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The Zone Returns To Phoenix

T

TheBigA

This is interesting. An Adult Alternative station comes to 94.9:

radioinsight.com

94.9 The Zone Brings Adult Alternative To Phoenix

Zelus Media Group has launched Adult Alternative "94.9 The Zone" K235CB Chandler/KZON-HD2 Gilbert AZ. Powered by SonicTrek.ai, The Zone is
radioinsight.com radioinsight.com

The programming is coming from SonicTrek, run by Joel Denver:

radioinsight.com

Joel Denver & Mike Agovino Launch AI-Driven Syndication Company

Former All Access publisher Joel Denver and former Triton Digital co-founder and COO Mike Agovino have launched AI-driven syndication company
radioinsight.com radioinsight.com
 
The new station will replace a simulcast of the Wow Factor from 95.1. That station has already lost audience in the last year or so.

K235CB/KZON-HD2 previously simulcasted Oldies “The Wow Factor“, which remains on 95.1 KOAI Sun City West covering the northern and western portions of the market.
Click to expand...

The change will obviously affect ratings for the oldies station.
 
I didn't ask for "AI-infused voices", thank you very much.

The bigger flashing light is that this is the first time in a while this translator has been uncoupled from KOAI. The road might be starting to end for Wow.
 
TheBigA said:
The new station will replace a simulcast of the Wow Factor from 95.1. That station has already lost audience in the last year or so.



The change will obviously affect ratings for the oldies station.
Click to expand...
Yet Zelus's Power 98.3 has been below a 1 share for over a year now, and there are no changes in sight for that station. I guess they're still happy with the billing at this moment?

Neither KZON-HD2 nor 94.9 cover the West Valley completely. Will that change soon (along with a call letter shuffle)?
 
Looks incredibly mainstream and unlikely to attract listeners of KWSS-LP or/and KDKB (both of which can be AAA when they want to be.) To put that in context, that would be like if the original KZON signed on with "We Built This City" or "Kokomo." Most underwhelming local story of 2026, and we're not even into February yet.
 
indieradioguy said:
Looks incredibly mainstream and unlikely to attract listeners of KWSS-LP or/and KDKB (both of which can be AAA when they want to be.) To put that in context, that would be like if the original KZON signed on with "We Built This City" or "Kokomo." Most underwhelming local story of 2026, and we're not even into February yet.
Click to expand...
And we don't even know what's going to happen to K257CD 99.3 yet and will that be paired with a co-owned HD2 for yet another music format?
 
EricStein said:
Yet Zelus's Power 98.3 has been below a 1 share for over a year now, and there are no changes in sight for that station. I guess they're still happy with the billing at this moment?

Neither KZON-HD2 nor 94.9 cover the West Valley completely. Will that change soon (along with a call letter shuffle)?
Click to expand...
Power is the highest billing station in that cluster by a wide margin. A lot of NTR and local buys that PPM doesn't translate. Also because of the signal in the east valley it has a sizeable streaming audience I'm told that they do not need to convert back to FM.

As it was explained to me, Wow Factor reaches the retirement communities in the west Valley and will remain there (and shouldn't see much audience loss). 94.9 gives the younger/eastern parts of the market a more sellable format reaching Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa etc. Goal is to be able to offer this in sales combos with Hot and/or Power.
 
lanceventa said:
Power is the highest billing station in that cluster by a wide margin. A lot of NTR and local buys that PPM doesn't translate. Also because of the signal in the east valley it has a sizeable streaming audience I'm told that they do not need to convert back to FM.

As it was explained to me, Wow Factor reaches the retirement communities in the west Valley and will remain there (and shouldn't see much audience loss). 94.9 gives the younger/eastern parts of the market a more sellable format reaching Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa etc. Goal is to be able to offer this in sales combos with Hot and/or Power.
Click to expand...
I hope the sales team doesn't make the same mistake they did to The Wow Factor: allow the incompatible "Call Rafi Rafi" or "Top Dog Law" ads on this new format.

I still think there is a major coverage hole in the West Valley. There is a translator I mentioned that is currently silent, yet owned by a cluster format competitor, which could fill that coverage hole. Or do they plan on making that up via streaming like KKFR does on the east side?
 
The female "talent" sounds very monotone and robotic to my ears. And the audio (through stream) is a bit glitchy with occasional dropouts.
Thinking they may be a bit early on the AI stuff. Not a great first impression.

On a positive note, I kind of like the music.
 
Meh...this will get a 0.1 share at the most. The AAA playlist is mediocre at best. It might find 3 or 4 listeners in Tempe-Chandler-Mesa....good luck to them.
 
KilowattKat said:
Meh...this will get a 0.1 share at the most. The AAA playlist is mediocre at best. It might find 3 or 4 listeners in Tempe-Chandler-Mesa....good luck to them.
Click to expand...
If you're using KINK in Portland as a baseline, I wouldn't. That's an AAA with a very tight playlist (though I do like the fact they're personality-driven--which an AI-powered station can't do--and they have good personalities). It's too early to tell what the playlist will be set at.
 


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