Someone's paying to be on AM!

[Theater of My Mind]

I don't know you, or what station you run, but the way you're talking makes it sound like you've got some real junk programming on there and you know it. And I can tell you are going to justify it every which way regardless. But you know what, nobody is forcing you to run a radio station. That's your choice to do it, and if you want to sell time to anyone who comes along waving money at you no matter how bad their product is, that's on you.

As for Radio Sputnik I have never supported it. The FCC doesn't regulate content which, as a station owner carrying the kind of stuff you apparently do, I'm sure you know full well, so I don't know why you're asking that question. Anyway, there is another big thread on Sputnik where this has all been discussed already.

I'm going to bow out of this one now before it escalates. You stated your points and I stated mine. We are clearly on opposite sides on this issue and that seems unlikely to change.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Quick question: Payroll is 5 days away. I can take dollars from a client I really don't want so that I can hand you a paycheck or do I try to elevate myself in hopes somebody better will call the station. If you chose the later, it means you are okay not getting paid. You're okay with that because God forbid we take a scummy account.

Do you know you cannot prospect brokered time clients because nobody knows who they are until you get a call from them. This is the reality of brokered radio. So, explain how you 'do better' than 'whoever' calls and has the cash?

There is no glory in war or running a radio station. You are in a battle every day and the way you survive is to win the battles that day . It may not be pretty or look classy but it is winning regardless of your 'holier than thou' attitude toward radio station management and ownership.

@b-turner

AS you may remember, I managed an small town AM over a decade ago and sold time to.... Brother Stair for several hours a weekend. What garbage, all the way around.. but guess what? It paid the power bill for my power hungry tube transmitter from 1960.

I've been in the trenches like you. My thought at this small town station was "im not giving up, the minute i turn it off, is the minute i lose any chance i stand of turning this puppy around... running less then desirable programming is worth more then a station off the air if its the difference between paying the power bill and keeping food on the table. I gotta keep trying"

And with this station in particular, I fought for 18 months to keep it afloat.. legitimately fought, and probably spent twice as much time as most would've trying to keep it going.

And by golly, i learned awhole lot doing it.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

I don't know you, or what station you run, but the way you're talking makes it sound like you've got some real junk programming on there and you know it. And I can tell you are going to justify it every which way regardless. But you know what, nobody is forcing you to run a radio station. That's your choice to do it, and if you want to sell time to anyone who comes along waving money at you no matter how bad their product is, that's on you.

As for Radio Sputnik I have never supported it. The FCC doesn't regulate content which, as a station owner carrying the kind of stuff you apparently do, I'm sure you know full well, so I don't know why you're asking that question. Anyway, there is another big thread on Sputnik where this has all been discussed already.

I'm going to bow out of this one now before it escalates. You stated your points and I stated mine. We are clearly on opposite sides on this issue and that seems unlikely to change.

@Theater of My Mind whens the last time you managed the sales department of a radio station as the General Sales Manager or managed an entire station/cluster as General Manager or Operations Manager?

 

[b-turner]

Theater of the Mind - you can go ahead and bail out before you escalate this further. You really must have mental issues. I mean you seem bent on making every person out to be the worst. You disparage me by saying "the way you're talking makes it sound like you've got some real junk programming on there and you know it. And I can tell you are going to justify it every which way regardless." You must have a comprehension issue or believe Bill Clinton being interviewed being trash programming (I was pretty impressed actually). You obviously have no clue about business or radio and choose to imply things and walk away. Your comments amount to nothing more than lies.

Finally, I feel sorry for you. Obviously you have found few people you can trust or believe in, seem to dwell in the negative and I suspect don't smile often or have great days. I wish better for you, much better.

 

[fordranger797]

The magic of radio is that it comes with a tuning knob, which allows the listener to find something else if they don’t like what is currently on the air. Getting back to KIXI, if they want to go with brokered programming, more power to them. I don’t see them getting much more than a 0.1 share with this strategy, but who cares? There are people who will pay to have their programming on the air regardless. Some companies will continue to purchase brokered programming by as long as they receive at least one phone call from an area code within the broadcast range of the station.

 

[davideduardo]

What I'm mainly talking about, though, is the notion that we should all be on board with stations that broker infomercials most, if not all day long. This is simply the lowest form of broadcasting and contributes nothing to society or the radio landscape. If you want to be a bottom-feeding purveyor of that sort of garbage, much of which is peddling scammy products and services if not outright fraud, then sure it's your legal right. That doesn't make you a good person or upstanding businessman, though. And I don't have to like it or suppress my opinion about how I feel about it. To me, that is not how an honest broadcaster with any kind of integrity conducts business. And it contributes to a negative impression of radio by the public, which is something the industry does not need.

