Just in time for Independence Day, KLOS (95.5 FM), it’s the “Declaration of 80pendence Weekend” — all ’80s all the time, for the weekend at least, starting after Heidi & Frank at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 2. My hunch is that the staff has Friday and the weekend off.
At press time, no other station indicated special programming for the weekend, though I am betting it will happen, especially with this being the 250th birthday of our country. K-Earth (101.1 FM) tends to have special programming as of the past few years, focusing on the 1980s as well, and I bet KROQ (106.7 FM) and Alt 98.7 FM will do something, too. They apparently just don’t like to tell anyone.
More Cuts
As iHeart CEO Bob Pittman is being inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame, the company is making cuts that have left many stations with no talent beyond the pre-recorded material supplied by larger markets.
Lance Venta of Radio Insight wrote, “Many smaller markets, including Atlantic City, NJ, Cedar Rapids, IA, Erie, PA, Fort Collins, CO, Springfield, MO, and Spokane, WA, have lost all of their remaining local on-air talents. Even larger markets such as Indianapolis and St. Louis are now down to just a couple of local hosts.”
A radio insider, who didn’t wish to be named, told me that iHeart stopped being truly local long ago.
Radio works when it has local content and a connection to the local community. That’s why it exists, and it is why companies are issued licenses to broadcast.
My take? The FCC and Congress should act to ensure that stations are in the hands of independent operators for the sake of the future of the medium.
Allow people who know radio to actually run the stations.
More Station Albums
Speaking of local radio, Steve Mittman wrote to share his radio station album collection, and included in it is a special one from KGIL (now KMZT, 1260 AM) that is a collection of on-air reports as heard on the station after the San Fernando/Sylmar earthquake. KGIL served the San Fernando Valley with a full news staff, and they — along with the air staff — hit the streets and the airwaves with special reports right after the quake. Called The San Fernando Valley’s Longest Day, you can hear it online at www.youtube.com/watch?v=35Mp6Sm2zoE.
Aftershocks were coming as the reports were airing live. KGIL did an amazing job covering the event, showing exactly what local radio is supposed to do. I doubt even KNX (1070 AM) would be able to provide the coverage that KGIL did in 1971.
This is not Mittman’s only station-related album, but I wanted to highlight it due to its special nature. I’ll have some more station records in the coming weeks.
Richard Wagoner is a San Pedro freelance columnist covering radio in Southern California. Email rwagoner@socalradiowaves.com.