KFNS drops all local programming

[Rusty Muck]

Kinda telling that there was seemingly no thread about this until now. But honestly, KFNS hasn't been relevant in at least 15 years.

KFNS To Eliminate Local Programming – RadioInsight

Zobrist Media Sports “590 The Fan” KFNS Wood River IL/St. Louis will eliminate its local lineup at the end of the week. Owner Dave Zobrist told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the station will eliminate its thirteen hours of weekday local programming for Fox Sports Radio’s national lineup while...

radioinsight.com

 

[Mark Roberts]

Kinda telling that there was seemingly no thread about this until now. But honestly, KFNS hasn't been relevant in at least 15 years.
Nothing on that particular license has ever been relevant. Closest it came was as an easy listening station but even then it was an also-ran to KCFM and KEZK.

 

[TheBigA]

The key quote:

The AM standalone category is absolutely a big challenge,” Zobrist said.

Yes, we know. Barrett reports he's looking to sell the station.

 

[actionsub]

It was much better as the easy listening station! Not that it was a ratings killer then, but it WAS listenable.

 

[Gregg.]

It's tough when you are a 1,000 watt AM sports station competing with a 100,000 watt FM sports station, KXOS 101.1.

At first, it wasn't clear if KFNS would stay on the air as Barrett seeks a sale. But then it was announced KFNS would go with 24/7 Fox Sports Network with some play-by-play. It's easier to sell a station that's still on the air, even if the new owner will likely not air a sports format.

 

[Mark Roberts]

It was much better as the easy listening station! Not that it was a ratings killer then, but it WAS listenable.

It never was a "ratings killer", not even in the refineries of Wood River. Its competition for much of that time was KCFM, then KEZK.

I will note that it was a favorite of my high school drivers' ed teacher. One of the absolute rules when taking the district drivers' training car out with him was not to change the radio from WRTH. It became something of an in-joke among the students.

 

[Gregg.]

>>>It was much better as the easy listening station! Not that it was a ratings killer then, but it WAS listenable.<<<

I will note that it was a favorite of my high school drivers' ed teacher. One of the absolute rules when taking the district drivers' training car out with him was not to change the radio from WRTH. It became something of an in-joke among the students .

WRTH is described above as "easy listening." To me, that's a format that's 50% instrumental cover versions of pop hits and 50% Soft AC vocals, what many formerly Beautiful Music stations did before leaping into Soft AC with all vocals, such as WPAT-FM, KOST, WDUV, etc.

But being on AM, I have a feeling WRTH was really Adult Standards and Middle of the Road. Was it mostly Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Dean Martin, Dionne Warwick, The Carpenters, Andy Williams, mostly vocals? Not too many AM stations were instrumental unless they were simulcasting an Easy Listening FM station.

 

[Mark Roberts]

WRTH is described above as "easy listening." To me, that's a format that's 50% instrumental cover versions of pop hits and 50% Soft AC vocals, what many formerly Beautiful Music stations did before leaping into Soft AC with all vocals, such as WPAT-FM, KOST, WDUV, etc.

But being on AM, I have a feeling WRTH was really Adult Standards and Middle of the Road. Was it mostly Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Dean Martin, Dionne Warwick, The Carpenters, Andy Williams, mostly vocals?

That was WEW. Easy listening in St. Louis was covered, at various times, by WIL-FM, KCFM, KEZK, and WRTH.

 

[Murfradiojim]

It never was a "ratings killer", not even in the refineries of Wood River. Its competition for much of that time was KCFM, then KEZK.

I will note that it was a favorite of my high school drivers' ed teacher. One of the absolute rules when taking the district drivers' training car out with him was not to change the radio from WRTH. It became something of an in-joke among the students.

Wasn't it the sister station to KEZK at one point. I'm thinking in the 80s

 

[Mark Roberts]

Wasn't it the sister station to KEZK at one point. I'm thinking in the 80s

Yes, from 1983 into the 1990's. It changed calls to WKLL in 1988 and later took on the KEZK calls. In contrast to its 1970s easy-listening format, it was Music of Your Life in much of the 80s; as WKLL, it was oldies.

 

[briancraig]

WRTH had some good ratings over the years.

I have no ratings info before 1970 when 590 likely had even better numbers. But in the early 1970s only KMOX, KXOK and KSD had better ratings.

Fall 1970–6.9
Spring 1972–6.2
Spring 1973–6.4