100.3 to go News/Talk?

[Countrykitten]

DE let me ask, how well is 97.1 doing as a talk FM?

It's doing terrific and is 11th in market billing out of 88 stations. But KLSX is not a traditional news talk, so is irrelevant to this discussion. Traditional news talk is KFI, WCCO, KMOX, WIBC, KSL.

You are right that it is not the same news/talk format. They like to say their shows are edgy and they are not truly news. I was just wondering how well their ratings are as I have not bothered lately to look at the LA market ratings for a while. Based on your replies to everyone, I felt you'd know that answer off the top of your head. I was right.

The AM Talk stations have been extremely disappointing. I would not tune into an AM talk/news station to hear about trucks and trucking, along with all the paid programming they are now airing (KABC)........Overall LA radio....with a few exceptions..is starting to suck to me.....very disappointing. I know some think that hosts need coaches and consultants... I think the radio executives and the companies that own them need them more. The decisions being made (or not made) and the losses incurred have been ridiculous.

I have to admit I do not understand this part, especially the thing about trucks. More than that, I don't get the "losses" part, either.
[/quote]

My references were directed at KABC and the new paid programming airing there. One late night show seems to be way of the mark of what KABC was... and no longer is. Touting themselves as the "Election coverage station" ......prior to the bloodshed a couple of weeks ago....they now have programming that goes nowhere near election coverage but rather talks about trucks (at least the last time I tuned in to it).

Thanks for your quick response to my question.

 

[Big E]

I would not tune into an AM talk/news station to hear about trucks and trucking

DE, he means the show on the overnights on KABC, The Midnight Trucking Radio Network. I have a question...why hasnt there been a n/t on FM here in LA? Has it ever been done in a major market?

 

[davideduardo]

I have a question...why hasnt there been a n/t on FM here in LA? Has it ever been done in a major market?

What is moving news / talk to FM is the "death" of AM among people under 55.

An example: WIBC (AM) in Indianapolis moved to FM at the start of the year. In just one month, the station moved into the top 5 25-54 where it had not been top 10 even as an AM talker. No programming changes of significance, but being on the FM band brought huge sales demo increases.

Other n/t FMs exist in markets like Charleston, Phoenix, SLC, Tallahassee, Pittsburgh, Jacsonville, Dayton, New Orleans, Akron, Central NJ, Orlando, etc.

Look for more AM n/t stations to move to FM in the future, in order to preserve or improve their sales demos.

 

[LibertyNT]

Makes sense. Maybe a good News/Talk on FM in LA would work...especially on that frequency, because music historically hasn't worked on 100.3 since KIQQ?

Will be interesting to see how terrestrial radio will fare in the future. Seems like it has become stale and kind of boring? Revenues overall are flat and/or declining and people seem to be disenchanted with it. All I ever hear from people is..."I'd rather listen to my IPOD or "I've got Sirius and I love it"

And with Sirius and XM gaining listeners in droves, what will radio do to ramp up it's weakening revenue model?

Wasn't Pirate Radio 100.3 KQLZ Successful?

 

[pbf1]

Wasn't Pirate Radio 100.3 KQLZ Successful?

Not particularly

 

[1069_KIFR]

Scott Shannon's Pirate Radio 100.3 (Welcome to the Jungle) was building and fast becoming a top 5 station. Westwood One, the owners, ran into massive $$$ problems in other areas of the country. WWO was forced to sell KQLZ and eventually all of their properties.

Now WWO mostly syndicates shows.

They got the KQLZ call letters in case Pirate didn't do well, they would easily flip it to Z-100. Yes just like WHTZ. As Scott Shannon masterminded the NY's Z-100 as well.

But back to the subject at hand..... Maybe CBS will try FREE FM again?!?

 

[radioresearcher]

Scott Shannon's Pirate Radio 100.3 (Welcome to the Jungle) was building and fast becoming a top 5 station. Westwood One, the owners, ran into massive $$$ problems in other areas of the country. WWO was forced to sell KQLZ and eventually all of their properties.

Now WWO mostly syndicates shows.

They got the KQLZ call letters in case Pirate didn't do well, they would easily flip it to Z-100. Yes just like WHTZ. As Scott Shannon masterminded the NY's Z-100 as well.

