"HOT 92.3" DEBUTS IN L.A.
Bowing under the slogan, "Old School and Today’s R&B," the new "Hot 92.3" will be run by PD Mike Marino. According to a release, the station will broadcast commercial-free and "jockless" until further notice, in order to let the station’s new sound sink in with listeners. Jockless… hmmm. We like the sound of that.
After an undisclosed period of time, Marino says, Hot 92.3 will introduce its new lineup: Renee Taylor in middays and Sean Andre doing Quiet Storm. Afternoons have not been announced yet, but former morning host George Lopez will be on-air Saturdays only, Smokey Robinson will return to host his "Mega Dedications" show on Sundays from 9-noon, and Art Lebow will be on-air Sundays 6 pm.-midnight. The format-change announcement trumpets such contemporary artists as Jill Scott, Janet Jackson, Brian McKnight, R. Kelly and Toni Braxton, as well as "timelessly hip" artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, The Gap Band, Marvin Gaye, Carlos Santana and Barry White.
"This move on 92.3 completes and solidifies the L.A. cluster," say Clear Channel L.A. Co-Market Presidents Roy Laughlin and Charlie Rahilly. Moving to Rhythmic Hot AC, according to the CC brain trust, fills one of L.A.’s last large Adult Contemporary holes. "According to our research, and the expertise of Clear Channel’s most notable radio programmers, the Rhythmic Hot AC format, now heard on 92.3 FM, will be one of the hippest and most listenable radio stations for Southern California adults 18-49. Thank you, Mr. Michaels. May we have another?"
"To give you a very specific visual of what this station will sound like," says Clear Channel Sr. VP Programming Steve Smith, "just imagine a dozen roses, a bottle of Dom Perignon and Keith Sweat singing ‘I’ll Give All My Love To You.'"
That’s a big change from our usual bunch of milkweed and quart of Night Train, but we’ll give it a go.
