Lucy is Gone Latino is Back

[Ryan Williams]

Lucy Gives Way To Latino 93.3 In Austin

Waterloo Media has flipped Hot AC "Lucy 93.3" KGSR Cedar Park/Austin TX to Spanish CHR "Latino 93.3". The station is

radioinsight.com

Not to be pessimistic, but if Latino/Mega didn't even work well enough to keep it on a translator on two separate occasions how is it going to pay its own way on a full signal?

Also, why bring back the Hot AC format on Lucy for a week after the 4th of July dance special?

Finally with all the formats that have blown through this frequency in the last number of years, what are the odds we are back here in a year talking about it again?

I do think there is enough demand for this format at least on a translator here if done correctly, especially combined with another spanish-language station for sales purposes, but I am skeptical this will last...

Here's my Waterloo plan:

- Don't build a new AM site for 590 at the Domain
- Rebrand 93.7 to not include "KLBJ"
- Give 93.3 a permanent format with NewsTalk KLBJ (perhaps from the Bertram site)
- Repurpose the very good 99.7 translator with a format like Latino/Mega

 

[Deleted member 108832]

Lucy Gives Way To Latino 93.3 In Austin

Waterloo Media has flipped Hot AC "Lucy 93.3" KGSR Cedar Park/Austin TX to Spanish CHR "Latino 93.3". The station is

radioinsight.com

Not to be pessimistic, but if Latino/Mega didn't even work well enough to keep it on a translator on two separate occasions how is it going to pay its own way on a full signal?

Also, why bring back the Hot AC format on Lucy for a week after the 4th of July dance special?

Finally with all the formats that have blown through this frequency in the last number of years, what are the odds we are back here in a year talking about it again?

I do think there is enough demand for this format at least on a translator here if done correctly, especially combined with another spanish-language station for sales purposes, but I am skeptical this will last...

Here's my Waterloo plan:

- Don't build a new AM site for 590 at the Domain
- Rebrand 93.7 to not include "KLBJ"
- Give 93.3 a permanent format with NewsTalk KLBJ (perhaps from the Bertram site)
- Repurpose the very good 99.7 translator with a format like Latino/Mega

Can't add anything to that, Ryan. See you in a year.

 

[Rusty Muck]

Lucy Gives Way To Latino 93.3 In Austin

Waterloo Media has flipped Hot AC "Lucy 93.3" KGSR Cedar Park/Austin TX to Spanish CHR "Latino 93.3". The station is

radioinsight.com

Not to be pessimistic, but if Latino/Mega didn't even work well enough to keep it on a translator on two separate occasions how is it going to pay its own way on a full signal?

Also, why bring back the Hot AC format on Lucy for a week after the 4th of July dance special?

Finally with all the formats that have blown through this frequency in the last number of years, what are the odds we are back here in a year talking about it again?

I do think there is enough demand for this format at least on a translator here if done correctly, especially combined with another spanish-language station for sales purposes, but I am skeptical this will last...

Here's my Waterloo plan:

- Don't build a new AM site for 590 at the Domain
- Rebrand 93.7 to not include "KLBJ"
- Give 93.3 a permanent format with NewsTalk KLBJ (perhaps from the Bertram site)
- Repurpose the very good 99.7 translator with a format like Latino/Mega

I’d be of the belief that 590 should lose the “KLBJ” in branding, not the other way around. Otherwise that plan overall makes perfect sense so it likely won’t happen.

 

[Ryan Williams]

I’d be of the belief that 590 should lose the “KLBJ” in branding, not the other way around. Otherwise that plan overall makes perfect sense so it likely won’t happen.

I can appreciate that "LBJ" is on the other side of the aisle from most of the 590 programming, but he is a legendary local figure and the station is very establish. Hypothetically, changing bands, frequencies, and station brand all at once might be a bridge too far.

Also, we can all probably come up with many many rock formats that don't mention the callsign except during the id, but what are some successful news talk stations that don't use a callsign? How about in top 100 or top 50 market? I started thinking about it after your comment and I struggled to think of many.

Cox tried that in Orlando with "News 96.5" only to later return to the AM/translator with "WDBO" branding. iHeart tried and failed in Pittsburgh with "FM NewsTalk 104.7".

The only clear success I could think of off the top of my is in Fort Myers-Naples with "92.5 Fox News". Oh and maybe Freedom in Denver if that qualifies as successful. There may be others, but not many.

 

[dlf1]

If the new format fails on 93.3, then the News/Talk 590 format is probably best. Going back to the Bertram site also provides excellent coverage in the growing Williamson County portion of the market.

Would moving the ESPN format to 590 be viable? You could keep 102.7 as a simulcast partner.

99.7 could probably stay as is in these scenarios.

It will be interesting to see how the new format does.

 

[Saladressing]

Love the change. There was only Regional Mexican and Spanish AC prior to this. This is a format that's also needed in the Denver market, given the demos there.

 

[Mediafrog+]

I was in Austin the past two days and came across the change while tuning around. Didn’t have a chance to listen very long; are there stations elsewhere Latino 93.3 is similar to?

