Radio Hosts Ralph Garman, Big Boy, Ellen K and Others Remember Their Morning Show Whiplash on 9/11

I still think quite a bit about listening to radio on the way to work on 9/11 and hearing Ralph Garman and Boyd R. Britton "Doq on the Roq" on KROQ; Big Boy on Power 106; Mark Wallengren on KOST; Ellen K on KIIS-FM and others as I scanned the dial that morning. For Variety I talked to them and NY's Elvis Duran Show about having to pivot from jokes to news on air that day:

Elvis Duran still recalls the phone-in topic on his morning radio show the day of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. “We were talking about whether you’re cheating on your significant other if you’re flirting with someone else in an online chat room,” Duran says. “And then playing a song.”

Back in 2001, Duran’s top 40 WHTZ-FM “Z100” was located in Jersey City — just across the Hudson River from Downtown Manhattan. The “Elvis Duran and the Morning Show” team had a direct view of the World Trade Center from their 40th floor studio, and it was their phone screener who first fielded reports of smoke from one of the towers.

“It started with rumors a helicopter hit it,” Duran recalls. “Around the time we found out it was a commercial airline plane that hit it, that’s when the second plane hit the other tower. And we immediately knew, this isn’t what we think it is, this is something that we don’t understand.”

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, morning hosts were just arriving to start their shifts. “We’re having our pre-meeting off air before we jump on air live,” remembers Big Boy, who was then based at hip-hop KPWR-FM “Power 106.” “One of my guys comes in and says, ‘Man, some fucking idiot just crashed his plane into the World Trade Center.’ So we go into our office. And as we’re sitting there watching it live, the second plane comes in, boom.”

The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks kicked the nation’s TV and radio news organizations into high gear, as they quickly went live to cover the unfolding events. But also on air that day were drive-time radio personalities who suddenly had to drop the jokes, stop spinning records, and instead pivot to becoming somber lifelines as listeners looked for information and solace.

“We got on the air and started answering calls,” says Ellen K, who back then was Rick Dees’ partner on Los Angeles top 40 KIIS-FM. “I was over seven months pregnant, and my baby in my belly, my son — who’s now almost 20 — was kicking and punching wildly because of the stress reaction I was having. I remember I couldn’t breathe very well, so I had to sit down and calm myself while we’re answering these phone calls.”

K remembers no music being played that day on KIIS. “It was just constant calls, and we stayed on the air way past 10 a.m., when we would usually sign off. We were on until almost 2 p.m. People were taking turns, coming on, crying. We were also giving information as fast as we could get it. So we had our producers calling out, we were calling friends in New York City. We were also reaching out to everyone we knew to get on the air.”

At Los Angeles alternative KROQ-FM, the hosts of “Kevin & Bean” were on vacation, so the station was replaying “best of” clips from previous shows. Just a skeleton crew were in the offices: Sidekick Ralph Garman and news anchor Boyd R. Britton (known as “Doc on the Roq”), who were originally only there to contribute a few live segments in between the repeats.

“By the time I had gotten to the studio, the news had just broken that the second plane had hit the second tower,” Garman says. “And it was only then that it dawned on us that this was not an accident. And the station didn’t know what to do. I was in there, Doc was in there. We had a board op. But the decision eventually was made: We can’t ignore this; we have to go on the air with something. And here I am, this baby broadcaster. I had done voices and stuff for the show but I’d never really taken on a larger role than that. And they said we have to go live, so we just turned on the mics and started broadcasting.”

In an unconventional move, Britton and Garman — normally two contributors who never interacted on “Kevin & Bean” — were suddenly co-anchoring coverage on KROQ.

Read the full story here.

April Radio Ratings: Morning Shake Up Spells Trouble for Power 106

KRTH_FM ("K-Earth 101") morning host Gary Bryan is continuing his winning streak, leading the L.A. market in morning drive for the fourth month in a row.

KRTH and Bryan was first with persons 12+ for the month of April, averaging a 5.4 share. That follows by Bill Handel on KFI (4.9), KLVE's Omar y Argelia was third with a 4.8 share, then KIIS FM's Ryan Seacrest (4.5 share) and KBIG-FM's (My 104.3 FM) Valentine (4.4 share). In Persons 25-54, Seacrest and KIIS were first (7.8), then Omar y Argelia at KLVE (5.3) and KBIG's Valentine (4.6). Seacrest was also tops with persons 18-34 (7.8). Meanwhile, are listeners not following Big Boy to the new KRRL "Real 92.3"? The station saw a nice boost in March after Big Boy's arrival, particularly in persons 18-34, where it was 3rd (5.0 share) last month, up from 15th place (2.8) prior to Big Boy in February. But in April, the station was back down to 6th place (4.8 share) in drive time.

