Comprehensive List Of Stations Still Airing the Soft AC/Easy Listening Format?

[seattlesarchiebunker]

Someone mentioned KFLG-AM (K-Star 103.3). I live across the river from Bullhead, in Laughlin, NV (actually can see the 3 tower array that KFLG-AM transmits from was built for KOWA…which moved to Vegas and became KLSQ)

I figured K-Star was programmed in-house and not an ABM affiliate…I’ve heard some more progressive rock titles on there in the past couple years I did not hear on a confirmed ABM affiliate: KVIN in Stockton/Modesto. I moved out from the Central Valley about the same time Threshold sold KVIN.

That being said, K-Star does a decent job with the format. Having John Tesh in the morning is a weird thing (I had no clue he was still doing radio) Considering this area has a decent snowbird population, it makes sense they’ve been doing the format for 25+ years.

One fun fact: The AM is authorized for daytime operations only. I’m presuming it’s on a lamp timer of some type, because the AM will shut off/sign on mid-song…considering 90% of their listeners are probably on the 103.3 translator, I might be the only astute person to notice that!

 

[KilowattKat]

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One fun fact: The AM is authorized for daytime operations only. I’m presuming it’s on a lamp timer of some type, because the AM will shut off/sign on mid-song…considering 90% of their listeners are probably on the 103.3 translator, I might be the only astute person to notice that!

Could this be the beginning of a new 'A day in the life of a lamptimer' thread?

 

[K.M. Richards]

One fun fact: The AM is authorized for daytime operations only. I’m presuming it’s on a lamp timer of some type, because the AM will shut off/sign on mid-song…considering 90% of their listeners are probably on the 103.3 translator, I might be the only astute person to notice that!

I know of several AM daytimer/FM translator combos that do the same thing. At least the FCC can't accuse them of remaining on the air after sunset local time!

 

[DXingRadio]

I wonder how many AM daytimers bother with a formal sign off anymore? Most are basically 24/7 now with an FM translator or webstream.

 

[KilowattKat]

I wonder how many AM daytimers bother with a formal sign off anymore? Most are basically 24/7 now with an FM translator or webstream.

I think at the very least you should gently remind your two AM daytimer listeners with a short...."If you would like to continue listening, turn now to FM xx.x for a better sound quality listening experience 24 hours a day and anywhere worldwide at www blah-blah!"...and then shut off the transmitter.

 

[K.M. Richards]

I think at the very least you should gently remind your two AM daytimer listeners with a short...."If you would like to continue listening, turn now to FM xx.x for a better sound quality listening experience 24 hours a day and anywhere worldwide at www blah-blah!"...and then shut off the transmitter.

Too complicated. Instead of a simple timer, now you have to have an audio source feeding only the AM side and it has to play exactly the number of seconds ahead of when the timer shuts down the transmitter.

Very few (if any!) station owners who essentially keep the AM on the air to be able to keep the FM translator license, cares enough about the two listeners who accidentally discovered the AM frequency ... since it's never mentioned on the air.

I know this because I have had this conversation with station owners in the past. I have given up trying.

 

[MrCrumpets]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Vancouver B.C.'s CIWV - Wave 98.3 FM

Been listening the last few days online here at work (in Oz) and really enjoying the playlist.

WAVE 98.3 FM - Vancouver's Coolest Vibe

Wave 98.3 is Vancouver's Coolest Vibe. Serving “smooth jazz” to Western Canada with contemporary instrumental and pop vocals. Listen Live to Wave 98.3 FM.

www.wave983.fm

 

[davideduardo]

Too complicated. Instead of a simple timer, now you have to have an audio source feeding only the AM side and it has to play exactly the number of seconds ahead of when the timer shuts down the transmitter.

That could be done with a command that targets a playback at the AM transmitter in a sequence that theen turns of the transmitter. And many translator are not on hilltops or mountains, and cover less than the fringe areas of the AM. So it is generally worth the effort.

Very few (if any!) station owners who essentially keep the AM on the air to be able to keep the FM translator license, cares enough about the two listeners who accidentally discovered the AM frequency ... since it's never mentioned on the air.

I still think there are enough listeners on AM to at least do a "listen to FM now" mention.

I know this because I have had this conversation with station owners in the past. I have given up trying.

Agreed. Many would absolutely turn in the AM license if they could permanently keep the translator.

 

[K.M. Richards]

That could be done with a command that targets a playback at the AM transmitter in a sequence that theen turns of the transmitter. And many translator are not on hilltops or mountains, and cover less than the fringe areas of the AM. So it is generally worth the effort.

I suspect most AM daytimers want to take the easiest way out in terms of turning off the transmitter at sunset. The odds are astronomically against the FCC filing a NAV for the technical violation of failing to do a legal station identification at sign on/sign off.

I still think there are enough listeners on AM to at least do a "listen to FM now" mention.

