Who Flips Next?

[fordranger797]

I don't think any of the Sinclair radio properties will flip, but may get sold of eventually since Sinclair is not in the radio business. I think the radio formats in the area are stable, except for the new move-in 93.7. I think a new format is in their future. I'm still hoping for a Rhythmic/Jamin' Oldies format on that station

As we have established in other threads, the lack of choice in this region is absurd. Although I may be dramatizing, it feels like there are really only three or four things to choose from on the FM radio dial; you just select your poison (I.e, which station you want to put up with). The formats seem to only exist to please the sporadic listener. If you listen for many hours of the day like I do, the format is like opening a box of 'Wheat Thins'.

The mentality among radio companies these day's is ridiculous. If a radio station is not performing on the top of the charts, it NEEDS to change (even though it could still be making plenty of money). If a radio station is interesting, it NEEDS to flip to a boring format that other radio stations are already doing (do I really need to bring up my beloved KMTT again? No? Okay.)

 

[crainbebo]

WHY did KNBQ flip from Sports to the same format you can hear on KPLZ and KLCK?
WHY did KMTT flip from Classic Rock to another Rhythmic CHR-ish station?
WHY did KQMV go from Rhythmic AC/Hot AC to another CHR?

Every frequency needs variety. No, I don't mean country, a classic hits and then classic rock and another country and a CHR and repeat. How about some Rhythmic Oldies, Smooth Jazz, Gold AC, classic Alternative Rock (like 1330 khz in Enumclaw), a Bob FM to compete with Jack FM, etc. I can think of many Seattle stations that need to tweak or flip. KLCK is one, KYNW is another, KMCQ needs to tweak back to the old days of their "who knows" playlist, and KRWM needs to quit trying to be "KISS-FM Lite". Avicii "Wake Me Up" and Selena Gomez "Love You Like a Love Song" is NOT AC! It's CHR and Adult Top 40.

-crainbebo

 

[fordranger797]

WHY did KNBQ flip from Sports to the same format you can hear on KPLZ and KLCK?
WHY did KMTT flip from Classic Rock to another Rhythmic CHR-ish station?
WHY did KQMV go from Rhythmic AC/Hot AC to another CHR?

Every frequency needs variety. No, I don't mean country, a classic hits and then classic rock and another country and a CHR and repeat. How about some Rhythmic Oldies, Smooth Jazz, Gold AC, classic Alternative Rock (like 1330 khz in Enumclaw), a Bob FM to compete with Jack FM, etc. I can think of many Seattle stations that need to tweak or flip. KLCK is one, KYNW is another, KMCQ needs to tweak back to the old days of their "who knows" playlist, and KRWM needs to quit trying to be "KISS-FM Lite". Avicii "Wake Me Up" and Selena Gomez "Love You Like a Love Song" is NOT AC! It's CHR and Adult Top 40.

-crainbebo

From what I can tell, nobody really cares about KYNW. Do not get me wrong, the numbers that KYNW produces are fine if we were looking at an AM station. However, this is a 70kw FM signal which has the potential to be so much more than what it is right now. Its as if Clear Channel is looking at KYNW as if they shouldn't bother putting any real effort into creating an interesting format because it's not in Seattle. I'm sure 102.9 would garner listeners from all over the Western Washington region if there was actually something worth listening to, which KYNW is not.

Again, i'm not going to sit here talk more about how we need AAA, as it would be biased. However, I still contend that Entercom was foolish to mess with "The Mountain in the first place. They took something with a standard performance and loyal following in hopes of achieving a quick fix for chart topping numbers. That seems to be the common method among broadcasting companies for trying to achieve success. Not every station can be at the top of the chart; I contend that a loyal following is better than a bandwagon following that will "jump ship". Just look at the CHR stations. When one station adds some sort of component that makes it more attractive among the others, it shoots to the top while the others remain in the middle, or at the bottom. Then again, I don't think four CHR stations are necessary anyway.

