An ayoda on radio

The current and controversial Los Angeles County Sheriff is preparing to return to the local airwaves.  “Live and Unscripted with LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva”   will debut Sunday from 8 until 10 p.m. The station offered the following description: The new weekly program is back by popular demand and is hosted by Alex Villanueva, who runs the country’s largest sheriff’s department. Every Sunday, listeners can join the show to hear the hottest topics on the mind of LA County residents: homelessness, crime, corruption and politics. Villanueva will also feature guests who will explain the inner workings of the various bureaus in his department. A veteran of the L.A. Sheriff's Department since 1986, Villanueva was elected to the office in 2018, the first Democratic candidate in 138 years. He ran on a platform of  "reform, rebuild and restore" the Department after former Sheriff Lee Baca and Undersheriff Paul Tanaka were indicted and convicted on corruption charges. Villa...

  As my mutt named Tomo turned 11 years old last month, I think of all of the questions I had about rearing my furry son over the past decade. It reminded me one of the best sources of advice were the stories told by Warren Eckstein , now celebrating 40 years of encouraging pet owners to “give their pet a hug and a kiss” over the broadcast airwaves.   “I grew up on Long Island, New York, but I’m originally from Manhattan,” said Eckstein. During his younger years, his family moved away from the city, which encouraged family to visit on weekend and holidays, perhaps too often. “It felt like our home was always filled with guests who never wanted to leave.” The shy child looking for some peace and quiet, Eckstein found himself finding solace at a nearby creek behind his home. “Living beside the creek were muskrats, snapping turtles, rats, geese, and an assortment of other wild animals. It was fantastic! I loved it there!” Eckstein recalled “it felt at home” to be among all of...

  We were traveling yesterday when we heard the sad news that legendary talk show host Michael Jackson  had passed at the age of 87. Jackson had apparently been battling Parkinson's Disease for over a decade. Jackson defined talk radio in Los Angeles for three decades at KABC Radio. He also helped launch ABC's "Talkradio" Network in the early 1980s. He was seen on TV, sitting in for Larry King  on CNN, plus being part of an innovative, but ultimately unsuccessful "news wheel" format at KCBS-TV where hard news was interspersed with features and interviews in 1986. We're now trying to gather some interviews from those who worked with Jackson, so please check in again. He was surrounded by his children when he passed, Jackson was preceded in death by his wife Alana Ladd Jackson. ayodaradio@gmail.com

  We’re sorry to report Bill Seward , a long-time figure on the Los Angeles sports scene, has passed away after a five-year battle with cancer. A native of Sherman Oaks, Seward graduated from Loyola Marymount University. He once had the distinction of being the nation’s youngest head football coach at Saint Bernard High School in Playa del Rey, where he was honored as “Bay Area Coach of the Year.” He also coached at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks. @sewardsports Seward started his broadcast career at KVIQ-Eureka. After stops at KATY-Oxnard and WHNT-Concord, New Hampshire, Seward returned to Southern California. He was known for his work with NBC Sports, covering rugby, skiing, ski jumping, cliff diving, biathlon, synchronized swimming, cycling, and marathons, including several Olympics. He also appeared on TVG, the horse racing network. Seward also reported sports on the weekends locally on KNBC-TV. Seward also worked for both ESPN and ABC-TV, appearing on “SportsCenter,” ...

  I tried many times to come up with a clever / profound / astute / philosophical / adroit opening for this edition of the year in review. No luck. Let’s take a look at the year that was and proceed from there.   latimes.com KNX making news…of their own: The Audacy all-news outlet (more on Audacy forthcoming) continued to report the headlines and stories day-in and day-out while generating its own narrative.  The departures of Frank Mottek (29 years) and Randy Kerdoon (17 years) was the most read story on the blog, effectively closing the station’s local business and sports departments ( Mottek  is now at KABC, Kerdoon continues his podcast about cars ). Just a few weeks ago, NOW 97.1 (KNOU) was flipped to offer an all-news AM-FM simulcast and a rebranding, now known as “KNX News 97-1 FM.” Speaking of NOW… Not at the top of the charts: Granted, NOW 97.1 was what was known as an “Urban CHR,” nonetheless the station was one of many CHR stations nationwide not...