Female-Oriented Talk Format Abruptly Zoned Out

The commercials for KTZN-AM (710) boasted that “talk radio isn’t just a guy thing.”

But apparently it is.

Lackluster ratings and what insiders called a lack of patience and an effective programming strategy by the Walt Disney Co. led to the abrupt demise Tuesday of KTZN, which billed itself as “The Zone,” a talk outlet aimed primarily at women. Disney-owned ABC Radio, which operates the station, abruptly pulled the plug on the 6-month-old format, replacing it with Radio Disney, a children’s programming service.

Almost all of “The Zone’s” on-air personalities--including Robin Abcarian, Tracey Miller, Joe Crummey, Merrill Markoe and Yolanda Gaskins--were fired in a meeting only a few hours before the changeover Tuesday night.

There were a few survivors, including Stephanie Miller, the newly hired evening drive-time host, who will be moved to sister-station KABC-AM (790) to host an evening talk show at the end of the Dodgers baseball season. Restaurant critic Merrill Shindler will make a similar jump with his Saturday morning program.

Psychologist Toni Grant, who had a syndicated show on the station, is looking for a new local affiliate, a spokeswoman for Grant said Wednesday.

Maureen Lesourd--general manager of KABC, KTZN and ABC’s other local radio station, rock outlet KLOS-FM (95.5)--said other KTZN talent is still being evaluated.

Executives added that the layoffs will not extend beyond the on-air staff, with sales and support personnel to remain in place.

Asked about the abrupt nature of the shift, Lesourd said, “In radio, when stations change format, it’s always done like that.”

Sources said management from “on-high at Disney” made the decision to switch to the Radio Disney format, which has 24-hour programming geared to kids and their families. Radio Disney features music, games, entertainment and information, and is largely automated.

In addition to Los Angeles, Radio Disney announced that stations in Seattle and Boston will adopt the format, which originates from Dallas. Disney expects to add 20 to 30 additional affiliates within the year, joining those that piloted the concept in Minneapolis, Salt Lake City and Birmingham.

Personalities at “The Zone” called the station a bold experiment that would have succeeded not only with female listeners but also with male listeners if it had been given more time.

“ ‘The Zone’ was a real exciting and wonderful experiment that didn’t get enough time to prove itself,” said Abcarian, who hosted KTZN’s morning show with Tracey Miller, and who also writes a weekly column for The Times. “I’m disappointed and sad. There was a revolutionary nature about it that radio programmers were paying attention to, that two women could be just as effective in morning drive time as two men or one man.”

Added partner Miller: “We were having an increase in our cumulative ratings, and a lot of people were calling us, telling us they had just tuned in. I’ve never seen a format dismantled after just one ratings period.

“But we were getting low ratings, and Disney felt they could get low ratings with a less expensive format. It was a business decision. But had Disney stuck with it, they would have found out it worked. Women make most of the major purchases in the household. And it takes a couple of years for a talk radio station to catch on.”

In an intense promotional campaign, “The Zone” billed itself as an alternative for male-dominated talk radio. Industry sources said talk radio has a male-to-female listener ratio of 60% to 40%, and “The Zone” hoped to flip-flop that ratio.

Bob Moore, general manager of talk radio station KLSX-FM (97.1), said “The Zone” was doomed from the beginning.

“It was a petri dish that never should have been created,” said Moore. “You’re fooling yourself and the public if you say you’re male or female. The truth of the matter is, listeners don’t separate stations by male from female. They separate by good and bad. If you put on a good talk station, you attract both sides.”

The end of “The Zone” came with a bizarre twist. Commercials touting the uniqueness of the station aired before the start of the Angels baseball game Tuesday night. During the first commercial break, a perky promotion aired announcing that Radio Disney would arrive after the game.

Last month the Angels announced that radio coverage of the team’s games would shift from KTZN-AM--the station where it has aired for more than 30 years--to KRLA-AM (1110) next season. Coverage of the Dodgers will also change, moving from KABC to KIIS-AM (1150).

Times staff writer Brian Lowry contributed to this story.