Local (and other) radio news

[RGMike]

I wasn't aware of this because I've been listening to KCSM in the car lately, but apparently there are big changes going on at 98.1 Kiss-FM and Oldies 103.7.  Kiss, in an attempt to compete with that new "throwback" hip-hop station is playing a lot more old-school rap (Dr Dre etc) and the '80s dance stuff has been moved to 103.7 which now does the '80s Hour and Disco Sat Nite features that Kiss had been doing. iHeart are as ruthless as Cumulus, I suppose.

Oh, that’s too bad. The addition of 80s stuff made Kiss *just* interesting enough to listen to. But I can’t stomach 103.7 with or without the 80s. Both are off my dial now.

Kiss was my go-to station in the car for a while; I thought that mix of Funk, Disco and danceable (white) Pop was kind of inspired.  But I've zero interest in hearing Ice Cube or Snoop 3 or 4 times an hour.  103.7 has "tweaked" their playlist every 6 weeks for the last year, it seems, so we'll see how long their latest incarnation lasts. They're getting rid of Don Bleu; wonder who'll take over mornings. Wonder if they'd shift Renel over there and hire some washed-up rapper to do mornings on Kiss.

Kiss-FM tweaks again: I was listening yesterday and today and it seems like they gave last month's "format adjustment" a re-think. The harder-edged '90s rap (Snoop, Dr Dre etc) that they'd been playing several times an hour has disappeared, mostly. They haven't brought back the white dance-pop stuff, but I heard more of the upbeat R&B hits they've been known for the past couple years ("Somebody's Watching Me", for one example). They've also added ballads that they never used to bother with: Whitney, Mariah, even Stevie Wonder's dreaded "I Just Called to Say I Love You". I'm guessing they got an earful from their (older, rap-hating) core listeners about the makeover.

[RGMike]

Nice BFT piece on KCSM, which I've been listening to a lot lately.

http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/radiowaves/article/San-Mateo-s-KCSM-still-plays-all-that-jazz-6445669.php

noted in the same article: I was unaware that Nikki Blakk left The Bone.

[ggould]

Nice BFT piece on KCSM, which I've been listening to a lot lately.

http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/radiowaves/article/San-Mateo-s-KCSM-still-plays-all-that-jazz-6445669.php

noted in the same article: I was unaware that Nikki Blakk left The Bone.

We listen a lot to KCSM on the Comcast channel 962.  It's been educational.

[Here'sToYa!]

noted in the same article: I was unaware that Nikki Blakk left The Bone.

Sounds like she exited the radio rat race of her own accord. Good for her.

[RGMike]

Nice BFT piece on KCSM, which I've been listening to a lot lately.

http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/radiowaves/article/San-Mateo-s-KCSM-still-plays-all-that-jazz-6445669.php

noted in the same article: I was unaware that Nikki Blakk left The Bone.

We listen a lot to KCSM on the Comcast channel 962.  It's been educational.

I've found that my ears crave anything they haven't heard 3 billion times, and since commercial radio is pretty much ONLY songs you've heard 3 billion times, I'm discovering jazz/Great American Songbook and classical.

When I was in DC this month, I tuned all around looking for something to wake up to in the morning. DC radio is awful -- they no longer have an oldies station or a classic rocker that plays anything from before, say, 1979. Not even a soul oldies station (amazing, considering how African-American DC is). But they have, like, 6 hip-hop stations.  I stumbled across their classical station, WETA and found it quite pleasant.

[Lightnin' Rod]

I stumbled across their classical station, WETA and found it quite pleasant.

Not Beethoven's 9LNTh again! 

Arrrgh!

[RGMike]

I stumbled across their classical station, WETA and found it quite pleasant.

Not Beethoven's 9LNTh again! 

Arrrgh!

LOL. That one's pretty LN at this point. They love them some Vivaldi's "4 Seasons" on WETA.

Which reminds, On my trip to Sac'to last week I tuned past a classic rocker (The Eagle, I think) and they were actually playing "Stairway to Heaven" which put quite a bustle in my hedgerow.

[dischead]

I stumbled across their classical station, WETA and found it quite pleasant.

Not Beethoven's 9LNTh again! 

I recall reading some letters in the pink section a few years back with this very complaint
about a Bay Area classical station (I don't recall which) that had changed its programming
with an eye towards attracting more listeners.  They had the same complaints about the
"same old same old" "hits" that are echoed here.

[RGMike]

I stumbled across their classical station, WETA and found it quite pleasant.

Not Beethoven's 9LNTh again! 

Arrrgh!

TANC:  WETA is actually playing Beethoven's 9th (the whole thing) right now. A song of joy indeed. Where's Miguel Rios when you need him?

[RGMike]

Outkast's "Hey Ya" is undoubtedly the only song currently in regular rotation at KOFG *and* Kiss-FM

[RGMike]

Finallygot around to checking out KPOO's new Monday afternoon soul show -- "Soul Explosion", which is on from 1 to 3. Lots of great rarities/obscurities.

[dischead]

Listening to KFOG's DJs hawking pillows, dining services, et. al. brings to mind the early
days of television when celebrities like Milton Berle and Ernie Kovacs would pitch sponsors'
products right in the middle of their shows.  I know DJs have always read ad copy, but
these testimonial bits ring so phony that I switch off the radio almost as fast as hearing
some song by the Luminmums & Sons.

[RGMike]

Listening to KFOG's DJs hawking pillows, dining services, et. al. brings to mind the early
days of television when celebrities like Milton Berle and Ernie Kovacs would pitch sponsors' products right in the middle of their shows.  I know DJs have always read ad copy, but these testimonial bits ring so phony that I switch off the radio almost as fast as hearing some song by the Luminmums & Sons.

True, and it seems to have made a big comeback the last couple of years. Sponsors pay extra bucks for "I tried it and I loved it"-style spots.

I will say that I find the Renee-voiced testimonials for Kitchit.com believeable, since I'm sure she's a lousy cook.

[urth]

Looks like this hasn't been mentioned here, but Big Rick has been cashiered from his afternoon drive shift and is only doing weekends and fill-in at KFOX as of a week or two ago. No idea who's taken his slot, but a drag for him. Regarding the KFOG playlist, I still fondly recall him once saying "I don't write the menu, I just serve the food."

[RGMike]

Looks like this hasn't been mentioned here, but Big Rick has been cashiered from his afternoon drive shift and is only doing weekends and fill-in at KFOX as of a week or two ago. No idea who's taken his slot, but a drag for him. Regarding the KFOG playlist, I still fondly recall him once saying "I don't write the menu, I just serve the food."

Tim Jeffries and Rick effectively swapped gigs -- Tim's doing the Weekdays and Rick is weekends. He said on FB that this was his choice, so that he can do more "community work" or something.