he had such a great long-term track record, why was he for all intents and purposes out of a job?

One could even make a case that if they hired him with ZERO Oldies background, WILL they stick with the format at all?

A lot more questions attached to this situation thn answers- and, (to quote) MAYBE EVEN YOU can't answer them.

:)


> Hey Oldiescat...if it was EASY, anybody could do it. Maybe even you.
>
> KRTH is in the Number One media market in the world. It's a
> great job, and Jhani Kaye is not going to need luck, he's
> got skills. He may have the best long-term track record in
> the Los Angeles market. He's probably the perfect person
> for the position.
>
> Go get 'em Jhani!
 
Jhani is a real good guy. I worked for him over at KOST and he seemed very positive and motivational. Just wanted to wish him good luck at his new gig.


> Here is some of what he told Don Barrett. From this it
> looks like Glenn did know something when he made his
> prediction.
>
>
> Jhani had high praise for the folks at Clear Channel. “They
> have been wonderful to me. I’ve had a great experience with
> Charlie Rahilly [senior/vp, West Coast Division for Clear
> Channel] who gave me so many opportunities, as well as Greg
> Ashlock [regional vp for Clear Channel/LA]. They paid me
> well. I’ve earned it and I left them in great shape. I
> finished the job. My assignment was to be a mentor and coach
> to these two first-time program directors [Stella Schwartz
> at KOST and KBIG pd is Dave “Chachi” Denes]. It was to end
> on 12.31.05 and that’s when it will end.”
>
> CC on Kaye’s Departure. In an internal Clear Channel memo
> from Greg Ashlock obtained by LARadio: “Jhani was retained
> by Clear Channel to assist Stella [Schwartz] and Chachi
> [Dave Denes] as they transitioned into the PD roles. Over
> the last couple of years, it has become very clear that they
> are more than capable of leading these two stations into the
> future.
>
> Accordingly, Jhani and I had a discussion a few weeks ago
> that we would not be renewing his consultancy role.
>
 
> Jhani is a real good guy. I worked for him over at KOST and
> he seemed very positive and motivational. Just wanted to
> wish him good luck at his new gig.

I have worked with several people who did nights or weekends for Jhani, and they could not speak more highly of him. He apparently is one of those PDs who actaully trains and gives time to the secondary shifts, kind of a rarity these days. I know we all wish him well at KRTH, and it will be fun to see what he does with a format and station that have both seen better days.
 
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