Ten Things Los Angeles Lost in 2009

It was another rough year for farewells in Los Angeles, where frequently there's truth to that old cliche that nothing here is ever permanent.

A few things we lost in 2009:


(Pic by the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.)
1. Much of the Angeles National Forest, sadly, to the massive Station Fire. The fire burned 160577 acres (251 square miles) and killed two firefighters. Ash from the mountains continues to rain down on Angelenos, and it will be decades before the forest starts to recover.


2. Indie 103.1 (KDLD/KDLE) and 97.1 FM Talk (KLSX) both disappeared in 2009, the victim of a weak radio economy and the rise of personal people meters -- Arbitron's new way of measuring radio listenership. Indie was never a big ratings grabber, while KLSX's replacement, KAMP "Amp Radio," has turned into a strong performer for owner CBS Radio.


(Pic by Gary Leonard.)
3. Richard Ankrom's guerilla 110 Freeway sign art installation disappeared after Caltrans replaced its signs on the 110 North. Ankrom attempted to find the signs he made and secretly installed -- but discovered that they'd already been crushed for scrap metal.


4. KNBC's Paul Moyer (above, when he decided to give his on-air farewell from the golf course, rather than show up to say goodbye in the Channel 4 studios) retired due to budget cuts, while former KTTV anchor John Beard, fed up with L.A. news operations, headed to his old stomping grounds in Buffalo, N.Y. Also, Rick Dees gave up his attempt at an L.A. radio comeback, as "Movin' 93.9" flipped to a Spanish format.


5. Former Police Chief William Bratton made major strides in decreasing crime and turning the Los Angeles Police Department around. And although the chief would be the first to tell you that (modesty isn't his strong suit), much of that conventional wisdom is true -- crime is down in the city of Los Angeles, while the LAPD's image has been greatly improved. Bratton stepped down in late fall, replaced by Charlie Beck.


6. A preservation group managed to "Save the Derby" -- at least, the Los Feliz building (the last surviving one-time Brown Derby restaurant) where the Derby nightclub was housed. But The Derby itself -- the club known best for its cameo in the movie "Swingers" and as ground zero for the 1990s swing dance revival --shut down in early 2009. Other clubs closing in 2009 included the Knitting Factory and the Key Club.


7. Chili My Soul, the Encino eatery known for its adventurous chili selections (my fave was the Habanero/Mango Chicken), shut down in late summer after the death of owner Randy Hoffman. Other eateries closing in 2009 included Fritelli's Doughnuts and Twin Palms; also shut down were popular book store Cook's Library, as well as Little Tokyo grocer Mitsuwa Marketplace.


8. The first big event I ever took Evan to, the Echo Park Lotus Festival, didn't take place this year -- a victim of budget cuts, and even sadder, the death of the once-vibrant lotus blooms in Echo Park. Also nowhere to be found this year: Another favorite event, Little Tokyo's Tofu Festival.


9. A year after the Lou Ehlers Cadillac showroom was torn down, a similar fate was in the cards just down Wilshire for the mid-century Columbia Savings Bank building. Demolition has already begun on the 1965 Miracle Mile building, which the L.A. Conservancy notes is "an important example of postwar bank design as well as the innovative integration of art and architecture." The building had most recently served as a Korean church.


10. Army Archerd passed away in September at the age of 87. Army spent more than 50 years at Variety (where I saw him on a nearly daily basis for 10 years), spanning several generations of Hollywood. A lot of us cover Hollywood -- but none of us will ever have the career that Army had at Variety. The stars changed, the pictures changed, the whole industry evolved -- yet there, until nearly the end, was Army, chronicling it all daily in his "Just for Variety" column.

Share your thoughts on L.A.'s great 2009 losses below.

Radio Waves: Frosty, Heidi and Frank Join KABC-AM

Frosty, Heidi and Frank -- the former 97.1 KLSX-FM midday talk team, have landed in a similar time slot on KABC-AM 790.

As first reported by LARadio.com, the team (Frosty Stilwell, Heidi Hamilton, and Frank Kramer) will air weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon on the talk station. It's the second big change in recent weeks for KABC, which also recently fired morning host Doug McIntyre, replacing him with Peter Tilden.

The "Frosty, Heidi and Frank" trio have been off the air since February, when CBS dumped FM talk from 97.1 in favor of the top 40 "Amp" format. The DJs had been on 97.1 since 2000; before that, Stilwell and Kramer had been teamed with Jamie White on KYSR "Star 98.7," while Hamilton served as their traffic reporter.

In other recent local radio news, Kennedy has exited the nighttime show she co-hosted with Bryan Suits on KFI-AM 640.

