Mike on TV: KNBC Asks Me About the End of KDAY

I briefly chatted with KNBC on Wilshire -- near the KDAY studios -- about the impending demise of the old skool hip-hop station. (Read my post about the KDAY sale here.)

The End of 93.5 KDAY

L.A. radio fans of old-skool hip-hop, bad news: 93.5 KDAY-FM has been sold, and a format change to Chinese language is coming shortly. Radio Insight has the story:

Magic Broadcasting has agreed to sell Classic Hip-Hop “93.5 KDAY” KDAY Redondo Beach/Los Angeles and KDEY Ontario/Riverside to RBC Communications for $19.5 Million.

Look for a flip to a Chinese format to accompany the sale. Phoenix Satellite Television, a British Virgin Islands based company which operates 6 cable networks in China owns a 20% stake in RBC. Anthony Yuen holds the other 80% through his RBC Investments LLC.

If the deal goes through, it would be the end of a nearly 10-year attempt to make KDAY a player in the market. The station had been Spanish-language when it flipped in 2004 to old-skool hip-hop, and started calling itself KDAY -- a nod to the popular late 70s, early 80s AM radio station that was the first in L.A. to play a lot of rap. Here's what I wrote on September 20, 2004:

KZAB 93.5 FM, which had been playing salsa music under the moniker "La Sabrosa", flipped at 12 noon today to an all-hip-hop format. (KZAB is licensed to Redondo Beach.)

The station is now referring to itself as KDAY -- call letters that will be familiar to Angeleno rap fans in the 1980s. The original 1580 AM KDAY has long been recognized as the nation's first all-hip-hop radio station.

The hip-hop format on KDAY, which launched in July 1983, is credited with breaking artists such as DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, LL Cool J and NWA. At the time, a 24-hour hip-hop station seemed ridiculous. A full time radio station dedicated to a tiny niche music format?

20 years later, of course, hip-hop KPWR "Power 106" dominates Los Angeles' radio wars. And another, KKBT "The Beat," has also been a market force for over a decade, thanks most recently to the strong Steve Harvey morning show.

It's too soon to tell whether this new 93.5 KDAY will live up to its famous namesake -- or if it will even get to keep the name (a radio station in Independence, Calif., actually operates under those call letters). I'm not even sure we need another all hip-hop station -- KPWR and KKBT do quite nicely, and on much more powerful signals. Perhaps a niche format would be better suited for the 93.5 frequency. Stay tuned.

But then station then went more current, going up against titans Power 106 and 100.3 The Beat. Later, The Beat went to an urban AC format - and KDAY went back to old skool, as I wrote in 2006:

93.5 KDAY has tweaked its format and is finally doing what it had promised in the beginning: Focus on old school tracks. The new KDAY is playing a mix of 80s and early 90s hip-hop (think NWA, LL Cool J, Young MC, Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, Bell Biv DeVoe) -- and here's the weird part -- along with old funk (and even R&B-flavored disco) tracks. Prince shows up, and sometimes the station even spins some 80s freestyle. It's an interesting mix -- which makes me want to tune in, just to see what they're gonna play next.

But again, that didn't last long, and KDAY started drifting to more current hip-hop. In 2008, the station dumped hip-hop altogether. Radio One sold 100.3 -- which had dropped its "The Beat" branding to become "V100," a mix of urban AC music and talk -- but sold the intellectual rights of "V100" to Magic. Here's what I wrote back then:

As for V100, the station signed off for good on Monday, but former owner Radio One has signed a deal with KDAY 93.5 to bring some of its programming there. Radio One also owns the intellectual property for V100 predecessor "The Beat" -- which means KDAY now plans to call itself "The Beat of L.A.," even resurrecting the old "No Color Lines" slogan and peace sign logo.

