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KABC (AM)
Encyclopedia
KABC is a Los Angeles
radio station
, and a West Coast flagship station for the Cumulus Media
company. A pioneer of the talk radio
format, the station went "all-talk" in 1960 and was one of the first stations to do so. KABC is owned by Cumulus Media, but despite different owners, 790 KABC, KABC-TV
and 710 ESPN
maintains a strong partnership (as KABC-TV
is the local ABC owned-and-operated station).
KABC first went on the air on April 14, 1925 as KVFV. On November 15, 1929, the station was sold to Earle C. Anthony
, a local car dealer who already owned KFI-AM 640
. Anthony changed KVFV's call letters to reflect his initials, KECA. In the early 1940s, new FCC rules prohibited any entity from owning more than one radio station
. ABC bought the station in 1944, changing the call letters to KABC in 1954.
KABC has been the base of operation for many influential radio hosts, including early talk polemicists Joe Pyne
and Louis Lomax
, Ira Fistel, Michael Jackson, whose talk show attracted celebrities, politicians, and newsmakers of all types, pioneering radio psychologists Dr. Toni Grant and David Viscott
, and more recent syndicated hosts including Dennis Prager
(now with NewsTalk 870 KRLA
and the Salem Radio Network), John and Ken
(on KFI
before their stint on KABC and currently back on KFI
) and Larry Elder
(now back on KABC as a local show). In the 1980s, Jackson, Grant and Viscott were also syndicated nationwide on ABC Radio's talk radio network.
From 1974-97, it was also the station of the Los Angeles Dodgers
and their hall-of-fame broadcaster Vin Scully
. In 2008, the Dodgers Radio Network
returned to KABC. On September 28, 2011 - the final broadcast of Dodgers Baseball on KABC was aired at Chase Field
in Phoenix, Arizona before moving to KLAC (AM) 570 for the 2012 season.
Though a prominent Los Angeles signal, KABC declined in the ratings following the station's takeover by Disney in December 1996.
Disney replaced longtime management personnel (including 16-year General Manager George Green, who started as a KABC Salesman in 1959) with Disney corporate selections. The station has consistently lagged behind KFI, the other major talk station in Los Angeles. The station, which was owned by The Walt Disney Company
's ABC Radio came under ownership of Citadel Broadcasting
when the companies merged in 2006. Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011. The station remains an ABC affiliate.
A lawsuit alleged school employees received death threats and that the school was the target of a bomb threat because of McIntyre's extensive on-air criticism of the school, in which he accused ASDP of espousing a racist and separatist Anti-American philosophy.. The suit was dismissed in January, 2008.
, Sean Hannity
, Mark Levin
, John Phillips, John Batchelor
, and Don Imus
(For a complete list of shows see www.KABC.com).
KABC's news team includes News Director and morning anchor Mark Austin Thomas, mid-day anchor Debra Mark, afternoon anchor Steve Kindred and reporter Jo Kwon.
KABC is the flagship station of the Los Angeles Dodgers
. It broadcast Dodgers games from the time when the station was outbid by KXTA (now KTLK). After some years on KFWB
, the team returned to KABC in 2008
.
Although KABC and KSPN
have the different owners, "710ESPN" reached out to KABC to air Games 3 and 5 of the 2008 World Series
because KSPN was committed to other live sports events.
, novelist John Batchelor
, Los Angeles Zagat Survey
editor Merrill Shindler and automotive expert Leon Kaplan who in January, 2010 celebrated thirty years of broadcasting on KABC.
such as Palm Springs
), its signal reaches San Diego and as far north as Delano in Kern County
. It's night-time coverage is in most of the West Coast states like Oregon and Washington state; parts of Arizona and Nevada.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
, and a West Coast flagship station for the Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
company. A pioneer of the talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
format, the station went "all-talk" in 1960 and was one of the first stations to do so. KABC is owned by Cumulus Media, but despite different owners, 790 KABC, KABC-TV
KABC-TV
KABC-TV, channel 7, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, licensed to Los Angeles, California. KABC-TV's studios are located in Glendale, California...
and 710 ESPN
KSPN
KSPN may refer to:* KSPN , a radio station licensed to Los Angeles, California, United States* KSPN-FM, a radio station licensed to Aspen, Colorado, United States...
maintains a strong partnership (as KABC-TV
KABC-TV
KABC-TV, channel 7, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, licensed to Los Angeles, California. KABC-TV's studios are located in Glendale, California...
is the local ABC owned-and-operated station).
KABC first went on the air on April 14, 1925 as KVFV. On November 15, 1929, the station was sold to Earle C. Anthony
Earle C. Anthony
Earle C. Anthony was a pioneer businessman based in Los Angeles, California. He is primarily known for his achievements in two fields: Broadcasting and automobiles...
