The Legal ID

I listen to a lot of radio and I rarely hear a legal ID. It's such a minor obligation, but nobody does it anymore. But Really Mr. radioman, "what a legal ID? " I'll use WTOS as the example.

There are only four ways that station can give a legal ID!
1. "WTOS, Skowhegan." That's the calls followed immediately by the city of license.
2. "WTOS, 105.1 on your dial, Skowhegan." That's the frequency or channel said between the calls and the city of license.
3. "WTOS, owned by Clear Channel Communications, Skowhegan." That's calls, owner and city of license.
4. "WTOS, owned by Clear Channel Communications, 105.1 on your dial Skowhegan" That's the ownership and the frequency are inserted between the calls and the city of license.

Despite the very narrow set of correct possibilities, Stations everywhere do it differently. KABL once got into trouble for ringing a rather loud cable-car bell so no one could hear the word "Oakland" in their legal ID. At WFLA in Tampa runs a legit ID in a jingle every hour on the hour. In Providence Rhode Island, WHJJ-AM, used ot have a similar jingle for their legal ID then they tradded it out for an all-girl chorus singing the call letters followed by a low male voice dropping the city of license almost inaudibly

Montery Travel Missive #2

The Juniper trees by Sloat Ave. are massive and gnarled like overly muscular arms cranked from steroids. ...and the Hickory Trees have left shells all the way to Hawthorne. It was a strange thing to fixate on after a walk through Cannery Row, but it's what I remember now. I also recall vividly that the street signs were carved out of wood. I walked to the aquarium to check out the otters, and at first saw none. Then I noticed one fat sea otter lying on a rock facing away from me. It did nothing cute like the ones on TV. It's just looked fat and somewhat bored.

KNRY-AM turns out to have a studio on the row. The rest was dull tourist shops and restaurants that smelled like wine and fish. (I like neither) I met two men who used to have a show on KNRY-AM who were very funny and charming and knew just where to get a good sandwich. We went to a local joint called Randy's (10th street & church?) It's only open for lunch 11:30 -1:30 Monday thru Friday. I had the Jaws2 hoagie which had turkey, ham, salami, bologna, provolone mayo and was on a soft sesame roll. Truly a sandwich to be reckoned with. I ate that sandwich in the park and then got a ride in a Ferrari at about 90 mph in that little tunnel before Lighthouse St. Fun people out here.

I bought a couple books at Bookbuyers used books on the same street. We were only going 35 when we passed it, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to read the sign. Tremendously knowledgeable and engaging bibliophiles in there. Next door is recycled records, a viny shop, which sadly was closed for a dinner break when I finally happened by. www.bookbuyers.com

In related Monterrey News, I noticed that Melanie Walker, former morning show host of KAZU has reappeared as MD of KCMP in Minneapolis replacing Thorn. We she here I would have coughed her show, in liu I spent some time listening to a Tropical show on KKUP, their first break from the reggae. It was a set of Venezuelan harp rock. Host Cristina Boyd presided over a st of music like nothing I have ever heard before. It began with recognizable Afro-cuban jazz and ended with surreal call-and-response music with the call consisting of Hammond B3 Organ and the response being the same line etched in harp picking. The program is called Amenidades Latino Americans and only airs every other week.

I also discovered 1410 KRML-AM which runs all jazz and blues but leaning nostalgia across both. It's much less fruity than the two standards outlets KIDD-AM and KABL-AM running zero show tunes and zero Streisand. It was a relaxing discovery this evening. http://www.krmlradio.com/

Salinas Travel Missive

The radio programming today (and the TV) is the worst I have seen in my life: worse than Xmas, worse than the Macy's Parade... worse than election Night. All channels, all stations are talking about 9/11. Even NPR was guilty. Yes, even Garrison Keilor was roped into it. [for shame!] The 5 year anniversary is inescapable.

Every station was fixated on two people reading a long list of names and the George W. Bush trying to look humble for ten minutes. The hype was unbearable. Only Randy Rhodes had anything intelligent to say . If you don't like the way things are, blame the party in power. It's not that complicated. http://www.therandirhodesshow.com/live/

What does this gratuitous grief, serve at the Grand Guignol?
It's hype. I was a promoter and I know hype. It's hype to distract you from one story and to fixate you on another. Yes forget all that and please watch the following patriotic montage:

The purpose to coax some guilty patriotism out of the ignorant masses with the idea that it makes you more likely to vote Republican in 60 days. anyway, political railing aside...

Marina is foggy every day apparently. No one mentioned that to me before I booked the trip. I am on East Coast Time in my brain and woke at 5:3o AM which is actually late for work on EST. I had breakfast because I was hungry, then at 8:30 when I could begin thinking about going to work... I was hungry for lunch... I am so messed up. It was 55 degrees until the fog finally rolled back around noon. Then it jumped up to 85 in 3o minutes. Apparently 10 miles up Route 1 in either direction and the fog goes away. bizarre.

So anyway the politics sent me scanning down the dial for anything that wasn't about Bush, Towers or self flagellation. I found KKUP actually playing music. For years I've assumed KKUP was wildly eclectic with their lefty logo and reputation but no. they seem in practice to be a 24 hr Reggae station. Oh well. "The People's Radio" apparently was meant mostly for Jamaican people. http://www.magic63.com/home.php

I spent some time listening to 700 KMBX-AM expecting a Regional Mexican station but instead found an eclectic mix of mid 70s Spanish pop; I think. It had lots of keyboards and reverb. It's Jose-AM, a deep catalog Spanish format, I think it's an Entravision experiment: Adult Hits En Espanol! 600 KIDD-AM continued to play a kind of fruity mix of Nostalgia skewing away from big band and toward Broadway show tunes. I couldn't stomach most of it. http://www.magic63.com/ 1460 is KABL-AM but they skew Soft AC which is even worse. http://www.kablradio.com/

RECOMMENDED: I got a ruben at Mecca, a German Deli and it was so strong tasting I am still wrangling with the idea of what a ruben is and what it can be. Read about it here
NOT RECOMMENDED: Also hit the Steinbeck Museum. It was aimed at 9 year old and I was kind of let down. FYI: if you do go with the kids, Do not park on the street. You wont be able to back out for 17 hours. Park in the municipal lot and pay the dude.