Entercom Flips AMP Boston

[davideduardo]

I'm amazed that this isn't everyone's most likely scenario. KNX needs an FM signal to meet its full potential in L.A. Upsides are the potentially better demos from being available to an audience that doesn't sample AM, and the fact that the expense of another full station is gone---they're already paying for KNX...they'd just need to simulcast it. And someday, KFI's gonna need to do that with one of its FM sisters, too.

I have a different opinion in that I think that all news and the current kind of talk are formats reaching the end of their useful life... like Beautiful Music in the late 70's and Smooth Jazz in the earlier years after Y2K.

As I just posted, during times of normalcy WBBM with an FM is not even in the top 15 in 25-54. To me, that indicates that, outside of Boomers, the format is vastly less relevant.

 

[davideduardo]

You act as if 100.3 The Sound occurred during ancient times.

I think a male-oriented format with the highly recognizable KLSX calls is worthy of consideration. I think west coast adaptations of 102.7 WNEW-FM and 103.5 WKTU (good suggestion - a scenario I overlooked) are also worthy of consideration.

The rock shares, whether Alt or Classic Rock or whatever, have been declining for more than a decade. The catalyst to this change is the constantly decreasing non-Hispanic white population of the metro combined with several decades of rhythmic music dominating the interest of young people... people who are now in their 30's and 40's.

Entercom has been blowing up the CBS-owned Top 40 stations it inherited left and right. The only four still standing are Chicago's B96 (a station that's been around for decades and probably will never leave format despite underachieving in recent years), Live 101.5 in Phoenix, 98.5 KLUC (another station that's been around forever) and KAMP.

That does not mean that those stations will migrate to any type of rock format, since in the markets you name there are significant ethnic populations that influence taste and reduce the potential of any rock format.

(Was Power 96 in Miami ever in CBS hands? Even if the answer is "yes," CBS Radio's ownership tenure was brief.)

Power, until very recently, was a uniquely Miami kind of CHUrban format, not CHR. It's core was, for decades since Bill Tanner set it up, second generation Hispanics.

The issue with Amp going rock is the market composition combined with advertiser awareness that the niche rock represents is not the most attractive target in the market.

 

[TheBigA]

I think west coast adaptations of 102.7 WNEW-FM and 103.5 WKTU (good suggestion - a scenario I overlooked) are also worthy of consideration.

That sounds a lot like KTWV to me.

 

[davideduardo]

That sounds a lot like KTWV to me.

WKTU is a pseudo-CHR which is 50% current and recurrent and with rotations of up to every 2 1/2 hours on the powers.

KTWV has only 12% currents and recurrents, and no song plays more than every 7 to 8 hours.

KTWV is an LA adaptation of Urban AC that attracts huge pools of Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites and does not have a majority Black core due to the market composition.

To employ the WKTU concept in LA, the music would have to be considerably different. KTU principally targets Caribbean origin Hispanics, who are ethnically related to African Americans in many respects. LA Hispanics have, in a considerable percentage, Indigenous heritage.

 

[radio128]

I have a different opinion in that I think that all news and the current kind of talk are formats reaching the end of their useful life... like Beautiful Music in the late 70's and Smooth Jazz in the earlier years after Y2K.

As I just posted, during times of normalcy WBBM with an FM is not even in the top 15 in 25-54. To me, that indicates that, outside of Boomers, the format is vastly less relevant.

This is not good news. The all news stations supply valuable information to citizens during critical times. This afternoon, I was driving on Pico about to head north on Fairfax. I punched up KNX. They had very detailed coverage of the disturbances which were taking place about a mile from where I was. If not for KNX, I would have probably not gotten to my appointment. So, where do the 25-54s go during a crisis like this?

 

[MarkW]

Would Entercom consider flipping 97.1 to Spanish AC, Spanish Variety Hits, or another format aimed toward a Hispanic adult audience?

Is there even one Spanish-language station within the entire company right now?

 

[TheBigA]

Is there even one Spanish-language station within the entire company right now?

Yes...El Zol 107.9 in DC.

 

[CTListener]

Yes...El Zol 107.9 in DC.

