Radio Ga Ga

Indie 103.1 FM. A month or so back I was ranting about it... how it was the station for the soccer moms who love the Replacements or the lawyers who worship Husker Du... There's nothing wrong with that! I just couldn't feel good about it, waiting for the station to change from its nostalgic "college" rock and grunge format to its full on "classic alternative" format. I barely listen to it these days... Too addicted to WOXY, I guess! I actually listen to KXLU in my car, if possible. In the evenings when I have tuned in to Indie 103 lately, I've found that it's mostly snotty skater type stuff, which really isn't my thing. Sure, they still pull in the occasional old school indie gem, and I love that Bright Eyes, Azure Ray and the Thrills make regular appearances, but there's just a bit too much adolescent whining for me. Get me my wheelchair, grandpa!

They have recently added a single DJ - Steve Jones, formerly of the Sex Pistols (who, I believe, has been living off his "formerly" status ever since the Sex Pistols ended) is hosting the lunch hour, Tuesdays through Fridays. I've heard he sucks. The music is good, but he really sucks. I haven't heard it myself, but a friend called me one day and left me a message to that was something like this: "Have you HEARD that guy on Indie 103? He's sooooooo bad, he sounds like he's on drugs or something and makes absolutely no sense whatsoever and rambles and is just AWFUL!" Well, it is Steve Jones.

Anyway, I received an email from a fellow with something to say about the "San Diego format," rather, the nickname given to the "classic alternative" format starting to creep successfully onto stations across the country. Read on if you are curious or a true radio geek. But keep in mind that I haven't researched any of this myself. I do know that a couple years ago, a friend of mine had a bit of a tangle with Mike Halloran over... um... basically nothing, so I don't doubt that he's a bit of a prick. Remember though, that hearsay doesn't hold up in court. (And if there are any typos in there - they are his. It's his rant, after all.)

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XSFM/The Empire Media Organization was an ‘independent’ radio company that existed from 1999-2002. (formerly www.xs.fm) The business was registered in SoCal in the Inland Empire and LA County. XS pioneered a new (at the time) ‘Alternative’ format, based on the original concept of Alternative, with a heavy lean on creating a hip, SoCal, Hollywood, beach, ‘Gen X’ and their parents that won't grow up, sound. Since ‘Alternative’ at the time was no longer ‘Alternative’ the ‘Alternative’ hybrid was given the name ‘Sub-Urban’ based on the market and demo. XSFM & This format looked to the image that the California Board of Tourism spends Billions on promoting itself. The influences for the format were, Classic KROQ of the 80s, 91X, WLIR (LI, NY) 96 Wave (C’Stun, SC), also XSFM drew its electronica from Groove Radio and Party 105 (LI, NY) along with choice cuts of underground & Old Skool hip hop.

The imaging was hot. Using AV Deli, XS had a raw nasty street sound. Totally professional and tight, but raw. Reflective of the ‘new style’ static, ground outs, no beats behind drops, voice all twisted and tweaked.

The entire thing was funded by one person. Every single dollar came out of his pocket. Not corporate accounts or loans. He worked, earned money and re-invested it in The Empire Media Organization XSFM. XS had all the equipment, nice studio, sweet little production room, set-up including a set up for satellite remote broadcasts! He was going to have a lot of DJs rock the mic. The names that XSFM had tabbed to round out the FT line up, (DJ Christian Love PD/MD was the voice of XS that was in the commercial spots for XSFM promo ‘SHINE’ that aired on CC stations, Gold Coast/HDB and Bob Adelman's station. Also hosted the promotions) were Desiree Van Der Wahl, Jeff Duran (for XSFM's Hard Rock/Metal Show ‘Midnight Mass’) and Sal V. Sal V was to handle the Electronica show and spun at XSFM events, as was DJ Complex who would take care of Hip Hop. I was hoping Kimberly Stone would contact XS, but it didn’t happen. The EMO was not in a po$ition to go pursuing talent.

Everything was going well for the company; we had plenty of radio experience and some excellent marketing savvy. Talked with a bunch of SoCal radio people, PDs, owners, djs, etc… All agreed this new format targeted a demo that was not being served and had potential to make a lot of money. One of these people was Mike Halloran; XS had begun receiving very long winded e mails from him, a few months before XSFM’s move to SoCal. In the spring of 2001, right after we had run some ads on AllAccess.com and I believe Don Barretts, LARadio.com., plus a few others industry sites. At times Mike Halloran would say the right things, being ‘all about the music’, wanting to help the EMO, that he had connections in LA, but other times he would get egotistical, saying things like ‘you don’t know who I am’, the usual radio ego fare. The emails got longer and more boring so I gave him a basic overview of XSFM and the new ‘Sub-Urban’ sound he had heard about on one of the industry sites. Nothing more then XS had shared, actually less then XS had shared, with a former LA radio station owner days or so earlier. (Again, info also shared with a fair amount of other helpful, professional LA radio people.) After this e mail from Halloran ceased, even when The Empire Media Organization contacted him there was no reply. XSFM received a lot of e mail after those AllAccess ads. People wanted to know about the new style, what the frequency was. Some people threatened litigation for fraud, claming there were no calls registered to The EMO and XSFM.