As Bongwater mentioned, the stations in Seattle are all about trending formats. Unfortunately, having every station in town trying to grab a piece of a trending format only leads to a dogfight for better numbers. ... and if it doesn't work then its completely expendable.

 

[crainbebo]

In Yakima you have two CHRs. One is the one "everyone listens to," KFFM. Then you have KHHK 99.7, which is rap-orientated. Both are popular with the young group. And if you want to deal with either some static or LOADS of static, KUJ 99.1 (Power 99.1) Tri Cities and KOLW 97.5 Basin City (Hot 97.5) respectfully are other options. Country is somewhat saturated here in the Yakima Valley, there's KXLE, KWIQ, KDBL, KXDD, KIOK, KORD, KWHT and KYYT in Goldendale (hardly can pick up at all) that are listenable on my radio in spots. I heard KMPS really nice this afternoon as well.
Classic hits is KARY 100.9, and KKSR 95.7 in Walla Walla. Classic rock is on a translator, K229AD (KLKY) 93.7 which is "U-ROCK". In Pasco it's KLKY, 96.1 and a local "Rockin River" on 93.7, KRKG.


-crainbebo

 

[fordranger797]

In Yakima you have two CHRs. One is the one "everyone listens to," KFFM. Then you have KHHK 99.7, which is rap-orientated. Both are popular with the young group. And if you want to deal with either some static or LOADS of static, KUJ 99.1 (Power 99.1) Tri Cities and KOLW 97.5 Basin City (Hot 97.5) respectfully are other options. Country is somewhat saturated here in the Yakima Valley, there's KXLE, KWIQ, KDBL, KXDD, KIOK, KORD, KWHT and KYYT in Goldendale (hardly can pick up at all) that are listenable on my radio in spots. I heard KMPS really nice this afternoon as well.
Classic hits is KARY 100.9, and KKSR 95.7 in Walla Walla. Classic rock is on a translator, K229AD (KLKY) 93.7 which is "U-ROCK". In Pasco it's KLKY, 96.1 and a local "Rockin River" on 93.7, KRKG.


-crainbebo

I personally believe that a listener will put up with a significant amount of interference if they find a station they like. However, I think this only applies to stations that are unique, or carry a format that you can't get somewhere else. For example, if i liked CHR, I would not tune into KKRZ 100.3 when I could just as well get a clear signal on KBKS. I imagine its the same in Yakima; people will probably not bother with the tri cities stations. Perhaps they leave a button on their car radio for one of those stations, though.

So that concludes Psych 101 with fordranger797

 

[AQH]

WHY did KNBQ flip from Sports to the same format you can hear on KPLZ and KLCK?
WHY did KMTT flip from Classic Rock to another Rhythmic CHR-ish station?
WHY did KQMV go from Rhythmic AC/Hot AC to another CHR?

Every frequency needs variety. No, I don't mean country, a classic hits and then classic rock and another country and a CHR and repeat. How about some Rhythmic Oldies, Smooth Jazz, Gold AC, classic Alternative Rock (like 1330 khz in Enumclaw), a Bob FM to compete with Jack FM, etc. I can think of many Seattle stations that need to tweak or flip. KLCK is one, KYNW is another, KMCQ needs to tweak back to the old days of their "who knows" playlist, and KRWM needs to quit trying to be "KISS-FM Lite". Avicii "Wake Me Up" and Selena Gomez "Love You Like a Love Song" is NOT AC! It's CHR and Adult Top 40.

-crainbebo

I'll take a guess at these, as I don't know the exact decision making process.

KNBQ probably flipped because a contemporary format is easier to sell than Sports. Plus, it's likely an easier South Sound sell than it would be for those clients to buy air time on a Seattle signal such as Star or Click.

The Mountain changed because music tastes are changing and the format was getting old in its appeal. They came in as a flanker to KZOK a long time ago, the music tastes have changed over time. It would be a waste of time and money to try and go against a huge brand like KZOK, and to a lesser extent, KJR-FM. Going to CHR was the right decision.

Movin' likely moved because they didn't see a long-term future in the library-based format. KUBE has been imploding and suffers from weak product and Kiss has, at times, tried to focus on Star.

