KPWR playlist unreal

I didn't really have time to research my reply on KKHR, Flipper, but I knew Michael would have the details. The point is still that it was not playlist size (and the accompanying turnover rate) that did in KKHR. 32james, as Michael said, chose a poor example, probably because he was too young when KKHR was on the air to know the backstory.

Also would like to thank JeffM for the backstory on "Gila Monster" ... that is obviously the reason McLendon chose that song for the stunt ... but again, the point is still that it was a stunt (good second example given), and the details just flesh out the story.

I remember in 1984 when KKHR's Jackson W. Armstrong (and the ever-ready-for-ya gorilla) debuted Van Halen's new single, Jump. During the fade-out, we heard the recorded liner "KKHR instant replay" and Jump was immediately played again. I also remember hearing KFWB occasionally playing a song (usually a new release) twice in succession in the late 1950s. And on July 7 1954, after Sun Records founder Sam Phillips gave a copy Elvis Presley's first single, That's All Right Mama, to WHBQ evening host Dewey Phillips (no relation), Dewey played the song 14 times.

LARadioRewind said:

I remember in 1984 when KKHR's Jackson W. Armstrong (and the ever-ready-for-ya gorilla) debuted Van Halen's new single, Jump. During the fade-out, we heard the recorded liner "KKHR instant replay" and Jump was immediately played again. I also remember hearing KFWB occasionally playing a song (usually a new release) twice in succession in the late 1950s. And on July 7 1954, after Sun Records founder Sam Phillips gave a copy Elvis Presley's first single, That's All Right Mama, to WHBQ evening host Dewey Phillips (no relation), Dewey played the song 14 times.

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And the "Instant Replay" (which usually consisted of playing the last half of the song over again) was a regular feature of Johnny Magnus' show on KMPC from 1963 to 1973.

And there was the time in 1972 when Robert W. Morgan played Donny Osmond's "Puppy Love" 17 times in a row on KHJ.....

This is just good-old fashioned showmanship---a gimmick with an intended purpose.

I can see no one here actually listens to KPWR because the "Often" promotion is over, and they're now doing one with Pitbull.

As a big fan of WABC MusicRadio 77 in the 1970s and 80s, I remember they also used the "twin spin" jingle when they sometimes played a hit two times in a row. I didn't get how they chose to do this or when. I only heard it every couple of weeks, so it wasn't overdone and usually not in the daytime on weekdays.

But I do vividly remember WABC airing the #1 song very frequently. David says they aired it every 90 minutes. Maybe that was true nights and weekends. But during the Ron Lundy Show, 10am-2pm, it was played every hour as the third song of the hour (following a current and a recent hit, then a few spots, then "WABC Super Hit One, Hit One, Hit One"). On the Dan Ingram Show, 2-6pm, it also was spun every hour, as the second song of the hour.

However, I've never heard of a station playing the same song repeatedly, numerous times in the same hour. KPWR found itself suffering a big drop in the latest ratings, out of the top 10, thanks to 92.3 KRRL. Is this proper reaction or is it OVER reaction?

I also remember when WABC overreacted to the success of Disco 92 WKTU. When KTU went to #1, the first time a music station topped WABC in more than a decade, WABC started playing a 50% disco format, airing even some older disco songs WABC had never played when they were current. That really didn't go over. I guess we'll know in a few months whether Power's managers are geniuses or are overreacting like WABC did decades ago.

Gregg. said:

KPWR found itself suffering a big drop in the latest ratings, out of the top 10, thanks to 92.3 KRRL. Is this proper reaction or is it OVER reaction?

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The drop was because they lost Big Boy. They're trying to change the subject.

I know this is hard for people to understand, but successful radio stations are more than just music. It's what's BETWEEN the songs that counts.

It's what's between the songs that counts? So KCBS-FM's listeners really do enjoy hearing those smug-sounding arrogant "we-don't-care-about-you" drop-ins voiced by Howard Cogan?

I grew up listening to KFWB. I liked all the DJs---some more than others, of course. I especially enjoyed Gary Owens, Elliot Field and Bill Ballance. Of course in the late 1950s and throughout the '60s, almost every top-40 station (and MOR station too) had memorable "personality DJs" in every time slot. Nowadays, most stations have an upbeat fun-lovin' DJ in mornings and, for the most part, the DJs for the other 20 hours of the day are pretty much interchangeable. Many DJs at KOST, KBIG, KYSR, KLOS, KSWD and KRTH periodically move from one station to another and few listeners pay much attention. What's between the songs is important during the morning shows, certainly---but what about the rest of the day? Most stations do not seem to care.

