KDHT - Hot 107.1 Denver is NOW Denver's Dance Station

[saradio1]

Here's a interesting blog from Sean Ross @ Radio-Info-

http://www.radio-info.com/programming/chrtop-40/first-listen-kdht-hot-1071s-dance-format?utm_source=Subscribers&utm_campaign=390c78fdac-Ross_On_Radio_April_03_2012&utm_medium=email

[Tony Santiago]

Actually, go on the New York board....good argument going on in there

[retrodells]

Denver's Dance Station will fail. 
Why?

The station is too hard on techno and club remixes of "unknown" artists/music to mainstream USA listeners.
The station sounds like a continues club mix that gives a person a headache after awhile.
This is almost ALWAYS the downfall of a "dance station" in America.

The only way a dance station in this country is going to be successful will be with a "dance hits" format. period. guaranteed.
This is proven by: Energy 927/5 Chicago (which would still be onair if had not been sold off)
                           103.5 KTU in NYC
                           Z103.5 Toronto

Energy 98 went to Pheonix with the Dance Hits format - on a very aweful signal and a market that wasn't app for dance.  It also was then sold off.

Mike O and Energy 98 streams online are the most listened to dance hits station in the world because they are just that "dance hits" and people can listen to them
like any other hits/chr station.

I have listened to hours of Hot107 online since it came on - and honestly, if MAX radio plans to make this rimshot station listenable - they have a ways to go.  The songs are too long, too techno, too radical clubby, and the presentation is just pretty bad.  The British accent voice overs are also going to kill the station. 

The problem with "pure" dance radio stations/format in this country is just this:
1) USA population has been fed the rap/rock CHR hits for the past almost 20 years. 
2) USA population relates "pure dance" as a listening track to dance to when you go out
3) USA population relates "pure dance" with the GLBT community

Good news is that Dance Hits are crossing over lately, finally, in the past two years on CHR radio.  You have Rhianna, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry ect... that have brought "Dance Hits" to mainstream CHR and it has caught on nicely pushing CHR stations a little more towards dancy hits than all the rap hits we were hearing mainly on CHR.

Again, if Dance is going to work in this country it is going to have to presented RIGHT.  A CHR/Dance Hits station like KTU, Energy 927/5 and Z103.5 (and Energy 98 online) present dance in a CHR fun easy speed and familiar CHR sound. 

Denver's Hot107 has in completely wrong and is DOA on arrival.  Sorry, hate to say it because I love dance - but this station is REALLY bad.  Headache bad. 

[2Son]

Denver's Dance Station will fail. 
Why?

The station is too hard on techno and club remixes of "unknown" artists/music to mainstream USA listeners.
The station sounds like a continues club mix that gives a person a headache after awhile.
This is almost ALWAYS the downfall of a "dance station" in America.

The only way a dance station in this country is going to be successful will be with a "dance hits" format. period. guaranteed.
This is proven by: Energy 927/5 Chicago (which would still be onair if had not been sold off)
                           103.5 KTU in NYC
                           Z103.5 Toronto

Energy 98 went to Pheonix with the Dance Hits format - on a very aweful signal and a market that wasn't app for dance.  It also was then sold off.

Mike O and Energy 98 streams online are the most listened to dance hits station in the world because they are just that "dance hits" and people can listen to them
like any other hits/chr station.

I have listened to hours of Hot107 online since it came on - and honestly, if MAX radio plans to make this rimshot station listenable - they have a ways to go.  The songs are too long, too techno, too radical clubby, and the presentation is just pretty bad.  The British accent voice overs are also going to kill the station. 

The problem with "pure" dance radio stations/format in this country is just this:
1) USA population has been fed the rap/rock CHR hits for the past almost 20 years. 
2) USA population relates "pure dance" as a listening track to dance to when you go out
3) USA population relates "pure dance" with the GLBT community

Good news is that Dance Hits are crossing over lately, finally, in the past two years on CHR radio.  You have Rhianna, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry ect... that have brought "Dance Hits" to mainstream CHR and it has caught on nicely pushing CHR stations a little more towards dancy hits than all the rap hits we were hearing mainly on CHR.