If all you ever mention on the air is the FM frequency, the AM listeners already know it's there.

Agreed. Many would absolutely turn in the AM license if they could permanently keep the translator.

I know of at least two station owners who would.

 

[KilowattKat]

Too complicated. Instead of a simple timer, now you have to have an audio source feeding only the AM side and it has to play exactly the number of seconds ahead of when the timer shuts down the transmitter.

Very few (if any!) station owners who essentially keep the AM on the air to be able to keep the FM translator license, cares enough about the two listeners who accidentally discovered the AM frequency ... since it's never mentioned on the air.

I know this because I have had this conversation with station owners in the past. I have given up trying.

@K.M. Richards, can I ask, how do you or Don Davis handle the sign off for KRKE-AM which is a 1KW daytimer?

 

[K.M. Richards]

I have left that to him as the licensee. I only worry about the programming content.

I'm sure he has it on some kind of programmable timer, though, as he is very conscientious about such things.

 

[kevtronics]

Christian talk/preaching station 1040 WCHR (Flemington, NJ) fills up unsold airtime with instrumental music. And although there's a rendition of "Amazing Grace" they play very often, it's not all religious music; they also play Easy Listening covers of 1960s to 1980s secular pop music. Unless maybe there's some religious lesson about the characters in Rupert Holmes' "Escape" not actually committing adultery, even though they both planned to?

 

[KilowattKat]

Sunshine 106.8 in Dublin, Ireland is a very popular Soft AC/Oldies FM. According to their website they continue to be #1 with adults 35+ in the latest ratings. From listening I can see why... A new favorite for me.

Sunshine 106.8

Dublin's Easy Place to Relax.

www.sunshineradio.ie

 

[KilowattKat]

To keep this list as current and up to date as possible, we should note which ones need to be removed, like:

WNAM Neenah, WI - ABM affiliate - Permanently off the air.

WENN Birmingham, AL - B/EZ - Format change.

 

[KilowattKat]

Christian talk/preaching station 1040 WCHR (Flemington, NJ) fills up unsold airtime with instrumental music. And although there's a rendition of "Amazing Grace" they play very often, it's not all religious music; they also play Easy Listening covers of 1960s to 1980s secular pop music. Unless maybe there's some religious lesson about the characters in Rupert Holmes' "Escape" not actually committing adultery, even though they both planned to?

I call hybrid stations like these....God and the Greatest Songs!

KSGL Wichita, KS does religion in the morning, and Standards the rest of the time. I can't find a stream online for them.

Home - KSGL

KSGL AM 900 Radio is family owned and run. Christian Bible teaching programs are in the morning and Adult Standards like Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand the rest of the time.

www.ksglradio.com

 

[vchimpanzee]

And although there's a rendition of "Amazing Grace" they play very often,

Not Bob Snyder, is it?

Joe Lacina used to have a Saturday evening show on Timeless Classics which ended shortly after it became Timeless Favorites. I had a TV antenna that could pick up the station and I would listen. He had "Bob Snyder Time" at 11 and it usually included that.

 

[kevtronics]

Not Bob Snyder, is it?

No, I was able to ID it as by Phil Keaggy:

https://soundcloud.com/phil-keaggy%2Fepilogue-amazing-grace

 

[vchimpanzee]

Don't know where else to say it, but I find it frustrating when my local oldies station plays several songs that could still be on ABM and then does something like "The Reflex" by Duran Duran.

 

[powers]

Don't know where else to say it, but I find it frustrating when my local oldies station plays several songs that could still be on ABM and then does something like "The Reflex" by Duran Duran.

I remember when I was driving through the San Bernardino area in the very early 90s. I was either listening to KOLA or K-Earth, then solid 50s/60s and SOMETIMES early 70s oldies stations. I was early college age at the time. They suddenly played "Lotta Love" by Nicolette Larson, a song from 1978 that had come out when I was nine years old. That song would have been a little under 15 years old at the time the "oldies" station played it. It was the first song that I remember knowing as a current hit that was playing on an oldies station. I shouted out loud "No! This cannot be an oldie. No! No! No!" Of course, today that song would likely be considered "too old" for Oldies/Classic Hits stations today. Also, today many Classic Hits stations are playing songs that are much newer than the early 90s. In fact, like many other formats, the window of what constitutes "classics" (for lack of a better word for what used be "oldies") has shrunk quite a bit. In the 90s a 15-year old song would be a stretch to be considered for the station with most oldies stations using at least twenty years as a minimum. Now, songs that are less than ten years old are regularly on the Classic playlists, making a song often more multi-format than it used to be. Back then an oldies station pretty much had those hits to itself. Today, it would likely share with AC, Hot AC, Classic Rock, Alternative and Adult Hits, at least in the upper end of the demos.

 

[KilowattKat]

Great liner heard on KJZY....

"From the greatest generation to Gen Z, everybody loves the Great American Songbook".