Univision Radio Deal Could Turn Up Off-the-Air Static
Media
by Claudia Peschiutta
Word that Los Angeles-based Univision Communications Inc. plans to acquire Hispanic Broadcasting Corp. generated the expected buzz, and concern, at HBC’s local radio stations last week.
Univision, owner of the Univision and TeleFutura television networks, agreed to buy the Dallas-based radio station chain in a $3.5-billion stock transaction. The deal gives the Spanish-language TV company 55 radio stations, including five in L.A.
“What happens when companies merge?” said an HBC source, referring to the consolidation and layoffs that often accompany a merger. “(Employees) are apprehensive.”
The local HBC stations are KLVE-FM (107.5), KRCD-FM (98.3), KRCV-FM (103.9), KSCA-FM (101.9) and KTNQ-AM (1020).
The deal’s approval lies in the hands of Univision and HBC stockholders. Clear Channel Communications Inc., owner of eight L.A. radio stations, is one of HBC’s major stockholders.
“No changes are expected in Hispanic Broadcasting’s management or operations,” according to a Univision statement. But the merger could lead to the consolidation of some services, such as promotions and marketing, said an HBC source.
Late last week, rival radio company Spanish Broadcasting System Inc. filed an antitrust lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Miami against Hispanic Broadcasting, claiming it tried to damage its relations with banks and investors. Clear Channel is also named as a defendant in the suit.
Weekly Goes Downtown
The Pasadena Weekly is looking for San Gabriel Valley residents on the streets of downtown L.A.
The Pasadena-based publication last week began distributing 2,000 copies in L.A.’s central core thereby increasing its circulation to 40,000 but Publisher Charles Gerencser said the paper isn’t out to compete with the Los Angeles Downtown News.
“Our goal is to try to be where the readers live and where they play and where they work,” he said, pointing out that the San Gabriel Valley is a bedroom community to many downtown workers. But that doesn’t mean the Weekly won’t be tackling certain L.A. issues, such as the latest football stadium proposal, said Gerencser, a former publisher of New Times Los Angeles.
The circulation expansion represents an initial capital investment of $25,000, he said.
Despite the publisher’s big plans, Gerencser plans to leave in July to head a San Diego paper recently purchased by the Pasadena Weekly’s parent company, Southland Publishing Inc. (formerly known as Ventura Newspaper Inc.)
San Diego Lifestyle and Music Magazine, or SLAMM, is a bi-weekly music publication, but will be changed into an alternative weekly and given a new name by late summer or early fall, Gerencser said. A new publisher for the Pasadena Weekly was expected to be named late last week or soon thereafter.
New Voice for ‘The Wave’
Syndicated radio host J.J. Jackson will soon take on the afternoon slot at KTWV-FM (94.7) that was recently vacated by the smooth jazz station’s veteran voice, Don Burns.
Jackson, host of syndicator Westwood One’s “The Beatle Years,” was expected to take over the 2 to 7 p.m. slot as soon as June 17. He replaces Burns, who had been the afternoon personality since 1988, the year after the station became “The Wave.”
“(Burns) really was the signature voice of the station,” said Don Barrett, creator of LARadio.com, a local industry Web site. Burns left the station over a salary dispute, according to a report on the site.
Jackson has lots of rock and roll experience, including stints at alternative rock station KROQ-FM (106.7) and as a video jockey on MTV, but “his tastes go everywhere,” said Christine Brodie, program director for KTWV.
“I look for presentation and passion (for the music) and I think J.J. has both,” she said.
Council Meetings In Spanish
There’s a new way to watch the Los Angeles City Council in action.
Live and re-broadcast coverage of council meetings will be available in Spanish on LA CityView Channel 35 for viewers whose TV sets have Second Audio Program or SAP.
Council President Alex Padilla, who several times has had to act as a translator at meetings, was pleased about the new service. “As we continue to evolve and continue to diversify, this is just a sign of things to come,” he said.
The city’s Information Technology Agency last year began preparing for SAP broadcasts. (Many new television sets come with an SAP channel, which offers translations of programs into another language or supplemental audio information about a show). Three of L.A.’s four cable operators recently completed upgrades that made SAP transmissions possible.
“There’s hundreds of languages spoken by the residents of the City of Los Angeles but we began with Spanish because that’s the second most-spoken language,” Padilla said.
In Other News…
Gordon Peppars was promoted to the post of general sales manager of KTLA-TV (Channel 5). In his new role, Peppars will help oversee multimedia projects the station is working on with its sister newspaper, the Los Angeles Times… KCRW.com has a new Web host Quest Communications International Inc.’s CyberCenter in Burbank. The station recently lost its former host due to consolidation…
Staff reporter Claudia Peschiutta can be reached at (323) 549-5225 ext. 229, or at
[email protected].