Selling brokered time on radio is no different than those shopping channels on TV or billboards on the highway or the junk sales stuff that fills my mailbox.

On the other hand, I do not have to watch or listen to radio or TV shows or infomercials, but the stuff I get in the mail wastes paper and my time disposing of it.

There are plenty of bad radio assignments... stations with limited signals, bad dial positions, etc. Blame the FCC for allowing them. But the owners look for a way to make them profitable, and there is nothing dishonest or unethical. As long as there are accident lawyers and chiropractors and the like who benefit from paid infomercials, there is a purpose in those operations.

I don't see why you object to what is simply one aspect of free enterprise. Do what I do: don't listen.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Quick question: Payroll is 5 days away. I can take dollars from a client I really don't want so that I can hand you a paycheck or do I try to elevate myself in hopes somebody better will call the station. If you chose the later, it means you are okay not getting paid.

Over the weekend I watched a movie where a failing cable station took a $15 million check from a mentally ill lottery winner who thought she was producing a talk show in the style of her idol Oprah, but when asked what it was about, it was just about her and what she liked and who she hated.

 

[AuxRSS]

Seems to me like they will just continue to add talk programming then until the music programming is entirely phased out. It seems like they are very dedicated to Bloomberg radio, which could very well be the primary format a year from now. It's a bit ironic that Bloomberg radio ends up on so many dying AM signals, as the content is about as boring as you can possibly get. Doesn't matter though if Bloomberg is willing to pay the price to keep their content on 880.

I would not have guessed the deal with KIXI and Bloomberg was a time buy. Bloomberg Radio is boring, but last I checked they were a legitimate syndicated radio format that KIXI would at least barter for. Sort of like the drivetime talk version of John Tesh on midday. I agree with you that the format could take over KIXI by next year.

As far as the music goes, I think it is primarily Sixties... the embarrassing Sixties where aging teen idols and easy-listening dinosaurs charted with show tunes and retrograde pop, pretending the Beatles, Stones and Dylan would just go away. KIXI did modernize the library, it's just that the library had nowhere to go. There's only so much hunger for Petula Clark and Bobby Vinton.

In general, as long as the Scandinavian Hour is still around, brokered programming is fine with me.

 

[fordranger797]

I would not have guessed the deal with KIXI and Bloomberg was a time buy. Bloomberg Radio is boring, but last I checked they were a legitimate syndicated radio format that KIXI would at least barter for. Sort of like the drivetime talk version of John Tesh on midday. I agree with you that the format could take over KIXI by next year.

As far as the music goes, I think it is primarily Sixties... the embarrassing Sixties where aging teen idols and easy-listening dinosaurs charted with show tunes and retrograde pop, pretending the Beatles, Stones and Dylan would just go away. KIXI did modernize the library, it's just that the library had nowhere to go. There's only so much hunger for Petula Clark and Bobby Vinton.

In general, as long as the Scandinavian Hour is still around, brokered programming is fine with me.

I know everyone hates an armchair PD, but why they didn’t eliminate everything pre-1964 is completely beyond me. Maybe aim for a format that sounds a bit like KRTH a decade or so ago. Perhaps a mixture of British Invasion oldies and hits from the 1970’s that are absent from 95.7. Sure, this format would have problems, but it’s far better than relying on Petula Clark and Connie Francis to keep the operation afloat.

 

[Kelly A]

I know everyone hates an armchair PD, but why they didn’t eliminate everything pre-1964 is completely beyond me. Maybe aim for a format that sounds a bit like KRTH a decade or so ago. Perhaps a mixture of British Invasion oldies and hits from the 1970’s that are absent from 95.7. Sure, this format would have problems, but it’s far better than relying on Petula Clark and Connie Francis to keep the operation afloat.

Simple: Keep rolling with existing content until they get enough brokered customers to fill up the airtime. It's an AM station, and not like changing the music mix is going to bring in a new audience. Running a 400Hz tone would probably bring in more interest, just not for long.

 

[vchimpanzee]

As far as the music goes, I think it is primarily Sixties... the embarrassing Sixties where aging teen idols and easy-listening dinosaurs charted with show tunes and retrograde pop, pretending the Beatles, Stones and Dylan would just go away. KIXI did modernize the library, it's just that the library had nowhere to go. There's only so much hunger for Petula Clark and Bobby Vinton.

This has been suggested as a station I could listen to online, but it's already too far gone.

