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Worst blunders in L.A. radio history.

> I got this idea from the Cint'i board.
>
> Dumbing down KNX - KFI giving up the Dodgers in '73 or '74.
> Others?


Not sure about a blunder, after years of domination, KFWB's inability to stop KHJ when it launched Boss Radio in 1965
 
> > I got this idea from the Cint'i board.
> >
> > Dumbing down KNX - KFI giving up the Dodgers in '73 or
> '74.
> > Others?
>
>
> Not sure about a blunder, after years of domination, KFWB's
> inability to stop KHJ when it launched Boss Radio in 1965
>

Those who know my posts over time couldn't expect me to nominate anything other than FM 92, Rock with a Beat. Hands down the worst blunder to ever to hit the Los Angeles airwaves.
 
Some thoughts...
* KIQQ's inability to assume the KHJ throne in the early 70's even though much of the same talent was there.
* KRTH's monotonous playlist
* 101.9 The Edge - good idea, bad execution. Could have become what Indie is attempting today but on a much better signal
* 710 KMPC dumping standards in the early the early 90's - 710's ratings have been soft ever since despite attempts at Sports, Talk, Female Talk, Disney, ESPN
* I agree with the KNX entry below - KNX was authoritative and its clock predictable. It is much harder to know what to listen for now, which probably was designed to raise TSL, but I think has instead decreased CUME.

> > > I got this idea from the Cint'i board.
> > > Dumbing down KNX - KFI giving up the Dodgers in '73 or '74.
> > > Others?
> >
> > Not sure about a blunder, after years of domination, KFWB's
> > inability to stop KHJ when it launched Boss Radio in 1965
> >
> Those who know my posts over time couldn't expect me to
> nominate anything other than FM 92, Rock with a Beat. Hands
> down the worst blunder to ever to hit the Los Angeles airwaves.
<P ID="signature">______________
Peace is the word, and the Voice of the Peace is THE station, 24 hours a day. (Tribute to the VOP 1540 which broadcast for 20 years in the Eastern Mediterranean)</P>
 
KROQ-AM's signa1. Charlie Tuna, The Rabbitt, Sam Riddle,
Steve Lundy, Lee Simms, & Jim Woods. The ultimate LA
talent with a crappy directional signal at 1500 kc.
 
> KABC's pass on Rush Limbaugh in the early 90s

Late 1980s, actually. Limbaugh didn't get on the air in Los Angeles until January, 1989 (and it wasn't on KFI!)
<P ID="signature">______________


</P>
 
how about CINDY SKULL on KLOS "the new night rocker"
Sinbad on 92.3 how long did that last
POORMAN on power 106 "need I say more"
A Recent blunder XTRA 690/1150 moving to KLAC with the lakers but then turning around and hiring to jocks who do not talk sports...
 
> KROQ-AM's signa1. Charlie Tuna, The Rabbitt, Sam Riddle,
> Steve Lundy, Lee Simms, & Jim Woods. The ultimate LA
> talent with a crappy directional signal at 1500 kc.
>
"Rock with a Beat" has to be No. 1 - but one from the same era is Westwood One blowing up "Pirate Radio" and firing Scott Shannon with around a 3.0 share 12+.
"Pirate" was blown up right before grunge became big... Even in the early 90's - a 3.0 share was good in L.A. "Pirate" was the last rock station in L.A. to really impact KROQ.


On the Spanish side, Liberman letting Renan get away. He had him first - should've kept him. Say what you want, he delivers numbers - although Piolin has brought KSCA back to the top.


And on the AM band, forget KFI - I think KABC letting the Dodgers get away may be the worst of all. They've had a tough time recovering - and the Dodgers haven't performed as well on KXTA or KFWB.
 
>
> On the Spanish side, Liberman letting Renan get away. He had
> him first - should've kept him.

Liberman does not pay well, to anyone. And it was an AM, where you could never have monetized the audience. He only got into the mid-2's on AM.

> Say what you want, he
> delivers numbers - although Piolin has brought KSCA back to
> the top.

