KABC Cancels ‘Minyard and Tilden’ Show

In another step toward overhauling the station and boosting its sagging ratings, KABC-AM (790) has canceled its morning “Minyard and Tilden” show.

Hosts Ken Minyard and Peter Tilden told The Times in separate interviews Wednesday that their services on the topical 5-9 a.m. show were being terminated.

Minyard--for more than a quarter-century the morning-drive mainstay on KABC--said that he will be leaving the station on Friday. But Tilden, speaking from his car after a meeting with station management, said that the last day could be today.

Minyard, 59, said that after Bill Sommers, president and general manager of KABC, had received an inquiry late Monday about Minyard’s status on the station, he was offered the option to choose a date on which to leave.

“I chose this Friday,” he said by phone from his home. “They were very, very generous about it. I told him when we spoke I wanted to have everything very amicable.”

Tilden, 44, said that “especially since Ken wasn’t going to be there, I didn’t want to be there. I had a great time. Honestly and truly. I’m looking forward to doing my own thing now.”

KABC officials had no immediate comment on the departures or on who would replace them.

In the most recent Arbitron ratings, “Minyard and Tilden” averaged a 3.5% share of audience, down from the 3.8% it drew the previous quarter and the 4.1% the previous summer. The pair also were declining among listeners aged 25-54, the group that many advertisers target.

Minyard has been with KABC since 1969 and host of its morning-drive since 1973. He was partnered for 17 years with Bob Arthur, for nearly six years with Roger Barkley and for two years with Tilden.

When Minyard was paired with Arthur, their catch phrase “EGBOK”--standing for “Everything’s Gonna Be OK”--became part of the Southland vocabulary.