Worst Thing to Happen to Valley Radio

I would be curious to hear everyone's opinions on what they believe to be the worst things to happen to valley radio, whether it be format changes, personality changes, programming decisions, etc.

2Son said:

I would be curious to hear everyone's opinions on what they believe to be the worst things to happen to valley radio, whether it be format changes, personality changes, programming decisions, etc.

Click to expand...

How far back do you want to go? I moved to the Valley from Tucson in the late 70's and have been surprised at the constant change happening in radio here. Probably to the extent that I could not remember all the changes that I liked (few) or disliked (many).

When I originally moved here the biggest show on radio was Bill Heywood's morning drive program. I literally didn't know anyone who didn't like it. I was very disappointed when both Bill and KOY went away.

I liked the old KOPA and KRIZ. KRIZ died and KOPA changed its calls, narrowed its format, and became too boring.

There was a morning DJ on KJJJ who I listened to enough despite it being Country and I wasn't a Country kind of guy. Neither he nor KJJJ were there very long.

I loved H.G. Listiak doing the traffic on KMLE and in a variety of jobs at KOY.

Big Shoe Stu (Evans) was also a favorite.

I used to listen (faithfully) every weekday evening to Dave Munsey and Jeanne Sedillo on KOOL-FM when it really was "KOOL". I generally liked all the other DJ's there as well, especially Bill Gardner (but he talked too much) and weekend guy "Sammy", but too much time has passed to remember them all. It flipped and so did I and KOOL has been off my pre-sets for years now.

I now listen to KAZG via its FM translators (one in HD) when in the car and to WKCE on the Internet when at home on the computer. I enjoy seeing Beth on the KSAZ AZ/AM morning show segments but can't stand KEZ's music which is unfortunate and haven't found any other Valley radio station worthwhile - especially those that wake up my wife with a dozen stopsets in a row. (Yes, I actually counted them a few days ago.)

The Communications Act of 1996, which allowed large operators to become even larger and voice track just about all their stations, forcing talented broadcasters to moonlight at the Buckeye Media Hut giving non-suspecting students a glimmer of hope that they too could make it big in a business that used to be fun and creative, but evolved into thousands of stations all sounding pretty much the same as faceless corporations continued to cut staff and salaries in order to pay down billions of dollars in debt that (like the guy who runs Tent City) will never go away. And of course, the PPM because nothing proved fantasy better than diaries!

Missing Bill Heywood on KOY, Beth AND Bill on KEZ, and the demise of Easy listening
on KMEO an KQYT.....

KTAR abandoning legit "talk radio" (i.e., the host interacting with on-air callers) for Soccer Mom Lifestyle Radio with brokered airtime on the weekends. Worst decision in the history of Phoenix radio.

Smooth Jazz taken off of KYOT

If you want to put the WAYBAC Machine in overdrive...

1928: The Arizona Republic thinking that KREP would be a good callsign for the station they bought (then-KFAD). After some apparent "kreppy" mispronunciations, they changed it to KTAR a year later.

1973: KPHX thinking that its relative peanut-whistle transmitter on 1480 would be a viable frequency for an all-news station. Then along came KTAR...

1975: KRUX dropping Top 40 for the ill-fated NBC News and Information Service. They were back playing music about a year later.

1996: TMISU thinking that 860 would be a viable frequency for sports. I don't think they're even using it for overflow anymore.

1999: KGME being sold to whatever Clear Channel was called then, moving to 550 and then 910, and relegating KOY to 1230. It's never been the same.

KeithE4 said:

If you want to put the WAYBAC Machine in overdrive...

1996: TMISU thinking that 860 would be a viable frequency for sports. I don't think they're even using it for overflow anymore.

Click to expand...

Actually TMISU had nothing to do with the purchase. It was Pulitzer that wanted an overflow station in case 6~Twenty couldn't clear all the teams signed to play by play coverage. Didn't take long for them to hear from disgruntled listeners about the nighttime coverage on 8~Sixty. Pulitzer sold to Hearst Argyle which sold to Emmis which sold to TMISU. Today 8~Sixty is an LMA, that on occasion will carry a game that 6~Twenty, 92~Three or 98~Seven can't clear. TMIFH (The Men in Fez Hats) suspect this is the station Tucson broker Kalil & Co has listed for sale at $3m.

DrAkbar said:

TMIFH (The Men in Fez Hats) suspect this is the station Tucson broker Kalil & Co has listed for sale at $3m.

Click to expand...

If so, it's overpriced.

DrAkbar said:

Actually TMISU had nothing to do with the purchase. It was Pulitzer that wanted an overflow station in case 6~Twenty couldn't clear all the teams signed to play by play coverage. Didn't take long for them to hear from disgruntled listeners about the nighttime coverage on 8~Sixty. Pulitzer sold to Hearst Argyle which sold to Emmis which sold to TMISU. Today 8~Sixty is an LMA, that on occasion will carry a game that 6~Twenty, 92~Three or 98~Seven can't clear. TMIFH (The Men in Fez Hats) suspect this is the station Tucson broker Kalil & Co has listed for sale at $3m.

Click to expand...

OK, wrong owner. But they're still not using 860 for overflow. 620 has the Coyotes tonight. 98.7 has Yet Another Cardinals Talk Show. ESPN Radio's coverage of the Cubs/Dodgers is where? Only on 700 in SLC. There are probably more fans of both teams in the Valley than of the Diamondbacks and Coyotes combined. Fortunately for them, the Suns don't play again until tomorrow.

TheBigA said:

If so, it's overpriced.

Click to expand...

The land is worth more than the transmitter shack and towers sitting on it.

KeithE4 said:

The land is worth more than the transmitter shack and towers sitting on it.

Click to expand...

Dunno about that...the sticks sit on a former landfill - not exactly prime residential property! But $3m (if indeed that's the asking price) is strong. However, other fools paid a lot more for 7~Forty & 15~Eighty than TMIFH thought they were worth. Lesson learned - don't believe anything Nurse Jeff and I say!

KDKB going alternative and neither KSLX nor KUPD picking up the "House of Hair."

The edge 103.9 blown up and the zone bein blown up.