"The second biggest media market in the country is radio hell." - cc Yesderday, Eric Alterman
posted a letter from Barry Ritholtz of
The Big Picture where he noted that, indeed, the death of radio continues apace. He cited a
post over at TBP from July 20 on that topic, and there has been more news since (Barron's has looked into the phenomenon).
Some time ago we looked at the state of FM radio in Los Angeles, and it is dismal. Here is a rundown.
| format |
| "Public Interest" frequencies: NPR, colleges |
| talk |
| Spanish language |
| country |
| jazz |
| classical |
| classic rock, oldies |
| Hip-hop, R&B |
| contemporary |
From
LA Radio Listings and
The Golden State Radio Guide, we get the following information about FM stations:
| freq | call letters | owner | format |
| 88.1 | KKJZ | public, member-supported | jazz |
| 88.9 | KXLU | Loyola Marymount University | College-oriented |
| 89.3 | KPCC | NPR Pasadena | Current events |
| 89.9 | KCRW | NPR Santa Monica | Current events; some music |
| 90.7 | KPFK | Pacifica | Current events; some music |
| 91.5 | KUSC | NPR University So. Calif. | Classical |
| 92.3 | KHHT | Clear Channel | "Forever Old Skool and Today's R&B" |
| 93.1 | KCBS | Infinity | Classic rock |
| 93.5 | KZAB | SBS | Spanish Tropical |
| 93.9 | KZLA | Emmis | Country |
| 94.7 | KTWV | Infinity | Smooth Jazz |
| 95.5 | KLOS | ABC | Classic rock |
| 96.3 | KXOL | Spanish Broadcasting Corp. | Spanish adult contemporary |
| 96.7 | KWIZ | Liberman | Spanish Cumbia |
| 97.1 | KLSX | Infinity | FM Talk (H. Stern) |
| 97.5 | unk | unk | Spanish |
| 97.9 | KLAX | Spanish Broadcasting Corp. | Regional Mexican |
| 98.7 | KYSR | Clear Channel | Modern adult contemporary |
| 99.5 | KKLA | Salem | Religious talk |
| 100.3 | KKBT | Radio One | Hip-hop, R&B |
| 101.1 | KRTH | Infinity | Oldies |
| 101.9 | KSCA | Hispanic Broadcasting Corp. | Regional Mexican |
| 102.7 | KIIS | Clear Channel | contemporary (B. Spears) |
| 103.1 | KDLD | Entravision (joint sales agreement w/Clear Channel)* | "indie" alternative |
| 103.5 | KOST | Clear Channel | Adult contemporary |
| 103.9 | KCRD | Hispanic Broadcasting Corp. | Spanish oldies |
| 104.3 | KBIG | Clear Channel | Hot adult contemporary |
| 105.1 | KMZT | Saul Levine | Classical |
| 105.5 | KPWR | Emmis | Hip-hop, R&B |
| 106.7 | KROQ | Infinity | Alternative |
| 107.1 | KSSE | Entravision | Spanish contemporary |
| 107.5 | KLVE | Spanish Broadcasting Corp. | Spanish adult contemporary |
* Clear Channel can’t own Indie outright because it’s already at the Federal Communications Commission-imposed limit of seven stations in the LA
basin.Clear Channel owns many stations throughout the Southern California region. Here is a list of AM stations they own:
| 570 | KLAC | Adult Standards |
| 640 | KFI | Conservative talk (Limbaugh) |
| 1150 | KXTA | Sports talk |
| 1190 | KXMX | "ethnic" |
| 1220 | KIIS | Contemporary (twin of KIIS-FM) |
| 1290 | KKDD | Radio Disney (San Bernadino) |
| 1350 | KTDD | Classic country (San Bernadino) |
| 1450 | KDIF | Spanish (Riverside) |
Back to the FM music stations. Stripping out Spanish-language, talk, hip-hop, classical, jazz, NPR, and classic rock, we get the following stations broadcasting contemporary music:
| freq | call letters | owner | format |
| 98.7 | KYSR | Clear Channel | Modern adult contemporary |
| 102.7 | KIIS | Clear Channel | contemporary (B. Spears) |
| 103.1 | KDLD | Entravision (joint sales agreement w/Clear Channel)* | "indie" alternative |
| 103.5 | KOST | Clear Channel | Adult contemporary |
| 104.3 | KBIG | Clear Channel | Hot adult contemporary |
| 106.7 | KROQ | Infinity | Alternative |
Look at how Clear Channel dominates. Radio Hell indeed.
Also, it's interesting to note in the first table, the large number of stations devoted to Spanish music. That's understandable, considering the demographic changes taking place, but it's somewhat distressing that there hasn't been much assimilation. How else to explain the fact that one third of the FM music stations are Spanish
language?
NOTE: There are some other low-wattage FM stations in the LA area, but they are not included since their range is limited. (Deciding factor: could our radio get the station?)
FINAL GRIPE: We have been listening to KROQ for many years and they have gotten steadily worse since their glory days in the early 80's. There is lots of talk now (mostly about sex). The days of two or three songs,
back-announcing the artists, and then a couple commercials is
long gone (everywhere, not just at KROQ).
posted by Quiddity at 9/15/2004 05:11:00 AM
While I might be revealing a little something about my age, I remember when FM was still playing entire albums, only breaking for commercials while changing sides of the LP. I'd say that it's been mostly downhill from there. These days my radio listening is confined to the car and at that usually NPR.
Without tightening up the regulations on ownership in a single market, I don't see any way that radio can make a comback. Perhaps not even then with satellite radio, MP3 players, etc.
Just a snarky reminder (since you classify "smooth jazz" under jazz): "Smooth jazz" is just like jazz except
1) it doesn't swing
2) it takes no chances - all emotional content is drained in favor of a nondescript and inoffensive tone
3) it shows no evidence of actual jazz elements such as improvisation, humor, pathos, or the intentional quoting of other musical sources
-baked potato
Anon: Yes, the "smooth jazz" station in LA is borderline New Age at times. But that's the description often given that kind of playlist.
I adored KROQ when I was a kid. I'll always remember where I was the first time I heard "Police Truck."
While I'm saddened to hear of KROQ's decline (I left L.A. in 1984), I'm not at all surprised.
Rock music is also in a pretty sorry state as well.... AM in LA is worse though... still can't get Al Franken.
“We cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads, and along these sympathetic fibers, our actions run as causes and return to us as results.”
- Herman Melville
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