94.7 is changing formats today

[Rusty Muck]

They're not "obscure talk shows." They're the same shows aired by KABC in LA.

KABC has imperceptible ratings and is on one of the most technically inferior signals for an English-language AM station in a heavily bilingual market. Doubtful most people even know that they exist because Cumulus isn’t in a position to market and promote the station.

Technically it fits the definition of “obscure”.

 

[Marcos_C]

KABC has imperceptible ratings and is on one of the most technically inferior signals for an English-language AM station in a heavily bilingual market. Doubtful most people even know that they exist because Cumulus isn’t in a position to market and promote the station.

Technically it fits the definition of “obscure”.

The word I would use to describe KABC is "forgotten." It was an important station once upon a time, when it was owned by ABC. But, in a way, you are right: KABC is obscure to millennials and younger generations.

 

[TheBigA]

Technically it fits the definition of “obscure”.

All of the shows listed are nationally syndicated shows. KABC is one station, but there are a lot more. I just gave that one as an example. This isn't about that station. The comment was directed at the shows.

Jim Bohannon has been a nationally syndicated talk show host since the 1980s. He originally got his start as the regular fill-in for Larry King, and then took over Larry's slot permanently when Larry moved to afternoons. Ben Shapiro is a nationally known commentator & podcaster who got his own show two years ago. He may be obscure to some, but he has millions of followers as founder of The Daily Wire. Rich Eisen is best known for his time on ESPN. Dan Bongino is a regular commentator on Fox News, and has recently received attention for his attacks on vaccine mandates. These are not obscure people. You may not agree with them, but to say they're obscure is not true.

 

[MTNProductions]

Now that 94.7 flipped to “The Block” as of last week, I will dig through the air checks and I found this one. This is country legend and author Trisha Yearwood where he hosted Bob Kingsley’s “Country Top 40” as heard on WRWD from 10/20/19, just a week after Bob Kingsley passed away, and Trisha did a special dedication to his memory. Bob Kingsley hosted the “Country Top 40” on a handful of stations including WHN and WYNY for many years, and the show remains to this day with Fitz (don’t know his last name) where he took over for Bob Kingsley. If you listen carefully, you will hear all of the songs that played on WNSH’s former “New York’s Country 94.7” and previously “Nash 94.7”. I hope you’ll like it.

Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40 with Trisha Yearwood - 10/20/19

Listen to Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40 with Trisha Yearwood - 10/20/19 by MTN Aircheck Collections

www.mixcloud.com

 

[Mikey Radio]

KABC has imperceptible ratings and is on one of the most technically inferior signals for an English-language AM station in a heavily bilingual market. Doubtful most people even know that they exist because Cumulus isn’t in a position to market and promote the station.

Technically it fits the definition of “obscure”.

Perhaps so, but I think the author of that particular post was trying to make the point that those particular talk shows and hosts are hardly obscure. They're broadcast nationally on many stations; they're hardly obscure or only known locally or regionally.

 

[gr8oldies]

Perhaps so, but I think the author of that particular post was trying to make the point that those particular talk shows and hosts are hardly obscure. They're broadcast nationally on many stations; they're hardly obscure or only known locally or regionally.

If you're not a Fox News viewer, talk radio listener or otherwise a follower of right wing blogs and podcasts, how well do you know these people? Does a 26 year old black female professional have any idea who any of these people are?

 

[Mikey Radio]

If you're not a Fox News viewer, talk radio listener or otherwise a follower of right wing blogs and podcasts, how well do you know these people? Does a 26 year old black female professional have any idea who any of these people are?

Would that same 26 year old black female professional be any more likely to listen to that station if it switched from those nationally syndicated talkers, and started airing country?

 

[TheBigA]

If you're not a Fox News viewer, talk radio listener or otherwise a follower of right wing blogs and podcasts, how well do you know these people? Does a 26 year old black female professional have any idea who any of these people are?

Everybody lives in their own silo. Just because someone is unfamiliar with a talk show host doesn't make them obscure. They just don't know them.

Would that same 26 year old black female professional be any more likely to listen to that station if it switched from those nationally syndicated talkers, and started airing country?

Exactly. That's what started this string of off-topic posts.

