You forgot to mention that it's irrelevant that radio audiences in Bolivia or Belgium or Botswana prefer national networks. This board is about U.S. radio.
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KBAY is awful compared to 95.3 KRTY
- Thread starter MarkW
- Start date
I agree. One of the stations in my area that went to EMF actually had 3 people interested. But EMF came in with the bigger bucks, more then the station was probably worth.
Would be sad if EMF got every station in the country. I think the station limits ended or in talks to be ended.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
Agreed on the second point, which is why I need to ask why you think the first point was relevant ... or were you intending to answer @davideduardo's post and not mine?
Yes, it was in response to David's, didn't mean to implicate you, just support your stand while noting that, while one-size-fits-all national network radio in every city as their primary radio service may already be entrenched elsewhere, it is not in the United States, and that bringing up its acceptance/prevalence in Latin America or anywhere else is irrelevant in a forum on American radio.
He has 5 of the Top 10 in Billboard's Hot Country chart, including all of the Top 3. People don't mind listening to him twice an hour.
All you see are 6+
Country as a format hasn't performed well in San Francisco for over 30 years. That's why so few companies attempt to do it there. Playing less Morgan won't change that.
The glaring difference I see between the playlists of KBAY and WYCD is the number of spins KBAY is giving to unknown artists.
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Here is the playlist of KKGO, another major market country station located in a west coast market that many see as country averse:
I think Go Country's stationality sounds quite good at the moment.
WYCD, whose A18-49 ranking is currently #12, which is one of the station's worst rankings in a very long time (their 5.0 share in 6+ is also one of its weakest 6+ showings of the past 15 years):
Like KBAY, WYCD seems to be playing Wallen a ton.
In my opinion, KBAY should've followed a music formula closer to that of the former KRTY.
A lot of pseudo-country music appears to be populating a high percentage of song slots on major country radio station playlists once again, which is a trend I personally dislike. I cannot remember the last time I listened to WYCD (my local station) for any significant length of time. Have been underwhelmed most times I've landed on the station while channel surfing.
I think Go Country's stationality sounds quite good at the moment.
WYCD, whose A18-49 ranking is currently #12, which is one of the station's worst rankings in a very long time (their 5.0 share in 6+ is also one of its weakest 6+ showings of the past 15 years):
Like KBAY, WYCD seems to be playing Wallen a ton.
In my opinion, KBAY should've followed a music formula closer to that of the former KRTY.
A lot of pseudo-country music appears to be populating a high percentage of song slots on major country radio station playlists once again, which is a trend I personally dislike. I cannot remember the last time I listened to WYCD (my local station) for any significant length of time. Have been underwhelmed most times I've landed on the station while channel surfing.
I think that's why they're playing a lot of unknowns such as Ty Myers and Tyler Braden. I see both of them on KRTY.
KRTY also plays a lot of Morgan.
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Based on streaming charts, 25% of their songs should go to Wallen. In fact KKGO has 6 Wallen songs among its most played.
His popularity is stronger and deeper than Taylor Swift. There is no burn factor. I haven't seen anything like it in recent time.
In, specifically, the San Francisco Bay Area? Even more specifically, in Santa Clara County/Silicon Valley (and adjacent communities like Fremont)?? Are you absolutely sure the nationals translate to the locals?
That might be what's inhibiting KBAY's success. My neighbors might not care for what's hot in (for example) Texas. It might not be hot here because it's hot in Texas. That was something KRTY figured out long ago.
The label has specific streaming numbers based on location, and I'm sure KBAY has access to those numbers. His music is being played on the local pop stations as well. He sold out two nights at Levi's Stadium, which is typical of this tour.
My view is the lack of local involvement and local morning show is what's inhibiting KBAY's numbers. Not the playing of the biggest star in music. KBAY is never ever going to get big numbers in San Francisco. They didn't as an AC station, and it's worse with country.
In radio today, you need to be in everyone's face, every day in every way. Listeners aren't walking around with radios, and radio is not going to be the first place they go for music. So you need to pound them with who you are and what you do. Especially in a Top 10 market. I think that's why KEXC isn't catching on.
The other factor with music radio is low TSL. Listeners don't stick around for more than an hour. Especially if they don't have strong personalities. So you need to play the hits by the big stars as often as possible. If KBAY is playing Morgan twice an hour, it may be because their average listener is only there for 20 minutes.
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KBAY is never going to get numbers in San Francisco because the signal barely makes it up to San Francisco, and it's sandwiched between 94.1/KPFA and 94.9/KYLD, both of which are way more powerful. (94.9 also runs HD, so it's stomping on 94.7.)
KEXC at least has a respectable signal in and around the city, and it plays music its target audience might want to hear if they weren't so enamored with their phones and Spotify. That goes double for KBAY in the South Bay, except substitute KRTY for Spotify.
Could be. But more likely, again, is the KRTY factor. They'd been doing their thing for well over 30 years when Bob Kieve died, and the station was sold (to EMF) because, and only because, of Estate necessities. Otherwise it would still be on 95.3 and KBAY would still be a low-rent Lite clone.
One other thing: when Bob Kieve died, it turned out that he had made accommodations for some (or all) of the long-time employees to get a cut of the proceeds from the sale of KRTY. I don't know what the financial arrangement was other than employees received a generous (for radio) severance package. But having had the privilege to meet him some years ago, it confirmed my impression that Mr. Kieve was, uncharacteristically, a mensch. One who also logged time working for Dwight Eisenhower in some capacity or other. (My memory's not good enough to recall that specific.)
I would bet KEXC might also have a good audience in Marin, but we know they don't reach that far.
I think most of them still work on the stream. Having a local morning show with Gary & Julie will beat Bobby Bones on KBAY. Nate Deaton still runs it.
Looks like the signal reaches up to around San Rafael, possibly even Novato.