Landing on AM dial is no sad country song

Three months after Los Angeles’ only country radio station, KZLA-FM (93.9) switched to a rhythmic pop format, leaving the nation’s largest market for country music with nowhere to tune on the radio dial, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Toby Keith and the rest of the twang gang are back on the air. But now they’re heard on the AM dial.

In fact, when the country music broadcasts started recently on XSUR-AM (540) -- transmitting from just across the border in Tijuana -- the effect in L.A. was almost like tuning in on an old crystal set with the signal fading in and out.

But beginning Friday KKGO-AM (1260) in Los Angeles also will be carrying the programming. For now, that’s a combination of nationally syndicated shows and automated segments, but after Jan. 1, the stations will offer a mix of local and national programming, some featuring former KZLA personalities.

“I began to get dozens if not hundreds of telephone calls from country fans saying, ‘You’re the last one who can save it,’ ” says Saul Levine, president and general manager of Mt. Wilson FM Broadcasters, which owns XSUR and KKGO. “This kept going on and I thought, ‘These were really nice people.’ ”

These also were more desirable people -- at least to advertisers -- than KKGO was attracting with the “standards” format the station had for the last two years.

“I love the standards format,” Levine says. “But it was difficult to sell. The median age of listeners is 65-plus, and when an ad agency hears that, there’s no buy there. The outer fringes of what they’re looking for is 54.”

The median age of the 650,000 people who made up the steady KZLA audience, however, per Arbitron research, was in the early 40s.

“As much as I love the standards format, I’m not in position to continue after two years of losing money,” Levine says. “And here are people begging me to put a format on that isn’t currently in the market.”

Levine is a rare independent broadcaster in a major market, also operating classical station KMZT-FM (105.1) and soon to take over management of Cal State Long Beach’s noncommercial jazz station KJZZ-FM (88.1). One of his first moves in moving into country was to reach out to former KZLA figures to staff the new station.

Whitney Allen, Brian Douglas and Paul Freeman will provide familiar voices for old fans, anchoring the new stations’ on-air roster via shows produced for the nationally syndicated Dial Global network. The programming will also be comparable, drawing on current country hits sprinkled with classics from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s.

“We had the most loyal audience,” says Allen, whose “Big Time” show will air weekdays from 3 to 8 p.m. starting Jan. 8, in addition to her “The Big Time Saturday Night” show that is already being carried. “I’ve been in radio a long time and thought I’d seen everything, but these people never gave up hope that they would get a country station back. They’d like a better signal, but they are so thankful.”

Will the new ventures -- to be known as Country 540 and Country 1260 -- be able to match KZLA’s presence? After all, the defunct station had the promotional muscle of corporate owner Emmis Communications, which changed KZLA’s call letters to KMVN-FM and renamed it “Movin’ 93.9” in hopes of boosting the station’s ratings. (Ratings slipped from 1.7% to 1.2% in the first ratings period covering the new format.)

Levine doesn’t have the same kind of resources and deep pockets as Emmis. He points out that the geographical reach of his two stations’ signals stretches from San Diego to Santa Barbara, with a total population of 15 million, a far bigger footprint than KZLA covered. But he says he’s not using KZLA as his measure of success.

One key to success will be the endorsement and participation of major country artists and record labels in promotional activities such as on-air appearances and concert tie-ins.

Tony Brown, senior partner in Universal Music Group’s Nashville-based Universal South operations, doesn’t think that will be a problem, regardless of it being AM rather than FM, given that Southern California has long been the nation’s No. 1 or 2 market for retail sales of country music.

“Any kind of signal broadcasting country music in the L.A. area is good to me,” says Brown, who has produced hits by Brooks & Dunn, George Strait and many other top country acts. “We always count on breaking records on the West Coast, and to have lost KZLA was a big shock to me.

“If KZLA added a record in the first week, it means you might have a hit on your hands,” Brown says. “And L.A. is the place with all the TV shows you try to get your acts on, so having the exposure there is crucial. I can’t believe the labels wouldn’t feel the need to step up and support this.”