95.1 KTTI & 100.9 The River were the top 2 stations ratings-wise in the Yuma market & K-Love Inc. has just acquired them. K-Love Acquires Yuma Pair From El Dorado
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Rest of Arizona K-Love acquires 95.1 KTTI & 100.9 KQSR in Yuma leaving KJLZ 93.1 as lone commercial English station
- Thread starter NYAZSporty
- Start date
I had begun to suspect that both of these stations were on the market when ElDorado resumed webcasting of its Victorville, CA, stations earlier this year but did not extend the webcasts to Yuma. (In fact, KBLU-AM still has not returned to webcasting, making me think that it still may be on the market.) That said, this deal reminds me of two things: 1) the Educational purchases in Malone, NY, leaving one single stand-alone commercial AM radio station for that small town that is very close to the Canadian border; and 2) K.M. Richards' comments on several threads about how Educational Media Foundation will make offers to purchase stations before anybody else knows that the owners are looking to sell.
Yuma certainly fits in to the first category--the combination of KCYK-AM and KLJZ-FM are now the only game in town if you wish to purchase radio advertising time. (As I said earlier, I wouldn't be surprised if ElDorado was trying to get rid of KBLU-AM as well though it has a great daytime signal that covers most of western Arizona.) As to the second, I think Mr. Richards' comments may be applicable as I don't think that there was public knowledge that ElDorado wanted to get out of the Yuma market before this sales announcement.
I guess the only good news from my perspective was that the two public stations (KOFA at 1320 kHz and KAWC at 88.9 mHz) weren't involved.
Not “the only game “ as there are about a dozen stations from the San Luis Río Colorado side of the market.
You're right of course--I should have said the only commercial *English* stations in town.
One other point not related to your response to me but which I should have put in my initial response is that Yuma *does* have a non-commercial, independent, English contemporary Christian music station in themarket, KCFY at 88.1 mHz. I'm willing to bet that they aren't looking forward to butting heads with EMF for the English Christian station donation.
I travel regularly between San Diego and Phoenix.
The radio dial in Yuma is far from empty. All the Mexicali FM,'s, and many AM's boom into Yuma. There is also AC KXO-FM from El Centro which covers Yuma quite well. Even Oldies KXO-AM can be heard all the way just before the mountain pass east of Yuma on Interstate 8. Granted, this is iin-vehicle listening. And as David mentioned there are also the stations from San Luis, Somerton, and Wellton. KOFA is an interesting listen with it's college indie format, amd of course NPR affiliate KAWC.
That said, yes commercial English language is now limited to KCYK, KBLU, and KLJZ. Expect Outlaw Country 1400 KCYK ratings to skyrocket. This is one AM that is going to make out like a bandit! (pun intended).
EDIT: There is also English language Rhythmic CHR 'Power 98' from Mexicali XHMIX. So, it's not as limited as one might expect.
The radio dial in Yuma is far from empty. All the Mexicali FM,'s, and many AM's boom into Yuma. There is also AC KXO-FM from El Centro which covers Yuma quite well. Even Oldies KXO-AM can be heard all the way just before the mountain pass east of Yuma on Interstate 8. Granted, this is iin-vehicle listening. And as David mentioned there are also the stations from San Luis, Somerton, and Wellton. KOFA is an interesting listen with it's college indie format, amd of course NPR affiliate KAWC.
That said, yes commercial English language is now limited to KCYK, KBLU, and KLJZ. Expect Outlaw Country 1400 KCYK ratings to skyrocket. This is one AM that is going to make out like a bandit! (pun intended).
EDIT: There is also English language Rhythmic CHR 'Power 98' from Mexicali XHMIX. So, it's not as limited as one might expect.
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Will there be an LMA put in place? If so, how soon? Am actually, leaving tomorrow morning to travel to Arizona, so I'll be able to answer this firsthand.
Z93 and KCYK are the community station of record and everyone knows who they are in that town.. everyone. The news director at their stations is one of the best ive ever encountered in this business. One of the staff is a minority owner in the company right down, done a few years before the majority owner died (which was recent). They won't be for sale any time soon 
While you are correct with regard to what car radios can receive in Yuma, I have traveled through the area with a Walk-man style receiver. While you're correct about most of the El Centro and Mexicali AMs getting through, most of the FMs from that side of the border can only be heard on car radios with the one exception I know of being the 90.7 frequency from Mexicali that does put a weak but listenable signal in to the city.
By the way, one of the dumbest station placements (and you should check it out when you're east of Yuma) by the FCC has got to be KIZY at 91.5 mHz licensed to Fortuna Hills, AZ, right off of I-8, about 10 miles northeast of Yuma. While it is outside of the protected contour of Phoenix' KJZZ on the same frequency, it most certainly would, I think (I haven't been through Yuma since this one came on air), cause some interference with the 91.5 mHz station licensed to Mexicali. Since Fortuna Hills is such a small town, my best guess is that the station's owner is hoping for Internet donations to keep this one alive.
