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KNX onto … 97.1??

This is the most exciting day in Los Angeles radio of the year. Cheers everyone! Does anyone happen to have an aircheck of the flip?
 
Audacy's thinking with this move was likely this: It could be that some millennials and younger listeners have never even sampled KNX because of its place on the AM dial and because of the drawbacks of AM audio (i.e. poor sound quality, goes out in tunnels, etc).

And in a time where music tastes are becoming more fragmented than ever, news is somewhat universal content that may appeal to 25-54. Probably more accessible to a wider audience than sports.

So not only would there be 1=1 shifts from current listeners, but there would also be new listeners coming in, sampling KNX for the first time.

This would work better than the failed FM news experiments in New York and Chicago because current listeners of the AM station will initially form the base of the FM station, while new FM listeners are introduced into the station and folded in.

If executed correctly, there is great growth potential for Audacy.
I don't think that there is any significant potential for younger listeners. The goal has to be retaining the revenue while the use of AM is declining.

Much of the loss of AM listening is due to the decline in options on AM. Fewer stations in English, fewer format alternatives, degradation of signals due to actual downgrades like 930 and 710 or due to increased noise levels. Fewer listener magnets, less incentive to even switch to AM.

The advantage of preserving KNX's format is that it accommodates more commercial minutes per hour. The format is unique in the market, and not subject to completion from streaming sources. Easier concept sale to direct accounts, particularly if the client listens.

We are talking about Larry and his mattress stores. He'll be sitting and sleeping all day on KNX-FM.

Newer generations get news from web sources. They are not going to tune in a radio station or stream it. The format and presentation is very much 50+ in appeal. But likely they can convert the FM presence into longer listening per day; not longer incidents, but more return visits. And that is where the money is.
 
For me, the allure of KNX is in their frequent traffic and weather reports. The news is pretty much the same every 30 minutes on a rotating wheel. You listen at 5:00 PM and it will most likely be the same at 10:00 PM. On rare occasions, there is breaking news that would warrant a longer listen than 30 minutes (I.E. earthquakes, wildfires, Election coverage), but for the most part, if you listen to KNX for 30 minutes, you are caught up on everything going on for the day. The only reason to return to KNX for me are the traffic reports and in LA, that can be a big deal with how bad traffic can be even in the middle of the night.

Speaking of traffic reports, now that KNX is on FM, they have some new hip sounders for all of their segments including the traffic reports. Better than the previous traffic sounder, but it still leaves me longing for the iconic car horn sounder that they had for nearly 50 years. KNX 1070 Traffic Sounder - Sound Button
 
Perhaps at some point they'll drop KNX from KRTH's HD2. Then they'll have a spot for the meaningless HD-1 ID.

Only catch is they have to find something to put on KRTH's HD2.
That’s what I’m wondering now too: what will Audacy do with KRTH HD-2? Personally, I’d like to see a return of the K-Earth Classics oldies format that was formerly on the HD-2 sub channel before it switched to Radio Disney and then the present KNX 1070 simulcast. There is no oldies station like that right now in LA. We’ll see what happens!
 
Did any of the 97.1 staff say goodbye on the air? Or was it a clean cut to KNX?

Total opposite of the NYC 94.7 flip in that regard, but I guess 97.1 was never that monumental.
 
Fire Lane sounds like the music I hear at Furry conventions. I’m listening to EDM more as I go to cons and the DJ’s impress me - and I’m a 54 year old grey bear
At least Audacy is keeping Q and Fire lane at HD2 and HD3, since they put too much into promoting these channels. They also have a “Now Dance” platform on its app which is like the defunct main channel but with the current Dance product mixed in.
 
I'm 99% sure KNOU will swap calls for KNX-FM

I saw something similar happen in 2006, when KSL moved to FM and gobbled up KQMB "Star 102.7" The Utah message boards spun 'round about how the FCC would not allow a vintage 3-letter call. But within a couple weeks, KSL-FM was back on the air after a 30-year hiatus.

The nice part about KNX is they are both licensed to Los Angeles. "KNX-HD, FM, and AM Los Angeles" (Versus KSL-FM which is Midvale, so they're stuck with "KSL-HD and FM Midvale, KSL Salt Lake City")
 
Did any of the 97.1 staff say goodbye on the air? Or was it a clean cut to KNX?

Total opposite of the NYC 94.7 flip in that regard, but I guess 97.1 was never that monumental.
Was 94.7 ever "monumental"? It was a godcaster with no listeners for decades, then a moderately popular country station for a few years but ended up victim to corporate station-shuffling and got flipped. It wasn't a station with a lot of heritage.
 
I'm 99% sure KNOU will swap calls for KNX-FM

I saw something similar happen in 2006, when KSL moved to FM and gobbled up KQMB "Star 102.7" The Utah message boards spun 'round about how the FCC would not allow a vintage 3-letter call. But within a couple weeks, KSL-FM was back on the air after a 30-year hiatus.

The nice part about KNX is they are both licensed to Los Angeles. "KNX-HD, FM, and AM Los Angeles" (Versus KSL-FM which is Midvale, so they're stuck with "KSL-HD and FM Midvale, KSL Salt Lake City")
If they do it, the legal would be “KNX, KNX-FM and HD-1, Los Angeles” (assuming they run HD on the FM).

Bonneville may have the FM first in the legal ID, but Audacy’s template is AM-FM-HD1-HD2 (if applicable).
 
That’s the problem. Who wants to buy an AM anyway?

Even in New York City which is still kinda/sorta receptive to the band, Cumulus offloaded WABC for a mere pittance.
Seems unlikely 1070 will be anything other than a simulcast for years to come. After that, maybe value is extracted from the transmitter site?

As for WABC, I would not call $12.5 million "a mere pittance". It certainly is way way down from what it would have fetched 15 years ago, but it isn't nothing.
 
There is way too much overindexing here on the call sign and future legal Ids. I would be shocked KNX-FM wasn't already requested, but it totally doesn't matter. KNX 1070 isn't going away anytime soon. Listeners don't know or care. The staff mostly don't care. The FCC doesn't seem to really care either. Radio geeks are literally the only group that talks about or cares one way or the other about call signs.
 
At least I'll still be able to hear KNX on AM quite clearly up here in central Alaska 2500 miles away.. lol (Yeah, i know, it doesnt matter but its fun nonetheless)
 
There is way too much overindexing here on the call sign and future legal Ids. I would be shocked KNX-FM wasn't already requested, but it totally doesn't matter. KNX 1070 isn't going away anytime soon. Listeners don't know or care. The staff mostly don't care. The FCC doesn't seem to really care either. Radio geeks are literally the only group that talks about or cares one way or the other about call signs.

Nope, KNX hasnt been requested for the FM as of 1030am eastern today (Tue the 7th)

 
Nope, KNX hasnt been requested for the FM as of 1030am eastern today (Tue the 7th)

Is that real-time though? I used the call sign reservation system recently for a couple of our stations and I got the feeling that it isn't real time and that it isn't all that automated but has a lot of manual processing. In this case, since KNX is already in use, it would have needed some manual processing. It very well may have already been requested but it hasn't been completed yet or at least not showing up in the CSRS.
 
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