It's still not as rough as things at Big Boy's old home, KPWR "Power 106." The station, once consistently No. 1 or 2 in persons 18-34, was 10th in mornings in April (3.3 share).

Nice news for my pals at KCRW, which averaged its highest 12+ audience share in mornings (2.3) in at least a year.

In total day viewing, KIIS and KBIG were tied for tops (5.3 share) in listeners 12+, followed by KRTH, KOST and KSWD "The Sound," which is doing quite well these days.

February Los Angeles Radio Ratings: With No Big Boy at Power 106, Rivals See Gains

Power 106 is feeling the effects of losing Big Boy: In the February 2015 ratings book, among adults 18-34 KPWR-FM dropped from 2nd place (in January, with a 6.2 share) to 5th place (in February, with a 5.0 share) during morning drive, according to Nielsen Audio ratings.

That's the lowest Power's morning drive has ranked in its key demo for perhaps years. Big Boy, of course, exited Power last month and is now expected to show up shortly on the new "Real 92.3." Power owner Emmis is suing Big Boy, claiming it had a right to match a rival's offer, but that the personality refused.

The Big Boy void was good for both of L.A.'s top 40 stations, KIIS-FM and KAMP "Amp Radio." Ryan Seacrest on KIIS skyrocketed in the 18-34 demo, moving from a 7.7 share to a 9.0 share (first place). And Amp's Carson Daly jumped from a 3.8 to a 5.7 (second place). That could very well be Carson Daly's best-ever ranking in the young adult demo.

Across town, the changes at KROQ's Kevin & Bean (Lisa May and Doc on the Roq exits) didn't have much of an impact on ratings. The show was up in total viewers, adults 18-34 and adults 25-54.

At KSWD "The Sound," the arrival of Mark Thompson (formerly of Mark & Brian) in the mornings attracted more overall listeners, giving the station its best morning share in perhaps ever (4.0) among listeners 12+. But the station's 18-34 share dropped, which means most new listeners were on the older side.

In morning drive, here are the top shows among listeners 12+:

1. KRTH "K-Earth" (4.9 share)
2. KIIS (4.8)
TIE. KLVE (4.8)
4. KFI (4.6)
5. KNX (4.0)
TIE. KSWD "The Sound" (4.0)
7. KROQ (3.9)
TIE. KBIG "My FM" (3.9)
9. KOST (3.8)
10. KAMP "Amp Radio" (3.6)

25-54:

1. KIIS (9.0)
2. KROQ (5.2)
3. KLVE (5.2)
4. KBIG (4.0)
TIE. KOST (4.0)

In full-day ratings, sorry Art Laboe fans. IHeartMedia's flip of old school "Hot 92.3" (KHHT) to hip-hop "Real 92.3" (KRRL) seems to be working out. The new format is up big time in persons 18-34 (1.9 share to 3.2 share) and was steady in other demos.

The impact of Big Boy leaving KPWR seems to have also benefited KIIS -- which has its best 18-34 share (7.9) since last April, and KAMP, which also has its best 18-34 share (6.1) in at least a year.

Here are the top stations among listeners 12+:

1. KRTH (5.2 share)
TIE. KOST (5.2)
3. KIIS (5.0)
4. KBIG (4.9)
5. KAMP "Amp Radio" (4.0)
6. KLVE (3.9)
7. KSWD "The Sound" (3.8)
TIE. KCBS "Jack FM" (3.8)
9. KFI (3.5)
TIE. KPWR "Power 106" (3.5)

25-54:

1. KIIS (5.4)
2. KOST (5.3)
3. KBIG "My FM" (5.2)
4. KRTH "K-Earth" (4.7)
5. KCBS "Jack FM" (4.6)

First Listen: The New "Real 92.3" Takes On Power 106

Los Angeles' hip-hop radio wars are back. Reminiscent of the old battle between Power 106 and 92.3 The Beat, the two frequencies are once again going face-to-face for listeners with very similar sounds. (Technically, Power is a rhythmic station, while Real is urban contemporary. But the differences are subtle). The new Real 92.3 came out swinging this morning, flipping from oldies Hot 92.3 at 9:23 a.m. and immediately taunting its much larger cross-town rival.

