I misread it. It's KPNT that's 14th. Still, though---historically, if you look at teen numbers, there's one station with monster shares, a second with decent and a third that sort of registers. Anybody's seventh favorite anything isn't really "reaching" that person.
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KROQ
- Thread starter CassChopper96
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They don't understand anybody and nobody understands them. What is a programmer for a beleaguered heritage alternative station to do?
BTW, isn't "heritage alternative station" a bit of a contradiction in terms?
Totally agree. Teens seem to have only a couple of preferred stations at any time. Outside of the top two or three, it drops off considerably, with a couple of fringe stations in the next positions. By the time you get beyond the top 5, it's Newton Minow's "vast wasteland".
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American Rhetoric: Newton Minow -- Address to the National Association of Broadcasters (Television and the Public Interest)
Complete text and audio of Newton Minow Speech to the National Association of Broadcasters
www.americanrhetoric.com
Wow, I guess I was not your normal teen then. I heavily listened to:
- KNX-FM (later KKHR, then KNX again, then KODJ)
- KMET (and KTWV after the Valentine's Day Massacre)
- KLOS
- KLSX
- KXEZ (Before it became Pirate Radio)
- KQLZ (After it became Pirate Radio)
- KLIT (Like KXEZ, better than KOST due to expanded playlist, killed by KOST due to expanded playlist)
- KRTH
- KUTE (before KMPC-FM)
- KMPC-FM/KEDG
- KIIS-FM
- KOST
- KBIG
- KROQ
- KGGI (IE)
- KOLA (IE)
- KCAL (IE)
- XTRA
- KEZY-FM (OC)
- KJLH (Smooth R&B)
- KNAC (Heavy Metal)
- KPWR
- KKGO-FM (Jazz)
- KFI (both music and later talk formats)
- KLAC (Country)
- KMPC (Station of the Stars)
- KABC (for Dodger Baseball with Vin, Jerry and Ross and milquetoast left of center talk)
- KHJ/KRTH-AM (Smokin' Oldies)
- KRLA (More Oldies)
When I was about 13, in Cleveland I listened to an MOR station (WJW with Big Wilson mornings), a Classical station (WCLV), a Jazz station and an R&B one (WCUY and WJMO where I part timed), a Beautiful Music station (WDBN, suburban Barberton, OH) as well as WHK and nearby Akron WHLO for Top 40. Not as many as your choices, but there was something for every mood.
Of course, I had a greater interest in radio than my school contemporaries, so I was inquisitive about radio formats and personalities.
I had an acquaintance many years ago that told me he grew up in Cleveland and listened to WERE but he said he couldn't remember exactly what format it was...do you know??
Not only were you not typical, but you're spanning too many eras for all of this to have been in your teens, especially as defined by Arbitron (12-17) .
I've always been eclectic, but even my list isn't that long. If we were to take 1972 and 1973, when I was 16 and 17, I'd listen to KFI for Lohman and Barkley, KMPC for Gary Owens and Johnny Magnus (before he left in spring of '73) and KDAY for Wolfman Jack. Stations that I'd listen to no matter who the jock was was a pretty short list. If I had to put it in order:
KHJ
KKDJ
KROQ-AM
KLOS
KHJ-FM
KMET
In '69 and '70, I listened to KBCA, but they lost me around '71---I just didn't hear as much jazz that I liked and there was more interesting stuff (to me) happening in rock. I listened to KRLA, then, too, but Shadoe's AOR experiment and the knee-jerk to AC in March of '73 didn't work for me, so my listening to them tailed off after '71. And in '69/'70 I listened to KGIL quite a bit---especially after KFI tried being more modern, panicked and hired Dave Garroway for afternoons, but again, after '71 or so, I cared more about rock and didn't really listen to MOR/AC again (apart from Lohman and Barkley, Gary Owens and Johnny Magnus---who was really more a jazz dj) until I started programming it in '75.
KHJ-FM lost me with the flip to KRTH because they focused on 1955-63 music, which was just too old for me at the time. Still is, really.