June Radio Ratings: KIIS Still On Top, Amp Strong But Stalled

The June Arbitron radio ratings are in, and there aren't many surprises. Top 40 KIIS-FM is still tops, followed by yakker KFI-AM. KIIS dropped a tad, from a 5.3 share to a 5.0 share, yet new rival KLSX (now KAMP) "Amp 97.1" didn't benefit, as it held steady with a 3.9 share.

Biggest change actually came in the form of a swap of fortunes between AC KOST-FM and Classic Hits KRTH-FM. In third last time with a 4.3, KRTH is now tied for fourth at a 3.9, while KOST, tied for fourth last time with a 3.9, is now third with a 4.4.

Among new stations, Spanish KXOS-FM, which took the spot formerly held by KMVN "Movin' 93.9," was a non-starter, dropping from Movin's already-low share. And the alternative race continues to be tight, as KROQ (2.9) narrowly squeaks past KYSR "98.7" (2.8).

As always, these are total audience numbers for listeners age 6 and up, which are fine for bragging rights, but radio execs (like in TV) pay more attention to demos.

Watch Out, KIIS: Amp Gets Amp'ed

In case you haven't seen the March Arbitron ratings for L.A. yet... here's the latest top performers among listeners 6+ (which is only used for bragging rights; it's not a demo sold to advertisers) via All Access.

Top 40 KIIS (102.7) is still on top, but is starting to see some erosion. New rival "97.1 Amp" (KLSX) appears to be having an impact, as it shot up to a 3.2 share, better than anything it ever did in its "FM Talk" days. Also of note: All-news KNX appears to be benefiting from KFWB's decision to focus slightly more on Hollywood news. That has led to a sizable drop at KFWB.

Rick Dees Loses Radio Home: "Movin 93.9" To Go Spanish

Rick Dees is once again out of a job.

KMVN-FM -- known as the rhythmic AC "Movin' 93.9" -- is expected to flip to a Spanish format later this month. Dees hosts the morning show there.

Format flip means the one-time Los Angeles morning drive champ, who left KIIS-FM in 2004 but returned to the airwaves with great fanfare in 2006, will lose his radio gig later this month.

Move to Spanish comes as Mexico's Grupo Radio Centro has struck a deal with KMVN owner Emmis to operate the radio station under a lease management agreement. (Because it's a Mexican company, it can't own a U.S. station outright.)

Here's the press release:

Emmis Enters Into Long-Term LMA with Grupo Radio Centro for Los Angeles' KMVN

Indianapolis -- Emmis Communications Corporation (Nasdaq: EMMS) today announced it has entered into a long-term Local Marketing Agreement (LMA) for KMVN-FM (93.9) with one of Mexico's leading broadcasting companies, Grupo Radio Centro, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE: RC).

The LMA for the Los Angeles radio station will start on April 15, 2009 and continue for up to seven years, for $7 million a year. At any time during the LMA, Grupo Radio Centro (GRC) has the right to purchase the station for $110 million. At the end of the term, Emmis has the right to require GRC to purchase the station for the same amount.

"I couldn't be prouder of our KMVN team," Emmis Chairman and CEO Jeff Smulyan said. "It is always difficult to part with a station and our people, but in these challenging times, it is the right decision for Emmis."

Under the LMA, Emmis will continue to own and operate the radio station, with GRC providing Emmis with programming to be broadcast. Under the arrangement announced today, GRC will find a purchaser who meets all applicable FCC ownership requirements if it is not qualified to own the station at the time of purchase.

Emmis purchased the station in 2000 and flipped format from country to rhythmic pop contemporary in August 2006.

Indeed, Emmis caused quite a stir in 2006 when it dumped the country format on the station (then known as KZLA) to target young women with a new rhythmic format.

The switch, however, was a big bust. Listeners rejected the station -- which eventually dropped current songs and focused on more of an adult contemporary approach. Dees, meanwhile, never posed any competitive threat in the morning slot.

Movin' had recently seen its numbers tick up, but it wasn't enough. Emmis had attempted to sell the station to Bonneville, but had asked for too much money; Bonneville came in and bought 100.3 instead (where its "The Sound" format is now struggling).

The KMVN switch reps yet another major format change in what has become a tumultuous time in L.A. radio -- following the KDLD switch from "Indie 103.1" to Spanish and KLSX's switch from FM Talk to top 40.

First Review: 97.1 "Amp Radio"

And so it begins: CBS Radio officially flipped 97.1 KLSX-FM from talk to top 40 at 5 p.m., after "FM Talk " host Tom Leykis signed off with Joe Jackson's "I'm the Man" (followed by an explosion). Right at 5, a pre-produced piece announcing the new "Amp Radio" format kicked things off, followed by Kanye West's "Paranoid."

