I never understood why classic country was never tried on 1260. You can sell it with go country. Its something the market hasn’t had in 30 + years
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KKGO Hires Radio Consultant
- Thread starter TheBigA
- Start date
You can't sell it with GoCountry because the demos are SO different. Classical is Saul's first love, and it's up to him.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
Ummm, A ... reread what the poster you were replying to. I will bold the relevant verbiage that you apparently missed.
Classic Country and the current Country format certainly could be sold in combo. You're totally right about Classical, though.
And you can sell classic hits and CHR as a combo too, if you want, but as I said the demos are very different.
Classic country that's done on AM has an average age of 67, heavily male. Current country, even adding some gold, has an average age of 45 with a 10% bump for women. In my experience, they appeal to different advertisers. Classic country is a good combo with conservative talk or classical. I don't see Saul replacing classical for classic country.
The companies that do a country combo have both on FM, with one being current, and the classic country being mainly 90s. Saul is talking about adding some early 2000s and 90s country to his KKGO, so he'll have it covered that way.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
Combining both of your posts, I see what you meant (my turn for misinterpretation).
You meant that Saul wouldn't take Classical off of 1260 in favor of Classic Country. In context, it looked to me like you were saying something else. (But you are right, he wouldn't.)
You meant that Saul wouldn't take Classical off of 1260 in favor of Classic Country. In context, it looked to me like you were saying something else. (But you are right, he wouldn't.)
Of course I fully respect what he’s doing currently. But my ears are salivating at the thought of classic country/sports on 1260 along with Go Country on FM. This is just my dream scenario
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
Personally, I prefer discussions about things that have more chance of happening than an ice cube surviving in Hell.
What sports would you suggest? 1260's signal is not, and never has been full LA market,
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
BTW, I asked Saul about the new HD3 format, and he said he is going to focus on the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s as he feels that is where the niche is.
I think that makes sense, at least as a starting point, since he can tweak it as he goes without having to ask anyone beforehand.
I think that makes sense, at least as a starting point, since he can tweak it as he goes without having to ask anyone beforehand.
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kind of strange that Saul publicly took over the programming and then hired a consultant...wonder why he would not just keep his son Mike and let him hire the consultant?For those of you who think KKGO doesn't care about its place in the ratings: They hired a top country radio consultant to improve its numbers. At one time they were the #1 country station in the country. Not any more. Saul & Michael Levine are doing something they rarely do: Ask for outside help:
KKGO Hires Consultant As It Makes Some ‘Minor Adjustments.’
“Go Country 105” KKGO Los Angeles President Saul Levine says the station has entered a consulting agreement. According to a news release, country radio consultant Albright & O’Malley & Brennerwww.insideradio.com
This consultant specializes in country radio, so they won't suggest a format change. This is mainly to improve the sound and marketing. Perhaps fix the artist-hosted segments, which tend to be pretty weak.
Michael is still there managing the station, but Saul felt he needed to make a step up in programming in order to regain the crown for #1 country station in the country. He also intends to hire a full time PD, who will implement the suggestions from the consultant.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
Unless you have watched and understand how Saul has run his stations, you cannot call anything "kind of strange" about his operations.
He is a throwback to the old style of local station owner. Any thought process you apply that comes from the way it works in "corporate broadcasting" is misplaced.
Now that espn 710 will have more conflicts, they’ll still most likely be an overflow station anyway. I would like to see them run west wood one’s sports (NFL, college football, ncaa tournament). There’s money to be made off that. It doesn’t require a *full* switch. Similar to what WCBS is doing. How much longer will people keep paying to hear sports broadcasts on satellite radio. Television is scrambling left and right to air sports now. Why isn’t radio doing the same? Why can’t a small AM station struggling to get listeners pick up more sports broadcasts without flipping outright to the format. Why can’t radio take advantage of the Caitlin Clark effect that tv networks have?
And the "new" signal from the foothills location is vastly inferior to the one from North Hollywood / Van Nuys.
Most people want to watch sports on tv. Plus if it’s a struggling AM station, it probably wouldn’t be economical to pay for the rights to broadcast a big league’s games for the minimal amount of increased listeners they might get.
Seems like sometimes it's easier for a group/owner to hire a consultant with a lot of experience (aka Boomer), and one that would likely give or confirm an answer the client is already looking for. Of course, none of that means it will have a net positive impact, only that it makes for a good excuse if things don't go in the right direction. Hey, we contracted one of the most experienced consultants available!
I think we all have to remember that Saul IS KKGO, He almost literally has the station in his blood. 105.1 is his baby!. As I understand it he drove some or all of the equipment up to Mt Wilson himself to establish the station in the late 1950s. As I noted in another text, he put KBCA on the air first as Classical, but soon found out that Classical buffs still preferred KFAC 1330 and 92.3. He then switched to Jazz and hit the jackpot with that format for much of the early 60s. It indeed was a really good station.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
To be precise: February 18, 1959.
Actually, Tomás, you are off by a few decades with that. The Jazz format on KBCA lasted until December 1, 1989, with the flip to Classical taking place on New Year's Day 1990. (The call letters changed to KKGO ten years previous.)
Saul once told me that he flipped to Jazz after a sale to International Good Music around the beginning of 1960 fell apart under FCC scrutiny.
I actually don't know what you mean by "off by a few decades".
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
You said KBCA/KKGO "hit the jackpot with that format for much of the early 60s". It was actually through the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
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