Nov 14

Radio AM to FM: November 14, 2003

ABC Helps Out

The ABC Los Angeles Radio Group (KABC, KLOS, and KSPN) and KABC-TV Channel 7 recently helped raise over $1 million to benefit victims of the recent wildfires.

The money raised will provide for immediate needs and recovery assistance for fire victims in the counties of Los Angeles, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego.

Gifts of one dollar and $100,000 were collected from individuals and companies during a Red Cross Fundraiser held recently at the Staples Center. Support was given by the ABC stations through an on-air campaign called "Operation Lend a Hand."

Drama Hour Returns?

No, not to KNX. Saul Levine, owner of K-SURF (1260 and 540 AM) says he plans to bring the Drama Hour to his own station, just as soon as he can get the necessary clearances.

"As soon as we can get the material, we'll be on the air," Levine told laradio.com last week. As of press time, there no additional information available.

Backlash

The letters and emails just keep on comin' in response to the changes at KNX.

"My radios are now permanently set on KLAC." (Ruth Schmitz, Carson).

"I listened to KNX news most often out of appreciation for their airing of the Drama Hour. Now that the Hour has been discontinued, so has my loyalty to KNX." (George Blumenfeld).

"Since the demise of the Drama Hour, we have discovered that there are plenty of other stations that do a great job of delivering the news, including KABC and KFI. So we do not need to listen to KNX at all, day or night." (Julie, Santa Monica).

"My almost 14-year-old son and ten-year-old daughter work nightly to get their homework done so they can go to their own rooms, lay in bed at 9:00 with the lights off, and listen to the 'Drama Hour. So they can put that in their demographic pipes and smoke it.

"And why dump some of the features? Magazines have features; newspapers have comics. It doesn't have to be more repetitious than it already is." (Jerry).

I remember listening to the CBS Radio Mystery Theater in bed back when I was in school as well; it introducing me to KNX as a news station at a young age. And your features comment is right on the money ... I suppose this column wouldn't exist in a KNX newspaper.

Quick Hits

The stereo light still lights up when compatible AM stereo radios tune into KNX, but there hasn't been an actual stereo signal coming from the station in a few weeks. Calls to the station confirmed that KNX plans to install digital HD Radio soon ... and the current HD Radio system is mono-only. You can tell when they switch it on: you'll hear nothing but hiss on both sides of KNX from 1050 to 1090, and the regular analog signal won't sound as good as normal. HD, in fact, requires a 5 KHz cutoff for analog in order for the digital to work, and the digital carriers interfere with the analog signal on most radios.

Geoff Edwards has indeed left K-SURF mornings. Nick Gerard is his replacement.

Need proof that absolutely anyone can become a broadcaster? Look no further than Vic "The Brick" Jacobs. Always harsh on the senses, he almost destroyed KFI's Bill Handel show when he filled in recently. He really needs to stay on XTRA Sports where no one listens anyway.

From a reader: "My mom says she listens to AM 640, but only in the mornings. And only because it makes her think she isn't late to work when she sees 640 on the display and figures since she doesn't have to work until 7:00, she can relax because she has 20 minutes ... which is why, she says, she listens to it with the volume off.

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