Another Big Shocker to Houston Radio

[TroyG]

I believe reality HAS hit hard-Thanks to the Chron. Smash and Todd are no more at 104. Cumulus will make sure KRBE will remain a Top40 powerhouse, but It wants KRBE to move forward in a whole new direction. KRBE is still drawing a strong audience(Mostly kids and Young Adults) in spite of dropping to 6th place-among the Top 10 stations in Houston.

 

[TroyG]

Can you guys say Halleluliah 104.1? Everybody say A-Men! "God bless you all!" -Brother Joel, Lakewood Church. This could might be KHEV's sister station.

 

[Mike O]

I believe reality HAS hit hard-Thanks to the Chron. Smash and Todd are no more at 104. Cumulus will make sure KRBE will remain a Top40 powerhouse, but It wants KRBE to move forward in a whole new direction. KRBE is still drawing a strong audience(Mostly kids and Young Adults) in spite of dropping to 6th place-among the Top 10 stations in Houston.

Cumulus does not have the ability to keep 104.1 in the top twenty even. Cumulus has screwed up every station they have in the Houston market and 104.1 will be no different. 97.5 has never been a factor since Cumulus has owned them. True the signal doesn't help and changing the COL to Mont Belvieu doesn't change the fact that 97.5 will still be the worse signal in the market. There isn't a format that 97.5 can program that will work on that station, so just count 97.5 as a non station. 97.5 would be a good place to send Walton & Johnson as after a year I have grown very tired of them.

Unfortunately I keep having this nightmare that W&J could wind up doing mornings on 104.1. You you damn well that they have been eyeing the 104.1 signal ever since Cumulus was going to buy it and with Cumulus' track record for intelligent decisions I would not rule out the possibility of that happening, God Forbid.

While I feel that musically KIOL 103.7 is a pretty decent Classic Rock station, after a year the station is still not staffed outside of 5:30am to 7pm weekdays and that is inexcusable. I often get the feeling that 103.7 has been on the air for a month, not a year. I don't know of another station in any market where whoever may be the DJ after Outlaw Dave leaves when they get tired of playing radio. For a shift that is suppose to run from 7pm to midnight, Fletch was seldom there after 10pm and the revolving door of DJ's on now leave anywhere from ten to eleven at the very latest. Most unprofessional for any market and not even an option in a major market. KIOL's endless ads for titty bars and now adult bookstores really gives the station a professional edge.

With some clever and crafty engineering 103.7 has a fairly decent signal in Houston and could be a player in the market, but KIOL has remained just slighty over a one rating for some time now and that is not likely to change until the station realizes they are not broadcasting to market 250 and staffs the station fulltime and starts programming like they are in a major market. I don't see it happening though.

Whatever Cumulus does with 104.1 come the 24th will be another disaster. They don't have what it takes to be in a major market and KRBE will likely set a record in the fastest a station every went from top five to off the radar.

I have thought that Cox was the shitt broadcaster in Houston, which with the exception of KLDE 107.5 they are, but Cumulus is even worse.

Clear Channel has managed to bring KTRH and KPRC down into the range where they are becoming non factors to listeners any longer. KODA has become a dinosaur in the music they play again and KHJZ The Wave will be kicking their ass in a few more books. KHMX is what? An AC station or a semi Hot AC? Clear Channel needs to choose a format for 96.5 a stick with it. The Arrow has dropped down into the mid two's in the ratings the last couple of months which shows there is a problem there also. CC has the cash and the knowhow that none of what I wrote should be happening.

The death of radio has been mentioned for years. Houston has three companies that are doing their damnedest to make that happen.

 

[stan]

The death of radio has been mentioned for years. Houston has three companies that are doing their damnedest to make that happen.

Amazing. I wonder what the investors in these three companies will be thinking a year from now?

 

[smallermarket]

Odd sweepers... "104.1 KRBE, Youve Spoken, and We Listened... Details coming soon on 104.1 KRBE".

 

[mrh1960]

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?

