Airwaves: January 30, 2009
Laughlin Leaves CBS
After just over five months, Roy Laughlin has left is position as Senior
VP and co-manager of CBS Radio’s Los Angeles station group. What is not
known is who made the ultimate decision, but my guess is that the decision
was not his.
Laughlin is well-known as a longtime manager with competitor Clear Channel,
though immediately preceding his CBS tenure he was with Magic Broadcasting.
Much was made of his move to CBS in August, with CBS Radio President Dan Mason
exclaiming to anyone who would listen the Laughlin “knows the radio business
from the ground up.”
Immediately, Laughlin set out to prove he doesn’t. He fired the guy who
saved KFWB (890 AM), Andy Ludlum, for example, and promoted the
guy who destroyed both KFWB and sister station KNX (1070 AM), David
Hall. Infomercials were brought in to fill KFWB’s weekends.
In an email sent to CBS Radio/Los Angeles employees, Mason said, “It is
with regret that I inform you that Roy Laughlin will be stepping down from
his position,” adding, “Roy has brought much to the table in the
few short months he has been with us and many of his ideas and strategies will
benefit us long into the future.”
Personally, I think something isn’t right. I don’t know what it is,
but there has to be more to the story. Did Laughlin feel stifled, or was he
a bad match for CBS? Did Hall’s leaving for KABC (790 AM) after Laughlin
made so much of him at KNX and KFWB have anything to do with it? I think you
will be hearing more about this as the shakeout continues.
KLOS not Wilde
Rita Wilde is out of the programming position she has held at KLOS (95.5
FM) for what seems like forever. In radio terms, it was: a full decade in programming,
25 years total with the station.
Like Laughlin, I don’t think Wilde was necessarily the catalyst for her
departure. “I have absolutely no regrets about my devotion to the station,” she
told Don Barrett’s laradio.com. “I leave with my head held high and
with my dignity and integrity intact, and thankful for all the opportunities
I have been offered. I have nothing but respect for my colleagues and the KLOS
listeners who have consistently shown their devotion to this radio station.”
Again, this one doesn’t sit right. Without any knowledge at all, I believe
the move may be a cost-cutter for the station, as owner Citadel continues to
try to get its finances in order. Replacing Wilde is Bob Buchmann, who comes
to Los Angeles from New York’s classic rock station, WAQX-FM, also known
as Q104.3.
Interesting choice. Normally, East Coast transplants don’t fare well in
Los Angeles, though there are some exceptions. The fallout from this change
will be interesting to watch. I expect that KLOS will be a totally different
station by the year’s end.
More Indie
Speaking of fallout, I neglected to mention one excellent source of Indie Rock
in last week’s column: KCRW (98.3 FM). KCRW has actually been an
indie outlet during parts of the day for a long time, including Morning Becomes
Eclectic, weekdays 9 AM to noon. Check out the entire music lineup at www.kcrw.com/music.
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Copyright © 2009 Richard Wagoner and Los Angeles Newspaper Group.
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