Changes at KFI?

[Frequency1]

This was posted in Friday's LA Daily News in Richard Wagoner column.

Word on the street is that KFI is planning to make some minor programming changes; I am betting that more will come, but they may arrive slowly. Will it stay local? Can talk survive in its current form? Can we bring back a full news department?

 

[TomásEstefan]

This was posted in Friday's LA Daily News in Richard Wagoner column.

Word on the street is that KFI is planning to make some minor programming changes; I am betting that more will come, but they may arrive slowly. Will it stay local? Can talk survive in its current form? Can we bring back a full news department?

I would think that the station would have to have listeners to do that...people who want news are already listening to KNX and/or KPCC on FM now...

 

[K.M. Richards]

Piece of advice: Always take anything Wagoner writes in his column with a grain of salt (if not the entire salt shaker). He is largely a wannabe, with very few credible sources, which causes him to overreact to any rumor he hears, from anywhere.

 

[davideduardo]

I would think that the station would have to have listeners to do that...people who want news are already listening to KNX and/or KPCC on FM now...

And we have seen that the sharing of cume by talk stations and all-news ones is limited... a smaller percentage. While KFI had (past tense) a very good news department of its own up until the most recent changes, the principal attractions has always been the talk personalities, not newscasts.

When I programmed talk stations, I considered high quality newscasts as an image enhancement. They made the station sound bigger and more important. But that was not what brought in listeners, although it could be said that it helped in keeping them.

 

[TomásEstefan]

And we have seen that the sharing of cume by talk stations and all-news ones is limited... a smaller percentage. While KFI had (past tense) a very good news department of its own up until the most recent changes, the principal attractions has always been the talk personalities, not newscasts.

When I programmed talk stations, I considered high quality newscasts as an image enhancement. They made the station sound bigger and more important. But that was not what brought in listeners, although it could be said that it helped in keeping them.

I agree and also having a "major network" top-of the-hour newscast (in my opinion) would make it sound even bigger as in the heyday of KGO or KABC.

 

[TheBigA]

This was posted in Friday's LA Daily News in Richard Wagoner column.

I read Richard's two sentence comment about KFI, and it was mainly about its drop in the ratings. He wants to see the station be more like it was years ago. That's not going to happen. What else in Richard's column makes you think more changes are coming?

Will it stay local?

I think it has to if it wants to differentiate itself from KEIB. That's where all the national syndication is. If they move it to KFI, it will make less money than it is now. So I don't see them doing that. But I also don't see them hiring more news staff.

 

[KilowattKat]

Piece of advice: Always take anything Wagoner writes in his column with a grain of salt (if not the entire salt shaker). He is largely a wannabe, with very few credible sources, which causes him to overreact to any rumor he hears, from anywhere.

Definitely overreacting. Key word...minor. Then he poses these big picture questions like "will they stay local, and will talk radio change entirely". Without knowing anything about what these possible minor changes, if any. He's just grabbing for attention.

 

[KilowattKat]

Yes, minor programming changes are expected for the 7-10 pm weekday slot, which has been in limbo since Mo Kelly was let go. All of the revolving door of hosts are always mentioning that they never know from week to week, if and when they will be needed to fill in again.

Expect something to happen here sooner than later.

 

[yeoldeschool]

The best "big" top of the hour I remember was this one:

https://files.catbox.moe/46mldi.mp3 (source)

It almost sounds anemic in unprocessed form like this, but back then, through the station's intense processing (including stereo enhancement cranked to 11), its sound was quite grand and stratospheric.

(Of course, it helped having their particular call letters, doing their jingle melody in grandfather clock chimes, describing their service area as half a continent, and throwing in a lofty chorus as the icing on the cake.)

 

[ChannelFlipper]

I read Richard's two sentence comment about KFI, and it was mainly about its drop in the ratings. He wants to see the station be more like it was years ago. That's not going to happen. What else in Richard's column makes you think more changes are coming?

Wagoner always wants the stations he writes about to go back to how they did it years ago.

 

[TheBigA]

Wagoner always wants the stations he writes about to go back to how they did it years ago.

I get it. A lot of people his age feel that way. They don't understand that the economic and media environment that existed then doesn't exist anymore. Local retail doesn't exist in the way it once did. Those local retail establishments advertised on local radio. They've been replaced by national chain stores who don't buy local advertising. The other change is the use of digital devices. The minute people started using personal computers, tablets, and phones, they stopped using radios. As that happened, the electronics manufacturers shifted from making radios and home stereo systems to making digital devices. Most people under 50 don't own radios (other than the ones in their cars).

What that means is there's no programming change a radio station can make that will change the usage of listeners. There's no money for it, and the infrastructure for listening isn't there. Radio stations are shifting their resources from on-air to online and on-demand. It's not going to go back to the past because all of the support that existed then isn't there now. It's not just happening at the station level. The hosts themselves are leaving radio because they see there's more money, opportunity, and audience to do their own podcasts. Broadcast radio would love to have someone like Joe Rogan, but they can't afford him, and he reaches more people as a podcast. Plus he only has to work for about an hour a day! Why would he leave that to do a 4 hour daily radio show?

 

[wadio]

Yes, minor programming changes are expected for the 7-10 pm weekday slot, which has been in limbo since Mo Kelly was let go. All of the revolving door of hosts are always mentioning that they never know from week to week, if and when they will be needed to fill in again.

WPHT in Philly is doing the same thing in the 3-6 pm slot. It seems like these days we don't have PDs who can make decisions.

 

[TheBigA]

WPHT in Philly is doing the same thing in the 3-6 pm slot. It seems like these days we don't have PDs who can make decisions.

