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INDUSTRY REPORT # 75
KLEIN.ALLY.SHOW
KROQ’s # 1 Morning Show
October 30th, 2026 by Jimmy Alvarez
In our ongoing Industry Report series, we get to go back to The World Famous KROQ. This Los Angeles radio juggernaut really has lived up to its mantra of being world Famous.
Music, specifically radio is better when stations like KROQ are firing on all cylinders. Needless to say, things are looking very-very good at our favorite alternative radio station.
In the most recent ratings book, KROQ did very well across the board. Quite the contrast from a few years ago. There was a vision as to how they would get back to the ratings promised land when new ownership (Audacy) announced that Kevin Weatherly would return to the helm as the station’s Senior Vice President of Programming for Alternative at Audacy and Program Director of KROQ‑FM.
Since then, music is back to what their listeners know and love. Some of the voices they know and love are back; the shows they put on are over the top and their morning show is # 1 in Los Angeles.
I had mentioned for the turnaround and success to be stable all cylinders need to be firing. We took a quick look at the music and yes, programming does prove that music does matter and KROQ is listening. We spoke with Music Director Miles Alendoabga aka Miles the DJ and he was very open and direct about what they are doing. He said, “we need to play music that matters and ius consequential, music that fits – for the listeners that grew up on KROQ music, and the new listeners that we need to earn their trust.”
I asked Miles what was the number one issue he wanted to address when he first started. He said, “I think making sure that listeners identify with what KROQ has always been to them, and what direction music that fits takes us.” I asked him to clarify that last part, he said, “There are different ways to program music, I like to think that if I were a listener I want music I know and music I can get into. That’s not music that is just a tik-tok hit, again it’s got to fit the overall format.”
He went on to say, “If we do our job right, listeners will tune in and keep coming back for what next.” I want to make sure anyone tuning in has a good experience when they tune in.”
We then considered checking in with the department that puts on all those great shows that come to the In-N-Out Sound Space at KROQ. For that, we spoke with Promotions Manager, Ricky Darling. It’s nuts the number of great shows that have passed through Sound Space. Just in the past few month’s bands like Fontaines D.C., Death Cab for Cutie, Joyce Manor, Bleachers, The Paradox and Social Distortion have played there.
I asked Darling how were they able to pull some of this off? He said, “Programming music that our listeners really love is a big reason. Having the backing of Audacy makes this possible from the big picture perspective, and working with In-N-Out really brings it together. I mean, if you live in SoCal, you know In-N-Out and to have them here at every show just make it feel like home.”
I then asked, so what’s the goal, Darling paused and said, “I think making sure whoever attends on of our shows they have the time of their life. Whatever we can do to make that happen we do our best to make it so.” We both laughed.
I then asked, “You have the on-air staff do interviews, how do fans like that.” He smiled and said, “They absolutely love it – they love seeing in person the voices behind the mic.” I then asked – “It helps having the # 1 morning show, right?”
He replied, “YES! And we’re very proud of that.”
By now, it was time to chat with Kevin Klein and Ally Johnson. As usual Vanessa got us and with a big smile and led to the morning show room and said, “I’ll be back in 30 minutes.”
Vanessa said that very authoritatively which made me and OCMN Photographer Shane Pase look at each other and smile.
As we entered the room there was Klein and Ally waiting to chat with us. After greetings I noticed the cool stuff they had in their office. Klein gave us the tour of their walls filled with memorabilia gifted to them by listeners.
It was cool how much detail some people put into their gifts. I personally lived the Klein and Ally dolls someone made.
It was impressive – (down to the packaging) – what effort this person made to gift them these dolls.
As we sat, I thanked them for making time for us. I said, I can’t tell you how happy I am for you and the staff, wow # 1… what an accomplishment” Both Klein and Ally simultaneously said, “Thank you” and Klien added “It’s hard to believe, but here we are.”
I started off with, “The first time we chatted you were just 6 months on the job and you were getting little support from management at that time and be it unfair or just bad luck you guys got the hate you got from just able every angle for the way previous management had handled business.” Klein responded, “Yeah, those were challenging times, but it is like anything else in life, you keep your head down and keep working and working until something good happens or they give you your walking papers, which was coming we didn’t know back then,” we all laughed at that. He went on, “Today is much different, it’s different because we get support from management.”
I then said, let’s focus on the here and now – where the morning show is headed. We know where you’ve been, but the story is no longer that – it’s where you are now. What do you think was the main motivation to get you through those dark days to where you are today?”