Piolin just beat Renan 9 to 1 in 18-34 in Phoenix, and now beats hime by nearly double or more in Vegas, SF, Fresno, etc. Even the local heritage guy on KLNV in San Diego beats Renan nearly 12 to 1 there... Which is why KSCA let him go.
 
> >
> > On the Spanish side, Liberman letting Renan get away. He
> had
> > him first - should've kept him.
>
> Liberman does not pay well, to anyone. And it was an AM,
> where you could never have monetized the audience. He only
> got into the mid-2's on AM.
>
> > Say what you want, he
> > delivers numbers - although Piolin has brought KSCA back
> to
> > the top.
>
> Piolin just beat Renan 9 to 1 in 18-34 in Phoenix, and now
> beats hime by nearly double or more in Vegas, SF, Fresno,
> etc. Even the local heritage guy on KLNV in San Diego beats
> Renan nearly 12 to 1 there... Which is why KSCA let him go.
>


But David, Renan still performs well in L.A. How long has he been on in San Diego this time??? 2 months? Seems too early to tell. But in L.A., KSCA is No. 2 in AM drive 25-54. I know a lot of people who would give anything to be in that position. I won't dispute the other markets - but he is doing well in Los Angeles.
 
> > >
> > > On the Spanish side, Liberman letting Renan get away. He
>
> > had
> > > him first - should've kept him.
> >
> > Liberman does not pay well, to anyone. And it was an AM,
> > where you could never have monetized the audience. He only
>
> > got into the mid-2's on AM.
> >
> > > Say what you want, he
> > > delivers numbers - although Piolin has brought KSCA back
>
> > to
> > > the top.
> >
> > Piolin just beat Renan 9 to 1 in 18-34 in Phoenix, and now
>
> > beats hime by nearly double or more in Vegas, SF, Fresno,
> > etc. Even the local heritage guy on KLNV in San Diego
> beats
> > Renan nearly 12 to 1 there... Which is why KSCA let him
> go.
> >
>
>
> But David, Renan still performs well in L.A. How long has
> he been on in San Diego this time??? 2 months? Seems too
> early to tell. But in L.A., KSCA is No. 2 in AM drive
> 25-54. I know a lot of people who would give anything to be
> in that position. I won't dispute the other markets - but
> he is doing well in Los Angeles.

Piolin beats Renan abpout 2 to 1 in LA. In fact, in May, the KLVE AC morning show beat Renan... KLAX has the same morning 18-34 numbers it had bvefore getting him, in fact.
>
 
"There can be Only One", it was 1991 in Santa Monica

Probably the most horrid Los Angeles Radio Station was Fred Sands 50 Thousand Watt “All Business News Radio” 1580 KBLA. Broadcasting from the former Padlocked Studios of the Financial Broadcasting Network (FBN) in Century City, Program Director Johnny Darrin, along with “I’m Lee Marshall”, Channel 11's Hard Hitting Chuck Ashman, & the Business Radio Network took the City by Storm, never even showed up in the Book. During the 8 Months on the Air, not a single Spot was sold. KBLA made their Big Money ($10 a Spot) by clearing every ABC Radio Network Spot . When Fred Sands finally pulled the plug, as none of his Radios could pick up 1580, he leased it to the Korean’s , 2 Years,2 Million Dollars, and then dumped the Station for a cool 6 Million. The Other ‘New’ Santa Monica Station in 91 was Mars FM, and they were out of this World!
 
> I got this idea from the Cint'i board.
>
> Dumbing down KNX - KFI giving up the Dodgers in '73 or '74.
> Others?
>


Oh, I've got plently.

Hiring Devine Brown, Hugh Grant's prostitute as your spokesperson for KXEZ. Not only did it not help KXEZ but may have put the nail in the coffin.

Rock with a Beat. Since when was Madonna rock?

Anything on 103.1 other then KSRF/KOCM.

Anything on 830.

KTZN the Zone. Remember this? All Female talk? Didn't last long, Radio Disney was all ears on 710.

AMFM's attempt to youth-in-nize KKBT. Dre and Ed and the Bakaz were not what 92.3 needed.

Michelle S's personal message about not getting it twisted. Yeah Yeah Yeah, whatever.

