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KFOG Flips To KNBR Simulcast

Sad to see what has happened to Bay Area radio in my lifetime. KFOG used to be one of the better classical music stations in the USA. And KNBR a really good MOR. Seems like the traditional genres have all gone to crap.
 
Lew & John Dickey destroyed KFOG beyond repair. All attempts to resuscitate the station have proven unsuccessful. Frankly, this move should've been made a couple years ago. It's the right move.
 
landtuna said:
Sad to see what has happened to Bay Area radio in my lifetime. KFOG used to be one of the better classical music stations in the USA. And KNBR a really good MOR. Seems like the traditional genres have all gone to crap.
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From the time that Pete Taylor arrived from Kaiser’s KHVH in Honolulu in 1964, KFOG became one of the original “pure” Beautiful Music stations. Pete later went on to open Kaiser’s WJIB in Boston with the same format. KFOG had been KBAY prior to that, with an eclectic instrumental format, nowhere nearly as focused as KFOG, which defeated McLendon’s KABL 960 AM quickly.
 
Sad. A legendary station in the Bay Area, now turning into sports. But besides maybe Seattle, Alternative has dropped in ratings nationwide. So now there's two sports talkers on FM.
Guessing 105.3 will add some songs to their playlist when KFOG flips.
 
crainbebo said:
Sad. A legendary station in the Bay Area, now turning into sports. But besides maybe Seattle, Alternative has dropped in ratings nationwide. So now there's two sports talkers on FM.
Guessing 105.3 will add some songs to their playlist when KFOG flips.
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The funny thing is that some sources call this an AAA station and some call it Alternative. The confusion, ultimately, may have been part of their problem.
 
MarkW said:
Lew & John Dickey destroyed KFOG beyond repair. All attempts to resuscitate the station have proven unsuccessful. Frankly, this move should've been made a couple years ago. It's the right move.
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I'm not sure I'd blame Lew & John for this one. Lew was very careful with the Susquehanna stations he bought outside of the original Cumulus. They got merged in when he got Crestview involved, but John didn't touch the station. Their real mistake was leaving the station alone, allowing it's staff, format, and audience to age beyond anything sellable.
 
Too bad to lose a good FM signal to a talk radio format. I have always maintained that FM was better kept for music....and AM for talk radio, sports, etc. I know I'm in the minority, but I really liked the current incarnation of KFOG. I will greatly miss it.
 
KFOG during the Dave Morey years was one of a handful of great, memorable radio stations in the Bay Area. They probably could've lasted a bit longer if they stayed with their classic, softer new artist mix and if (big if) they could have found a suitable replacement for Dave Morey. The current version of KFOG was lost. Playing tired '90s alt. rock was never going to generate great ratings. Flipping to KNBR-FM is so uninspiring, but probably the right business move.
 
mikecroaro said:
Too bad to lose a good FM signal to a talk radio format. I have always maintained that FM was better kept for music....and AM for talk radio, sports, etc.
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I agree, but music is becoming so fractionalized at this point that there are fewer formats that will attract a sellable audience. At one time, Cumulus had a partial ownership of the Giants through their purchase of Susquehanna. Not sure if that survived the bankruptcy, but if it did, this change makes even more sense. Even as an AM, KNBR was able to get great ratings in the years the Giants were in the playoffs. They still have a small chance this year.
 
I'm not sure I'd blame Lew & John for this one. Lew was very careful with the Susquehanna stations he bought outside of the original Cumulus. They got merged in when he got Crestview involved, but John didn't touch the station. Their real mistake was leaving the station alone, allowing it's staff, format, and audience to age beyond anything sellable.
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I could not disagree more! You don't remember the morning show fiasco when they brought in the rock shock jock from Lexington, KY (who previously worked at WKRK-FM in Detroit) ?

That happened fairly early in the Cumulus ownership tenure. John Dickey had has mitts all over that move.

A number of other programming changes that proved unpopular and unsucessful in attracting fresh ears were also made. Not sure where you are coming up with this "leaving the station alone" narrative. With all due respect, it seems disconnected from reality. The modifications that were made over the years were successful in alienating longtime listeners without attracting new listeners in critical mass to replace those departed listeners.

Now, what you *could* argue is that the KFOG brand should've been abandoned entirely a number of years ago. On that point, I would agree with you.
 
MarkW said:
I could not disagree more! You don't remember the morning show fiasco when they brought in the rock shock jock from Lexington, KY (who previously worked at WKRK-FM in Detroit) ?
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It was 2012, and that was after Cumulus Media Partners was merged into the main company. Prior to that, the Susquehanna stations were in their own world.
 
Sad. In it's prime many years ago, KFOG was a very good, if not great, rock station.
10@10, Sunday Night Idiot Show, etc. Some creative stuff there that made for an enlightening listening experience.
A far cry from what we have today on the rock radio airwaves. And that's even sadder.

Here's a thought: How about bringing back Dave Morey for a morning shift or two before September 6?
What have they got to lose? WPLJ had a great on-air going-away broadcast earlier this year.
Go out with a big KaBoom instead of a fizzle.
 
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