The real battle, however, might we waged in the courtroom, as Big Boy and Power 106 owner Emmis battle over the morning DJ's attempts to join Real for a lot more money.

Here's an early sample of the Real 92.3 playlist:

Try Me -- Dej Loaf
Let Me Know -- Tamar Braxton feat. Future
Pop That -- French Montana
Strip -- Chris Brown feat. Kevin McCall
Climax -- Usher
Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) -- Jay-Z
Not For Long (feat. Trey Songz) -- B.o.B
The Body (feat. Jeremih) -- Wale
0 To 100 / The Catch Up -- Drake
7/11 -- Beyoncé

As you might expect, Hot 92.3 and jammin' oldies fans were not happy with the switch:



By the way, it's probably no surprise that iHeartMedia/Clear Channel designed the new Real 92.3 logo to look a bit like the old 92.3 The Beat logo we remember from the 1990s:

Have Power 106 and Big Boy Split Up For Good?

The contract dispute between Big Boy and Power 106/KPWR owner Emmis is getting ugly. Power 106 has now completely scrubbed Big Boy -- the station's morning host since the late 1990s -- off its website, and is now touting J Cruz (above) as its morning show host.

At issue: Big Boy had been lured away by iHeartMedia (aka Clear Channel), which planned on using the DJ as the centerpiece of its all-new Urban Contemporary outlet "Real 92.3." That station -- currently oldies "Hot 92.3" -- still plans to make the flip tomorrow, but it's not clear if Big Boy will be along for the ride.



That's because Emmis is waging an all-out battle to prevent Big Boy from making the jump. TMZ (which I find it strange they're covering local L.A. radio politics) has the skinny:

Emmis is taking it real personal, saying it discovered Big Boy more than 20 years ago when he was working as a bodyguard, and turned him into one of the most dynamic personalities on the air.

Big Boy was making $1.45 million a year -- plus bonuses and a car -- but his contract was up at the end of this month. According to the suit, Big Boy got an offer from iHeartMedia of $3.5 million plus other royalties and perks, including the use of a private jet.

But Emmis says it has a right under the existing deal to match a competitor's offer and keep him, and says that's exactly what it did ... but he told the company he was leaving anyway.

The outlet that carries Big Boy's Neighborhood in L.A. -- Power 106 FM -- started Wednesday's morning drive time ... his usual shift ... by playing music without a DJ, though one eventually came on around 6 AM.

But Emmis is on the attack, asking a judge for an order prohibiting Big Boy from bailing. Emmis also wants $5 million.

TMZ also has Big Boy's statement: “I feel nothing but love and gratitude for the nearly 21 years I’ve spent with my listeners at Power 106. I am proud of everything I accomplished over the last two decades and the contributions I made to the station’s success. All I want to do right now is get back to what I love, what I am meant to do – wake up every morning and hang with my listeners. They are my family. Their love and devotion mean everything to me.”

This is nothing new in hard-ball radio negotiations -- radio stations frequently yank all references to their popular morning hosts when things get this intense, and put it all back later. But this seems extra nasty. We'll see where it goes. (If you search inside the site, you'll find the Big Boy's Neighborhood page is still parked there.)



As for "Real 92.3," here are the details from RadioInfo.com:

The flip takes place on Friday morning at 9:23 AM and the company says that its senior vice president of urban programming Doc Wynter will serve as PD for the station that kicks off the new format with 10,000 commercial-free songs. Core artists will be Drake, Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, Usher, Jay-Z, and Beyoncé. Wynter comments, “The all-new ‘Real 92.3’ will be LA's new home for REAL Hip Hop and R&B. It's what LA listeners have been waiting for. Starting tomorrow morning at 9:23, we'll start rollin' 10,000 joints in a row!”

August Radio Ratings: Healthy Summer Gains for LA's Top Stations

Univision's KLVE "K-Love 107.5" is once again No. 1 spot in morning radio, as the station's "Omar y Argelia" posted a 4.8 share (same as last month) of the Los Angeles 12+ audience in August. KRTH "K-Earth 101's" Gary Bryan (4.7, up from 4.5) was No. 2, followed by KFI-AM's Bill Handel (4.6, up from 4.2), Spanish station KSCA's "El Bueno, La Mala y El Feo" show (4.1 down from 4.7), and all-news KNX, benefiting from a busy news month (4.0, up from 3.6). Also tied in 5th was Valentine at KBIG "My 104.3 FM" (4.0, up from 3.8).

