It's always about the number 6 with you isn't it Bob? Six months before KJR moves back to AM and abandons 93.3. Six years till 96.5 goes country. That's two sixes, what's going to be your third?
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
96.5 to Country
- Thread starter Cobra14
- Start date
If it starts to become less popular by 2029 they might do that if there aren’t 2 country stations in the market by then.
I don’t like 3 6’s cause it seems like a scary number.
Tell that to Bob.
KJAQ is #8 in Seattle. In the 25-54 demo, it's tied for #5. In the 18-34 demo it's tied for #6. That's really good!
Then add to those ratings the low cost to run it. Yes, you do have to pay a fee to Sparknet for the Jack-FM name and the witty quips from Howard Cogan or Andrew Anthony. But that's it. You don't have to pay DJs. You don't need contests or give-aways. You don't need a station van going to country music concerts and county fairs. You don't need a music director. The playlist has barely changed since it debuted in 2005.
It's tempting to look at KKWF The Wolf, all the way up there at #1. But if another country station comes into the market, it wouldn't necessarily start off by splitting the country audience in half and become a top ten station right away. Look at how hard it is for KPNW-FM to split the AAA audience with KEXP, despite a 100,000 watt signal and whatever resources Hubbard Broadcasting is spending.
Other than the Jack-FM fee, iHeart is spending almost nothing to be tied for #5 in the 25-54 demo. The company would be foolish to enter duel with Audacy for Country listeners.
Then add to those ratings the low cost to run it. Yes, you do have to pay a fee to Sparknet for the Jack-FM name and the witty quips from Howard Cogan or Andrew Anthony. But that's it. You don't have to pay DJs. You don't need contests or give-aways. You don't need a station van going to country music concerts and county fairs. You don't need a music director. The playlist has barely changed since it debuted in 2005.
It's tempting to look at KKWF The Wolf, all the way up there at #1. But if another country station comes into the market, it wouldn't necessarily start off by splitting the country audience in half and become a top ten station right away. Look at how hard it is for KPNW-FM to split the AAA audience with KEXP, despite a 100,000 watt signal and whatever resources Hubbard Broadcasting is spending.
Other than the Jack-FM fee, iHeart is spending almost nothing to be tied for #5 in the 25-54 demo. The company would be foolish to enter duel with Audacy for Country listeners.
W
We’re also looking at KKWF numbers during their prime season. Winters typically result in a lower shares, so it will be interesting to see if that applies to KKWF by the time November rolls around. If someone else wants to do country, it’s going to take some investment. A simple and generic format rebrand isn’t going to make much of a dent. At this point, I would imagine that iheart is content with their FM portfolio right now and have no desire to make more investments for something not guaranteed.
I don't even know why that thought popped into my head yesterday, but I figured I'd throw it out since there was speculation on 96.5. Since you seem to think I have an obsession with the number 6 though, I'll bet you $6 that Seattle has another country station by 2029. See my other recent post for where I think it will land.
It's great that KKWF finally began spinning some gold from the 90s and 00s this year to break the monotony of the auto-tune rhythm/country/pop drek on which both it and the now defunct 98.9 had been OD'ing.
I think it's no accident 100.7's AQH share is now substantially better than that of 98.9 and 100.7 on a combined basis one year ago.
I think 98.9 made a mistake trying to be a musical soundalike to the Wolf. They should've allowed 100.7 to own the current-intensive / short playlist space.
I do think the Puget Sound region will regain a second country station at some point within the next few years.
I think it's no accident 100.7's AQH share is now substantially better than that of 98.9 and 100.7 on a combined basis one year ago.
I think 98.9 made a mistake trying to be a musical soundalike to the Wolf. They should've allowed 100.7 to own the current-intensive / short playlist space.
I do think the Puget Sound region will regain a second country station at some point within the next few years.
110% correct. I used to be a KMPS listener. KMPS did a great job of playing new country, country gold (from a few years ago), while also sprinkling in some 90’s country on top. KKWF didn’t appeal to me as much, because it basically was just new country (and not much else). Now that KKWF stands alone, they’ve taken the smart approach of trying to do what KMPS used to, and give listeners a little of everything.