- Don't build a new AM site for 590 at the Domain

That might depend on whether the existing site has already been sold, or a deal is in place.

I drove by the KVET site and no sign of any new 590 tower. One of the four KVET towers did seem to have a much fresher coat of paint than the other three, which looked rather ratty.😝

 

[HTX]

I just wanted to add that they changed the HD name but kept it 4 letters. From “LUCY” to “LTNO” lol. They should have just made it KGSR if they’re sticking with 4 letter HD names.

 

[Mediafrog+]

I just wanted to add that they changed the HD name but kept it 4 letters. From “LUCY” to “LTNO” lol. They should have just made it KGSR if they’re sticking with 4 letter HD names.

I noticed that as well. If “LTNO” was an actual call, the station would be in Argentina.

 

[Ryan Williams]

That might depend on whether the existing site has already been sold, or a deal is in place.

I drove by the KVET site and no sign of any new 590 tower. One of the four KVET towers did seem to have a much fresher coat of paint than the other three, which looked rather ratty.😝

I was by there a couple of week ago. I kind of don't think the site is long for this world. It is surrounded by a lot of development... industrial/warehouse/apartments/etc. It's a dense neighborhood that is in a central location and very close to all the Domain development.

Further it is owned by the former owner of KVET, not a current broadcaster. The appraisal for that property this year is now over $2,000,000. The property taxes alone will be close to 40k this year.

Who knows how much iHeart is paying in rent or how long the lease is for, but I kind of doubt it is in the 10s of thousands per month. Hypotehtically, say they are paying 5k per month.... That means after the land owner pays the taxes they would be left with 20k per year.

If you have an asset that is worth that much money (and it is likely worth substantially more than appraisal), is a few grand a month a good enough return?

 

[Ryan Williams]

I just wanted to add that they changed the HD name but kept it 4 letters. From “LUCY” to “LTNO” lol. They should have just made it KGSR if they’re sticking with 4 letter HD names.

"KGSR" is still a brand that is used by another station... ACL Radio.

 

[Ryan Williams]

Love the change. There was only Regional Mexican and Spanish AC prior to this. This is a format that's also needed in the Denver market, given the demos there.

I've been listening some since the launch yesterday. The music seems to kind of be all over the place. Maybe @DavidEduardo can add some expertise here as this is way outside my lane.

I heard current core artists like Ozuna (and Shakira?), but they are also playing some merengue like Juan Luis Guerra's "El Niagara en Biciceta". I distinctly remember hearing that song in high school spanish class 20 something years ago and I don't think it was a new song even at that point.

Are these various music styles and eras compatible? I'm not sure everything "not regional mexican" is a viable format.

 

[Mediafrog+]

I was by there a couple of week ago. I kind of don't think the site is long for this world. It is surrounded by a lot of development... industrial/warehouse/apartments/etc. It's a dense neighborhood that is in a central location and very close to all the Domain development.

Growing up in Austin in the 1960s I recall the KVET site being out in what was a vast empty field in the (then) rural area north of the city, with absolutely no development on that side of a two lane, ground level Highway 183. A few abandoned farmhouses dotted the landscape. Long time ago!

 

[Saladressing]

Are these various music styles and eras compatible? I'm not sure everything "not regional mexican" is a viable format.

As I undesrstand it (which is to say I don't have much of an understanding of it), stations such as Rumba 97.7 in Boston play a wider mix as compared to the Spanish-language CHRs in places like Chicago, Vegas etc. Their slogan is "#1 para Reggaeton y Variedad en Boston."

 

[Ryan Williams]

If the new format fails on 93.3, then the News/Talk 590 format is probably best. Going back to the Bertram site also provides excellent coverage in the growing Williamson County portion of the market.

After I made that comment yesterday, I ran three different maps. The current licensed 100 kW Class C from Bertram, the current 25.5 kW AUX site from 2222 (this seems to be the actual primary facility), and the CP for the 50 kW from the 2222 site that expired last year.

The Bertram signal does have a higher population count to be sure, but nearly all of the addition is outside the Nielsen-defined Austin market definition (most of the additional ears are in Bell County) and because of distance it comes at the expense of greater signal strength in the actual city limits of Austin.

Quick disclaimer: these maps are for "entertainment purposes only". They are rough approximations that give a ballpark idea of coverage based on ERP and HAAT. I believe the population tables might not have been updated yet to 2020, which because of the tremendous growth of the metro area probably would narrow the population difference even more.

 

[saradio1]

More info about the flip to Latino 93.3:

'This is going to bring us together' | Latino 93.3 launches in Austin

The radio station is the city's only contemporary Spanish-language station, according to Waterloo Media.

www.kvue.com

 

[stan]

If they’re going to put that programming on 93.3 then put the AAA back on 107.1 where it first started.

 

[011nerve]

Quote from article from KVUE:

"Latino 93.3 made its debut on July 12 as the city's first contemporary Spanish-language station, uniting a "melting pot of culture.""

First? What about Latino 102.7?

 

[Mediafrog+]

Meanwhile at Waterloo Media: Waterloo Media Makes Programming Changes At Austin City Limits Radio - RadioInsight