iHeartMedia AAAs In Fort Collins & Temecula Move To Alternative

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/...in-fort-collins-temecula-move-to-alternative/

KSME and KMYT will be affected by the changes.

Following the programming strategy and staff changes made across the company earlier this month, some of the overriding changes at some niche formats have become noticeable.

With music scheduling moving to the corporate level, niche formats at small and medium markets became most likely to be prone to changes and that is especially the case with the AAA format. To that end, that has been the case at “Radio 94.5” KMYT Temecula CA and “Radio 94.9” K235BT/KSME-HD2 Fort Collins CO as both stations are now running the national Alternative music logs and voicetrackers.

 

[AbqAnonymous]

It also mentions that KBCO in Denver is now the only iHeart AAA left. But in Fort Collins the existing alt station has a 0.9! So they want to split less than a 1 share? I don't understand why the big broadcasting companies seem determined to save the alternative format while ratings continue to drop but are throwing AAA out despite similar issues. Both formats do seem to be stuck in the 90s to an extent and two entire decades have now passed since then. However AAA is really the only existing radio format where you can hear some of the latest indie folk and Americana but only a small bit of what is out. Some indie pop does appear on both formats although neither will play dream pop (Beach House, Cigarettes after sex, which seem to have large followings online). Reggae sometimes appears on AAA depending on the station. But both formats seem more interested in keeping rock music on the air rather than finding a way forward. Of course commercial radio is rarely ever innovative.

 

[davideduardo]

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/...in-fort-collins-temecula-move-to-alternative/

KSME and KMYT will be affected by the changes.

Temecula is essentially a bedroom community for the areas of northern San Diego and the very southern parts of the Inland Empire MSA. In morning and afternoon drive, the traffic on the freeway runs at about 10 MPH as the people leave home and then return. It's filled with homes that are a bit cheaper than closer in to those expensive, expensive, expensive areas.

The station only makes it, barely and not always, in the Riverside / San Berdoo book. It mostly covers a zone that is not part of the Inland Empire, LA or San Diego books... a blind zone. It's an orphan in many senses of the word. It's a perfect example of how, years ago, someone wanted a radio station so badly that they applied for something that would never be anything other than a bad radio station.

There is no local identity, very little local industry (Camp Pendleton is adjacent, with lots of employees and military folks... the later not being eligible generally for ratings). It's a suburb that has divided loyalties to San Diego, the Inland Empire and Los Angeles, and which is a classic bedroom community.

The people who live there mostly commute elsewhere. And "elsewhere" is outside the coverage are of that tiny radio signal.

I was just there yesterday, and it seems like a place that is a satellite to other places, and where McMansions have been built by the thousands, each about 3 feet apart from the next one, ruining some absolutely beautiful natural landscapes and filling the air with pollution.

It should never have had a lower power FM, either, as the terrain is as irregular and hostile to FM as I've seen anywhere.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

Temecula is essentially a bedroom community for the areas of northern San Diego and the very southern parts of the Inland Empire MSA. In morning and afternoon drive, the traffic on the freeway runs at about 10 MPH as the people leave home and then return. It's filled with homes that are a bit cheaper than closer in to those expensive, expensive, expensive areas.

The station only makes it, barely and not always, in the Riverside / San Berdoo book. It mostly covers a zone that is not part of the Inland Empire, LA or San Diego books... a blind zone. It's an orphan in many senses of the word. It's a perfect example of how, years ago, someone wanted a radio station so badly that they applied for something that would never be anything other than a bad radio station.

There is no local identity, very little local industry (Camp Pendleton is adjacent, with lots of employees and military folks... the later not being eligible generally for ratings). It's a suburb that has divided loyalties to San Diego, the Inland Empire and Los Angeles, and which is a classic bedroom community.

The people who live there mostly commute elsewhere. And "elsewhere" is outside the coverage are of that tiny radio signal.

I was just there yesterday, and it seems like a place that is a satellite to other places, and where McMansions have been built by the thousands, each about 3 feet apart from the next one, ruining some absolutely beautiful natural landscapes and filling the air with pollution.

It should never have had a lower power FM, either, as the terrain is as irregular and hostile to FM as I've seen anywhere.

Wow I never knew there is a SoCal version of Solano County, CA. I knew in NorCal Solano County gets viewed as a rural area to suburban area for Wine Country, Bay Area and Sacramento commuters. Historically the major employers were on Mare Island and Travis Air Force Base.