With that being said, I personally believe there is room for another country station in the market, but it would have to be done differently than 98.9. Country listeners like a little variety, and they certainly like personality. If a new station suddenly showed up with a strong local morning show, strong afternoon show, and variety in the playlist where they wouldn’t be afraid to play something new, something older, and something classic (90’s), I think it could work. The way I see it, KKWF is doing most of these things right now (minus the local afternoon show), and that’s why they’ve so far out ahead. It seems like they took a page out of the book of JR country in Vancouver. JR has been the only country radio station in the market for decades, and they do well in a market that has a much lower appetite for country compared to Seattle. The station is driven by personality and a decently wide playlist where you’ll hear something new, something a few years old, and something 90’s. I’m amazed that JR does so well, because Vancouver is a market without many suburbs, rural areas, and with a population that likely isn’t interested in country music.
Back to 98.9 for one second: I think “The Bull” was a missed opportunity for Hubbard. I think they made every attempt to make it work, but like you said, it was a clone of what KKWF was at the time. As an occasional listener myself, it just didn’t offer anything different.
Even though what you suggest has been tried multiple times with limited success?
Expensive.
Just as with other formats, there's no track record for a broader playlist as being an advantage. You still need to conduct ongoing music research to see what the broader audience finds appealing. Changes are, it's the same as your competition.
See my comment three above.
To be fair, I'm fine with KKWF staying the only game in town, because it gives them the opportunity to give a bit more variety and do a little bit more of what KMPS used to do. The format becomes extremely stale and enjoyable when it's exclusively current based (akin to CHR). The launch of 98.9 under the country format was definitely rushed, and it really just became country CHR. Nothing wrong with that in a market with demand for it, but there are very legitimate arguments about Seattle not being that market.
We're all well aware of the need for careful research, but there appear to be two different ways of presenting a country format: a current based approach, or a hybrid approach. When there's only one station in town, the hybrid approach seems to work just fine for keeping listeners happy (and discouraging anyone else from trying to cut in). Seattle may be the type of market that is best served by one station that can do everything (personality and music) well. It's a bit like Vancouver, which certainly would struggle to support two country stations and has room for one good one.
As for the talent aspect, it's nice to have, but not required per say. 98.9 leaned on local talent, but still struggled to get a foothold.
All in all, I'll take one station doing something good over multiple stations doing the same thing mediocre. The fact that KUBE went away now allows 103.7 to maintain a decent variety of music and be the king of hip hop in Seattle (and it seems like it will stay that way). I assume station ownership groups in Seattle realize that jumping into that fight would be absolutely pointless.
Last edited:
Fascinating reading all the back and forth speculation on a second country station. Unlike pop, rock and adult contemporary, country seems like one of those formats that can't establish a consistent audience for its oldies. Case in point is 94.1, 95.7, and 102.5 which all deliver good ratings and play exclusively songs from the past. Thank goodness those of us in SnoCo have KKXA to get our fill of classic country.
P.S. I do miss the old KMPS from around 1990.
P.S. I do miss the old KMPS from around 1990.
There’s definitely a market for country gold, though that market is probably not Seattle. As I mentioned though, sometimes the presence of one major country station can be a good thing. In other markets that have only one station for country, the stand alone station seems to be programmed quite well.
Also someone told me years ago that KMPS was beating the wolf in all the important demos and the 6 plus ones too when Entercom dropped it. Also that KMPS was making more money too. So basically Entercom ditched the winning horse in the race for the inferior one because it was like their company wide brand or something. Or they didn’t like the CBS station and staff winning so they got rid of them too. But then I heard all the KMPS people were lied to or something and told that Entercom planned to keep it country and even gave them tours of the new studios and stuff and then rug pulled them at the last minute. Anyone else know about all that?
KAYO is a very well presented radio station. A good mixture of music and great personalities. Their signal is decent for the south sound, but it’s definitely not a rimshot. KNBQ 102.9 would have been more likely to pull away critical listeners when they ran a country format years ago.
I can’t speak for everything you wrote, but the last part is true. There were social media posts after the merger of the KMPS staff touring the Entercom building.
The audience would be well outside any agency desired demographic.
Back in the 90's I was involved with a 'classic country' startup in Spokane, WA. Classic top 100 artists only. In spite of the assumption that it would be popular, over the first three months it crashed into a smoking hole in the ground. Come to think of it, I believe that was the quickest format pivot I'd ever witnessed.
- Status