Picked up from CBS Radio in the acquisition. Did CBS have any other Spanish-language stations in its portfolio? If so, what happened to them, and why was the Washington station the only one Entercom chose to keep?

 

[TheBigA]

Picked up from CBS Radio in the acquisition. Did CBS have any other Spanish-language stations in its portfolio?

There's also KLOL in Houston.

 

[MarkW]

Re:

Thanks. I completely forgot about El Zol, and I also had forgotten that iHeart swapped KLOL to CBS Radio a while back (I believe in exchange for some stations in Seattle, correct?).

Perhaps 97.1 flipping to some sort of Spanish Language programming is on the table, then.

 

[davideduardo]

Thanks. I completely forgot about El Zol, and I also had forgotten that iHeart swapped KLOL to CBS Radio a while back (I believe in exchange for some stations in Seattle, correct?).

Perhaps 97.1 flipping to some sort of Spanish Language programming is on the table, then.

LA is over-radioed in Spanish. There are multiple stations in each of the viable formats, and ongoing efforts to find additional format options.

While LA is now 42% Hispanic, remember that in "newer" core population markets (predominantly first and second generation) there far fewer Spanish language shares than the percentage of population. So LA gets about 22 Spanish language shares out of 43% of the 12+ population. In markets like Albuquerque and San Antonio, the shares are as low as 20% of the Hispanic population.

Just look at the ratings disaster that is KLLE, the station bought by Hispanic broadcast group Meruelo. A new entrant in the market with a format that duplicated an existing station...

Entravision recently consolidated several signals with a single format, reducing their formats from three to two. Liberman went bankrupt and was taken over by lenders. Univision has been unable to sell or do an IPO despite years of retrying and a recent total change of upper management.

The problems with Spanish language radio go back over a decade to when the PPM showed that the high TSL that sustained many stations, nationally, in high rank positions, was a chimera. So stations that had been #1 or #2 were suddenly 6th or 7th in many of those markets, reducing revenue potential.

 

[TheBigA]

So stations that had been #1 or #2 were suddenly 6th or 7th in many of those markets, reducing revenue potential.

This is why we say so often that radio formats aren't about ratings but revenue. So the question is what potential revenue source isn't being tapped, and how could radio be used to attract that revenue? Even if a certain format could attract a large audience, would advertisers want to reach such an audience?

 

[davideduardo]

Would Entercom consider flipping 97.1 to Spanish AC, Spanish Variety Hits, or another format aimed toward a Hispanic adult audience?

Is there even one Spanish-language station within the entire company right now?

Spanish Variety Hits is covered by two operations in LA already. One is the original creator of the format 20 years ago. The problem, however, is that the format is 30+ in age appeal, and that discourages Hispanic media buyers and causes the format to have low power ratios.

The only Spanish AC stations that work... WAMR and KLVE... are based on hugely strong morning shows that are 100% local. In LA, several operators have gone against KLVE in the past and failed.

Regional Mexican is a trans-generational format and has huge adult appeal in all ages.

Agencies buying Spanish language look at 18-49, not 25-54 because the Hispanic population is over 10 years younger in average age.

 

[Neel]

I was listening to KNX to hear news about the riots while driving and I had it on 101.1 HD2 and when I started losing the signal, I switched to AM, and I'll admit FM just sounded so much better, I almost didn't want to listen to AM.
It would be great if KNX can be heard on a good FM signal, if the Los Angeles market allows for that to happen.

 

[Theater of My Mind]

Just look at the ratings disaster that is KLLE, the station bought by Hispanic broadcast group Meruelo. A new entrant in the market with a format that duplicated an existing station...

You mean KLLI? But they only flipped to Cali 93.9 10 months ago and they were jockless until last September. So they've had maybe 8 months in their full format, less than that under the current PD, 5 months since they shuffled the original morning show lineup and the past 3 of them have been during the pandemic. Isn't it a little early to be declaring them a ratings disaster? New stations are usually expected to take at least a year or more for ratings to really start meaning anything, presumably even longer with the current ratings turmoil.

