KMPC Chief Says Employer’s Behavior is Unsporting
Media
by Claudia Peschiutta
Sporting News Radio Network wants Nancy Cole off its team. But the vice president and general manager of KMPC-AM (1540) isn’t planning to go quietly.
Credited with bringing the recognizable call letters to the sports/talk station (formerly known as KCTD) and getting USC sports and Oakland Raiders’ games on the air, Cole was surprised to find out Sporting News isn’t renewing her two-year contract, which runs out in February. While KMPC remains non-rated, meaning its audience is too small to track, Cole said last year’s advertising revenues were up 15 percent from 2000 and that sales appeared to be even stronger for this year.
“You talk about a glass ceiling and after a woman has done all of this for them,” Cole said. “I’m not accepting their offer to go away nicely.” Her last day at the station is Jan. 31.
Cole alleged that gender played a role in her dismissal. John Cravens, head of the Sporting News stations, declined to comment on Cole or her replacement. However, he did say KMPC needs to compete “more aggressively” in L.A.
This year could be crucial for the station given that competitor KXTA-AM (1150) is losing its Dodger game broadcasts at the end of the season, which may lead team fans to try alternatives.
Billboards promoting the station’s first locally produced programs, “The Chris Myers and Bob Golic Show” and “The Fred Roggin Radio Show,” appeared throughout the L.A. area this month. Print and television ads will follow.
Sporting News is owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s Vulcan Ventures Inc., which also owns Charter Communications Inc.
Advertising Leaders
It’s not all bad news for the advertising world.
While ad spending throughout the U.S. fell dramatically last year, a few local executives actually helped their agencies to grow in 2001 and were recently named industry leaders by the Los Angeles Advertising Agencies Association.
Scott Gilbert, chief executive of Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles, was selected Leader of the Year. The agency had more than $500 million in billings last year and avoided the layoffs that befell so many others.
“We’re focused on important things and we’re not always chasing trends, like dot-coms,” Gilbert said.
The Creative Leader of the Year award went to Eric Hirshberg, managing partner and executive creative director at , the firm behind the Mitsubishi’s “Are You In?” and the California Milk Advisory Board’s “Happy Cows” campaigns.
“You can’t be a good leader unless you have good people to lead,” Hirshberg said.
David Angelo and Skip Sullivan, founders of davidandgoliath, were named Entrepreneurial Leaders of the Year. Opened in 1999, the agency’s clients include Kia Motors America, Mattel Inc. and the New York Mets.
KNX Sweeps Golden Mikes
KNX-AM (1070) may need to expand its trophy case.
The news and talk station came away from the 52nd Annual Golden Mike Awards with seven wins, more than any of its competitors. The radio station’s honors included “Best Radio Newscast” (longer than 15 minutes) and “Best Radio Newscast Writing.”
KFI-AM (640) also received newscast honors and KFWB-AM took home awards for spot news and investigative reporting. Public radio station KPCC-FM (89.3) won awards in several categories, including sports news and feature news series reporting.
In television, KNBC-TV (Channel 4) took home the award for the best hour-long, evening newscast, while KCBS-TV (Channel 2) was honored for investigative reporting. Spanish-language KMEX-TV (Channel 34) won awards for traffic reporting, videography and videotape editing.
Given out by the Radio-Television News Association of Southern California, the Golden Mikes celebrate excellence in local journalism.
The Hollywood Minute
KFWB-AM (980) is in a partnership with The Hollywood Reporter and syndicator Jones Radio Networks to provide daily, 60-second entertainment updates on the all-news radio station. The reports, anchored by broadcaster Melody Rogers, focus on the business rather than the personalities of Hollywood. KFWB has four reports running on weekday mornings.
“This is going beyond the regular gossipy, Jennifer Aniston got into a car accident kind of story,” said Robert Accatino, KFWB’s director of marketing and promotions.
The Reporter provides content for the reports. A percentage of the ad revenue generated by the reports goes to the entertainment trade and Jones.
“In a challenging media environment, we’re looking for new ways to get our content to new audiences,” said Matthew King, vice president of strategic planning for The Reporter.
Jones plans to take the reports into several of the nation’s top 20 radio markets by year’s end.
In Other News…
Miles Copeland, former manager for Sting and The Police, takes the microphone himself next month with the debut of his political talk show, “Reading Between the Lines,” on KRLA-AM (870)…Larry King will be live at the annual banquet of the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists to be held Feb. 4 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown.
Staff reporter Claudia Peschiutta can be reached at (323) 549-5225 ext. 229 or at
[email protected].