The Empire Media Organization moved on. Setting up temporarily in Spring 2001 in San Clemente, then the Inland Empire, setting up permanent residence in LA County. I remember hearing Halloran's version of what XS was doing, he took the basic overview I had given him, ran to Art Astor and his corporate money and tried to make the idea his own. Halloran's version sounded terrible, a commercialized half-breed, bastardized version ‘Sub-Urban’ sound was supposed to be. Even 94/9 with its CHR imaging doesn’t sound tight. You figure the resumes I sent him with XSFM imaging would have given him a better idea on how to ‘round out the sound’ then again he didn’t know the half so what does it matter? Plus HIS jocking. Whoa. He would never make the cut with XS. Its one think to be personable, it’s another to drone on endlessly.

Anyhow... XS put together media/sales kits, built major league promotions with djs from both radio stations and clubs, from So Cal and all over the country, NY, Las Vegas, you name it. They had a working relationship with Clear Channel. CC was, and is, the leader in new radio technology, so it only made sense to work with them. CC has agreed to air spots for XSFM and its promotions, agreed to let The EMO use CCs logos in advertising XSFM, they had OK'ed a special live remote at Midnight for XSFM. The scheduling didn’t work out and the live broadcast went to KRAJ FM, who was happy to have it. When HDB/Gold Coast got wind of XSFM they wanted to learn more and be a part. Even offering use of their logos for XSFM advertising. Ran spots on their station too. The EMO had opened lines of communication with XM about putting XSFM on their satellite service and were in the process of Adelphia when everything went terribly wrong…

I walked into a meeting with Clear Channel expecting to talk about XM and what uses CC had for The EMO, XSFM and the ‘Sub-Urban’ format. Instead I get railroaded. 24 hours earlier the relationship with CC was sunshine and lollipops. Now, out of the blue, CC executives thought I was Mike Halloran and XSFM was some ‘anti-corporate, anti-Clear Channel’ thing . That The EMO was pulling the wool over their eyes! This could not have been further from the truth! The Empire Media Organization had been very open and honest with CC. Why not? They had everything to gain. XSFM was a good idea and these were the people to deal with in increasing XSFM’s potential listenership. The EMO was pretty deep into its own bank account and knew CC had a hell of a lot deeper pockets. SO, after getting slammed by more people then I could count in that board room, my head was spinning (“How the did everything get this bad so quick??? Why???), I realized everything that years of work were being destroyed right in front of me. This was it, no CC, no XM, so far in debt that an internet operation would be tough. Sell the station van, burn the studio. My name was mud, I might not ever work in radio again. Why? There were times after this when I wished I was dead. Some people probably would have liked to have seen that, out of radio or dead. Left with no choice, 52 floors of corporate lawyers will do that to an ‘independent’ radio owner. (A real independent radio owner.) , the Empire Media Organization & XSFM, cut its losses and ceased operations in early 2002.

I moved on to take a morning gig at 100.1 The Zone. Did the thing that every radio on air talent does and kicked around to a few other SoCal stations. Spent some time on air in Bakersfield. Now I work for CC in LA. They have been good to me. It’s nice to know that my name wasn’t destroyed and I’m still in radio. Oh yeah, I ain't dead either.

So when somebody tells you Halloran is some type of ‘genius’ and pioneered the format, stop and think. Does that make sense? He doesn’t even know what the format's name is!

Recalling conversations with a former Art Astor employee, ‘Halloran was this guy who was basically washed up, on the outs. Then one day he just had this idea for this format. Nobody knows how. It was really weird’ Well, yeah. Because he didn’t have an idea! This was a format that the Empire Media Organization had spent years building. He had a generic, commercialized version of ‘Sub-Urban’ and XSFM. That’s why his versions have a shelf life of a few months.

Nick Spartan OM XSFM 1999-2002

DJ Christian Love PD/MD XSFM 1999-2002

T. Christopher Ginas Owner
Empire Media Organization XSFM 1999-2002
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