Saul Levine owning a AM.

"Progressive talk" on 1150. We already have that on FM, it's called 90.7

B100. Ok, so you'll argue there was a hole for a Rhythmic based format that didn't sound like KPWR, but wasn't too KIIS, but B100 failed on all ends to even do a thing.

Y107. All it did was make KROQ's life miserable. But in the end, LA could only support 2 rock stations(hmmmm, bye bye Indie)

The New KDAY: Good idea, bad idea. Good Idea: Classic Hip Hop. BAD IDEA: 25 years of Hip Hop

Latino 96.3: Example of not how to violate a contract.

El Sol: Sorry, but between KLVE and Superestralla, we have the spanish pop market covered.

KODJ/CBS FM. Didn't need them, KRTH was doing a great job.

Nicole Sandler: Thank god no one has to hear her crap anymore! Oh yeah, isn't Indie in some therotical form a AAA? 3 strikes, you're out!

KNX/KFWB: Airing Dodgers Baseball and talk shows instead of all news is a blunder!

<P ID="signature">______________
The old skool show@noon with Jeff G and DJ Rawn
Only on Power 106(KPWR Los Angeles)

JOSH, Moderating the whole Radio-Info radio state of California and Indiana too!</P>
 
It's not a blunder I suppose, but KACE classic R+B switching to whatever it became was a bummer. I loved that music.

Here's another bummer: the day KMET, with big fanfare and lots of anticipation, switched to....The Wave. It was like the end of the world. Business-wise it was probably a great decision, I suppose.

Sorry, I know the topic was blunders, not bummers.

A real blunder going on right now is KFWB playing Dodger games. Their whole identity is being the go-to place for news and traffic anytime. Plus you can't pick up their signal in outlying areas as well as some other AMs, and for the Dodgers you want to be able to pick 'em up anywhere.

Here's a blunder, or maybe a puzzlement: KPCC and KCRW both playing the exact same NPR programming at the same time. Seems like a waste of public resources. Airtalk was a great evening show and is now on mid-morning when many people can't hear it. Obviously, KPCC knows more people will listen to NPR, but geesh - this is supposed to be public radio.

Was KROQ firing and then trying to rehire Richard Blade a blunder? They brought back his Flashbacks after trying to dump them as well.
 
> Was KROQ firing and then trying to rehire Richard Blade a
> blunder? They brought back his Flashbacks after trying to
> dump them as well.

Bigger blunder: Star hiring Blade then relegating him to a supporting role in afternoon drive.<P ID="signature">______________


</P>
 
Probably the worst:

KLSX moving Dr. Demento to Saturday nights in 1998, then cancelling it due to no rating in early 1999. Hasn't been on L.A. radio since.

> I got this idea from the Cint'i board.
>
> Dumbing down KNX - KFI giving up the Dodgers in '73 or '74.
> Others?
> <P ID="signature">______________
http://www.sandiegoradionews.com/ - stuff not seen in the papers.
http://radiosd.proboards3.com/ - new SDN forum.
</P>
 
> OK, I've got one. The decision by the National Science Foundation, owners of KPPC-FM (106.7...way pre KROQ-FM) to fire the entire on-air staff (Les Carter, Outrageous Nevada, Obscene Steven Clean) etc. They did very imaginitive radio, the Credibility Gap did some material for them, as well as the Firesign Theatre, and there were lots of live on-air rock star guests who stopped by to get high and talk. This was probably mid 1970 or early 1971 in the midst of the "counterculture revolution." The replacement staff wasn't bad at all, but didn't have a chance. They might as well have been Dick Nixon. The average "underground" radio listener boycotted KPPC after that, and glued their radio dials to KMET.
 
> How about Saul's attempt at traffic radio on 1650? Similar
> blunder was KHJ's format car radio.

While I agree on the second, I think the only problem with "K-Traffic" was that it was on an expanded-band frequency that a lot of L.A. auto radios cannot tune. The traffic reports crammed into 60 seconds' airtime on radio are wholly inadequate for the region now, and K-Traffic had the right idea.
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