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Can Anything Save AM Radio in Austin?

E

everydayguy

Of course KLBJ-AM is doing fine, but what about all the other local AMs?

Can a new format be programmed on an Austin AM that will draw at least a few ratings points or at least a loyal audience? Or is it all over for AM radio in the Capital City?
 
Actually, KJCE (1370am) airs Hannity. Liberal talk has been tried multiple times and has failed each time. Last time was on KOKE 1600am with the now-defunct Air Amerika network, and before that was KVET AM's attempt before switching to sports talk in 1998.
 
AM radio in Austin has the same problem that AM radio has everywhere else--it is a technologically outdated medium. You might have a couple of stations that get decent ratings, but everyone else is fighting over table scraps. Might as well go with niche formats that target very specific demographics who can't get the programming they want anywhere else. You'll never have big numbers, but it is still possible to make some money.

Many of the signals are inadequate as well, as the city has gone from a cozy college/government town to 21st century urban sprawl. I remember when the old KNOW was a runaway #1 in the market with only 250 watts. Those days are long gone (almost half a century ago.)
 
Nah, Fred, I'd put John Doggett in the conservative camp. He was a staunch defender of Clarence Thomas. Carl Wigelsworth was there for a time, and I'd mark him anti-liberal too... and Sammy and Bob were both to the right by then.
The only difference was, they didn't use the 'Talking Points" that drive Limbaugh/Hannity/Levin/Beck et al.
Liberal talk (Or even better, Anti Conservative talk) could flourish on any one of the AM signals in Austin, if there was some talent, some content, some production and some promotion.
 
OK I'll take a crack at it. Full time formats not on the air in Austin. Would any of these work on an AM?

1. Urban AC (KAZI plays some, but it's not a full time format)
2. Traditional Jazz (KUT and KAZI play some)
3. Smooth Jazz
4. Adult Standards/Big Band (KNCT in Killeen plays some)
5. Liberal Talk
6. Business and Financial News
7. Asian languages
8. 50s/60s oldies
9. Metal
10. Blues
11. R & B Oldies (60s-70s)
12. ?

Wonder if any of these could get some advertisers and listeners on an AM station?
 
Radio has invested nothing to improve the medium (HD...c'mon, really).

The only thing that radio has invested in is making it cheaper to operate.
 
fredcantu said:
Mediafrog+ said:
I remember when the old KNOW was a runaway #1 in the market with only 250 watts.
Click to expand...

And KHFI took the crown away with 1,280 watts back in its K98 days.
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I recall KHFI's power being 1,320 watts in those days, but I guess those 40 extra watts won't make much difference. Before the move to the (then) KHFI-TV tower they ran only 750 watts.

Austin's 102.3 started out with 748 watts in its original KMXX incarnation. The old KAZZ 95.5 ran 800 watts, IIRC. KMFA originally ran 1,300 watts.
 
...and KUT was what in the late 70s, 10,000? I remember getting both KUT and KMFA on the skip down in McAllen once. It absolutely astounded me!

And to stay (somewhat) on topic, I never heard Austin AM down there!
 
mmnassour said:
I remember getting both KUT and KMFA on the skip down in McAllen once. It absolutely astounded me!
And to stay (somewhat) on topic, I never heard Austin AM down there!
Click to expand...

Recently I was on the bridge crossing back to Brownsville at night and picked up KOKE 1600 pretty solid. Now that KBOR 1600 in Brownsville is gone the channel has really opened up for them.
 
one other format might make it on am:

classic country 50's-70's, some 80's., is the new manor am station be asian langauge.
 
KKYX is #23 in San Antonio with 50,000 watts day/ 10,000 watts night with classic country.
They only cume 73,000 people in a market of 1,700,000.
 
Back in the early 90s there were a R&B channel on 1370AM in Austin. Austin really needs a descent R&B station or 103.1 out of Copperas Cove (rated the most listened too station in the central Texas area) needs to get a bigger amp or find a new tower so the their reach is further than Roundrock.
 
amisdead said:
everydayguy said:
Can Anything Save AM Radio in Austin?
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No.
Click to expand...

Not with that attitude... and user name. You're forgetting that AM is alive with owner/operators and niche formats. It may not be for the masses like KLBJ-AM, but they're making a go of it. Religion on 970, 1060 and 1490, the Garcia family's Spanish language trio on 1440, 1560 and 1600, Talk 1370, and the sports stations on 1260, 1300 and 1530 are all making money or they would have gone away years ago.
 
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