Do you think we'll ever get another Country Music station in San Francisco?

[Bongwater]

Not quite so sure about country being a "right leaning format" and my proof is Seattle.

Seattle is politically far more left than even San Fransisco. We just elected our first openly Socialist city council member - not even San Fransisco can lay claim to that. And Seattle has TWO country radio stations (94.1 KMPS and 100.7 KKWF.)

The dynamics here are quite different. Seattle is smaller than San Fransisco. But the majorty of KMPS/KKWF's listeners aren't in Seattle proper. They're in the outlying suburbs (Lynnwood, Bellevue, Puyallup, etc.)

 

[LKellerIII]

Not quite so sure about country being a "right leaning format" and my proof is Seattle.

Seattle is politically far more left than even San Fransisco. We just elected our first openly Socialist city council member - not even San Fransisco can lay claim to that. And Seattle has TWO country radio stations (94.1 KMPS and 100.7 KKWF.)

The dynamics here are quite different. Seattle is smaller than San Fransisco. But the majorty of KMPS/KKWF's listeners aren't in Seattle proper. They're in the outlying suburbs (Lynnwood, Bellevue, Puyallup, etc.)

Don't forget that Michael Savage got his start, and his first taste of fame - here in Bay Area radio. I've always assumed his local listeners came from the suburbs, but their aren't too many conservative suburbs around here - Walnut Creek, Concord area perhaps, and perhaps some of our signals reach Stockton and that part of the San Joaquin Valley. But I'm not sure Republican and conservative listeners are necessarily country music fans.

And for the record, one STATE has a self-proclaimed socialist US Senator - Vermont - Bernie Sanders.

 

[DaveBayArea]

The dynamics here are quite different. Seattle is smaller than San Fransisco. But the majorty of KMPS/KKWF's listeners aren't in Seattle proper. They're in the outlying suburbs (Lynnwood, Bellevue, Puyallup, etc.)

It's been said here that San Francisco is similar - with the hot zips for Country in areas that already have local class-A country stations (San Jose & Santa Rosa) as well as the Eastern part of the market. So that would really leave Contra Costa county as the area to be served by a San Francisco country FM. That area is served by the Country stations in Sacramento and Modesto as well. But I do remember that The Wolf was trying - they held most of their live events in the Concord area.

Back to the other large cities - I see that KMPS has been country on FM for 35 years (AM before that) and KKWF for eight. Similarly, Chicago's WUSN has been country since 1978. So there's some serious heritage there. I dare say that the situation today would be different if KSAN was still playing country on 94.9. But as much as some of us on this board would like to have a full-market country hit station, I don't see a conglomerate stepping up to the plate to try it. As far as Cumulus - the only FM's they have are the KFOG duo and "107-7 the bone". Ironically, the Bone's real calls are KSAN, and I guess that would represent a full circle. But I still can't see them trying it.

Dave B.

 

[stewie]

As far as Cumulus - the only FM's they have are the KFOG duo and "107-7 the bone". Ironically, the Bone's real calls are KSAN, and I guess that would represent a full circle. But I still can't see them trying it.

I think KFOG (with it's duo) has the best chance with it's coverage into the South Bay. 107.7 is sketchy at best in South San Jose, Los Gatos, Gilroy and Morgan Hill -- a large portion of the Country listening folks.

I agree with you Dave, we won't see either of these stations flip.

 

[MarioMania]

Country just won't work in San Francisco

 

[LKellerIII]

I'm sure somebody will correct me if I'm wrong - I've been under the impression that the PPM rating system has produced a trend back toward fewer formats, most of them being some form of rock or pop music. Examples - more hit music stations (Now, Wild, Star) and more classic hits/rock - Smooth Jazz KKSF becoming Classic Hits on 103.7, Classical music on 102.1 becoming Classic Rock KFOX), etc.

This would seem to argue against any radio corporation taking a chance on country in the Bay Area.

Caveat - if Country somehow becomes more popular with urban audiences as it did in the early 80s, that dynamic could change. I visited Nashville recently and saw quite a bit of live country music. The dividing line between country (at least as its played live) and rock has almost disappeared.

 

[Jack Mehoff]

The Wolf was joke. A short lived experiment that failed miserably. Only way Country makes it as if it's a rim shot in and serves the outer communities. Trust me in city....there aint a lot of cowboys.

 

[LKellerIII]

The Wolf was joke. A short lived experiment that failed miserably. Only way Country makes it as if it's a rim shot in and serves the outer communities. Trust me in city....there aint a lot of cowboys.

There weren't many cowboys in SF in the 80s either, yet country formats thrived on KSAN and KNEW. The Wolf was actually a pretty good station at its inception, and got decent, if not stellar ratings. It became a joke later.

 

[Robert Biltmore Jennings]

There weren't many cowboys in SF in the 80s either, yet country formats thrived on KSAN and KNEW. The Wolf was actually a pretty good station at its inception, and got decent, if not stellar ratings. It became a joke later.

Could it be that in the 80's there were more "white people" in the region. Could gentrification of SF be a factor? We are talking about something that was 30 years ago vs now. That's like saying well the well the Commodore 64 with it's 5.5 in floppy disk drive did great work in the 80's so why wouldn't it do great now....the SF metro area has changed over the past 30 years. What once was is just that once was. Just because it was true then doesn't mean it's true now. Looking a graph of the influx of population and density in the metro area one can also see the massive change / shift - I bet that change has effected the radio landscape as far as what the listening audience wants, tastes, and desires are.

 

[davideduardo]

Could it be that in the 80's there were more "white people" in the region. Could gentrification of SF be a factor?

The San Francisco radio market, as defined by Nielsen, extends from Santa Rosa to the north to Campbell to the south. Small changes in the composition of neighborhoods will not have any effect on the ratings or, as a consequence, the success of a format.

Large changes in the ethnic composition of the market will.

 

[fordranger797]

Wouldn't it be great to hear the music from great artists such as Carrie Underwood, Toby Keith, Jason Alden, and Alan Jackson once again? We have been without a full market Country music station ever since the last Country station we had, 95.7 The Wolf flipped to an all-sports format, which isn't doing too well right now. Is there another radio station in this market that is willing to take a chance?

Your thoughts.

I can only hope not. I'd love to see the reincarnation of KFRC though (with 50's and 60's oldies). I think country music is becoming a "big thing" though, particularly in the younger demographic. When I was in high school, every radio in every car radio on the drive out at the end of the day was tuned into a country station (mind you, this was only last year).

 

[fordranger797]

Don't forget that Michael Savage got his start, and his first taste of fame - here in Bay Area radio. I've always assumed his local listeners came from the suburbs, but their aren't too many conservative suburbs around here - Walnut Creek, Concord area perhaps, and perhaps some of our signals reach Stockton and that part of the San Joaquin Valley. But I'm not sure Republican and conservative listeners are necessarily country music fans.

And for the record, one STATE has a self-proclaimed socialist US Senator - Vermont - Bernie Sanders.

It seems like many listeners tend to be conservative. However, the face of country music is changing. Like I said, its a HUGE thing with the youth of today.