Barrett Media: KLOS ratings

[michael hagerty]

Interesting read:

Spoiler alert: The PD credits a tighter playlist.

"Playing too many tracks that appeal to listeners Ferro describes as connoisseurs instead of mass appeal songs that bring in a broader audience was likely part of the ratings malaise. “I came in, said, ‘no, we gotta be the sellout. We gotta play the hits.”

How 95.5 KLOS Achieved Its Best Ratings in Over 30 Years

Little of what we discussed isn’t available to most stations in markets of any size. The success isn’t a Los Angeles thing; it’s a radio thing.

barrettmedia.com

 

[TheBigA]

I agree. Tightening the music is always a good idea. They haven't lost anything by replacing Kevin Ryder with Nik Carter. Meanwhile it looks like KROQ has dropped below 1 million in cue for the first time in a while.

Since you put Barrett in the subject line, I've noticed they've put a lot of effort in creating lots of radio news. Even more than what we used to see at AllAccess. With a bit more depth than RAMP. So they've become a go-to for me when it comes to radio news. Not sure how long they can sustain. But for now, it's a good destination.

 

[lanceventa]

Since you put Barrett in the subject line, I've noticed they've put a lot of effort in creating lots of radio news. Even more than what we used to see at AllAccess. With a bit more depth than RAMP. So they've become a go-to for me when it comes to radio news. Not sure how long they can sustain. But for now, it's a good destination.

Sure, if you appreciate a publication that admittedly rewrites articles from other publications with AI... They do well with Sports, but the majority of their music station news is lifted from RadioInsight, Country Aircheck, and others..

 

[TheBigA]

Sure, if you appreciate a publication that admittedly rewrites articles from other publications with AI...

Ha! I'm getting pretty good at recognizing AI now! When I see a paragraph repeated in the same article, that's a dead giveaway.

But they have hired a couple of format writers who appear to be doing some original work. It's quantity over quality for sure.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

Ha! I'm getting pretty good at recognizing AI now! When I see a paragraph repeated in the same article, that's a dead giveaway.

But they have hired a couple of format writers who appear to be doing some original work. It's quantity over quality for sure.

AI promissed as long as I behave and don't have original thoughts, it would always be good to me.

So now I have that going for me.

 

[RayydioLA]

Not usually under a rock. Only napping. When did Farro become VP Programming? With the demise of Allaccess have we seen it reported anywhere that Keith Cunningham was exited at some point? He had to fire his own wife from the Midday budget more than a year ago as the article mentions, and oddly she hasn't been replaced, but hadn't heard of his his departure.

 

[TheBigA]

Not usually under a rock. Only napping. When did Farro become VP Programming? With the demise of Allaccess have we seen it reported anywhere that Keith Cunningham was exited at some point?

Keith is still at KLOS, but he works for Pio, who is SVP Programming for the cluster. Ferro credits Cunningham in the article.

Ferro was quick to point out that he was not the sole architect of the success. He credits both Programming, Research, Analytics, and Measurement expert Keith Cunningham,

 

[michael hagerty]

Not usually under a rock. Only napping. When did Farro become VP Programming? With the demise of Allaccess have we seen it reported anywhere that Keith Cunningham was exited at some point? He had to fire his own wife from the Midday budget more than a year ago as the article mentions, and oddly she hasn't been replaced, but hadn't heard of his his departure.

I had to dig but it looks like Barrett didn't write this as clearly as they could.

Keith Cunningham is still VP Programming for KLOS. Pio Ferro is SVP Programming for the cluster.

 

[davideduardo]

Not usually under a rock. Only napping. When did Farro become VP Programming?

(Los Angeles) Meruelo Media (Power 106, Cali 93.9, KLOS-FM, 93.5 KDAY, and KWHY-22 TV) has announced that Pio Ferro has joined Meruelo Media as its Senior Vice President of Programming and Content effective May 13, 2024.

 

[davideduardo]

I had to dig but it looks like Barrett didn't write this as clearly as they could.

Keith Cunningham is still VP Programming for KLOS. Pio Ferro is SVP Programming for the cluster.

And he has been there almost 13 months as of today.

 

[TheBigA]

I had to dig but it looks like Barrett didn't write this as clearly as they could.

