FM talk radio format all talked out? KLSX-FM (97.1) going top 40 Friday [UPDATED]

Good news for local fans of Rihanna, bad news for older talk radio listeners in Los Angeles. 

Beginning Friday at 5 p.m., boosters of urban-skewing artists such as Beyoncé, Pink and Britney Spears will have another top 40/"CHR" (contemporary hit radio) station to sing along to in their cars, as L.A.'s only "all-talk" commercial FM station now appears to be all talked out.

KLSX (97.1 Free FM) will switch formats Feb. 20 to CBS Radio's latest concept, titled AMP Radio (not to be confused with the now-defunct Amp'd Mobile, a company that heavily pushed mobile radio to cellphone users in 2006 but filed for bankruptcy protection in 2007). 

A CBS Radio news release says the new station (its tagline is "all the hits") will "combine the power of its on-air position with myriad online and digital applications creating a full 360 degree audio and visual experience."

Translation? Listeners of KLSX were probably too old.

AMP Radio originally bowed early last year as an online/HD2 station affiliated with KCBS-FM in L.A.  Apparently, the test run was successful enough to convince CBS radio executives that young, texting-and-Twittering teens -- the ones who spend money at malls while listening to music via their cellphones -- just can't get enough of artists such as Kanye West and T.I. This is despite the fact that there is plenty of competition in the space -- see KPWR (105.9), KIIS (102.7) and KDAY (93.5) -- all of which mine similar musical territory in the same market.

"Creating a successful radio station not only means focusing on what you hear over the air -- it's that, yet it's so much more and as evidenced by what we're announcing today, the possibilities are endless," said Kevin Weatherly, senior vice president of programming for CBS Radio, in a news release announcing the format change today.

On-air talent at the new AMP Radio is expected to be announced in coming weeks. "They will be added after the station launches," said Karen Mateo, vice president of communications at CBS Radio in New York.

During the last three months of 2008, KLSX averaged a 1.3% audience share among listeners 12 and older, which placed the station at No. 27 in the market. In fact, KLSX never truly recovered in the ratings after losing its major morning lead-in, Howard Stern, to satellite radio. When Stern was still on the air in late 2005 at 97.1, the station enjoyed a 2.2 share.

Despite the less-than-stellar ratings, KLSX still enjoyed a rabid fan base for several of its marquee shows, including Adam Carolla's morning show, "The Adam Carolla Show With Teresa Strasser," which replaced Stern, and Tom Leykis' widely syndicated afternoon program "The Tom Leykis Show." Both Carolla's and Leykis' shows proved popular with 25-to-54-year-old men (with Leykis' afternoon drive time exploration of all things from the male perspective, in particular, a notable hit nationwide).

Beginning next week, new episodes of Carolla's show will no longer broadcast in any market, although it is believed that "best of" shows may air in some territories. It is not yet known what will happen to Leykis' show in syndication. Leykis told the Orange County Register earlier this month that he "should have something to announce shortly" regarding the syndication of his shows.

But none of KLSX's success stories ("The Frosty, Heidi and Frank Show" also enjoyed decent midday ratings) were enough to stave off the format change. CBS Radio clearly sees an advertising opening with the AMP format, and KIIS-FM's continued success with a similar music strategy (think Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Ne-Yo) may have forced CBS Radio's hand in an increasingly dire economy.

KLSX rolled out its all-talk format in 1995; before that, it aired classic rock.

A full story is forthcoming in The Times about the switchover.

UPDATE 02/19: Carolla announced Thursday morning on 97.1 that he would start podcasting "The Adam Carolla Show" beginning Monday at adamcarolla.com. 

-- Charlie Amter

Photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images

Correction: An earlier version of this post misidentified the call letters of 102.7 as KISS. The correct call letters are KIIS. Also, KPWR's frequency was misidentified as 106; the correct frequency is 105.9.

