What Happened to KROQ? Everyone Wants to Know

Well, Shirley Halperin and I thought we'd make some waves with our lengthy, in-depth look at the woes facing KROQ, but didn't expect this: KROQ was trending in LA and nationwide last night as people discussed what happened to the legendary station. The decision to fire "Kevin in the Morning" is still raw, and fans are still angry. Meanwhile, new program director Mike Kaplan is implementing a change in the station's music mix that, honestly, I think is necessary. (Please, no more Red Hot Chili Peppers!) But he lost what ever benefit of the doubt that listeners might have given him and the station when Kevin Ryder and crew were yanked off the air, right at the start of the pandemic.

Read the full story here. An excerpt:

A funny thing happened the week of March 8. Iconic Los Angeles radio station KROQ, long known for showcasing the top names in alternative rock, programmed a pop hit, Post Malone’s “Circles,” into power rotation. On March 1, the song hadn’t registered a single spin. Seven days later, it had 32 plays. By the end of March, it was averaging 65 a week — and over the last three months it has become the station’s second most-played track behind Billie Eilish’s “Everything I Wanted” and ahead of Shaed’s “Trampoline.”

Post’s arrival came amid several major exits for the station: longtime program director Kevin Weatherly, who left in late February after 28 years — on the heels of a proposed pay cut (in the ballpark of 30% according to an insider) — for a position at Spotify (he starts in September); and the March 18 firing of morning host Kevin Ryder after three decades on the job.

The decision to blow up the morning show brought severe consequences. In the past two months, according to Nielsen’s most recent L.A. report, KROQ has dropped more than a share point among listeners age 6 and up (from a 2.5 to a 1.4 share of the market) — placing the Entercom-owned station far behind its alternative rock competitor, iHeartRadio’s KYSR-FM Alt 98.7 (at a 2.2 share). What’s more, according to one metric, KROQ lost half of its listenership in the weeks following the decision to yank “Kevin the Morning with Allie & Jensen” off the air.