Another "scrap KLOS" thread: Nash could be coming to LA.

[RBRadioWaves]

In NY, Cumulus just launched 94.7 Nash FM, bringing country back to NY for the first time since the days of the old WYNY. Cumulus also stated that they plan to expand the Nash branding to other country stations in the nation. Meanwhile, the former shell of what used to be KLOS is currently at a 1.7 rating.

Put two and two together, and you get my prediction: KLOS is dead, 95.5 NASH-FM launches. I give KLOS two months to at least try and pull up.

 

[michael hagerty]

In NY, Cumulus just launched 94.7 Nash FM, bringing country back to NY for the first time since the days of the old WYNY. Cumulus also stated that they plan to expand the Nash branding to other country stations in the nation. Meanwhile, the former shell of what used to be KLOS is currently at a 1.7 rating.

Put two and two together, and you get my prediction: KLOS is dead, 95.5 NASH-FM launches. I give KLOS two months to at least try and pull up.

The 1.7 is a meaningless 6+ number. Look at 25-54 and billing. Then look at 25-54 and billing for KKGO and ask if half that puts KLOS in a better position. Next, ask whether 100% of KKGO's 25-54 and billing would put KLOS in a better position if...IF...they could drive KKGO out of the format in a year or two.

The ethnic makeup of Los Angeles suggests that KKGO's doing about as well as Country can do. Anybody expecting Top 10 numbers with that format in this metro is wildly optimistic.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

In NY, Cumulus just launched 94.7 Nash FM, bringing country back to NY for the first time since the days of the old WYNY. Cumulus also stated that they plan to expand the Nash branding to other country stations in the nation. Meanwhile, the former shell of what used to be KLOS is currently at a 1.7 rating.

Put two and two together, and you get my prediction: KLOS is dead, 95.5 NASH-FM launches. I give KLOS two months to at least try and pull up.

Out of all of the KLOS predictions made to date, this one is least likely to come true.

That said, they gotta do something about Heidi and Frank. I don't know if their numbers are any better, but the show is not.

 

[LKellerIII]

In NY, Cumulus just launched 94.7 Nash FM, bringing country back to NY for the first time since the days of the old WYNY. Cumulus also stated that they plan to expand the Nash branding to other country stations in the nation. Meanwhile, the former shell of what used to be KLOS is currently at a 1.7 rating.

Put two and two together, and you get my prediction: KLOS is dead, 95.5 NASH-FM launches. I give KLOS two months to at least try and pull up.

The 1.7 is a meaningless 6+ number. Look at 25-54 and billing. Then look at 25-54 and billing for KKGO and ask if half that puts KLOS in a better position. Next, ask whether 100% of KKGO's 25-54 and billing would put KLOS in a better position if...IF...they could drive KKGO out of the format in a year or two.

The ethnic makeup of Los Angeles suggests that KKGO's doing about as well as Country can do. Anybody expecting Top 10 numbers with that format in this metro is wildly optimistic.

Everybody on the SF board is also speculating about Nash FM, and where Cumulus will put it. But the last 3 country stations here have tanked. The last one - Entercom's "The Wolf" - was a damn good effort too - good jocks, good formatting. I enjoyed listening to it even though I don't much like country music.

 

[justpassingthough]

As much as I'd like this to come true as a country music fan, to see two stations competing, I think the chances are slim and none. Cumulus didn't have a country competitor in NY, and there is no way two country stations can survive on FM in LA and get the numbers and billing they need to prove worthy to their owner.

Saul would have to ditch country first before Cumulus would even consider taking KLOS that direction.

I still think the most logical conclusion for KLOS is Hot AC/Adult CHR to combat KBIG.

 

[Gh0stRec0n]

I don't see NASH-FM coming to LA.

KLOS and KABC are the Cumulus Flagships in Los Angeles...

it's more likely that KAMP-FM (CBS Radio) or KDAY-FM (Magic Broadcasting) will convert to a Country format instead of being a Top 40 or AC

 

[justpassingthough]

I don't see NASH-FM coming to LA.

KLOS and KABC are the Cumulus Flagships in Los Angeles...

it's more likely that KAMP-FM (CBS Radio) or KDAY-FM (Magic Broadcasting) will convert to a Country format instead of being a Top 40 or AC

They are poor excuses for flagships, then. A flagship should have a mass appeal format that targets 25 to 54 well- and in this market- it could be argued that classic rock is no longer a mass appeal format. Its aging demos and appeal to a mostly white audience probably means it will eventually be sidelined on LA's terrestial airwaves, or at least on the signals that target the full market.

