Airwaves: May 13, 2011
Wilde Nights at The Sound
I’ve long been a fan of Rita Wilde. I first heard her on the old KEZY
(1190 AM) where -- as I recall -- she had the evening shift. She left in 1982
for mornings on KLOS until Mark and Brian came on board. Eventually she moved
up to the position of Program Director, which she held until leaving the station
in 2009.
Intelligent, with a smooth delivery. Wilde knows her music and she knows Southern
California. So it was quite a pleasant surprise to hear her make what Sound
afternoon personality Julie Slater called her “debut” on The Sound
(100.3 FM) last Monday evening at 7 PM.
Right now programmer Dave Beasing says that she is doing weekends and fill-ins,
but is it possible that she will be a permanent replacement for Mike Powers,
who left the station last month? One can hope!
Book Review
KRLA (870 AM) syndicated talk host Mike Gallagher helped promote the debut
of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation’s latest book project, “The
Notes: Ronald Reagan’s Private Collection of Stories and Wisdom” with
a special show taping at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley on May 9th.
Those in attendance were able to be among the first people in the United States
purchase the book. Gallagher’s show is heard on KRLA weekdays from 5 to
8 PM.
Germain Back to KABC?
Marc Germain’s name came up in a recent question reader question asking
if the former Mr. KABC (previously Mr. KFI) is going back to KABC. Seems not
to be true as far as I can tell, though anything is possible.
He still can be heard, at least with his totally open format show where anything
and everything goes. Go to www.talkradioone.com to hear him live or on demand.
Unheard Talk
It would be cruel to bring up the sad history of “progressive talk” KTLK
(1150 AM). The one time home of contemporary music (it was KIIS long before
there was a KIIS-FM), the station has remained in the embarrassing bottom of
the Arbitrons ever since going all-sports and then liberal talk years ago.
No one listened because there was no reason to listen.
But that was then. Now, while no one listens, at least yet, there actually
are many reasons to listen. Consumer reporter Clark Howard’s weekday afternoon
show (6-8 PM) is among the best of its type anywhere. Howard, who according
to KFI’s Bill Handle has more money than God, shows you how to live a
frugal but happy and satisfying life.
And of course there’s Phil Hendrie (10 PM to 3 AM), one of my longtime
favorites if for no other reason than he continues to fool the gullible (hey,
that sounds like KFI’s John and Ken ...) and the very funny Stephanie
Miller in the morning.
The only problem with the station is that it still needs to shed its recent
past, as people continue to think of it as the angry affiliate to the angry
left-wing Air America. While today it has some hosts that lean left and help
counter conservative talkers that dominate the landscape, the station today
is far more than that.
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Copyright © 2011 Richard Wagoner and Los Angeles Newspaper Group.
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