kabc switches lineup again

[hotpatrick2004]

Suits is gone to be replaced by judge christina. Dr drew n psycho mike noon till three. The drive home with jillian n john 3 till 6 then levin n tilden remain along w mcintyre n t rae. Just my opinion it is like switching deck chairs on the titanic. We shall see or hear i should say.

What does everyone think of what there doing?

 

[TheBigA]

It's tough doing non-political news-talk. They know that. Everyone knows that. They're trying to do a different kind of talk. It will take years to establish, and even then, it'll get a 2 share. But what else can they do with this signal?

 

[ChannelFlipper]

It's tough doing non-political news-talk. They know that. Everyone knows that. They're trying to do a different kind of talk. It will take years to establish, and even then, it'll get a 2 share. But what else can they do with this signal?

You forgot the decimal point in front of the 2.

 

[TheBigA]

You forgot the decimal point in front of the 2.

I was trying to "accentuate the positive," but you may be right. That's what KFWB is doing.

 

[davideduardo]

It's tough doing non-political news-talk. They know that. Everyone knows that. They're trying to do a different kind of talk. It will take years to establish, and even then, it'll get a 2 share. But what else can they do with this signal?

I don't think the small KABC signal is capable of getting much above a 1.2 and that would be a major accomplishment. Most of the geographic areas where the "new" KABC format might work are in the weaker signal areas of KABC and some are simply outside the nigh signal. Add to that the need to move the KABC transmitter... which will definitely result in even more signal impairment... and this is going to be a very difficult station to attract audience to.

 

[K.M. Richards]

What does everyone think

I think you should have simply added this to the previous thread you started on KABC's changes. That's what I think.

Not that it matters, as KABC is Cumulus' biggest albatross right now. As has been said many times over the years -- and most recently by David -- the signal has outlived its usefulness as a full-market talk station.

I still don't know for certain whether Larry Elder left of his own accord or was pushed out the door, but he's probably the best off at this point because he won't be blamed for the pending disaster.

There were many discussions over the years of the demise of KFWB as an all-news station and the subsequent attempts to reinvent it at a talk station. They had more chance of viability doing talk than KABC does now. Perhaps that puts it into better perspective.

 

[TheBigA]

Not that it matters, as KABC is Cumulus' biggest albatross right now.

KGO and WABC aren't doing much better. This is a major company wide problem. Their guy in charge of it (Randall Bloomquist) just quit, and the guy he brought in to help (Kevin Metheny) died on the job. That might tell you a lot about the situation. Nobody wants to touch this with a ten foot pole.

 

[Thomps2525]

The ethnic makeup of the Los Angeles radio market is considerably different in 2015 from what it was in 1984, and of course there are more talk stations now.....but in 1984 KABC had Ken Minyard & Bob Arthur, Michael Jackson, Dr. Toni Grant, David Viscott, Bud Furillo and Dodgers baseball. In the Summer 1984 Arbitrons, KIIS was number one with a 10.0 share. In second place was KABC with a 7.9. Golly gee!

Other highlights: KJOI was third with a 4.4. KFWB, KNX and KRTH, each with a 2.9, were tied for ninth. KFI was 20th with a 1.8. The only Spanish-language station in the top 20 was KTNQ, at eighth place with a 3.2.

 

[davideduardo]

The ethnic makeup of the Los Angeles radio market is considerably different in 2015 from what it was in 1984

Absolutely.

And the areas that KABC covers well, such as the areas from Downy down to Buena Park, the Inglewood area, the sectors from just north of downtown to the SE edge of Hollywood and much of Long Beach and that area were once the middle class KABC target. Now they are solidly ethnic, with places like Bell and Huntington Park approaching 90% Hispanic.

A while back I saw a set of Hispanic population density maps from about 1960 to 2010 online, and I forgot to bookmark the site. But what it showed was the area KABC covers gradually filling up with Hispanics, who are very much less likely to listen to KABC in any English talk format.

 

[Thomps2525]

With a new lineup just announced, KABC would never consider doing this...but I wonder what their ratings would be if they went to an oldies format similar to that of KRLA in the mid-1990s, playing r&b songs which were also big pop hits. There's an 89-year-old man named Art Laboe who would probably jump at the chance to turn KABC into a successful oldies station. Yes, on AM!

 

[TheBigA]

KABC into a successful oldies station. Yes, on AM!

Did you read post #9 in this thread? The one that described the demographics in the KABC ADI?

 

[Gregg.]

In its heyday, 1110 KRLA was aimed at the growing English-dominant Hispanic audience. It was Oldies but leaned more to rhythmic than rock-oriented hits. So maybe that could work again. Some AM Oldies stations are moderately successful by filling the years that FM Classic Hits stations like KRTH have abandoned. So play the rhythmic and pop Oldies of the 60s and 70s... Motown, Aretha, Beatles, Beach Boys, Al Green... but not Steppenwolf or The Stones.