I don't think we're there yet, but I imagine within 10 years, classic rock will find its home on a signal like 93.5 that targets areas of the market that are still majority white.

 

[nmoore6676]

I don't see NASH-FM coming to LA.

KLOS and KABC are the Cumulus Flagships in Los Angeles...

it's more likely that KAMP-FM (CBS Radio) or KDAY-FM (Magic Broadcasting) will convert to a Country format instead of being a Top 40 or AC

KKGO is doing about as well as can be expected for a country station in LA. If it were profitable CBS or Clear Channel would already have done it, even if just to irritate Saul Levine. But Saul doesn't have the debt to service that his big corporate conglomerates have to deal with.

 

[michael hagerty]

I don't see NASH-FM coming to LA.

KLOS and KABC are the Cumulus Flagships in Los Angeles...

it's more likely that KAMP-FM (CBS Radio) or KDAY-FM (Magic Broadcasting) will convert to a Country format instead of being a Top 40 or AC

They are poor excuses for flagships, then. A flagship should have a mass appeal format that targets 25 to 54 well- and in this market- it could be argued that classic rock is no longer a mass appeal format. Its aging demos and appeal to a mostly white audience probably means it will eventually be sidelined on LA's terrestial airwaves, or at least on the signals that target the full market.

I don't think we're there yet, but I imagine within 10 years, classic rock will find its home on a signal like 93.5 that targets areas of the market that are still majority white.

All a flagship is is your biggest station in your biggest market, regardless of current performance. WABC and WPLJ are Cumulus' flagships, if we're going to allow an AM flagship and an FM flagship.

And before someone says "he said Cumulus' flagships in Los Angeles", KABC and KLOS are Cumulus' ONLY stations in Los Angeles.

 

[davideduardo]

I don't think we're there yet, but I imagine within 10 years, classic rock will find its home on a signal like 93.5 that targets areas of the market that are still majority white.

Two observations:

Over 90% of Hispanics are classified as "white" by the Census Bureay; "Hispanic" is not tabulated as a race but as an ethnicity or culture and is a separate question on the Census form. Of course, we all understand that you mean "Non-Hispanic white" in this context.

The 93.5 signal, save for the coastal and near coastal West Side, covers a population that is predominantly ethnic. Aside from a format that might serve the 25-54 West Side (not dance... we've seen that before), the signal does not look like a good match for classic rock.

 

[justpassingthough]

I don't think we're there yet, but I imagine within 10 years, classic rock will find its home on a signal like 93.5 that targets areas of the market that are still majority white.

Two observations:

Over 90% of Hispanics are classified as "white" by the Census Bureay; "Hispanic" is not tabulated as a race but as an ethnicity or culture and is a separate question on the Census form. Of course, we all understand that you mean "Non-Hispanic white" in this context.

The 93.5 signal, save for the coastal and near coastal West Side, covers a population that is predominantly ethnic. Aside from a format that might serve the 25-54 West Side (not dance... we've seen that before), the signal does not look like a good match for classic rock.

I was speaking in generalities about 93.5 but you are correct. I was referring more to the fact that classic rock and similar formats that have less long term potential in this market will be marginalized on lesser signals like 93.5. I don't know that there are any signals that only target overindexing non-Hispanic White areas, as these areas are so few and far between in the metro.

 

[Thomps2525]

As the Spanish-speaking population of Los Angeles continues to increase and whites make up a smaller and smaller minority, there will probably be a decline in the ratings of AC and classic-rock stations. (I'll check back in ten years and see if I was right.) During the last few months of KZLA's country music format in 2006, there were rumors that the station would switch to Spanish, a mix of English- and Spanish-language hits. That didn't happen. KZLA became "Movin 93.9" and pretty much resurrected KCMG's "Jammin' Oldies" format. Brilliant! But I wonder if a Spanglish format would work now, in 2013. Could such a format have the aforementioned "long-range potential"?

 

[Thomps2525]

For those of you who don't visit the New York message boards, I'll share an amazing story that I posted over there. Don Barrett still maintains the LARadio.com website but only for occasional postings of major news stories and the "Where are they now" pages. (I was a columnist on the site for nine years.) He posted an article about Nash but had the dial position as 97.4. I wrote him to say it was 94.7. He corrected it but wrote back, "Strange. That was in their press release." So Cumulus sent out a press release with the wrong dial position. Brilliant!

