107.7 Lubbock is Live

[Ash]

Kool is pounding these guys into the ground. I think they stepped into the wrong fight. They're never going to win if they don't spend $$$ on talent.

 

[EggsOverEasy87]

Kool is pounding these guys into the ground. I think they stepped into the wrong fight. They're never going to win if they don't spend $$$ on talent.

It's still a new station and still needs time. That being said, if they continue to run it like this, then I agree with you...kool will kill them. I don't think i've heard one DJ on the air so far. No morning show either the last time I checked. I did see a billboard the other day though driving along the loop.

But this doesn't surprise me. Ramar is doing what it does best...run a station as cheap as they can. The numbers show for it.

You can't beat out a legendary station if you're going to run it cheap

 

[DMcCloy]

I'm sure Ramar is looking for nothing more than to be able to say, "Advertise with us and you get 3 TV stations and 5 radio stations!" Regardless the quality of the station or even their numbers that has to look pretty good for potential advertisers.

 

[cspotrun]

Kool is pounding these guys into the ground. I think they stepped into the wrong fight. They're never going to win if they don't spend $$$ on talent.

It's still a new station and still needs time. That being said, if they continue to run it like this, then I agree with you...kool will kill them. I don't think i've heard one DJ on the air so far. No morning show either the last time I checked. I did see a billboard the other day though driving along the loop.

But this doesn't surprise me. Ramar is doing what it does best...run a station as cheap as they can. The numbers show for it.

You can't beat out a legendary station if you're going to run it cheap

Eagle has dj's, but they don't talk much and they have NO Personality if they were lost on YOU, my guess is, nobody will notice them either. bad for them...

 

[cspotrun]

observation:i heard 107.7 on at my post office, they always had 98.1 before, i'm not saying this is "Scientific" by any means just what i heard out there. 98.1 has changed music to match 107.7, these stations are a mirror of the other now, both having a fine city grade signal. my question.... What will make the difference to win the listener between these 2 stations?..

 

[DG]

...my question.... What will make the difference to win the listener between these 2 stations?..

I suggest that 107.7 has the upper-hand, albeit a very narrow one over 98 Kool. RAMAR has been running numerous ads for 107.7 on their TV station(s), so they are cross-promoting it on their other media outlets. KKCL doesn't have that. Will it be enough to win the listener? Maybe.

Really it depends on who you ask and what you mean by "win the listener". Arbitron numbers don't carry as much weight as they used to, and there are several local stations that have demonstrated an ability to thrive without them or despite them.

The real question to ask is "what will make the difference to win the ADVERTISER between these 2 stations?"

Now here's my rant:

My personal preference of late has been to listen to 107.7. I've not listened to 98 Kool since Lew Dee & Diana left and Rush moved to KFYO. KKCL jumped the shark for me a long time ago, and I've had no compelling reason to go back, especially since Gulfstar bought them out. Having said that, I cannot stand the local talent on 107.7. I really don't want to hear about the "wonderful new places to eat" they have found since "moving to Lubbock". The ad-libbed mentions sound too-sponsored for my ears. I don't want to hear about what their dog did or didn't do. And repeatedly telling me how great Lubbock is since they moved here gets old. Hey, I think Lubbock is great too, but I knew that already because I've lived here long enough to know that.

Listening to Matt butcher a story in a pre-recorded news bit, then hearing a live toss to that same recorded mistake for the next few hours is just bad radio. Don't get me wrong- I respect Matt, know him and like him, and I think he does a great job at TV weather, but why is the TV weather guy doing the news on the radio? Matt does much better than most I hear on-air these days, but there's not a dedicated radio news person over there? They have other radio stations with news do they not? What happened to Kay Boren? It just proves to me how management over there still doesn't get it.

I've tried to listen to 107.7 online, but the "free" streaming service they are using has issues with their online player: every 3 minutes I am forced to hear a commercial the streaming service provides, with its audio playing over the station's audio. I've tried various ways of muting the ad-player side of the app all with no effect. So I stopped listening online. STOPPED LISTENING.

I'm a radio junkie. I still work in radio, teach others about radio, and Heaven forbid actually still LISTEN to radio every once in awhile. I'll tune-in to listen to a "new" format, and there's much that I like about 107.7, but there is MUCH to dislike about it too, and it's those dislikes that I think will cost them (and the industry) in the end. It's literally too much work to make most local radio products fill MY consumer demands/needs. And if a radio junkie has problems listening to something they like on the dial, what does that suggest about the "average listener"?

/rant

 

[cspotrun]

DG, i Agree with you! I would add, i don't think its a Great Idea hiring OUT-OF TOWN announcers and letting them go ON & ON about HOW THEY'RE NOT FROM HERE, doesn't play well with THE LOCALS, and its hardly Relatable, with that the persons on the air are obviously READING LINER CARDS, they have little or NOTHING to say and they can't seem to even RELATE to the MUSIC they're playing! HOW BOUT SOME PERSONALITY? i could count over a half dozen LOCAL radio people on the beach that would have given THEM an ON-AIR edge... on the money side,Townsquare has a better sales staff and even THEY are cutting back.
TV Ads are nice, BUT you've got to have the PRODUCT to back it up, not sure they are there yet. i get the feeling that Ramar feels that if you build it THEY will come, the music is fine, but you need more, to breakthrough.

