94.7 KMET Los Angeles remembered - twice

After years of being forgotten on the air, all of a sudden two Los Angeles radio stations decide to honor the memory of 94.7 KMET and its days as an album rock leader in radio. Relative newcomer KSWD 100.3 in L.A. announced that this coming Friday July 10 will be “KMET Friday” with (current) host Jeff Gonzer to handle the day long collection of old airchecks and features, and on-air promos were done by Dr. Demento, who will do a one hour shift on Friday playing some of the novelty songs he aired back in the day.

Not to be outdone, the station which benefitted the most over the years from the demise of KMET, KLOS 95.5 jumped the gun this past weekend.

KLOS “just happened” to have a “Legends” weekend with memories of KMET, its former rival. Rachael Donahue shared memories on the air, and special guests included Paraquat Kelley, while comedian Frazer Smith filled in for Mark & Brian. Smith had success with his “Saturday Night Fraze” radio show with comedy and album rock back in the 80’s before winding up on a small suburban Chicago radio station years later where his past success was basically washed away.

KMET was one of the few Los Angeles radio stations in the mid-80’s to do a good job with the format and it was disappointing to many when the format was dropped in favor of “The Wave” KTWV and its near jazz format. (Or “the Grave” as many called it.) I still remember the last set of music as KMET, with Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changing”, followed by Bob Seger’s “Rock & Roll Never Forgets” and then ending with The Beatles “Golden Slumbers” and “The End”. Whoo-yah!

It is great that the legendary station is finally being remembered, even if twice in the same week as only today’s radio stations would.