Mr. Jackson's Opus from D.C. to Hollywood Arbitron: Radio Ratings Game Teen DI Spins Ho-*- a GREAT MORNING SHOW IS HARD to FIND
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VOL. II Na. 6 LOS ANGELES COUNTY'S ONLY RADIO MAGAZINE1 996 Mr. Jackson's Opus From D.C. to Hollywood Arbitron: Radio Ratings Game Teen DI Spins Ho-*- A GREAT MORNING SHOW IS HARD TO FIND Acerbic Funny Topical Adults Only 5 am - 10 am KLAC 570 AM STEREO 1<,1U;uOiut:Ic VI Ilic Contents November/December 1996 Talk Radio Maestro Listings Talk 22 News 23 Rock 24 Adult Standards 25 Classical 25 Public 26 Jazz 29 Oldies 29 From his early years grow- Features ing up amidst the terrors COVER STORY: Michael Jackson . .13 of wartime England, Arbitron: Radio Ratings Game Michael Jackson dreamed Counting radioheads 19 of Hollywood's sunshine Young DJ Plays Big Band and glamour. Now an 14 -year -old starts show on KORG . .21 American celebrity in his own right, married to the daughter of a movie star, Jackson is a seasoned interviewer Depts. with his own star on the Hollywood SOUNDING OFF 4Walk of Fame. For the last 30 years, he RADIO ROUNDUP 6has taken the measure of the world's RATINGS 20greatest personalities, from Whitehall LOONEY POINT OF VIEW 30to the White House, making them accessible to his legion of loyal talk radio fans on KABC 790 AM. Los Angeles Radio GuidePublishers Ben Jacoby and Shireen Alafi P.O. Box 3680 Editor in Chief Shireen Alafi Santa Monica CA. 90408Editorial Coordinator/Photographer Sandy Wells Voice: (310) 828-7530Photographer/Production Ben Jacoby Fax (310) 828-0526Contributing Writers . .. Kathy Gronau, Thom Looney, Subscriptions: 512 Lynn Walford, John Cooper e-mail: [email protected] Associate Communi-Graphics www.radioguide.comGeneral Consultant Ira Jeffrey Rosen © 1996 by Allay 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 permission of the publisher. Los Angeles Radio Guide -3 Letter to Looney Dear Thom, Have you noticed that the Tammy Bruce show went from cool to totally suck- ing? Like you, the Wayne Meister [Wayne SCAING OFF Resnick], does seem pretty good now! Larry in Los Angeles Always on 640 AM Confused by Shuffling Ilisten to station KFI all the time. I KFI got rid of one of my all-time favorite understand Mr. KFI left recently, and I'll talk hosts, Mr. KFI, and brought in another miss him very much. Maybe you can inter- of my all-time favorite talk hosts, Phil view the former Mr. KFI and find out what Hendrie. his future plans are. Also please interview KMPC fired a couple other of my all- Phil Hendrie, the new 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. time favorite hosts: Tom Leykis and Joe talk show host. Crummey, and installed a bunch of goose- Betsy Briggs of San Bernardino stepping, right-winger freaks. Now the sin- Barkley Missed gle -subject conservative wackos on KMPC Thanks for letting me know where they are dropping like flies, and I even heard are now in the Sept./Oct. issue. You didn't Joe Crummey back on there the other day. mention KMPC's Jerry Dexter's where- And add Oxnard's KTRO-1520 as anoth- abouts. Have no fear. Jerry saw the article er of the stations in the burbs that runs and called me to let me know he's alive Tom Leykis. and well and living in L.A. It was such a I'm s00000 confused! You must help nice thing for him to do. Thank you, Jerry. me sort this all out. Here is my 12 bucks KABC went with hip and flip and fired for a subscription. style and grace. Roger Barkley is a true Miguel Fernandez of Oxnard radio personality and one of L.A's longest - Sour on Oldies Radio in L.A. running ones. He always comes out on top Your article about oldies radio in and will again. I know I speak for a lot of Southern California was written as a joke, us out there who are going elsewhere in wasn't it? There is no such thing as oldies the mornings. Roger, we're waiting and radio in Southern California. hoping for a new station for you. K -Earth and KOLA play the same stale David Swain of Bell Gardens 200 to 300 songs over and over; KRLA stinks in general; and KCBS isn't worth a Geraldo, Where Are You? mention. How about more gossip (and pictures) When I was on radio in Sacramento about the talk shows? Especially gossip! (KSFM, 96.9 from 1966 through 1971), I Bernita Hill of Bellflower had the highest rated program in history Background Checks Sought (Arbitron and Pulse services). My program Could you start giving a thumbnail back- was on Sunday mornings from 6 a.m. to ground on each talk show host - one sta- noon. My listening audience