That's not the Ticket
In what one employee at KMPC-AM (1540) "The Ticket" called "a bloodletting," Sporting News Radio president Clancy Woods flew in from Phoenix today, called a staff meeting at the Santa Monica offices and told everyone who worked on the local end of the station -- sales, promotions, update guys -- that their services would no longer be needed.
The cuts include station GM Roger Nadel, who said in an email late Wednesday afternoon: "As you know, two weeks ago, nearly all of the Sporting News assets (including Sporting News Radio Network) were sold to American City Business Journals. The three radio stations owned by Vulcan Sports Media were not sold in that deal, and remain for sale. Vulcan Sports Media has now decided that they want to focus their efforts on their affiliation with Sporting News Radio Network rather than local operations. Consequently, a number of positions involving purely local functions were eliminated today. KMPC remains a 24/7 sports station. The lineup that’s on the air today (much of which originates from our Santa Monica studios) is the lineup you will continue to hear. You will continue to hear local commercials and on-air show promos."
As of late December, however, the lease runs out on the station's office building, according to sources. The network execs, though, talk about possibly moving all their operation from Chicago to L.A.
This latest move essentially eliminates any local sports-talk shows as of Thursday -- as if any were left since Petros Papadakis quit last week, seeing the writing on the wall. The Sporting News Radio Network syndicated programming includes L.A.-based Tony Bruno and Mark Williard in the morning drive and Dave Smith , a former local-only host who had his show go national within the last few months, in the 10 a.m.-to-1 p.m. slot. There could be a change there with Smith going to the 4-7 p.m. slot and Arnie Spanier moving to the midday.
It didn't help that the station continues to register nary a ratings point in the most recent Arbitron books, up against the programming of all-sports stations KSPN-AM (710), which is making large gains against KXTA-AM (570).
As SportsByBrooks reminds us on his website entry about the move, just a year ago, the station was riding a nice wave with USC football, a nice stable of local talent (Papadakis, Fred Roggin, Smith) and millions in adversiting revenue. As soon as the USC rights fees were lost, so went the lead sponsors, as well as many of the sales staff, to 710-AM.
Comments
Maybe Arbogast can get his old job back. Bet he will work real cheap.
Posted by: USC_89 | October 18, 2006 05:26 PM
Gee, that's funny. Just last week the ex-GM was saying in Larry Stewart's column, after Petros bolted, that 1540 The Ticket will "remain, LA's number one sports station"
Posted by: George Cooper | October 18, 2006 07:11 PM
i feel bad for Steve DeSager. dude is the best update guy in hte business. hope somebody picks him up
Posted by: Matt | October 18, 2006 08:43 PM
Ditto, De Sager is damned good...really knows his stuff. Whenever I think of KMPC, the first thing I'll remember is Petros and Fred's crosstalk segment. Those bits were priceless.
Posted by: Crispus Attucks | October 18, 2006 09:45 PM
1540's signal was always kind of weak. I guess now it will be really "weak"
Posted by: Ryan | October 19, 2006 11:34 AM
Man, those were the days. Wake up to Roger & Mark. Then James Brown, Petros, Roggin & finally the headliner Dave Smith. Now, Bruno? A different Dave (need the Corndog). Don't even get me started on the "Two Live Stu's". Such is life. Karma's a b**ch...now Roggin & Simer's? WTF!!!
Posted by: Big Mike | November 28, 2006 11:21 PM