Reel (Real) Radio Returns!
The notice at the late-Richard Irwin’s reelradio.com was promising: “Please stand by. Reelradio will return. Thank you for your patience and continuing support.”
Then for a day it came back, as a teaser to let fans know they were indeed working on a re-launch. “They” being the ReelRadio board of directors along with friends and family of Irwin, who are working behind the scenes to update files, get some site housekeeping done and eventually bring in new content and allow new registrations.
The radio recording museum — featuring recordings, or “airchecks” of top-40 stations from across the country — had been down since just before Irwin’s death, and many subscribers and donors had hope that his legacy will live on through others. It appears that will indeed be the case, and I for one am ecstatic.
As I write this, it the site is up once again, but it is unknown if this is another teaser … or if it will be permanent. (UPDATE: the site is up permanently!)
Rock en Español Returns
Entravision has brought back La Super Estrella, a Spanish rock and pop format that was last found locally on the 107.1 FM simulcast stations KSSE/Arcadia, KSSD/Fallbrook and KSSC/Ventura until a format change in December of 2016.
This time it’s on KDLD/Santa Monica and KDLE/Newport Beach, a simulcast at 103.1 FM which actually takes the format almost back to it’s roots … the format began on KVAR/Riverside (now KLYY, 97.5 FM) but was simulcast on then-KACD at 103.1 in 2001 before moving to 107.1 in 2003.
Whew! That’s a lot of moving!
The return of the format to the airwaves — it had been available online — happened July 26, replacing a regional Mexican format called “La Tricolor.” The last ratings found KDLD in 38th place with a 0.6 share of the listening audience.
“Super Estrella has a strong legacy in Los Angeles that spans over 20 years, and it’s coming back to where it all started,” said Nestor Rocha, VP of Programming for Entravision in a press release. “This distinct, iconic format has been loved by so many fans over the years that it was able to keep its large, devout following, and we’re excited to bring this station back to listeners.”
Tamo’s Great
Alt 98.7 FM’s Tamo Sein new midday jock may have a shift that is way too long: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. But she sure is a good match for the station and one of the better-sounding personalities in town, with an on-air presentation nothing short of superb and an enthusiasm for the music she plays that comes through nicely.
Readers Respond
Quite a few of you responded after last week’s column on things radio stations do that sound like good ideas, but are not. What struck me were the number of emails stating that you don’t listen to radio as much or at all. Yet you read this column so there is still hope. After all, you are still interested in radio!
One email in particular caught my eye, from reader Clyde Boyd: “So you think 6 minutes of content and 9 minutes of ads every 15 minutes on KFI (640 AM) is reasonable?
“KFI is one of the worst offenders for ads. Your pimping them is particularly egregious. Time it yourself if you don’t believe me: there is exactly 6 minutes of content every 15 minutes. No more.”
In replies to each other we realized we were on the same page. Obviously too many commercials are bad. But commercials themselves can be good. The problem, of course, is that few actually listen to ads any more … running so many is making air time far less valuable than it otherwise would be as listeners tune out totally.
That needs to change.
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