Article: Radio Stations Battle For Ears

[The Outsider]

An artlcle that recently appeared in the Cedar Rapids Gazette is linked below. It focused on a recent format change in the market and how those decisions are made.

A few things stood out to me. Pure spin from the Clear Channel representatives. WMT-FM had been struggling for a number of years, and once they finally began to see some progress, it was blown up for 20 hours a day of Premium Choice and a morning show hosted by the lone holdover from the previous format and a play by play/news anchor that happens to be a Country fan. While locally owned KMRY was mentioned, they never talked about the locally owned combo of KZIA/KGYM. Since WMT-FM was actually Hot Adult Comtemporary and was evolving into Adult Top 40 by the end, they were battling KDAT for the AC audience and KZIA for the CHR piece of the pie. Based on the article, the KHAK PD was playing it coy in how they would react to the new Country competitor, as they recently hosted a big downtown outdoor concert to celebrate their 50th anniversary and it drew over 10,000 people.

KMRY made some very good moves by adding the FM transmitter and freshening up the music. If you like 60's through mid 80's Classic Hits, it is worth checking out online. After Cumulus flipped KRQN to CHR in an attempt to take some audience away from KZIA, KMRY immediately went to work on filling the format hole. While Classic Hits KOKZ in Waterloo does come in loud and clear in Cedar Rapids, it is a very unfocused station. I don't know if they are trying to be Classic Hits or a Bob/Jack?Dave etc stations with their playlist. A lot of 90's songs and they love to play 80's new wave as well.

As for Clear Channel Cedar Rapids cash cow of WMT-AM, it is just a mere shadow of it's former self. It is piping in a morning show from the Quad Cities and added more political talk when they had prided themselves on avoiding that sort of thing other than Rush. The contract with Learfield and the University of Iowa athletics department is really the biggest thing that they have going for them. There is a lot of repeater radio in that cluster.

I don't have any data since only Clear Channel subscribes to Arbitron, but traditionally KHAK and KZIA are 1-2 in the ratings.



http://thegazette.com/2012/08/05/radio-stations-battle-for-ears/

 

[Casey]

I don't see 96.5 kksy/wmt/whatever even making a dent in 98.1 khak . The morning show is poor and the other 20 hours are garbage. I don't know anyone who listens to it for more than a quick listen when 98.1 plays commercials. Particularly to dodge the excessive McGrath commercials. You simply can't listen to 96.5 for any extended period of time without wanting to blow up your radio. Repetitive to the extreme with non-local, non-live, and simply bad air-staff.

I hope KMRY's change works out for the better for them. They are one of the few stations who actually serves the community.

 

[The Outsider]

JJ Cook must have incriminating pictures or some other dirt on a direct superior at CCM&E. How has he been able to keep his job after all of these missteps? He is really putting his job on the line with what he is trying to do with KKSY.

Here is an example of bad radio courtesy of Premium Choice. I was scanning the dial yesterday afternoon and it stopped on 96.5. The out of market voicetracker was talking about the Olympics and directed people to their website for more Olympic news. Problem is they did not give the address for it. Someone that is not a regular listener that might be interested would rather have you give the address on the air than Google it themselves.