BAY AREA RADIO PROVIDES FOOD FOR THOUGHT

By Brad Kava, SJ Mercury News - Ear (column); Tuesday, July 31, 2001

Contact Brad Kava at bkava@sjmercury.com or (408) 920-5040; fax (408) 271-3786.

Correction: SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT (publ. 8/02/01, pg. 2A)

An item in the radio column on the cover of Tuesday's Arts and Entertainment section incorrectly described a hair care firm whose commercials are carried on radio station KUFX-FM. The firm is a full-service hair salon, not a hair-replacement establishment.

Before I set out to pedal across Iowa, I jotted down these random thoughts from around the dial:

(box) Next time you hear Michael Savage complain that Mexican immigrants are illiterate, even in Spanish, keep this in mind: Until recently his Web site spelled "noose," "nuese."

(box) My favorite radio commercial? The cows. I love them, with their Midwest accents and their gossipy cud-chewing, their tales about snow and facing upwind. The milk and dairy folks have some of the best ads in every medium.

(box) How about KUFX-FM's Laurie Roberts telling us she is doing the commercial for the hair-replacement company not because she was being paid but because she likes and trusts the people.

(box) And what about the commercial to improve math skills that has some grammar problems, referring to the course as a "they," rather than an "it"?

(box) Is there a more irritating commercial than KITS-FM's Ally, talking about car insurance? She says she once drove out of her garage with the door OPEN! Uh, so? Also the obnoxious KITS-FM DJ talking about how "everyone is talking about" the oh-so-cool films at BMW's Web site, such as the one by Madonna's husband.

Believe me, no one who isn't being paid is talking about them.

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