Radio Disney to sell all stations except KDIS

[MadMan]

Walt Disney Co. is planning to sell 23 radio stations and will begin distributing much of its Radio Disney content digitally, the company said Wednesday. As a result of the expected sales, Radio Disney, which targets children and families with an array of programming, will lay off about 200 people. Disney will retain its AM station in Los Angeles -- KDIS-AM (1110) -- which will be used to originate Radio Disney's national programming feed.


http://www.latimes.com/entertainmen...-unload-23-radio-stations-20140813-story.html

 

[michael hagerty]

Walt Disney Co. is planning to sell 23 radio stations and will begin distributing much of its Radio Disney content digitally, the company said Wednesday. As a result of the expected sales, Radio Disney, which targets children and families with an array of programming, will lay off about 200 people. Disney will retain its AM station in Los Angeles -- KDIS-AM (1110) -- which will be used to originate Radio Disney's national programming feed.


http://www.latimes.com/entertainmen...-unload-23-radio-stations-20140813-story.html

It sounds like those stations may go dark, at least temporarily. Disney says operations will cease on September 26th. If they don't have buyers ready to do immediate LMAs, it would seem they're just going to shut off the transmitters.

 

[davideduardo]

It sounds like those stations may go dark, at least temporarily. Disney says operations will cease on September 26th. If they don't have buyers ready to do immediate LMAs, it would seem they're just going to shut off the transmitters.

It has not been mentioned yet, but many of these stations would be excellent additions for IHR which is rapidly expanding and buying quite a few mediocre AM stations.

While on that subject, I note on the IHR site http://ihradio.com/losangeles/ that these folks really do not "get" usable coverage. As someone who was PD and OM of KHJ in the 90's, and who knew where there was enough signal to get listeners to go to remotes and events (and to fill in diaries) I see that IHR wildly exaggerates the usable signals of its stations.

While I think that the IHR format is a viable use for AM today, if they are blind to the realities of coverage in noisy metro areas, they are going to be very disappointed. For example, the usable coverage of KHJ is about half of what the coverage map they have on their site indicates.

 

[DaveBayArea]

While on that subject, I note on the IHR site http://ihradio.com/losangeles/ that these folks really do not "get" usable coverage. As someone who was PD and OM of KHJ in the 90's, and who knew where there was enough signal to get listeners to go to remotes and events (and to fill in diaries) I see that IHR wildly exaggerates the usable signals of its stations.

While I think that the IHR format is a viable use for AM today, if they are blind to the realities of coverage in noisy metro areas, they are going to be very disappointed. For example, the usable coverage of KHJ is about half of what the coverage map they have on their site indicates.

Interestingly enough, their coverage map is in between the "Red" and "Purple" areas on radio-locator. I've always used the outer of those two as a guide for car radio reception. So their projected coverage area is probably accurate in a car with a good radio when you're not close to LED stoplights. Yes - that's a lot of caveats. But these people also have a lot of experience with AM radio. I live WAY outside even the purple area of KSMH (their Sacramento affiliate) and it comes in fine everywhere on a car radio.

The other factor to consider is the format. The listening audience for IHR is small but dedicated. They are much more likely to listen to a marginal signal and/or move their radio next to a window, etc. They are also the ones that will shell out some $$ for C Crane radios and accessories in order to hear the signal better.

Dave B.

 

[davideduardo]

Interestingly enough, their coverage map is in between the "Red" and "Purple" areas on radio-locator. I've always used the outer of those two as a guide for car radio reception.

That may be true if the area is not particularly noisy. However, in LA the practical limits for car reception are somewhere in the vicinity of the radio-locator red curve for automobile reception and somewhat inside it for in-home and at-work listening.

For residential and work listening, the signal has to be around 15 mV/m in most US metros, if one looks at the location of listening in the Arbitron / Nielsen data. In contrast, the contour that IHR presents is somewhere between the 1 mV/m and 2 mV/m curves.

So their projected coverage area is probably accurate in a car with a good radio when you're not close to LED stoplights.

That's not the only noise source in most markets. Leaky power lines due to dirty insulators, noise coming from residential and commercial use of flourescent lights, LED lights, dimmers, computers, and nearly any device with a CPU ad to a cumulative noise level that affects AM very severely.

Yes - that's a lot of caveats. But these people also have a lot of experience with AM radio.

