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Another Big Shocker to Houston Radio

T

TroyG

After 20+ years working for CHR/Top 40 KRBE, Scott Sparks will leave the station after the end of this month to work fork for Classic Hits KLDE. This just happened after Patrick Fant has just announced that Adam Smasher & Maria Todd will no longer work at KRBE, today was their final show. Furthermore, Tracy Austin has also left the station as she leaves for Australia to take over The NOVA Radio Network, which like KRBE, plays Top 40/CHR. On July 24th, KRBE will soon change the way Houston will listen to radio-forever. Sources will pinpoint it to its current format. But everything will be completely different. KFNC might flip to Jack/Bob or Dave and will change its calls on the same day KRBE announces its line-up. It's going to be another day.
 
OMG. (I don't use that acronym often, but this situation warrants the usage.) This is out of control. Cumulus is killing the legendary KRBE. Maybe this isn't so bad for Atom and Maria, they're leaving a hell of a crappy situation and I know they'll both land nice gigs.

As for Austin's move, who can blame her? She saw what was going down. And you know Sparks was pissed if he jumped ship from his new position after what, 2 weeks? Unbelievable what they're doing.
 
104.1 KRBE has always been a "World Famous" station ever since 1958. It has been playing the greatest hits of the '60s through the present. If Cumulus plans to screw and flip it, (When it does on July 24th) there will be some hell to raise. KHMX might step up if this DOES happen. You guys remember when KLOL flipped to Spanish Hip-Hop from Rock'n Roll we DID raise some hell, and Cumulus gaved us KIOL. 104 has been a strong top 10 performer, but lately it was knocked off by the likes Majic, Sunny, TheWave, and 2 Mexican stations. An average ordinary KRBE listener happens to go to school, A soccer mom, or family who goes out to Galveston or Kemah for the weekend-Enough of that. KLOL was built on a strong tradition. KRBE was built on a strong tradition. Our tradition is our listeners. I was raised on 104, and my kids will be raised on 104. 104 has been the MOST reliable source for today's big hits. If Cumulus screw it up, i'll be listening to I-Pod for music fix. Sam, Maria, Adam, Sparky, Mickey, and Vikki were great people to work. Now this is OUR chance to Take it Back-to the way it should be!
 
I do find it interesting, but it seems like Cumulus is guilty of pretty much everything that people blame Clear Channel for.
 
Is this telling me something that its time for Sat. Radio?
??? ??? ???
 
Ought to be interesting. Wonder how many other dominoes we'll see fall in the market?

KFNC's SuperTalk format is going nowhere, and is probably a stopgap anyway. A heavily automated Jack/Bob type format, which minimizes expense, would make sense. Cox seems to be doing reasonably well with rimshot Country Legends 97.1, which is pretty much a jukebox most of the day.

One thought: If you've been at the same CHR for 20+ years, top management may have the idea that you've aged out of the target demographic, and fresh blood is needed--someone who shares the life perspective and way of thinking of the intended listeners. CHR is a youth oriented format, after all. Moving on to something skewed for older demos might be a logical career-extending step.
 
OH WELL!
hate to say this, but who didn't see that coming???? this was speculated when 104 went up for sale.

I've never been a Top 40 listener. KRBE has always had a revolving door of jocks. got to keep the fresh-ness level and I don't see Scott Sparks hanging with 50 Cent or Paul Wall. KRBE should have moved Sam to afternoons and brought in a younger guy for mornings.
 
Jay C said:
OH WELL!
hate to say this, but who didn't see that coming???? this was speculated when 104 went up for sale.

I've never been a Top 40 listener. KRBE has always had a revolving door of jocks. got to keep the fresh-ness level and I don't see Scott Sparks hanging with 50 Cent or Paul Wall. KRBE should have moved Sam to afternoons and brought in a younger guy for mornings.
Click to expand...




Revolving door????? Malone was there forever....Scott Sparks was there forever....Maria Todd was there forever...Hell, Atom Smasher, the "new guy" was there 8 years. It's a shame what's happened to KRBE. And I'm not one of those piss and moan for the "good ol days, big bidness kills radio" kinda guys.
 
