KLSD 1360 - Progressive Radio in San Diego has officially changed format.

[aggiesal]

Clear Channel in it's infinite wisdom, has decided to switch
KLSD format from Progressive radio to yet another Sports Talk
radio station known as XTRA Sports.

With ratings in pretty decent shape, I have to wonder why
the format change?

We can speculate all we want, the fact is that San Diego no
longer has a progressive voice, over the local airwaves.

[aquart]

1. I heard last night from my brother in law.

Clear Channel needs to be dismantled.

[rurallib]

2. One of many CC has changed in the past year

including 2 in my area. They are in the process of going private, so they could care two hoots about ratings.

[Freddie Stubbs]

3. How do they make money if they don't get ratings?

:shrug:

[rurallib]

12. They don't care about ratings right now.

Last I heard they were still in the process of being sold to one of those private equity firms. As a matter of fact it is the Bain group that was once headed by Willard (the mittens man) Romney. I believe he still has money in there.
When Bain gets ahold of CC they will sell off properties, cut payrolls etc. til it shows a profit and then probably sell it for a profit. Seems like they want nearly total RW talk on the talk side.
Pay attention to this. They may be selling off an extra station in some of the large cities plus most of their small operations. While the cost may appear high, if enough people give say $1000 maybe you can form an organization to buy a property.

On another front have you ever considered internet radio as a community project? I have a friend who says that it won't be long until internet radio will be picked up on car radios. He has credibility as he used to be an FCC commissioner.

Another possibilty is to find an HD radio station in your area and see if the owner would be interested in putting lefty radio on it OR letting you develop one of the channels.

[Maat]

4. I felt so depressed today when I tuned in ..

only to hear mindless sports blather.

[MindPilot]

5. From yesterday's (anti) Union-Tribune...

When it comes to music, San Diego radio is a comforting cacophony of sounds and languages. When it comes to talk, we have become a mono town.

From Rush Limbaugh and Dr. Laura Schlessinger on KOGO-AM, to Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity on KFMB-AM to Bill Bennett and Laura Ingraham on KCBQ-AM, the San Diego talk-radio landscape is dominated by personalities who do their talking from the conservative side of the political fence.

Depending on your point of view, this is either a great thing or a horrific thing. But there is no question that it is a boring thing. Variety is not only the spice of life, it is the life blood of culture. And when your cultural options get smaller, life gets smaller, too.

When the lowly rated KSCF/103.7 FM dropped its ribald Free FM all-talk format in June to become the peppy Radio Sophie, I didn't think I would mind much. But it turns out that I do.

For reasons that remain mysterious even to me, I miss Adam Carolla's hairy morning zoo. But mostly, I miss the twisted evenings I spent hearing Tom Leykis giving politically incorrect advice to the many misguided male souls who packed his audio locker room. I didn't belong there, but thanks to my radio, I could lurk as long as I liked. And it was fascinating.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20071112-9999-1c12tv.html

[Maat]

6. Ah, the poor child that wrote that column ....

under the delusion that we are still a representative democracy and a free-thinking, diverse society.

That's what I want, don't get me wrong; but, I'm rather discouraged today. The Hardright has built an incredible political, bullying, corporatist machine. They want authoritarianism and conformity, not critical thinking.

[KamaAina]

7. Funny how all these AAR stations are dropping like flies

just as the election cycle ramps up.

Coincidence? I think not... :tinfoilhat:

[aggiesal]

8. I agree. The conspiracy theorist in me thinks that ...

Fox News is approaching Clear Channel, and asking them to convert all their progressive radio stations to Fox Sports, and use the Fox News Channel as their source of news.

[kelligesq]

9. The airwaves, tv n radio belong to YOU. You can complain to the FCC n Committee

in Congress in charge of oversite (of which Dennis is
Chairman of one) and demand that Clear Channel's license not be renewed.

hee hee hee

[KharmaTrain]

10. Cheaper To Run, Easier To Sell

Cheap Channel continues to try to keep from losing more money and cutting operations to the bone and this is yet another victim. The station's ratings "didn't justify" the expense of a staff. Sports programming is an easy sell...the company sells it on a national level.

If the company can squeeze a dime more with another format, that's what it's doing.

[Lindsey]

11. This is very disturbing. I'm pissed because here in L.A. they're now

playing UCLA frickin' basketball games at night (whenever they have games, which is way too often for me) and I miss Big Ed and Rachel. I PRAY nothing happens to KTALK here at 1150 in L.A.