KFOG late era ratings?

[Radiopaw]

Hey all, sorry to make another thread. Haha.

Was curious what KFOG did rating wise between 2018 and its 2019 format flip. I know the call sign is parked, which I assume is due to the power of the brand if they would decide to try the format again.

Additionally, does anyone know any way to access these old ratings? I tried Wayback machine and got no such luck, only going to 2020.

And last but not least, if an operator sold an FM, and Cumulus decided to buy, would Cumulus be bold enough to swap KNBR to a new signal to try a low operating cost revival of the brand? Or use the new signal for it.

 

[MarkW]

The ratings and revenue were both abysmal, and that was the case for several years.

AQH share was generally in the low to mid 1's, with A25-54 shares equally as poor (if not a bit worse).

 

[michael hagerty]

Additionally, does anyone know any way to access these old ratings? I tried Wayback machine and got no such luck, only going to 2020.

There are several volumes of radio ratings at WorldRadioHistory.com, but I don't think they get as recent as you're looking for:

https://worldradiohistory.com/

 

[TheBigA]

And last but not least, if an operator sold an FM, and Cumulus decided to buy, would Cumulus be bold enough to swap KNBR to a new signal to try a low operating cost revival of the brand? Or use the new signal for it.

KNBR isn't moving. It's a cash cow. When you talk about "revival of the brand," which format do you mean? Because KFOG shifted around among several approaches to rock before settling on AAA. My sense is that the audience for this format has left FM for more personalized options where they can hear the specific bands and songs they want. I doubt that Cumulus would spend millions of dollars for a radio station and then use it for a format that makes no money. The fact that they haven't even put KFOG on an HD-2 says it all.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

The ratings and revenue were both abysmal, and that was the case for several years.

AQH share was generally in the low to mid 1's, with A25-54 shares equally as poor (if not a bit worse).

Yes this was around the time Cumulus was getting out of Bankruptcy around this time.

KFOG (AM) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Huff]

Was curious what KFOG did rating wise between 2018 and its 2019 format flip. I know the call sign is parked, which I assume is due to the power of the brand if they would decide to try the format again.

KFOG averaged a 1.4 share (6+) during 2018, and a 1.2 in the months before its flip in 2019.
In 25-54, its 2019 average share placed it in 23rd place overall.

Previous yearly averages (6+):
2019 - 1.2
2018 - 1.4
2017 - 1.9
2016 - 1.9
2015 - 2.0
2014 - 2.1
2013 - 2.3
2012 - 2.7
2011 - 2.6
2010 - 2.3

 

[Weiserguy]

KFOG averaged a 1.4 share (6+) during 2018, and a 1.2 in the months before its flip in 2019.
In 25-54, its 2019 average share placed it in 23rd place overall.

Previous yearly averages (6+):
2019 - 1.2
2018 - 1.4
2017 - 1.9
2016 - 1.9
2015 - 2.0
2014 - 2.1
2013 - 2.3
2012 - 2.7
2011 - 2.6
2010 - 2.3

KFOG was reasonably popular and successful until two things happened: (a) Susquehanna sold the station to Cumulus when they wanted out of the broadcasting business, about the time the ratings started heading downhill, and (b) Dave Morey, their longtime morning man, decided to retire and head back to Michigan, where he was originally from. The two events were not unrelated, (b) was a result of (a), because Cumulus seems to ruin everything they touch, and Morey recognized that fact. Once Cumulus had the station, the numbers spoke for themselves, and using the frequency to simulcast (and protect) their San Francisco cash cow was a rational move.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

KFOG was reasonably popular and successful until two things happened: (a) Susquehanna sold the station to Cumulus when they wanted out of the broadcasting business, about the time the ratings started heading downhill, and (b) Dave Morey, their longtime morning man, decided to retire and head back to Michigan, where he was originally from. The two events were not unrelated, (b) was a result of (a), because Cumulus seems to ruin everything they touch, and Morey recognized that fact. Once Cumulus had the station, the numbers spoke for themselves, and using the frequency to simulcast (and protect) their San Francisco cash cow was a rational move.

Also KFOG's median demo was starting to age out around the time of the flip to KNBR-FM.

 

[TheBigA]

Also KFOG's median demo was starting to age out around the time of the flip to KNBR-FM.

