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Another struggling former Stern affilate bites the dust, could Live 105 be next?

KUFO 101.1 in Portland is now simulcasting N/T KXL, and KUFO joins the list of other former Stern affilates that flipped, anyone think that Live could flip in the Near future. I could see it as an FM Sports outlet
 
Noticed on News KCBS' stream that they are flogging the NCAA basketball tournament broadcasts that are being carried "exclusively" on KHTK/1140 in Sacramento. It wouldn't take much for CBS/SF to push sports onto 1550 AM fulltime. Heck, they could simulcast much of KHTK's programming (Rise Guys, Geronimo, Napear) and save a few bucks. I don't know if they'd flip Live 105, but I'm sure they're considering alternatives (no pun intended).
 
If CBS goes all-sports in the Bay Area it won't be on 1550 AM, rather it'll be on 105.3 FM. The Raiders are already on 105.3 so one piece of a possible flip to sports is in place.

The migration of news, talk and sports to FM continues! :)
 
travisl5678 said:
KUFO 101.1 in Portland is now simulcasting N/T KXL, and KUFO joins the list of other former Stern affilates that flipped, anyone think that Live could flip in the Near future. I could see it as an FM Sports outlet
I think depends on how Live 105 is doing? Plus CBS doesn't own KUFO-101.1 anymore, so it is not a CBS thing however this change could fuel the possibilty of a KGO-FM in the near future. News/Talk on the FM dial is becoming the big thing nowadays.
 
Madmansam said:
travisl5678 said:
KUFO 101.1 in Portland is now simulcasting N/T KXL, and KUFO joins the list of other former Stern affilates that flipped, anyone think that Live could flip in the Near future. I could see it as an FM Sports outlet
I think depends on how Live 105 is doing? Plus CBS doesn't own KUFO-101.1 anymore, so it is not a CBS thing however this change could fuel the possibilty of a KGO-FM in the near future. News/Talk on the FM dial is becoming the big thing nowadays.

How does a change in format somewhere else, or the popularity of KITS - have anything to do with the possibility of KGO-FM?

What will fuel the possibility of KGO-FM is whether or not Cumulus decides it can make more revenue from keeping all of their FMs on a rock format, or from simulcasting KGO on one of them.
 
Lkeller said:
Madmansam said:
travisl5678 said:
KUFO 101.1 in Portland is now simulcasting N/T KXL, and KUFO joins the list of other former Stern affilates that flipped, anyone think that Live could flip in the Near future. I could see it as an FM Sports outlet
I think depends on how Live 105 is doing? Plus CBS doesn't own KUFO-101.1 anymore, so it is not a CBS thing however this change could fuel the possibilty of a KGO-FM in the near future. News/Talk on the FM dial is becoming the big thing nowadays.

How does a change in format somewhere else, or the popularity of KITS - have anything to do with the possibility of KGO-FM?

What will fuel the possibility of KGO-FM is whether or not Cumulus decides it can make more revenue from keeping all of their FMs on a rock format, or from simulcasting KGO on one of them.

The desirable demographics are on FM for all formats. Listeners under 55 grew up with FM. They almost never turn to the AM band for anything. This is very important to spoken word formats. The future of news, news/talk and sports is on FM, much as the future of music formats was on FM in the 70s. :)
 
radioguy39nj said:
Lkeller said:
Madmansam said:
travisl5678 said:
KUFO 101.1 in Portland is now simulcasting N/T KXL, and KUFO joins the list of other former Stern affilates that flipped, anyone think that Live could flip in the Near future. I could see it as an FM Sports outlet
I think depends on how Live 105 is doing? Plus CBS doesn't own KUFO-101.1 anymore, so it is not a CBS thing however this change could fuel the possibilty of a KGO-FM in the near future. News/Talk on the FM dial is becoming the big thing nowadays.

How does a change in format somewhere else, or the popularity of KITS - have anything to do with the possibility of KGO-FM?

What will fuel the possibility of KGO-FM is whether or not Cumulus decides it can make more revenue from keeping all of their FMs on a rock format, or from simulcasting KGO on one of them.

The desirable demographics are on FM for all formats. Listeners under 55 grew up with FM. They almost never turn to the AM band for anything. This is very important to spoken word formats. The future of news, news/talk and sports is on FM, much as the future of music formats was on FM in the 70s. :)

Yes, I understand all that - and I'm sure the guys at Cumulus understand it too. But my remark stands - what does a speculated format change at a CBS station have to do with what Cumulus will do? And I think KGO-FM is far from inevitable - at least in the short run. For one thing, KGO is oriented toward older listeners, and KGO's hosts are a bunch of old fogeys. I'm not criticizing, I'm an old fogey myself, but I'm not sure how KGO-FM would magically turn the station into a 25-54 powerhouse. It would get MORE 25-54 listeners, I get that - but would it be enough to make up for the lost revenue a stand-alone FM would bring in?

It's worked well for KCBS, but that's a little different. It's straight news, and I doubt young people care if its being read to them by a 25 year old or a 70 year old. But listening to older people spout their political and social opinions based on decades of living through the eras of Kennedy, Nixon, Vietnam, etc...I'd speculate that they might consider that the same as listening to their parents.

People on the LA board have been talking for years about the inevitability of KFI-FM, and Clear Channel has plenty of FM frequencies for a simulcast, but they haven't taken the plunge yet. From what I understand, there are two reasons: (1) even their lower rated FMs bring in more revenue than a simulcast is projected to; and (2) they believe the simulcast would lower the potential value of 640 AM, and they're not ready to go there yet.
 
