58 years of Beautiful Music comes to an end

[b-turner]

Because ONE station makes it does not mean it's not a dead format. There's a station in Maine that plays mostly music prior to 1960 and survives but that's is a dead format too. KAHM is an oddity in radio today and I bet they are not flush with money either. I suspect other formats might bill much better. If KAHM's format was so successful why aren't there beautiful music stations all over? You and I both know radio enough to know there are lots of 'hungry' stations out there that would duplicate the format in a heartbeat if it could be profitable.

 

[spiritof67]

Reminds me of stations like St. Louis' Red 104.1 or New Orleans' Martini 106.1 that tried to make the standards format exciting to younger listeners by mixing "new standards" artists like Krall, Buble, Norah Jones, Rod Stewart, Harry Connick Jr., etc., whose albums were selling in huge quantities, with the Rat Pack, and simultaneously jettisoning the "unhip" Anne Murray/Dionne Warwick/Bread et al. MOR oldies component of the format. It didn't work, though vestiges of that approach remain in places like Music of Your Life or Palm Springs' 107.3 Mod FM.
By the way, I'm another one of those "outliers" - I'm 42. It's been my experience that a lot of the "outliers" may have acquired their appreciation for standards through music education or through participating in activities such as school musicals. That's been the case for me certainly. In my case, it was also listening to beautiful music stations as a kid to relax at night, and becoming quite fond of a lot of the music. I have never, though, entertained the notion that would be enough listeners like me for that music to make a comeback on commercial radio. I just enjoy it where I can find it and be thankful for what I have.

In St. Louis, Red was somewhat a pet project of the GM at Emmis during that time. The 104.1 frequency here was a move-in, and had notorious coverage issues with the formats that resided there. Emmis gave it a run for several years before spinning the frequency off to Radio One, where a change of City Of License (COL) and a format that covered the target area (R&B "Hot 104" WHHL) improved the fortunes of that frequency.

After Red left terrestrial radio, it was moved to the HD2 channel of KFTK (97.1), where it remained for over a decade. I rolled tape on the HD stream, and posted it to archive.org Here's the link: 'Red HD-2' (KFTK 97.1 HD-2) Florissant-St. Louis, MO : Smooth Jazz Airchecks : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

 

[davideduardo]

Gosh David, I'm going to have to let the folks at KAHM, FM 102.1 in Prescott, AZ know that the format they still play
is "dead, " as you call it. Somehow, they manage to make enough money to remain viable and profitable to this day.
They serve a niche that would otherwise be unserved or underserved and their LOYAL listeners make sure that their
ADVERTISERS KNOW THEIR MONEY IS VERY WELL SPENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The station's format is preserved as part of a deal by the Farmworker Educational Network with the former owner to preserve the format in exchange for other concessions that were tied to the improvement of the union's Phoenix station.

I don't think the station has any appreciable revenue any more. Do you think that the farm worker union has any interest in keeping Percy Faith and Mantovanni's music alive?

 

[davideduardo]

Because ONE station makes it does not mean it's not a dead format. There's a station in Maine that plays mostly music prior to 1960 and survives but that's is a dead format too. KAHM is an oddity in radio today and I bet they are not flush with money either.

They bill very little. The Prescott format is maintained as it was according to part of a deal with César Chávez' Farmworker's union to be able to improve their Phoenix coverage. The former owner loved the format and wanted it kept.

 

[spiritof67]

A station worth mentioning is KNXR Rochester, MN. The original terrestrial station was on 97.5 for decades. After the station was sold, the programming moved online to 97five.com

 

[Prescott Joe]

They bill very little. The Prescott format is maintained as it was according to part of a deal with César Chávez' Farmworker's union to be able to improve their Phoenix coverage. The former owner loved the format and wanted it kept.