As for duplicating an existing station well I love a good format war, it always makes both stations sound better. That's why from a CHR listener's standpoint, having Amp around isn't such a bad thing. And personally I think KLLI is a good, fun-sounding radio station that's barely gotten settled in.

 

[TheBigA]

As for duplicating an existing station well I love a good format war, it always makes both stations sound better.

Maybe. Do you think that the war between KROQ and KYSR made either station sound better? Do they sound better now?

How's the format war between KIIS and KAMP playing out for listeners?

My point is that sometimes stations are willing to take chances when they don't have to worry about competition. KKGO has a bigger playlist than a similar station in a market with three stations in the same format.

 

[Theater of My Mind]

Maybe. Do you think that the war between KROQ and KYSR made either station sound better? Do they sound better now?

Usually with a format war at least one of the stations constantly tries to one-up the other. KROQ vs KYSR was an odd exception, the rivalry seemed too safe/dull, especially for the format. I'll bet it will be more interesting with KROQ's recent format adjustments, though.

How's the format war between KIIS and KAMP playing out for listeners?

You'd have to ask them but I'm sure it drives both stations to be at their best.

My point is that sometimes stations are willing to take chances when they don't have to worry about competition.

There are exceptions to everything but my perception is that lack of competition leads to safer programming and makes it easier for stations to cut corners, run longer commercial breaks, etc. I'm sure the station owners prefer that but I'm talking about it from the listener's point of view.

KKGO has a bigger playlist than a similar station in a market with three stations in the same format.

That might be one of those exceptions but I haven't listened to them.

 

[davideduardo]

Usually with a format war at least one of the stations constantly tries to one-up the other. KROQ vs KYSR was an odd exception, the rivalry seemed too safe/dull, especially for the format. I'll bet it will be more interesting with KROQ's recent format adjustments, though.

That only works if the heritage station reacts. A classic case what the extreme reaction of the traditional and very heritage CHR in Tampa around 1990. It allowed the Power Pig to take the young listeners and cause WRBQ to go on a course that lost billing and resulted in leaving the format.

A good station stays good to avoid signs of vulnerability. Under normal situations, a leading station will not give an opportunity to the challenger by always being the best

 

[radiojomo]

You mean KLLI? But they only flipped to Cali 93.9 10 months ago and they were jockless until last September. So they've had maybe 8 months in their full format, less than that under the current PD, 5 months since they shuffled the original morning show lineup and the past 3 of them have been during the pandemic. Isn't it a little early to be declaring them a ratings disaster? New stations are usually expected to take at least a year or more for ratings to really start meaning anything, presumably even longer with the current ratings turmoil.

As for duplicating an existing station well I love a good format war, it always makes both stations sound better. That's why from a CHR listener's standpoint, having Amp around isn't such a bad thing. And personally I think KLLI is a good, fun-sounding radio station that's barely gotten settled in.

When the station launched, I think Meruelo saw a good growth potential for the format in Los Angeles, considering that KXOL's sister station WSKQ has been a ratings draw in key demos and appeals to both English and Spanish-speaking Latinx people. That along with many of KLLI's core artists, like Ozuna and Bad Bunny, which have crossed over into CHR.

I imagine either KAMP or KLLI will flip to Classic Hip-Hop in the next year. If Meruelo places KDAY on 93.9, the station becomes Top 5 in 25-54 in less than six months.

 

[davideduardo]

When the station launched, I think Meruelo saw a good growth potential for the format in Los Angeles, considering that KXOL's sister station WSKQ has been a ratings draw in key demos and appeals to both English and Spanish-speaking Latinx people. That along with many of KLLI's core artists, like Ozuna and Bad Bunny, which have crossed over into CHR.

I imagine either KAMP or KLLI will flip to Classic Hip-Hop in the next year.

The disaster that has been KLLI is in part due to instability and mostly to a bad music selection, lack of good music research and a morning (formerly midday) personality that does not fit the format at all.

WSKQ in New York is targeted almost entirely at Dominicans. It has a totally different playlist that includes lots of non-reggaeton Dominican music. It's key draw is in its Dominican air personalities who are dominant and tied to the market.

KLLI right now is a dead station transmitting.