BossRadioDJ said:
Noticed on News KCBS' stream that they are flogging the NCAA basketball tournament broadcasts that are being carried "exclusively" on KHTK/1140 in Sacramento. It wouldn't take much for CBS/SF to push sports onto 1550 AM fulltime. Heck, they could simulcast much of KHTK's programming (Rise Guys, Geronimo, Napear) and save a few bucks. I don't know if they'd flip Live 105, but I'm sure they're considering alternatives (no pun intended).
Why would CBS spend the money though to start a sports station on a weak AM signal that nearly no one knows about?
 
travisl5678 said:
BossRadioDJ said:
Noticed on News KCBS' stream that they are flogging the NCAA basketball tournament broadcasts that are being carried "exclusively" on KHTK/1140 in Sacramento. It wouldn't take much for CBS/SF to push sports onto 1550 AM fulltime. Heck, they could simulcast much of KHTK's programming (Rise Guys, Geronimo, Napear) and save a few bucks. I don't know if they'd flip Live 105, but I'm sure they're considering alternatives (no pun intended).
Why would CBS spend the money though to start a sports station on a weak AM signal that nearly no one knows about?

They won't! If CBS starts a sports station in the Bay Area, it will likely be on 105.3 FM, that's MHO. :)
 
I'm not sure how KGO-FM would magically turn the station into a 25-54 powerhouse.

I don't think it would. If the 18 - 49ers don't listen to KGO on AM, what makes anyone think they would suddenly take an interest and start listening to KGO-FM? Dr. Bill would be just as surly and rude on FM as on AM and Rothmann would continue pontificating about the middle East, so what's the difference?
 
I could see it, KQED is #1 25-54 this month I think
chris319 said:
I'm not sure how KGO-FM would magically turn the station into a 25-54 powerhouse.

I don't think it would. If the 18 - 49ers don't listen to KGO on AM, what makes anyone think they would suddenly take an interest and start listening to KGO-FM? Dr. Bill would be just as surly and rude on FM as on AM and Rothmann would continue pontificating about the middle East, so what's the difference?
 
You're assuming that a brand new audience will suddenly discover KGO-FM as if it never existed on AM, and in sufficient numbers to make much of a difference in the ratings. Saying station "X" does well on FM so it automatically follows that KGO-FM would boost KGO's audience isn't a very strong argument.
 
chris319 said:
You're assuming that a brand new audience will suddenly discover KGO-FM as if it never existed on AM, and in sufficient numbers to make much of a difference in the ratings. Saying station "X" does well on FM so it automatically follows that KGO-FM would boost KGO's audience isn't a very strong argument.

When KCBS began simulcasting on FM, it became the #1 station in the Bay Area, overtaking KGO. A simulcast or migration of KGO to FM would give them their best chance to take back the #1 rating and increase their 25-54 share. :)
 
chris319 said:
You're assuming that a brand new audience will suddenly discover KGO-FM as if it never existed on AM, and in sufficient numbers to make much of a difference in the ratings. Saying station "X" does well on FM so it automatically follows that KGO-FM would boost KGO's audience isn't a very strong argument.
Yes, that is what will happen, many people who have maybe heard of KGO but never listened will discover KGO
 
chris319 said:
I don't think it would. If the 18 - 49ers don't listen to KGO on AM, what makes anyone think they would suddenly take an interest and start listening to KGO-FM? Dr. Bill would be just as surly and rude on FM as on AM and Rothmann would continue pontificating about the middle East, so what's the difference?

There are dozens and dozens of cases where a heritage (that is, established and successful) AM news talker has added an FM simulcast and seen huge increases in 25-54 listening.

Under-55's have little use for AM, and go there only if they have to, such as for play by play sports. Many never use AM. Look at what happened in places like Dayton, Jacksonville, Salt Lake City and Atlanta when the leading AM added FM: huge growth in 25-54. And then how about AMs that totally moved to FM? Ones like KTAR, WIBC, etc. Again, big growth in under-55 demos, and an increase in overall market ranking and sales.
 
DavidEduardo said:
There are dozens and dozens of cases where a heritage (that is, established and successful) AM news talker has added an FM simulcast and seen huge increases in 25-54 listening.

Under-55's have little use for AM, and go there only if they have to, such as for play by play sports. Many never use AM. Look at what happened in places like Dayton, Jacksonville, Salt Lake City and Atlanta when the leading AM added FM: huge growth in 25-54. And then how about AMs that totally moved to FM? Ones like KTAR, WIBC, etc. Again, big growth in under-55 demos, and an increase in overall market ranking and sales.

Don't forget KIRO Seattle and WTOP Washington, both of which migrated totally to FM. Today, news/talk KMBZ Kansas City begins its FM simulcast. KMBZ will now be heard on a class C0 FM (98,500 W ERP) in addition to its directional 5 kW class B AM.

IMHO, KMBZ can poise itself for huge growth not only in 25-54 but also in ad revenue. :)

Here's KMBZ's homepage. The countdown is on to NewsRadio 98.1 FM!

http://www.kmbz.com/
 
travisl5678 said:
I think KMBZ will do great on FM, I'm listening to KMBZ right now, the swich is in 10 minutes!

The switch is in 45 minutes at 2 PM CT, as soon as Rush signs off. The simulcast begins with Shanin & Parks. :)
 
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