Hedgecock Seals New Deal; KSDO Is Mum on Salary

Life after politics just got a little better for former San Diego-mayor-turned-radio-star Roger Hedgecock.

With XTRA-AM (690) bidding for his services, Hedgecock recently signed a new contract with his employer of the past few years, KSDO-AM (1130).

Although details of the contract are a matter of speculation and educated guessing, it certainly reflects one thing: His ex-mayorship is the shining star of the local radio talk scene, with the ratings--and now the salary--to prove it.

Neither Hedgecock nor KSDO general manager Chris Conway would comment on the specifics of the new contract. But it is believed to be a three-year deal, probably with an annual salary of more than $150,000, which would place him among the highest-paid radio talents in the county, if not the highest. It’s certainly more than he ever made as mayor.

Hedgecock also will receive a bigger cut from the on-air commercials he participates in, according to a source at the station. (In the past he reportedly received nothing more than a talent fee, and the number of spots per morning show was limited by the station.)

XTRA’s interest undoubtedly drove up Hedgecock’s price.

“Certainly they (XTRA) were a factor,” KSDO’s Conway said.

XTRA went after Hedgecock “with a vengeance,” said one KSDO source, who asked to remain anonymous. XTRA officials still deny that the station is switching from oldies to a talk format, but it’s a good bet they didn’t want Hedgecock to team up with Wolfman Jack, whose last day at the station was Friday.

In addition to a six-figure salary, XTRA reportedly offered to guarantee Hedgecock’s contract should he have to go to jail as a result of his on-going legal problems.

XTRA general manager Tom Jimenez laughed when asked about the contract rumors and would not comment on any dealings with Hedgecock. However, he did confirm that the station approached Hedgecock.

“We’re talking to a lot of people,” Jimenez said.

More than a few viewers must wonder why KPBS-TV doesn’t air programs appearing on other public broadcasting channels--most noticeably on KCET-TV in Los Angeles. Inquiring minds want to know.

What a surprise: Money is a big factor. While about 80% of KPBS’ programming comes directly from the PBS national schedule, the rest of the programs must be purchased individually by the station. Some are just too expensive for the market, according to PBS spokeswoman Pat Finn.

Beyond money, though, the station also has its own criteria for what works and what doesn’t in San Diego. For example, due to adult situations and language, PBS programmers felt it would only be appropriate to air “The Singing Detective” mini-series after 11 p.m., which made it impractical to buy.

The San Diego PBS audience is older and tends to go to bed a little earlier than people in some other larger markets, according to KPBS assistant programming director Peggy Cooley.

“We tend to stay away from the really avant-garde stuff,” she said.

At other times, KPBS holds programs, such as the American Playhouse version of “Native Son,” for a later date because programmers would like to air other programs first.

The good news for those who don’t buy this logic: Cooley said the programmers base many of their decisions on phone calls and letters received by the station.

Notes and quotes: XTRA also approached KVSD-AM (1000) program director Rob Branch. But no offer was made. . . On Friday, KCR, the San Diego State-based alternative radio station, began life without school funding. The Associated Students officially ended a subsidy for the station, which operates the low-power KCR-AM and the progressive KCR-FM, available only through Cox and Southwestern cable systems.

“It complicates things a great deal,” operations manager John Cataldo said. “We’ll have to become more creative in our fund raising.” . . .

There are several bewildered and unhappy folks at KFMB-TV (Channel 8). Ted Leitner’s talk show has been placed on hold. Allison Ross is back on the air, but working without a contract, something she reportedly said she wouldn’t do (although it is commonplace for TV personalities to work without a deal). To top it off, Larry Himmel has flown the coop, headed to Channel 39. . . Katy Manor, who left the 91X-FM (91.1) morning show amid rumors that she would not return is now expected back. In order to relieve burn-out symptoms, she took a vacation, came back for a few days, then left on another vacation. It worked. She reportedly told the station she would go back to the morning show . . .

Eyewitness views: One of the (few) advantages of being a rapidly growing metropolis is the abundance of independent TV stations broadcasting cheesy, semiclassic shows like “Rat Patrol,” airing on KTTY-TV (Channel 69) at 10:30 p.m. Sundays. In a recent episode, Christopher George stopped a squadron of tanks with a slingshot. . . Channel 8’s Jim Laslavic, once a stiff ex-jock, now a real human-type sportscaster, had the best coverage of the Tyson-Spinks fight. With an on-screen clock ticking away, he took 91 seconds to describe the fight, including footage of Rocky Marciano fighting Jerry Lewis. . . Life is good. KPBS (Channel 15) shows Monty Python episodes at 11 p.m. Thursdays. . . In television, quick takes make for long impressions. When charges were dropped against a group of undocumented workers accused of raping a Poway girl, KCST-TV (Channel 39) spent all night teasing the story with speculation about whether the rape ever took place. The D.A. dropped the charges, and maybe there was some question about whether the rape actually occurred. But it was pure sensationalism to stress what was nothing more than speculation. In fact, the next day a Sheriff’s Department spokesman said the department did not doubt the girl’s story.