INDUSTRY REPORT # 32 | I WAS RIGHT ABOUT KROQ’s KLEIN.ALLY.SHOW

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INDUSTRY REPORT # 32

“I Was Right About”

Klein.Ally.Show

July 24th, 2025 by Jimmy Alvarez

It was in July of 2023 when I first had a chat with Klein and Ally at the World Famous KROQ. The morning show was just getting going, but it was not the fairytale beginning of a true Hollywood Story. In fact, it was the opposite.

Like all great stories, the good guys who stay true to themselves show their character when it mattered. I made a prediction back then, so I went back to the radio station I once called my home to catch up on all things KROQ and to catch up with some friends. 

Before I get into the interview, I have to paint the picture of that first meeting. When we met, it was on the heels of major upheaval at the beloved radio juggernaut. Ratings were in the toilet, borderline flatlining, the music director had a different vision of what KROQ music was, and the station paid dearly for that mistake, and the manner they involuntarily retired Kevin Ryder was abhorrent. The morning show was the recipient of the backlash for all of the above. You name it, it was happening to them; the hate they got was through no fault of their own, it was nothing they created but were targets and got the brunt of it all.

Despite all the drama that was happening, the team managed to move on and put out a show daily that was smart, unapologetic and funny. It was definitely not the Kevin & Bean show, but yet the laughter they created seemed so familiar. The way they carried themselves through some pretty dark days showed a character that not only carried them through a dark period for the station; it also would prove to be what makes them who they are.

I felt that if they got a fair playing field, this morning show could prove to be a very good one, and I for one openly supported them regardless of the shit I knew I would get because of the overall backlash over what happened during that turbulent time that was unrelated to the new morning show.

Since then, SVP of Programming Kevin Weatherly righted the ship with a return to more traditional KROQ-Esque music, new and not so new – and they righted an enormous wrong; Kevin Ryder returned home.  Honestly, I think that really helped listeners that boycotted the station, it was as if they were made whole again.

You know that good ole saying, “Figures don’t lie, and liars don’t figure.” When the last ratings book was released, KROQ was no longer in the basement – it had a very nice bounce, and the morning show was near the top. What a comeback: they were literally almost a Greek tragedy. Needless to say, I wanted to come back to chat with them to see how they managed to make that happen. Here’s where the story would normally end, but it’s just the beginning.

As for the voices we originally loved to hate, they turned into our radio waves family. They are diverse. Kevin Klein and Ally Johnson, we know. Over the years this cast of characters has grown by leaps and bounds. There’s DJ Omar Kahn, the one holdover from the previous administration, “Postmaster” Johnny Jerico, Jake “The Nerd” Dill, and Vanessa Garcia. Each brings their own persona that just makes for really good radio.

As we arrived, we were greeted by Postmaster Johnny who always has the biggest smile. He went back into the main control room and out came Vanessa; she asked us if we would be OK to be part of their Showvertime podcast; she explained we could do the interview and be part of the podcast. We agreed: This is how it went (kinda).

In the room were Ally Johnson, Kevin Klein and our photographer Joey Clark. Both Klein and Ally were very gracious in sitting with us. As we started, Ally laughingly asked, “Why are you here again?” Klein laughed and said, “To gloat over being right about us.” I said that I spoke with Weatherly initially and told him I thought the morning show would do well in time. Ally laughed again “So you are coming in to say you were right? And we all laughed.

I congratulated them on surviving that gauntlet. Klein joked, “The hardest thing to do in radio is to stay employed,” which again made us all laugh. He went on to say, “Any day the axe can swing your way, we’ve seen it happen.” We discussed how the revolving door of employment is a big chance you take being in this profession. “The upside is that it’s good for the parking situation,” again, Klein made us all laugh.

Klein started the conversation with more recent developments. He painted a picture for us – he said that one day he noticed there were a lot of closed-door meetings happening at the station. He said they were asked to join management in their office. Ally jumped in and explained, when you walk in and the two bosses are in the room, and they are both already seated, that gives the impression whatever was about to go down could not be good.

Klein explained that he and Ally had a moment; they looked at each other and they knew something big was up. Klein said his thought was that he knew they were working hard, and things were starting to shape up for them. Then, the bosses sat them down and said, “We have some news… Kevin Ryder is coming back.”

Klein said all he heard in his head was “You guys are out!” He explained that as a long time KROQ fan that was great news for the station, but it sucked for them. Then, the other boss jumped in and said, “no… this is good news! You guys are still going to be here, he will be doing afternoons, you’ll still do the morning show.”

That moment in my opinion was when KROQ course corrected and re-launched themselves in a new trajectory. Kevin Ryder was back: Klein and Ally knew the station would invest in them and the morning show. For anyone in this biz, knowing management has your back is something any broadcaster wishes for, but few get.