I linked the Yuma, AZ Eastlan ratings from RadioInsight. Power 98 is the only Mexicali FM that appears at a 6.1 share. I'm assuming that the others didn't show up due to not being subscribers. Power 98 which has Yuma commercials, and is English Language, targets the Imperial Valley, Yuma, and Mexicali.
I'll check out what's on 91.5 also. It looks like it's only 100 watts, if it's on the air
The KXO stations have been for sale for a while too. Surprised K-Love didn't take kick the tires there. They may still do so if they're looking to expand their Spanish-language service.
I don't know if KCYK would increase in listenership because of losing KTTI. They have no FM translator, and there is none available to them (I also imagine Yuma is a market where HD Radio adoption is very limited, even in cars, since there are no stations on the air with HD). I kind of expect KLJZ to flip to mainstream Country as that would be a more profitable format than what it currently runs (to mention SomeRadioGuy's "news/community involvement" presence, that could continue with a new format without changing the local staff because the Hot AC format they're currently running is satellite-fed, IIRC). The MonsterMedia stations don't stream either.
XHMIX runs ads in both English and Spanish, including those for businesses on both sides of the border. So, it's kind of a "hybrid" station in a way.
The FCC doesnt place it, someone applies and if it fits, the FCC grants it. KIZY is 100 watts at negative 101 feet about 75 miles from KJZZ's 40 dbu which is useless anyways.
Does KJZZ wipe out KIZY on tropo? Probably.. but normal day to day? Id wager on zero interference.
I bet whoever has this has some relation to Yuma. The people behind KIZY are the same people behind Class A KZCT 89.5 Vallejo, CA where the licensee of KZCT and KIZY is based:
Ozcat Radio 89.5 FM KZCT: Broadcasting Vallejo Music and News to the World!
Ozcat Radio - Vallejo's independent, community music station, devoted to broadcasting the best local, indie and unsung music of all genres. We are broadcasting live on 89.5 FM in the Greater Vallejo Area or tune us in with the TuneInapp on your smartphone.
www.ozcatradio.com
I also suspect KLJZ to go Country, with the continued local focus. Too huge of an audience to leave behind.
THe future of KBLU is questionable. EMF didn't want it because it's AM. I can't imagine El Dorado staying in the market with only a standalone AM.
Yikes! That KZCT is only 7 watts. not even covering Vallejo.
KIZY primary coverage area is the retirement community of Fortuna Foothills (median age is 63). Not exactly the audience that would be listening to this. Unless there are bigger plans for this signal.
No no and no.... i can tell you unless theres some incredibly drastic change, KLJZ is NOT changing. If anything, KCYK might add in some newer songs instead of focusing on all classic.
For not living in the area, i know the stations well, I'm friends with one of the staff there and weve discussed alot of thing sat length well before and during the annojuncement of the sale of their competitors.
Why mess with what works for KLJZ? what they have works a very well. Id be shocked if signifigantly more money could be hard by going country on KLJZ and then pissing off a metric ton of people in the process. Yuma is a big small town and a format change on 93 would not go over well.
KBLU could go to the new MonsterMedia owners, who could keep the format in place. I don't know if KBLU has its own local service or is a subscriber to Arizona News Radio, but they could keep the format but add their flavor of local content.
Hot AC DOESN'T have the devoted fanbase that country does. And you leave a big chunk of male listeners without a music station, since Yuma is losing both Country on the dominant FM band, as well as Classic Hits. It's too late for HD to fill the format holes, and the remaining English-language commercial broadcaster doesn't do streaming.
If this is the future of small market radio broadcasting, then it's doomed.
now K-Love need to either unacquire W241AI 96.1 in Birmingham (which means sale/give to other companies) or just let "Air1" moved from 102.1 to 96.1, because they can't have 2 signals like they now have wkvv 97.3 and then still on w241ai 96.1 it's still no mention what they about to do on 96.1 in Birmingham even there's no station id announced on 96.1 (sorry for off-topic)
Eastlan does not have the same non-subscriber policy as Nielsen - all stations are shown.
XHMIX is the only Mexicali station that puts a usable signal over Yuma (with 50kw, shown in gray); most of the other Mexicali signals are much weaker and with lower HAAT (example shown in blue.)
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so? females control more of the day to day financials of a family, the kids are going to wanna listen.
From what I know of the market, Monster Media and is staff.... i dont think there is signifigantly mroe revenue to be gained by a format change thats worth pissing off a bunch of very dedicated listeners
Plus, with the top 2 stations gone from the eastlan ratings some money that went to el dorado will go to Monster media now for sure.. further narrowing any revenue increase a format change would bring/.
Like I said before, it's not a given that every listener from KTTI and KQSR will start listening to KJLZ regularly, especially males since Hot AC is a female-dominant format. Some of the country listeners may continue to listen to K-Love on 95.1. The kids will listen to XHMIX.
Yes, it will benefit KJLZ, but not to the extent you think it will. More in revenue than ratings. There are just so many more options outside of traditional radio for listeners out there.