Entercom Flips AMP Boston

[davideduardo]

You mean KLLI? But they only flipped to Cali 93.9 10 months ago and they were jockless until last September. So they've had maybe 8 months in their full format, less than that under the current PD, 5 months since they shuffled the original morning show lineup and the past 3 of them have been during the pandemic.

Does that sound just a little bit like they have no clue?

Isn't it a little early to be declaring them a ratings disaster? New stations are usually expected to take at least a year or more for ratings to really start meaning anything, presumably even longer with the current ratings turmoil.

KLVE from reformatting to #1 Spanish and #3 in the market: 90 days in 1995. KSCA: from about 20th to #1 overall in one full book. KRCD/KRCV from launch to Top 10 with lousy signals: one full book. KLAX from KSKQ and from AC to Regiona in 1992: less than one book.

I could go on, but the fact is that Spanish language formats that are good impact almost instantly or they never do.

I can give you similar examples from a half-dozen countries in Latin America where in just months a station went "from worst to first" in one book.

As for duplicating an existing station well I love a good format war, it always makes both stations sound better. That's why from a CHR listener's standpoint, having Amp around isn't such a bad thing. And personally I think KLLI is a good, fun-sounding radio station that's barely gotten settled in.

In the last book it was below a 1 share in the target. It has an incompatible morning show, and unfocused music. Sometimes the music is too cool for the room; reggaeton is new for Mexicans and Central Americans... it needs a cautious approach. While Reggaeton is over 30 years old in Puerto Rico, it is only a few years into a strong position in LA and is off-track. Interestingly, the KLLI PD left KLVE, and the new KLVE PD has raised the numbers immensely while KLLI is near death.

 

[Theater of My Mind]

The disaster that has been KLLI is in part due to instability and mostly to a bad music selection, lack of good music research and a morning (formerly midday) personality that does not fit the format at all.

WSKQ in New York is targeted almost entirely at Dominicans. It has a totally different playlist that includes lots of non-reggaeton Dominican music. It's key draw is in its Dominican air personalities who are dominant and tied to the market.

KLLI right now is a dead station transmitting.

In NYC, WXNY X96.3 is the station playing more of a CHR-type mix of reggaeton and Latin trap hits closer to KLLI's format.
WSKQ La Mega 97.9 has an energy level more like a Latin Hot AC mix. Not as much reggaeton/trap.

 

[davideduardo]

In NYC, WXNY X96.3 is the station playing more of a CHR-type mix of reggaeton and Latin trap hits closer to KLLI's format.

Targeting Caribbean Basin listeners of all origins.

WSKQ La Mega 97.9 has an energy level more like a Latin Hot AC mix. Not as much reggaeton/trap.

}

Targeting Dominicans via the music, the airstaff, the events, and everything else.

 

[radio128]

Targeting Dominicans via the music, the airstaff, the events, and everything else.[/QUOTE]

La Mega's midday personality, Alex Sensation, is from Bogota, Colombia.

 

[davideduardo]

Targeting Dominicans via the music, the airstaff, the events, and everything else.

La Mega's midday personality, Alex Sensation, is from Bogota, Colombia.[/QUOTE]

Doesn't matter... his style is pure NYC. His family brought him to New York in the height of the drug trafficker's violence in Colombia and he grew up in a mostly Dominican neighborhood. So he is perfect for targeting Dominicans as he grew up as a Dominicanyork.

 

[TheBigA]

There are exceptions to everything but my perception is that lack of competition leads to safer programming

That's your perception but do you have any examples?

 

[Radionerd408]

Piggybacking on The Big A. I'm interested in the rationale behind thinking that lack of competition leads to safer programming, as I would expect stations with less competition to take more liberties, because they can. My historical observation is that competition tends to prompt stations to eliminate any fringe elements of their programming (for better or worse).

 

[louis_p]

Seems like Entercom is giving up on Amp LA. Seems to be an automated playlist with liners between songs at night and in the morning (at least for the times I've listened). Do they still have a morning show? Nothing is listed before 9AM based on the schedule they have posted on their website.

It would be ironic if Amp LA disappears. This would leave CKMP Amp 90.3 in Calgary, AB as the last remaining Amp branded station in North America (also doing poorly in the ratings). IIRC, the original owners of CKMP (Newcap?) worked out a licensing deal with CBS and branded the station after Amp LA.

 

[TheBigA]

Do they still have a morning show? Nothing is listed before 9AM based on the schedule they have posted on their website.

Booker was let go two months ago:

https://variety.com/2020/music/news/chris-booker-971-amp-radio-entercom-firings-1234569969/

 

[Gregg.]

David, you gave us a lot of info we likely didn't know before.

*Liberman is bankrupt and taken over by creditors.... I thought it Liberman was largely successful, even if stations like the K-Buena group have poor signals but overperform in the ratings.

*LA has too many Spanish-language outlets, with multiple stations doing the same format... I guess there is Regional Mexican (KSCA, K-Buena 94.3/105.5, KLAX), Contemporary/Reggaeton (KXOL and KLLI), Variety Hits (Jose 97.5 and 107.1 and 103.1 KDLD/KDLE) and for the older audience Classic Mexican (Recuerdo KRCD/KRCV, 96.7 KWIZ and 980 KFWB)

*There really are only three successful Spanish-language formats. Reg. Mexican, Reggaeton/Contemporary and Variety Hits... But why is that? Large Spanish-language international markets have a variety of stations doing a variety of formats. All-News, All-Talk, All-Sports, Spanish AC, Spanish Rock, Romantica. Why do Latino listeners in LA only have an interest in three or four formats?

*WSKQ NYC is largely appealing to Dominican listeners. I didn't know Dominicans make up that big a segment of Latino listeners in NYC. Plenty of Dominicans in Upper Manhattan and Queens. But there are plenty of Spanish-speaking New Yorkers from other places. In the latest ratings, WSKQ leads the NY book by nearly 3 shares ahead of #2 WCBS-FM.