Actually it was much earlier than that. The audience had aged out of the demo when Morey retired. The fact that Morey was of an age where he could retire, and that the audience was of about the same age, was indicative of the problem. Someone had to tell the septuagenarians that the party was over. The bad news was that no one had planned for the future. It was a similar problem Cumulus faced when it acquired KGO. If a radio station doesn't cycle its audience, and start bringing in some young blood, they're killing off the future of the station. That's what happened to KFOG. And yes it IS too bad, because it once was a young and vibrant place. Except that was 40 years ago. Cumulus tried to keep the station alive. They hired Matt Pinfield to do mornings. Matt had the heritage with the music to continue the tradition. But the audience wanted to live in the past. And Matt couldn't bring back the past. So that was it.

 

[michael hagerty]

Actually it was much earlier than that. The audience had aged out of the demo when Morey retired. The fact that Morey was of an age where he could retire, and that the audience was of about the same age, was indicative of the problem. Someone had to tell the septuagenarians that the party was over. The bad news was that no one had planned for the future. It was a similar problem Cumulus faced when it acquired KGO. If a radio station doesn't cycle its audience, and start bringing in some young blood, they're killing off the future of the station. That's what happened to KFOG. And yes it IS too bad, because it once was a young and vibrant place. Except that was 40 years ago.

Exactly. KFOG was a great radio station for people 25-45 when it morphed from Beautiful Music in 1982.

And because it didn't change, it was a radio station for people 55-75 in 2012---which was seven years before they finally pulled the plug.

It had been a long time coming.

 

[davideduardo]

There are several volumes of radio ratings at WorldRadioHistory.com, but I don't think they get as recent as you're looking for:

https://worldradiohistory.com/

Ratings reports from the start of the PPM era onward were all electronic and most people deleted the files after a year or two or it slowed down the software. So it is going to be very difficult to to find data unless you see ratings reports in those faded faxed daily newsletters or a few of the remaining printed publications.

The BIA books have ratings, but even back quarterly issues are a couple of hundred each.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

10@10: 10 Great Songs From 1 Great Year

10 Great Songs from 1 Great Year With an homage to the great Dave Morrey and KFOG, The Vine brings back a classic Bay Area favorite. Great songs, news clips, local info all from one year. Join

www.993thevine.com

Interestingly 10 @ 10 which started out on KFOG has been reused for KVYN-FM in Napa with former KFOG host Big Rick Stuart.

Some of the former KFOG hosts went on to do radio gigs in other places.

Annalisa - Monday - Friday 10AM-3PM | 93XRT

Annalisa has been a fan of WXRT for decades and is more than excited to join the best team in the world.

www.audacy.com

AnnaLisa who had a 20 year run at KFOG went on to have a second stint in Boston at WXRV and now on WXRT Chicago doing a show for them.

PLAYLIST: 2000 Saturday Morning Flashback 12/17/22

This week Annalisa rang in the millennium, century and year all over again on 12/17 with a look at 2000, see the playlist here. Frank E. Lee takes back to 1974 on the morning of Christmas Eve. Then Johnny Mars returns us to the year 1986 on 12/31.

www.audacy.com

https://www.kfogforever.com/timeline

https://www.kfogforever.com/people

Note the KFOG Forever fan site goes up to the 2019.

https://www.putumayo.com/radioshow

Rosalie Howarth does a show for Putumayo.

https://www.kozt.com/the-coast-people/

Dred Scott went to KOZT in Mendocino County after he left KFOG.

 

[Radiopaw]

There are several volumes of radio ratings at WorldRadioHistory.com, but I don't think they get as recent as you're looking for:

https://worldradiohistory.com/

I actually found a way! This site is amazing for what isn’t covered on way back machine.

At some point in 2019, radio-info changed the urls that serviced the ratings, so it comes up under the old URL.

Such as… : https://web.archive.org/web/20110619014316/http://ratings.****************/cgi-bin/rol.exe/arb009

2011 here.

 

[RadioJunkieMike]

10@10: 10 Great Songs From 1 Great Year

10 Great Songs from 1 Great Year With an homage to the great Dave Morrey and KFOG, The Vine brings back a classic Bay Area favorite. Great songs, news clips, local info all from one year. Join

www.993thevine.com

Interestingly 10 @ 10 which started out on KFOG has been reused for KVYN-FM in Napa with former KFOG host Big Rick Stuart.

