Radio AM to FM

Radio AM to FM: July 14, 2000

Duncan's Web

Former KLOS (95.5 FM) and KLYY (107.1 FM) programmer John Duncan has accepted a position with the Evil Empire: Rock Content Manager for the Clear Channel Web Services Group.

That sounds extremely impressive, so I called John to ask him what exactly what Rock Content Manager for Web Services did. "Well ... the answer to that question is evolving as we speak," Duncan joked, adding that the basic idea will be overseeing and designing web content for Clear Channel's rock-formatted radio stations.

"A web site has to have compelling and dynamic content in order to keep listeners coming back," Duncan said. I want our sites to be where listeners go for information and eventually perhaps even second and third music formats. The idea would be to give the listener what he or she wants without their having to go to another brand."

Essentially, Duncan will help to unify the various web groups that have joined Clear Channel as the media giant bought and merged with other companies, including Jacor and AMFM. The group has a history of being radio station web leaders, with some shining examples being the sites of KIIS (102.7 FM) and KACD (103.1 FM), which can be seen at kiisfm.com and channel1031.com, respectively.

"I can see Clear Channel becoming on of the largest portals in the world if we unify correctly," Duncan concluded.

When You Sleep With Wolves ...

Ken Minyard really thought he was slapping ABC in the face when his new program, Minyard and Minyard was picked up by KRLA (1110 AM). Minyard had been recently let go from ABC's KABC (790 AM) after 30 years of waking Los Angeles, and going to afternoon drive with his son Rick on KRLA would really show the powers that be at KABC how shortsighted they were to let him get away.

The older Minyard apparently doesn't read my column.

Had he read my column, he would have known that Bob Moore is the general manager of KRLA, and as such, the station and show were doomed from the start, to be subject to no support -- moral or financial -- from management.

So it came as no surprise to read last weekend that KRLA was yanking the show due to "low ratings," a description that actually defines all-talk KRLA. In its place effective July 10th is some show about finances and health. Not that anyone really cares; KRLA is just keeping the electricity switched on in order for owner CBS to have something to sell when it dumps the station later this year as part of its merger with Viacom.

And how did the Minyards find out about the change? A promo for the new show ran just prior to the Minyard and Minyard program on July 7th. The program continues in syndication and on the internet at www.kenandrick.com.

Ouch

Tomm Looney says that KRLA was looking for replacements for the Minyards long ago, and had talked with such diverse hosts as John and Ken, Stephanie Miller and Joe Crummey. Apparently no one wanted to work at such a low-rent station. John Kobylt of John and Ken confirmed in a telephone conversation early last year that they had indeed spoken with KRLA, but that the offer to do mornings on KABC was too good to pass up.

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