100.3 To Become ....

[4UH8SIMBKAGN]

I've been at very "professional" flips where we walked in the door and changed the format, thank you. They never "sounded' like we were just playing an ipod on the air like this was done.

just curious: sounded like you were grasping for something about the 100.3 to complain about.
agreed, best-case scenario is for a seamless change...never been thru one w/o some problems, tho
(last one was back in 1987...still using carts and CDs)

I am a nit picker because I like it done right the first time. Where has all the professionalism gone?

I've posted a lot of technical problems stations have had in L.A. over the years. Shall we remember my complaints about the mixing on KBIG being in mono and Archer responding back? Or how about "Uptown Saturday Night" in mono on V100. I hate that.

In the beginning of 93.1 Jack FM they had a lot of glitches for weeks (not expected at a Scott Mason station). Go Country had a lot of technical glitches the first days. Worst was KDL. Songs would constantly dump out and it went on for over a month. Going back in time before the net, I remember the great start of Top 40 K-West 106 and being able to hear the tertiary tones on-air. Hey, at least you knew when to hit the record button to get a nicely scoped aircheck.

 

[SuperRadioFan]

I have friends who live in Southern O.C.. They have a difficult time tuning in 100.3 at their homes and offices. They get San Diego radio better than 100.3.

Glenn do you ever give anybody the benefit of a doubt?? Where do your friends live... in San Clemente??

However, now that there's somnething to listen to on FM in south OC for me while I drive around, I'll check it out. If I am wrong and you and David are correct about the signal I'll admit it here.

 

[davideduardo]

just curious: sounded like you were grasping for something about the 100.3 to complain about.

Yes, it sounded like that. Flips and launches are where Murphy lives. I've done a few dozen, and they can be seamless or a comedy of errors. Some of the process is just luck.

My favorite was a launch of a station that had been off the air for 3 months to fully replace the entire facility. When we knew fairly closely that the sign on was near, we had all the jocks doing their shifts to practice and get comfortable with the format. We started having each do one-hour shifts while the rest of the team listenened in the lobby... after a day, we went to full shifts, and airchecked even if there was no on air signal.

On the third day, the engineers called around 6;30 AM and said they were ready for program audio and I said to plug it in. However, before I could call the morning guy, he had run a mock contest and gotten a caller! He got me first... and said, "I don't know what happened, but I did the contest and got a winner!" to which I informed him that this was because he was on the air. He thought it was a joke by one of us hiding in an office...

 

[scooty430]

Thank God it's at least something listenable. I can finally find a replacement for 105.1 on my presets.

I hope, as someone said earlier, they don't play it too safe. Yes, this station will never be KIIS ratings-wise. But those that DO tune in a station like this will be fairly sophisticated musically here in LA, more so than anywhere else, IMO.

The other kiss of death will be no personality. If it's voice-tracked or features faceless DJs, no thanks. We need a station that is alive. Indie is alive, but too narrow in scope and too small scale (though definitely appreciated.) If 100.3 is a station that plays a wide variety of great rock, from the 50s on up to now, with intelligent thoughtful hosts, and lots of specialty programs, it will be a godsend.

Though it's a little dull, think of KFOG up north. In business since the early 80's, and doing well enough to put on the city's biggest annual fireworks display (Kaboom.) That's a station with a personality.

Right now this 100.3 does not sound very "live." It's sleepy, the DJ did not introduce himself and he clearly sounded pre-recorded. Blah. You're already turning off this target demo male.

I do like "Synchronicity," though, which is on right now.

PS - It's agreed KSCA was too bland. Hope they don't repeat that.

 

[pbf1]

Sad thought...

I remember the great start of Top 40 K-West 106 and being able to hear the tertiary tones on-air.

Sad to think we're closing in on having an entire generation of radio people who have no idea what those tones are...

 

[SuperRadioFan]

Thank God it's at least something listenable. I can finally find a replacement for 105.1 on my presets.

LOL that's exactly the station on my preset that's been dumped for 100.3 FM!!

 

[Play Freebird]

I'm admittedly not very familiar with the LA market, but if KRBV's AAA format is supposedly doomed because of "poor coverage towards Orange County" and "insufficient non-ethnic population in the market", how is it that KROQ could bill $67 million last year and has been showing revenue growth over the last five years? Just curious.

 

[davideduardo]

I'm admittedly not very familiar with the LA market, but if KRBV's AAA format is supposedly doomed because of "poor coverage towards Orange County" and "insufficient non-ethnic population in the market", how is it that KROQ could bill $67 million last year and has been showing revenue growth over the last five years? Just curious.

