TWR SENDS C172 AROUND DUE TO SEPARATION NEEDED WITH LNDG TFC AHEAD. C172 RPTR UNABLE TO MAKE TIMELY ATC REQUESTED POS RPTS DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION.

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VFR 3500 FT VNC DIRECT LAL. LATE RELEASE FROM TPA APCH (VFR FLT FOLLOWING) DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION. CONTACTED LAL TWR ASAP AT '5.5 GPS S (WE WERE ON THE 195 DEG RADIAL LAL AT THE TIME); INBOUND FOR TOUCH-AND-GO.' TWR'S RESPONSE; 'CALL 2.5 MI R BASE RWY 5.' FREQ WAS CONGESTED WITH ACFT ON APCH TO RWY 5 AND RWY 9. MADE BASE CALL EARLY (2.7 MI). NO RESPONSE. NEXT OPPORTUNITY MADE A CALL TURNING FINAL FOR RWY 5. TWIN ON FINAL RPTED 'THAT CESSNA JUST OUT IN FRONT OF ME.' TWR ISSUED ME GAR INSTRUCTIONS. IF I HAD RPTED RADIAL AND DISTANCE S; SIT MIGHT NOT HAVE OCCURRED. I CALLED LAL TWR ON LNDG AT CLW AND SPOKE TO THE CTLR. HE SUGGESTED THAT A MORE SPECIFIC AND ACCURATE POS RPT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL. HE ALSO STATED THAT EARLY MONITORING OF HIS FREQ WOULD AID SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. I CONCUR. HOWEVER; BOTH TPA APCH AND LAL TWR FREQS WERE SO CONGESTED THAT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO EITHER XMIT IN A TIMELY MANNER OR TO QUESTION THE R BASE ASSIGNMENT WHEN A FINAL RWY 5 (STRAIGHT-IN) SEEMED MARGINALLY MORE APPROPRIATE.