So what you are saying is that stations that frequently change formats/genres/etc, etc to remain viable/profitable
are somehow better off??? The music played on KAHM today is quite different than 5, 10 or 40 years ago. So
in fact, the station HAS changed with the times. They are MAKING IT WORK! When was the last time you heard
The Bee Gees, Alice Cooper, Lex DeAzevedo and Bert Kaempfert together????? The contract you speak of expired
a few years ago and was renewed. KAHM is under no obligation to continue the current format.

 

[davideduardo]

So what you are saying is that stations that frequently change formats/genres/etc, etc to remain viable/profitable
are somehow better off???

I did not say that. Stations that are not doing well competitively often try new formats. Sometimes they work, other times they don't,

The music played on KAHM today is quite different than 5, 10 or 40 years ago. So
in fact, the station HAS changed with the times. They are MAKING IT WORK!

What makes you think that? The station was sold because the format was not producing revenue... and that is why it sold for so little for a full facility.

When was the last time you heard
The Bee Gees, Alice Cooper, Lex DeAzevedo and Bert Kaempfert together?????

I would not want to, either.

The contract you speak of expired
a few years ago and was renewed.

What contract? The station was sold with a closing in January of 2018.

KAHM is under no obligation to continue the current format.

Again, do you really expect the farmworkers union to be interested in sustaining a Beautiful Music format? Remember, the union owns the station, not the family business that had it before.

You have no proof that the station is "working" as the Prescott-Flagstaff market is so dreadful that they (all the local stations) dropped Nielsen due to the cost being excessive.

The market is 230,000 and there are 23 stations and translators. 5 think they are Phoenix stations, so that leaves 18 competing for minimal dollars. Given the purchase price, I guess that KAHM was billing less than 250,000 a year in 2018. That is less than the salary of a General Manager in Phoenix.

 

[michael hagerty]

When was the last time you heard
The Bee Gees, Alice Cooper, Lex DeAzevedo and Bert Kaempfert together?????

Literally never. But if you tell me when they reverse it and go from "Theme from The Swan Princess" to "No More Mr. Nice Guy", I'll be there!

 

[michael hagerty]

They bill very little. The Prescott format is maintained as it was according to part of a deal with César Chávez' Farmworker's union to be able to improve their Phoenix coverage. The former owner loved the format and wanted it kept.

So, David---what is the deal? It's not in perpetuity, is it? Or does the world end with The Bee Gees into Alice Cooper into Lex DeAzevedo into Bert Kaempfert (although if it does, "Bye Bye Blues" would work...)?

 

[TomásEstefan]

Gosh David, I'm going to have to let the folks at KAHM, FM 102.1 in Prescott, AZ know that the format they still play
is "dead, " as you call it. Somehow, they manage to make enough money to remain viable and profitable to this day.
They serve a niche that would otherwise be unserved or underserved and their LOYAL listeners make sure that their
ADVERTISERS KNOW THEIR MONEY IS VERY WELL SPENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It all depends on the market and the desired audience...one of the last stations in SoCal to drop their Beautiful Music format was Santa Barbara's giant signal KRUZ 103.3 (105 kW at 4000 ft). This station originally was targeting older adults and retirees along the "Gold Coast"... a huge gentrified region consisting of Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Monterey Counties. One generation passes the torch to another so the station is now Classic Hits, (after a stint being R&B/Hip Hop as the Vibe, The Vibe is now on co-owned 106.3 KVYB).

 

[Prescott Joe]

I did not say that. Stations that are not doing well competitively often try new formats. Sometimes they work, other times they don't,
?

They wouldn't try new formats if they were doing well, would they??

What makes you think that? The station was sold because the format was not producing revenue... and that is why it sold for so little for a full facility.

That is simply not true! Owner, Lew Silverstein passed away, his wife and family did not want to continue

Again, do you really expect the farmworkers union to be interested in sustaining a Beautiful Music format? Remember, the union owns the station, not the family business that had it before.

Well then, if KAHM wasn't making a profit, the union would change formats or sell........

You have no proof that the station is "working" as the Prescott-Flagstaff market is so dreadful that they (all the local stations) dropped Nielsen due to the cost being excessive.

Simply a cost saving measure.

