Bye Bye AM Radio

[mammaknowsbest]

Remember when AM ruled. A quick look at the Fall book shows that AM is over. 88% of the shares this Fall 25-54 are coming from FM. KIRO leads the AM pack again, but can barely post a three share, KOMO drops lower than that, the rest don't score a 1.5. Rush and Sports are the only things that rate on AM anymore. People turn to internet, TV and other sources for news and information. My cellphone and car have all the traffic info I need. What is the future for the AM dial? Digital? Is there something else that can be done? Seattle is particularly hard hit because of the bad terrain.

Radio in Seattle 25-54 is now ruled by a new breed of radio. MOVIN, WARM, JACK are top three 25-54 in November. They use production elements, interesting music blends and attitude production (yes SOFT AC has a different attitude, a mellow attitude). DJ's blend with the music, which is a talent into itself. Monti is a great example, so is Daryl at WARM. The rest of the radio geeks on this board don't get it, but the audience sure does as evidenced by the Fall book so far.

Change is no longer a comin, it is here!

 

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

Change is no longer a comin, it is here!

If change is here....why do you keep posting the same [EDIT]?


[EDIT-inflammatory]

 

[kenhawk1160]

Remember when AM ruled. A quick look at the Fall book shows that AM is over. 88% of the shares this Fall 25-54 are coming from FM. KIRO leads the AM pack again, but can barely post a three share, KOMO drops lower than that, the rest don't score a 1.5. Rush and Sports are the only things that rate on AM anymore. People turn to internet, TV and other sources for news and information. My cellphone and car have all the traffic info I need. What is the future for the AM dial? Digital? Is there something else that can be done? Seattle is particularly hard hit because of the bad terrain.

Radio in Seattle 25-54 is now ruled by a new breed of radio. MOVIN, WARM, JACK are top three 25-54 in November. They use production elements, interesting music blends and attitude production (yes SOFT AC has a different attitude, a mellow attitude). DJ's blend with the music, which is a talent into itself. Monti is a great example, so is Daryl at WARM. The rest of the radio geeks on this board don't get it, but the audience sure does as evidenced by the Fall book so far.

Change is no longer a comin, it is here!

AM is alive and well, and living in small market!!!

 

[Yeziknoradio]

Remember when AM ruled. A quick look at the Fall book shows that AM is over. 88% of the shares this Fall 25-54 are coming from FM. KIRO leads the AM pack again, but can barely post a three share, KOMO drops lower than that, the rest don't score a 1.5. Rush and Sports are the only things that rate on AM anymore. People turn to internet, TV and other sources for news and information. My cellphone and car have all the traffic info I need. What is the future for the AM dial? Digital? Is there something else that can be done? Seattle is particularly hard hit because of the bad terrain.

Radio in Seattle 25-54 is now ruled by a new breed of radio. MOVIN, WARM, JACK are top three 25-54 in November. They use production elements, interesting music blends and attitude production (yes SOFT AC has a different attitude, a mellow attitude). DJ's blend with the music, which is a talent into itself. Monti is a great example, so is Daryl at WARM. The rest of the radio geeks on this board don't get it, but the audience sure does as evidenced by the Fall book so far.

Change is no longer a comin, it is here!

AM is alive and well, and living in small market!!!

AM is also alive and well in Canada where they still believe that if it was recorded in mono, why not leave it there...
(also for news/talk/sports programming)

 

[azumanga]

AM is also alive and well in Canada...

If that's the case, then why are many AM stations moving to FM?

 

[kenhawk1160]

AM is also alive and well in Canada...

If that's the case, then why are many AM stations moving to FM?

Where are you getting THAT information? I don't see it happening here in Pittsburgh.

 

[ThinLizzyRocks]

Mama, Mama, Mama.... It's hard to take your posts seriously. You are a shameless self promoter. God love ya, but give it a rest. Didn't yer own mama teach you nothin' 'bout mannors. You're not supposed to talk about your self so damn much.

 

[azumanga]

AM is also alive and well in Canada...

If that's the case, then why are many AM stations moving to FM?

Where are you getting THAT information? I don't see it happening here in Pittsburgh.

I was talking about Canada, not the US. In Canada, many AM stations are vacating, or have vacated, their AM frequency for FM. For example -- CBC's AM stations in Montreal and Toronto moved to FM in the late-1990s. And some other AM stations such has CKY-AM in Winnipeg and CHNS-AM in Halifax also made the move in the last couple of years.

The Canadian Communications Foundation website (http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/) has more information on the history of Canadian radio -- you'll find that there are many FM stations in Canada that were once on AM.

 

[airwaver]

Rethinking AM's Future

http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0044/t.557.html

 

[equalinercard]

If AM is dead, why is it that 3 of the top 5 stations in the latest trend are AM's:

#2 KIRO
#5 KTTH

(Both Entercom, btw)


And, if AM is dead, why are they doing a huge dance on Eastlake because of the Ron & Don November numbers? Not sure what they are, but I'm told they are pretty impressive.

 

[kenhawk1160]

I was talking about Canada, not the US. In Canada, many AM stations are vacating, or have vacated, their AM frequency for FM. For example -- CBC's AM stations in Montreal and Toronto moved to FM in the late-1990s. And some other AM stations such has CKY-AM in Winnipeg and CHNS-AM in Halifax also made the move in the last couple of years.

The Canadian Communications Foundation website (http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/) has more information on the history of Canadian radio -- you'll find that there are many FM stations in Canada that were once on AM.

Very well, then. My apologies. I am aware of that. I was particularly aware of CHYR in Leamington, Ontario, just a stone's throw across the Detroit River from my hometown.

