The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 557

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION Dial shakes, rattles 'n' rolls with format changes By HARVEY MEDNICK Los Angeles residents are constantly reminded of the impending "Big One" the temblor that's going to make St. Louis beachfront property. But the Los Angeles radio dial has already undergone changes that would register an 8.1 on the Richter scale. KQLZ, 100.3 on the FM dial, is one such station. It was known as K-LITE until Westwood One recently purchased the adult-based, light rock music station and transformed it into a purveyor of hit music and album rock.

Under the banner of Pirate Radio, the station is led by top New York personality Scott Shannon who, in an extensive billboard campaign, welcomes listeners to "The Jungle." His targets are established morning personalities Rick Dees and Jay Thomas. If that's the major jolt, then the aftershocks start with KFAC-FM. The longtime classical music leader was sold to Evergreen Media Corp. and informed sources expect format changes to follow. And while the classical music listener is usually at the top of the eco nomic and educational ladders, there simply aren't enough of them to support a huge debt.

The rumor is that KFAC-FM might become a contemporary music station programmed by yet another legend in the broadcast industry. Buzz Bennett. To compound the situation, officials at KUSC-FM, the public radio station on the USC campus, recently announced they are looking seriously at their classical music format. Radio is a medium of opportunity one station's liability could be another's advantage. So with all the changes expected at the classical stations, Saul Levine, owner and operator of the jazz station KKGO-FM, has announced that his AM station, KKGO-AM, will go classical this summer.

New owners are not the only ones changing formats. Cox Broadcasting recently elected to drop KFI's flagging music format and venture into non-music programming. In an effort to be more daring and controversial than longtime market leader KABC, KFI brought in tough -talking Tom Leykis and picked up syndicated ultraconservative Rush Limbaugh. Two other recent changes worth noting: KWKW, the Lotus Communications Spanish-language station, acquired KFAC's AM station and moved from 1300 to 1330 on the dial. Meanwhile, at the vacated 1300 frequency, the market's first all -Asian station, KAZN, debuted.

There are other potential aftershocks in Los Angeles radio. The announced merger of Group Metropolitan and Legacy Broadcasting, which will combine KFWB-AM and KTWV (The Wave)-FM, could bring some changes. Meanwhile, K-LITE resurfaced in May at KEDG-FM 101.9, owned by Golden West Broadcasters. The light-rock format replaces the adult hard-rock format that the station had when it was called The Edge. Forty years from now the L.A.

radio dial will be as different as today's formats and call letters are from those of 1949. Maybe it's the reflection of contemporary life style, maybe it's the ever-changing face of music but whatever the reason, Los Angeles radio keeps movin' and shakin'. Local radio stations cover all the bases of athletic arena Southern California sports franchises and the stations which carry their games. KABC Talkradio AM 790: Dodgers. KMPC AM 710: Angels, Rams, and UCLA football and basketball.

KLAC AM 570: Lakers and Kings. KFI AM 640: Raiders. KRTH AM 930: Clippers. KNX AM 1070: USC football and basketball, major league baseball game of the week, Monday Night Football. KWKW AM 1330: Dodgers and Raiders.

XPRS AM 1090: Angels, Rams, Lakers and Championship Boxing. KTNQ AM 1020: Division 1 Soccer. By SHELLEY WAGNER Southern Californians love their sports. Whether they crave baseball, football, hockey or basketball, radio listeners are given a variety of broadcast outlets to choose from. In turn the stations benefit by broadcasting major league and college sports with millions of dollars in revenue, increased listenership and a chance to showcase their core programming.

Most stations package programming surrounding play-by-play action with other sports-related programs to give the listeners more coverage of the game. This allows local advertisers to be associated with the franchise even if they might not be able to afford the high cost of actual in-game commercials. With more than 100 radio signals hitting the L.A. market, listeners often find it confusing to identify the right dial position for their favorite team's games. The following is a list of the major LOSANGIiLliSTIMliS.ADVliRTISINGSI'liCIAL.JUNIi 4, 1VH9 17.