Radio AM to FM: January 26, 2001
Reaching for the Stars
Apparently 5 gazillion sports stations in Los Angeles are not enough to carry all the local sports teams: KRLA (870 AM) has announced that it will be the official station of the Los Angeles Stars ABA2000 basketball team. The first game to be carried by the station is tonight at The Forum and will air live beginning at 7:30.
Never heard of the Stars? I didn't, until Jean, my Fabulous Sports Wife, told me about the team. Seems that former UCLA players Toby Bailey, Ed O'Bannon and JaRon Rush play for the Stars; Paul Westhead of Loyola-Marymount and Lakers fame is head coach.
It Just Sounds That Way
Phil Hendrie, whose show is perhaps best described as a parody of itself, is making a move in San Diego to classic-rock KGB (101.5 FM) at 7 pm from his former home of KSDO (1130 AM), both owned by Clear Channel. Reason for the move? Since KFI (640 AM) carries him live from 3 - 7 pm and KFI is about as strong in San Diego as it is in Los Angeles, running him at 3 on KSDO was redundant.
Why he wasn't moved to 7 pm on KSDO is unknown; in the meantime, Hendrie fans who miss his show on KFI now have a way to listen on tape delay, as KGB has a fairly strong signal throughout much of the South Bay ... especially on a clear day.
Passings
Bobby Dale, veteran Los Angeles top-40 personality (KFWB, KRLA, KGBS) died January 17th of liver cancer, according to AllAccess.com. He was 69.
On the same day, newsman B. R. Bradbury (KHJ, KIQQ) -- perhaps best known as Robert W. Morgan's newsman -- died of a heart attack while driving home from a meeting. According to Don Barrett, a motorist saw his car go off the road into a ditch in the later evening of the 17th and called 911. He was 58.
New Chief
Michael Powell, son of Colin Powell, has been selected by President Bush to replace William Kennard as Chairman of the FCC. Powell has been an FCC commissioner since 1997; Kennard resigned from the post last week.
New Show
Mitch Albom, author of Fab Five and sportswriter/columnist for the Detroit Free Press, has a new show on KABC (790 AM), airing weeknights at midnight.
You Ask, We Answer
Or something like that. An unidentified caller asked the whereabouts of Tony Bruno (ESPN, KXTA) and Freddie Snakeskin (KROQ). Bruno is the new(?) morning man as he returns to KXTA (1150 AM), while Snakeskin's last known address was KEDJ/Phoenix, as well as worldwide on www.grooveradio.com. As of press time, I could confirm neither rumor about Snakeskin, so I'll pretend they're both true.
///
Copyright © 2001 Richard Wagoner and The Copley Press.
To subscribe to The Daily Breeze, call (310) 540-5511