This description actually sounds good, if the 50s are included too, and even some 40s or 40s-style music. But if even this is bad, then they're not even making this good enough to listen to.

 

[vchimpanzee]

I know everyone hates an armchair PD, but why they didn’t eliminate everything pre-1964 is completely beyond me. Maybe aim for a format that sounds a bit like KRTH a decade or so ago. Perhaps a mixture of British Invasion oldies and hits from the 1970’s that are absent from 95.7. Sure, this format would have problems, but it’s far better than relying on Petula Clark and Connie Francis to keep the operation afloat.

And you're just getting rid of all the good music.

 

[bobdavcav]

I would have evolved KIXI to something along the lines of Saga's Pure Oldies stations, or possibly even further into the current KRKO territory. As for brokered programming, I don't quite get it either, though I don't have nearly as negative of a view on the subject as Theater of my Mind does. I've always been of the view that your programming should at least have an audience, no matter how small. It sure doesn't appear that KKNW has much of one though, given that they appear in the ratings maybe once a year. Especially with KKNW being all talk, wouldn't it be more cost effective for the folks leasing time on that station to put their programming online or out as a podcast? I can only speak for myself, but podcasts are about the only thing I listen to as far as talk radio. I do listen to and like some of the stuff on KXL, but rarely do I turn on say Chad Benson at 7:00 P.M. The only reason I listen to MVCR regularly is because I'm usually getting out of bed when they come on, and on the days when I'm awake early, I have nothing to do that would require me to turn the radio off early, so I just stay in bed. Obviously what I propose would mean the end of the 1150 frequency in Seattle, but how much longer would they be able to maintain it if they're already resorting to brokered programming?

 

[vchimpanzee]

I would have evolved KIXI to something along the lines of Saga's Pure Oldies stations

If that's like 97.3 Asheville NC, that is a good format.

 

[ksradiogeek]

And you're just getting rid of all the good music.

Tough. That music you love hasn’t sold for some time (and in many markets, for decades). Hubbard has to do something to keep it afloat besides just turning in the license.

 

[fordranger797]

And you're just getting rid of all the good music.

Honestly, I like a lot of the music on KIXI. I’m nowhere near the age demographic for the station but I find this station more enjoyable to listen to than others in the market. At least they are offering something different. As a last ditch effort to keep some different music on the air in the market, I wish they would have evolved the format to a slightly more sellable range of music.

I would say the same thing if 95.7 decided to start moving away from the 80’s while focusing more on the 90’s. Id complain bitterly, but I’d still rather listen to that than some of the other stuff on the radio.

 

[Miss Tuned]

Theater of the Mind - you can go ahead and bail out before you escalate this further. You really must have mental issues.

I respect your views and agree with you - but "you must have mental issues" is such a crappy thing to say. It's disrespectful both to the poster and to people who actually do have mental health conditions to equate "you have strident opinions with which I disagree" with "you have a mental health condition". The two are entirely different things.

 

[b-turner]

If it was opinion I'd be fine with that. Instead he created imaginary scenarios and described me as one who was far below my standards not once but in each response. Your point is noted and I do agree with you. I was merely speaking my mind.

 

[KilowattKat]

Sadly, brokered programming is the only option more and more AM's have to keep the transmitter on. I don't understand all the negativity towards it, it's a business doing what's necessary to stay in business. The radio dial is like walking down a street lined with shops, do you go inside of every store you see? Usually not.

I know KKNW was commented on about having no ratings and audience, and how much longer they can last. Obviously, they will be around as long as someone is willing to buy air time. They don't care if only only one person is listening to the station or none, it's strictly about paying the bills, maybe making a little bit of profit if you're lucky.

Sometimes I think to only really understand this, is to have the mindset of a business owner to fully grasp the reality of what you have to deal with to keep a business going, and to make a living at it. Customers love to complain, but in the case of radio they are complaining about something they never have to pay for, a product that be completely ignored, but still complain about you, and dislike what you're doing? Just change the station!

BTW, for anyone who thinks there is too much brokered radio...I live within listening distance of the Tijuana, Mexico AM's. At night that's about all you will hear on these stations, the majority airing brokered religious programming. I've noticed more of this happening during daytime hours. Is the way AM will be will here in the states? Probably, just at a slower rate.

 

[fordranger797]

On the contrary, brokered radio is a heck of a lot more interesting than a lot of the content on the radio dial. I surely don’t care about any of these shows that end up on brokered radio, but at least it’s amusing to sample. It’s either that or hear “in the air tonight” by Phil Collins on my other presets.