It would cost little to program and run. It might do better than KABC's current ratings and demos.

And yes, nearly all of Cumulus' Talk stations around the country are hurting, from WABC to KABC, WLS Chicago to WBAP Dallas to KGO San Francisco. But there are two that are working... WMAL-AM-FM Washington and WJR Detroit. WMAL is #6, WJR is #7. I suppose local programming in those cities still attracts an audience.

 

[davideduardo]

In its heyday, 1110 KRLA was aimed at the growing English-dominant Hispanic audience. It was Oldies but leaned more to rhythmic than rock-oriented. So maybe that could work again. Some AM Oldies stations are moderately successful by filling the years that stations like KRTH have abandoned. So play the rhythmic and pop Oldies of the 60s and 70s... Motown, Aretha, Beatles, Beach Boys, Al Green... but not Steppenwolf or The Stones.

But the appeal of those songs and artists would be pure 55+... mostly 65+. And in a market like LA, there is almost zero money to be had for that demo.

 

[K.M. Richards]

I remain astounded that every time we start discussing stations that are having a difficult time of it, someone always manages to bring up the Oldies format.

I guess Steve and the others just like giving David another chance to point out the lack of potential advertising revenue for such a format. Either that or they post just for the sake of posting.

 

[Mediafrog+]

I remain astounded that every time we start discussing stations that are having a difficult time of it, someone always manages to bring up the Oldies format.

I have posted this thought in other threads but it bears repeating in regards to the Oldies format: People fail to realize just how many years have gone by since those "Oldies" tunes were brand new, and how old the audience for them has become.

Consider this: We are now closer in time to the 21st Century version of "The 60"s" than we are to the 20th Century incarnation of that decade.

 

[wadio]

So KABC's bright new idea is to lean lifestyle instead of politics? In case they haven't noticed, KFI is hardly what you'd call a political talk station. In fact KFI seems to be leaning toward stories about sex, I guess to attract a younger audience. Even WABC is pure conservative talk only after 6 pm.

A few things KFI is doing right, IMO:

- Signal, Signal, Signal (call it good fortune but this really counts.)

- Hosts. They've found unique and entertaining hosts who appear to have enough freedom to do great shows. KABC's Doug McIntyre is capable of excellence but he's hampered by unnecessary clutter and a less-than-stellar newsperson. Compare her with John & Ken's Shannon Ferron.

- Positioning. To be honest I haven't listened to KABC in awhile but if it sounds anything like WABC it's plagued by ancient, ponderous sounding and deadly dull positioning. In "real-radio 1960's style," the promos proclaim, "NEWS, OPINION, TALK, PASSION, BLA, BLA, BLA. KFI's positioning is creative and fun. All but the TOH newscasts begin with the simple, straight-voiced, "__________ has the news."

Now, if iHeart would do with WOR what they've done with KFI, New York would have a great talk station. WOR is an embarrassment. WABC actually has some good programs but the station as a whole sounds very old and stodgy.

 

[Thomps2525]

Yes, BigA, I read post #9. That's the one where David pointed out that KABC's chief coverage area is predominantly Hispanics who will not listen to KABC for any English-language format. Gregg seems to agree with me that a 1950s-60s-70s oldies format would do better on KABC than the talk format has done lately. When KRLA had such a format, a high percentage of listeners were Latinos in their teens and 20s. Two decades have elapsed since then but I disagree that the format would attract only listeners 55 and older. It would be the equivalent of "Music For Your Life" for a younger generation...although I'm afraid that most of them have given up on radio and are listening to music online and on mobile devices.

Mister wadio mentioned that KABC is now leaning lifestyle. Didn't KFWB try that in 2009-10 with Dr. Laura Schlessinger and an emphasis on celebrity gossip and show-biz news? Who was it who said "Everything old is new again"?

 

[Thomps2525]

I just thought of something. Yes, it's true---I really do think of things once in a while. How about an oldies format with Spanish-speaking DJs? Wouldn't such a format attract bilingual listeners in their teens and 20s and 30s who don't like contemporary music? It worked for KRLA in the 1990s and I think it would work for a station in the 2010s. I realize it's 20 years later but good music does not come with an expiration date.

 

[TheBigA]

. It would be the equivalent of "Music For Your Life" for a younger generation..

"Younger" is a relative term. Younger than death, sure. But not a sellable demo any more. When KRLA did it 20 years ago, they were still sellable.

As Westbrook Van Voorhees once said: Time marches on.

 

[semoochie]

"Younger" is a relative term. Younger than death, sure. But not a sellable demo any more. When KRLA did it 20 years ago, they were still sellable.

As Westbrook Van Voorhees once said: Time marches on.

It's all in the delivery. It was more like "TIME...marches on.". I have to say though, I do feel a little cheated. Adult Standards had an afterlife on AM stations. Oldies never had the chance.