Among persons 18-34, KPWR "Power 106's" Big Boy was No. 1 in the morning (8.0 share). And in adults 25-54, KROQ's "Kevin & Bean Show" remained No. 1 (5.1).

In overall 6 a.m. to midnight ratings, it was a nice month of gains for most of the most-listened-to stations. KBIG was once again No. 1 with listeners 12+ (5.3, up from 4.9 last month), followed by KRTH (4.9, up from 4.7), KIIS-FM (4.8, up from 4.5), KOST (4.4, up from 4.2) and KPWR "Power 106" (4.2, down from 4.3). KPWR was No. 1 with 18-34 listeners (8.0) while KBIG was also No. 1 with 25-54 (5.4).

August Arbitron Ratings: Big Month for KIIS-FM and Kevin & Bean

The summer of KIIS-FM continues, as the top 40 powerhouse ended August once again in first place, according to Arbitron portable people meter data. Among persons 12+, KIIS posted a 5.5 share of the Los Angeles market audience, unchanged from July and June. Hot AC KBIG ("My 104.3") was in second, with a 4.9 share, followed closely by talker KFI-AM (4.8) and AC KOST-FM (4.3). All four top stations are owned by Clear Channel.

Rounding out the top ten: Hip-hop KPWR (Power 106), classic hits KRTH "K-Earth 101" (3.9), top 40 KAMP-FM "Amp Radio" (3.8), oldies KHHT "Hot 92.3" (3.6, a big jump from 3.0), Spanish KLVE (3.3) and alternative KROQ (3.3).

Among the public stations, KPCC dipped to a 1.6, while KUSC (1.1, up from 0.9) and KCRW (1.0, up from 0.7) saw gains.

In morning drive, KROQ's Kevin & Bean dominate in every demo, garnering an 8.9 share with persons 18-34, a dominant first place win over No. 2, KPWR's Big Boy (6.2). KIIS' Ryan Seacrest is third (5.2). (By the way, among listeners 18-34, the race has gotten tight between rival top 40 morning show hosts -- and rival TV singing competition hosts -- Seacrest and Carson Daly.)

Kevin & Bean are also a clear No. 1 with adults 25-54 (7.5), ahead of KFI's Bill Handel (4.9). Handel's older audience is big enough that KFI wins overall with persons 12+ in the morning.

Power 106's Big Boy Parodies Ted Williams Video

KPWR/Power 106 morning host Big Boy does a parody of the now-famous YouTube video that catapulted homeless Ted Williams into several radio and voiceover jobs.

You probably already saw The Columbus Dispatch video (if not, watch it here): A cameraman drives up to Williams, panhandling on the side of the street. Williams looks bad: Unkempt hair, bad teeth. But then he opens his mouth... and a rich baritone, ready-for-broadcast voice comes out.

Williams, who has struggled for years with addiction and brushes with the law, became an overnight sensation. Many have feared what effect this sudden success might have on his recovery; the news of his detainment by the LAPD the other night didn't help matters.

UPDATE: As a reader notes, 100.3 The Sound's Larry Morgan has also produced a parody:

Glendale Loses Its Big Boy

Bob's Big Boy got its start in Glendale -- but now the city has lost its last remaining outpost of the once-popular chain.

Big Boy actually got its start as Bob's Pantry in 1937, when founder Bob Wian opened a small hambuger stand on Colorado Blvd.

That stand is long gone, but Bob's Big Boy had lived on in Glendale via a location on Glenoaks Blvd. -- until now. According to the Glendale News-Press, the company and the franchisee that ran the location couldn't come to terms on a deal:

The corporation allowed the Glenoaks restaurant to continue operating under a series of one-year contracts, and sometimes out of contract, for at least two years, but executives realized they were not able to hold the franchise owners to the same standards and requirements as other locations because of the unusually short lease, Bourgoian said.

Bob’s Big Boy representatives had visited the Glenoaks location and determined that the operations were “substandard,” she said.

Yikes. If Bob's Big Boy thinks your operation is "substandard," then, well, gross.

