Radio AM to FM

Radio AM to FM: May 12, 2000

SPERDVAC Meets Saturday in South Pasadena

Old time radio fans will be meeting in South Pasadena tomorrow at 12 noon when the Society to Preserve and Encourage Radio, Drama, Variety And Comedy (SPERDVAC) hosts its monthly meeting at the South Pasadena Public Library.

Tomorrow's special guest is Ivan Cury, star of the popular CBS children's program, Bobby Benson and the B-Bar-B Riders, from radio's Golden Age. Cury will share his reminiscences and answer questions from the audience.

The public is invited and admission is free. The meeting will be held in the library's Community Room, and the address is 1100 El Centro Street in South Pasadena. For more information, call SPERDVAC at (310) 219-0053.

Moving Rhapsody

Bill Gardner, whose Rhapsody in Black aired on KPCC (89.3 FM) for more than 16 years until outsiders from Minnesota came to town and fired everyone, has found a new home: KPFK (90.7 FM).The program now airs Wednesdays from 8 - 10 pm.

Rhapsody will remain unchanged, focusing on rhythm and blues music from the 1940s, '50s and '60s, highlighting the doo-wop sounds that came of age in the post-WWII years.

"This music was the trademark of an entire generation of young people who first learned the importance of the African-American influence on and contribution to what would later become mainstream music," Gardner said. "I'm grateful that the management of KPFK has the insight to recognize the large audience in Los Angeles that appreciated the uniqueness of this music."

Speaking of KPCC

If the visitors to the Festival of Books at UCLA two weeks ago are a representation of the audience in general, KPCC is in big trouble.

Comments such as "Why did you fire everyone?" and "I will no longer donate money to your station" were the norm around the KPCC booth according to Radio AM to FM reader and spy Dean Ba. It will be interesting to see if KPCC survives the next few years with no support and no listeners.

In a related note, many readers have noted that KPCC fills its evenings with repeats of shows that have already aired on the 200 or so other National Public Radio stations in Los Angeles.

Morning Madness

Everyone thinks that Howard Stern owns mornings in Los Angeles. Sure he does well, but so do five or six other programs that beat him.

Gene Baxter, "Bean" from the Kevin and Bean show on KROQ (106.7 FM) proudly sent in the following: In the so-called "12+" Arbitrons, KSCA (101.9 FM) takes first, followed by KIIS-FM (102.7), KLVE (107.5 FM), KROQ and KFI (640 AM). Stern came in 7th behind Big Boy on KPWR (105.9 FM).

In the 18-34 demographic, KSCA still takes first, but KROQ pounds its way to second, followed by KPWR (105.9 FM), KLVE and KIIS-FM. Stern came in sixth in this demo, according to Baxter.

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