Their 3-6 pm host quit. It takes time to find someone new. What you're ignoring is the reason why the 3pm host left. That's the real story. I was thinking of him when I wrote post #11. He left because he can reach more people and work fewer hours by doing a podcast. It has nothing to do with the PD. He didn't fire Rich Zeoli. In fact he likes Rich so much that the station is airing Rich's podcast. The PD didn't cause this problem. Rich did.

1210 WPHT's Rich Zeoli to Leave Afternoon Drive for Nationally-Focused Podcast

"The world is going in this direction in a big, big way. But radio still matters in a big, big way. This is the best of both worlds."

barrettmedia.com

I predict that you'll be seeing more of this. Dan Bongino is another example. He has returned to Westwood One, but not as the host of a daily radio show. Instead Westwood One is managing his podcast. Why? It makes more money and reaches more people than a nationally syndicated radio show.

 

[TheBigA]

I predict that you'll be seeing more of this.

Just announced this week that Chris Merril will be leaving his show at KTAR Phoenix. He wasn't specific about why, but he said it was for something bigger. That can mean a lot of things, including a bigger market, national syndication, national TV, or a combination.

KTAR News 92.3 FM revamps show lineup - KTAR.com

Beginning Monday, KTAR News 92.3 FM's Outspoken with Bruce & Gaydos will move up to a new timeslot, running from 2-6 p.m.

ktar.com

 

[KilowattKat]

Just announced this week that Chris Merril will be leaving his show at KTAR Phoenix. He wasn't specific about why, but he said it was for something bigger. That can mean a lot of things, including a bigger market, national syndication, national TV, or a combination.

KTAR News 92.3 FM revamps show lineup - KTAR.com

Beginning Monday, KTAR News 92.3 FM's Outspoken with Bruce & Gaydos will move up to a new timeslot, running from 2-6 p.m.

ktar.com

Well he has been one of the revolving door of hosts for KFI nights. Could be the permanent replacement (although I prefer Andy or Mark).

Like I said, any programming changes need to be made in that time slot first.

 

[K.M. Richards]

Wagoner always wants the stations he writes about to go back to how they did it years ago.

I get it. A lot of people his age feel that way. They don't understand that the economic and media environment that existed then doesn't exist anymore.

I have tried to convince Wagoner of this and suggested that he is the one who needs to go back to how the column was years ago.

When Gary Lycan -- and later, Don Barrett -- did was a bona fide "behind the scenes radio news" column. It was informative and worth reading every week. As @ChannelFlipper very accurately observes, Richard thinks the column is a soapbox for him to "save" radio by getting it to embrace programming and management philosophies that are no longer viable. Lycan and Barrett never did that (and I am almost glad they aren't still alive to see what a debacle Wagoner has made of their legacy).

However, he is stubborn and always has a rose-colored glasses tinted response to anything I say to him, so I have stopped trying. I do think Lance should have a rule against quoting him here, though. 😜

 

[TheBigA]

I have tried to convince Wagoner of this and suggested that he is the one who needs to go back to how the column was years ago.

If horses would run a little faster or eat less feed, people would give up their cars and go back to riding horses.

 

[wadio]

Their 3-6 pm host quit. It takes time to find someone new. What you're ignoring is the reason why the 3pm host left. That's the real story. I was thinking of him when I wrote post #11. He left because he can reach more people and work fewer hours by doing a podcast. It has nothing to do with the PD. He didn't fire Rich Zeoli. In fact he likes Rich so much that the station is airing Rich's podcast. The PD didn't cause this problem. Rich did.

1210 WPHT's Rich Zeoli to Leave Afternoon Drive for Nationally-Focused Podcast

"The world is going in this direction in a big, big way. But radio still matters in a big, big way. This is the best of both worlds."

barrettmedia.com

I predict that you'll be seeing more of this. Dan Bongino is another example. He has returned to Westwood One, but not as the host of a daily radio show. Instead Westwood One is managing his podcast. Why? It makes more money and reaches more people than a nationally syndicated radio show.

1. Rich didn't switch to a podcast overnight. There should have been enough time to look for a replacement. When Rich Valdes left America at Night, Westwood One found a replacement in about a week.

2. Radio and Podcasts are two different things. Radio is live and linear. You can leave your favorite station on in the background and listen as you wish. Podcasts require you to search for them and, when they end, you need to look for another one.

3.Podcasts are a fad, IMO. Radio management should focus on why people choose RADIO. You can't be all things to all people.

 

[K.M. Richards]

2. Radio and Podcasts are two different things. Radio is live and linear. You can leave your favorite station on in the background and listen as you wish. Podcasts require you to search for them and, when they end, you need to look for another one.

3.Podcasts are a fad, IMO. Radio management should focus on why people choose RADIO. You can't be all things to all people.

While I wouldn't categorize them as a "fad" (point #3), I do believe podcasts and radio can peacefully co-exist, by the reasoning you give in point #2. I doubt many listeners completely replace radio with podcasts; they are an augmentation.

I listen to two podcasts routinely: Keith Olbermann's Countdown twice a week, and Ask The Professor from the University of Detroit Mercy. The latter even lets me download and air it on KRKE at 5:30 Sunday mornings.

 

[wadio]

While I wouldn't categorize them as a "fad" (point #3), I do believe podcasts and radio can peacefully co-exist, by the reasoning you give in point #2. I doubt many listeners completely replace radio with podcasts; they are an augmentation.

That's a very good point. It's why I feel that radio stations should do their best to serve the listeners who choose them.