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The real KLAC radio loss: Andrew Siciliano

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ADELAIDE, Australia -- So far away, I’m trying to get my mind around what is becoming of sports talk radio in Los Angeles.

The ‘Loose Cannons’ aren’t quite as loose without Mychal Thompson and with Chris Meyers. Vic ‘The Brick’ Jacobs is still on hand with Steve Hartman but is he allowed to be ‘the Brick’ or will he just be ‘The Shingle’ or the ‘Window Pane,’ something less, well, solidly crazy?

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Most disturbing in my mind is the loss of Andrew Siciliano from 570 KLAC. I find much of sports talk radio impossible to pay attention too. It’s either guys convinced that talking about movies and having ‘Desperate Housewives’ star and sports fan James Denton on a show is cutting edge when, really, although Denton is fabulous on the underrated show, he doesn’t exactly offer insight into Kobe Bryant’s sprained ligament or why UCLA is suddenly struggling to score points. But then, who does?

Mason and Ireland come and go so often as partners on 710 ESPN, what’s the point?

Siciliano seemed to have found the perfect blend of high-energy, red-bullish enthusiasm with some actual knowledge and reporting. He still has his caffeine-infused host job of Direct TV’s ‘Red Zone NFL’ show, and it’s a niche he has carved brilliantly.

But you know Siciliano is disappointed in his abrupt radio departure.

First, he replied to a voice-mail message with a polite e-mail saying he wanted to thank those that hired him. A few minutes later, he apologized and said he’d prefer to withdraw that innocuous thank you and just say nothing. A lot of nothing gets said on sports talk radio. It usually wasn’t Siciliano saying it. Siciliano, if I read between the lines, is not happy with how all this came down.

Hopefully Siciliano is not off the radio long. Certainly the situation hasn’t suddenly become stable. ESPN radio is sitting pretty with USC basketball and the Lakers. Rumors are starting to trickle out that maybe the Dodgers are in play.

Almost makes you wish someone would give big Joe McDonald a more prominent role. He knows people in Los Angeles sports. They’ll return his calls. Siciliano and McDonald -- that’s a pairing I’d put on my prime-time radio show. Which I don’t have. Or really want. But if I did, that’s my team.

After Siciliano and his partner, Krystal Fernandez, who also had a pleasantly feisty way about her, were dropped, they were replaced by Petros Papdakis and Matt ‘Money’ Smith. A bad trade in my eyes. Petros shouts, touts, louts, is sensitive to no nuance and he shouts a lot. And how is that programming? I’m just wondering.

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We, the listeners, lose again. I’m finding it better to just put CDs in the car player and sing along to my favorite Neil Diamond and Abba songs. At least I know no radio GM is going to take them away.

-- Diane Pucin

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