Dees No Longer Hosting L.A. Radio Show
Tue Feb 10, 4:59 PM ET


LOS ANGELES - Disc jockey Rick Dees said Tuesday his 22-year run as the host of a popular morning radio program had ended.


"It has been decided that I will no longer be doing the daily morning radio show on KIIS-FM," Dees said on air during his last broadcast. "To my morning team and the entire KIIS staff over the years, I owe an enormous debt of gratitude."


Dees didn't elaborate on why he was leaving the show he had hosted since 1982.


Clear Channel Communications, which owns the station, referred inquiries to Dees' own statement.


Dees, 53, will continue to host the "Weekly Top 40" radio program, which is internationally syndicated through Premier Radio Networks Inc., he said.


"I look forward to many more years of counting down the hits around the world," Dees said.


"American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest was reportedly being wooed to replace Dees at KIIS.


Dees is a member of the Radio Hall of Fame and scored a hit himself in 1978 with "Disco Duck."

Ryan Seacrest as a replacement? I guess the gay thing really IS in right now...

Did you say Disco Sucks yea I always thought so!!!!!!!!!

i posted this, heard about it from kevin and bean a couple weeks ago.
I used to listen to kiis a couple years ago, but stopped since learning about this website and clear channel.
In Los Angeles other things have happened, Clear channel bought KDL 103.1, which i still don't really see a good reason doing so, other than money,.
All in all, i am glad to see Rick Dees Gone! His ratings were falling, his popularity is dwindling, and so he needed to go.
What i found interesting also, was that he rarly MENTIONED PIRACY!, of which i really did want to hear about on his show, but he stayed away from it much of the time.
Hopefully Ryan Seacrest will only attract 15 year olds, no offense to 15 year olds, and the ratings will still stink of kiis fm.

Rick Dees is retiring. And yet Dick Clark still lives.

Dick Clark is 182 years old this year.

And yet, Rick Dees will still be hosting the weekly Top "Premanufactured Music" countdown.

Zman, u crack me up.

undeath
Date: February 16, 2004 @ 11:49 PM ( delete )
Ryan Seacrest as a replacement? I guess the gay thing really IS in right now...

What else should i say
Everybody's gay.

- Nirvana

"Dees......scored a hit himself in 1978 with 'Disco Duck.' "

The song "Disco Duck" hit No. 1 for 1 week 1976, not 1978

What exactly is he retiring from? Talking? I should have it so easy! ~pepe~

Very funny gdZ.

Dees is gone but not completely.

Wouldn't you like to see the oil painting both Dees and Clark probably keep in their attic? Frightening.

Too bad more manufactured losers such as Seacrest are just waiting in the wings to dispense more brain pablum. Broadcast radio is dead by the way. Long live something, anything else.

What this article fails to mention is that KIIS's ratings have been on the decline for a few years now, due to the weakening of the pop radio format mainly. Not to mention Dees is much older than the target demographic. Odds are, he was seen as "too old" for the job with the financial bottom line shrinking. (Because it makes more sense to fire a guy for low ratings instead of change the definition of what "pop" music is to allow more diversity...sarcasm intended.) Replacing him with Seacrest is an obvious ploy to draw in more listeners, since the guy appears to be everywhere today and is seen as extremely marketable.

KIIS is the #1 or #2 billing radio station in the country, with revenue streams of something like $60-$65 million last year (average of $175,000 a DAY). For comparison, the top Minneapolis/St.Paul stations, WCCO and KQ92, billed around $20 million each last year. See KDWB in MN for another parallel: Dave Ryan - morning DJ, 40-year-old guy, out of the top-40 station's target demo and sounding like it, at a station that's seeing historical low ratings for a heritage station. I believe KDWB may be at an all-time low in its 44-year history. Likewise, KIIS's performance is nothing like it has been in the past.

(Footnote: both stations are fine Clear Channel properties. Draw your own conclusions.)

hopefully this will get cRyan SeeCrest off of American Idol and other tv shows.They can't run the show w/o him can they. I dont' watch either show of his, but I see the ads and they pretty much make me wanna vomit green goo. Well, I guess he's got a face that was made for radio.
As for Dees, well.. i've always liked him. I listened to KIIS when I was in college, and he had the best thing on radio for the hour long drive to school. I especially liked Ellen K tho *drool* but that's another rant.
I liked the song Disco Duck, if only because it was the funniest thing out there at the time. Disco sucks, and the duck said it pretty plainly if you listen close enough.
Dees will be missed by many, but not forgotten I'm sure
ttmmm

well I love a lot of old style music but at the risk of being a pop freak I've always had a warm spot for disco. there was something about it that I really love. maybe the memories of my early years who knows

I love disco. Nothing serious or heavy about it, just a lot of light-hearted fun.