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Iowa Connoisseur-owned Newton/Grinnell stations are gone?
- Thread starter grich
- Start date
I saw the FB post from former KRIT Energy 106.7 PD/Morning's Jamie Grout.
KGRN was owned for many years by legendary broadcaster/sportscaster Frosty Mitchell. There is an interesting story of how he came to own KGRN involving a non compete from a Des Moines radio station (it may have been KIOA AM) and a 50 mile radius with Grinnell being just outside of that limit.
KGRN was owned for many years by legendary broadcaster/sportscaster Frosty Mitchell. There is an interesting story of how he came to own KGRN involving a non compete from a Des Moines radio station (it may have been KIOA AM) and a 50 mile radius with Grinnell being just outside of that limit.
Since Connoisseur is known for selling a lot of its small town outlets to local managers, I'm betting they tried but couldn't find a local buyer for the Grinnell/Newton stations. I find that somewhat surprising, especially with the Newton stations being fairly close (within listening distance) of Des Moines.
Connoisseur Media Shuts Down Four Station Iowa Cluster
After shutting down its two stations in Fairfield IA in April, Connoisseur Media has now ceased operations at its four
radioinsight.com
I don’t. Grinnell is under 10,000 people, has a college and that’s about it, and Newton is basically a suburb of Des Moines with a racetrack. If it was just the FM side of the AM/FM combo, the standalone FM and the website, maybe it would be worth it. But you’d still be competing with all the Des Moines stations and various music streaming apps for listeners. Even Des Moines AMs & FMs have gone off air in recent years (KBGG 1700/101.3, just for one example).
When I was there in April, downtown Grinnell seemed to be thriving, doing better than many other Iowa towns with around the same population. I don't know, though, how many of those businesses would have been interested in advertising on stations that Alpha had gutted and turned into robotic jukeboxes. Connoisseur doesn't appear to have been interested in the rebuilding job that would have been necessary for those stations to amount to anything.
If you're referring to Prairie Meadows racetrack and casino, that's in Altoona, not Newton.
The Iowa Speedway is located in Newton.
Newton once had a claim to fame as the home of Maytag appliances. Population is currently around 16,000.
Newton once had a claim to fame as the home of Maytag appliances. Population is currently around 16,000.
The proximity to Des Moines is most of the problem. Anyone in Des Moines will listen to the bigger local stations, and most people in Grinell and Newton will also listen to the bigger market sound of the Des Moines stations.
Just to back up what David’s saying, I lived in Des Moines and Iowa City for several years and never once listened to any of the Grinnell or Newton stations in question driving back and forth on I-80.
Although not all Des Moines stations sound great or bigger market, KOEZ’s stream still has overmodulated and staticy liners and traffic reports from Kate Garner.
Although not all Des Moines stations sound great or bigger market, KOEZ’s stream still has overmodulated and staticy liners and traffic reports from Kate Garner.
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Frosty did work at KIOA back in the day...
There's other good local business and industry in Newton and Grinnell. They aren't doing that bad. (I live in Central Iowa near Des Moines)
But the thing is the world is different now. That doesn't immediately equal radio health like used to. And when the companies we have here dont really do good research into music formats or care to, it isnt surprising people just shut it off.
But the thing is the world is different now. That doesn't immediately equal radio health like used to. And when the companies we have here dont really do good research into music formats or care to, it isnt surprising people just shut it off.
Few of the des moines stations put a great signal into Grinnell. 50kw at 450 fet doesnt cut it from 92.5 You'd need the 100kw at 1800 feet i found on one of the signals in DM./ 106.7 in NEwton/Grinnell doesnt make it to DEs Moines. Grinnell is a full 2 counties away from DM.
I suspect what youre saying is only partially true, at least for Grinnell
Paul, maybe for once you should sit back and listen to people who actually live in or near the area, or who have a history with it.
The Des Moines (COL: formerly Ankeny, now WDM) station at 92.5 was one of the very first 80-90 upgrades from a class A channel to a C2. It's not representative of market coverage of a typical Des Moines station, not counting translators or the numerous religious rimshots. I'll leave it to those now in the market to outline the specific locations of stations, but most full-market stations are C1's or even C's. KHKI is grandfathered with 105 kw (I remember it as KDMI with 115 kw).
So someone in Newton or even Grinnell should be able to get the majority of full-power stations, possibly with a little noise. For example, KGGO, a C1, puts in a city-grade signal to the east of Grinnell. A station on one of the Alleman towers will do even better. KHKI is worse, due to a lower height, with city grade only to Colfax.
The Des Moines (COL: formerly Ankeny, now WDM) station at 92.5 was one of the very first 80-90 upgrades from a class A channel to a C2. It's not representative of market coverage of a typical Des Moines station, not counting translators or the numerous religious rimshots. I'll leave it to those now in the market to outline the specific locations of stations, but most full-market stations are C1's or even C's. KHKI is grandfathered with 105 kw (I remember it as KDMI with 115 kw).
So someone in Newton or even Grinnell should be able to get the majority of full-power stations, possibly with a little noise. For example, KGGO, a C1, puts in a city-grade signal to the east of Grinnell. A station on one of the Alleman towers will do even better. KHKI is worse, due to a lower height, with city grade only to Colfax.
What I find interesting is they weren't exactly small market in the past but they certainly werent big market (Erie, PA.. Hartford CT) They def. seem to be going bigger this time around.
The original Connoisseur was small-to-medium market before selling to Cumulus around 2000.
The bigger markets are where the money is still good, and the prices are right this time. Warshaw paid $10 million for Bonneville's San Francisco stations (that Bonneville paid roughly $100 million for not even quite 10 years earlier). That cluster should be profitable quickly, even with radio's billing in decline.
Mark is right, the main Des Moines high power FM stations do fine in Grinnell from personal experience. While 92.5 and 97.3 don't cover well, Marshalltown's KXIA 101.1 has been quite successful with country in that region. 106.7 would be a good fit for one of the Marshalltown operators.
Agree on the Marshalltown stations. It would be easy as the coverage of 106.7 and link to the tower can be done pretty easily from Marshalltown.
KCOB 95.9 is going to be a whole other animal. And there could be some opportunity if a Des Moines station like say KNWM 96.1 wanted to go omni directional from its current locale instead of having to be directional. 96.1 is only directional due to KCOB. 107.1 (96.1 sister counterpart) now covers quite well but 96.1 could add some coverage in NE Polk County, SE Story County where 107.1 is just 'ok' but shaky in spots. (I am speaking of 96.1 and 107.1 together as they are the Life station duo from Northwestern College)
I say all this because the tough thing will be getting someone in Newton to step up and run KCOB. Class A, limited market, etc. 106.7 has the advantage of a much larger coverage area. But I can easily see KCOB not working out and being deleted.
While that looks like it would be true, keep-in-mind that you don't even need an STL anymore as cloud-based STL services are now offered.
While that could happen, it will take several years. When an FM surrenders its license, it remains on the city's frequency allocation table for at least one auction cycle. Such a scenario would be at least three, if not five or more, years away. If you're Northwestern, buying the two Newton stations and moving KCOB further away might make better sense.
Good point and very true. Most feeds can be done via fiber now.
I had thought of Northwestern buying KCOB. However, given how much they've put into the investment to upgrade 107.1 just a few years ago, I assumed it may not be worth the additional cost now to make a purchase to just buy a handful (5-7) of miles on the 96.1 signal. Plus, they would now own two new stations. That's something they would obviously have to weigh.