Radio Radio part 1
With the state of broadcast radio today, it's hard to lament the loss of a learning environment at CSULB. Commercial radio wasn't great back then, but now... well, you know the story.
My biggest complaint is the heavy fragmentation of playlists. You won't hear anything before 1967 or after 1985 on a typical Classic Rock station. Oldies radio, K-Earth style reaches from about 1957 to 1966 and leaves out some lesser-known greats even from that tiny slice of musicana. KOLA in San Berdoo is quite a bit broader, though they are still "oldies" only. The "Jack" format (93 FM) is not bad to listen to, but the total lack of live personalities leaves it sounding a bit cold-- I'm almost longing to hear Jim Ladd (I said almost) again.
Where's the fun and adventure? Historically, I would list few stations that I really ever loved: the original progressive rock version of K-West (around 1975-76), KPOL in '77 and '78...
I will always have a fondness for Gene Autry's stations beginning with KMPC AM. Gary Owens (the Story Lady, Rumour of the Day, he even played Rick Wakeman and Nilsson), Dick Whittinghill (Helen Trump, the Story Record, a bit of Sinatra), and Johnny Magnus playing real jazz and fusion after 9pm on AM radio. I bet Mike Stark would be willing to admit that "Baseball Scores with a Hit" was inspired by "Weather with a Beat."
Then Gene came back in the '90's with KMPC-FM and the late, great KSCA 102.9-- which mixed a bit of blues and rock while reuniting So Cal with Dr. Dimento and Jeff Gonzer-- before retiring. Phil Hulett and I had a somewhat heated argument about the popularity of that station, but I have heard both in the L.A. Times and Larry Mantle's show on KPCC that KSCA did quite well in its brief heyday.
What are your faves of yesteryear?
My biggest complaint is the heavy fragmentation of playlists. You won't hear anything before 1967 or after 1985 on a typical Classic Rock station. Oldies radio, K-Earth style reaches from about 1957 to 1966 and leaves out some lesser-known greats even from that tiny slice of musicana. KOLA in San Berdoo is quite a bit broader, though they are still "oldies" only. The "Jack" format (93 FM) is not bad to listen to, but the total lack of live personalities leaves it sounding a bit cold-- I'm almost longing to hear Jim Ladd (I said almost) again.
Where's the fun and adventure? Historically, I would list few stations that I really ever loved: the original progressive rock version of K-West (around 1975-76), KPOL in '77 and '78...
I will always have a fondness for Gene Autry's stations beginning with KMPC AM. Gary Owens (the Story Lady, Rumour of the Day, he even played Rick Wakeman and Nilsson), Dick Whittinghill (Helen Trump, the Story Record, a bit of Sinatra), and Johnny Magnus playing real jazz and fusion after 9pm on AM radio. I bet Mike Stark would be willing to admit that "Baseball Scores with a Hit" was inspired by "Weather with a Beat."
Then Gene came back in the '90's with KMPC-FM and the late, great KSCA 102.9-- which mixed a bit of blues and rock while reuniting So Cal with Dr. Dimento and Jeff Gonzer-- before retiring. Phil Hulett and I had a somewhat heated argument about the popularity of that station, but I have heard both in the L.A. Times and Larry Mantle's show on KPCC that KSCA did quite well in its brief heyday.
What are your faves of yesteryear?
posted by Pat the Cat at 10:47 PM
1 Comments:
A wonderful evaluation that is pretty much right on target.
I hold a little more distain for "Jack" than Pat, but he did point out the most important factor in it's blandness -- it's lack of any personality -- live or otherwise.
I got excited about the "Jack" idea and even heard some earlier versions that were a little more interesting. I love the mix of genres, BUT it's still nothing new. It becomes a mixed of "hits" from three or four existing tight formats. Why not go a little deeper? - which seems to always be the battle cry from people that actually look at radio as an art form.
I never knew about the weather with a beat and would love to hear an aircheck of it. Buck and I actually stole that from the famous "KMET fish report with a beat", which, now that you brought it up, probably was a rip from that bit. The morning guy I worked with at KNAC use to say "You steal from me (bits) -- you've stolen twice." I guess this is a textbook example of that.
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