Again, if Dance is going to work in this country it is going to have to presented RIGHT.  A CHR/Dance Hits station like KTU, Energy 927/5 and Z103.5 (and Energy 98 online) present dance in a CHR fun easy speed and familiar CHR sound. 

Denver's Hot107 has in completely wrong and is DOA on arrival.  Sorry, hate to say it because I love dance - but this station is REALLY bad.  Headache bad. 

Let me correct you.

Energy 98 did not come to Phoenix with a dance hits format.  KNRJ (Energy 92.7/101.1) already existed and although Mike's attempt to improve the station (which started nearly two years AFTER KNRJ debuted) had its pluses, it really did not have much of an effect on the ratings for the station as he was let go a year later; however, I am sure the exposure subsequently helped his Energy 98 as his website redirected people to the KNRJ website while he was with KNRJ.  I believe the low ratings had more to do with the bad signal, NOT the fact that the Phoenix market could not take to dance music.  If you know anything about the Phoenix radio market, you would know that there have been several stations throughout the years that at one time or another have leaned dance, including KZZP, Power 92, KPTY, Markus Schulz's Edge Factor on KEDJ, KISS FM, etc...

In a time when all types of radio stations flip to different formats frequently, KNRJ remained on the air as a dance format in Phoenix on a bad signal for 6.5 years.  I do not consider that to be a failure.  I consider it a miracle.

[Alan Freed]

If you know anything about the Phoenix radio market, you would know that there have been several stations throughout the years that at one time or another have leaned dance, including KZZP, Power 92, KPTY, Markus Schulz's Edge Factor on KEDJ, KISS FM, etc...

Correct. And Beat Radio in 1998 on 740AM, not exactly the best signal in the city. Still, as brief as it was (unrelated to ratings), Phoenix was, in terms of response, one of the top three markets of the 10 we were in. Since this thread is about Denver, I'll add that Denver was another of our top three.

[DJ_Perry]

Too funny, Energy 98 brought to Phx? LOL, good one.  We were here long before them...

I won't add to that, except for the fact that KNRJ is no where close to "98" on any of the frequecies it has or did have.  Nor was it "sold off," they are STILL on the air under same management playing Hip Hop.  2son put it quite well. 

BTW Alan, I LOVED Beat Radio on 740, I was a loyal listener and learned much music that I still use today on my streams / shows.

[Nick]

MikeO's pirate station was on 98.1, hence the name Energy 98. It stuck around even after the pirate station went off the air.

[DJ_Perry]

Maybe in Oregon, not in Phx

[Alan Freed]

BTW Alan, I LOVED Beat Radio on 740, I was a loyal listener and learned much music that I still use today on my streams / shows.

Thanks, Perry, that's really cool to hear. Phoenix and Denver were solid supporters. I still play some of that era's gold on http://ShoutDRIVE.com.

[retrodells]

KNRJ (Energy 92.7/101.1) already existed and although Mike's attempt to improve the station (which started nearly two years AFTER KNRJ debuted) had its pluses, it really did not have much of an effect on the ratings for the station as he was let go a year later; however, I am sure the exposure subsequently helped his Energy 98 as his website redirected people to the KNRJ website while he was with KNRJ.

This is correct.

I should have said that MikeO brought his Energy 98 (internet radio) programming to Phoenix to help improve the KNRJ ratings.  KNRJ was playing almost the same format Hot107 Denver is now.  KNRJ's dance music product included house, Trance, and club music, as well as remixes of pop and R&B hits.  It lasted from June 2002-October 2007.  MikeO's programming was for one year near the demise of the dance format.  The signal of KNRJ still remains a difficult challenge.  It still remains the lowest FM rated station in Phoenix / as well as in Flagstaff where it has a better signal.  KNRJ as a dance format had a share bump with the highest ratings under MikeO's programming - but not much more was possible on that signal.  KNRJ heavily targeted (probably the most of any dance format radio station) the GLBT community.  Their website was like visiting gay pride everyday (and I am not hating there - I am gay).