Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
KROQ Staple 'Rodney On The Roq' To Air Its Last Show This Weekend
Rodney Bingenheimer (left) with Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
()
“Rodney on the Roq,” the KROQ show that was been on the airwaves since 1977, will run its final installment this weekend. The show is helmed by the ever-present Rodney Bingenheimer, the biggest rock and rock fanboy to have ever landed in Los Angeles. Bingenheimer confirmed the news on Facebook, saying that while he'll be leaving KROQ, he has no intentions of retiring:
As reported at the L.A. Times, the decision to end “Rodney on the Roq" wasn't exactly a mutual one. Bingenheimer said that KROQ executives had informed him that the brass at CBS in New York (they own the station) were planning "a cutback" and that he was let go as part of those plans. The final show will air at midnight on Sunday (technically Monday morning), and will be given an extended four-hour time slot that runs till 4 a.m. on Monday.
Bingenheimer promises a special final show that includes "special callers," which is no small thing when coming from the DJ, as Bingenheimer is infamous for being the most well-connected man in L.A. when it comes to rock music. As reported in an earlier Times article, Bingenheimer first arrived in Los Angeles as a teenage runaway from Mountain View (he refuses to give away his exact age). He did an internship with Mercury Records, and one of his jobs there was to escort David Bowie around Los Angeles (you think he got college credit for that?).
Support for LAist comes from
In one way or another, Bingenheimer would repeatedly find himself in the sphere of music celebrity. He auditioned for, and lost, Davy Jones' role on The Monkees, though he'd later be hired as Jones' double. He was a live-in publicist for Sonny and Cher. He opened a nightclub on Sunset Boulevard—Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco—that drew in the likes of Led Zeppelin, Andy Warhol, and the Kinks. He was a man about town, and the great Sal Mineo would dub him the “Mayor of the Sunset Strip" for the way he navigated the neighborhood (figuratively and otherwise).
There was also his show on KROQ, of course. Today, the station is something of an L.A. institution that pumps out a steady diet of Sublime singles. Back in the '70s, however, it was still a fledgling station that was pushing against the weight of humdrum, Easy Listening acts like The Eagles. It was in this context that Bingenheimer would help popularize KROQ as a purveyor of under-the-radar jams from the realm of Punk, New Wave, and beyond. According to The Press-Enterprise, Bingenheimer was one of the first West Coast DJs to play Cheap Trick, Van Halen, the Runaways, Blondie, and the Sex Pistols. The Ramones, in fact, were guests on Bingenheimer's first show on KROQ:
Bingenheimer is also known for introducing us to Coldplay. "He played Coldplay (on American radio) before anyone else," frontman Chris Martin said in the 2003 documentary Mayor of the Sunset Strip. Oh well, it's hard to maintain a perfect legacy!
As for why his show was on Sunday nights, Rodney told the OC Register that it was a conscious effort to pit himself against the ills of boredom. “I remember when I first started my show they said, ‘What day would you like to do your show on?'” Bingenheimer said. “I’d say, “I’d like to do it on a Sunday, because Sundays are always so boring.’"
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
After rising for years, the number of residential installations in the city of Los Angeles began to drop in 2023. The city isn’t subject to recent changes in state incentives, but other factors may be contributing to the decline. -
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs.
-
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
Best of LAist