SIGNAL FADING ON L.A. SPORTS TALK : THE DAILY NEWS 4TH ANNUAL BEST AND WORSTOF THE L.A. SPORTS MEDIA RADIO TALK SHOW HOSTS THE TOP 10.Byline: Tom Hoffarth Oh blah de, oh blah da. L.A. sports-talk radio drones on. Need an example? How about the top story in the city this week - Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley
Leading up to the 1:30 p.m. press conference, XTRA-AM's ``Loose Cannons,'' who are about as effective as curb feelers, decided to contaminate con·tam·i·nate v. 1. To make impure or unclean by contact or mixture. 2. To expose to or permeate with radioactivity. con·tam·i·nant n. 77,000 watts of airtime to question why Natrone Means Natrone Jermaine Means (born April 26, 1972 in Harrisburg, North Carolina) is a former professional American Football running back who played for the San Diego Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Carolina Panthers of the NFL from 1993 to 2000. was playing for Jacksonville and not their beloved Chargers, plus an interview with the always-in-demand program director at a Denver radio station to talk about what happened to the Broncos two days earlier. At KWNK-AM (670), 'twas syndicated pablum. Joe McDonnell Joe McDonnell (Irish name: Seosamh Mac Domhnaill; 14 September 1951 - 8 July 1981) was a Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) member (volunteer), who died in the 1981 Irish hunger strike. was on vacation. Maybe ``Big Jeff from Tarzana'' was on vacation, too. Or has he simply grown bored of sports talk as have the rest of us? So maybe we've picked an interesting week to release the annual evaluation of the local talent cesspool cesspool: see septic tank. . As two Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, sports-talk stations XTRA-AM (bought by Jacor) and KWNK-AM (bought by Lotus) underwent ownership changes this past year, the turbulent state of radio reflects the haphazard ways of the sports-talk format. And, in turn, the turnover of sport-talk hosts. McDonnell, it turns out, is on a permanent vacation from KWNK. He started the year at KMAX-FM, which quickly folded a month into 1996. Nevertheless, McDonnell, who has been heard on four stations in the past six years, has secured a repeat as L.A.'s best sports talk-show host in our fourth-annual poll (see chart). Arbitron ratings, for what they're worth, don't indicate any dramatic resurgence of the sports-talk format. But rumors hold strong that Jacor-owned KIIS-AM (1150), which now simulcasts rock music from its FM sister, will be the next to try for an L.A. sports-talk presence. Your guess is as good as any as to what kind of cheese the rats in radioland will offer up in the coming months. (A sports version of Rush Limburger?) Fred Wallin, the poster boy for L.A. sports-talk for the past 20 years, contends that a station committed to local programming can make it, despite what has happened in recent years with sports-focused KMPC-AM and KMAX-FM, which showed signs of life before taking an audio dirt nap. ``If we can get knowledgeable people to talk about things that matter to L.A., the listeners will be there,'' said Wallin, who does KWNK's weekday morning show as well as a Sunday night Sunday Night, later named Michelob Presents Night Music, was an NBC late-night television show which aired for two seasons between 1988 and 1990 as a showcase for jazz and eclectic musical artists. show for KIEV-AM (870) and has done a syndicated show in that time for other markets from his home in Canoga Park. ``When KMPC left the sports format (in 1994), they had a 0.7 ratings, and XTRA XTRA Extra XTRA X-band Thin Radar Aperture (US DoD) XTRA Xml Transaction Architecture was at 0.7 in this market. XTRA is still 0.7 here. Have the listeners disappeared?'' McDonnell's disappearance from KWNK, where he had been just seven months, wasn't a surprise based on the way the station practically makes some of its hosts work for next-to-nothing. Station sources say McDonnell's salary was based on a percentage of the advertising money made on his show. The same thing happened to Dave Smith and Joey Haim, a.k.a. the ``Sports Gods,'' who had a two-hour show on KWNK prior to McDonnell's 1-to-3 spot. Both have since been replaced by cheaper (if there is such a thing) syndicated programming. ``I'm not bitter,'' said McDonnell, who hasn't ruled out returning to the station once the new ownership officially takes hold in a few months. ``I think things (in L.A. sports talk) will get better. If the right people come in and commit to it - and don't commit the atrocities like KMPC did - there's no question about it. L.A. fans are rabid. I can tell by my experience at KWNK. Once they found out I was back on, they found me.'' L.A. hasn't heard the last of The Big Nasty, who broke the Dodgers-for-sale story by reporting it on the One-on-One Sports Network early Monday afternoon. At the end of this month, he'll host two weeks of KABC-AM's ``Sports Talk'' while Geoff Witcher takes a real vacation. So don't go kissing off McDonnell that easily. Static cling: KTLA KTLA KCBS TV in Los Angeles (the Dodgers' flagship station), KTTV (the Fox-owned station that covers Major League Baseball "MLB" and "Major Leagues" redirect here. For other uses, see MLB (disambiguation) and Major Leagues (disambiguation). Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. ) and KCAL kcal kilocalorie. kcal abbr. kilocalorie kcal kilocalorie. went live to the Dodgers' press conference Monday. Fox Sports News was replaying the news show from the night before, then tacked the information on to the end. We understand the concept. Fox Sports West, which picks up Fox Sports News, makes itself out to be a game-driven channel rather than a news-gathering entity. Then why keep the ``WE ARE THERE'' slogan? . . . Van Earl Wright Van Earl Wright is an American sportscaster with over 20 years of national and local experience. A graduate of the University of South Carolina, Wright is known for a homespun delivery which reflects his Southern roots. His signature greeting is "Hellllooooo Everybodyy. , the former CNN CNN or Cable News Network Subsidiary company of Turner Broadcasting Systems. It was created by Ted Turner in 1980 to present 24-hour live news broadcasts, using satellites to transmit reports from news bureaus around the world. Sports anchor who left to work in the Detroit TV market, has surfaced on KFWB-AM this week doing sports updates. If Fox Sports News has room, he'd be perfect to liven up the place. 