A Thanksgiving Day edition of short takes
Dave and Ken: Long time L.A. radio veteran Dave Williams interviews another veteran, Ken Chiampou on his departure from the "John and Ken" show next month (click on the artwork). Here's what Williams wrote about the interview, now available on both YouTube and Apple podcasts:
KEN CHIAMPOU and John Kobylt electrified Los Angeles with their brash, clear-spoken brand of talk radio when they arrived at KFI 36 years ago and they haven't stopped. Wildly popular in Southern California, theirs is the longest-running talk show in radio history and changed the direction of the talk radio industry. In this exclusive conversation, Ken tells Dave Williams why he's retiring and looks back on 40 years of friendship with John, and the lightning they've held together in a bottle. L.A. radio will never be the same.
Chiampou's last day on KFI is December 6.
Who needs a used alarm clock?: Speaking of Dave Williams (yeah, that's a cliche of a segue), he's announced his retirement. He spent the past twelve years as the award-winning morning drive co-host at news / talk KLIF-Dallas with Amy Chodroff, who also left the station in September. Williams explained his decision on Facebook:
Three months ago I suffered a blackout seizure. I've been recuperating and undergoing tests since then. The medical news is as good as can be hoped: I didn't have a stroke or a heart attack and I don't have a brain tumor or anything like it. Turns out it's just one of those unexplained things that happen and very likely will never happen again.
I've been cleared to return to work but have decided to call it a career. I'm 72, I've been in radio for 54 years, and for the past 42 years, I've been getting out of bed in the middle of the night to go to work. I just discovered I like sleeping in a bit.
I will miss the daily enjoyment of the job and especially the people with whom I worked. And, thanks most of all to those of you who listened each morning and found some informational and entertainment value mornings on KLIF.
Nothing lasts forever but I'm going to try. Stay well, y'all. Love your life. This is the month for giving thanks.
-- Sincerely, Dave Williams
Courtesy Valley Broadcast Legends
Williams is a Sacramento native. His first gig in Los Angeles was at K-EARTH 101 (KRTH) as program director, having spent time on top-40 outlets KNDE and KROY in the Capitol City. He returned to Sacramento and stayed in his hometown for the next 25 years, including 16 years as the top rated morning team of Williams and Bob Nathan on KFBK.
Amy Lewis, Vicky Moore
In 2001, Williams and Amy Lewis helmed mornings at KABC. After a year, Williams did middays, then mornings at KFWB. In 2003, KNX GM David G. Hall moved to KNX where he was teamed up with Vicky Moore ("Vicky was the perfect partner. Her strengths support my weaknesses. She propped me up often") for an award-winning five years. When then-owner CBS Radio imposed significant layoffs throughout their stations, Williams was one of those departing. He made his comments to LARadio.com in 2008:
Hosting the KNX Morning News for five years was a career crowning achievement of which I am proud. A special thanks is due my mentors, David G. Hall and Julie Chin. They are not only thebest and brightest in the radio news business, they are also among the most decent and caring ‘people’ people I haveever worked with. I am humbled by the honor to have been in their service.
In addition to his interview with Chiampou, Williams has also offered on his podcast conversations with Mark Austin Thomas, John Kobylt, and Camille Dixon & Bill Rodgers (the Voices of Disney).
"(KPFK) claimed 'a barrage' of 'communication' about me from 'listeners and governance,'" said Sandler. "I think now they're understanding what a barrage is. For a station that's supposed to be about free speech, they must've missed the memo." Sandler was interviewed on WCPT-Chicago earlier this week.
We did reach out to KPFK for comment and didn't get a response.
Ho ho ho: We were partly right about KOST starting their all-Christmas ratings behemoth on November 10. We had the date right, but it turns out this was an iHeart company-wide decision. Seems 85 iHeart stations also flipped to all-Christmas music on the same day. It's also not too late to win tickets to the KOST / KTLA Holiday Party at Disney's California Adventure on December 6. Good luck!
A fowl item: How could I not offer an annual commemoration of the infamous turkey drop episode of "WKRP in Cincinatti?" I've seen it numerous times, yet it still causes me laughing fits, especially when the Gordon Jump character, GM Arthur Carlson, provides his misguided wisdom about turkeys.
However you celebrate, have a wonderful holiday!
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