Uncle Joe Inks a Sound Extension
Entercom and The Sound have agreed to a āmulti-yearā contract extension for legendary mid-day personality āUncleā Joe Benson, meaning that Benson — and for that matter The Sound itself — will hopefully be around for a long time to come.
Benson āis the best known and most loved classic rock DJ in Los Angeles, said Sound programmer Dave Beasing. āHeās literally written the book on classic rock and heās one of the nicest people youāll ever meet.ā
He really has written the book … Uncle Joeās Record Guides are a series of informative books covering everything from The Beatles to The Who, and more. He is also an avid amateur race car driver and as the voice of NASCAR at the Auto Club Speedway in Pomona is an announcer for every motorsports event in Southern California.
With Entercom merging with CBS Radio in the near future and the combined company being one over the local FM station ownership limit, The Sound is potentially vulnerable to be sold off once the merger is complete. I asked Beasing if this agreement means he and The Sound will be hanging around. āProbably a good sign,ā he quipped, though in reality I am sure no one really knows yet. Heck, with the new FCC the chances are ownership limits will be repealed.
Regardless, itās nice to know that a good guy is getting treated well. Since he arrived in town back in 1980, Benson has indeed proven himself an expert on music and really is one of the nicest guys in radio.
Moore March Madness
Kip Moore has been chosen as the guest host of Go Country (KKGO, 105.1 FM) mid-days for the month of March. His on-air gig starts Monday and runs through March 24th.
The MCA Nashville and multi-platinum recording artist will share personal stories and give his perspective on country music as he plays the hits weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Donāt live locally? Go Country has you covered. Just go to gocountry105.com or use the Go Country 105 mobile phone app; the station streams its on-air signal live.
Little Bit of Heaven
It was 30 years ago this month — Valentineās Day — when the legendary KMET (now KTWV, 94.7 FM) ceased to exist, becoming at the time the radio equivalent of a lava lamp … also known as The Wave. And while Valentineās Day was the day of the change, the air staff had been fired the week prior.
What went wrong? Success. KMET became a force when programmer Sam Bellamy put together a staff of great jocks … and supported them in their craft. Success led to management feeling they could do it even better, forcing Bellamy out and leading to a revolving door of programmers who didnāt understand the magic of the station. Some DJs will also admit that they missed the boat on some new music just as KROQ (106.7 FM) was gaining traction.
The Mighty Met has been remembered recently in numerous Facebook postings; I still believe the format — playing current music — would work today. There are so many good local band not being played on the radio that could drive a resurgence of rock radio … if only given the chance.
Waggy Nominations
In preparation for the upcoming radio achievement awards, also known as The Waggies, I am accepting nominations for anything in any category … once all are in, Iāll compile the list based upon my opinion and your input. So far, open nominations include:
ā¢ Best AM station: KNX
ā¢ Best FM station: KOST
ā¢ Best morning show: Kevin and Bean, KROQ
ā¢ Best morning show: The Woody Show, Alt 98.7
ā¢ Best morning show: McIntyre in the Morning, KABC
ā¢ Best afternoon show: The Drive Home, KABC
ā¢ Best newscaster: Terri-Rae Elmer
What are your thoughts? Send them in today. Email and traditional US Mail are equally accepted!
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