I have this station as a preset only because of its wide playlist. I do enjoy some tunes on here that are not heard often. To say it is a scattered format is an understatement, but they tend to focus on 70's and 80's. Here is my major complaint. They use Rick Dees VT's throughout the day, and he is talking about contemporary artists constantly. Anyone listening to this station for the music wold not give a crap about current and/or contemporary artists. Don't get it. Perhaps they would be better served with more traditional "Bob", "Jack" imaging and lose the Dees tracks. Just an opinion.
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Tri/Walla Walla Bob FM
- Thread starter seatownmedia
- Start date
Alexandra Communications switches 100.1 Bob fm to Spanish LaLEY. Effectively ending the Bob format in tri cities. Bob can still be heard on 104.5 in Walla Walla.
Great, another Spanish station, but I can understand. Well, it was nice knowing you, Bob. And this Bob was more entertaining than most of the others nationwide. What other 'Bob' station airs Manhattan Transfer's 'The Boy from New York City' mixed in with the other rarities from the '70s and '80s? I haven't heard that song in years but it was on a few months ago. If they can bring it back to Yakima, I'd love that...but it probably won't happen.
What is really interesting is that there were two 70's/80's stations serving the Tri-Cities and area just a couple of months ago. (Big 106, and Bob 101). Now, within a short time, both are gone. Does this open up an opportunity in this top-heavy Top40 market? Just asking.
And the format hole is still there in the Tri. There are no classic hit radio stations in this market of 300K. Yes, there is 92.1 out of Hermiston, but it is poorly programmed, and insists on calling it a "Hermiston" radio station, though its signal is decent throughout the Tri. Whoever is running this is missing out on a major opportunity to serve not only Hermiston, but the Tri. But the playlist is so entirely "safe", it is entirely boring. I tried to put it in my car "presets", but couldn't take it and am trying to find something, anything, to replace it. I tried the jazz station, and that is frankly more interesting than this so-called classic hits station out of Hermiston.
At least the 102.3 is one of the more interesting stations in the Tri-Cities. Jacobs Radio trying to get the more wealthy and older listeners with that format, but it's very relaxing to listen to. Tri-Cities is full of translators and LPs mucking up the dial and very few have any interesting programming. Stations and owners are splitting the pie a gazillion ways in a rather small market.
A lot of TriCities top40 and hot AC stations, and Rock seems to be a battle between 97.1 and 106.5. Both try to outdo each other in different ways, but they both venture off into unknown territory too often. I think a a rock station that simply focuses on rock hits would do well. By that, make it familiar rock, both new and old and stop worrying about being "harder". This would increase the audience with females and greatly increase both audience and revenue. But there seems to be a competition among the two as who has bigger "balls". Unnecessary IMO. The road to ratings success is in this format is familiar classic and new rock, not headbanging rock. I would hope one of these stations comes to this understanding, but I don't expect it.
This is why KPQ/102.1 The Quake - Wenatchee's classic rock format is much better than KEGX or KXRX's active rock (or is it AOR). KPQ aren't trying to really one up anyone. They just do the format and do it pretty good. Some of the DJ's are little silly, but the music presentation is spot on as is their audio processing. Their balanced format for maximum appeal and the flow is pretty damn good. You can tell their PD/MD is pretty good at keeping them in a sweet spot.
I appreciate smartly programmed rock radio.
Cheers.
I appreciate smartly programmed rock radio.
Cheers.
This is exactly correct. I have had limited opportunities to listen to the Quake, though it does come into the Tri occasionally. It is definitely a well-programmed station. Just play the hits and stop trying to outdo the competitor. A lesson to be learned in the Tri.
The Quake is a clear semi-local here in Yakima and YES, it does have its fans. I have a friend who has KPQ on his presets. Now he lives up in Kittitas County and I'm sure KPQ is his #1 preset instead of #3, with 105.7 and the other Yakima stations noisy and fuzzy thanks to Manastash. KFFM (and sometimes KXDD) are exceptions. KATS has a translator on 94.3 in Ellensburg, which has been around for a long time. I find that county to be interesting for radio. What used to be classic rock on 100.3 is now Catholic (and probably gets 20 listeners). Basically, top 40 is either KCWU 'The Burg' or KFFM. They used to have KQBE-103.1 for Hot AC/Top 40, but they were bought out by EMF many years ago, the transmitter moved to Selah and calls changed to KYKV. There's no 'AC' station but there are areas where KOHO-101.1 is received weakly. And I love hearing the battle between Shawn Mendes and Barry White on 99.3 (KDRM and KMGW). There never really is a 'winner' for signal strength in Ellensburg proper. But east of Kittitas there's a stretch on Vantage Hwy where KMGW doesn't fade once.
I was tuning around today, and the Quake is indeed strong in the Columbia Basin (Tri-Cities). Under bridges and such it can peter out. I have added it to my pre-sets, replacing the jazz station, which is fine but just doesn't cut it for me. I like that they focus on the hits and don't "head-bang" the hell out of you.
Their quarter hour flows are almost scientific. Very steady. I especially like their harder numbers, they immediately after imaging back it down with something more mid-tempo. I'd love to see their cume vs KEGX and where and when tuneouts happen.
Yep, that is what I am hearing. I like "familiar". I don't think KEGX services "familiar" as well as this Wenatchee station, but then again they seem to be fighting a hard rock monster (97.1) and seem to lose their focus because of it.
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