Big Bonneville News

[TakeItFromMe]

Looks like the cowboys from Salt Lake are rollin. Rumor (and yep its just talk from some buds over at Bonneville) is they got the new 104.5 frequency ready to roll in December and have a bid out on a group in town. The moves would make Bonneville the big player in Seattle. The big ole controversy is what to do with the new full market Covington frequency that will blast off soon. Two schools of thinkin. The original plan was to simulcast KIRO, but with KIRO's 6a-7p programming already beating every AM in the market, KIRO brass feel they don't need to be on FM to get the job done. Bonneville is looking hard at a soft AC. The company owns the dang format in other markets and feel they can quickly adios WARM which is already slipping. Will be a battle to see if FM News or Soft AC wins out.

Let me vent for one second folks. For the last couple of years this board has been whining about the lack of change and now are whining about all the change. To my way of thinking the changes in the last two years have pretty much worked. WOLF is better than BUZZ in ratings and dollars, KIRO's move to talk has them beating all AM competitors soundly, without the Mariners. KPLZ's flip in Spring shot their numbers through the roof. Jury is still out on B-97.3, but early research from inside the building shows big success. The only potential misfire was the KLSY/MOVIN switch. Ratings are slippin for KQMV, but still better that KLSY. My bet is they make a little less that KLSY. (djdan?) Other than that one, changes are pretty smart and workin. Give these cowboys their due.

 

[djdan]

Bonneville runs many successful Soft AC stations. When they came to town I thought this is the direction they would take KBSG.

The WOLF and KQMV were indeed format flips, but the other changes you mentioned were more adjustments in my view. KIRO has been growing in ratings for over a year in prime demographics, this has nothing to do with Bonneville. Dave, Dori, Ron and Don have all moved into the top 10 in prime demos, so it makes sense to focus on and extend their shows. The fill-in shows at night lead me to think KIRO will pick up the Mariners. Why hire someone, if they will be replaced by baseball in a year or so? Bonneville just recognized what was going on and is playing to the stations strengths. Good adjustment.

KPLZ expanded its music to add Country and CHR, but remains essentially the same station. They did very well this past book, but let's see in a year if it holds. KBSG added some more music, but remains essentially the same station with some different branding. Will know over the next year if that helped them grow. At first glance the KIRO, KPLZ and KBSG adjustments appear to be smart ratings and revenue moves.

For the stations that really did blow things up: WOLF performs much better than the Buzz ever did (outside of afternoons on the Buzz) and bills about twice as much in the latest MK's. Good format flip. KQMV is performing better on the ratings front, but primarily in the 18-34 cell. KLSY a few years ago was number three in billing, but had slipped in recent years. Can't help think that adjusting heritage KLSY would have been a smarter move than blowing it up for a format that is now failing across the country, from a sales point of view. Was KQMV a smart move? Too soon to tell.

 

[KentMcN]

There is no guarantee this is going to happen, because they still may not be able to move to Cougar Mountain unless KAFE moves to 104.1 and the problem is CRTC opened applications for a new station in Vancouver on 104.1. So KAFE may not be able to move, so that would prevent 104.5 to be on Cougar Mountain. I think Bonneville would do a good job bringing a Soft AC format, I hope they don't go News.

 

[djdan]

That explains why the 104.5 launch has been delayed. Thanks KentM. I tend agree with you that Soft AC would be a better choice than simulcasting KIRO.

 

[AQH]

That explains why the 104.5 launch has been delayed. Thanks KentM. I tend agree with you that Soft AC would be a better choice than simulcasting KIRO.

KIRO would be better off putting news on 104.5. Soft AC doesn't work as well as it used to.

 

[FMSteve]

There is no guarantee this is going to happen, because they still may not be able to move to Cougar Mountain unless KAFE moves to 104.1 and the problem is CRTC opened applications for a new station in Vancouver on 104.1. So KAFE may not be able to move, so that would prevent 104.5 to be on Cougar Mountain. I think Bonneville would do a good job bringing a Soft AC format, I hope they don't go News.

There are now three mutually-exclusive (MX) applications in at the FCC and CRTC for 104.1 Mhz. KAFE down here in the states, a Naniamo, BC app by CBC-Radio One to rebroadcast their station in Vancouver, and a new Vancouver channel. All three would interfere with each other if granted.

http://www.nanaimobulletin.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=51&cat=23&id=1045369&more=0

So, who is going to win this one? Not sure. But it's certainly making for some good allocation drama. Let's have some fun.

 

[Kelly]

I'm sorry, but I missed what the "Big News" was. All I read was a bunch of the same regurgitated rumors just now that involve Bonneville's return to town. Sometimes this board is more like the Weekly World News than any source of credible information. Maybe next we'll all be reading about how Bat Boy is the new PD of the Wolf.