After that, 93.5 became mostly syndicated talk -- until it dumped Steve Harvey and Michael Baisden. In 2009, the station went back to old skool, even airing spots apologizing for abandoning hip-hop. Here's what I wrote in 2009:

Now, it's back to basics for KDAY, which is jockless with a pure classic hip-hop format. The "Beat of L.A." format on 93.5 signed off this morning with Boyz II Men's "End of the Road," and according to All Access, relaunched with these songs:

ROB BASE & DJ E-Z ROCK - It Takes Two
ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT - People Everyday (Metamorphosis Mix)
112 - Only You (w/ NOTORIOUS B.I.G.)
2PAC - Toss It Up (w/ K-CI and JOJO)
JAY-Z - '03 Bonnie & Clyde (w/ BEYONCE)
WHODINI - Five Minutes Of Funk

R.I.P., KDAY!

Retro Friday: L.A. Radio, Back in the Day

Wow, this 1991 spot for KPWR "Power 106" screams, well, "1991." From back when Power 106 was "L.A.'s Hottest Music."


KLAC is now all-sports, but back in 1985 it was a country station. This low-rent spot seems like it was made for some small radio market, not Los Angeles.


In 1993, KNX and KFWB were still owned by different companies -- KNX by CBS, and KFWB by Group W. Here's an animated spot from all-news KFWB.


A rock spot from KLOS in the mid-1980s.


KDAY goes disco in 1979.


Space-age KRTH in 1980.


KROQ's famed "Roq of the '80s" logo and spot in the 1980s.


KOST, from its "beautiful music" days. Remember when elevator music was played on the radio? Yikes!

Retro Friday: L.A. Radio In the Early 1980s

Some old TV spots from L.A.'s radio past. First up: KROQ... Roq of the 80s!


Ken and Bob on then-mighty AM talker KABC in 1982.


1580 KDAY in its disco heyday.


KABC-AM in 1982.


KFI "Super 64" in the late 1970s, when the station was still a hit music outlet.


KBIG-FM in 1976, when it still played elevator music.

93.5 KDAY Starts Kicking It Old Skool Again

93.5 KDAY -- which had focused in recent years on syndicated fare and urban adult contemporary music, is returning to its previous old skool hip-hop focus.

Here's the press release:

93.5 Drops the Beat and focuses on 93.5 KDAY FM

Los Angeles, CA (August 17, 2009) - The landscape of Los Angeles radio has been ever changing over the last several years and the programming at 93.5 is taking an exciting turn for the better. “The Beat” will be dropped as focus is placed on the brand equity in KDAY and its deep musical roots.

"Los Angeles has been missing the west coast sound. By eliminating syndicated programming, KDAY can now focus on its strengths as a local, independent station that connects with the diverse culture that is Los Angeles. With a mix of the old school and the new music that is enjoyed today, I feel we have a unique and winning recipe." - Adrian (A.D.) Scott (Program Director/ Operations Manager)

93.5 KDAY was unveiled at the Nokia Theatre on Saturday August 15, with some of Hip-hop's most iconic figures including: Big Daddy Kane, Dough E. Fresh, and Naughty by Nature, Slick Rick, Dj Quik, and Whoodini. The sold out show attracted a diverse LA crowd of many races, and ages both young and old.

The 93.5 frequency has been rather schizo ever since Magic Broadcasting first bought the station for a whopping $120 million in 2004. Since then, Magic continues to dabble with a variety of urban formats, but always ends up returning to old skool hip-hop.

The station first acquired the classic KDAY calls -- a reference to the pioneering original AM hip-hop station of the early 1980s -- in 2004, paying a station in Independence, Calif., for the rights to the calls -- and went with a mostly old skool format.

At the time, I wrote this:

In another reverse of what had been an ongoing trend, another Spanish language radio station has actually flipped back to English.

KZAB 93.5 FM, which had been playing salsa music under the moniker "La Sabrosa", flipped at 12 noon today to an all-hip-hop format. (KZAB is licensed to Redondo Beach.)

The station is now referring to itself as KDAY -- call letters that will be familiar to Angeleno rap fans in the 1980s. The original 1580 AM KDAY has long been recognized as the nation's first all-hip-hop radio station.

The hip-hop format on KDAY, which launched in July 1983, is credited with breaking artists such as DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, LL Cool J and NWA. At the time, a 24-hour hip-hop station seemed ridiculous. A full time radio station dedicated to a tiny niche music format?

