News/Talk October 22, 1999 R&R 29 AM:4445 WkrY° + AL PETERSON [email protected]

KOGO: Reclaiming San CONGTS TONY! ims fir Diego's Newsìlalk Throne TWO OF SAN DIEGO'S BIG HITTERS That's San Diego Padres President /CEO Larry Lucchino (l) along L. Clear Channel Talker shining bright as the sun in 'America's with KOGO afternoon talk host, Roger Hedgecock (r) as the pair saluted Padres' outfielder Tony Gwynn for his record -breaking Finest City' 3,000th career hit during the '99 baseball season. KOGO is the Padres' flagship radio station.

Ask any AM radio junkie about legendary call letters that can be instantly identified with their Albert came to the position when the shows that were on KSDO at that At time over to KOGO, then flipped city of license, and KOGO -AM/San Diego is bound to be on the list. For decades when you station was purchased by Jacor. the time he was programming co- KSDO to an all Business/Talk for- tuned down to the 600 frequency on your AM dial from most anywhere in Southern Cali- owned KSDO-AM, then the market's mat. fornia - and a good part of the Southwest - your ears landed on the most listened -to radio News /Talk leader. He was given "There was actually some consid- station in America's Finest City. added responsibilities for KOGO. eration internally about trying to Prior to that he'd spent 16 years as trade on the successful name and But like those of most AMs in the CHR sister sta- the San Diego ratings pile. But all News Director /anchor for crosstown News/Talk image that KSDO had '70s, KOGO's fortunes began to sink. tion. The KOGO that would change in 1997, when competitor KFMB -AM. built over the years by moving those By the mid -1980s those legendary call letters quietly KOGO was purchased as part of a It's easy to see that Albert is a guy call letters down to AM 600. I'd have call letters were dumped in favor of moved up the massive acquisition deal in San Di- with some pretty extensive knowl- to say it was really Randy Michaels a cost -cutting simulcast with KKLQ- coast to a station ego by what was then Jacor Commu- edge of the San Diego News/Talk who prevailed in wanting to preserve FM (Q106), then KOGO's much in Ventura, a nications. marketplace. "When the company those great heritage KOGO call let- more successful and better -known small seaside first took over KOGO, San Diego had ters, but doing so with a product that Ushering In A New Era town about an a lot of Talk radio on the AM dial," was updated and appropriate to hour west of Los Today Clear Channel's KOGO is he recalls. "In 1997 there were what's needed to be a contemporary Angeles, where back on track and has reclaimed its KOGO, KSDO, KFMB, KCEO -AM, News/Talk winner today."

"The multistation they would re- historic position as San Diego's No. 1 KCBQ -AM all doing some form Cliff Albert - Teaching The 011d main in relative News/Talk radio station. For the past of News and Talk and XTRA -AM cluster concept is - Dog New Tricks obscurity until 1993. That's when two years station management has doing Sports/Talk. That's a lot of Talk unquestionably a now- defunct PAR Broadcasting re- followed a consistent and well - radio for any city, let alone one of this One of the moves made at the new claimed them and brought them considered strategy to consolidate a size." KOGO was to take the traditional tremendous advantage home to San Diego, the city where combination of winning syndicated So how did the company come up morning news block format and up- were born. and, from my they and local talk shows with a full - with a strategy for KOGO in such a date it by adding a decidedly In spite of the return of call letters service newsroom to build a revital- crowded field? "When in doubt, do untraditional host. "We hired market perspective, a big that had so much brand name equity ized KOGO for the new millennium. research," says Albert. "That's what veteran Jeff Prescott as host of our in San Diego, the relaunched KOGO With the station's recently signed deal we did, and it pretty much confirmed morning news show," says Albert. improvement over the struggled for the next few years un- to become the San Diego Padres' that the market actually had too much "Jeff was certainly not known as a old way of doing der management that had little inter- flagship station next season, one Talk for the available listeners to the traditional newsman around town." est in making the necessary invest- could argue quite convincingly that format. So we used Randy Michaels' For years Prescott was a major business in our ment to return the station to its KOGO has become the crown jewel well -known philosophy: Put the part of Rocker KGB -FM's morning former glory. Even with a huge signal industry." of Clear Channel's San Diego cluster. prime programs and biggest talents show and also co-anchor of The News that stretches from Santa Barbara to Holding down the PD position at on the best signal, and you'll win. We Brothers, a sarcastic daily newscast Tijuana, Mexico. the once -mighty KOGO these days is 20-year San Di- moved all of the biggest and most KOGO languished near the bottom of ego market veteran Cliff Albert. successful syndicated and local Continued on Page 30 Coming in November... 15 hours /day, 7 days /week G ae® -rhe Satellite Re -feed l_°ve ' 23 at 0e, ndeC nrc G-s rnSpo Live 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. EST sPoM Monday - Friday For info call Bill Hampton at 877 -410 -DAVE Listen anytime, anywhere ... www.daveramsey.com