Two Cents on KRTH

[oldies76]

Returning from a trip to the L.A. area, gotta say that K-Earth 101 has improved big time over the repetitious and the burning-to-death of certain hit songs. Lots of "new" 70's and early 80's are being played, as well as some of the usual 60's, KRTH has played for years.

Sure they still play the Beatles heavily as well as some motown songs, but the addition of more recent classic hits and a good variety at that, has made this station more listenable than ever.

Will KRTH ever return to the mid 1980's format, with an endless catalog of hits and super specials, probably not. But at least KRTH these days is music to the ears and a huge improvement over the long span of frequently repetitious tunes and short playlists listeners, including myself, have endured for many years.

Amazingly, "Low Rider", "My Girl" and "Brown Eyed Girl" were mysteriously absent from the usual run of songs heard. Not one was heard!  Something must have changed and it's for the better to say the least.

KRTH.....you're on the favorites list, once again. 

[finallyescaped]

Amazingly, "Low Rider", "My Girl" and "Brown Eyed Girl" were mysteriously absent from the usual run of songs heard. Not one was heard! 

Don't worry, Low Rider and Brown Eyed Girl are still top 20 songs for K-Earth.

Seriously, though, you're right. KRTH sounds great!

[calguy]

Actually KRTH has sounded pretty good for the last 5 years or so thanks to programmer Jhani Kaye. He knew what was needed to bring KRTH back from the brink of death. He literally saved KRTH from a format change.

[radio124]

I like how KRTH plays requests (real ones) at night. Some time ago someone requested "I'm Not Your Stepping Stone." I was expecting to hear The Monkee's version. But they didn't play that one. They played a version by Paul Revere and the Raiders that I never even knew existed.

[Lkeller]

Actually KRTH has sounded pretty good for the last 5 years or so thanks to programmer Jhani Kaye. He knew what was needed to bring KRTH back from the brink of death. He literally saved KRTH from a format change.

Agreed.  When I visit LA, the first thing I do is tune in K-Earth.  LA is lucky you are to have a REAL Classic Hits station with good personalities, as opposed to the voice-tracked automated nothingness we have in the Bay Area ("the New 103.7"...even the name is dull).  Obviously, there is repetition, and perhaps I'd tire of KRTH if I lived there, but if I stay a week and have the radio on a couple hours a day, I hear very few repeats.  In the old Mike Phillips 300 song playlist days, I'd be hearing repeats on the second day.

[michael hagerty]

Actually KRTH has sounded pretty good for the last 5 years or so thanks to programmer Jhani Kaye. He knew what was needed to bring KRTH back from the brink of death. He literally saved KRTH from a format change.

Agreed.  When I visit LA, the first thing I do is tune in K-Earth.  LA is lucky you are to have a REAL Classic Hits station with good personalities, as opposed to the voice-tracked automated nothingness we have in the Bay Area ("the New 103.7"...even the name is dull).  Obviously, there is repetition, and perhaps I'd tire of KRTH if I lived there, but if I stay a week and have the radio on a couple hours a day, I hear very few repeats.  In the old Mike Phillips 300 song playlist days, I'd be hearing repeats on the second day.

Llew: A deep-voiced birdie told me back in the Phillips days that the power rotation for the key oldies (My Girl, Doo Wah Diddy Diddy, Brown-Eyed Girl) was 15 hours and 10 minutes. Play it at 6:00 AM, it comes back at 9:10PM. It's back again at 12:20 the next afternoon, then 3:30 the next morning, 6:40 that evening, 9:50 the following morning and so on.

[Winston here]

I was very fortunate to work for Jhani when I was starting out in the biz.  I would never bet against that guy.

[JON BRUCE]

Sean Ross mentioned last week a lot of worn out "work horses" are not testing well anymore, most notably "Do Wah Ditty".

[DrLove]

We're very pleased with Mr. Kaye. Thank you!

[Lkeller]

Sean Ross mentioned last week a lot of worn out "work horses" are not testing well anymore, most notably "Do Wah Ditty".

That's the Manfred Mann version, right? I'm not surprised it's not testing well now.  Aside from being overplayed, it was released in June 1964, which makes it almost 48 years old. But I'll take it every time over Manfred Mann's song Blinded by the Light.  Hate that song. I always did like The Mighty Quinn, which I don't think I've heard on the radio in decades.

Jon - last time I was in PS, I thought your station (KDES) sounded damn good, too.