Where will Atom and Maria land? Whose call was that ... theirs or Cumulus? I hope to God the new show isn't syndicated. Looks like KRBE is slashing expenses to help prop up the other Cumulus stations in town. What a shame. Decades of heritage slashed and burned in a matter of weeks.
 
I was wondering if the rest of the KRBE staffers will get pink-slipped? Move their HQ to Uptown Houston, or Perhaps will change its format-to POWER 104.1-To Go up against Majic 102.1? If this happens, Say hello to 96-5 Kiss-FM.
 
Rumors flying fast and furious that Roula and Ryan are the replacements. Ironic that they said a few months ago on their website that they would never do to Atom and Maria what was done to them...the standard form letter from KRBE when you send an email says "STARTING JULY 24TH, A BIGGER THAN LIFE MORNING SHOW THAT KNOWS WHAT HOUSTON WANTS AND GIVES IT TO YOU EVERY DAY!"

Me thinks we'll be seeing R&R on KRBE very soon...
 
Its a sad day in radio. Never thought I'd see KRBE fall victim to corporate radio B.S. As they say all good things must come to an end. :'( KRBE saw great times for a very long time. Up yours Cumulus Media... especially you Pat Fant how could you let this happen??? I always saw you as kind of a savior to Houston radio. You were for the listener, what happened to you?
 
I miss KRBE back in the 90s when Paul Cubby was djing. At that time, they were playing artists like e.g. ( Depeche Mode, Erasure, Lenny Kravitz.)
Remember "Resurrection Sunday" on KRBE ? How bout The "New Music Zone" each night ?
 
It goes without saying that if Clue-less f*cks up KRBE (which it appears they are well on the way to accomplishing) that there will be a gaping hole for a strong CHR in Houston.

If that's the case, who steps up? Someone else mentioned "96-5 KISSFM." I'd have to say I agree with that assessment. The question is, who fills the Hot AC void? (I'm completely discounting KRBE in anything here... my opinions of Cumulus and their ability to program successful radio stations is well known).
 
Oh well, remember 1984 when KRBE went "middle of the road" with Paul Christy, playing Frank Sinatra and all that stuff? KRBE survived that, they'll survive this. And if anybody else posts here that KRBE has been doing this "Top 40" stuff 1958, I'm gonna hurl. They didn't even start until maybe the early 70s, right Chuck Tiller?
 
KRBE survived because of good ownership. Good and responsible ownership can survive bad programming decisions. That isn't the case here. You're looking at cheap national corporate ownership. THAT, you don't overcome, especially in a corporate environment in a competitive major market. In this case, most of us are correct, the death of KRBE as we have known it for 30 years is eminent. Pat Fant is only following corporate dictates. He knows his radio and he knows this market, but he's only limited to what Atlanta suits tell him. I'm sure Fant's getting good money and doesn't want to risk that by rocking the boat. Cume-less corporate has a plan that was developed before the sale and they'll follow it exactly. You won't see Roula and Ryan on July 24th and that's probably a good thing, but you will see some lame-o syndicated crap that may work in some other market, but will be sure to fail here and by the time they try to correct it KRBE will fall out of the top 10 in all demos as well as 12+. It's so predictable, but as I have posted in other threads, this is another notch in the rise of satellite radio. Every time a good or great station goes down to corporate stupidity satellite picks up another set of subscribers.
 
Clear Channel=Cheap Channel; Cumulus=Clueless. I believe KRBE needs to find a better parent company who knows how to run it right-Like CBS or COX...
 
Troy Goodwin said:
Clear Channel=Cheap Channel; Cumulus=Clueless. I believe KRBE needs to find a better parent company who knows how to run it right-Like CBS or COX...
Click to expand...

I don't think that Cox is a good example of a better parent company, given their mismanagement of their Houston (and other cities) properties.

Can you say

Rock 104?
 
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