O.C.’s Only Talk-Radio Station to Go All-Music

Orange County’s only talk-radio station has laid off its morning team as it prepares for a planned switch to an all-music format.

Bob and Yvonne Turnbull, a husband-and-wife team who hosted a magazine-style show weekdays from 6 to 9 a.m., were let go after their show Wednesday at Anaheim-based KORG (1190 AM). On Thursday, their show was replaced by syndicated programming.

Bob Turnbull said he and his wife were told that they were being let go to make way for a switch to an all-music format. While he called the parting “amiable,” he expressed disappointment that the county would lose its only talk station.

KORG’s vice president and general manager, Bob Wood, said Thursday that the station is “looking at several options right now” but is leaning toward a format that aims to attract an audience 45 to 65 years old with a blend of big band and adult contemporary music.

The service would be provided by Unistar, a Colorado-based company that provides 24-hour programming in a variety of formats to more than 1,000 stations nationwide, via satellite. Wood said that if KORG goes with the service, it would use only part of the satellite feed and would keep some locally produced programming.

“If we can get this format in this market, I think it would be an asset,” Wood said. He stressed that no deals have been finalized and said no date for the switch has been set. Besides the Turnbulls, KORG’s midday host Karen Tyndall was replaced last month with satellite programming, as was Ken Satin’s afternoon show. Neither was a salaried station employee.

The 10,000-watt KORG has gone through several format changes in recent years. It last switched formats in February, 1989, from Christian programming (as station KPZE) to an all-talk lineup with an emphasis on Orange County. It also flirted with an all-news format as KNWZ after years as a Top 40 rock station, KEZY-AM.

KORG and sister station KEZY-FM were purchased last year for $15.1 million by New York-based ML Media Partners. When former owners Anaheim Broadcasting Corp. agreed to sell in June, ML officials said there were no plans to change formats at either station. KEZY-FM is a Top 40 station.