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Kevin Weatherly Returns To KROQ

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I'll believe he is capable of turning around the radio station if and when the results prove he has accomplished that. Like I said earlier, he wasn't minding the store properly for a number of years before he exited. He allowed KROQ to grow stale. Does he have any station turnaround success stories that involved retaining the existing format on his resume?

I certainly do hope he succeeds.
 
MarkW said:
I'll believe he is capable of turning around the radio station if and when the results prove he has accomplished that. Like I said earlier, he wasn't minding the store properly for a number of years before he exited. He allowed KROQ to grow stale. Does he have any station turnaround success stories that involved retaining the existing format on his resume?

I certainly do hope he succeeds.
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In the end, I suspect people who are expecting a return to early 2000's glory will be sorely disappointed. This isn't 1985 and the odds of a worst to first miracle are abysmal.

On the other hand, those who expect failure may be pleasantly surprised. He seems like a guy capable of learning from his mistakes. If, under his leadership the station reclaims the alternative crown from Alt that would be a great accomplishment. As far as Audacy is concerned, I would think the biggest indicator of success will be measured in revenue.
 
Who is KROQ's biggest competitor? It's not KYSR, it's Spotify.

Where is Weatherly coming from? Spotify.

I would like to think that Weatherly learned a thing or two in the streaming world that he can bring to Audacy's Alternative stations. I don't think he would have taken the job if he didn't have an idea on how to turnaround the station, to be completely honest.
 
radiojomo said:
Who is KROQ's biggest competitor? It's not KYSR, it's Spotify.

Where is Weatherly coming from? Spotify.

I would like to think that Weatherly learned a thing or two in the streaming world that he can bring to Audacy's Alternative stations. I don't think he would have taken the job if he didn't have an idea on how to turnaround the station, to be completely honest.
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I was going to say something similar. The thing about Spotify/Apple etc is, every stream is accountable. Yes radio has measurement, but it still isn't accountable for every listener. Radio measurement is still only a sample size measurement, whereas streaming audio is largely an almost totally measured medium, excluding person library additions. It will be interesting to see if the knowledge gained can be translated into reviving/refreshing the KROQ (and Audacy's) format.
 
leethalweapon said:
The thing about Spotify/Apple etc is, every stream is accountable. Yes radio has measurement, but it still isn't accountable for every listener.
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That is one of the charms of radio. You're anonymous. You listen for as long as you like, and then go away. The radio station doesn't know you went away (unless you wear a PPM). The only info they know is what you choose to give them. You are in control of your identity. You are master of your domain.
 
radiojomo said:
. I don't think he would have taken the job if he didn't have an idea on how to turnaround the station, to be completely honest.
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Or, Spotify's decline and future prospects made him jump into the first lifeboat!

Over 400,000,000 users and just barely £27 million in free cash flow. All the money goes to rights fees, and that amount increases with every subscriber. While they have plenty of free cash on hand, this does not look like a business that can ever be "amazing".
 
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DavidEduardo said:
Over 400,000,000 users and £27 million in free cash flow. All the money goes to rights fees, and that amount increases with every subscriber.
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Here's the thing to know: When Spotify did it's stock offering, all of the major record labels received stock. Sony, Universal, Warner Brothers, and others. In 2018, those record labels sold their shares, and then distributed the profits to their artists. They could have held on to the stock and continue to share in the profits of Spotify. But they decided they'd rather than remain payees of royalties rather than co-owners of the company. They cashed out early. Royalties are more dependable than stock price.

 
DavidEduardo said:
Or, Spotify's decline and future prospects made him jump into the first lifeboat!