1. Joe McDonnell, free agent: His dirt-digging and caustic commentary on two of last year's biggest L.A. sports stories - Shaquille O'Neal's arrival with the Lakers and Jim Harrick's ouster ouster n. 1) the wrongful dispossession (putting out) of a rightful owner or tenant of real property, forcing the party pushed out of the premises to bring a lawsuit to regain possession. at UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX - secured the Big Nasty's place in the penthouse. Last year: 1. 2. Jim Gott, KABC KABC Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children weeknights: Gotta hand it to Gott: He's one of the few ex-jocks in this field with high energy, the right perspective and a noncondescending rapport with the audience. Last year: Not ranked. 3. Brian Golden, KAVL mornings: These golden tones, which also can be heard on USC football post-game talk on KLSX, are among the most intelligent you'll find on the air, in or outside the Antelope Valley. Last year: Honorable mention. 4. Fred Wallin, KWNK mornings: Another year for Steady Freddy. Congrats con·grats Informal interj. Congratulations. pl.n. Congratulations: sent him my congrats. . We think. Last year: 4. 5. (tie) Steve Mason and John Ireland, XTRA mornings: The show gets funnier by the week without lapsing into stupidity. The key is they don't take themselves as serious as any other Hack-ed off screamers at the station. Last year: 7 (tie). 7. Ross Porter, KABC ``Dodger Talk'': Porter the reporter will have an interesting season coming up as the middle-man between the fans' worries and and front-office seismic activity. Last year: Honorable mention. 8. Chris Elho, XTRA nights: Sometimes, a little too much Lettermanesque, but he's got the makings of a first-class cynic cyn·ic n. 1. A person who believes all people are motivated by selfishness. 2. A person whose outlook is scornfully and often habitually negative. 3. who can thrive without gimmicks. Last year: Not rated. 9. Nick Nickson, XTRA Kings postgame talk: He's turned into the Matt Johnson of the airwaves - he won't pull any punches. Last year: Not ranked. 10. Chick Hearn, KLAC Lakers pregame talk: It's got to a point where the campy factor alone is worth a listen as long as you're stuck in Forum traffic. Last year: Honorable mention. We know you're out there somewhere: Steve Edwards, Ira Fistel, Dave Smith and Joey Haim. Honorable mention: Jeff Biggs (field reporter, XTRA, KFWB and KNX); Irv Kaze (KIEV); Larry Burnett (KLAC Laker talk Monday); the crew at KFWB (especially with the entrance of Van Earl Wright); Bill Seward (KNX news reader). THE SYNDICATED PULP This has become an entirely different animal - nationally focused, with L.A. news as it fits into the grand scheme. They may not be the first to break an L.A. story, but they've become a high-grade additive to the fuel tank. For overall excellence: 1. Jim Rome: On the Premier Radio Network via XTRA late mornings. Probably the premier sports talk host in the country. And he'll be the first to tell you. 2. Tony Bruno: On ESPN Radio via XTRA weekends. 3. Scott Ferrall: On Westwood One via KLSX-FM weeknights. The Danny Sheridan of radio. 4. Bob Golic: On Prime Radio Network via KWNK late afternoons. 5. Riki Rachtman: On Westwood One via KLSX-FM afternoon drivetime. Sure, it's mostly ``guy'' talk, but sports like NASCAR NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), organization that sanctions American stock-car races, est. 1948. It held its first race in Daytona Beach, Fla. , hockey and even snowboarding are worked into the mix. THE BOTTOM FIVE 1. (tie) Bill Werndl and Steve Hartman, XTRA afternoons: The dufus Dierdorf bogus interview a few months ago locks this dogmatic duo into double secret probation. ``Sylvester'' Werndl slops around pretending to know the ins and outs ins and outs pl.n. 1. The intricate details of a situation, decision, or process. 2. The windings of a road or path. of the NFL draft, but after that, sports talk is not his forte. Hartman, despite his exceptional trivia knowledge, has become a trivial lead host, lowering himself to the status of an obnoxious college frat boy during last call on a Friday night. Last year: Not ranked; 5 (top 10). 3. Lee Hamilton, XTRA afternoon drivetime: Not his real name. Not a real show. He doesn't need a screener for his callers; he needs one for himself. We're still seeking an audio restraining order restraining order: see injunction. to keep his voice 100 feet from our car radio. Last year: 1 (bottom five). 4. John Kentera, XTRA weeknights: ``The coach,'' once known around the XTRA offices as ``the janitorial engineer,'' may claim to know Xs and Os. It's the other 24 letters of the alphabet that give him trouble. Last year: Horrible mention. 5. Geoff Witcher, KABC weeknights: Makes Scott St. James sound like Edward R. Murrow Noun 1. Edward R. Murrow - United States broadcast journalist remembered for his reports from London during World War II (1908-1965) Edward Roscoe Murrow, Murrow . Last year: Not ranked. Horrible mention: John ``The Sports Doctor'' Chelesnic (XTRA), Chris ``Conan'' McKnight (XTRA). Special horrible mention: Can XTRA update king Joe Tutino get through a three-minute reading without falling all over himself every single time? CAPTION(S): Box, 4 Photos Box: THE DAILY NEWS 4th ANNUAL BEST AND WORSTOF THE L.A. SPORTS MEDIA (see text) Photo: (1) McDonnell (2) Golden (3) Rome (4) Hamilton |
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