Xtra

The evolution of XTRA-AM (690) into an all-sports format was completed Wednesday, when the station announced a new lineup designed to focus exclusively on Southern California sports. XTRA, which carries the Kings, Chargers and San Diego State Aztec football and basketball games, switched to sports in October, 1990. But it still aired non-sports talk shows, most notably Rush Limbaugh's syndicated program.

As XTRA-AM (690) prepares to switch to a news-talk format, its competitors are grumbling about the station's "325B permit," a key factor in XTRA's ability to easily do news-talk. For announcers and guests of XTRA, the permit is akin to a letter excusing them from ever having to go to a dentist.

XTRA, the 50,000-watt radio station struggling to find a niche in the competitive Southern California broadcast market, switched to an all-sports format today, company officials said. The station fired its six-person news staff on Friday and began a new format today that includes sports news, a sports magazine show, Lee Hamilton's talk show and a variety of games, said Judy Carlough, the station's new vice president and general manager. "Everything is not set. It's not in its final form.

It bills itself as Sports Radio, but XTRA-AM (570) is moving away from an all-sports format in favor of programming aimed more generally at young men. The station, home to Jim Rome and Lakers basketball, added Phil Hendrie's nighttime comedy program a few months back and now plans to introduce a Howard Stern-like morning show, announcing Wednesday that the syndicated "Mancow's Morning Madhouse" will air weekdays 4:30 to 9 a.m. beginning May 23.

XTRA, the sports station that used to be on two frequencies, 690 and 1150, moved to KLAC's 570 frequency Feb. 3 amid much fanfare. Although as far as the FCC is concerned the call letters remain KLAC, the station bills itself XTRA Sports AM 570. The implication is that the station is giving sports fans something extra. But, it appears XTRA Sports AM 570 may be giving sports fans less, at least less sports programming.

In 1990, XTRA, "the Mighty 690," which had a powerful signal that covered all of Southern California, became one of the nation's two all-sports stations. New York's WFAN was the other. After a 15-year run, 690 is switching formats next Thursday when KLAC's music lineup takes over. And what is now XTRA (690 and 1150) moves to 570 as part of a shuffling by corporate giant Clear Channel Communications. The moves mark the end of an era.

Even though you often can't believe what you hear on sports talk radio, the firing of Joe McDonnell by XTRA Sports 1150 was not a hoax or a publicity stunt. McDonnell was given his walking papers for real after he finished his show last Friday. The publicity stunt, if there was one, was that the man who fired McDonnell, new station operations manager Mike Thompson, went on the air last Monday and took calls from listeners for four hours. Actually, it was gutty, and somewhat refreshing.

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. agreed to buy Xtra Corp., a container leasing company, for about $590 million in cash, a bet shipping demand will rebound with the economy. Berkshire agreed to pay $55 a share for Xtra's 10.6 million shares, or about $590 million. It also will assume Xtra's $710 million of debt.

Interpool Inc. and Leon Black's Apollo Management agreed to buy Xtra Corp., which leases trailers and freight containers, for $1.9 billion in stock and assumed debt. Apollo and Princeton, N.J.-based Interpool, which also leases cargo containers, will pay $65 a share in cash, or about $976 million, for 90% of Boston-based Xtra. News of the deal boosted Xtra shares up $14.94 to close at $61 on the New York Stock Exchange. Interpool rose $1.06 to close at $15.75, also on the NYSE.

XTRA, XTRA: Are two XTRAs better than one? Beginning Monday, there will be XTRA sports 1150 in Los Angeles, to go along with San Diego's XTRA 690. Kiss KIIS-AM 1150 goodbye. XTRA 1150 will become the Dodgers' flagship station in 1998. It will also become UCLA's flagship station, a deal soon to be announced. The Bruins will be on both XTRAs during the NCAA basketball tournament, then exclusively on XTRA 1150 beginning with football next fall.