Based on their original purchase of 1460 in LA for $6 million, I would say their knowledge of radio and station values is minimal and totally dangerous to their cause. Add to that the use on the website of a coverage map that is based on the old Fairfax site and not the new Alvarado site and which, even then, shows areas where the station is absolutely unlistenable and you have people who do not understand coverage and usage of AM radio.

I live WAY outside even the purple area of KSMH (their Sacramento affiliate) and it comes in fine everywhere on a car radio.

Yes, but nearly 70% of radio listening is not in the car. Of course, in-car listening when in rural or semi urban areas is much better, but where the people are the major limitation is not signal strength but noise.

The other factor to consider is the format. The listening audience for IHR is small but dedicated. They are much more likely to listen to a marginal signal and/or move their radio next to a window, etc. They are also the ones that will shell out some $$ for C Crane radios and accessories in order to hear the signal better.

The CC Crane radios are great for night skywave listening to Coast to Coast. But even the best radio or the best intentions of listeners will not overcome the noise levels on AM. While dedicated listeners such as NPR fans and classical addicts will listen to more distant signals, this is not the case with AM; FM just gets harder to pick up but AM becomes buried in the noise.

 

[Mediafrog+]

It has not been mentioned yet, but many of these stations would be excellent additions for IHR which is rapidly expanding and buying quite a few mediocre AM stations.

Wonder if IHR would go into markets where EWTN already has a presence? Here in Houston KSHJ 1430 is an EWTN affiliate, and Radio Disney KMIC 1590 is up for sale. Plenty of markets with multiple Evangelical stations, but multiple Catholic stations would seem to be a rarity.

 

[davideduardo]

Plenty of markets with multiple Evangelical stations, but multiple Catholic stations would seem to be a rarity.

It would be unusual for the US. However, when I was in Quito, Ecuador we had three Catholic stations, Radio Javier, Radio Católica and and Radio Jesús del Gran Poder. One was operated by the Jesuits, one by the Archdiocese and one by a local order.

 

[Art Landing]

Actually its already happening.

EWTN (Global Catholic Radio Network) has seven stations in the Bakersfield/San Francisco/Sacramento coastal San Joaquin Valley section of Califomia; IHR has 11 in the same area – in many cases cities have stations owned by both groups.

They also compete in San Diego; however ETWN presently has no Los Angeles station.

Wonder if they can afford KFWB?

I've no idea but a glance to me as a non-catholic IHR sounds more interesting. They also do some local programming - they don't just always "ride the network." I'm not sure about ETWN.

 

[DaveBayArea]

The CC Crane radios are great for night skywave listening to Coast to Coast. But even the best radio or the best intentions of listeners will not overcome the noise levels on AM. While dedicated listeners such as NPR fans and classical addicts will listen to more distant signals, this is not the case with AM; FM just gets harder to pick up but AM becomes buried in the noise.

I don't find that a good radio makes that much of a difference at night. At least in the SF Bay Area. Signals seem to be comparatively strong via skywave if you really want to pick them up for some reason. What I was thinking of is a device like the Select-a-tenna. Magnetic loop pickups for noisy environments. Will the average listener get one? No way. But a Catholic who wants to be educated on Church doctrine will. As you stated earlier, the business model of Immaculate Heart Radio doesn't count on numbers. They count on donations. The dedicated Catholics are in a similar category as the dedicated classical listeners when it comes to reception. Probably more so. It may not even matter if they can hear the signal reliably. Their numbers are so small that the chances of one of them getting a diary or PPM are pretty nil also. But if 5,000 people in the Los Angeles market each donate $500 per year to the cause (not unreasonable) that will surely cover operating costs. The capital campaign to acquire the signal is also likely to succeed. As such, it's a very viable format for AM.

Dave B.

 

[DaveBayArea]

EWTN (Global Catholic Radio Network) has seven stations in the Bakersfield/San Francisco/Sacramento coastal San Joaquin Valley section of Califomia; IHR has 11 in the same area – in many cases cities have stations owned by both groups.
.

I'm finding the same stations in the two lists. Are you looking at this:

http://www.ewtn.com/radio/radioaffiliatemap/

vs.

http://ihradio.com/stations/california-stations/

?

Dave B.

 

[JRH]

EWTN is a network that provides programming. As far as I know, they don't own AM/FM stations. The IHR-owned stations are affiliates of EWTN.