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Bay Area Country Radio Station

Sure Solano County conservatives do exist but it is in the context of Travis Air Force Base in the area. Today if a media outlet is going to cover the area its going to be a 50/50 split between Sacramento Media Outlets and Bay Area given that Solano County is split in two DMA's.
A DMA is a TV market. Solano is totally in the San Francisco MSA in radio. There are no longer TSAs in radio for metered PPM markets.

 
Can’t that I have seen anyone wearing country hats walking in this area unless they are visiting out of state. Doesn’t necessarily say there is hidden country young or old demographics in our region...

But are there enough to support a station? Do the owners what to take the risk again? There are people in Honolulu who would like to hear a Spanish language radio station, but there aren't any.
 
Can’t that I have seen anyone wearing country hats walking in this area unless they are visiting out of state. Doesn’t necessarily say there is hidden country young or old demographics in our region...
Don't see them wearing any here in southern New England either, but Hartford and Providence's country stations are consistently successful. Many of the newer stars don't wear hats anymore, anyway. OK, Luke Combs does, but it's a baseball cap, usually branded with his favorite brands of fishing equipment.
 
A DMA is a TV market. Solano is totally in the San Francisco MSA in radio. There are no longer TSAs in radio for metered PPM markets.

That is kind of interesting though to see the radio map where Solano county's radio designation for only San Francisco but when its for TV Markets Solano County is split in two and joins with Sacramento. I remember seeing Sacramento area radio stations on billboards in Vacaville and Dixon. I know KFBK, KNCI and Capital Public Radio did put up billboards in Vacaville and Dixon on Eastbound I-80. I am guessing these ads were there because they were trying to match up with the TV DMA designation though. Its true at least for Vallejo and Benicia I know they were within the San Francisco media market though.

 

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That is kind of interesting though to see the radio map where Solano county's radio designation for only San Francisco but when its for TV Markets Solano County is split in two and joins with Sacramento. I remember seeing Sacramento area radio stations on billboards in Vacaville and Dixon. I know KFBK, KNCI and Capital Public Radio did put up billboards in Vacaville and Dixon on Eastbound I-80. I am guessing these ads were there because they were trying to match up with the TV DMA designation though. Its true at least for Vallejo and Benicia I know they were within the San Francisco media market though.

This is really basic geography. The hillside that separates Fairfield from Vacaville also messes with FM radio reception from San Francisco in Vacaville and to the east. Same goes for Sacramento signals in Fairfield and to the west.

As for Country in SF. This is not about how many cowboy hats you see walking down the street. That's 40 years ago---"Urban Cowboy". A chunk of Country listeners are suburban moms and dads, generally Anglo. It is mostly a music choice to them, not a lifestyle one (unless you count Dad's 3/4-ton pickup).

Only a tenth of the Bay Area population lives in San Francisco proper, so on paper, there's an opportunity. But that's exactly what every station that's tried a Country format in San Francisco thought...and every one of them gave it up for a reason.
 
This is really basic geography. The hillside that separates Fairfield from Vacaville also messes with FM radio reception from San Francisco in Vacaville and to the east. Same goes for Sacramento signals in Fairfield and to the west.

As for Country in SF. This is not about how many cowboy hats you see walking down the street. That's 40 years ago---"Urban Cowboy". A chunk of Country listeners are suburban moms and dads, generally Anglo. It is mostly a music choice to them, not a lifestyle one (unless you count Dad's 3/4-ton pickup).

Only a tenth of the Bay Area population lives in San Francisco proper, so on paper, there's an opportunity. But that's exactly what every station that's tried a Country format in San Francisco thought...and every one of them gave it up for a reason.
I know in San Jose KRTY air country for Santa Clara County, KNCI-FM Sacramento, KNTY-FM Sacramento will reach portions of Solano County.



There is another one called KFGY-FM in Santa Rosa its a country outlet for Wine Country and Sonoma County. Its a case of there is a demand for country but the format is not touching San Francisco/Oakland Proper because its not viable in the core parts of the Bay Area. It is doing well in the submarkets like Santa Rosa and San Jose yes some of this is due to the southern half of Santa Clara County as being rural such as Gilroy. I agree on the idea that San Francisco city proper is not a country market.
 
