This country oldies radio format is a hit with Southern California listeners

The former KMZT (1260 AM) made the switch to country oldies on October 1st at noon, after a month of stunting that included 24/7 Taylor Swift, then a weekend of nothing but “Gone Country” by Alan Jackson. Currently, you can hear the station on 1260 as well as the HD simulcast — if you have an HD Radio — on 105.1HD4, and online at GoCountryGold.Com. It will take a little time for phone apps such as TuneIn and MyTuner Radio to catch up to the change.

The focus of the station is on the 1980s and ‘90s, though it extends past that in both directions, hitting as far back as the 1960s and as recent as the 2010s. Artists include Alabama, Brooks and Dunn, Patsy Cline, The Judds, the aforementioned Jackson, Toby Keith, Charlie Rich, George Strait, and even a song I had forgotten about from Doug Stone, the station playing “Why Didn’t I Think of That” from 1992 as I write this.

Overall, it’s pretty darn good. And believe it or not, country fans will indeed listen to AM radio … this may be a hit.

The library is slowly expanding, according to station consultant Kenny Jay. “We’re only playing about 20 percent of the library at this point,” he said, adding, “We will be adding more in waves over the coming weeks!”

The reaction thus far has been tremendous. I’ve already received emails, and station owner Saul Levine confirmed that he has gotten many more. Two samples:

“The new Go Country Gold is probably the best new station I’ve heard in years. The playlist range is extraordinary. Most of the music is from the late ’70s to the early ’00s, but I heard Patsy Cline just now. It totally brings me back to my high school and college days growing up in the Midwest. The HD4 reception is not great in the South Bay but the AM is pretty good. It has less fidelity than the HD band but classic country doesn’t need to be. Finally, a decent country station in L.A.” — Ellis Lai, Palos Verdes Estates

I agree. By the way, if you live close enough to the San Gabriel Valley transmitter, the AM can be heard in HD if you have the radio, and sounds quite good – better than the FM HD stream, in my opinion. Analog-wise, it still sounds pretty decent, especially on a good radio away from sources of interference. If you have a phone and get to the website, the online stream sounds excellent… you might try that.

“I am really loving Go Country Gold 1260 AM. It isn’t just ’80s-early 2000s classic country. Today, I heard “Crazy” by Patsy Cline. I thought I was going to miss KSURF on 1051.1 FM-HD4, but it’s all good.  I have not changed the station for two days and I feel more relaxed when I drive … I am a happy camper  — Cindy Curti

Speaking of oldies … “I am impressed with my oldies fans,” Levine told me. I know he’s gotten more than a few letters and emails. Which leads to the next big news: LA Oldies K-SURF will return on 105.1 HD3, perhaps as early as by the time you read this.

The entire KKGO HD list will be:

HD1: Go Country 105

HD2: K-Mozart (Classical Music)

HD3: LA Oldies

HD4: Go Country Gold

As of now, I don’t believe the oldies will be streamed online, but that is a future possibility. More details as they happen…

Electronic Show

KROQ (106.7 FM), which has been on a roll as of late, is launching a new show dedicated to showcasing the best in electronic music. Called “KROQ EQ,” the three-hour program made its debut October 5th and will air every Saturday night at 11 p.m.

This could be a big thing … nights are tough for radio stations, with so many listeners either watching television or out of the house. This program harkens back to the days when listeners would turn on the radio during a party.

House, future bass, electro, big beat … anything electronic … will be played by host and station music director Miles the DJ. Expect to hear from artists such as Justice, Jamie xx and Jungle, Fred Again, Daft Punk, Fatboy Slim and more.

Richard Wagoner is a San Pedro freelance columnist covering radio in Southern California. Email rwagoner@socalradiowaves.com