Comments

[jennifer]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

[Radio]

The call letters for 102.7 are KIIS, not KISS

Also, KPWR is located at 105.9 FM.

And I'd argue at this point that 96.3 KXOL ("Latino 96.3") is more of a force that 93.5 KDAY.

[Sandy Brose]

I am so saddened by this news. My WHOLE day at work is spent laughing and enjoying Adam CArolla, Heidi, Frosty and Frank and can't imagine that we REALLY need another hip-hop, be-pop radio station. SHAME on CBS radio for this change. I will NEVER listen to 97.1 again. When the talk show format goes away - so will I. I have passed this info on to everyone I know who loves the line-up and we will all hope that some other "smart" company will pick up these entertainers and put them somewhere else where they are APPRECIATED.

I say SHAME on you and good luck with having another station JUST LIKE many others out there!

[Spokker]

Sandy, they aren't appreciated because they didn't get the ratings. Once Stern left, the station plummeted. CBS Radio will make more money with Top 40 than FM Talk, because apparently the only thing that held up that station was Stern.

KLSX would actually give advertisers discounts for spots on Stern's show if they would buy up time during the rest of the day, when Stern was not on. Imagine that.

[Steven]

This sucks. Frosty, Heidi, and Frank were the highlight of my day...after being laid off for over 6 months they kept the laughter going for me and for many of us. I'm glad I don't watch anything on KCBS and I don't plan on listening to anything on the radio either. I hope that we Angelinos will have some talk show to listen to again one day...I guess people couldn't get enough of that garbage music.

[P.J.]

Yep, just what the world needs: another outlet for cacophonous, derivative Top 40 drivel. The record industry's implosion can not only be blamed on internet file sharing and the iPod. They've done a masterful job on marketing "artists" with dubious talent. They've manipulated a generation of music listeners that it's important to fall in line and like what everyone else likes.

I believe many people listen to Rihanna and T.I., not because they legitimately like them, but because that's what every one else listens to. Really, if Rihanna and T.I. (I'm using these people for examples) have such hard-core followings, how come they're not selling out stadiums on tour? Because their popularity is hollow. And ultimately, they'll flame out, no longer make money for their labels, and get replaced by someone as trite and insipid as them.

Can you imagine if R.E.M., the Pretenders, and U2, for example tried starting in this age of music? They'd only be heard on "Morning Becomes Eclectic" and tour small clubs.

I, for one, welcome the further destruction of the radio and record industry. They deserve it.

[KarenVB]

They pulled the plug on the sister station WCKG in Chicago two years ago, I'm surprised the KLSX FM-talk format lasted this long here.

[Jon]

I will be removing 97.1 from the presets in all my vehicles. Who needs ANOTHER Top 40 station? NOT Los Angeles. What a pity that we are losing entertaining radio. I guess Ill become a satellite radio subscriber.

[Chuck]

WHY?!!!!! Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!

[Dave]

Personally, I don't know how anyone can listen to Frosty, Heidi & Frank or Leykis. That's worse than Ranchera. BUT...I can't believe that Los Angeles can't support a great show like the Adam Carolla Show. Despite his popular reputation as a comedian, there is no more incisive political and cultual commentary on the air anywhere. He is a lonely voice of sanity against city, state, and federal government, political correctness, and other sacred cows the other media are too afraid to touch. And he does it with wit and style, not bludgeoning like you would get with a host like Mancow (ugh.). And, Teresa Strasser, the co-host, is a similarly intelligent and witty host who is quietly better than any other woman on popular radio (i.e. world's apart from Jamie White, who this town just seemed to love). I can only conclude that the vast majority of the radio listening audience is dumb. I say good day to you.

[Andy]

This is a sad sad day. Corporate radio is terrible and so are the majority of the song in todays top 40. How many times do I need to hear T.I. and Katie Perry. Listening to this music truly makes you dumber. Great job CBS.

