Airwaves Turn Patriotic for Fourth of July : RADIO

SPECIALS: KRTH-FM (101.1) for the 13th year airs its “Firecracker 300,” which counts down the top 300 pop hits ever, according to an audience survey. . . . Shadow Steele of Pirate Radio (100.3 FM) will celebrate the holiday by broadcasting from Gladstone’s 4-Fish in Malibu, noon until 4 p.m. The coverage continues with a free fireworks display from a barge off the coast from 9 p.m. to midnight. Information: GL4-FISH.

At 2 p.m. KIIS (102.7 FM) begins to provide periodic coverage of the Rose Bowl Americafest, a five-hour combination of fireworks, music and marching bands. In addition to what is touted as the largest pyromusical event on the West Coast, the Rose Bowl celebration features performances by Wilson Phillips, Michael Bolton, Glenn Medeiros, The Cover Girls, Alisha and A’me Lorain. Rick Dees will appear on the program along with others from the KIIS crew, including Magic Matt, Hollywood Hamilton and Ellen K.

MUSIC: KCRW-FM (89.9) will pay tribute to two musical giants, Irving Berlin and Louis Armstrong. Host Ian Whitcomb features rare and unusual recordings of Berlin songs from noon until 3 p.m. One such piece will be “Reaching for the Moon” which was deleted from the 1929 movie of the same title. Berlin is heard singing “This Is the Army Mr. Jones” from his 1942 Broadway Review “This Is the Army.” A patriotic Berlin wrote the review to help the war cause, according to program host Whitcomb, who said of the composer’s rare recordings, “People forget that he was a performer before he became a song writer. He was probably very critical of himself.”

Also on KCRW, from 3 to 5 p.m. Louis Armstrong, who would have been 90 years old today, is revealed via recorded interviews with Armstrong himself as well as other musicians and music critics. Host Billy Taylor explores Armstrong’s influence on the Swing Era and modern pop music.

Music personality Don Kirshner begins the day at 5 a.m. on KRLA (1110 AM) with a special look at the “British Invasion” of music in America during the ‘60s. Featured groups on this four-hour program include the Beatles, Herman’s Hermits, the Animals, the Rolling Stones and others.

KRLA will then move to Newport Beach for its Fourth of July ‘50s Beach Bash at the Newport Dunes Resort, beginning a live broadcast at 9 a.m.

KLOS (95.5) will present Joe Walsh from 6 to 10 p.m. live at the Fountain Valley Festival, a holiday carnival with rides, booths and food.

KLSX (97.1 FM) airs a six-hour Westwood One program at noon called “Sixties at the Beeb,” featuring British groups that appeared on the BBC during the ‘60s. The program will include music as well as recorded interviews with David Bowie, members of Pink Floyd and others.