Perhaps because Cunningham is also a PT format writer for Barrett.

Keith Cunningham | Barrett Media

Keith Cunningham is a Rock/Alternative columnist for Barrett Media, and the Master of Mayhem at 95.5 KLOS-FM in Los Angeles for over 10 years. He's been voted one of America’s Top 5 Program Directors in two formats by Barrett Media and one of America’s Best PDs by Radio Ink. Keith has built his...

barrettmedia.com

 

[hotpatrick2004]

I agree. Tightening the music is always a good idea. They haven't lost anything by replacing Kevin Ryder with Nik Carter. Meanwhile it looks like KROQ has dropped below 1 million in cue for the first time in a while.

Since you put Barrett in the subject line, I've noticed they've put a lot of effort in creating lots of radio news. Even more than what we used to see at AllAccess. With a bit more depth than RAMP. So they've become a go-to for me when it comes to radio news. Not sure how long they can sustain. But for now, it's a good destination.

I love the liners when they call jack fm. Very witty. But I miss the boot camp at noon with marci. That was my favorite part of the station. I take it with these numbers...Don't know what revenue there making but i bet it's decent n KLOS isnt going anywhere anytime soon.

But I must say the best wittiness came from the voice guy at indie 103.1 like 1 of his was only 48 minutes to drive to 7/11 for milk n bread.

But jack fm voice guy a close 2nd

 

[TheBigA]

Someone asked about Keith Cummingham. Here he is:

Rock Radio Won’t Grow Until It Stops Worshipping the Playlist

The industry loves saying, “Content is radio’s secret sauce.” But what “content” are we really talking about?

barrettmedia.com

 

[davideduardo]

Someone asked about Keith Cummingham. Here he is:

Rock Radio Won’t Grow Until It Stops Worshipping the Playlist

The industry loves saying, “Content is radio’s secret sauce.” But what “content” are we really talking about?

barrettmedia.com

Note that Cunningham has been at KLOS for over a decade. The station did not begin to "recover" to is previous levels in ratings until Meruelo brought in Pio Ferro from New York to oversee the programming. Suddenly, Cunningham is a hero after a decade... and nobody mentions Pio Ferro, who is as close to a genius programmer as anyone I will ever meet.

Pio shares success magnificently, as he is a team builder. But in this case, most of the credit goes to what he did, ranging from talent and research to inspiration.

 

[RayydioLA]

Note that Cunningham has been at KLOS for over a decade. The station did not begin to "recover" to is previous levels in ratings until Meruelo brought in Pio Ferro from New York to oversee the programming. Suddenly, Cunningham is a hero after a decade... and nobody mentions Pio Ferro, who is as close to a genius programmer as anyone I will ever meet.

Pio shares success magnificently, as he is a team builder. But in this case, most of the credit goes to what he did, ranging from talent and research to inspiration.

So brilliant that he can't convince Meruelo to find (er, spend) the money to pay for a major-daypart Middayer after a year and a half? It's not like it's not a profitable shift that wouldn't pay for itself many times over.

 

[davideduardo]

So brilliant that he can't convince Meruelo to find (er, spend) the money to pay for a major-daypart Middayer after a year and a half? It's not like it's not a profitable shift that wouldn't pay for itself many times over.

In the current economy, your belief about "paying for itself" is not factual. And the station seems to be doing just fine without a person in that shift.

There are many music formatted stations that have found that non-Boomer listeners really don't want and need people talking over song intros any more. We get our time and temperature and news updates on our phones, and can find all the news about artists we like there, too, and faster than that information gets to a local DJ.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

In the current economy, your belief about "paying for itself" is not factual. And the station seems to be doing just fine without a person in that shift.

There are many music formatted stations that have found that non-Boomer listeners really don't want and need people talking over song intros any more. We get our time and temperature and news updates on our phones, and can find all the news about artists we like there, too, and faster than that information gets to a local DJ.

Am I the only one that thinks the actual talent of most modern DJs has gone way down? Very few have unique characteristics and personalities like the ones I grew up with in the 70s and 80s and they certianly don't over-prepare for the show. They seem like robot DJs that are just programmed to the format, pre-tape their generic spots, and move on to their better-paying side gigs.