 

[cspotrun]

the spring 2012 book Proves my point. nuff said.

 

[radioezp]

What happened in the book?

 

[cspotrun]

What happened in the book?

they didn't show up.

 

[Kent]

While it's possible the station really didn't show up in the ratings, it's also possible, maybe even more likely, that Ramar simply didn't buy the book for that station. So, Arbitron declined to release its numbers publicly. Yes, Ramar's other stations show up in the book, but this exact scenario is playing out in several other markets. If you add another station to your cluster, Arbitron expects you to pay more unless you're one of the larger groups that already has a bulk deal with them.

Cool is flat in the latest book while country and CHR took a beating. Cool showing up flat would support the notion that 107.7 didn't show up, but country and CHR declining would indicate that a substantial portion of the sample went somewhere else that Arbitron isn't releasing.

 

[cspotrun]

IF 107.7 did well, they would want to Buy That Book as quickly as possible to Legally get the news out to the agencies. if they don't, one can only assume, the book was not worth buying for this station because it didn't perform. at the very least i think bystanders of the radio wars would like to see what actually happened in spring 2012 for a new radio station like this, but its not my money to pay for an arbitron. without it, one can only guess, and all speculation has no meaning. end of story.

 

[Chuck]

What happened in the book?

they didn't show up.

If they are not Arbitron subscribers, they won't show up in the public 12+ numbers.

 

[DG]

They changed format right before the spring book began, meaning they had little/no time to market the new format to the precious few folks in Lubbock with the diaries. Besides, one book does not a trend make, and a PD with any experience already knows this. Give 'em some time. I seriously doubt 107.7 is doing worse than KKAM or KTTU.

 

[Kent]

I tend to agree with DG on this one. The station just signed on and, therefore, wasn't going to have any numbers to sell. I've always been told a brand new sign-on is guaranteed to lose money for its first two years. Part of the reason for this is because it doesn't have any long-term history to back up its performance.

Besides, Ramar can always pay extra for the book in a few months if it needs the information.

 

[cspotrun]

What happened in the book?

they didn't show up.

If they are not Arbitron subscribers, they won't show up in the public 12+ numbers.

so from what i'm reading here ramar bought the books for all their other stations, so they KNOW what 107.7 did (along with wilks and Townsquare and whoever else bought the books) but ramar cannot use those numbers they got on the street for 107.7. i have to listen on the web since i'm from out of Texas, but from what i'm hearing there are several stations in a dogfight.

 

[cspotrun]

I tend to agree with DG on this one. The station just signed on and, therefore, wasn't going to have any numbers to sell. I've always been told a brand new sign-on is guaranteed to lose money for its first two years. Part of the reason for this is because it doesn't have any long-term history to back up its performance.

i've seen several stations debut with GREAT numbers, i can't imagine the owners of this station would not like to tout good numbers (or at least like to know how it performed) after making an investment in it.

Besides, Ramar can always pay extra for the book in a few months if it needs the information.

who wouldn't?

 

[Kent]

i've seen several stations debut with GREAT numbers, i can't imagine the owners of this station would not like to tout good numbers (or at least like to know how it performed) after making an investment in it.

Advertisers aren't stupid. They'll seldom pay a high price to buy a station after a good first book. They know interest in a format is often higher when a new station signs on. Those who buy the numbers are also fully aware of fluke books. If the station's ratings stay high, they know it's not a fluke or a flash in the pan. A good example of this is KQRA 102.1 in Springfield, MO. It debuted in '02 at either #1 or #2 with alternative on a class A signal that didn't even cover the whole market. It's never been anywhere close since!

Again, I'm not saying 107.7 did well. I'm just saying I can see why Ramar wouldn't buy the book to sell 107.7 and why they wouldn't be in a rush to buy it anytime soon.

 

[cspotrun]

[
[/quote]

i've seen several stations debut with GREAT numbers, i can't imagine the owners of this station would not like to tout good numbers (or at least like to know how it performed) after making an investment in it.

Advertisers aren't stupid. They'll seldom pay a high price to buy a station after a good first book. They know interest in a format is often higher when a new station signs on. Those who buy the numbers are also fully aware of fluke books. If the station's ratings stay high, they know it's not a fluke or a flash in the pan. A good example of this is KQRA 102.1 in Springfield, MO. It debuted in '02 at either #1 or #2 with alternative on a class A signal that didn't even cover the whole market. It's never been anywhere close since!

so given THAT Logic WHY would ramar continue to keep buying books for stations that are not performing well like fox talk 950 or TT right now? if nothing else,they might be able to sell CUME with 107.7 if they have it, if not that what? do they have to sell? i don't think in this economy they or anyone else can sit back and wait for a 1 or 2 year "Trend" before making any money.

So





i'm not saying 107.7 did well. I'm just saying I can see why Ramar wouldn't buy the book to sell 107.7 and why they wouldn't be in a rush to buy it anytime soon.

explain to me why they bought the 1st book for the debut of Double T fm? and YES-FM? i don't understand your logic, my friend.

 

[Kent]

explain to me why they bought the 1st book for the debut of Double T fm? and YES-FM? i don't understand your logic, my friend.

I'm not them, but I'd guess it was because they already had subscriptions for those stations under their previous formats and had to keep to the contracts. If I remember correctly, Arbitron won't let you out of your contract early.