Camel Droppings

[TheBigA]

The ever-declining ratings at Entercom's KMLE has led to some personnel changes (to add to the branding change). Country Aircheck reports:

Entercom KMLE/Phoenix morning duo Maria Knight and Chad Mitchell have exited after eight months. The pair crossed the hall from Classic Hits sister KOOL in February (CAT 2/19). JP Allen, who joined the morning team in April, remains. Knight's previous career stops include KZON & KSLX/Phoenix and KJFX/Fresno, CA. Mitchell's prior experience includes time with KESZ/Phoenix, WRMF/West Palm Beach and WKQI/Detroit. Knight and Mitchell are seeking their next opportunities and can be reached here and here, respectively. No word from the station, but Entercom has a job posting for KMLE mornings here.

 

[Deus Ex Machiato]

The ever-declining ratings at Entercom's KMLE has led to some personnel changes (to add to the branding change).

That's the heart of it right there. The station's morning slot has been a revolving door for a long time now. Steve and Nina. Chris and Nina. Nina and Niko. Niko and Alana. Maria and Chad. And that's just recently. Moving Maria and Chad over from KOOL was (IMO) a Hail Mary play. I'm not the biggest fan of Tim & Willy, but fact is they were the last morning show at KMLE with any hope of turning the sinking ship around.

Sad thing about this whole situation is that IIRC Maria and Chad were doing okay at KOOL. Not really lighting the world on fire, but holding down the fort. They got sent across the hall and 8 months later what had been a stable, moderately successful show was shown the door.

If you keep swapping out morning shows and it doesn't work, then maybe the problem isn't the talent.

 

[TheBigA]

If you keep swapping out morning shows and it doesn't work, then maybe the problem isn't the talent.

The company also eliminated the country format's team captain a few weeks ago, and the station he oversaw also fired its morning show.

 

[EricStein]

That's the heart of it right there. The station's morning slot has been a revolving door for a long time now. Steve and Nina. Chris and Nina. Nina and Niko. Niko and Alana. Maria and Chad. And that's just recently. Moving Maria and Chad over from KOOL was (IMO) a Hail Mary play. I'm not the biggest fan of Tim & Willy, but fact is they were the last morning show at KMLE with any hope of turning the sinking ship around.

IIRC, Ben & Brian did respectively for post-Tim & Willy KMLE.

Sad thing about this whole situation is that IIRC Maria and Chad were doing okay at KOOL. Not really lighting the world on fire, but holding down the fort. They got sent across the hall and 8 months later what had been a stable, moderately successful show was shown the door.

Welcome The Wow Factor's new morning show!

 

[Deus Ex Machiato]

IIRC, Ben & Brian did respectively for post-Tim & Willy KMLE.

IIRC, they did better, and usually beat Tim & Willy when they came back on KNIX. Then there was another short lived show, Pratt took over for 5 years (I think) and then Tim & Willy came back for awhile. Since they left it's been revolving door 'o morning shows.

 

[johndavis]

If you keep swapping out morning shows and it doesn't work, then maybe the problem isn't the talent.

I’ve lost count of KMLE rebrands over the years. What do they stand for now?

 

[asugeorge1]

I’ve lost count of KMLE rebrands over the years. What do they stand for now?

They brand themselves as the “Valley’s New Country Leader.” Don’t know where they get that from since KNIX plays new country too and is ranked higher than them in the ratings. KMLE still stands for “Kamel Country,” but I don’t hear the infamous camel bleating any more!

 

[Deus Ex Machiato]

They brand themselves as the “Valley’s New Country Leader.” Don’t know where they get that from since KNIX plays new country too and is ranked higher than them in the ratings. KMLE still stands for “Kamel Country,” but I don’t hear the infamous camel bleating any more!

Used to be, they were the upstart young country station. KNIX was "old country." They've had "Valley's New Country Leader" as their slogan off and on over the years, but the distinction no longer matters. Both stations play pretty much exactly the same music, and (to my ears) sound pretty much the same. Instead of being chocolate and vanilla, they're now both slightly different brands of vanilla.

 

[Billkex]

Someone would be smart to create a Classic Country station in Phoenix on FM..
I know many fans that would love a better variety, rather than the same new 20 songs over & over.

 

[KeithE4]

Someone would be smart to create a Classic Country station in Phoenix on FM..
I know many fans that would love a better variety, rather than the same new 20 songs over & over.

Who would listen, other than the geezers/rednecks in the east Mesa/AJ trailer parks? Besides, there already was an LPFM station in that area that aired Classic Country, and it failed.

 

[landtuna]

Who would listen, other than the geezers/rednecks in the east Mesa/AJ trailer parks?

You do a disservice to the "Aluminum Capital of the World".

 

[johndavis]

Used to be, they were the upstart young country station. KNIX was "old country." They've had "Valley's New Country Leader" as their slogan off and on over the years, but the distinction no longer matters. Both stations play pretty much exactly the same music, and (to my ears) sound pretty much the same. Instead of being chocolate and vanilla, they're now both slightly different brands of vanilla.