I am also struggling with the comments around KRBE playing "Top 40" prior to the 70's. I am a native Houstonian, (which does not make me an authority on the history of FM radio in Houston), but it warrants a few comments on what a Houston teenager listened to back in the late 60's and early 70's. I started listening to the radio around 1971 when I was 11. At that time, KILT 610 AM and 1230 KNUZ AM were "the" Top 40 AM stations and KRLY 94 FM was "the" Top 40 station on FM. It seems that around 1972 everyone started talking about a new Top 40 station, that being 104 KRBE. By that time, everyone was locked into Ron Foster on KRLY and KRBE was the "other" Top 40 station. However, it did start catching on because it hosted many local events, like the "Bump and Bash, Boogie Splash" parties at various swimming pools around the city, and the "Bump and Skate" parties at the ice rink in the Galleria. I believe that it was Roger WWW Garrett that emceed most of these events. However, as time progressed, and we got older, we graduated from KRLY 94 (KURLY) and 104 KRBE (KIRBY) to the album rock stations which were FM 100 (KILT), KAUM 96 and 101 KLOL. FM 100 was an awesome album rock station. It was a very sad day in Houston when they flipped to country ( I think in 1980), and I believe that it was right before a big concert event it was hosting (I don't remember who) and I think that they refunded all of the ticket holders. I was in college at the time and I remember everyone being real upset about the concert being cancelled...Anyway, that is what I remember about KRBE and Houston radio growing up in the 70's.

 

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

Concur with your early 70's recollections! Just before I left town (late 1972) I remember KRBE starting to make a presence as an FM top 40. It caught my ear because it was not the AOR approach many of the other FM's were doing. As I recall it was borderline automated ... maybe it was for all I know. Many stations in that era went on with Drake automation approaches ... KFRC-FM, KHJ-FM (KRTH) and so forth. Great way to "shut up and play the hits" and keep the FM image while playing music that the AM's were introducing.

I remember KNUZ (1-2-3), KILT, of course, and KULF basically slugging it out on the AM for Top 40 presence. KPRC was full service (so some of the hits were on there, like Supremes, BJ Thomas, etc.); and then other stations like KLYX (102.1) doing hybrid of Adult/Pop (you literally could hear Jack Jones followed by Donny Osmond!!).

Bummer to hear the story of the sudden conversion of KILT. Surprised they didn't treat the concert as a farewell gesture and just go ahead and run the event as planned. Would have been more fitting. To this day hard to argue with KILT going country ... but dang, every time I visit HOU and kick the radio over to 610 it's just sad to think about all that great radio out there bouncing around the cosmos along with all those I Love Lucy episodes!

 

[Tookiebird]

Everyone is so saddened by the cume-less take over of KRBE. Let's not forget:

The Wolf-Dallas

That's a once great dying station.

 

[deadman]

Cumulus is in the process of killing 99x and Q100 in Atlanta. My advice is to buy an XM.

 

[hifidistortion]

Yeah, 96-5 Kiss FM sounds like CC's way into buying into the sympathies of "former" or soon to be former KRBE listeners. Don't think CC won't go after Maria, pair her with Sam again, and move Michele to middays..........

 

[KiDRaD]

I have to agree with someone further up the mesages that Pat Fant knows radio. He does. I also have to agree with the earlier poster that Mr. Fant has to listen to the "suits" in Atlanta.
I still like to listen to KIOL but am really puzzled why, as smart as Mr. Pat Fant is, and given he knows more about Houston radio than some executive in Atlanta, why can't he just negotiate and convince them that what Houston wants is variety. Throw in new rock with classic. If he plans to turn KRBE around, give them a format like the alternative music format and leave the hard rock, both old and new to KIOL. As far as KFNC.
What was wrong with the FM News Channel format? Now they are talking about automating KFNC? A Jack format. Are they out of their mind?
Personally, IMO, When 97.5 was FM News Channel it was cool because it was news and talk, only not as stiff as KTRH. Then, a little ways down the dial was solid rock. A little classic with modern rock. That reminded me of the old days when back in the '80's KTRH-740 AM was news and talk, and KLOL-101 FM was music. They played old and new rock too. It worked then, why can't anyone get it to work now with KFNC and KIOL? If Cumulus would move Atom Smasher to 7-12 on KIOL, would that work?
Too much rule following. KIOL was designed with listeners in mind and one earlier promo stated they weren't rule followers. The legend lives on. Now I feel they are throwing in the towel about being non rule followers.
Anyone else see it this way?

