99.7

[amisdead]

I just can't comprehend why KLBJ never promotes their 99.7 translator. The signal is very viable in almost all of Travis county, even on non-car radios and the only time 99.7 is ever mentioned on-air is during the top-of-hour legal ID. Also, not on billboards. Or print ads. You can't even find it on the KLBJ website. The only way you would know about the simulcast is if you stumbled upon 99.7 yourself. It doesn't make any sense. Emmis gets a failing grade on awareness.

 

[intx]

Their mentions of KGSR's alternate frequency aren't much better.

 

[fredcantu]

I just can't comprehend why KLBJ never promotes their 99.7 translator.

If you superimposed the 99.7 coverage map on top of the AM coverage map you would see why. The FM is a bonus in the immediate Austin area. But many of their listners live and work outside the translator coverage area or find themselves driving in and out of it-- which is never pleasant.

I wouls guess that more people listen to KLBJ-AM online than on the translator.

 

[amisdead]

I'm well aware of the difference in coverages. I'm also well aware that Austin's AM listening is well south of 10%. I don't have my Austin folder in front of me right now, but I think it was 7 something percent of total listening last time I looked. So even with the smaller coverage area, they are now where more than 90% of the ears are. And even though this is a translator, it still serves about 250k people with a 70dBu signal and abut 700k with a 60dBu.

I'm not saying that they make 99.7 the focus frequency of the KLBJ brand, but maybe they should at least let people know it's there. I'm from the school of if it's worth doing, it's worth promoting.

 

[fredcantu]

True FM has the lion's share of listeners, but KLBJ-AM has made their powerful low on the dial signal work for them quite nicely even before they added the FM translator. Also recall the launch of 99.7 came just before KXBT came on. 99.7's purpose may have been simply to keep The Big Talker from saying it was Austin's only FM talk.

 

[amisdead]

True FM has the lion's share of listeners, but KLBJ-AM has made their powerful low on the dial signal work for them quite nicely even before they added the FM translator.

While that is true, I think it kind of misses the point. Listeners, especially young listeners are fleeing the AM band. The fact that they have been successful with a decent AM signal, won't in and of itself, help them going forward. Also, 590 at night is really pretty terrible.

Also recall the launch of 99.7 came just before KXBT came on. 99.7's purpose may have been simply to keep The Big Talker from saying it was Austin's only FM talk.

That might very well have been Emmis' main goal. But, they are spending thousands per month on 99.7 and aren't even bothering to tell people that it exist. I think it is reasonable to say many of their Travis county listeners would have interest in listening on FM. How is that anything other than a fail?

 

[fredcantu]

And even though this is a translator, it still serves about 250k people with a 70dBu signal and abut 700k with a 60dBu.

According to Austin PPM ratings page, the Austin market has 1,472,000 listeners. So doing the math, the best signal the translator has reaches only 17% of that audience. Still think it's worth putting a lot of effort behind?

AM is not dead if you put on programming that listeners want. The top AMs in the country succeed because of that. And a lot of FMs fail every year because the programming just didn't draw and grow and audience.

 

[Mediafrog+]

The top AMs in the country succeed because of that.

Thing is, most of those top AM's have blowtorch 50kw signals, which Austin lacks. Nobody will mistake any Austin AM station for WCBS, WBBM, KNX, etc.