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By 5 p.m. today, the “hot talk” format of Los Angeles’ KLSX will be no more, leaving Adam Carolla and Tom Leykis (among others) out of work. For awhile, it really seemed that CBS Radio was in love with the concept, turning stations across the country over to the format—but it’s since abandoned the “Free FM” idea in most markets. Hope you like Katy Perry, L.A., because now you have another station ready to give her a stack of spins.
It’s somewhat rare for a station to move toward playing music these days, but that won’t stop KLSX from becoming AMP Radio, a format tested on one of CBS’s HD stations and seemingly one entirely dedicated to the same teenage pop fan that three other stations (including the seemingly unstoppable KIIS-FM) are already working. As part of the initial stunt, AMP will run nearly a month of today’s hits with limited interruptions; the program director is promising heavy doses of Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Rihanna, T.I., Kanye West, etc., etc. Theoretically, the station is trying to woo women from 18-49, but who are they kidding? I don’t know if “junior high girls who hide their MySpace page from their parents” is technically a demographic, but that would be my guess who’s most likely to be tuning into the the KLSX.
Morning show host Adam Carolla is promising to switch over to a podcasted show (which, I assume, leaves the stations syndicating his show—including Phoenix’s Edge 103.9, which fired their actually quite amusing morning team a while ago—out of luck) and, with any luck, Tom Leykis will curl in to a ball and disappear. OK, maybe not; as long as there are dudes out there, that guy will live on like a cockroach with a cheap cigar.
FM talk radio format all talked out? KLSX-FM (97.1) going top 40 Friday [LA Times]
David Lee Roth wept.
Leykis used to be carried on the big upstate NY AM station, WGY. But they must have decided that misogyny and fratboy-style bullshit wasn’t vile enough on its own, because Michael Savage now has that time slot. That dude has hate covered from every angle.
@clarknhilldale: Wow.
@clarknhilldale: I went to the Spa Castle, a Korean spa in Queens, a few months back, and the van that transported me to the Castle from the subway stop (last stop on the 7!) was blaring Savage’s show. I figured it was to make every passenger extra-agitated before their saunas and stuff.
I admit that I sometimes enjoyed listening to Carolla’s show during my morning commute. He recently went off on a rant about the dumbing-down of LA radio where it’s coming to the point where it will all be Top-40 and Ranchera music.
@Cam/ron: I download Adam’s show all the time, I really enjoy his sense of humor. I’m assuming the new station will have the typical “wacky morning show” routine.
No mention of the Frosty, Heidi and Frank or Bonnaduce shows?
Cuz I really care about them…no really!
Adam going off air does kinda suck. Can’t say I’ve listened more than a couple days since I picked up Sirius though.
Carolla and Leykis are still going to be getting paid out until the end of their contracts, I think. Nice work, if you can get it, collecting millions for doing nothing.
“No mention of the Frosty, Heidi and Frank or Bonnaduce shows?”
why would ANYONE mention Bonaduce? He was an example if the shows KLSX had on that were awful. Leykis, Carolla and FH&F were the only reasons KLSX lasted as long as it did. Bonnaduce was just terrible.
The new station may come up with a Ryan Seacrest-esque big name for their morning show soon. Who knows. Regardless, a sad day in L.A. for many.
Frosty, Heidi and Frank was (hopefully will be again in the future) the best radio program i’ve ever listened to in my life. For the last 3 years, i’ve listened to them four hours a day, 5 days a week (admittedly via podcast). Someone somewhere snap them up quick. frostyheidiandfrank.com – for those of you not in LA that didn’t get the chance to hear them.
Awesome that we have yet another station in LA that sounds like a 12 year old girl’s ipod on shuffle. Thanks, CBS!
Until they get a home, I’ll be listening to 2005/2006 years, which i missed. At least CBS put up a bunch of the archived podcasts.
Frosty Heidi and Frank was easily the best radio program i’ve ever heard. And hopefully will be again. For the last two years, i’ve listened to them 4 hours a day, 5 days a week… admittedly, via podcast.
Somebody smart, snap them up quick and podcast them, because their show is perfect for it. Until then, thankfully CBS put up the podcasts going back fairly far, so i’ll be listening to 2005/2006! For those outside of LA, frostyheidiandfrank.com.
Oh, and thanks CBS. Another LA station that now sounds like a 12 year old’s ipod on shuffle. just what we needed.
Frosty Heidi and Frank was easily the best radio program i’ve ever heard. And hopefully will be again. For the last two years, i’ve listened to them 4 hours a day, 5 days a week… admittedly, via podcast.
Somebody smart, snap them up quick and podcast them, because their show is perfect for it. Until then, thankfully CBS put up the podcasts going back fairly far, so i’ll be listening to 2005/2006! .
Oh, and thanks CBS. Another LA station that now sounds like a 12 year old’s ipod on shuffle. just what we needed.
Frosty Heidi and Frank was easily the best radio program i’ve ever heard. And hopefully will be again. For the last two years, i’ve listened to them 4 hours a day, 5 days a week… admittedly, via podcast.
Somebody smart, snap them up quick and podcast them, because their show is perfect for it. Until then, thankfully CBS put up the podcasts going back fairly far, so i’ll be listening to 2005/2006! For those outside of LA, frostyheidiandfrank.com.
Oh, and thanks CBS. Another LA station that now sounds like a 12 year old’s ipod on shuffle. just what we needed.
@cheesewhiz: That show was horseshit. Have a listen for yourself – you won’t last five minutes.
I think the format flip was smart in the short-ish term, but once radio stations have to start paying higher performance royalties for songs, you’re gonna see lots of stations, especially in smaller markets, flip immediately back to some sort of Talk format.
What does that mean? Well, certainly less music in secondary/tertiary markets, but when thinking of what type of Talk format will work in ‘Red states’, programmers are certainly going to lean more Leykis/Savage than Corolla…
Yikes.
I’m gonna miss Carolla. Leykis, not so much.
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