We then spoke about what really happened in those early days. Ally said “We came at a time when Kevin Ryder was unfairly let go, it was a messed-up way to get into the morning slot, and it felt like there were a lot of things going against us; and stuff that was out of our control.”

I recall when we first chatted, they mentioned all the hateful calls and e-mails they got when they first launched the show. It was a daily occurrence that would adversely impact anyone walking into that same situation. She went on, “It is interesting to be hated by people you don’t know – if we said or did something that pissed someone off, I would understand that.” In those early days I listened to the show, and it was funny, witty and when needed, compassionate. That is not an array of broadcasting standards they teach you at DJ school: Not everyone can pull that off. Couple that with the knowledge that long-time fans hated you for things you did not cause. That’s the mountain they overcame that impressed me.

Ally went on, “I’ve worked with Klein for a while, and we know what’s funny and that’s what we were going to do.” Not only did they do it, but they allowed the emerging morning show crew to spread their wings.

Collectively, these voices all managed to make us laugh and that is a testament to their character. Ally explained that over time they saw the number of listeners grow, they would see more and more people at events – it was a slow build, but it was moving in the right direction. Sure, there were still people boycotting the station for whatever reasons but bringing Kevin back was a full circle moment for the station, and for the morning show.

It was old KROQ and new KROQ coming together – everything is good now, you can say all is forgiven. Kevin Weatherly is a big part of putting this station back together. She finished with “It’s important that we can share that bridge between those two worlds.” 

We then shifted gears and discussed the show itself. They are Stern-adjacent in that they don’t shy away from topics, and they certainly push the envelope. But as Klein and Ally both said, they don’t push being edgy for the sake of just being edgy. Whatever they do needs to have meaning and be entertaining.

What I respect most about the duo is just how much they love radio and the legacy of the station. Klein said, “I love radio, I love everything about it.” That’s the thing about all people that are great at what they do, they care about their profession and this team really does care about their show, their content and their listeners.

Ally touched on today’s media landscape. She explained that there are so many options these days. You have to figure out what is going to stand out and get everyone’s attention. You do have to be edgy, but it has to have integrity and be entertaining or listeners will see through it.

We then talked about how they often interject their personal life and laugh at themselves and those closest to them. They both smirked when I said that – Ally said, her wife understands why they talk about themselves and often asks to send her links as we all laughed at that. Klein said his wife is always asking why he talks about certain things, and the kids have gotten over it and know that he is recording them. So, they have caught on.

We touched on listeners that provide content for them. We also touched on the DNA of the city, and how it matters to them – they always try to address topics that are important. That’s the best part of radio Ally said, taking listener calls. You never know what’s going to happen she said, and who is going to call or where the call will lead. There’s Pantyhose Greg, the Bud Light Bros, and Moist Joyce. They have become recurring characters to the morning show, and truthfully, that’s when you know your show really matters to people. When they take time out of their day to become part of the beehive.

I asked the question everyone has been waiting for, “Klein, how’s the nipple?” He laughed and said, “I didn’t know I had a chance to not do it,” he went on “I took out the piercing, it got swollen. It started as a stupid thing and evolved to something that was good.”

We closed with the recent ratings book numbers. They went from the lowest position on the totem pole to being near the mountaintop. So, I asked them if they felt a sense of redemption or accomplishment. Klein said, “A lot of people bet against us.” Both jumped in and explained that back in the day, they had a very degrading experience with previous management. They would be asked to interview potential replacements for them and do test shows. I asked how many, Ally said “Maybe 10 or 20.” I thought to myself how shitty that was to subject anyone to that. Yet, they did it and got the last laugh.

They both reflected on the initial question and commented on the current ratings. They both had similar thoughts: Every day is different, and people can tune in for the first time or tune out after one listen. So, they have to always put out their best effort. In the end, they believe longevity is their goal. If any DJ can be around for let’s say a decade, now that’s success.

This town loves its heroes and villains. Klein and Ally were never villains, they were just type cast due to circumstances. Their love for radio, their love for music and their love for their listeners resonates. Most importantly for me, I could tell before, during and after the interview they are good friends: that makes for a long-lasting partnership that KROQ listeners will be the beneficiaries of for years to come, 10 maybe! 

So, what was I right about? I thought they were a solid morning show that just needed to be given a fair shake. That day finally came, and they delivered. I am just happy to see good things happening to really good people.

If you want to be entertained on the daily, follow Klein.Ally.Show Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to 11am (Summer Hours) at the World Famous KROQ.

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SID 250723 | TRACI TURNER | EDITOR