A reminder that radio once knew how to excite listeners
I have no clue where I obtained it, but on a recent late-night walk, I saw a recording from August 1986 featuring the final hours of KFRC San Francisco as a top 40 station come up in my iPhone playlist. So I listened.
For the uninitiated, KFRC was the Bay Area’s version of KHJ (930 AM). Some feel it may have been even better than co-owned KHJ, and it did last about five years longer as a top 40 station than did KHJ.
But the main programming in the early Monday morning featured in the recording was not much music. Instead, it was station Music Director Jack Silver taking calls from listeners regarding the station’s impending switch from top 40 to adult standards.
Two things struck me listening to the aircheck. First , it was recorded from 3-6 a.m., and Silver was live, as was the norm back then. Today, stations don’t run local live programming overnight.
Second, the passion of listeners calling in to talk about the death of their favorite station was uplifting in a way. Listeners. Passionate. About a radio station. That is unheard of today. But shouldn’t that be the norm?
“Don’t let your radio stations be stagnant,” Silver begins as his parting shot a bit before 6 a.m. “More music, less talk is bull; 15 in a row commercial-free is bull,” he continues just prior to playing the last two songs. “You’ve got to make sure that they talk to you … one on one.”
Speaking of KHJ
Tuesday at 3 p.m. marks the 56th anniversary of the birth of the Boss … the Sneak Preview that launched with the Real Don Steele that afternoon marked the beginning of what would be one of the most successful and influential stations in the history of radio.
In recognition of that event, plus the fact that the station is now celebrating 99 years on the air, I want to put you in charge of the next column. What are your memories of KHJ as a top 40 station, or even of its earlier incarnations prior to the big change? What personalities did you like the most? What attracted you to the Boss sound … or what drove you away?
Your responses next week.
Woody? Yes, he would
I’ve been a big fan of “The Woody Show” on Alt 98.7 (KYSR FM) since soon after it made its debut in April 2014. Led by Jeff “Woody” Fife, the show is what you get when you put the cynical Woody in charge of a cast of intelligent and fun friends who see life in much the same way I do.
Not sure if that’s good, but I like it.
Unfortunately, it’s syndicated now, but still a damn good show. Last week, we found out the show will be around for at least a few more years, as Fife and friends signed a new contract through April 2028. “Woody” airs on Alt from 5-10 a.m. weekdays, with “best of” segments airing Saturday mornings from 4-10.
Amp is now Now!
There was a time when Amp Radio (KAMP 97.1 FM) was in striking distance of top 40 leader KIISFM (102.7). In the past year or so, however, while KIIS itself has underperformed compared with itself in a historical sense — February had the station tied for ninth with a 3.3 share, a far cry from the dominant position it had for so many years — Amp has just about become irrelevant.
There was a time when even AM music stations totally abandoned music formats when ratings dropped below 2.0. Amp hasn’t been as high as, or even close to, a 2.0 share in at least six months, and February had it at 1.2.
The main problem with Amp is that it doesn’t set itself apart from KIIS. Musically? Similar. Personalities? Nothing special. Morning show? Syndicated from out of town and generally lackluster (which pains me to say, as they truly seem to be a nice group).
So how do you fix the station? Pump up the music mix. Find out what kids and young adults want to hear. Either replace “The Morning Mess” or work with them to connect with the local audience. Get a vibe going with promotions that the target audience wants, and don’t rely on national contests because your owners are too broke or cheap to do something locally.
What does the management of Amp do? Change the station name.
Same music. Same personalties. Same dull programming and promotions. But now it’s called 97.1 Now!
Yeah, that’ll fix it. Bad on-air IDs always fix bad programming. This has to be a joke.