 

[radioresearcher]

As the Spanish-speaking population of Los Angeles continues to increase and whites make up a smaller and smaller minority, there will probably be a decline in the ratings of AC and classic-rock stations. (I'll check back in ten years and see if I was right.) During the last few months of KZLA's country music format in 2006, there were rumors that the station would switch to Spanish, a mix of English- and Spanish-language hits. That didn't happen. KZLA became "Movin 93.9" and pretty much resurrected KCMG's "Jammin' Oldies" format. Brilliant! But I wonder if a Spanglish format would work now, in 2013. Could such a format have the aforementioned "long-range potential"?

The Spanish speaking population is increasing? Really? David can probably confirm this, but it's actually declining. The Hispanic population is increasing and they are becoming significantly more assimilated and English preferred.

 

[davideduardo]

The Spanish speaking population is increasing? Really? David can probably confirm this, but it's actually declining. The Hispanic population is increasing and they are becoming significantly more assimilated and English preferred.

You're correct. The Hispanic population is increasing, but the percentage of them that are Spanish dominant is actually decreasing, per the latest language preference enumeration from Nielsen which Arbitron will implement as a proportionality control this year.

The prime source of Spanish dominant Hispanics is migration. Due to the poor economy over the last 5 years as well as the high unemployment, inbound migration has pretty much ceased. The growth in the Hispanic population is nearly entirely organic... coming from persons born in the US who generally favor English, even if bilingual.

 

[davideduardo]

As the Spanish-speaking population of Los Angeles continues to increase and whites make up a smaller and smaller minority

90% of Hispanics are classified by the Census as white.

there will probably be a decline in the ratings of AC and classic-rock stations.

AC stations index quite well against English dominant Hispanics everywhere in the US. And in LA specifically, younger leaning rock stations like KYSR and KROQ similarly index very well against Hispanics. Classic rock does not do any too well in LA against any demo of late, so what we have there is more of a general problem with that format.

(I'll check back in ten years and see if I was right.) During the last few months of KZLA's country music format in 2006, there were rumors that the station would switch to Spanish, a mix of English- and Spanish-language hits.

The problem is in defining "hits" as there are many genres of both Spanish language and English language music.

But I wonder if a Spanglish format would work now, in 2013. Could such a format have the aforementioned "long-range potential"?

In four letters, you have your answer: KXOL. They have done various iterations of a mixed hits and mixed language presentation for quite a few years now.

 

[Gh0stRec0n]

KXOL AND KLAX, both SBS stations will continue to carry the spanglish formats for a good while.

I fear most for KTWV, as "rythmic/smooth jazz" is the format I forsee going away sooner than later, regardless of hispanics or whites.

and whoever posted about KLOS and KABC is correct - they're Cumulus's "flagship" stations in LA becuase they're the only one's in that DMA/Market..

 

[davideduardo]

KXOL AND KLAX, both SBS stations will continue to carry the spanglish formats for a good while.

KLAX is not "Spanglish" as it has a pure regional Mexican format, 100% in Spanish.

I fear most for KTWV, as "rythmic/smooth jazz" is the format I forsee going away sooner than later, regardless of hispanics or whites.

KTWV's format has been Smooth AC for about two years now. It is anything but rhythmic.

and whoever posted about KLOS and KABC is correct - they're Cumulus's "flagship" stations in LA becuase they're the only one's in that DMA/Market..

Radio does not use the DMA concept. It uses MSA's.

 

[briancraig]

Didn't Arbitron at one time also show the radio rankings by ADI (their version of DMAs)? I seem to recall seeing this in old ARB books but I might be mistaken.

 

[davideduardo]

Didn't Arbitron at one time also show the radio rankings by ADI (their version of DMAs)? I seem to recall seeing this in old ARB books but I might be mistaken.

Arbitron uses the Metro Survey Area and the Total Survey Area (some diary markets and selected PPM markets using a mixed diary / meter methodology)

Arbitron used the DMA for television, which they quit doing, IIRC, over four decades ago. You ask a good question about whether the ADI was ever used in the radio books. Since the DMA or ADI can be many times the size of the coverage of even the best AM signal in most markets... like the SLC market that includes counties in WY and MT... the idea is interesting.