No single person is going to like every single song a radio station plays. No single person is going to like everything offered on the radio dial. Both of those characteristics are perfectly normal. But your last statement about Avicii and Selena Gomez, is a regression in terms of thinking. That kind of closed mindset is what gets people an unemployment check.

 

[fordranger797]

I'll take a guess at these, as I don't know the exact decision making process.

KNBQ probably flipped because a contemporary format is easier to sell than Sports. Plus, it's likely an easier South Sound sell than it would be for those clients to buy air time on a Seattle signal such as Star or Click.

The Mountain changed because music tastes are changing and the format was getting old in its appeal. They came in as a flanker to KZOK a long time ago, the music tastes have changed over time. It would be a waste of time and money to try and go against a huge brand like KZOK, and to a lesser extent, KJR-FM. Going to CHR was the right decision.

Movin' likely moved because they didn't see a long-term future in the library-based format. KUBE has been imploding and suffers from weak product and Kiss has, at times, tried to focus on Star.

No single person is going to like every single song a radio station plays. No single person is going to like everything offered on the radio dial. Both of those characteristics are perfectly normal. But your last statement about Avicii and Selena Gomez, is a regression in terms of thinking. That kind of closed mindset is what gets people an unemployment check.

I believe that the radio stations serving the Seattle area have done nothing but make things worse from themselves. I believe that there are many other listeners out there who, like myself, will not buy into any of this. I believe that there are other listeners out there who are not going to put up with what is available when there are better options out there. To clarify, I could listen to KJR-FM to hear classic hits (which I do like), but I wont do so. I don't want to listen to the same 20 songs over and over again. I'm sure that I am not the only one. Is that really what the radio companies wanted when playlists started getting tighter?

Think about a radio station that sticks to an oldies format. The listener base is clearly not as big as a radio station like "The Wolf", but the listener base is loyal. Think about the original "103.7, The Mountain". The listener base clearly is not as big as a CHR station, but the listeners are very loyal and passionate about what they played. I'm not the first to express my disappointment when that station flipped.

When I look at a radio station like KKWF or KJR, I fail to see how they are so successful. Do the listeners just not care? Do they put up with it just because its better than nothing?

Sometimes I speculate the level of intelligence among SOME radio listeners. I know that the goal of CHR is to play the same music over and over again, but that shouldn't go for every station on the dial. Sure, people have said that a tighter playlist is better. However, one has to remember all of the comments posted on this board about how bad KMCQ got when they dropped their variety format in favour of a KJR-like playlist. "Variety Hits" is anything but "variety". I think that KJAQ 96.5 is doing the best job of creating an interesting variety compared to any other Seattle station I have sampled, at least. You can tune in and be surprised, which I think is fantastic.

 

[AQH]

Sometimes I speculate the level of intelligence among SOME radio listeners.....

If the context of that statement goes to when people responded in Arbitron diaries by writing down one station and drawing an arrow down the entire day or across a week, then I agree with you.

If you're saying that based on the audacity of people choosing radio stations they personally like, then you're very a closed-minded person when it comes to radio.

 

[fordranger797]

If the context of that statement goes to when people responded in Arbitron diaries by writing down one station and drawing an arrow down the entire day or across a week, then I agree with you.

If you're saying that based on the audacity of people choosing radio stations they personally like, then you're very a closed-minded person when it comes to radio.

I'm going to have to disagree with you on that one. I think closed mindedness can only be considered when you look at individuals who stick to the same loop of programming day in and day out.

 

[TheBigA]

I'm going to have to disagree with you on that one. I think closed mindedness can only be considered when you look at individuals who stick to the same loop of programming day in and day out.

Do you go home basically the same way every day? To the same wife? Watch the same TV shows? Wear basically the same kinds of clothes? Get your hair cut the same way? That's what most people do. They follow very predictable patterns, and some of us study those patterns and build radio programming around it. We find it works pretty well.