The first hour of music included "Just Dance" by Lady Gaga; "California Love," by 2Pac feat. Dr. Dre; "Shut Up," by Pink; "Dead and Gone," by T.I. feat. Justin Timberlake; "Single Ladies," by Beyonce; "Whut's Luv?" by Fat Joe feat. Ashanti; "Let It Rock" by Kevin Rudolph feat. Lil Wayne; "Right Now," by Akon; "Hot N Cold," by Katy Perry; "Disturbia," by Rihanna; "Gold Digger," by Kanye West; "Love Sex Magic," by Ciara feat. Justin Timberlake; "Whatever You Like" by T.I.; and "I Hate This Part," by Pussycat Dolls.

Some immediate thoughts: Perhaps they're just trying to get some sampling right now, but the playlist for "Amp Radio" is very narrow. It's only been on a few hours, but certain songs, like "Shut Up" and "Just Dance," have already played several times. There's also very little variation in its rhythmic lean -- it honestly makes KIIS-FM sound diverse.

But again, it's early, and they may be focusing on just getting people to stumble across the station in the coming days by sticking to a pretty small, hyper-CHR playlist. The production values seem strong -- unlike other station flips in recent years (I'm looking at you, Movin' 93.9 and the Sound 100.3), this seems to have been pretty well planned out. The web site already has content, and the station's audio has been fine-tuned to sound pretty good coming out of the speakers.

For fans of radio, this was a well-engineered flip. The station sounds tight and bright. I'm really curious to see what direction they go with on-air talent -- will it be young, street-sounding jocks? Or will it sound more like a straight-ahead top 40?

My biggest question is, will Amp Radio 97.1 (I'm still not sure I like that name -- I keep thinking of an energy drink; maybe that's the point) offer enough of a different and/or compelling sound to steal away listeners of KIIS, Power 106 or even KBIG "My 104"? I'm not hearing anything yet that would make someone flip (well, other than the current commercial-free broadcast). Will KIIS be impacted? We'll find out soon.

UPDATE: Wanna know how the transition from 97.1 FM Talk to 97.1 Amp Radio sounded? Via An(j)eleno.com, here's the last half hour of FM Talk (including Tom Leykis' farewell) into the first two hours of Amp Radio. (Click on the first stream; the flip happens 30 minutes in.)

MIKE ON TV: 97.1 FM Talk's Last Day

KNBC/4's Gordon Tokamatsu reports on the demise of KLSX/97.1's FM Talk format... and there I am, spittin' some radio knowledge at you. Yes, I'm unshaven. Yes, I gotta start watching what I eat, thank you. (Just pre-empting your comments. Now, bring it on!)

UPDATED: It's Official, FM Talk Dies This Friday, To Be Replaced By Amp Radio

Here's the press release from CBS Radio:

"97.1 AMP RADIO," A COMPLETELY INTEGRATED ON-AIR, ONLINE, ON-SITE AND MOBILE AUDIO DESTINATION, LAUNCHES ON FRIDAY, FEB. 20

CBS RADIO Diversifies Programming Offerings In Los Angeles With Debut Of Top 40 Radio Station Targeting Young Adults

Amp Radio Experience To Feature Most Popular Current Artists, Interactive Website, Ability to Create Artist Specific Online Radio Stations, Mobile Applications And More

On Friday, Feb. 20 at 5:00PM, PT, Los Angeles listeners, and hundreds of thousands more across the country, will be introduced to CBS RADIO's newest radio station, 97.1 AMP RADIO. Playing "All the Hits," AMP RADIO will combine the power of its on-air position with myriad online and digital applications creating a full 360 degree audio and visual experience for young adults.

Available on-air at 97.1 FM in Los Angeles and online at www.ampradio.com, AMP RADIO will debut with the broadcast of 10,000 songs in a row with limited commercial interruption from artists such as Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Rihanna, T.I., Kanye West, Usher, Britney, Pink, Kelly Clarkson, and Katy Perry, among others.

Complementing the station will be an array of events and concerts, an extensive online destination with blogs, music videos, widgets, photo galleries, celebrity gossip reports, in-depth artist pages, an embeddable and multi-functional streaming player, and a platform to create artist centric radio stations. Fans of the station can also stay connected through instant messaging, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and other social networking sites, as well as wirelessly via texting, and applications for the iPhone, and select Blackberry devices.

AMP RADIO originally debuted in February 2008 as an online entity and HD 2 station on CBS RADIO’s KCBS-FM in Los Angeles.