20 years later, of course, hip-hop KPWR "Power 106" dominates Los Angeles' radio wars. And another, KKBT "The Beat," has also been a market force for over a decade, thanks most recently to the strong Steve Harvey morning show.

The station then went more current, going up against titans Power 106 and 100.3 The Beat. Later, The Beat went to an urban AC format - and KDAY went back to old skool, as I wrote in 2006:

93.5 KDAY has tweaked its format and is finally doing what it had promised in the beginning: Focus on old school tracks. The new KDAY is playing a mix of 80s and early 90s hip-hop (think NWA, LL Cool J, Young MC, Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, Bell Biv DeVoe) -- and here's the weird part -- along with old funk (and even R&B-flavored disco) tracks. Prince shows up, and sometimes the station even spins some 80s freestyle. It's an interesting mix -- which makes me want to tune in, just to see what they're gonna play next.

But again, that didn't last long, and KDAY started drifting to more current hip-hop. In 2008, the station dumped hip-hop altogether. Radio One sold 100.3 -- which had dropped its "The Beat" branding to become "V100," a mix of urban AC music and talk -- but sold the intellectual rights of "V100" to Magic. Here's what I wrote:

As for V100, the station signed off for good on Monday, but former owner Radio One has signed a deal with KDAY 93.5 to bring some of its programming there. Radio One also owns the intellectual property for V100 predecessor "The Beat" -- which means KDAY now plans to call itself "The Beat of L.A.," even resurrecting the old "No Color Lines" slogan and peace sign logo.

Since then, 93.5 has been mostly syndicated talk -- although in recent months has been shedding those shows. First, it dumped Steve Harvey (now heard on 102.3 KJLH) and more recently, got rid of Michael Baisden.

Now, it's back to basics for KDAY, which is jockless with a pure classic hip-hop format. The "Beat of L.A." format on 93.5 signed off this morning with Boyz II Men's "End of the Road," and according to All Access, relaunched with these songs:

ROB BASE & DJ E-Z ROCK - It Takes Two
ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT - People Everyday (Metamorphosis Mix)
112 - Only You (w/ NOTORIOUS B.I.G.)
2PAC - Toss It Up (w/ K-CI and JOJO)
JAY-Z - '03 Bonnie & Clyde (w/ BEYONCE)
WHODINI - Five Minutes Of Funk

On-air KDAY spots are now apologizing for abandoning hip-hop during its brief run as "The Beat."

L.A. Radio Gives Steve Harvey Another Shot

More morning drive-time radio musical chairs: Two months after 93.5 KDAY-FM yanked Steve Harvey's syndicated morning show, Harvey is back on the air in L.A. -- but this time on KJLH-FM 102.3.

In the process, that means one less local morning radio show in Los Angeles, as KJLH host Guy Black has been moved aside to make way for Harvey. It's the third go in the L.A. market for Harvey, who initially arrived strong as the morning host on then-KKBT 100.3 "The Beat." His stint on KDAY, however, never made much noise. KJLH is similarly ratings-challenged; we'll see if Harvey can do anything to reverse that.

More from the L.A. Times here.

Steve Harvey Out at 93.5 KDAY

Another morning drive radio show bites the dust in Los Angeles. This time it's Steve Harvey, whose syndicated "Steve Harvey Morning Show" has been yanked off 93.5 KDAY ("The Beat").

It's the second time Harvey exited the market; he once hosted a local radio show here (also syndicated to Dallas) for then-KKBT 100.3 "The Beat" before parting ways with that station's owner. He has hosted his current show since 2005.

According to All Access, which first broke the story, KDAY owner Magic Broadcasting opted not to renew Harvey's contract. For now, the station will focus on music in the daypart.

Ozomatli In The Morning

I somehow missed this yesterday: Los Angeles' multi-culti band Ozomatli has signed on to host a new morning show on KYSR-FM 98.7, the radio station formerly known as "Star 98.7."

