When KVI tried switching from talk to oldies (Mike Webb era), they got completely and utterly crushed. Advertisers wanted no part of 'oldies', let alone on an AM station. Research showed the move was a monumental mistake. About three months into the oldies revival, management was scrambling to get a new talk format ready, and right wing talk was born.
I'm not denying that. I do wonder though if something like that would work today, with KJEB now pushing well into the '80s and little older competition? KRKO seems to be a KBSG pushed forward and doing well, or at least as well as could be expected. Real oldies seems like it would be a natural progression from what KIXI is now.
The folks at Hubbard aren't stupid. Doing music, let alone oldies on AM in a major market like Seattle/Tacoma would be the equivalent of trying to step off the curb in front of a bus to see how it feels. Chances are, at the least one would suffer severe injuries.
“The folks at Hubbard aren’t stupid”
Bobcat, even someone as uneducated in the business as you, would understand that dumping money into doing music on an AM station is a losing idea. Well, now that I said that, maybe you wouldn't.
The problem is that everyone knows that Hispanics will use anything else before going to an AM station. That's why TelevisaUnivision sold all their AMs last year.
That’s an interesting point. It seems like listeners who seek out Punjabi, Hindi, Mandarin or Cantonese programming have no issue with AM. In the Vancouver B.C. market, the vast majority of second language programming is AM (and there appear to be listeners). From a personal observation, 1320 and 1470 are heard in many stores. Heck, you even have a very low powered signal on 1110am broadcasting Punjabi programming. Not saying that there’s a tremendous market for this type of programming in Seattle, but it’s one potential use for 880.
Yet more and more stations are going with music. Usually with a Fm translator to pair along. I don’t think I’ve ever recently heard more music on the AM band at night than I do now. You’re smarter than everyone doing it though. KRKO sounds terrific by the way. That was a good idea.
KRKO is in Everett.
Good job. You did good. Snohomish btw.
The 1110 Oak Harbor signal was largely upgraded to reach across the sound to S Vancouver Island. That you hear it in Vancouver is a bonus.
No, they are not. Fewer and fewer English language AM stations are going with music as the only people who will listen to music on AM are very old seniors and some members of ethnic communities who have no other local media choices.
Then the FM is "the station" and the AM is the excuse to get the FM. Most of those AMs with translators don't even have the AM in their logo and don't mention it on the air any more.
Again, the AM is only one the air to legally permit the translator. Nobody listens to the AM, and if licensees could close the AM and keep the FM channel, they would... and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of AMs would cease operating today!
Sorry David, not true. That’s a stereotype that’s being propagated here for some reason. That only old people listen to AM radio music stations. Dial around at night. Lots of Classic Hits, Oldies, Rock, Country, Oldies stations on the AM band that have popped up in the last decade. Yes they do use the AM stick to put the translator on in some cases but not all. It’s actually shocking/amusing how many AM stations have music on now.
AM stations cover areas that FM doesn’t due to terrain in some regions. They aren’t going away any time soon.
