One of my fantasies is to take a failing AM radio station and program it with a music format just to prove it can still succeed. I truly believe AM is not “dead,” just languishing from self-inflicted wounds brought on by neglect — both programming- and engineeringwise — and political talk radio.

I would love to take over a station and put in place a format that might be considered adult Top 40. The idea is to appeal to all ages, but not go too extreme. Mix up the music to include primarily contemporary hits, but also feature the best alternative, some country and killer oldies you don’t normally hear.

My own personal station would highlight that it is on AM. I would run promos starting with someone mocking a listener, then explain how we are better. For example:

“You listen to AM? OK, grandpa!,” followed by a narration, “We know what you’re going through; we’ve heard it before. But, we here at KHJ” (hey, it’s my fantasy!) “take great pride in being the station that plays the best new music first. In fact, we have broken more new music and new bands in the last year than all other local stations combined.” A few similar lines would follow, ending with “AM radio for a new generation, 93/KHJ.”

We’d have special weekends and great contests, and be live with real DJs 24/7. The key, though, is that unlike a tribute station or re-creation that plays oldies, I’d play primarily new music.

As it turns out, part of my job has already been done, by a station in Pago Pago, American Samoa. KKHJ, on the island at 93.7 FM, has been streaming to the world for many years and is a station I have written about in the past. But it keeps getting better and better. In fact, the musical approach is exactly what I would do. That it is called “93/KHJ” makes it even better for me. I am a KHJ (930 AM) fanatic, even though it hasn’t been Top 40 since November 1980 … not counting the “Car Radio” days.

With what KKHJ calls “American Samoa’s best music mix,” the playlist is quite impressive. Artists include Rihanna, Luke Combs, Dua Lipa, SZA, Lil Nas X, Green Day, Pink, Olivia Rodrigo, Lovely the Band, Chainsmokers and more. Sundays are “flashbacks,” with hits from the 1980s; nights feature the syndicated John Tesh program playing music mixed with life advice and tips. There is a full morning show called “Samoan Sunrise,” and a news department with hourly local newscasts supported by national news provided by Fox.

Basically, it’s radio like we used to do here. There are even modern jingles, with an occasional blast from the past using the famous “we play it for you on 93/KHJ” long-form jingle as heard right here in the mid-1970s.

This may be among the best Top 40 stations in the country, even though it is officially off the mainland, in a U.S. territory south of the equator. You can hear it online using any radio app, directly at southseasbroadcasting.com/93khj, or on its own South Seas smartphone app.

While I usually don’t like single station apps, I highly recommend the one from South Seas. Download it on for iPhone or Android by searching the app stores for “South Seas Broadcasting.” Well worth it.

South Seas actually sets the standard for apps here; it is superb, primarily because it just works so well — fast and responsive. But it also includes not just KHJ, the reason I downloaded it in the first place, but co-owned stations: V103, playing local island music; The Beat, playing hip-hop and rhythm and blues; and Oldies 93.7, a secondary HD channel of KKHJ.

The Beat harkens hack to our own Beat heard here, if memory serves right, on 100.3 FM and later 92.3 FM. It’s a modern version of The Beat, playing current music with a full staff and catering to younger island listeners. Doja Cat, Ice Spice, Offset, 310babii and Lil John are typical choices.

V103 — The People’s Station — plays Samoan and Polynesian music along with local news in both English and Samoan.

And then there is Oldies 93.7. Not only does it play oldies you generally don’t hear elsewhere, in a mix that I find quite enjoyable, but it has a full staff along with news and even some advertisements … all unusual for an HD subchannel.

Sonny and Cher, America, The Isley Brothers, Jim Croce, Badfinger, Dean Taylor, The Four Seasons, Donna Summer and the Righteous Brothers filled out a recent hour.

One thing I noticed on all of these stations is that the DJs seem to be voice-tracked — recorded ahead of time with music added later — but it is done well, and most people probably would not notice. Of note, the DJs never give the time or weather reports; those are inserted between other elements. No doubt this allows the various personalities to live anywhere in the world, making it easier to have a “big city” sound in a very small market.

Give them a listen and let me know what you think.

Richard Wagoner is a San Pedro freelance columnist covering radio in Southern California. Email rwagoner@socalradiowaves.com.