LARadioRewind said:

What's between the songs is important during the morning shows, certainly---but what about the rest of the day? Most stations do not seem to care.

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Depends on the station. But clearly, KPWR is more than just a song list. When Big Boy left, they took a huge hit, and right now, they're trying to change the subject.

All of the old white men can complain about the repetition, but the actual KPWR listeners obviously don't care. They're actually more focused on what the new morning show is talking about.

Is anyone listening to 92.3? I've tried but every other song sounds like Nikki Minaj

LARadioRewind said:

It's what's between the songs that counts? So KCBS-FM's listeners really do enjoy hearing those smug-sounding arrogant "we-don't-care-about-you" drop-ins voiced by Howard Cogan?

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Attitude is too often mistaken for talent in radio these days...

The big boy interviews on real 923 have been phenomenal, he is second only to Howard when it comes to getting a compelling interview out of major stars. He is worth every penny.

DOB said:

The big boy interviews on real 923 have been phenomenal, he is second only to Howard when it comes to getting a compelling interview out of major stars. He is worth every penny.

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Obviously, both iHeart and Emmis agree with you, given the whole legal battle over his services.

I find him to be one of those rare talents who keeps himself from being distracted while conducting an interview and paying attention to the answers he gets from the interviewee. Like the aforementioned Mr. Stern, if you listen with a critical ear to his interviews, you'll hear that most of the questions flow from something said in the previous answer.

That is the mark of a good interviewer and Big Boy has mastered the technique beautifully.

I agree with you, K.M.---I've heard far too many radio hosts who seem to be reading from a list of questions when they conduct an interview and they seem to ask all the questions in numerical order, paying little attention to the subject's responses. I won't identify those schmucks...but I will say that my all-time favorite interviewer, someone who actually respected his subjects, listened to their responses, never interrupted and never said anything negative, was George Putnam. How I wish I had an aircheck of his circa 1990 interview with Peanuts cartoonist Charles Schulz (another one of my favorite people)!

On the previous page---Go look!---I expressed my opinion that most DJs, with the exception of morning DJs, are interchangeable. A KOST DJ took issue with that statement. I invited him to respond here and I hope he will do so. After all, this site is called RadioDiscussions. I reminded him of several others who have jocked at KOST: Kim Amidon, Kari Steele, Christine Martindale, Bryan Simmons, Rodger Layng, Julio Flores, Patti Hanson, Marina Wilson and Mike Sakellarides. Most of them worked at other L.A. stations before coming to KOST...and many of them have worked at other L.A. stations after leaving KOST. I consider such DJs to be interchangeable. They certainly can not be compared to Dees, Morgan, Steele, Kasem, Haynes, Hawthorne, Whittinghill or Armstrong & the Gorilla. "Opposing viewpoints are welcomed."

LARadioRewind said:

"Opposing viewpoints are welcomed."

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Morning drive has always been when top talent ruled. Not just now. Imus used to play a recording at the end of his show that says "This ends the revenue generating portion of our broadcast day." Top talent wants to make top dollars, and you can only do that in morning drive.

I'm going to ask a question---something I'm very good at---and one which you or David might be able to answer. Morning shows usually have a better rating than programs in other dayparts...but which morning host at which station has (or has had) the lowest-rated show in comparison with the other hosts on that station? Are there a lot of stations with an afternoon show that gets double or triple the numbers of the morning show? How did Gary Owens' ratings compare with Dick Whittinghill's at KMPC?

Okay, that was three questions. I told you I'm good at asking questions!

The aforementioned KOST DJ says he does not want to get involved in an online debate. He just wanted to know that Don Barrett had nothing to do with what I wrote. Don seldom says anything negative about Los Angeles Radio. He's even rejected a few columns I've written about hoaxes and scandals involving DJs.

The KOST DJ e-mailed, "Sad to see you post the names of some of the passionate and hard-working talents you think are 'interchangeable.' This opinion is so wrong, so uninformed and so ridiculous I won't bother to respond." I never said they were not passionate and hard-working. I said they were "interchangeable." Does anyone else want to debate this? Someone besides K.M. Richards, who also thinks I'm wrong, uninformed and ridiculous?

David, please clarify your statement: You don't agree that DJs are interchangeable or you don't agree that I'm wrong, uninformed and ridiculous?

Most AC, classic rock and classic hits stations are very regimented. After the morning show ends, a typical hour will feature two blocks of six songs in a row and two nine-minute long blocks of commercials and the DJ might speak only four or five times. If not for the hourly contests which require the DJ talking on-air to the winner, such stations probably wouldn't even need DJs.

Who says a DJ needs to talk a lot in order to be effective. What was one of the main rules of a Boss Jock?