 

[fordranger797]

Do you go home basically the same way every day? To the same wife? Watch the same TV shows? Wear basically the same kinds of clothes? Get your hair cut the same way? That's what most people do. They follow very predictable patterns, and some of us study those patterns and build radio programming around it. We find it works pretty well.

Well i'm just saying, it seems to me that radio has gradually moved towards having tighter and tighter playlists over time.

 

[TheBigA]

Well i'm just saying, it seems to me that radio has gradually moved towards having tighter and tighter playlists over time.

Depends on the format...but it's been our experience that the more concise we are, particularly now with PPM, the more responsive and attentive the audience is. We can see it very clearly in audience behavior. If playing more songs meant we get more listeners, we'd do it immediately. But it doesn't.

 

[fordranger797]

Depends on the format...but it's been our experience that the more concise we are, particularly now with PPM, the more responsive and attentive the audience is. We can see it very clearly in audience behavior. If playing more songs meant we get more listeners, we'd do it immediately. But it doesn't.

That's understandable. I just wish that we had radio stations that offered something different, like KMTT used to (sorry to bring up that example again). Its frustrating when you have all of these stations fighting for their piece of Country, CHR, or Classic Rock/Hits. That is an over-dramatization, but the big radio stations in Seattle are doing exactly that.

 

[TheBigA]

That's understandable. I just wish that we had radio stations that offered something different,

Typically that's where non-commercial radio comes in.

 

[fordranger797]

Typically that's where non-commercial radio comes in.

That is true. I also agree that "strange" radio formats are best left for non commercial radio, usually on college stations. Like the old KWJZ for instance. It was a cool station, but I can see why it couldn't last forever.

However, I do notice a few station that other communities have that Seattle does not have. Allow me to explain.

CHQM 103.5 in Vancouver BC. This station is truly an "Adult Contemporary" station, unlike KWRM which is clearly Hot AC. CHQM is top rated, and expands their playlist back to the 70's to include select tracks from Elton John or Van Morrison which can be expected on a real Adult Contemporary station.


KINK 101.9 in Portland OR. I really do not think I need to say much for this station, as you all are well aware that I like it. As someone already stated, its hard to have AAA on a station if they do not have the proper facilities (I.e, a venue for live music). However, I think it would be worth it to invest in making a station like this possible. There are many people in this region who want AAA; many of whom are like me and listened to KMTT before it flipped.

CKLG 96.9 in Vancouver BC. This station is sort of like Jack-FM (in fact, they brand as "Jack"). However, they are such an interesting station because they play such a mixed up playlist. You could be listening to a rock song from the 1990's one minute, and a newer pop song the next. It has been successful.

Anyway, I would love to see a select number of radio stations in Seattle try to emulate what KINK, CHQM, and CKLG already are doing. Am I being unreasonable? I certainly do not think so. I think its more unreasonable to not to.

 

[crainbebo]

KRWM, like I said is starting to creep more Hot AC to fight with Star. "Wake Me Up" Avicii is NOT soft rock! Hello? I'd rather hear Joe Cocker's "Up Where We Belong" (a really good soft rock song) on KRWM. They call themselves "Today's Soft Favorites," yeah right. They used to be really good 10+ years ago.
I liked listening to CHQM when I was in Marysville. Ditto CKLG or even CHTT 103.1.
You have to go a long ways east, but KOHO 101.1 Leavenworth seems to be like the old KMTT...
KAFE is also trying to creep into "KRWM AC". Sad but true. I loved listening to KAFE a couple of years ago.
A really good soft AC I found is EZ Rock 106.3 in Idaho Falls. Really good Soft AC station. Check it out!

-crainbebo

 

[fordranger797]

KRWM, like I said is starting to creep more Hot AC to fight with Star. "Wake Me Up" Avicii is NOT soft rock! Hello? I'd rather hear Joe Cocker's "Up Where We Belong" (a really good soft rock song) on KRWM. They call themselves "Today's Soft Favorites," yeah right. They used to be really good 10+ years ago.
I liked listening to CHQM when I was in Marysville. Ditto CKLG or even CHTT 103.1.
You have to go a long ways east, but KOHO 101.1 Leavenworth seems to be like the old KMTT...
KAFE is also trying to creep into "KRWM AC". Sad but true. I loved listening to KAFE a couple of years ago.
A really good soft AC I found is EZ Rock 106.3 in Idaho Falls. Really good Soft AC station. Check it out!