But back to the subject at hand..... Maybe CBS will try FREE FM again?!?

WW1 had huge financial problems at the time. KQLZ had a 2.7 when Shannon left and they tried that awful Mainstream Rock format. Keep in mind, "Pirate Radio" was the only station in the last 20+ years to be a serious rock threat to KROQ.

Even with the shares watered down, it probably would be around a 2.0 share today -- I can think of a number of broadcasters who would love those numbers - especially delivering solid shares among men 18-49.

 

[Marv-L.A.]

KKBT also did very well @ 100.3; Steve Harvey was routinely #1 in morning drive among English-language stations, and beating Stern, Dees, Mark & Kim, and Kevin & Bean in AM drive.

 

[BRH]

In regards to traditional news/talk on FM. Here in the Knoxville, TN area, Citadel moved news/talk WNOX (www.wnoxnewstalk.com) from AM to a class C, 100kw FM stick a few years back, and they usually are around a 6 share in 12 plus (and even higher in 25-54).

I think this is just a natural evolution. As the demos age, AM becomes more and more obsolete. People under the age of 45 or so have never listened to AM in their lives for the most part (and aren't going to). If news/talk wants to hold onto those 25-54 numbers in the future, we'll see more and more traditional news/talk formats on FM.

 

[willcail]

Airpab,

You say any market, or you can't remember what you type. I pointed out a successful FM talker and you change your criteria. Funny how right wing tools want to change the subject after I pointed out a successful FM talker.

 

[davideduardo]

Airpab,

You say any market, or you can't remember what you type. I pointed out a successful FM talker and you change your criteria. Funny how right wing tools want to change the subject after I pointed out a successful FM talker.

Well, RBR just bulletined its subscribers that Bonneville and Radio One have announced the sale, and speculates that Jim Farley will be put in charge of making it all news, patterned after very successful news station WTOP (FM) in DC, another Bonneville property.

 

[nmoore6676]

Airpab,

You say any market, or you can't remember what you type. I pointed out a successful FM talker and you change your criteria. Funny how right wing tools want to change the subject after I pointed out a successful FM talker.

Well, RBR just bulletined its subscribers that Bonneville and Radio One have announced the sale, and speculates that Jim Farley will be put in charge of making it all news, patterned after very successful news station WTOP (FM) in DC, another Bonneville property.

Very interesting, I hope they do a better job than CBS has done with KNX and KFWB. Maybe your theories about people less than my age (I remember dinosaurs ;D) rejecting AM will do the trick.

 

[henry]

^^^^

There's some truth to that. I'm in my mid-20s, and I never listened to KSL here in SLC until they moved it to 102.7. Now I listen about 1/3 the time in the car to KSL-FM.

I'd listen to news on 100.3 in L.A. so long as the signal reaches the Inland Empire.

 

[ajhenderson]

Clear has traditional n/t on FM in NO, Pittsburgh, Charleston, Tallahassee, etc. Then look at Cox in Dayton and Jax, and the Bonneville FMs, etc., etc. They all know AM n/t can't get 25-54 but FM versions can.

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David, CC could have launched an AM talker in Pittsburgh but there are literally no good signals there. WHIO and WOKV have some issues with suburban coverage, so the FM not only adds demos, but coverage in expanding metros. CC also has an FM talker in the Twin Cities and it's getting creamed (albeit slightly less so than a year ago).

 

[davideduardo]

David, CC could have launched an AM talker in Pittsburgh but there are literally no good signals there. WHIO and WOKV have some issues with suburban coverage, so the FM not only adds demos, but coverage in expanding metros. CC also has an FM talker in the Twin Cities and it's getting creamed (albeit slightly less so than a year ago).

With the shrinking AM shares and disappearing 25-54 numbers, I don't think anyone would launch a new AM n/t in a significant market. Over time, many of the dominant AMs will move to FM or create a simulcast to improve demos and shrinking revenues.

If you look at WIBC in Indanapolis... pre FM move, 6.2 and not even top 10 25-54. January extrap, first month: 8.1 and top 5 in 25-54. As more of these successes take place, the pace will increase