Over 400,000,000 users and £27 million in free cash flow. All the money goes to rights fees, and that amount increases with every subscriber. While they have plenty of free cash on hand, this does not look like a business that can ever be "amazing".
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Very true. I think I posted this before I read that one of the projects that was under his direction, Stations, was being shut down.
Theater of My Mind said:
Most of which goes to the record labels, with the artists barely getting scraps. It's not Spotify's fault, it affects every broadcaster/streamer. The music industry needs to be reined in.
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That is why they are investing in podcasts. Podcasts are way more profitable for the company, especially if they dissuade users from listening to music and if they are selling ads on top of that.
 
radiojomo said:
I posted this before I read that one of the projects that was under his direction, Stations, was being shut down.
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The reason the project was shut down was because the stations weren't being used. People don't use Spotify to listen to what they can already hear for free on the radio. I doubt any of the users were even aware that such stations existed. But even if they did, it wouldn't matter. The reason they subscribe to Spotify is to hear THEIR music, not music curated by some "global PD."

radiojomo said:
Podcasts are way more profitable for the company,
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Keep in mind these podcasts are mainly spoken word. Not musical. They own the rights, not the record labels.
 
It’s cool to see him back. I was honestly shocked the new music approach KROQ did in 2020 didn’t work, and just wild that the audience rejected. It’s something I felt 106.7 should’ve done a long time ago. I know alternative was in a weird space and still is. How can KROQ justify playing Sublime, Nirvana, etc, let’s say in 2030. When Jack fm is currently playing those artists today!
 
Why does airplay on one station preclude airplay on another?

KROQ should largely, but not entirely, focus on foundational artists of the brand from the 90s and 00s and go fairly deep with those artists. Weatherly was lazy when it came to music scheduling after KROQ became a largely gold driven station. He needs to do much better this time.
 
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MarkW said:
Weatherly was lazy when it came to music scheduling after KROQ became a largely gold driven station. He needs to do much better this time.
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An SVP doesn't do music scheduling. The MD has been there for four years.

My view is the reason current alternative doesn't get much traction is a lack of artist development. This is an area where a radio station can help build relationships between listeners and bands by doing regular events with developing artists. These can be sponsored, and held at a sponsored venue. It's done in other formats. KEXP does it in Seattle.
 
TheBigA said:
An SVP doesn't do music scheduling. The MD has been there for four years.

My view is the reason current alternative doesn't get much traction is a lack of artist development. This is an area where a radio station can help build relationships between listeners and bands by doing regular events with developing artists. These can be sponsored, and held at a sponsored venue. It's done in other formats. KEXP does it in Seattle.
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Big A, you are such a flip-flopper. I have advocated station development of artists for years, and each time I have posted, you have answered back that artist development is the role of the labels and radio cannot do the labels' work for them.

That was always a lame take, so guess I will give you the benefit of the doubt and just assume your position has "evolved".
 
ChannelFlipper said:
Big A, you are such a flip-flopper. I have advocated station development of artists for years, and each time I have posted, you have answered back that artist development is the role of the labels and radio cannot do the labels' work for them.
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That's correct. The labels have entire staffs of people with that title. But it's pretty obvious they have lost their way at least in the alternative format. What I propose is a collaboration between the labels and KROQ in a way where they'll both benefit.
 
TheBigA said:
An SVP doesn't do music scheduling.
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I know of many exceptions. When I was SVP at HBC and later, Univision, after many local market music tests I would set up MusicMaster and run it for as long as a month or so myself until I was sure that all the rules were as good as I could get them.
 
TheBigA said:
That's correct. The labels have entire staffs of people with that title. But it's pretty obvious they have lost their way at least in the alternative format. What I propose is a collaboration between the labels and KROQ in a way where they'll both benefit.
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And only a high profile station and PD can do that. An alt station in Colorado Springs or Tuscaloosa just can't get the needed label "face time" to do those things.
 
DavidEduardo said:
I know of many exceptions.
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The second sentence of my post deals with the specific situation at KROQ.

DavidEduardo said:
And only a high profile station and PD can do that. An alt station in Colorado Springs or Tuscaloosa just can't get the needed label "face time" to do those things.
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We're talking about Kevin Weatherly of KROQ. He has no trouble getting face time with labels.

In addition if you're a chart reporter at a radio station in most formats, the labels have regionals who will get you whatever you need.
 
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