Richard Wagoner on Radio: Rams simucast has a history behind it

The aouncement last week that KSPN (710 AM) and The Sound (100.3 FM) would serve as dual carriers of the Rams when they retu to Los Angeles next season brought in a few responses, most agreeing with my position that the deal isn’t necessarily good for either station.

I don’t plan to dwell on the issue; if I am wrong I’ll admit it, and if I am right the situation will be fixed soon enough.

But one reader brought something new to the table: It tus out that this is not necessarily the first time the NFL has been heard on FM. And in some ways, the move is almost cosmic, if I can use an old hippy cliche.

“When the Rams came to L.A. from Cleveland, 710 KMPC became the radio home, which continued until December 1994,” writes David Grudt of Long Beach.

“Here’s the historical radio factoid: the original KMPC-FM was at 100.3 in the late 1940s. Before Gene Autry bought KMPC in the ’50s, the FM license was tued back to the FCC (It eventually became KMLA, then KFOX before becoming KIQQ, KSWD, etc). Back in the ’40s, the FM broadcast day only ran a few hours. I have found an example from the Long Beach Press-Telegram.

“On Sunday, Oct. 30, 1949 the KMPC-FM broadcast day was 3-9 p.m. I am reasonably sure that the station was simulcasting KMPC-AM. The Rams game that day started at 2:15 p.m., so, I believe the game was picked up by the FM at 3 p.m. Likely there were many home games that ended up on the FM during about a three-year period.

“So things have come full circle with KSPN 710 and KSWD 100.3 simulcasting the games this fall. I happen to believe it will help both stations attract an audience.”

Grudt’s scan is interesting from a historical perspective, in addition to the KMPC-100.3 FM coection.

Looking through the page, I saw that television Chael 9 was then KFI-TV rather than the well-known KHJ-TV; Chael 13 was KLAC-TV rather than KCOP; there was a KFI-FM at 105.9 FM — today’s Power 106; and the paper lists KNX-FM also at 105.9, which is a typo unless there was some strange time-share agreement. To my knowledge, KNX-FM was always at 93.1 FM until it became KODJ, KCBS-FM (as it is now with the Jack name), etc.

Weekend sounds

Speaking, at least slight, of The Sound, the station has a special weekend on tap starting today at noon: four-song sets from classic rock’s greatest artists.

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“It’s the 4s of July,” says programmer Dave Beasing.

What a Guy

One of my all-time favorite DJs — I’ve mentioned this before — is Bobby “What a Guy” Ocean, heard locally on KHJ (930 AM), K-WEST (now Power 106) in San Diego on KGB and KCBQ, and in San Francisco on the legendary KFRC.

Airchexx.com has a new exhibit in their collection: Ocean on KCBQ from May of 1971. Hear it at http://wp.me/p5TQC-br.

Richard Wagoner is a San Pedro freelance columnist covering radio in Southe Califoia. Send him email at [email protected].