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KFI 640 New Studios

sdwulfdawg

sdwulfdawg

Today was the first day that KFI 640 was broadcasting from their new studios down the hall from their former studios.

I wonder what brought them to do this. I noticed today that the sound was way clearer, not saying that they didn't sound good in the past.

They seemed to be trying to get the kinks out of the new system, however.
 
Ryan Williams said:
Did Handel talk about it? Or he is still working from home?
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My question is why any of the hosts would talk about it. That's an internal issue that, unless something broadly amusing or interesting has happened due to the move, is irrelevant to the station's listeners.

Back when I was doing news/talk in LA, one of the constant reminders to staff was about how "internals" are of about zero interest to listeners unless they can be made relatable to the average listener.
 
KFI ND Chris Little posted a couple of pictures on his Facebook account---last newscast in the old news studio (anchored by the same woman who anchored the first in that booth, years ago) and final touches being put on the new studios.

I got a tour of the iHeart building (from Chris) about three years ago, and have a ballpark idea of where they've moved---literally just down the hall on the same floor---so I don't really understand why they've moved, and Chris hasn't answered questions people have been asking in comments on his posts.
 
DavidEduardo said:
My question is why any of the hosts would talk about it. That's an internal issue that, unless something broadly amusing or interesting has happened due to the move, is irrelevant to the station's listeners.

Back when I was doing news/talk in LA, one of the constant reminders to staff was about how "internals" are of about zero interest to listeners unless they can be made relatable to the average listener.
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The KFI hosts are notorious for including the listener in on what goes on at iHeart Los Angeles. For example internal memos are shared on air. If they have a beef with some new employee policy, that is shared in detail. The Employee Of The Month is introduced and celebrated on air. The hosts share personal problems and details about their lives. The KFI hosts have been there a very long time ( Handel, Gary and Shannon, John and Ken, and Tim Conway Jr.). When you've had a relationship with your audience for 20 plus years, it's hard not to have the level of comfort and sharing of their lives that they do. The listeners love that, as a lot of them have been their listeners just as long and consider those hosts as family members and longtime friends.

I know a lot of KFI fans like myself feel that KFI is hands down the best News and Talk station in the country. I don't think any other station in the US has anywhere near the kind of relationship that KFI has with their listeners. When I listen to the radio at least 80 percent is listening to KFI. Once you're hooked, everyone else is just mediocre and a waste listening to them.
 
DavidEduardo said:
My question is why any of the hosts would talk about it. That's an internal issue that, unless something broadly amusing or interesting has happened due to the move, is irrelevant to the station's listeners.
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I just meant as an aside, not a multi-segment in-depth report. Bill makes references to things that happen in his life that are amusing but not really relevant all the time.

Broadly speaking you are of course right, but KFI is very personality driven and a change of environment could provide humorous fodder. As a regular listener, mentioning it doesn't seem out of place to me. It would be more out of place on something like KNX or KPCC.

Gary and Shannon are talking about the new office (shared work space) right now.
 
New studios to accommodate the New KFI-FM Perhaps????? Its about time for that to finally become reality in the southland. It would go over quite well with all their listeners and bring in lots of new ones.
 
michael hagerty said:
KFI ND Chris Little posted a couple of pictures on his Facebook account---last newscast in the old news studio (anchored by the same woman who anchored the first in that booth, years ago) and final touches being put on the new studios.

I got a tour of the iHeart building (from Chris) about three years ago, and have a ballpark idea of where they've moved---literally just down the hall on the same floor---so I don't really understand why they've moved, and Chris hasn't answered questions people have been asking in comments on his posts.
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Bill Handel just this morning talked at length about the move and why, and tied it into the bigger picture of the new workplace. Most iHeart employees do a hybrid where they might come into the office twice a week, and the rest of the time work at home. I've heard the hosts talk about how empty the iHeart building is now. They have too much space and so they remodeled to where it is now half the size. Private offices have mostly been eliminated, and now almost everyone is in a cubicle. Bill Handel now has to share a cubicle with Tim Conway Jr. The Sales Dept. Is now merged with the news room, which provided a lot of on air jokes. And of course, iHeart is always cost cutting and finding ways to trim the budget
 
KilowattKat said:
Bill Handel just this morning talked at length about the move and why, and tied it into the bigger picture of the new workplace. Most iHeart employees do a hybrid where they might come into the office twice a week, and the rest of the time work at home. I've heard the hosts talk about how empty the iHeart building is now. They have too much space and so they remodeled to where it is now half the size. Private offices have mostly been eliminated, and now almost everyone is in a cubicle. Bill Handel now has to share a cubicle with Tim Conway Jr. The Sales Dept. Is now merged with the news room, which provided a lot of on air jokes. And of course, iHeart is always cost cutting and finding ways to trim the budget
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Classic response to the aftermath of a pandemic: Eliminate private spaces and put people near each other in cubicles.
 
ragazzo-pazzo said:
Some of you all were saying, in essence, the very same thing about Audacy and KNX 7 months ago.
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Nobody was saying that. Audacity had several problem stations and the switched one of them.
 
ragazzo-pazzo said:
Some of you all were saying, in essence, the very same thing about Audacy and KNX 7 months ago.
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I certainly wasn't and I don't recall those comments from anyone else. It has been very clear for quite a while that Audacy had significant issues with Now and KROQ for a long time.

I do remember some skepticism on if putting KNX on FM would really move the needle.

KRRL and KYSR are the weaker FMs in the iHeart cluster, but they are both doing fine (especially relative two those two Audacy stations). They also serve as the flagship stations for two important syndicated shows.

Unless there is some incredible implosion, don't expect a KFI-FM anytime in the next five years unless ownership limits are lifted and iHeart acquires some underperforming FM from another entity.
 
K108 Sacramento said:
New studios to accommodate the New KFI-FM Perhaps????? Its about time for that to finally become reality in the southland. It would go over quite well with all their listeners and bring in lots of new ones.
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I simply asked a question and expressed an opinion on there being a KFI-FM. Are there not a few executives at I Heart Media in the southland and in the C suite, along with a few that follow this discussion board that would like to see a KFI-FM that would bring in new younger audience and higher ratings? Music formats aren't the only programs out there that can be money makers for any radio company.
 
Michael Rivers Kramer said:
But KFI was still in the top 10 billing nationally in 2021. How much would they gain by sacrificing one of their FMs for a simulcast?
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That format, on AM or FM or streamed is getting older and older.
 
Michael Rivers Kramer said:
But KFI was still in the top 10 billing nationally in 2021. How much would they gain by sacrificing one of their FMs for a simulcast?
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It was 13th in revenue in 2020, and there is no release of 2021 data yet but within the market it is believed that it declined further.

2020 revenue was 40% below the 2013 level.
 
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