 

[Barry]

Perhaps I shouldn't have used the word, "obscure" to describe the talk show hosts on WFAS AM, since that's subjective. But judging by some of the comments, they're not exactly household names in this area.
The more important point is that there are at least 3 other stations in the area that air conservative talkers. Given its likely microscopic ratings, Cumulus would have little to lose by switching it to Country and clear their national Country shows.. Perhaps the 94.3 FM translator that had been on the site could be reinstalled, and relay WFAS AM.
Being that the station is for sale, it also seems at least possible a Nashville based group could buy it to maintain a Country music foothold in the New York area. The owner of the Grand Ole Opry and Gray TV are leasing signals on 2 Metro area TV stations-That's probably far more expensive.

 

[TheBigA]

The more important point is that there are at least 3 other stations in the area that air conservative talkers. Given its likely microscopic ratings, Cumulus would have little to lose by switching it to Country and clear their national Country shows.

Cumulus doesn't have enough "national country shows" to fill a full day. They have a night show and a morning show. As I said, country is not the sales priority that talk is. That's why they shut down the "NASH" service. They're mainly doing local radio on their country stations.

The owner of the Grand Ole Opry and Gray TV are leasing signals on 2 Metro area TV stations-That's probably far more expensive.

That's for the Circle Network that they're promoting. It's a video-only service. In any case there are far better signals in the NY area that an investor could buy if they wanted to maintain country radio in NYC. Back when the CMA Awards were held at MSG, they got the city to give them access to WNYE-FM. For the week before the awards, people could hear country music on a quality FM stereo signal. Far better than WFAS. Keep in mind that country music was off the air for 15 years before WNSH came on, and no one was motivated to buy or lease existing stations during that time. Anyone who does has to understand that it likely won't make money.

 

[dcowboy7]

Too bad there wasnt a billionaire like t. boon pickens was that was a country fan & could buy a station & couldnt care less if it made $$.
Like those that give $$ to college football boosters to say hire a certain coach.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

Billionaires don't buy failing businesses. There are not many standalone station operations in large markets that are self-sustaining. KKGO in LA comes to mind. Merlin's "FM News" in three major markets is an example of the opposite.

 

[TheBigA]

Billionaires don't buy failing businesses. There are not many standalone station operations in large markets that are self-sustaining.

Then again, there's John Catsimatidis. Maybe he'll flip WABC to country.

 

[gr8oldies]

We had a cluster with 2 Class C FMs and 2 Class A FMs that took awhile to sell. The richest guy in town? The guy who could have become a local owner? He got the city to help him build a baseball park

 

[Syfy]

The word I would use to describe KABC is "forgotten." It was an important station once upon a time, when it was owned by ABC. But, in a way, you are right: KABC is obscure to millennials and younger generations.

So are you insinuating KFI is popular with millennial's but not kabc?

 

[pjc1961]

Nash FM 94.7 On Air Playlist from Oct 28, 2021

The latest Playlists for Nash FM 94.7

wnsh.tunegenie.com

WNSH-FM Newark - Playlist Adds - Thursday 10/28/2021

9:27 pm Jenny from the Block - Jennifer Lopez ft. Jadakiss and Styles
(pretty sure this is first airing since the "format preview" on 10/22/2021 at 12:58 pm)

 

[Marcos_C]

So are you insinuating KFI is popular with millennial's but not kabc?

Since I'm a New Yorker, not a Los Angeleno, I wasn't thinking about KFI when I wrote the post. Actually, I doubt that many young adults in the New York metropolitan area listen to WOR or WABC.

 

[Rusty Muck]

If you're not a Fox News viewer, talk radio listener or otherwise a follower of right wing blogs and podcasts, how well do you know these people? Does a 26 year old black female professional have any idea who any of these people are?

That actually was my point. The AM band is either forgotten or invisible to a majority of people under 40. Inasmuch as Rush “saved” AM from outright extinction in the late 1980s, even he couldn’t attract anyone younger to listen to his show or the AM dial, especially from the late 2000s onward.

Bongino, Shapiro and Charlie Kirk are known far more for social media, podcasts and YouTube than their talk radio shows by an order of magnitude. I’d safely say that 9 out of 10 “PragerU” viewers don’t have a clue that Shapiro even has a radio show.

 

[Rusty Muck]

So are you insinuating KFI is popular with millennial's but not kabc?

Even KFI’s toplines are not what they were back in the day. Management, to their credit, moved Rush to a lesser AM facility years ago and it probably saved their demos from further erosion.

 

[gr8oldies]

Randy Michaels "taught the Grand Old Lady to dance" when he took over WLW in the 80s, blew off the legacy audience and brought in younger demos with a hip mostly talk format. They haven't done much to "de-age" since then and still have hosts who were hired in their 30s in the 80s.