Airwaves: October 10, 2008
The Sound on the 405
Commuters driving through Lawndale on the San Diego Freeway have
no doubt seen the infamous giant Lawndale billboard that for years featured
ads for programs on Fox Television now running ongoing ads for 100.3 The
Sound ... complete with an ever-changing now playing section
of the sign that lets viewers know what is playing on the station at that very
moment.
Knowing the history of the sign and knowing that Fox ads finally had to be
taken down because of rules from Cal-Trans that forbid such advertisements
on a city-owned sign for businesses not located in the city, I figured it was
just a matter of time before The Sound ads were gone as well.
I was wrong.
Turns out that The Sound has a business office located in Lawndale. Not a studio;
thats on Wilshire in Los Angeles. Not a transmitter; thats on Mt.
Wilson. But a business office that allows it to have a local presence in the
South Bay. What they do there, I dont know ... probably sit around and
think of ads to place on the giant billboard.
Partner
KOST (103.5 FM) morning man Mark Wallengren finally has a new
partner, almost one year flying solo after 22-year co-host Kim Amidon was
laid off in as part of budget cuts.
Her name is Kristin Cruz, and she comes to Los Angeles from San Diego,
where she was the longtime host of San Diegos Love Songs program on KYXY
(96.5 FM). The new Mark and Kristin program made its big debut last
Monday (October 6th).
There is no other station that defines LA for me like KOST, Cruz
said in a press release. Mark (Wallengren) is the best at what he does
and I am honored to work with him. Added Wallengren, We could not
have made a better choice ... its going to be a fun ride.
Good Humor
A few weeks back a took a pot shot at Jack FM (KCBS-FM, 93.1) as I discussed
the effect of Arbitrons new Portable People Meter -- PPM for short. One
effect was that Jack is actually up in the ratings, and my quote was KCBS-FMs
awful Jack format almost doubled in the PPM ratings compared with the diary
method, so I guess well be stuck with it for a while longer.
Without going too in depth as to what I dont like about Jack, I just
think the entire concept is a bit sad. Not that Jack itself is sad, but the
entire industry is a bit sad when a station with no personalities outside of
a recorded voice can do so well. That a station that claims to play what they want
rather than what you want does so well is an indictment of the entire
industry, in my opinion.
But my opinion and $2.00 will get you a cup of coffee, somewhere. The fact
is, Jack does do well, and and the airwaves are littered with stations I liked
that are now gone: KHJ, Ten-Q, KEZY, KMET, K-WEST, KIQQ, pre-rap KIIS-FM, 94
FM, Mix 95.9 ... the list goes on and on.
So I actually found the e-mails humorous and refreshing ... and somewhat pointed,
that came from a few of the Jack staff.
Justin Cranfill, responding to my line about the stations ratings: Thanks,
man! We are awful. Its great! Says Doug Roberts, Higher
praise, Jack could not find. And Tami Heide, If by awful
you meant awful good, thanks.
So I am revising my opinion. If three people can have that much fun and an
obvious sense of humor, I cant knock it. Those three have so changed
my opinion of the inner workings of the station that I apologize for taking
the shot at them.
And yeah ... awful good. Thats what I meant.
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Copyright © 2008 Richard Wagoner and Los Angeles Newspaper Group.
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