Local (and other) radio news

[urth]

Found this on Dave's FB page: K-FOX is going away as soon as their sale is OK'd. No clue what format they're going to, but it won't be classic rock anymore. And the Sharks will be in need of a new flagship, too.

http://sfppc.blogspot.com/2009/05/k-fox-sale-near-goodbye-greg-kihn.html

Also, check out the list of fired or bought-out Chronicle staff on the left. Quite a few names there that are old timers, and will be missed: Edward Guthmann, Jesse Hamlin, Steve Winn, Ruthe Stein, Sylvia Rubin, Joel Selvin--all longtime Datebook writers, Nancy Gay and Gwen Knapp from the sports desk, Steve Rubinstein, a ton of photographers, a ton of copy editors, and more I'm not even mentioning. Christ, it's going to be very quiet at Myth and Fission from here on.

Oh, and back to radio news for a sec: Sacramento's longtime (18 years) alternative station, KWOD, is also flipping at 9am tomorrow.

http://www.kwod.net

[RGMike]

Found this on Dave's FB page: K-FOX is going away as soon as their sale is OK'd. No clue what format they're going to, but it won't be classic rock anymore. And the Sharks will be in need of a new flagship, too.

Well, I'm betting 103.7 "The Band" will hire Greg Kihn.

Did KWOD call itsel K-Wod?  Sounds like a slur: "Dude, you are such a total K-wod!"

[RGMike]

Per Big Rick on FB, as of 3pm today KKSF is no more. Not sure if it was a format switch or what.

TANC: Chicago's WNUA, one of the last major-market "smooth jazz" stations, also owned by Cheap Channel, also flipped formats today.  (they went Spanish)

[RGMike]

Found this on Dave's FB page: K-FOX is going away as soon as their sale is OK'd. No clue what format they're going to, but it won't be classic rock anymore. And the Sharks will be in need of a new flagship, too.

Well, I'm betting 103.7 "The Band" will hire Greg Kihn.

and it occurs to me (duh!) that since Cheap Channel is divesting itself of K-FOX and also owns "The Band", the format-switch makes sense. Of *course* they'll move Kihn to 103.7 -- genius, actually, since he has a rep of being a right-winger; all those conservative Fogheads  who complain about the station being too lefty will have somewhere else to go in the morning.  Maybe they can run Ted Nugent's talk show on the overnites. 

[urth]

Did KWOD call itsel K-Wod?  Sounds like a slur: "Dude, you are such a total K-wod!"

Nah, but that's what us wiseasses called it. KWOD was its original call sign from when they first went on the air (sometime in the 70s I think) broadcasting in quadrophonic (hence the name was pronounced "quad.") I don't think that lasted too long, as quadrophonic anything caught on at about the same rate as HD radio, but the call letters stuck through several formats (they were even smooth jazz for awhile in the 80s), even when they went alternative in '91.

[RGMike]

Did KWOD call itsel K-Wod?  Sounds like a slur: "Dude, you are such a total K-wod!"

Nah, but that's what us wiseasses called it. KWOD was its original call sign from when they first went on the air (sometime in the 70s I think) broadcasting in quadrophonic (hence the name was pronounced "quad.") I don't think that lasted too long, as quadrophonic anything caught on at about the same rate as HD radio...

Ha! we had the same thing in NY -- in '74 a classical station, WNCN, was flipped to rock with the call letters WQIV (Quad-4, get it?) and they broadcast in quadrophonic. They didn't last long either; the former classical station's "Listener League" filed suit against the owners and it was quite a big deal.  They were back to classical again within a year. Power to the (rich old white) people!

Meanwhile, local news: I saw a play at Berkeley Rep tonite (Lieutenant of Inishmore, which was great) and got home a little after 10.  Figured I missed the first hour of Little Steven, but I turn on the radio and it's clear he's just finishing up his first set -- WTF?  Have they moved Joel Selvin's show up to 9, or back to Midnite, or canned him entirely? Jeez, first the poor guy gets laid off at the Chron, and now this!

Guess I'll be catching up with Steven on Mondays via that UK station in the future if the Bone has indeed permanently moved him to 10pm.

ETA: they played a "Listen to 'Selvin on the City' tonite at 11" promo around 10:40, but it's clear Steven's show won't be over until around 12. Again: WTF?

[RGMike]

In the car earlier, I came across Bob Costas' syndicated radio show on KNBR; he was replaying an interview with George Carlin including excerpts from Carlin's classic "Football vs. Baseball" bit.

Turns out it was Costa's final radio show -- he's giving it up to concentrate on his TV stuff.  So it's a big weekend for weak ends, so to speak.

[urth]

In the car earlier, I came across Bob Costas' syndicated radio show on KNBR; he was replaying an interview with George Carlin including excerpts from Carlin's classic "Football vs. Baseball" bit.

Turns out it was Costa's final radio show -- he's giving it up to concentrate on his TV stuff.  So it's a big weekend for weak ends, so to speak.

Another sign that radio is in decline--lots of mainstays bailing out before the last boat leaves.

[RGMike]

Anybody wanna be Program Director of 103.7 "The Band" (c'mon, who wouldn't want to work for Cheap Channel?)

http://clearcareers.clearchannel.com/Jobs/JobDetail.aspx?JobPostingId=14604

[urth]

Anybody wanna be Program Director of 103.7 "The Band" (c'mon, who wouldn't want to work for Cheap Channel?)

http://clearcareers.clearchannel.com/Jobs/JobDetail.aspx?JobPostingId=14604

Wonder if they talked to Dave Benson when he got let go?

[RGMike]

Anybody wanna be Program Director of 103.7 "The Band" (c'mon, who wouldn't want to work for Cheap Channel?)

http://clearcareers.clearchannel.com/Jobs/JobDetail.aspx?JobPostingId=14604

Wonder if they talked to Dave Benson when he got let go?

I'm sure he's MUCH happier in Seattle than he'd ever be working for CC.

[RGMike]

I don't have XM/Sirius, but this is interesting (it started Monday): The History of Gay Music.

http://www.examiner.com/x-448-SF-Radio-Examiner~y2009m6d19-The-history-of-gay-music-to-air-on-XMSirius

[mshray]

fwiw, 103.7 The Band was not yet playing commercials on Sunday afternoon, but by Monday morning they were.

[RGMike]

fwiw, 103.7 The Band was not yet playing commercials on Sunday afternoon, but by Monday morning they were.

they also had a morning deejay -- heard a minute or 2 of him signing off Monday morning, since I had a radio with me. It wasn't Greg Kihn.

[Tinka Cat]

fwiw, 103.7 The Band was not yet playing commercials on Sunday afternoon, but by Monday morning they were.

they also had a morning deejay -- heard a minute or 2 of him signing off Monday morning, since I had a radio with me. It wasn't Greg Kihn.

not a real adventurous setlist (you want adventure, you go to the left of the dial -- or online), but right in my classic rocky wheelhouse whenever I tune in.  It's like a bowl of not too hot, not too cold soup that could use some salt, but meh, why bother?  It's too far to reach.