An ayoda on radio

  A new KIIS: Kayla Thomas is now doing middays at KIIS-FM. The Maryland native hosted PopCrush Nights , nationally syndicated by Compass Media, and did nights at WPST-Trenton NJ. “I’ve been dreaming of living in Los Angeles since I was a little girl, and to be able to do what I love at the legendary KIIS-FM is an indescribable feeling,” said Thomas who was quoted at ramp247.com. “Words cannot express how thankful I am to John Ivey and (KIIS pd) Beata Murphy for this exciting opportunity. Being a world away from home is bittersweet, but it’s still surreal to be living my childhood dream. I’m ready to bring my east coast flavor to this L.A. heat!” On her Instagram account, Thomas shared fond memories of her time at “94.5 PST” as she prepared to move west:   I got to mentor dozens of college students who inspired me each and every day. I got the courage to tell my testimony about having Lupus. And as a result, I got to hear the stories of so many people who silently ba...

It's been seven years since Gary Owens  passed away at the age of 80. I was a great admirer of his work, I'd tune to KMPC every afternoon to make sure I didn't miss one of his stories or a memorable one-liner. The following tribute was offered on February 15, 2017 at LARadio.com  (FYI - A post-Super Bowl edition of Short Takes is on its way, please stay tuned.) One More Farewell to Gary Altman There will be a number of tributes to the late Gary Altman, who left KOIL-Omaha to later become famous as Gary Owens. I didn’t have the privilege of working with him, though he always was very kind to me at the LARadio.com events where he appeared. Still, as a loyal listener, there were two aspects of Mr. Owens which I wanted to ensure were noted. Gary was diagnosed as a Type I diabetic when he was only eight years of age. He clearly managed his disease, it’s rare for anyone with childhood diabetes to live into his eighth decade as Gary was able to do. It’s a cruel malady, particularl...

  February 5, 1997 On Friday (February 5), Nicole Sandler  will use her daily live online show to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the sign-off of FM 101.9 (KSCA).    Known as "L.A.'s finest rock," the station's former listeners still maintain an active presence on social media. Sandler was the midday host and music director. The triple-A format (Adult Album Alternative) ended when the frequency was sold by Gene Autry's Golden West Broadcasters to Heftel Broadcasting, who immediately flipped the station to Regional Spanish (the station is now owned by Univision). Sandler told All Access she posted on social media a photo of the staff from the last day of FM 101.9 in honor of National DJ day last January. "The response was pretty overwhelming, with so many people expressing their love for a little radio station that went off the air 25 years ago this week." Already confirmed to appear on the live webcast are Dennis Constantine, Mimi Chen , Anita Gevinson...

  Chris Booker, Ted Stryker Ted Stryker has joined ALT 98.7 (KYSR)  host Chris Booker  for "Afternoons with Booker and Stryker." The new PM drive program debuted this afternoon. Ted Stryker, Kevin Klein Stryker was most recently heard on KROQ, a 20 year veteran of the station most recently hosting morning drive with Kevin Klein  until June, 2021. Stryker hosted a number of shifts on the Audacy alternative rock outlet, including serving as co-host with Dr. Drew Pinsky  after the departure of Adam Carolla . This isn't the first time Stryker's been heard on 98.7. He originally was heard on what was then "STAR 98.7" in 1996 via KFMA-Phoenix. Two years later, he moved over to KROQ to cover the all-night shift before taking over afternoon drive. Lisa Worden The new pairing is credited to Lisa Worden , VP of Rock and Alternative at iHeartMedia and ALT 98.7 PD. Stryker told Variety ,  "the second Lisa said it, I was in 100%...I thought it was a great idea...

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