Ally responded, “I think being sincere in what we do matters and people can see through it if you’re just phoning it in. You have to be able to laugh at yourself and not take some things not so serious that they affect your day.” She went on, “It’s the authenticity that everyone can be themselves – that has resonated with our listeners.” I asked, “You all seem like family, you are friends – that’s how it comes off.” Klein responded, “We are, I mean everyone here knows everything about me and they still like me.” We all laughed at that.
Ally continued, “Honestly, we are a family, we do things at events and outside stuff too. I think you can tell when someone is putting on an act, we all care about each other and it shows on air.”
I segued into another topic, “Over the years your fans have really gravitated to Johhny, Jake, Omar and Vanessa – why do you think that is?”
Ally responded, “How can you not be drawn to them, they are funny, honest to a fault and they work hard at putting on this show on every day. They don’t phone it in and you can tell they love what they do. They are the same persons on the air as they are off the air and people love that about them.”
I then asked, “Over the years you have had fans that have become part of the show. There’s The Bud Light Bros, Blind Charlie and Moist Joyce. How inspiring is it that everyday people have taken to your show so much that they have become part of it. Klein said, “It means a lot… some become the on-air part of the show while others support us through letters, texts and other messages. Then, there are these crazy gifts you see on our walls – that means everything to us that people care that much.”
I then asked, “A question that was sent in to us from a reader was to ask when you put the shock collar on Klein, does anyone think his head is going to pop-off?” We all laughed.
Klein laughed and said, “First, I am so mad at myself for suggesting we do this, because it really is not fun – sounds great and funny but for me it really does suck. Somehow, it seems I get it more than anybody else and don’t get me wrong everyone on the show are good people, but when it comes to this, they are vicious and they smell blood and they love to see me struggle.” That made us all laugh.
The next question from our readers was for Ally, I asked, “Ally we got a lot of e-mails for you, when you disclosed on air that your pregnancy attempt failed, people were taken by how open you were and felt your tears. We got so many e-mails – mostly women who felt your paid and asked us to tell her they felt her pain and wish her the best now that she is on track.”
Ally paused and looked like she wanted to tear up but she didn’t … she said, “Yeah that was tough, I mean we tried everything leading up to it to make it funny, you know who gave me injections, how and where. But this news was hard for me to talk about. I spoke with my family about it the night before and they said it was OK if I didn’t do this on the show.”
She paused then said, “My position was this is a journey and I always knew this was a possibility that it would not take. I felt it was part of the journey that I was on with our listeners so that is why I did it – you know… that authenticity thing we believe in around here. So, I did it and I got so much support from everyone – I didn’t feel like I was on an island, I felt love.” I told her, “You touched a lot of people with that segment, people care about you and this show, the numbers reflect that.”
We finished with a lesser emotional topic, Jake! Earlier in the day they did a segment where Jake the Nerd debated independent investigator Michelle Wilkins of the “Who Killed Kurt?” Needless to say, that segment was intense. Both hitting salient points, Jake got animated but was able to compose himself with the help of Klein and Ally. Whereas Wilkins also maintained her wits. In the end, it was really good radio.
I asked, how nervous were you going into this? “Klein answered, “Very, Jake is very passionate and sometimes it can get escalated, but luckily this turned out to be really good.” Ally added “That the authentic part of the show – it can be nerve racking because you don’t know if it will hit or miss, but if you play it safe all the time, you won’t have these kinds of moments that make for great radio.”
I closed with asking, when the news broke about the ratings, did either of them have a “WOW” moment. Klein smiled and said, “It wasn’t like a WOW moment, for me it was more of a humbling experience… one of the first persons to congratulate us was Kevin Ryder. All I can say is that guy is a class act!”
In the end, there is a reason this show is # 1 in Los Angeles. Rumor has it that this is the best morning show ratings in the last 40 years in the L.A. market and possible the best morning show rating ever at KROQ. We’re still trying to verify all that, but the # 1 thing – that’s a fact.
The bottom line is this group never quit, so they could never be beaten down – those obstacles thrown at them turned out to be an advantage and nothing else; a motivation so to speak. What’s next for the show? Ally said, “we’ll continue to work hard and be real.” Klein added “We’ll give 100% every day, I don’t think this group knows any other way to do it.”
Truthfully, we don’t know what the future holds for KROQ’s Klein.Ally.Show – syndication, Radio Hall of Fame? Who knows, only time will tell. At that point, Vanessa knocked on the door (firmly) and said “times up!”
In the end, KROQ has the # 1 Morning show in Los Angeles. No matter what anyone says to the contrary, this group earned this accomplishment, and nobody can take that away from them.
Catch L.A.’s # 1 morning show Monday through Friday 5am to 11 am (Pacific time) on The World Famous KROQ.
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SID 261031 | TRACI TURNER | EDITOR
