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MAGAZINE 1997 I Y RAOI0 LOS ANGEL/CULIN VOL.11 NO. 7 Top10Stories of '96 DJsCite RadioTrends FallRatings IN EMT (T SIRE"dee er"FROM MOD ant 11, Ilmigegreirry7111.7"7", """.. ic ri.111111:1 1' I Ast". 47> ir=1 -a VA.i rrf rig In Stores Now FLAT TOP ENTERTAINMENT Distributed by I or call toll -free 1-888LB SOUL Contents Volume 2, Number 7 January/February 1997 `Boy Wonder' Listings Keeps On Giving Talk 24 News 25 Rock 25 Adult Standards 26 Classical 26 Public 26 Children's 28 Jazz 29 Oldies 30 Features COVER STORY: Stevie Wonder's KJLH 15 Top 10 Stories of 1996 18 LosAngeles'onlyblack -owned Air Personalities Review 1996 22 music station plays no rap or gans- ta music. KJLH-FM delivers a posi- tive message to African -Americans: Depts. kindness, joy, love and happiness - sentiments shared by owner and SOUNDING OFF 4 popsuperstarStevieWonder.General RADIO ROUNDUP 8 Manager Karen Slade and the staff at "Rhythm RATINGS 14 102.3" have helped to realize his vision of inner-city radio. LOONEY POINT OF VIEW 20 Cover photo by Eddie Wolf CLASSIFIEDS 30 Electronic Imaging Dave White HOW TO GET THROUGH 31 House of Blues photos by Ben Jacoby Los Angeles Radio Guide Publishers Ben Jacoby and Shireen Alafi P.O. Box 3680 Editor in Chie' Shireen Alafi Santa Monica CA. 90408 Voice: (310) 828-7530 Editorial Coordinator/Photographer Sandy Wells Fax (310) 828-0526 Photographer/Production Ben Jacoby Subscriptions: /12 Contributing Writers Kathy Gronau, Thom Looney e-mail: [email protected] Production Associate Communi-Graphics www.radioguide.com General Consultant Ira Jeffrey Rosen 01997 by Aijay Publishing. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval sys- tem, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permiision of the publisher. Los Angeles Radio Guide -3 The Rough Radio Seas of '96 BY SHIREEN ALAFI But sometimes faithful listeners refused to let their favorite specimen get lost at sea. They Listening to the radio is like taking a walk on called the replacements persistently, defiantly, the beach. Seashells get washed ashore, some- asking for the outcasts. Fans tried to save their times swept away, sometimes left on the sand. idols from disappearing into radio's Bermuda You could come back the next day and find Triangle. One station finally gave in to the tidal that special shell replaced by another. wave of callers, allowing them to mention the fired host by name and to vent their anger on The tides of '96 were harsher than those of the air. A few beloved casualties actually '95. Many radio fossils disappeared without a returned to the airwaves, and the listeners wel- trace in the sand. National or syndicated per- comed them home. sonalities replaced locals. Stations' MVPs became personae non gratae. What will happen to those lost personalities this year? We'll be looking for them "on the beach." Bonnie Grice's Departure Phil Hendrie's program is too contrived. In an effort to set the record straight on Bonnie Grice's departure from KUSC, ing to a caller or guest may not be real. it should be known that Bonnie was nei- To me, this is not talk radio. Hendrie is ther forced nor asked to leave the station. foul-mouthed, rude and obnoxious. Has She tendered her resignation before Wally KFI now become a station of amateur [former General Manager Wallace Smith] comedians? Hendrie should pack up his resigned. When Bonnie's resignation dog and pony act and head back to became public, we decided to move for- Miami. ward with the planned programming Bev of Irvine changes and granted her a leave of absence for her final few weeks. This is KFI is a failed entity as far as we are standard procedure throughout radio, concerned: three very stupid women on and it allows for the smoothest transition weekends and they put on Phil Hendrie for the station and listeners. -- a real flop. He may play well in Miami, Bonnie was a very important part of but look at the crowd he played to: old the station, and we will always appreciate people who thought his lounge act was the dedication she brought to the job. tot real. The younger set in L.A. and L.A. We don't want the terms of her resigna- County don't want an old guy who tion to overshadow her distinguished sounds like he is snorting coca powder, tenure at KUSC. smoking all the while. He sounds