Indie 103.1 cancels Camp Freddy radio, changes time slot for Rollins' show

Every card-carrying member of the indie scene's favorite radio station is making a few changes this fall. 

In order to tighten up its format and shore up ratings (or rather, just become rated) so it can attract national advertising, the indie rock station-of-record in Los Angeles, Indie 103.1, has moved several shows, and will ditch a few others. 

Henry Rollins' weekly show is moving to Saturdays from 8 to 10 p.m., from its previous Tuesday night time slot. Brent Bolthouse and Danny Masterson's "Feel My Heat" is on "hiatus," according to a representative of the station, (and EW.com) as is the Crystal Method's Friday night dance music program, "Community Service."

"You have to look at the overall programming, and radio stations have to be consistent," Indie 103.1 programming director Max Tolkoff said Tuesday. "We have to be consistent from hour to hour. Part of Indie moving forward is to try and get that consistency from 6 a.m. to midnight, Monday to Friday... that's the idea." 

Both Rollins' manager and Crystal Method's representative confirm the changes...

"The station was making tweaks to the schedule and rather than get locked into a new time period for a potentially short period of time," a Crystal Method representative said Tuesday, "the guys decided it probably would be best to take a break, given that they are on tour for the rest of the fall and will be heavily promoting their new album in 2009." 

Also gone, according to Tolkoff, is Dave Navarro's "Camp Freddy Radio." (Attempts to reach Navarro's reps were unsuccessful but Camp Freddy member Billy Morrison wrote on his blog late last month that Freddy was "parting ways with the station"). Programs that remain include "Passport Approved" on Saturday mornings, Native Wayne's Sunday afternoon reggae show and, of course, Indie 103.1's most famous bit of programming, Steve Jones' beloved daily "Jonesy's Jukebox."

Tolkoff added that he is "not ruling out adding in other shows" in the future.  However, for now, it looks like area fans of specialty programming at the Entravision Communications-owned station will have to make do with recurrent tunes from Indie staples such as the Killers and Arcade Fire during the week, at least.

"The thing about specialty shows is that they have to be put in the proper place," Tolkoff said, meaning mostly weekends. The proper place for shows such as "Camp Freddy?" Apparently, there is none.

UPDATE: Tolkoff writes late Tuesday that Navarro, at least, apparently will still have a home at 103.1.  "Even though [Navarro's] Camp Freddy is no longer on the air, Dave Navarro is still with the station and will be hosting his own new show that will start up in a couple of weeks." More details as we get them in on the new show.

UPDATE #2: Navarro's show will be called "Dark Matter."  It debuts Nov. 5.

 

-- Charlie Amter

Photo of Dave Navarro by Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Comments

[james]

shame they are getting rid of community service and probably tone down the electro aspects.

[J]

agree with james about community service. Always enjoyed the show and it will be missed

[scene spirit]

Check the story out here too! Pretty funny!

http://scenespirit.com/post.cfm?postId=114

[Felix]

Also - CHAOS with Full Metal Jackie (Indie 103.1's Metal Show) remains Sunday Nights

[joe sixpack]

yeah community service was very cool...i hope they bring it back...in the meantime im listening to metropolis on kcrw.

[dimka]

Wow Tolkoff must be nuts, i guess the whole idea about Indie being the cool kid on the block is over. The only reason Indie was great was because they had eclectic shows. Camp Freddy and Danny's shows were awesome best two shows for to listen to.
I guess Jonsey's incoherent ramblings about Chelsea and the weather are more valuable than the new music that Danny played (starting from Vampire Weekend and Tokyo Police club), to the cool and awesome banter/stories/music of the Camp Freddy guys.
So yea Indie jump into the top 40 format and start peddling to the mass crowds. Listeners tastes are not uniform and cannot be summarized by a focus groups or marketing study....
You guys went with your gut feeling and took chances and people loved you for that.
Congrats on going corporate.
Soon you will become like KROQ playing Red Hot Chilli Peppers 5 times an hour and mix it with Nirvana form 25 years ago.

[Kelly Q.]

Camp Freddy was AWFUL. Those idiots rambled on about NOTHING. And they never even said Indie 103.1 Just bla bla bla rock star bull crap about NOTHING. The worst waste of the airwaves in LA history, even worse than CAT HOUSE radio KNAC ran back in the 90's.
Rock on Henry Rollins! He's intelligent, interesting and at least he talks fast and gets to the point and he has a point. Camp Freddy radio is a low level pod cast at best. Good bye!
Well until 98.7 picks it up, it would be perfect for that lame ass station.