He was a key figure at Greater Media and helped champion FM Talk in Los Angeles. He was also an amicable figure who loved karaoke and could be found regularly at a Burbank, Calif., nightspot behind the mic. Bob Moore enjoyed decades in Los Angeles broadcast radio, which included roles at Westwood One and CBS Radio. Now, the industry is pausing to remember Moore, who has passed away.
Moore first gained national recognition in early 1991, when he was named Executive VP of the Stations Group for Westwood One. At the time, KQLZ “Pirate Radio” in Los Angeles had proven unsuccessful, resulting in the departure of morning host and head programmer Scott Shannon.
Replacing Mike Kakoyiannis in the role, Moore was previously VP/GM of KRLA-AM & KLSX-FM. Taking the role at Westwood One reunited Moore with then-Westwood One Chairman Norm Pattiz, as the two worked together heading the sales department of KCOP-13 in Los Angeles. Moore had been a GM at KLSX since October 1980, when Greater Media operated the FM as KHTZ and aired an Adult Contemporary format.
With the April 1993 announced that Westwood One would be selling its radio stations, Moore shifted to the role of Exec. VP for Westwood One Radio Networks. He then exited for a role at Metro Traffic. By September 1994, Moore had left Los Angeles for Houston, where he took the role of VP/GM at KILT & KIKK, a pair of Country stations then-owned by Group W. However, by year’s end, Moore’s love for L.A. proved too strong as he returned to KRLA & KLSX as VP/GM.
With Howard Stern cemented in mornings — a move largely thanks to Moore during his first tenure at KLSX — he took a cue from Ken Stevens’ run WJFK-FM in Washington, D.C., by developing a “Hot Talk” format and ditching the Classic Rock presentation that aired post-Stern. This change came in August 1995, with an entertainment approach to spoken word programming that saw such personalities as OJ Simpson trial notable Kato Kaelin, The Brady Bunch actress Susan Olsen, MTV figure Ken Ober, and L.A. market icon Tom Leykis hold key air shifts at KLSX. That prowess propelled KLSX into the Top 10 of billing radio stations on a national level.
In February 2009, Moore moved to former crosstown rival KLOS and sibling KABC-AM, serving as President/GM through October 2011.
In January 2012, Moore departed radio to help launch Courtside Entertainment Group, serving as its President. It was venture from Norm Pattiz that produced and financed programming in the sports space.
One year later, Moore found himself in the post of Sports USA Media President, leading the independently owned national syndicator of live play-by-play of NFL and NCAA football. Sports USA Media also produced and distributed “The Joe Morgan Radio Show.” He exited the role in August 2022, and most recently served as a consultant to radio and podcast producers.
— Additional reporting by Cameron Coats, in New York