like an Steve Lama old drunk. This is a tired old act from the Acting General Manager, KUSC '50s. It was not good then, and we are all Raves for Rachtman over shock radio. This guy is just a boor. We will just listen to other stations and Since I moved here from Boston, I KFI's Hendrie Panned stop taking the many sports teams in our have found your magazine very helpful in To Thom Looney at the "Looney Point care such as Little League etc., to the finding good radio. Could you do a story of View": I do not agree with you when Green Burrito. Anyone who sponsors this about Riki Rachtman on Real Radio 97.1? you say that KFI's Phil Hendrie is a "snick- idiot won't be a part of our activities. His show is so funny, and he makes my er a second." I thought that KFI was a Jeff Down, M.D. of Banning brutal drive from Orange County bear- able. He is a fresh breath in the stale air talk radio station. Hendrie does not KABC Rediscovered! of talk radio. Keep up the good work at belong in the same league as KFI's [Bill] It all started a couple of days ago dur- your magazine! Handel, John and Ken and [Wayne] ing a telephone conversation with a Dawn Cohan of Los Angeles Resnick. They are talk pros as was Mr.KFI. friend of mine. Somehow, talk radio and 4 - Los Angeles Radio Guide Sundays 6 p.m. -8 p.m. 89.9 fm From the BBC to L.A. Theatre Works: Playhouse presents the finest in new and recent radio drama and story telling with top performing artists from the stage, television and the motion picture industry. Call KCRW (310) 450-5183 for more information. World Wide Web Site: www.kcrw.org Paul Harvey's name came up as a topic of The Radio Guide also puts pictures of the going to print this manuscript. I can live conversation. I lamented the fact that hosts in the magazine. It tells me who is with that. KABC had moved the "noon Harvey" (as going to be on and at what time. The lit- Are you guys crazy or what? Why do we called it when I worked for an ABC tle magazine even tells me where former you promote and advertise for stations Radio affiliate years ago) to some other radio hosts have gone, why they left, or if that don't mention your magazine? To time slot, and I wasn't sure where. I went they were fired. the stations and hosts: Why don't you on to say that except for the great Talk radio is a very big business, and I back the only radio magazine you've got? Michael Jackson, I couldn't stand to listen know this to be true. The only way to lean Perkins of Carson to them anymore. And since their sister read about talk radio is in the L.A. Radio station KMPC had dropped Tom Leykis, Guide, which only comes out every two Bruce Bites on the Air fired Joe Crummey and went on a reac- months. Why? There's nothing in the L.A. I can't understand why KFI keeps tionary right-wing bent, I had taken them Times about talk radio. There's nothing Tammy Bruce on the air. She is so quick off my car radio altogether. on the six o'clock news, Newsweek, to rush to judgment. She will spend an Suddenly, my wife, overhearing all People, "20-20," the Daily News and no hour telling how guilty and awful some- this, pulled out Volume 2, Number 6 of other newspaper or magazine. one someone might be and a week later your tiny magazine. There, in your list- First, to the publishers and editor: Are it comes out the subject is quite inno- ings section, was Paul Harvey at 2 p.m. you guys rich or just out of your minds? cent. She does not do much research on on KABC and Joe Crummey doing after- Tell me, I need to know. the topics and quite often is misinformed. noon drive on KMPC. And to top it off, Why do you put out information on If a caller is better informed on the topic, the cover story was Mr. Jackson! these radio stations and staff members? Bruce hangs up on them. Plus, she has I was completely unaware that the L.A. You not only write about one or two sta- the tacky habit of eating while she is on Radio Guide even existed, let alone that it tions; you write about every last one of the air. Yuucck! was so good. As a former radio personali- them. ty and radio column writer for a now - N. I Ley of Bloomington, Ca. Well, I listen to just about all of them, Barkley Missed defunct newspaper, I was pleasantly sur- waiting for them to give out the address prised by your magazine and the quality and telephone number of the L.A.