That's precisely my point. When KMLE was big, you knew which country station you were listening to the moment you switched them on.

If you can't tell the difference between the two without paying attention, then things are very broken.

 

[TheBigA]

If you can't tell the difference between the two without paying attention, then things are very broken.

Then again, if the only reason one listens to the radio is for the music, then you won't catch the things that define the two stations.

The music will be pretty much the same on both KNIX and KMLE because those are the hits. But after that, there is branding, marketing, and presentation. Not as sexy as talking about music, but they're the things that define radio, not just the music.

 

[Billkex]

Who would listen, other than the geezers/rednecks in the east Mesa/AJ trailer parks? Besides, there already was an LPFM station in that area that aired Classic Country, and it failed.

I know many in the central Phoenix/northwest valley area would listen. That other station probably failed because it was low power/east valley only.
The geezers over 40 have more expendable income and probably have more hours to listen.

Most youngins under 30 are not listening to terrestrial radio like the old days.

 

[TheBigA]

Most youngins under 30 are not listening to terrestrial radio like the old days.

It depends. If you give them music they like, they will listen. If you don't, then they won't. But the fact is that a very large number of people under 30 do listen to lots of things including OTA radio.

As far as the country format is concerned, KNIX shows up in the Top 5 of 18-34 quite regularly. This month it's #6. There was a time when KMLE did too, but their presentation aged out of that demo. They're trying to re-brand and re-image themselves to compete better.

 

[johndavis]

The music will be pretty much the same on both KNIX and KMLE because those are the hits. But after that, there is branding, marketing, and presentation. Not as sexy as talking about music, but they're the things that define radio, not just the music.

Again, thanks for making my point.

There's two country stations in my town. Musically, they're the same (okay, one has one more gold record an hour to the other station's extra recurrent). But the branding, marketing, and presentation of each are different and you can pick up on the difference right away.

So again, I ask: what does KMLE stand for (yes, I know the letters say 'Camel' but what position does it hold in people's mind)? What makes it different than KNIX? What makes you want to listen to one over the other besides 'the other station is in commercials'?

Define that and maybe you can fix the thing.

Also: with so much of today's country being driven by young women, KNIX being #6 18-34 is a big part of why KMLE's hump is being whipped.

 

[TheBigA]

Again, thanks for making my point.

I wasn't disagreeing with you. Having two country stations in a big city like Phoenix isn't unusual. Having Entercom on the bottom of the two also isn't unusual. As I said, this is why their format captain was just fired.

So now begins the rebuilding process. It's not going to be quick, but I've seen a station turn things around in less than two years. The priority will be to develop a winning morning show. Once they get past that, everything else will fall in place. The one thing they're NOT going to do is aim older with the music. That much I can promise. Starting from scratch, they can easily aim to go younger than the other station. Now begins the reinvention, to re-establish themselves as the young station.

 

[Deus Ex Machiato]

Again, thanks for making my point.

There's two country stations in my town. Musically, they're the same (okay, one has one more gold record an hour to the other station's extra recurrent). But the branding, marketing, and presentation of each are different and you can pick up on the difference right away.

So again, I ask: what does KMLE stand for (yes, I know the letters say 'Camel' but what position does it hold in people's mind)? What makes it different than KNIX? What makes you want to listen to one over the other besides 'the other station is in commercials'?

Define that and maybe you can fix the thing.

A big part of the presentation for both stations has always been the morning show. KMLE was the station with Tim & Willy in the Morning when they originally started to beat the pants off of KNIX in the 90s. Then it was Ben & Brian. Then Dave Pratt (say what you will, he had a big brand at the time) and then Tim & Willy again.

Now? What were they calling it? The Morning...I forget.

KNIX has Tim, Ben, and Brooke. If I'm a longtime Valley resident and country listener, I know who Tim and Ben are, and if I'm a P1, I'm in heaven, because two of the big names I grew up with are on the same show. KMLE had the...Breakfast Buzz? Yeah, that was it.

What it boils down to is that KMLE has lost what I've heard called the USP - the Unique Selling Point. What is it that makes your product not just different, but better
than the competition? I'm at a loss to describe what KMLE is doing that is both different and better than KNIX. As it concerns the morning show specifically, we have to consider another factor, and that is legitimacy.

The country format can be a little insular. Interlopers are not always welcomed. You have to demonstrate a love for and loyalty to country music to be accepted. Tim and Ben have that. They've both been in the format for a long time, have (IIRC) actual CMA Awards on their mantles, and relationships with country artists. Maria and Chad had no history in country music. They were outsiders. What the hell was KMLE thinking?

 

[TheBigA]

Maria and Chad had no history in country music. They were outsiders. What the hell was KMLE thinking?

Entercom made a similar move in Chicago, and it had similar results. Some of it comes from the fact that there are now a lot of former CHR PDs running country stations. There's talk in the format of how that's affecting music selection. But that's another topic.

But I agree that the solution will come with the next morning show. There's no rush to hire one. Take all the time you need. They'll debut in the spring. In the meantime, it's KMLE's More Music Morning!!!