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'Shotgun' Tom Kelly moving to 'Ambassador' role at K-EARTH
- Thread starter mvcg66b3r
- Start date
Wonder if this was Shotgun's call? He's been doing PM Drive since 1997. The five years prior were handled by The Real Don Steele. Both had uptempo, old line CHR styles. I have a feeling whoever takes over will probably have a more subdued style more in the line of Gary Bryan and Jim Carson, who also has been there forever.
SuperRadioFan
Star Participant
Too bad about Shotgun... Its just a sign of the times. With the antiseptic homogenous pap that passes as music radio entertainment in most LARGE markets like LA and NYC, do we really need a jock (formerly known as a DISC jockey-- what is a "disc"? and what is a "record"? related to recorded music)... do we really need a jock to tell us about the weather, the traffic, the news, the sports??? ....... So the only thing left is the music and .... well .... we're talking about LA music radio ..... snore zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
You may not like it, but apparently a lot of other Angelinos do.
G
Groove1670
Guest
20 years is a long time for a show. Add the airtime prior to that, and maybe he is ready to relax, and take a break.
SuperRadioFan
Star Participant
I am not surprised that you were the first to reply to my post LOL you're so freaking predictable. Funny how you really didn't address the point of my post.
Which was what? That you don't like radio today? Snore!
SuperRadioFan
Star Participant
You could not be more wrong I listen to broadcast radio 99 % of the time. You cannot be this dense I don't think you are
A
andreajesus
Guest
I'm with you on this one - i have a feeling he may be getting pushed out - same thing happened in NYC at another LEGENDARY radio station.....
AM FM listener
Leading Participant
It seems that legends in any business have a difficult time walking away; they often have to be pushed out. They are so passionate about what they do, they cannot imagine a life of golf and travel instead.
Personally, I like the mellower Gary Bryan or Jim Carson style better than the hyped-up Shotgun style but that's just me, I suppose. I respect Kelly's legacy but applaud K-Earth's decision to move on.
Personally, I like the mellower Gary Bryan or Jim Carson style better than the hyped-up Shotgun style but that's just me, I suppose. I respect Kelly's legacy but applaud K-Earth's decision to move on.
TeaPartyDude
Banned
I agree with you. This profession is on its last legs. In a few years there will only be a few syndicated shows out of NYC and there will be no need for a music disc jockey. It was a great ride while it lasted, but its days are numbered.
Shotgun can't complain too much as it sounds like he is still getting a paycheck. There are many other folks out there that don't get one.
Shotgun can't complain too much as it sounds like he is still getting a paycheck. There are many other folks out there that don't get one.
And yet all of the stations in LA feature local DJs, and one recently made big news by paying its morning host $3.5 million.
K
K.M. Richards
Guest
At the risk of taking this thread down a side path ... I cannot help but note that iHeart paying "Big Boy" Alexander that huge amount of money to jump ship from Emmis' Power 106 to their Real 92.3 has yet to pay off in the ratings. He is getting lower ratings than the station as a whole, and Power has rebounded to a position close to where they were before that happened.
Maybe CBS looked at that and started rethinking about the "cost-effectiveness" of big name talent with market longevity. Maybe they also, as AM FM listener suggests, thought Shotgun's on-air style was out of place with the direction KRTH has been going. (I think Jim Carson is safe, as he adapts well to every change that is thrown at him; he lasted something like 15 years at KIQQ in the '70s and '80s, under three owners, six PDs, and at least two format changes. When they flipped to the old Transtar 41 format as "K-Lite" everyone got blown out except Jim, who still did a live morning show. He's pretty much the last guy anyone's going to fire.)
As has been noted elsewhere over the years, Shotgun has been commuting for the more than 20 years that he's been at KRTH. He actually lives in the San Diego suburb of El Cajon and has maintained an apartment in Hollywood for use Monday through Thursday nights, returning home after his Friday night shift and driving back up the 5 late Monday mornings. He also has a home studio so unless his presence is physically required for some event, he could produce his "features" there and spend more time with his wife Linda.
And although his new CBS contract has a non-compete clause for the L.A. market, there is probably nothing to prevent a station in San Diego from hiring him. He's well-known there, especially for his time at KCBQ, KGB and B100 ... and let's not forget those 30 years as local host of the Jerry Lewis Telethon. (He's already the voice of the Chargers' jumbotron at Qualcomm Stadium.)
I think he'll be fine. He still has a huge circle of friends (and he counts me in that number, his motto being "you can never have too many friends") and we'll all be there for him if and when he needs us, as we were during that scary period when he had heart surgery.
LKellerIII
Walk of Fame Participant
I grew up with The Real Don Steele, so personally, I like that high-energy style. But I do understand that it's been out of style on the radio since the 80s, so it probably sounds anachronistic to 30 and 40 something listeners who are now in the demographic for Classic Hits radio.
On the other hand...DJs used to change their on-air personas all the time...even in the 60s. I recall that Sam Riddle started out as a puker on KFWB and KRLA, but by the time he got to KHJ in 66 or 67, he had changed to a very relaxed and conversational style. So they could have just asked Tom to tone it down a bit.
On the other hand...DJs used to change their on-air personas all the time...even in the 60s. I recall that Sam Riddle started out as a puker on KFWB and KRLA, but by the time he got to KHJ in 66 or 67, he had changed to a very relaxed and conversational style. So they could have just asked Tom to tone it down a bit.
How do you do that? It's like asking Trump to reign it in.
SuperRadioFan
Star Participant
Excellent observation. Two examples immediately come to my mind.... In NYC Murray The K (Kaufman) and in LA and also NYC, B. Mitchell Reid
The point is that THEY made those changes, they weren't TOLD to change by management. Quite often, they left one station, and reappeared someplace else with a new image. In San Francisco Big Tom Donohue quit the big Top 40 AM station and reinvented himself as a progressive rock guy. That was HIS decision.
My sense is that Shotgun likes who he is. He's pretty comfortable with it. And he's not the age all those other guys were when they changed their personalities.
michael hagerty
Walk of Fame Participant
Llew: Minor note...Sam was one of the original Boss Jocks in 1965 (lured over from KFWB, since he already had a TV show on KHJ-TV. He kept the puker thing up until sometime in '68, when he finally settled down into the conversational approach).
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