"Creating a successful radio station not only means focusing on what you hear over the air – it's that, yet it's so much more and as evidenced by what we're announcing today the possibilities are endless," said Kevin Weatherly, Senior Vice President, Programming, CBS RADIO and architect of the AMP RADIO format. The award-winning program director of KROQ-FM and KCBS-FM (Jack FM) will handle all on-air and creative aspects of the station.

"Incubating AMP RADIO online and on HD 2 allowed us to experiment with different ideas, build brand loyalty, and analyze listener feedback. We saw immediately the impact of the evolution of the station and watched the online audience steadily increase each month. In addition to that, PPM has shown us there are a significant number of younger listeners who are seeking out this type of programming and incorporating radio into their daily lives more than we ever thought."

Added Dan Weiner, Senior Vice President and Market Manager, CBS RADIO Los Angeles, "Launching this format, and the way in which we execute it across several different platforms, expands dramatically what we can offer advertisers. And just as important, we're providing an alternative listening option for a dynamic sector of the Los Angeles population. Collectively, our portfolio of stations will now boast a significant share of the male and female audience of listeners ranging in age from 12+."

No word yet on the fate of KLSX hosts such as Adam Carolla or Tom Leykis. Could Carolla end up as the first live DJ on Jack FM? Would Leykis make the move to KFWB, should CBS Radio fully dump that station's news format (it's already moving to a more entertainment-centric news format)? Or will they wind up on non-CBS stations? A lot more to come...

Adam Carolla to Depart; KLSX 97.1 to Flip to Top 40?

More big changes coming to the L.A. radio landscape: The industry is buzzing with rumors that CBS Radio is itching to go after KIIS-FM, the Clear Channel top 40 station that has dominated L.A. radio waves for years. KIIS has gone unchallenged in the Contemporary Hit Radio format for decades.

But now, CBS -- which last attempted top 40 in L.A. with KKHR 93.1 -- is poised to flip its long-running FM Talk station, 97.1 KLSX, to go after KIIS. Speculation is centering on the youth-oriented AMP Radio format, which already runs on the HD-2 signal for KCBS/93.1 "Jack FM."



According to Radio Insight, someone recently, quietly registered the web domains AmpRadioLA.com, Amp971.com, and Amp971fm.com on February 9.

"AMP Radio" artists include Lady Gaga, T.I., Rihanna, Britney Spears, Katy Perry and Beyonce.



Meanwhile, All Access is reporting that radio affiliates for the Adam Carolla Show have been told that the show's final day is Friday. Rumors are afloat that Friday is also the last day for fellow 97.1 hosts Tom Leykis and Frosty, Heidi and Frank. Where all of these hosts might end up is uncertain.

Carolla took over the 97.1 morning shift in January 2006, after Howard Stern migrated to satellite radio. His numbers have continued to improve, but the station has never quite recovered from Stern's decision to leave terrestrial radio. Meanwhile, 97.1 has been all-talk since 1995; before that, it aired a classic rock format (along with Stern in the morning).

UPDATE: It's official. Read the CBS Radio press release here. There you go, L.A. -- just what you wanted, more Beyonce and Justin Timberlake.

April Fool's Joke Gone Awry, Or Done Right?

Call me crazy, but when you get the kind of reaction for an April Fool's stunt like the one KXOL-FM/"Latino 96.3" pulled Tuesday, that, to me, is a successful bit.

The LAPD wound up visiting KXOL's studios after the station's "Morning Invasion" drive-time show set up a contest for tickets to London. One listener offered to tattoo her 2-year-old son; later on the show, listeners heard a wailing baby and the sound of a tattoo artist doing his work. The listener got the tickets, but the "Morning Invasion" crew were fired on-air by KXOL's general manager.

Of course, it was all a prank, there was no tattooed 2-year-old, and the morning team weren't fired. But it enraged listeners enough to call the cops. Read more about it here.

Meanwhile, in other local radio news:

-- Sluggo, the DJ formerly known as "Doug the Slug," is now doing the afternoon 4-7 p.m. drivetime shift on KROQ. He replaces Stryker, who still co-hosts "Loveline" but had to give up the KROQ afternoon slot last fall to focus on his duties as the DJ on Ellen DeGeneres' syndicated talk show.

-- Brian Whitman is out at KLSX 97.1 "Free FM"; he'd co-hosted the nighttime "Conway and Whitman Show." Tim Conway Jr. continues solo in the slot.

-- New owner Bonneville is expected to debut the new format at 100.3 FM by the end of the week, so it's your last chance to catch the R&B format of "V100."