Sunday, August 06, 2006

Los Angeles to lose its legendary Beatles radio show

They call it America’s longest-running Beatles show. And despite its reputation as the premier Beatles radio show in the country (and highest-rated in Southern California), host Chris Carter announced this morning that Breakfast with The Beatles, an oasis of quality on the 97.1 talkdump, is being cancelled.

The last broadcast is set for Labor Day Weekend.

The move seems incredibly short-sighted in light of the intense new interest in the Beatles thanks to the new Vegas spectacular, new releases, McCartney's divorce and the runaway, cross-generational success of the Fab Forever tribute group, but coming from the same station that replaced Howard Stern with Adam Carolla and runs the mirthless Frosty, Heidi & Frank chucklefest, the killing of one of the few pleasures left on radio is small surprise.

Carter’s people tell us this morning he’s negotiating for a new radio home (it would be a good catch for Jonesy’s station) and there’s always a possibility the “Free FM” nudniks will force another great broadcast to escape to pay-satellite world.

Before John Lennon died, we might have been calling for cancellation ourselves (that’s how long these Beatles brunches have been on radio around the world), but older, with kids and a love of Oasis, we tune in instinctively on Sunday mornings and amid the radio wasteland, wish for another hour.

The show Carter inherited and cares for nicely is not a Beatle-wigged nostalgiafest, but a hip music show, a great place to hear rarities and outtakes, and a good meeting place for the far-flung Beatles-connected, from Neil Innes to the Fab Forever, Mark Hudson, and Ringo & Macca themselves.

The last show is set for September 3rd. What morons. They keep the Deaf Frat Guy and get rid of this.

Someone’s already got a save the show website that is supposed to be in business tomorrow afternoon.

3 comments:

  1. Keeping Corolla and losing BWTB? Is this guy Silver a genius or what. After all, don't they call Corolla himself an American genius? Takes one to know one.

    Chris - take heart, when KMET changed formats I think BWTB also went into hiatus (if my memory serves me right)

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  2. This loss seals KLSX's fate - there is now absolutely no reason to listen to this loser of a station. From Corolla to Leykis and the Triplets to Conway and oregano pill sales, this is now a complete wasteland.

    R.I.P.

    Thanks Mr. Silver.

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  3. One of the few reasons to get up and turn on a radio station in Los Angeles on a Sunday morning, and this dimwit of a program director cancels it.

    At least I can permanently delete the once-listenable KLSX off my preset buttons.

    Thanks for nothing, Jack Silver...some day perhaps in the not too distant future, your job will also be considered 'disposable.'

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