I've been curious about the whole radio business in Canada. Assuming you're a Canadian, How many stations in the Great White North are actually held by private owners? It has been my understanding that many of those stations were owned by the CBC or other government-controlled entities.

How many FM channels has the CRTC dropped in over the years? Are they giving existing AM stations the first right of refusal, or are they being distributed through auction sales on a first-come, first-served basis like they do here in the States?

 

[redbullfan]

AM is not dying or dead! Read my post over on the Phoenix board. Radio corporate is assine///err Stupid if they think FM will help the format. AM NewsTalk is known as serious radio not the FM hybrid of HOT Talk known for Sports and Sex Talk round the clock. KOMO, KIRO, KVI, KTTH would be foolish to switch to FM...talk about hurting your image as a News and Talk station. NewsTalk will fail on FM unless it has a AM counterpart such as KSL in Salt Lake City!

 

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

Canada AM/FM comments

I've been curious about the whole radio business in Canada. Assuming you're a Canadian, How many stations in the Great White North are actually held by private owners? It has been my understanding that many of those stations were owned by the CBC or other government-controlled entities.

How many FM channels has the CRTC dropped in over the years? Are they giving existing AM stations the first right of refusal, or are they being distributed through auction sales on a first-come, first-served basis like they do here in the States?

Others may be much better informed (I worked in Canada in the 70's and a LOT has changed since..) but here's my take:

- Once was a time when NOTHING happened in a market until the CBC (government broadcasting) got a license first (unless the CBC wasn't interested in that particular license). So if you wanted an FM application, it was basically assumed you don't apply until the CBC got an FM signal first.

- Now CBC has been laying off and cutting costs. Consolidation has also hit Canada the same way it has south of the 49th ... a few key operators running most of the operations

- Still some interesting politics to get a new license. Those promising "ethnic" services tend to get the nod first; although in the last year, it seems, CRTC has kind of opened up the flood gates. In Calgary, for example, something like 4-5 new licenses awarded last year (to go on air this year, basically) which is more licenses than I can recall in the last 10+ years put together. All those are FM's.

- Not uncommon for operator to "trade" a license to CRTC ... swap an AM and get FM back (especially on heritage music stations). Doesn't mean the audience follows, though ... as by the time this happens usually there are already some FM competitors and the loyalty with those stations already established.

Used to be Canada radio, to me, was MUCH different (I preferred it generally). Lot more "home town feel" and with the Canadian Content (CanCon) music requirements, you'd sometimes find interesting covers of US hits, or just "other" hits occupying the less visible rotations that down here go to other tunes. Now to me it sounds very homogenized just like US stations do. Broke my heart to go up and hear all these heritage stations "limping by" on obviously voice-tracked programming that was, literally, just "phoned in".

 

[kenhawk1160]

Re: Canada AM/FM comments

Used to be Canada radio, to me, was MUCH different (I preferred it generally). Lot more "home town feel" and with the Canadian Content (CanCon) music requirements, you'd sometimes find interesting covers of US hits, or just "other" hits occupying the less visible rotations that down here go to other tunes. Now to me it sounds very homogenized just like US stations do. Broke my heart to go up and hear all these heritage stations "limping by" on obviously voice-tracked programming that was, literally, just "phoned in".

But were those stations always voice-tracked, or were they former repeaters of CBL or other big stations in Toronto, Windsor, or the other larger cities, and now have independent programming?

 

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

Re: Canada AM/FM comments

But were those stations always voice-tracked, or were they former repeaters of CBL or other big stations in Toronto, Windsor, or the other larger cities, and now have independent programming?

No...these were "the real deal". CKLG/CFUN were to Vancouver what KJR and KING were to Seattle. CKZZ (Z95.3) much like KUBE in its Top-40 hey-day. Long before tracking was en vogue.

 

[djdan]

Interesting thread. Back to the original premise. AM signals in Seattle may rate in the top ten 12+, but outside of sports broadcasts do not even rate in the top 15. That includes KIRO, KOMO, KTTH and KVI. The exception is Rush Limbaugh, who typically rates top five 25-54 in the 9a-12n shift.

It is notable that KIRO does deliver strong morning cume and during the Mariner season KOMO delivers strong morning cume. The problem is people come in for a quick traffic report, weather and go away so there is no time spent listening. Advertisers want cume, but TSL is equally important because you want people to stay around for your commercial. That is why cume is rarely a selling point.

AM will need to re-invent itself again, as news and talk move to FM. Traffic and weather will soon be at your fingertips with a PDA, like cellphones, or in car systems. This will soon make "traffic and weather" on the tens obsolete.

 

[Yeziknoradio]

Interesting thread.
AM will need to re-invent itself again, as news and talk move to FM. Traffic and weather will soon be at your fingertips with a PDA, like cellphones, or in car systems. This will soon make "traffic and weather" on the tens obsolete.

In Canada, the CRTC is still in the business of protecting AM, as it is still illegal to do an all oldies format, classic country, and in many cases, a news talk or just an all news format on FM.

 

[AQH]

In Canada, the CRTC is still in the business of protecting AM, as it is still illegal to do an all oldies format, classic country, and in many cases, a news talk or just an all news format on FM.

Talk about an abundance of incorrect information. :

 

[airwaver]

..and making posts - in the 'blue' - - schmoo!

 

[kenhawk1160]

Anyone who's giving AM radio up for dead had better read Phyllis' column on the home page from last week. There's proof right there than AM can work, and there's the right man to do it...Chris Lash.