The location plans to re-open as the "Glenoaks Cafe" later this year. Its shutdown represents yet another Bob's Big Boy shutdown in the region; the location on Wilshire Blvd. was torn down last year. The Burbank Bob's Big Boy is still the oldest remaining location in the chain, having been opened in 1949.

Other chains that got their start in Glendale include Panda Express and Baskin-Robbins.

The L.A. County Fair's Got Gas

I know, it's a play on the current astronomical price of gasoline. But hmm, it also looks like the L.A. County Fair's latest ad campaign was inspired by a certain local radio DJ's quite controversial billboard:

Power 106's Big Boy Goes National

Now Big Boy's billboards won't only offend overly sensitive Westsiders. The KPWR-FM morning host, who's been with Power 106 for well over a decade, is going into nationwide syndication.

ABC Radio Networks confirmed that Big Boy had signed a multi-year deal for his "Big Boy's Neighborhood" program to be distributed around the country.

Most nationally syndicated hosts come out of the East Coast, due to the time zone difference. L.A. morning personalities who have attempted to enter the syndication market, but have failed to make any traction, include Mark & Brian and Rick Dees.

But Big Boy will be offered live in all time zones from 6 a.m to 10 a.m. (I doubt he'll actually be in the studio at 3 a.m. PT; thats what computers are for.) The show hits the national stage on Aug. 20.

From the press release:

Big Boy's image became well known throughout the greater Los Angeles area in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when Power 106 placed his nearly-nude 500-plus pound image onto billboards throughout the area, spoofing Hollywood blockbusters.

In the fall of 2003, Big Boy had duodenal switch stomach surgery and over the next year lost over 250 pounds.

Also included in the agreement is the syndication of Big Boy’s weekend show which currently airs on 25 affiliates as Big Boy’s Hip Hop Spot. The weekend show features the hottest headlines in Hip Hop, A-list artist interviews and hit music. After August 25, the show will take on the same name as the weekday morning show Big Boy’s Neighborhood (Weekend Show).

In 2007, Big Boy is nominated for his third prestigious Marconi Award having received the Personality of the Year by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) in both 2002 and 2004. He was named Personality of the Year six times by Radio & Records and four times by the Radio Music Awards.

Coming to a neighborhood near you: Fart jokes, followed by manufactured outrage!

Big Boy's Got Gas, and One Westsider Is Offended

You've seen these tacky (yet clearly memorable) Power 106/Big Boy billboards throughout town all summer: "Big Boy's Got Gas."

Juvenile way to promote KPWR's free gas campaign? Perhaps. But that's no surprise: Big Boy has starred in many slightly tacky billboard campaigns through the years (remember his "Morning Obsession" Calvin Klein parody, when Big Boy -- then over 500 pounds -- was naked, sprawled across the billboard?)

Nonetheless, WestLAOnline blogger Jim Bursch, who somehow had never heard of or seen Big Boy before (even though the guy has hosted one of L.A.'s top-rated morning shows for ten years) registered his offense:

Context counts, and in this case, the context is a predominantly non-black neighborhood where referring to an adult black man as "boy" is wrong and racist. Also, there are contexts in which fart jokes are funny, but not on a public street where you see the same offensive "joke" every day, day after day.

This is just wrong.

Help us to get this bigoted blight removed by spreading the word that this is offensive and unwelcome.

That led to a series of comments from readers, most of whom tore into Bursch like this:

Big Boy is not a racist caricature, yet to find this offensive that must be how you are viewing him. If it was a white man it would just be a crude fart joke. Even a white man named "Big Boy." You are the one attaching any sort of racial connotation here. You are the one paying attention to the fact that he is black and not just a human being. You are looking for the racial subtext when there is none. It is just a crude fart joke with a man who just happens to answer to the self-chosen name "Big Boy" and just happens to be black.

So, I guess my point is, you are an idiot.

Blogging.la also got into the act, posting a take from contributor Kent Nichols, who wrote:

Jim, stop being scared and drop the white man's burden. You don't need to be offended on behalf of other people, especially not millionaire radio personalities.

Bursch ended the chain of emails yesterday by at least admitting that he enjoyed the exchange. Today, he adds:

So, the billboard has accomplished its primary mission: it has drawn attention to itself. I now know who Big Boy is, and I am actually kind of curious to listen to him to find out why he is so popular.

On the point that the billboard seemed to achieve its goal, I think we can all agree.