Radio AM to FM

Radio AM to FM: May 26, 2000

Monday Night Limbaugh

The presses are heating up over rumors that popular conservative talk host Rush Limbaugh may be headed for a gig at ABC Television's Monday Night Football.

ABC management is apparently looking for a "Howard Cosell-type" of person to pair with Al Michaels. Whether or not Limbaugh fits that bill is left to you, but RadioDigest.com's Tomm Looney confirmed last week that Limbaugh was in town recently, supposedly announcing a videotaped NFL game for ABC Sports honchos.

I wonder if they had written permission from the NFL to tape that game?

Limbaugh had no comment on the rumor.

The Saga Continues

KABC (790 AM) manager Bill Sommers called regarding last week's column on his station, specifically about my line that owner Disney doesn't know how to run radio stations any way "except into the ground."

"I've never been under any pressure from Disney at all," Sommers told me, adding that it was a rare occasion for a Disney executive to even enter the building, let alone try to get involved with programming.

Sommers said, essentially, that KABC may be down but certainly isn't out. The station is still doing well ad revenue-wise and has a history that no other talk station can approach: 40 years of talk.

So I am going to sit back and watch. Or listen, anyway, as interim (and supposedly permanent, if he want it) programmer Eric Braverman works his magic. Already the station sounds better without the self-depreciating promotional IDs. And as I told Sommers, I personally like KABC, especially when I get tired of hearing Rush rant about Elian Gonzalez or Dr. Laura, um, rant.

Speaking of Dr. Laura

Some advertisers are pulling their ads out of Dr. Laura Schlessinger's radio and television programs while other companies are refusing to allow ads promoting same. Personally, I think these companies have no guts. (I'd use another word but this is a family newspaper).

Yes, I've read and heard the stories about how mean she is; I tend to believe them. I also know that much of her own life runs (or ran) counter to what she preaches on the air. But her program is extremely popular, and while I won't pretend to have listened to everything she has ever said, many other talk hosts have said many worse things about people and their actions -- including homosexuality ... why was there no outcry for them and their comments? Is there another agenda here?

No Class

Has anyone else noticed how amazingly tacky the new call letters are for the old KKGO (105.1 FM)? KMZT -- K-Mozart. Has tacky all over it.

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