I never like being the old guy telling the young ones how great it was when I was young and how their generation's culture isn't nearly as good (although in most cases it's the unfortunate truth), so my question is a legitimate one. That is the way I see it, but maybe it is not so.

 

[michael hagerty]

Am I the only one that thinks the actual talent of most modern DJs has gone way down? Very few have unique characteristics and personalities like the ones I grew up with in the 70s and 80s and they certianly don't over-prepare for the show. They seem like robot DJs that are just programmed to the format, pre-tape their generic spots, and move on to their better-paying side gigs.

I never like being the old guy telling the young ones how great it was when I was young and how their generation's culture isn't nearly as good (although in most cases it's the unfortunate truth), so my question is a legitimate one. That is the way I see it, but maybe it is not so.

I agree with you, except that we don't know if they have talent. They're not allowed to use it in L.A. and (assuming they started in the business in the last 15 years) weren't allowed to develop it wherever they worked before.

In the 80s and before, DJs worked in small markets with very few restrictions, got to stretch their wings and figure out what worked and what didn't. The next few steps from there were usually increasingly more restrictive---but they had learned how to say stuff that mattered in whatever window the PDs gave them.

Especially for those who've been voice-tracking their shows in smaller markets before coming to L.A., they really were only there to fill 15-20 seconds of "content" on the way into a spot break and that's it.

There were five years between the Real Don Steele's first gig at KBUC in Corona and his doing afternoon drive at KHJ.

Tape of Don at KBUC used to be online, but I can't find it now, so here he is four years before Boss Radio at KIMA in Yakima. This, then Omaha, then Portland, then Oakland, all got Don ready to be a star in L.A. That farm system no longer exists.

The Real Don Steele, KIMA Yakima, March 12 1961 (0:31:39) - Reel Radio

reelradio.ncbmuseum.com

 

[TheBigA]

Am I the only one that thinks the actual talent of most modern DJs has gone way down?

You have to be fair about it. The role of radio was different in the 60s & 70s. It was still possible to get a 20 share then. There are still some holdovers from then. Howard Stern is one. But if you really look at new hires starting in the late 80s into the 90s, the qualifications started to change. We're talking about over 30 years ago. Why? Because radio in the 60s was still seen as a performance medium of the 30s and 40s. People working in radio had memories from that era. Plus you had fewer stations that had bigger audiences. The next generation that came along didn't. You hear a dramatic difference in new hires then. The old requirement of having a deep voice for radio went away. The style became more conversational. Less dramatic. The number of radio stations increased geometrically, so the talent pool was drained. That set the bar a little lower than it had been for the previous generation. That continued for the next 30 years to where we are now. New hires today have a very different frame of reference.

Classic hits and classic rock stations are at a point where some of the DJs don't have a direct connection to the music anymore. They're playing music that is in some cases older than them. That will make a difference,

Look what reality TV shows have done to the music business. Do you think music today is as good as it was 50 years ago? That's the atmosphere we live and work in. There are some people who are undeniable talents. But there are a lot more stations, and a lot more musicians, so the gap is a lot more noticeable.

 

[TheBigA]

In the 80s and before, DJs worked in small markets with very few restrictions, got to stretch their wings and figure out what worked and what didn't. The next few steps from there were usually increasingly more restrictive---but they had learned how to say stuff that mattered in whatever window the PDs gave them.

I read all the time about this "farm system." I never worked in small markets. Ever. I grew up in a Top 25 market, and was hired by the station my family listened to when I grew up. I was convenient. That's how a lot of hires are done now. Even 20-30 years ago, stations wouldn't pay moving expenses. So moving from state to state wasn't easy. A lot of people I knew did their training in college radio. That was the sandbox where you can make mistakes. Today, people use podcasts or internet radio to do the same thing. But the other factor is the money. People today can make more money creating YouTube content. I know a DJ who left on air because his wedding DJ business made more money. So there are a lot of factors.

That being said, there is kind of a farm system within the big companies. It's possible to transfer from a small market corporate station to a larger one when openings occur. I see Josh Innes has bounced around the iHeart system a lot. I saw a thread where Marc Coppola, who's in his 60s, is VTing for a bunch of iHearts around the country. He's a top quality talent who's paid his dues several times.