 

[kendro]

...Too much rule following. KIOL was designed with listeners in mind and one earlier promo stated they weren't rule followers. The legend lives on. Now I feel they are throwing in the towel about being non rule followers.
Anyone else see it this way?

They never were free.

 

[KiDRaD]

...Too much rule following. KIOL was designed with listeners in mind and one earlier promo stated they weren't rule followers. The legend lives on. Now I feel they are throwing in the towel about being non rule followers.
Anyone else see it this way?

They never were free.

It seems that way. Too bad. Because and this only my opinion but, the guys and ladies in the corporate offices seem to not give one crying care about the listeners. It is inflammatory that they sit in distant Atlanta, Georgia and call the shots and the people in Houston have to kow-tow to their whims. The listeners are not worth anything, despite the hype of "oh we listen to our listeners." I am not so naive to not know who really matters and that is ultimately the advertisers who pay money to hawk their businesses to radio stations. But if a boycott is called for against the advertisers then maybe the stations will sit up and take notice. Everybody, from program directors to management at the top.
Serve the community you were licensed to serve in their interest or get hit in the pocket book.
I was personally so irritated by KIOL for dropping the new music completely that I actually wanted to write a letter to the corporate office in Atlanta, and follow that up with a phone call.

 

[HD2]

I too enjoy KIOL and KFNC. It seems to be trendy to trash them on this board (and everything else). Before the flip, I was listening to KLOL over everything else. Yes, it wasn't what it used to be before CC, but it was more enjoyable than most stations. Buzz is mostly butt rock, which I can't stand. 104 has grown to mostly rap garbage. With some time and some experimentation, KIOL can grow to be a great rock station. How about shows dedicated to real alternative or even punk? It would toss in some diversity and attract different audiences.

Since KFNC converted to Super Talk, I don't enjoy it as much. Pruett and Shannon were great in the afternoon. Now I have to listen to them during W&J's commercials. Since the flip the broadcast quality has gone way down. It's mono and muffled. Sounds too much like AM. I liked the local personalities and their different take. It wasn't like Buzz, 104, or Mix were they're all the same cookie cutter DJs. When he's not being a prick, Boortz can make a good point. Clark Howard was often interesting. Let's not forget High Fidelity, which is wonderful and barely promoted. Valentine and Ramsey are dull as can be. If they'd given it some time to build and worked on their unstable signal, FM News Channel could've really been something.

 

[KiDRaD]

I too enjoy KIOL and KFNC. It seems to be trendy to trash them on this board (and everything else). Before the flip, I was listening to KLOL over everything else. Yes, it wasn't what it used to be before CC, but it was more enjoyable than most stations. Buzz is mostly butt rock, which I can't stand. 104 has grown to mostly rap garbage. With some time and some experimentation, KIOL can grow to be a great rock station. How about shows dedicated to real alternative or even punk? It would toss in some diversity and attract different audiences.

Since KFNC converted to Super Talk, I don't enjoy it as much. Pruett and Shannon were great in the afternoon. Now I have to listen to them during W&J's commercials. Since the flip the broadcast quality has gone way down. It's mono and muffled. Sounds too much like AM. I liked the local personalities and their different take. It wasn't like Buzz, 104, or Mix were they're all the same cookie cutter DJs. When he's not being a ------, Boortz can make a good point. Clark Howard was often interesting. Let's not forget High Fidelity, which is wonderful and barely promoted. Valentine and Ramsey are dull as can be. If they'd given it some time to build and worked on their unstable signal, FM News Channel could've really been something.

Everything I could have said but better.

 

[airwave999]

Why does anybody get pissed off because some station changes format? Ever heard of satellite radio? I discovered it last year and this ranting and raving over some distant corporate office running some Houston radio station is really ridiculous. With satellite radio you can get EXACTLY the music or talk you want at any time of the day or night. What's sad is the good people that will be pushed to the wayside as corporate accountants and statisticians press buttons in Atlanta. There will be some folks who might become unemployed and/or underemployed for a long period of time. Their revenge will come when KRBE craters and becomes a has-been station trying to crack the top 15 in demos to get on national advertising buys. It won't take long. How many times have us real broadcasters with many years of experience seen this happen. It's becoming all to commonplace. My advice to you unemployed, soon to be unemployed or underemployed....start your own company. Then you do the great things you do and you get to keep all the money less your expenses, which you can totally control. It has worked out great for me!!!