February ratings are out

[ThatVoice22]

During the 1992-95 simulcast 92.1 was a Class C2 equivalent, running 32kw. The upgrade to a C1 with 100kw came some years later.

100 KW for KROI? Currently at 22 KW 530' tower height (https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/map...SEABROOK&state=TX&fileno=BLH-20050912AAL&.map)

Application is for 42 KW with a shorter tower at 410' and a slight tower move to the NW= maybe a 5 mile gain to the north on a 60db basis. (https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/map...SEABROOK&state=TX&fileno=BPH-20171019ABB&.map)

Seems like a huge investment for a new tower with such a minimal territory gain. Either way, KROI should be able to succeed by covering 75% of the 6th largest U.S. market with the 'right' programming and sales team.

 

[BamaTX]

100 KW for KROI? Currently at 22 KW 530' tower height

Radio One (now Urban One) traded the 100 KW for more height some time after aquiring the station.

 

[Mediafrog+]

100 KW for KROI? Currently at 22 KW 530' tower height (https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/map...SEABROOK&state=TX&fileno=BLH-20050912AAL&.map)

Application is for 42 KW with a shorter tower at 410' and a slight tower move to the NW= maybe a 5 mile gain to the north on a 60db basis. (https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/map...SEABROOK&state=TX&fileno=BPH-20171019ABB&.map)

Those height numbers should be meters, not feet.

Either way, KROI should be able to succeed by covering 75% of the 6th largest U.S. market with the 'right' programming and sales team.

As pointed out, the station has pulled in the low threes a few times in the past 15 years, so the correct format could make the station a limited success. It will never come close to being a top rated facility, but it does have the potential to do better than what it is getting out of the current CHR format. That’s why I beat the drum for SportsTalk (simulcasting either 610 or 790) or EMF launching one of their formats on 92.1.

I still think pairing 92.1 with a northern simulcast, such as 97.1, would be a good idea. Another simulcast possibility could be KVST 99.7 should the New Wavo ownership decide to cash out.

 

[TheBigA]

As pointed out, the station has pulled in the low threes a few times in the past 15 years, so the correct format could make the station a limited success.

Then again, the "correct format" may not necessarily be the way the ownership wants to go. They made an attempt of trying all-news for a few years, and it proved to be expensive and limited in terms of popularity. Urban One is a minority-owned company, one of the few in radio, and they see it as a responsibility to serve that audience.

I think what we're seeing is that there are more stations on the FM band than there are commercially viable formats. It's not just a problem in Houston. It's a problem particularly in major markets. We may be at a point where either some regulations need to change, or more commercial stations need to go non-commercial.

 

[b-turner]

The Big A points out the elephant in the room. Talk about all the format holes in a market, any market, but the reality is only so many formats can service the debt and operation of a major market signal. A viable format has a competitor or two. It is possible to slice a viable format so many ways that nobody can garner the ratings needed to monetize them. So, the options are try to slice up a viable format to add another horse in that race or try a not so viable format and hope for the best. Neither option is good and Urban One knows this. You just try to do it as economically as you can so you don't rob the profits of the successful formats. It's a tough spot to be in.

 

[TheBigA]

The Big A points out the elephant in the room. Talk about all the format holes in a market, any market, but the reality is only so many formats can service the debt and operation of a major market signal.

And I realize the opens the inevitable boomer call for classic hits, but as every year goes by, this becomes less and less viable as the audience ages, and the music starts to crash into other formats. Not to mention the huge aversion the demo has for commercials and info-mercials. That's why any conversation about any older-targeting format will involve some alternative to traditional advertising.

 

[davideduardo]

Then again, the "correct format" may not necessarily be the way the ownership wants to go. They made an attempt of trying all-news for a few years, and it proved to be expensive and limited in terms of popularity. Urban One is a minority-owned company, one of the few in radio, and they see it as a responsibility to serve that audience.

I think it would be more accurate to say that Urban One is a minority managed and controlled company, but not a "minority owned" one.

Insiders own 40% of the shares, and that means Kathy Hughes, Alfred Liggins and the top management team. Otherwise, 60% of shares are owned by funds, investment banks, and individual shareholders.