-crainbebo

I agree completely! I think the best thing that could happen to Seattle radio ~

KWRM emulates the CHQM playlist, leaves "Hot AC" to Star 101.5 or KYNW 102.9 (since CC is pushing it)

KJAQ emulates the CHTT or CKLG playlist. That would be fun and interesting.

To top it off, we get a carbon copy KINK up here. Even some sort of simulcast called "KINK Seattle" would be amazing.

 

[Bongwater]

I can agree on the lack of variety issue. In regards to KPLZ, KLCK-FM, KRWM and KYNW on the Hot AC thing and the KUBE, KHTP and to a lesser extent, KQMV on the Rhythmic end and don't EVEN get me started on all the sports and right wing blabber on the AM band. Yawn.

That said, you all had better get ready for some shocking changes that will make the current terrestrial radio mess look like a cribbage game between senior citizens on a sunny day in the park.

You may not think fondly of our local CHRs right now. You will when one or some other station becomes part of a coast to coast national CHR network entirely beamed out of New York or Los Angeles with almost to NO local content or personalities at all, the way K-Love is run (but much, much more commercial of course.)

The same song, the same program, the same host, the SAME STATION. Coast to coast. In EVERY market. At the same time. On (Insert FM frequency here.)

I'm hearing that's just ONE of the options some radio industry people are thinking about.

http://radioinsight.com/blog/blogs/88455/the-missing-piece-in-nationalized-radio/

(And at that point alone, feel free to imagine anything else you want. Including dogs and cats shacking up.) The slippery slope to Taco Bell 106.1 and 100.7 The Walmart is being greased as I speak.

We're already halfway there.

http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=370

(Still sounds like some wild dystopian future horror story? Think about that the next time you walk into Century Link Field, Key Arena or Safeco Field.)

National conglomerate sales are what drives national conglomerate radio. Imaging and product placement is a science now. So don't even THINK "it can't happen here". Because Virgin is already doing it with radio. And damn near everything else in the world.

And beyond.

http://www.virgingalactic.com/

With those radio industry lobbyists writing out those BIG campaign checks to our legislators in breathtaking amounts (thanks to some recent Supreme Court descisons, they can do it now all they want. With glee) to get the deregulating votes they want to make it all happen, get the popcorn.

And if you think everything sounds the same NOW on the radio. Well, like I said. Get ready.

Ahhh, Telecom '96....Good times....

 

[TheBigA]

With those radio industry lobbyists writing out those BIG campaign checks to our legislators in breathtaking amounts (thanks to some recent Supreme Court descisons, they can do it now all they want. With glee) to get the deregulating votes they want to make it all happen, get the popcorn.

Huh? Broadcasting contributions are small compared to other industries. In fact the telecom industry spends more and gets more in return than broadcasters. All of the legislation broadcasters have asked for has been ignored, and in fact Congress has rejected NAB arguments and instead allowed for more LPFM stations. So none of this has anything to do with campaign contributions or deregulation.

 

[crainbebo]

Allowed for more LPFMs, to make the Seattle FM dial even more crowded than it already is. We need a massive shakeup from Vancouver Island to the coast, now. Lower the FM band way down in the 80s and likely 76 mhz. Back in Marysville, KROH used to stomp on CJZN and KBCS a lot. KAFE's IBOC has destroyed CHHR's southern market coverage, and don't get me started on CKKQ and CFRO. 101.9 as the "KINK" frequency will likely not last much longer, unfortunately.

And the same DJs, same music, coast to coast, on every frequency? Unbelievable. And I already thought we had a boatload of satellite feeds (like the AC that's on KSWW, Hot AC on KJET, country on KAPS, etc).

-crainbebo