Radio Dots & Dashes (August 1 Edition)

In the wake of the ill-conceived rollout of the Free FM format on 106.9 in San Francisco, CBS Radio continues to rework its patchwork programming schedule by importing the syndicated Opie & Anthony show for weekdays in the 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. slot.

Having already replaced the failed David Lee Roth experiment in several eastern markets, Opie & Anthony have helped CBS begin to rebuild its ratings, which crashed following Howard Stern's departure at the end of last year.

The entry of Opie & Anthony into the Bay Area gives the show clearance on seven of the top ten markets in the nation. On Free FM 106.9, the show displaces Radio Chick Leslie Gold, who bounces to the 1 to 3 p.m. position...

Last week, the KYCY/KYOUradio website began displaying this message:

"CHANGE

It's in the air...
Remember, nothing stays the same forever. Change is inevitable. Stay tuned.

And as always, thanks for stopping by and taking the time to check us out.

Stephen Page
Station Manager
KYOURADIO®
...OPEN SOURCE RADIO®"

I immediately joined the speculation that a change to the station's all-podcasting format on 1550 AM could be imminent — okay, I've been speculating that for a year — but it turned out that the only change was the launch of a new website design...

Or was it?

At the same time that the new KYOUradio.com site was unveiled, CBS/SF also fired up a new, separate baseball-themed website for the station at 1550KYCY.com. Is it unusual for a station to have two websites? Yeah, maybe. On the other hand, is it unusual for a station to no longer mention its dial position on its website? Maybe it's just an oversight, but try to find "1550" anywhere on KYOUradio.com...

If you haven't had a chance to pick up "Becoming Almost Famous," the latest collection of articles and profiles by Ben Fong-Torres, please do so now. You'll love it for many reasons, but if you're "just a radio fan," you'll particularly enjoy "The Night Rock'n'Roll Woke Nobody" and "My Hour In The Top 40 Hot Seat." Go buy it. Now. I'll wait here until you get back...

Upcoming this weekend: Raiders coach-turned-broadcaster John Madden gets inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Today, voting closes for another nominee, Bill King, who is up for induction into the Radio Hall of Fame. Because of the Chicago-centric tendencies of the "national" Radio HOF, my gut feeling is that his chances of getting in this year are extremely slim, despite overwhelming local sentiment. Case in point: Chicago-based Paul Harvey is in the Radio Hall of Fame. That makes sense. But why are his wife and son also in there when there are a hundred more deserving radio legends who should be enshrined.

(Want a few? Don't get me started: Dr. Don Rose, The Real Don Steele, Ira Blue, Don Sherwood, Al "Jazzbeaux" Collins ... I could go on for days and days and days.)

...The next phase in Citadel's takeover of ABC radio's stations (including KGO and KSFO here) is on the horizon as the Radio Disney network and group of stations are being shuffled into the Disney/ABC Television Group ... KLIV/1590 news anchor/news director George Sampson is featured in a Los Gatos Observer profile ... The legendary astrologer Darrell Martinie, 63, died of cancer on July 26 in Massachusetts. As The Cosmic Muffin, he was heard on radio stations across the country, including KSAN during its Jive 95 era, and earned the title of official astrologer for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1993. He closed his broadcasts with the notable tagline: "It is a wise person who rules the stars, a fool who is ruled by them. Over and out."