The market is 230,000 and there are 23 stations and translators. 5 think they are Phoenix stations, so that leaves 18 competing for minimal dollars. Given the purchase price, I guess that KAHM was billing less than 250,000 a year in 2018. That is less than the salary of a General Manager in Phoenix.

How many years old is the 230,000 figure???? A quick check at Radio Station World show nearly 20 stations for Prescott and another 20 for Flagstaff. That doesn't include places like Holbrook, Winslow, Payson, etc, etc....which receive stations from either Flagstaff or Prescott. Not sure what you mean by "The Prescott-Flagstaff market is so dreadful." With all the new residents, new businesses, flocking to Arizona, the only thing "dreadful" is the traffic they bring and their crazy ways......

 

[davideduardo]

They wouldn't try new formats if they were doing well, would they??

There are many cases and examples of stations that are doing "Okay" that change format seeking more profit.

That is simply not true! Owner, Lew Silverstein passed away, his wife and family did not want to continue

And they sold to a low-ball bidder because, at the time, nobody else wanted into that market.

As I said, the market is not attractive due to negative revenue growth... so much so that Nielsen dropped it due to lack of subscribers.

Well then, if KAHM wasn't making a profit, the union would change formats or sell........

They have a lengthy agreement to preserve the format, and they are in rather severe revenue situations in all their depressed markets due to the pandemic and the recession. Look at their other markets and look at the revenue projections for each.

It's probably covering costs, which maybe is the best that can be expected. The farmworker union is not in the "group radio business". They are in the political activist arena and Mantovanni is not of any appeal to the people they want to reach.

dSimply a cost saving measure.

Ratings services are dropped when there is so little transactional business in the market it does not pay for audience measurement. That is a prime indication of a poor radio market.

How many years old is the 230,000 figure????

2020 Census for of Yavapai County. The "growth" in the last 2 1/2 years has predominantly been in seniors and work-from-home refugees from the high infection rate bigger cities.

A quick check at Radio Station World show nearly 20 stations for Prescott

Actually, there are a total of 47 licensed AM, FM, translators and LPFMs in the county. As I said, five of them program for and target Phoenix and don't even sell in the Prescott area.

and another 20 for Flagstaff. That doesn't include places like Holbrook, Winslow, Payson, etc, etc....which receive stations from either Flagstaff or Prescott. Not sure what you mean by "The Prescott-Flagstaff market is so dreadful."

It has decreasing revenue, accelerated by the pandemic. Agencies have quit looking at ether Flag or Press.kit because both markets have such a huge percentage of seniors, all of whom are out of essentially all the agency account targets.

With all the new residents, new businesses, flocking to Arizona, the only thing "dreadful" is the traffic they bring and their crazy ways......

They are not flocking to Prescott. The growth north of Black Canyon City is very slow compared to Tucson and Phoenix, and is mostly the elderly.

There is Claritas data on "pandemic migration" but almost all Claritas data is proprietary and can't be published by those with subscriptions. The point is that when people return to workplaces more fully, the Yavapai County population could even decline.

 

[KilowattKat]

Alice Cooper played on KAHM??? I would hope it's an easy instrumental version of "School's Out", or they have a trainwreck going on there that makes the Ohio derailment look like a fender bender.

In the sale agreement, there is a renewal option to continue the present format for 5 more years, which was opted for. So it will be around for 5 more years, after that it goes to Ceaser to Chavez, unless..the employee owned former sister station KYCA is able to exercise an option to purchase KAHM. That's about all I know regarding this agreement, except that the current format wii be around till 2028.

 

[Mediafrog+]

Alice Cooper played on KAHM??? I would hope it's an easy instrumental version of "School's Out", or they have a trainwreck going on there that makes the Ohio derailment look like a fender bender.

I once heard Frank Zappa's Peaches en Regalia on KWXY in Palm Springs, when the station had a Standards/EZ Listening format under its previous owner. Strange things can happen.

