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BEND RADIO

  • Thread starter jimmythebassett
  • Start date

J

jimmythebassett

Guest
I hear this town is blowin' up - Gonna be a Top 100 Market in the
next decade. Tell me about the radio groups there. Gross, Horizon
and Combined.
 
It isn't a bad radio market, lots of formats, some creative programming. Heard good things about Keith Shipman and Horizon.

However, top 100 in the next decade not likely. Most top100 markets are around 500,000+, while Bend-Redmond is just over 150,000. Deschutes County would have to triple in population to come close. However, Deschutes has increased by more than 30% since 2000! Impressive growth to be sure.
 
It's a pretty nice market to be in radio, and I've been offered jobs at every radio group in town. Most of the air talents are older and have done other things in bigger markets but wanted to live in Bend. A lot of what goes on in Bend doesn't sound small market.

All the groups have their pros and cons. Keith Shipman is a really nice guy at Horizon, but I've heard the staff tends to be extremely multi-tasked.

Bend Radio Group used to be a nightmare because of a crappy OM, but they fired him several years ago. I know many of the on-air folks there now, and they seem to like it. I think it's a much better place to work now.

Combined is full of people from big markets who wanted to live in Bend, and they are just having fun. Very low turnover there.

Small owners who don't limit creativity: That's how I'd describe Bend radio. I did corporate radio in a Top 5 market, and I walked away. I came back to Bend because I wanted to. I've been offered jobs in bigger markets since, but I'm very content to stay here. I'm much happier in Bend without the BS, and sadly, make more money here than I made in Market 5.

It's also a great market to freelance from. I mountain bike, work. Ski, work. Raft, work. Housing is outrageous, but if you just accept that you're going to rent, it's fine.
 
Thanks for the info...talked to BRG about running the programming there. It's a nice place if you liked programming stations at Disneyland or The Bahamas.
 
What you do mean by Disneyland and the Bahamas? Just curious...as Bend resembles neither.
 
I was in Bend from 1988-91. Did afternoons on KXIQ (now KXIX), then at KSJJ when it was still located in Redmond. This was just before massive growth came to the area. Back then, it was a fun little market.

I have no idea what it sounds like now, but I see many familiar names when I check the station websites. Quality-of-life is huge here, so I'm not surprised to see many of the same folks are still around. Also impressive is that all stations are locally owned and operated. None of the large national conglomerates have (so far) managed to get a foothold in this market.

As a previous poster mentioned, housing costs are through the roof, due to the continued growth. Seems like everyone wants to move to Bend. Taxes are also high. Granted, there is no sales tax in Oregon, but you pay for it dearly in your property and income tax rates. If I remember correctly, the top income tax rate is 9% and it doesn't take much to get to that bracket.

All in all, a great place to live *if* you can afford it.
 
I was in Bend very briefly at KGRL/KXIQ. I did afternoons on KGRL and evenings on KXIQ in '81. We had a good sound. The morning guy/PD did a two-headed show by himself (the marvels of tape on a capstan! and a cart machine. Honestly, I never did understand exactly how he did it. It was somebody and Harley). Good stuff. Our weather/news guy went to Portland. We had fun on the air-

I was definitely the weakest link!

My good friend Scott Campbell (KPUG, Bellingham, KJR Seattle, KSON San Diego, KFMK Houston, KBHL Lincoln) was there from '80-until his death in the late 80's. The last few years he was doing a live morning drive show on the FM.

Does anyone here remember Scott? If so, I have a couple of questions.
 
Curious what the new AM's that have CPs now will do for programming...

Hill & Glover's 900 kHz 50kW DA day 2.7 kW DA night
and
IHR Educational's 1340 kHz class D.
 
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