, a local car dealer who already owned KFI-AM 640
KFI
KFI is an AM radio station in Los Angeles, California. It received its license to operate on March 31, 1922 and began operating on April 16, 1922 as one of the United States' first high-powered, "clear-channel" stations...
. Anthony changed KVFV's call letters to reflect his initials, KECA. In the early 1940s, new FCC rules prohibited any entity from owning more than one radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
. ABC bought the station in 1944, changing the call letters to KABC in 1954.
KABC has been the base of operation for many influential radio hosts, including early talk polemicists Joe Pyne
Joe Pyne
Joe Pyne was an American radio and television talk show host, who pioneered the confrontational style in which the host advocates a viewpoint and argues with guests and audience members...
and Louis Lomax
Louis Lomax
Louis E. Lomax was an African-American journalist and author. He was also the first African-American television journalist.-Early years:...
, Ira Fistel, Michael Jackson, whose talk show attracted celebrities, politicians, and newsmakers of all types, pioneering radio psychologists Dr. Toni Grant and David Viscott
David Viscott
David Viscott , was an American psychiatrist, author, businessman, and media personality. He was a graduate of Dartmouth , Tufts Medical School and taught at University Hospital in Boston. He started a private practice in psychiatry in 1968 and later moved to Los Angeles in 1979 where he was a...
, and more recent syndicated hosts including Dennis Prager
Dennis Prager
Dennis Prager is an American syndicated radio talk show host, syndicated columnist, author, and public speaker. He is noted for his conservative political and social views emanating from conservative Judeo-Christian values. He holds that there is an "American Trinity" of essential principles,...
(now with NewsTalk 870 KRLA
KRLA
KRLA is a radio station broadcasting a News/Talk format. Licensed to Glendale, California, USA, it serves the Southern California area. The station is currently owned by Salem Communications.- KIEV :...
and the Salem Radio Network), John and Ken
John and Ken
John Chester Kobylt and Kenneth Robertson Chiampou, known professionally as John and Ken are American talk radio hosts of a four-hour weekday radio show, The John and Ken Show, on KFI AM 640 in Southern California. The John and Ken Show airs from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m....
(on KFI
KFI
KFI is an AM radio station in Los Angeles, California. It received its license to operate on March 31, 1922 and began operating on April 16, 1922 as one of the United States' first high-powered, "clear-channel" stations...
before their stint on KABC and currently back on KFI
KFI
KFI is an AM radio station in Los Angeles, California. It received its license to operate on March 31, 1922 and began operating on April 16, 1922 as one of the United States' first high-powered, "clear-channel" stations...
) and Larry Elder
Larry Elder
Laurence Allen "Larry" Elder is an American radio and television personality. His radio program The Larry Elder Show airs weekdays 9 AM to noon on talk radio 790 KABC in Los Angeles, California...
(now back on KABC as a local show). In the 1980s, Jackson, Grant and Viscott were also syndicated nationwide on ABC Radio's talk radio network.
From 1974-97, it was also the station of the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and their hall-of-fame broadcaster Vin Scully
Vin Scully
Vincent Edward Scully is an American sportscaster, known primarily as the play-by-play voice of the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team on Prime Ticket, KCAL-TV and KABC radio...
. In 2008, the Dodgers Radio Network
Los Angeles Dodgers Radio Network
The Los Angeles Dodgers Radio Network is a network of 26 radio stations that air Major League Baseball games of the Los Angeles Dodgers. , 23 stations broadcast games in English, while another 3 broadcast them in Spanish.-English:...
returned to KABC. On September 28, 2011 - the final broadcast of Dodgers Baseball on KABC was aired at Chase Field
Chase Field
Chase Field is a baseball stadium located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona and is the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball. It opened in , just in time for the Diamondbacks' first game as an expansion team...
in Phoenix, Arizona before moving to KLAC (AM) 570 for the 2012 season.
Though a prominent Los Angeles signal, KABC declined in the ratings following the station's takeover by Disney in December 1996.
Disney replaced longtime management personnel (including 16-year General Manager George Green, who started as a KABC Salesman in 1959) with Disney corporate selections. The station has consistently lagged behind KFI, the other major talk station in Los Angeles. The station, which was owned by The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
's ABC Radio came under ownership of Citadel Broadcasting
Citadel Broadcasting
Citadel Broadcasting Corporation was a Las Vegas, Nevada-based broadcast holding company. Citadel owned 243 radio stations across the United States and was the third-largest radio station owner in the country...
when the companies merged in 2006. Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011. The station remains an ABC affiliate.
A lawsuit alleged school employees received death threats and that the school was the target of a bomb threat because of McIntyre's extensive on-air criticism of the school, in which he accused ASDP of espousing a racist and separatist Anti-American philosophy.. The suit was dismissed in January, 2008.