You are exaggerating previous posts... the signals of many Mt Wilson stations are difficult to receive consistently in SOUTHERN Orange County due to distance, signal strength and the very unevel terrain. This not only affects stations at the low end of the power output range, like KIIS, KSCA, KRBV, and KOST but also larger signals like KLVE or even KCBS and KBIG. However, the population in deep southern OC is not significant (less than the Antilope Valley, which is also part of the market, and which nearly nobody gets into)

 

[airpab]

Exactly DE-

Once you get past San Clemente, there's relatively lite population in OC. But most of OC where the population is...is easily covered by the Mt. Wilson sticks wouldn't you say?

 

[SuperRadioFan]

Exactly DE-

Once you get past San Clemente, there's relatively lite population in OC.

LOL that's because "once you get past San Clemente", you're in San Diego County!!

As far as north and Central Orange County are concerned, you have to admit Santa Ana has a large Hispanic polulation, as does Anaheim, Buena Park, and La Habra.

 

[airpab]

Um...that's true too SuperRadioFan......LOL

 

[davideduardo]

Exactly DE-

Once you get past San Clemente, there's relatively lite population in OC. But most of OC where the population is...is easily covered by the Mt. Wilson sticks wouldn't you say?

First, I meant to say Laguna Beach. Obviously, San Clemente is the "end" of the OC. Even up to Newport Beach, there is a lot of shadowing due to terrain, and most stations have their 64 dbu signals falling in that Newport to Laguna Beach area... Most of the population of the county is in the upper 2/3 of the county anyway. The KROQ 64 falls around Garden Grove, in fact.

 

[Michael Rivers Kramer]

Glenn and David Eduardo, your predictions and opinions are accurate, even if I don't like them. However, you are both wrong about the 100.3 FM signal. Gentlemen, I f**king LIVE in South Orange County (Mission Viejo) and the signal is NOT a problem. You DON'T f**king live here, but I DO!

Glen was the one with the OC issue. I simply stated that another poster was wrong in claiming the 100.3 signal was signficantly better than 101.9, where AAA failed a decade ago.

The fact is that 100.3 and 101.9 do not have 70 dbu signals in southern OC, making reception more of a "where you live" issue there than in stronger signal areas.

1.0 or 0.8 is still better than 0.0.

But... likely not enough to satisfy the new owners.

I think it's kind of funny that Clear Channels two highest billing FMs are on their third and fourth strongest signals. You would think they may benefit having KOST on 104.3 to better serve the fringes in OC since KBIG is a basically flanker. Look at KIIS....one notch below KOST in signal....Why not at 92.3 or 104.3. The two strongest signals are two of the weakest billers on the FM side of the cluster.

I think KYSR is great for building penetration in central LA and Hollywood but that's about it.

So why not move them around. I guess the fear of confusion may hurt them.

 

[Hunter]

I think it's kind of funny that Clear Channels two highest billing FMs are on their third and fourth strongest signals. You would think they may benefit having KOST on 104.3 to better serve the fringes in OC since KBIG is a basically flanker. Look at KIIS....one notch below KOST in signal....Why not at 92.3 or 104.3. The two strongest signals are two of the weakest billers on the FM side of the cluster.

I think KYSR is great for building penetration in central LA and Hollywood but that's about it.

So why not move them around. I guess the fear of confusion may hurt them.

What about CBS? An article I just noted in Mediaweek quotes BIA as ranking KROQ as the top biller in the country....and this is not the first time that KRQ (as Jed so often says the calls) has led the list....and with the worst full market signal. Potentially too much to lose by switching freqs with Jack, or KRTH.

 

[gerald]

I am still betting that this is a cover while they put together an FM News station, motivated by the near-$60 million in news billing on AM and Bonneville's success with FM news in DC.

Don't waste FM on news! FM = fine music = no talking! Wash DC is based on politics/news, so naturally such a format would do well there. LA already has 2 AM news stations and that's a proper use of bandwidth.

 

[Michael Rivers Kramer]

I am still betting that this is a cover while they put together an FM News station, motivated by the near-$60 million in news billing on AM and Bonneville's success with FM news in DC.

Don't waste FM on news! FM = fine music = no talking! Wash DC is based on politics/news, so naturally such a format would do well there. LA already has 2 AM news stations and that's a proper use of bandwidth.

I hear you, but unfortunately those young whipper-snappers won't touch AM. The AM News/Talk stations are slowly dying off as long as the trend continues.

 

[withthedog]

I am still betting that this is a cover while they put together an FM News station, motivated by the near-$60 million in news billing on AM and Bonneville's success with FM news in DC.

Don't waste FM on news! FM = fine music = no talking! Wash DC is based on politics/news, so naturally such a format would do well there. LA already has 2 AM news stations and that's a proper use of bandwidth.

I hear you, but unfortunately those young whipper-snappers won't touch AM. The AM News/Talk stations are slowly dying off as long as the trend continues.

and those "young whipper-snappers" will listen to NEWS on FM???! Ya right. I can just see all the 18-34 years olds flocking to news all day long cause its on FM!