averaged tion at a time - and a picture would be 325,000, and the population of the city nice, also. I'd love to start with KABC. was 250,000 at that time. Sponsorship was Dottie Vance of Los Angeles booked six months in advance and was highly successful. The problem was that Gold Mine of Info we were owned by a group of investors Thanks for publishing - and compiling who were using the station as a tax write- - your L.A. Radio Guide .I had received a off. But due to the success of the station, it sample copy in June and found it a gold was sold out of existence in 1971. mine of useful listings found nowhere else. What was the secret to my success? My More power to you for doing a much record library of over 5,000 oldies. Each needed job for a world that's sickened of program was different with a minimum of overcommercialized TV. repeats. Charles Zimmerman of Los Angeles Tom Adams of Monrovia There may not be big bands on L.A. radio, but the big bands live on at .S1AL)I KA I1-A )( )I C1,11\14 1-14 (III VIII14,111(I's I I 4 The classic movie store that sells movies and more! The great bands and singers of the 1920s through the 1950s. The classic films of Hollywood's Golden Era. Thousands of selections! All the great stars! Featuring this month: "Big Bands in Hollywood!" More than 50 great films, each show- casing one or more big band giant! Andrews Sisters and Glenn Miller Most videocassettes are just $19.98 orless! Sun Valley Serenade -Glenn Miller Stormy Weather -Cab Calloway/Fats Waller Orchestra Wives -Glenn Miller Hollywood Canteen -Jimmy Dorsey Springtime In the Rockies -Harry James 1 Dood It -Jimmy Dorsey Best Foot Forward -Harry James Thrill of a Romance -Tommy Dorsey Bathing Beauty -Harry James/Xavier Cugat Broadway Rhythm -Tommy Dorsey Two Girls and a Sailor -Harry James/Xavier Cugat Ship Ahoy and Girl Crazy -Tommy Dorsey The King of Jazz -Paul Whiteman Follow the Boys -Freddy Spivak/Slack/more! Rhapsody In Blue -Paul Whiteman Daddy Long Legs -Ray Anthony Pin Up Girl -Charlie Spivak The Glenn Miller Story Cabin In the Sky -Duke Ellington The Benny Goodman Story Wintertime -Woody Herman The Gene Krupa Story The Eddy Duchin Story ::-.-- Big B'cast of 193/4-Shep Fields The Five Pennies Iceland -Sammy Kaye Bix Ball of Fire -Gene Krupa Swing! : The Best of the Big Bands (4 volumes) Intem'd House -Cab Calloway Swing! Swing! Swing! (2. volumes) SIcir,li,11.1I .).).>1 2335 Honolulu Avenue Montrose, CA 91020 (818) 248-1956 As featured in the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Magazine, Daily News and others Starlight Roof is your Southern California Glenn Miller Headquarters! KMPC Refitted 1 p.m., SaturdaysandSundays. In an effort that historians may likenConservative talkers Bob Heckler and to the rebuilding of the Santa Monica Michael Reagan are gone from 710 Talk. freeway afterthe Northridge quake, Helping to glue the elements together KMPC Program Director Dave Cooke hasat the sister talk stations is former Tom undertaken a major retrofitting of the sag-Leykis show producer Erik Braverman, ging AM station. The morning team ofwho occupies the new position of execu- Peter Tilden and Tracey Miller has beentive producer for KABC and KMPC. refitted with Los Angeles Times columnist Mornings at 790 Robin Abcarian taking the place of It was an unlucky Friday the 13th in Tilden, who is now teamed with KenSeptember for Roger Barkley, who was half of the Ken And Barkley morning team on KABC 790 AM for six years. Management told the 42 -year radio vet that his services would no longer be need- ed after his 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. broadcast. The powers that be switched Peter Tilden from sisterstation KMPC to KABC, replacing Barkley. Ken Minyard remained as half of the new KABC show, "Minyard and Tilden." which debuted Sept. 23. "I was stunned, to say theleast," Barkley said in a prepared statement released to the press. "The program, it seemed to me, was as popular as ever. Robin Abcarian and Tracey Miller Many times we were the top -rated No. 1 morning show in Los Angeles radio. I will Minyard on KABC (see KABC news story always be proud of that achievement. It below). In the early '90s, Miller teamedwas a splendid time! I'm just sorryit with news announcer Terri -Rae Elmerended so abruptly." for "T 'n T in the Morning" on KFI. KABC/KMPC Program Manager Andy Another ex-KFIer, Marilyn Kagan,is Ludlum described the change as an back on a full-time schedule, offering per-opportunity to unite two highly entertain - sonal advice from 9 a.m.