 

[TheBigA]

Insiders own 40% of the shares, and that means Kathy Hughes, Alfred Liggins and the top management team. Otherwise, 60% of shares are owned by funds, investment banks, and individual shareholders.

Although why would you own shares if you didn't support the agenda? Certainly not for the huge dividend it pays.

 

[ThatVoice22]

Radio One (now Urban One) traded the 100 KW for more height some time after aquiring the station.

Right, thanks.

 

[ThatVoice22]

Those height numbers should be meters, not feet.

Right, thanks.

 

[BamaTX]

Although why would you own shares if you didn't support the agenda?

What do you mean by agenda? Are you talking about their target audience?

 

[TheBigA]

What do you mean by agenda? Are you talking about their target audience?

I think I explained that in post 24

 

[davideduardo]

Although why would you own shares if you didn't support the agenda? Certainly not for the huge dividend it pays.

It's got about 20% of shares held by funds and institutions. Many of these appear to be hedge funds or index "total market" small cap funds.

The remaining 40% is owned by investors who think there is an upside, particularly due to the casino operation they own part of.

Amazon does not pay a dividend, either.

 

[TheBigA]

Amazon does not pay a dividend, either.

No but their growth has been far greater than that of Urban One. Yes, I forgot about the casino and non broadcast part of their business. Still with all that upside, the stock is trading at $2 right now.

Getting back to my point, Liggins and his team appear to be mainly programming to minority audiences, so that's what I expect their do with KROI. Unless they sell it, as they did in Detroit.

 

[stan]

So when radio gives up on the “boomers” (who by the way have money and spend it) and doesn’t recognize that young people are abandoning radio in droves, where exactly does it leave these leveraged companies?

 

[TheBigA]

So when radio gives up on the “boomers” (who by the way have money and spend it) and doesn’t recognize that young people are abandoning radio in droves, where exactly does it leave these leveraged companies?

I'm not sure that radio is giving up on boomers. It's advertisers who have given up on boomers, at least as far as radio. They instead use TV to sell various drugs and insurance plans. As far as "young people abandoning radio in droves," that's not what the research tells us. They make up a large part of the audience of CHR and other currents-based radio stations.

What this leaves for radio is to find new ways to monetize formats that aim at boomers. NPR has done a good job of that. So has EMF. Talk radio is doing it using weekend infomercials. Could a station do 60s oldies on the weekdays, and infomercials on the weekends? I'm sure some do. But that's the challenge. It may mean using the air signal to attract boomers into special "clubs" and cruises and vacations where the station makes its real money. I know of one station doing that right now.

 

[davideduardo]

No but their growth has been far greater than that of Urban One. Yes, I forgot about the casino and non broadcast part of their business. Still with all that upside, the stock is trading at $2 right now.

A stock at $2 does not mean it is not a good stock. I made enough money trading penny stocks on the Toronto exchange to build my first radio station.

Getting back to my point, Liggins and his team appear to be mainly programming to minority audiences, so that's what I expect their do with KROI. Unless they sell it, as they did in Detroit.

They have tried gospel and throwbacks and then Regional Mexican. Neither of the African American formats worked, mostly due to the signal being so suburban. The Hispanic format did not work for the same reason and the culture clash inside the building.

 

[TheBigA]

Change at KROI:

https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/...se-fruge-exits-as-pd-at-radio-one-kroi-housto

 

[LDM]

A stock at $2 does not mean it is not a good stock. I made enough money trading penny stocks on the Toronto exchange to build my first radio station.



They have tried gospel and throwbacks and then Regional Mexican. Neither of the African American formats worked, mostly due to the signal being so suburban. The Hispanic format did not work for the same reason and the culture clash inside the building.

Yes but these formats were tried in a diary world I would expect them to do better in ppm .

 

[davideduardo]

Yes but these formats were tried in a diary world I would expect them to do better in ppm .

To the contrary, gospel is a high TSL and low cume format. Those are the formats that do the worst in PPM.

Houston has had PPM since 2005, with actual release data since 2006. All the later formats, including all-news, throwbacks and regional were dine under PPM measurement.