I'd argue that I was more open than most of my peers (maybe because by '72/'73 I was in radio myself). The guys I knew who liked KLOS and KMET wouldn't be caught dead listening to KHJ or KKDJ and most of the girls I knew were the exact opposite---KLOS and KMET rocked a bit too hard.
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You are correct Mr. Eagle-Eyed Hagerty, especially going by the Arbitron definition you cite.
However, I used the common English definition, Ages 13-19 inclusive, which for me is Jan 83 - Dec 89, however I did slightly expand even that range on the young end to include the first incarnation of KNX-FM. I believe all others accurately fit my definition, and of course, even KNX-FM came back for a short time during my teenage years, so that still technically counts in my book.
I forgot to include classical KFAC. I knew I was forgetting one. I was a trumpet player in the school concert and jazz bands, so I spent some time listening to stations and formats other teens generally would not. And I never cared what my rocker friends thought about me listening to other formats. Rock n Roll is #1, but there is way more to life than that. Besides you can only listen to "Who Are You" and "Freebird" so many times.
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I just checked out kink FM playlist and thanks. Y'all turned me on to a new band BEACH BUNNY
101.9 KINK FM is very well programmed. You can tell that their current program director used to program KROQ back in the day. I wish KROQ could adopt that AAA influenced Alternative Rock style of format, but I know it would be the wrong move for a market like Los Angeles due to it's demographics.
I'm just wondering how much longer they can make it, and if there's any hope that the music direction they take will take off eventually, but I doubt there's enough room for two alternative rock stations in Los Angeles. Eventually - one is going to likely have to go.
Local band from where I live. Very proud of them.
88.5 kcsn and kcrw should play them in la. Along w Kroq and alt 98.7 they are really good. Beach bunny remind me a little of rilo Kiley but better.
Kroq should play them instead of teen spirit for the 10 bazillion times. Since that song dropped in 91 just out of curiosity I wonder how many spins that tune has gotten on kroq alone? The number probably enters the 1000s w jed the fish alone
I owe my interest in Jazz to KBCA along with personalities like the great Chuck Niles, and Sam Fields among others...
I would like to see KROQ move toward a different format if the rumors about Audacy seeking an active rock DJ are true because right now, their current numbers are not sustainable long term.
I imagine there's even less of an audience for active rock in Los Angeles than clinging to whatever they have now. What kind of rock would work for KROQ in Los Angeles? I think the experts on this board have pointed out there is none. There are no demographics that would support KROQ clinging to rock (alternative, active or whatever) now that KYSR is the market leader. Again, I posit the question, Is it time for KROQ to flip to an entirely new genre/format? And if so, what would it be?
I know the idea has been shot down by David before, but Sports might be the best option for this signal. Audacy already has the Rams, so they’ve got something to build around. When the Dodgers/Lakers rights come up in a few years, they could certainly make a run at those as well. I know LA isn’t a great sports town, but FM Sports does well in worse places (looking at you, Atlanta).
I believe the kind of rock that would work in LA is AAA (like 100.3 used to be) or, even better, a classic rock station like KSLX in Phoenix. Correct me if I am wrong, but does LA have a classic rock station? That seems like a format hole that could easily be filled by KROQ, especially considering their heritage. I would pursue classic rock before anything else.
AAA gets unsalable demographics in a market that is significantly agency driven.
The remaining rock station, Meruelo Media's operation, is hybrid classic rock. It gets very mediocre numbers
KINK is dying slowly of a demographic illness. It is 15th in 18-34, but gets into single digets on 35-64... typically 6th. If you go 55+, it is even higher, as most of its listeners are over 55.
In the Summer 3 books, of 5,900 AQH persons 12+, only 1,800 were 18-49. The rest were all over 50. In 18-49, they are 14th in the market.
Yeah, that’s the problem with KLOS - it’s not a true classic rock station. They try to be active rock and classic rock at the same time and that doesn’t work well (they call it “mainstream rock” I believe). I think if you had a more classic rock driven station, it would get better numbers than KLOS and KROQ in their current forms. Or, if you can get the rights to some of the professional sports teams, all-sports might work too. That’s more of a long-term play however.
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