 

[Prescott Joe]

Waiting for all your replies with breathless anticipation
How deep is your love, The Bee Gees
Alice Cooper, You and Me
Winds of War, Lex DeAzevedo
Bert Kaempfert, Strangers in the Night
Not played consecutively but played within a 5-6 hour period.


Recently, I was on a trip in the mid-south and mid-west.
The rental vehicle did have a subscription to SXM but I chose to partake the "wonderful" offerings
from places like Nashville, Memphis, Louisville, Indianapolis, Lexington, etc, etc. Let's see: Religious talk, sports talk,
political talk, Fiddle music, Bluegrass music, Country and Religious Gospel with very few exceptions.
I didn't bother to check AM...... No Thanks, I'll take the so called terrible, dismal, awful, crappy music here in
Yavapai County, AZ.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

Nashville, Memphis, Louisville, Indianapolis, Lexington, etc, etc. Let's see: Religious talk, sports talk,
political talk, Fiddle music, Bluegrass music, Country and Religious Gospel with very few exceptions.

Uh, what? I live here in Kentucky, and there is very little of any of the bolded genres of music on the radio dial. You clearly didn't listen to the dial, you just punched up a sterotype of a Kentucky redneck and spewed it into your keyboard.

But if I'm wrong and you've got a southern gospel station recommendation for me, let me know! I used to host a gospel show for one hour on Sundays, and I miss the genre occasionally.

 

[seatownmedia]

You, and a lot of seniors on this site.

If you're only moving backwards, the scenery never changes.

Nor does it intend-to.

I once heard Frank Zappa's Peaches en Regalia on KWXY in Palm Springs, when the station had a Standards/EZ Listening format under its previous owner. Strange things can happen.m

Palm Springs has always been a strange market. They are trying to attract a gay 45-67 audience, really unlike any demo in the US. However they may be missing out on the entire Coachella valley that would provide much more revenue.

 

[davideduardo]

Palm Springs has always been a strange market. They are trying to attract a gay 45-67 audience, really unlike any demo in the US. However they may be missing out on the entire Coachella valley that would provide much more revenue.

Palm Springs has 51 AM, FM and FM translators. The market has, roughly estimated, around 50,000 to 60,000 LGBTQ persons. That is about 10% to 12% of the market.

KGAY gets a 25-54 3.7 share and a 3.9 in 12+, so there is a lot of 55+ listening to the station.

KGAY is 5th in men, and 4th in 35-64 men. Overall, in 35-64 it has a 4.4 share and is 6th. The station in 5th or 6th in billing, and it's thought that this year they may be one of only 4 stations to bill over $1 million. The other three top billers are one Churban and two regional Mexican formats.

In addition, Channel Q, also an LGBTQ targeted station, is rated with a 1.6, but mostly 55+ with its mixed talk and music format aimed at that community. It is 15th in 12+.

 

[cc333]

This thread has gotten me thinking about assembling my own Beautiful Music playlist, and after listening to numerous unscoped airchecks I've found, I feel reasonably confident that I can pull off a reasonable facsimile (ancient way of saying "copy" ).

So I've been listening to the 101 Strings among others for the past hour. It's hard to believe that some of this stuff once made the top 40!

c

 

[Daryl Lynn L.A.]

This thread has gotten me thinking about assembling my own Beautiful Music playlist, and after listening to numerous unscoped airchecks I've found, I feel reasonably confident that I can pull off a reasonable facsimile (ancient way of saying "copy" ).

So I've been listening to the 101 Strings among others for the past hour. It's hard to believe that some of this stuff once made the top 40!

c

Top 40 went through a time when a lot of beautiful music and strings arrangements were very popular. Many were theme songs from movies. There were high charting songs of Somewhere My Love, ( Lara's Theme) from Dr. Zhivago, Ferrante & Teicher dual pianos with the Exodus movie music, Moon River by Henry Mancini, theme from A Summer Place by Percy Faith, etc. Most of those were top 5 charting songs and Top 40 radio in L.A. played all of those. That's just off the top of my head. Yes, I know it was a long time ago. But you can probably make a really good playlist.