There are many 10@10s (and 9@9s) around the country; KFOG had never bothered to copyright the name. Dave Morey also got offers to do it in syndication, but he declined. And when he left and Annalisa took over 10@10 in 2009, she used Facebook to make it more interactive with requests (which Dave rarely took).

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

There are many 10@10s (and 9@9s) around the country; KFOG had never bothered to copyright the name. Dave Morey also got offers to do it in syndication, but he declined. And when he left and Annalisa took over 10@10 in 2009, she used Facebook to make it more interactive with requests (which Dave rarely took).

Yes probably when Dave Morey did 10@10 Social media was not as mainstream like it is today. Also there was a transition phase between when Myspace was the big social media outlet to where we have been in the past 10-15 years when Twitter, Instagram, Tim Tok and Facebook are the big Social media platforms.

 

[DaveBayArea]

Too late now, but I wonder what would have happened if KFOG had migrated to some more AAA-style music featuring some of the bands that appeal to a younger audience. I had moved out of the Bay Area by the time of the format flip so I can't speak for what it sounded like long-term, but what I heard the few times I visited was basically a lot of older music. Meanwhile, all the young people I know were listening to Marcus King, Ween, Yonder Mountain String Band, Watchhouse (AKA Mandolin Orange), Tedeschi Trucks Band, etc. Maybe I live in a bubble up here in the Sierra foothills, but that's what I see when I go to shows.

Dave B.

 

[TheBigA]

I wonder what would have happened if KFOG had migrated to some more AAA-style music featuring some of the bands that appeal to a younger audience.

For the last two years, the station was in fact a form of AAA, but more along the lines of what was being done at stations like KINK in Portland rather than what you describe. My view is they went in this direction because they felt it was appropriate for the heritage audience of the station. The bands you list fall more into the category of Americana, which is primarily a country-oriented non-commercial format. I'm familiar with several of them, including Marcus King, who has become a favorite of the alt-country crowd. The audience for that music is even smaller than what the station was getting with AAA. It may be younger (although my research on Americana is that the median age is older than AAA), but my sense is that younger audiences in San Francisco are not looking to broadcast radio for their music choices.

 

[DaveBayArea]

The bands you list fall more into the category of Americana, which is primarily a country-oriented non-commercial format. I'm familiar with several of them, including Marcus King, who has become a favorite of the alt-country crowd. The audience for that music is even smaller than what the station was getting with AAA. It may be younger (although my research on Americana is that the median age is older than AAA), but my sense is that younger audiences in San Francisco are not looking to broadcast radio for their music choices.

That makes sense. I never thought of Tedeschi Trucks as being Americana, but by the same token I can see where the style is similar. Marcus King - yes. You make a good point about younger audiences not gravitating toward radio. I have to remember - I live in a place where cell phone and Internet coverage is far from ubiquitous, and I'm sure that makes a difference. The 30-something crowd in the foothills definitely listens to radio. This area is also much more country-influenced than San Francisco for sure.

Dave B.

 

[adradio]

Too late now, but I wonder what would have happened if KFOG had migrated to some more AAA-style music featuring some of the bands that appeal to a younger audience. I had moved out of the Bay Area by the time of the format flip so I can't speak for what it sounded like long-term, but what I heard the few times I visited was basically a lot of older music. Meanwhile, all the young people I know were listening to Marcus King, Ween, Yonder Mountain String Band, Watchhouse (AKA Mandolin Orange), Tedeschi Trucks Band, etc. Maybe I live in a bubble up here in the Sierra foothills, but that's what I see when I go to shows.

Dave B.

I had hoped that KFOG could have figured out a way to do a contemporary AAA format. One that would play current indie/AAA style artists, but also toss in old nuggets from their original AAA format. KCSN in Souther California does this (although they have clearly moved off the older stuff). But KCSN is a college/non-commercial radio station, and their ratings are fairly low...so probably can only if one of the Bay Area college stations decided to do something like this (not likely).

 

[TheBigA]

I had hoped that KFOG could have figured out a way to do a contemporary AAA format. One that would play current indie/AAA style artists, but also toss in old nuggets from their original AAA format.

As I said earlier, they tried doing exactly what you describe, but the ratings fell even further. There doesn't appear to be an audience for this, even if it's done by a non-com station.