Can’t that I have seen anyone wearing country hats walking in this area unless they are visiting out of state. Doesn’t necessarily say there is hidden country young or old demographics in our region...
Don't see them wearing any here in southern New England either, but Hartford and Providence's country stations are consistently successful. Many of the newer stars don't wear hats anymore, anyway. OK, Luke Combs does, but it's a baseball cap, usually branded with his favorite brands of fishing equipment.
Its interesting you say this about Luke Combs. He is about to perform a concert soon @ the Chase Center which is in the city of San Francisco. And there are scattered country music artists or bands who are performing in the Bay Area or even in the city of SF in smaller venues. There is definitely country music demographics in this region still...
 
Its interesting you say this about Luke Combs. He is about to perform a concert soon @ the Chase Center which is in the city of San Francisco. And there are scattered country music artists or bands who are performing in the Bay Area or even in the city of SF in smaller venues. There is definitely country music demographics in this region still...

You can win tickets at KRTY:

 
That is kind of interesting though to see the radio map where Solano county's radio designation for only San Francisco but when its for TV Markets Solano County is split in two and joins with Sacramento. I remember seeing Sacramento area radio stations on billboards in Vacaville and Dixon. I know KFBK, KNCI and Capital Public Radio did put up billboards in Vacaville and Dixon on Eastbound I-80. I am guessing these ads were there because they were trying to match up with the TV DMA designation though. Its true at least for Vallejo and Benicia I know they were within the San Francisco media market though.

Interesting map. I’m amazed by how the radio map is divided regionally between San Francisco and Sacramento...
 
KNBR is one of the biggest pots of money in the entire chain. Especially right now in baseball season.

No matter who owns it, it will remain sports.
MartyG was referring to the FM at 104.5, not 680 AM, which of course will remain sports for the foreseeable future. I am curious how much of KNBR's audience is now listening via its FM versus its legacy AM. I believe with KCBS the majority of its listening is now via its FM. I suspect the same is not true for KNBR. Thoughts?
 
MartyG was referring to the FM at 104.5, not 680 AM, which of course will remain sports for the foreseeable future. I am curious how much of KNBR's audience is now listening via its FM versus its legacy AM. I believe with KCBS the majority of its listening is now via its FM. I suspect the same is not true for KNBR. Thoughts?
Thats a good question. It sure does prevent some people from switching FM to AM or vice versa and just keep dialed in on FM instead
 
I don't see what one thing has to do with the other. If everyone who went to see Luke Combs listened to an in-city country radio station, it would be the lowest rated station in town, lower than the small AMs.
Before WWYZ (Waterbury/Hartford) flipped to country in 1988, Hartford area country fans had only low powered suburban AMs and (until the flip to sports as WFAN) WHN New York. We got no country concerts other than pop crossover acts like Eddie Rabbitt and Crystal Gayle at smaller venues. WWYZ was a mom-and-pop operation, the underperforming FM of WATR(AM), so I don't think anyone there did any research other than having a gut feeling that what country music was becoming in the late '80s would appeal to Connecticut listeners who didn't like what pop was becoming. Country 92.5 was an instant hit and remains a winner to this day.
 




Solano County can get a country station but its out of Sacramento KNCI-FM technically.
Sure Solano County conservatives do exist but it is in the context of Travis Air Force Base in the area. Today if a media outlet is going to cover the area its going to be a 50/50 split between Sacramento Media Outlets and Bay Area given that Solano County is split in two DMA's.

Today the Solano area is the outer suburbs of two different census areas Sacramento and Bay Area. I know in the past Solano County was primarily Agriculture and Defense in past decades but thats changing pretty quickly though. I-80 Cordelia Interchange where CA-12 and I-680 meets is where the merger of different traffic patterns and where "Affordable Housing" combine together.
I remember a station I picked up driving along I-80 east and it was a Stockton AM station and I heard country music. Cannot recall the station call letters...
 
I don't see what one thing has to do with the other. If everyone who went to see Luke Combs listened to an in-city country radio station, it would be the lowest rated station in town, lower than the small AMs.
Who knows and who can tell. This region has change over the years in demographics...
 
But are there enough to support a station? Do the owners what to take the risk again? There are people in Honolulu who would like to hear a Spanish language radio station, but there aren't any.
Out of the big media radio companies here locally SF region (Cumulus, iHeart, Bonneville, Salem, Univision, Audacy) I’m thinking probably only Bonneville may take the risk but I don’t think they would not mess with the ratings of KOIT, KUFX, KMVQ and KBLX unless there is a signal swap with another company owner...
 

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