The station has more recently adopted a harder rock edge, and now just refers to itself as "98.7." Bringing in Ozomatli definitely gives 98.7 a little more street cred -- something it's been lacking, given those ridiculous billboards and equally lame "Rock-a-holic" tagline.

From the station's announcement:

"Authenticity resonates with today's consumer," says Greg Ashlock, Market President, Clear Channel Los Angeles. "With Ozo, what you see is what you get. There are no pretenses, just genuine, raw opinions based on their experiences as Los Angeles natives and successful recording artists. Their music appeal is undisputed (they've won 3 Grammys), their social conscience is widely acknowledged they were recently named United States Cultural Ambassadors), and they are not new to this side of the radio biz (they have hosted a weekly local music program on Saturday nights on 98.7fm called "Ozo-Local" since January of this year)."

Michael Martin, VP Programming Clear Channel Los Angeles continued, "the idea to have 'Ozo' host mornings for 98.7 was really born out of a 'wouldn't it be cool if...' conversation. It just made complete sense. Based on the sound, flow and compelling local content of the Saturday night show, and the spirit Ozomatli has as a group, we knew we had something special there. They are not trying to be disc-jockeys. They are and relate to the 98.7 audience. Given their lifestyle, and perspective on community, music, pop-culture and politics, 98.7 listeners are in for one heck of a morning show."

Too bad 98.7's music mix is still uninspiring. And Clear Channel's insistence that 98.7 is "Southern California's most talked about Alternative Rock Radio Station" is just plain wrong.

But the idea of having the band host mornings is, I gotta admit, interesting. The new show starts Aug. 20; they replace Lisa Foxx, who had been handling morning drive.

In other radio news, 93.5 KDAY is moving further away from hip-hop and will transform into an urban contemporary station in the next few weeks. Change comes as the station strips its remaining local fare and goes completely syndicated, airing shows from Steve Harvey, Wendy Williams, Mo'Nique, Michael Baisden and Theo.

UPDATE: Rock Returns to 100.3 FM

Bonneville officially unwrapped its plans for the 100.3 FM frequency this morning: The return of adult album alternative to Los Angeles.

"100.3 The Sound" promises "World Class Rock" (sound familiar?). In a brief listen this morning, I heard Elvis Costello's "Every Day I Write the Book," among other tunes.

On the website (which is also streaming the station's audio), Bonneville explains that station's philosophy: "On The Sound you'll hear everything from the geniuses that gave birth to the seminal rock of the '60s and '70s to the ever evolving offspring of that music, including great stuff that came out last year...or even last week."

The AAA format hasn't been heard here since Clear Channel sold 103.1 (the short-lived "World Class Rock -- Channel 103.1") in 2003. Before that, 101.9 KSCA-FM offered up the format in the mid-1990s.

The unveiling of "The Sound" came after some morning stunting, as 100.3 offered up Bruce Springsteen, TV theme songs and even ethereal chamber music.

Rumors had abound that Bonneville may go all-news or news/talk; station could also go adult rock, adult contemporary or even country. Guess adult rock won out.

Here's a sample of what "The Sound" is playing:

Uncle Johns Band by Grateful Dead
About A Girl (unplugged) by Nirvana
Radio Song by R.e.m.
Snow (hey Oh) by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Jigsaw Falling Into Place by Radiohead
Last Kiss by Pearl Jam
Moondance by Van Morrison
Yellow by Coldplay
Lightning Crashes by Live
27 Jennifers by Mike Doughty

As for V100, the station signed off for good on Monday, but former owner Radio One has signed a deal with KDAY 93.5 to bring some of its programming there. Radio One also owns the intellectual property for V100 predecessor "The Beat" -- which means KDAY now plans to call itself "The Beat of L.A.," even resurrecting the old "No Color Lines" slogan and peace sign logo. (KDAY music director Theo, of course, helped originate the old "No Color Lines" mantra at 92.3 The Beat back in the 1990s.)

As part of the changeover, comedian Mo'Nique, who hosts a syndicated radio show for Radio One, will now be heard on KDAY.

(Updated at 10:30 a.m.)