Current programming
Current KABC personalities include Peter Tilden, Larry ElderLarry Elder
Laurence Allen "Larry" Elder is an American radio and television personality. His radio program The Larry Elder Show airs weekdays 9 AM to noon on talk radio 790 KABC in Los Angeles, California...
, Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity
Sean Hannity is an American radio and television host, author, and conservative political commentator. He is the host of The Sean Hannity Show, a nationally syndicated talk radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks. Hannity also hosts a cable news show, Hannity,...
, Mark Levin
Mark Levin
Mark Reed Levin is a lawyer, author and the host of American syndicated radio show The Mark Levin Show. Levin served in the cabinet of President Ronald Reagan and was a chief of staff for Attorney General Edwin Meese...
, John Phillips, John Batchelor
John Batchelor
John Calvin Batchelor is an author and host of The John Batchelor Show radio news magazine. Based at WABC radio in New York for five years from early 2001 to September, 2006; the show was syndicated nationally on the ABC radio network. On October 7, 2007, Batchelor returned to radio on WABC New...
, and Don Imus
Don Imus
John Donald "Don" Imus, Jr. is an American radio host, humorist, philanthropist and writer. His nationally-syndicated talk show, Imus in the Morning, is broadcast throughout the United States by Citadel Media and relayed on television by the Fox Business Network.-Personal life:Imus was born in...
(For a complete list of shows see www.KABC.com).
KABC's news team includes News Director and morning anchor Mark Austin Thomas, mid-day anchor Debra Mark, afternoon anchor Steve Kindred and reporter Jo Kwon.
KABC is the flagship station of the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
. It broadcast Dodgers games from the time when the station was outbid by KXTA (now KTLK). After some years on KFWB
KFWB (AM)
KFWB is a Los Angeles, California AM radio station operating on 980 kHz with 5,000 watts of power from a transmitter site near Lincoln Park . The station had a mostly all-news format from 1968 until September 8, 2009, after which it converted to a news-talk format...
, the team returned to KABC in 2008
2008 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 2008 Los Angeles Dodgers season features the Dodgers celebrating their Golden Anniversary in Southern California under new manager Joe Torre as they won the National League West for the first time since 2004, and returned to the postseason after missing the playoffs in 2007. They swept the...
.
Although KABC and KSPN
KSPN (AM)
KSPN is an all-sports radio station based in Los Angeles, California. It is owned by Disney. It is an ESPN Radio owned-and-operated station.-Play-by-play:...
have the different owners, "710ESPN" reached out to KABC to air Games 3 and 5 of the 2008 World Series
2008 World Series
The 2008 World Series was the 104th World Series between the American and National Leagues for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies as champions of the National League and the Tampa Bay Rays, as American League champions, competed to win four games out of a possible...
because KSPN was committed to other live sports events.
Diversity
KABC is notable for having a diverse set of talk show hosts including African-American civil rights attorney Leo TerrellLeo Terrell
Leo James Terrell, is a Los Angeles, California, based attorney focusing on civil rights and discrimination.He hosts his own radio talk show discussing social and legal issues and has appeared frequently on television...
, novelist John Batchelor
John Batchelor
John Calvin Batchelor is an author and host of The John Batchelor Show radio news magazine. Based at WABC radio in New York for five years from early 2001 to September, 2006; the show was syndicated nationally on the ABC radio network. On October 7, 2007, Batchelor returned to radio on WABC New...
, Los Angeles Zagat Survey
Zagat Survey
Zagat Survey was established by Tim and Nina Zagat in 1979 as a way to collect and correlate the ratings of restaurants by diners. For their first guide, covering New York City, the Zagats surveyed their friends. As of 2005, the Zagat Survey included 70 cities, with reviews based on the input of...
editor Merrill Shindler and automotive expert Leon Kaplan who in January, 2010 celebrated thirty years of broadcasting on KABC.
Broadcast Range
KABC is received in the Los Angeles basin and throughout most of Southern California west of the San Jacinto mountains (partially audible in the Coachella ValleyCoachella Valley
Coachella Valley is a large valley landform in Southern California. The valley extends for approximately 45 miles in Riverside County southeast from the San Bernardino Mountains to the saltwater Salton Sea, the largest lake in California...
such as Palm Springs
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
), its signal reaches San Diego and as far north as Delano in Kern County
Kern County, California
Spreading across the southern end of the California Central Valley, Kern County is the fifth-largest county by population in California. Its economy is heavily linked to agriculture and to petroleum extraction, and there is a strong aviation and space presence. Politically, it has generally...
. It's night-time coverage is in most of the West Coast states like Oregon and Washington state; parts of Arizona and Nevada.