Union-Tribune
Cliff Albert
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Radio in San Diego changed radically and historically this year, thanks largely to the efforts of Cliff Albert, program director of Clear Channel Communications' KOGO/AM 600 and KLSD/AM 1360.
In August, KLSD came into existence as "Air America Radio," a liberal talk-radio alternative to such conservative outlets here as KFMB/AM 760, KCBQ/AM 1170, KPRZ/AM 1210, KSDO/AM 1130 and KOGO.
The idea of bringing Air America here occurred to Albert when Air America started up in April with just a handful of outlets across the country. (It now has some 40 stations coast-to-coast.) With the ratings of Clear Channel's KPOP/AM 1360 tumbling, and ad revenues dropping, a format change was taken under consideration to make the outlet more profitable.
Ratings data and audience reaction to a liberal talk station in Portland convinced Albert to lobby his superiors for a similar station here. Albert is no radio novice. From 1979 to 1995, he was news director, on-air news anchor and afternoon personality on KFMB radio and then program director at KSDO for a year before he was hired by Clear Channel.
"While the San Diego radio audience had the reputation for liking only conservative talk shows, we saw a definite underserved segment out there of people who did not listen to conservative talk, but listened to either National Public Radio (on KPBS/FM), or did not listen to talk radio at all," Albert said.
Albert is by no means a "moral values"-challenged liberal. He's active in the Lutheran Church, lives in East County and has been married 32 years to his high school sweetheart. Still, being a good businessman, he convinced Clear Channel officials in San Antonio to try a counterpoint to KOGO. On Aug. 23, Clear Channel got rid of the nostalgia music on KPOP and changed the call letters to KLSD. The station, which markets itself as "Progressive Talk," apparently found a big audience quickly. On air, KLSD said it was No. 1 in September among listeners 18 to 49 years old.
The arrival of KLSD has given the county's 3 million residents a choice in talk radio. Yes, George Bush got another four years in the White House, but at least Air America Radio will be around to watch his every move.