GET IT ON! - no more :(

[Ken]

Another station to which I will not be listening. How long before it goes Spanish?

[mikey mike]

Who needs ANOTHER Top 40 station? Music sucks now days. Its the ONLY talk radio station in Los Angeles for Christs sake and CBS is killing it off !! Im selling all my CBS stock ASAP. What a bunch of morons. Who cares if 12 year olds don't listen to talk radio? CBS is the devil.....THE DEVIL!! IM GOING TO TEAR THE # 2 OFF ALL MY TV REMOTES. WHY GOD WHY?

[mike]

this is TERRIBLE; i listen to them every day along witha ll my coworkers, are you joking me? another terrible radio station. i hope you go under cbs!

[paul radford]

buy sirius and get all the talk radio you want. stern, jay thomas, bubba, fox, cnn. left, right, serious, funny. its worth 12 bucks.

[Raiker]

I'll miss the Aceman, but I'm glad to see the talentless triplets finally off the radio. The gigantic step down in quality following Stern or Adam never made sense to me. Maybe they'll find another gig doing overnights in a bottom end market where they belong.

[DB]

97.1 FM Talk will be missed. Adam is great, and so is Tim Conway Jr. FHF was ok, and Leykis was get great again with more issues talked about recently, he was sounding more like his old KFI days, which is good thing- 101 gets old after about 10 years...well this is what they made the ipod for and podcasts on itunes! goodbey LA radio, looks like the print LA Times will be next....

[Nick]

NOOOO!!!!!

LEYKIS CHANGED MY LIFE!!!!

[Bree]

It's a shame they are getting ride of the talk-format. Are there any stations left in L.A. that are not playing popular music?

I'll definitely miss "Frosty, Heidi, and Frank". For us "old" folks (and I'm an ancient 28), it was a funny show commenting on current events, relationships, and their own personal lives. Think "The Daily Show" for radio, only more immature. Hopefully they will move on to bigger and better things. They were never fully appreciated by CBS.

Viva FHF!!!

[Marc]

Unbelievable...absolutely tragic. We live in such a diverse city, with a radio market that should be equally diverse, yet LA has the least variety of any metropolis in the world. Indie103 - Dead... Remember Pirate radio? - Dead... KNAC - Dead. Now, my choices are crap, and, oh yeah, crap. Thank God for sports radio, but really, I can't listen to that all day... And I love the thought that they're marketing to the 'twittering teens"...really? They're spending money? That they get from where? They're high-paying jobs at Weinerschnitzel? Give me a frigging break. Quoting a perhaps overly-quoted Monty Python flick, "I fart in your general direction!"...take THAT cbs radio(notice I didn't capitalize their call letters)!! Now I'm off to mope...

[Dave James]

I was an original listener to FHF. Having Frosty, Heidi and Frank around to make me laugh and get me through work, make sad or terrible news seem a little less frightening and make the world a little less serious was something special and will be greatly missed.

You really had to listen to the whole show.

Bye, FHF. May you rise again someday.

[Bryan]

My radio has been tuned to 97.1 about 99% of the time spent in my car since 1995. I will never tune it in there again after 5pm friday. Sad day for L.A. radio. Welcome to the suck.

[cho-kettie]

ummm.... what dave said.

it pains me i will no longer GET IT ON (yeeeewwww!!!) at work anymore.

[Justin]

I am so incrediblly disapointed.

[Amanda P.]

OHMYGOD!! What the Hell? I am so pissed off that Adam Corolla is no longer going to be on 97.1. First, STAR 98.7 fires "Jamie, Jack and Stench" to go to an all music station and that tanked and then I was lucky enough to discover Adam Corolla on 97.1 only to hear he's being taken off for more music. I enjoy hearing conversation and laughing in the mornings and I am someone who listens from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., even through commercials! However, I am never going to listen to that station ever again and I pray that Adam has a back up plan and doesn't disappear. God, I am pissed!