Back to AAA this format's future has to be going either in the direction of non-profit or not existing anymore on FM radio given how in the past 6 months Cumulus had to remove KFOG in San Francisco for Sportstalk KNBR on FM for demo reasons. I can see other remaining commercial AAA outlets get flipped in the next year though for the same reasons that Cumulus flipped KFOG.

 

[TheBigA]

I can see other remaining commercial AAA outlets get flipped in the next year though for the same reasons that Cumulus flipped KFOG.

For iHeart it makes sense to program these stations as part of their "Radio..." format that they use for various alternative stations around the country, similar to Radio 104.5 in Philadelphia. They get pretty good ratings and billings.

https://radio1045.iheart.com/

 

[davideduardo]

For iHeart it makes sense to program these stations as part of their "Radio..." format that they use for various alternative stations around the country, similar to Radio 104.5 in Philadelphia. They get pretty good ratings and billings.

https://radio1045.iheart.com/

WRFF is 16th in market revenue and 14th in the total persons share based on Oct-Nov-Dec of last year; it is hardly an example to use as a model as it the worst performing full signal FM in the market.

The real issue seems to be advertiser acceptance; the station is Top 10 in 25-54, but well below that level in revenue.

 

[TheBigA]

The real issue seems to be advertiser acceptance; the station is Top 10 in 25-54, but well below that level in revenue.

I think my point is it'll be an improvement over AAA, and they have an existing content structure within the company to service it.

 

[CTListener]

I think my point is it'll be an improvement over AAA, and they have an existing content structure within the company to service it.

Too many AAA listeners are Boomers or near-Boomers seeking new music that reminds them of the melodic singer-songwriter music or progressive country they remember from the '70s and '80s. This is at odds not only with the rhythm-uber-alles music that dominates pop now, where the beat is everything and melody is almost an afterthought, and the abrasive new rock with its often alienated, nihilistic lyrical content preferred by current young listeners who aren't into rhythmic genres. It makes AAA a geezer format.

At least there are some advertisers who will back alternative, which attracts decent numbers in the demos they think will buy stuff. But I have a feeling that, because a lot of alt fans are male, cynical and ad-resistant, the format doesn't bill in proportion to its audience size.

 

[davideduardo]

I think my point is it'll be an improvement over AAA, and they have an existing content structure within the company to service it.

That I agree on. AAA has always been a concept or even an attitude, not a strict format. If you compare what are often considered the best AAA examples, in Denver and Portland, they historically have as much that is different than they do that is the same.

 

[davideduardo]

Wow I never knew there is a SoCal version of Solano County, CA. I knew in NorCal Solano County gets viewed as a rural area to suburban area for Wine Country, Bay Area and Sacramento commuters. Historically the major employers were on Mare Island and Travis Air Force Base.

There are a few counties split between several markets, with that being most common in the Northeast.

Interestingly, there are two pieces of the Inland Empire that are not part of any market. There is chunk in San Bernardino County along the 210 Freeway from the LA County line to Rancho Cucamonga that is neither market, and a chunck of Riverside County where it meets San Diego and Orange counties that is also not part of any metro.

 

[Gregg.]

iHeart has two Class A FM stations in beautiful downtown Temecula: 94.5 KMYT and 103.3 KTMQ. It uses the slogan "Q103.3 - Rockin' The Temecula Valley!" According to Wikipedia, it originally simulcast co-owned KGB-FM San Diego's Classic Rock format.

KMYT got its call letters from serving as a simulcast to co-owned Hot AC KMYI in San Diego. Later it carried iHeart's Smooth Jazz format, back in the days when KTWV was so big in the Los Angeles and Riverside markets. The Wave is on 94.7 and KMYT is 94.5. As KTWV evolved into its current Rhythmic AC sound, KMYT hung on playing Smooth Jazz after other stations in that format left. I guess iHeart thought Smooth Jazz was still an attractive format for Temecula listeners, largely white and college educated. When that ended, I suppose iHeart thought AAA was a natural progression.

Now as an Alternative station, I guess iHeart figures KMYT can be sold in combination with KTMQ. One is more conventional and active rock, one is more alternative. Although I'm not sure Temecula needs two rock stations. Why not a format that nobody is doing anywhere nearby, not in LA, SD or IE... Soft AC?

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

There are a few counties split between several markets, with that being most common in the Northeast.

Interestingly, there are two pieces of the Inland Empire that are not part of any market. There is chunk in San Bernardino County along the 210 Freeway from the LA County line to Rancho Cucamonga that is neither market, and a chunck of Riverside County where it meets San Diego and Orange counties that is also not part of any metro.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murrieta,_California

Murrieta, CA is in the same seat too where its residents work in LA, OC, or San Diego.