Entercom takes over Bonneville's SF stations

[FightingIrish]

"but maxx? they will definitely change that. i would put money on a top 40 station, or if they really wanna stir up trouble .... make it a rock station like 98 rock"

I wouldn't argue at all that Entercom will change Max-FM, and might consider flipping KDFC, but I'd like some realistic radio professionals posting here to tell me what format holes there are to fill. I'm definitely no expert, so perhaps I'm missing something, but the SF market seems different to me. The market has been dominated by the same stations for many years - KGO and KOIT. Unlike most markets, we have both a Classical and All-News station consistently in the top 5, and listening habits here don't seem to change much.

If you look at the history, no Top 40 station has done well since 610/KFRC in the 70s. Top 40 formats either flip (KYUU, KITS, Z95.7) or morph into something else (KMEL). Clear Channel is not a stupid corporation - if Top 40 is a potential ratings leader, why aren't they programming it on either 94.9 or 101.3?

Country stations have been a flop here for about 2 decades now - why would "The Wolf" be a hit when "The Bear" was a non-starter? Maybe we should switch from mammals to amphibians, and a "Froggy" would work better? Does Entercom really know some special secret that would make these formats work where others have failed?

New formats don't seem to do well in the Bay Area either - witness Max-FM with the Jack format, and the not-very encouraging reception that Movin is getting.

There's been some successful CHR's since the heyday of KFRC, though none enjoyed the longevity of 610. KITS had some brief success with their "Hot Hits" thing in the early-mid 80s, until it burned out and they went straight CHR until they gradually evolved into modern rock. When "Hot Hits" came on, even jocks at other stations talked about it! KMEL got out of the AOR war and became a CHR in 1986, and had some success in fighting KITS. A few years later they started to shift toward a more rhythmic direction. Then came X100, which was basically a reimaged, younger-skewing KYUU. X100 didn't do much, though. KFRC's owners bought them and it became KFRC-FM, playing oldies.

And wasn't 98.9 briefly a CHR in the late 80s? I recall they were a flash in the pan. I had moved out of the Bay Area by then.

The thing is, nowadays, most CHR stations sound pretty much like what KYLD is doing. Rhythmic music dominates the format. For the non-rhythmic stuff, Alice and Star have that covered. Clear Channel seems to have created a flank of sorts with KMEL/Wild/Star, ensuring that no CHR station has a chance in that market.

 

[ricoontheradio]

Clear Channel seems to have created a flank of sorts with KMEL/Wild/Star, ensuring that no CHR station has a chance in that market.

This is what they're good at. They also have Kiss for KMEL's listeners to "age" into. And then KKSF from there.

Does it mean CHR can't be done successfully? Not necessarily, but if someone tries it again, they better be ready to spend serious money on content and marketing. It will be a challenge.

 

[DrAkbar]

We suspect TMISU have been approached about 12~sixty over the years and already have a strong cash buyer. One less thing for Entercom to worry about. And get that silly idea about KWhyA returning with an oldies format out of your head. The Nurse and I think this is a bigger deal for Bonneville than Entercom.

 

[JustinT]

Re KDFC: Entercom's record on classical is not encouraging.

Classical listeners in Boston were alarmed when Gretaer Media acquired Charles River Broadcasting's heritage classical WCRB, knowing what the company did to WFLN/Phila. and WQRS/Detroit in 1997. But they should be glad Greater Media outbid Entercom for Charles River Broadcasting's heritage classical WCRB -- not because Greater Media wouldn't have flipped to something more commercial if they could have, but because they couldn't. G. Media only wanted the superior 102.5 Boston signal for their country station, which was on a Class B rimshot 30 miles or so away. They swapped the formats before selling the former country channel to Nassau, which operates some smaller classical outlets in Maine, and may make the WCRB the new flagship for its classical group.

Entercom, which had only four (not five) FM's in Boston, would have dropped classical, as they've done elsewhere.

Nope. Entercom executives publically stated that they would have moved WCRB to their 107.3 frequency, trading places with active rocker WAAF. 99.5, where WCRB ended up, is really no better than 107.3; both stations sound poor in downtown Boston and both miss parts of the metro area.

And Entercom only owned two FMs in Boston at the time, both of which are rimshots: WMKK 93.7 and WAAF 107.3. WKAF 97.7 was added to the stable because the WCRB deal did not go through, and WEEI-FM 103.7 is a Providence station.

 

[RadioStarOne]

The idea is simple change KDFC to whatever Entercom likes the best, and then Bonneville moves the classicial music format and calls KDFC over to 1260 AM and then donates the frequency to one of the local colleges music library and all. Case closed! You can't see it coming? I can, no brainer!

Don't you just love it Sue Hall gets booted from CBS and get hired at The Max and now most likely will get booted again by Entercom. Radio has no pride!

Entercom may even move the Classicial format back over to the Max 95.7. One never knows though!

 

[LKellerIII]

"The idea is simple change KDFC to whatever Entercom likes the best, and then Bonneville moves the classicial music format and calls KDFC over to 1260 AM and then donates the frequency to one of the local colleges music library and all. Case closed! You can't see it coming? I can, no brainer!

Entercom may even move the Classicial format back over to the Max 95.7. One never knows though!"

OK - so which is it? If classical is such a worthless format that it's not worth a stereo hi-fi (FM) frequency, why would they consider moving it to the stronger 95.7 signal? I don't know what the respective power and directionality of 95.7 aqnd 102.1 are - but I live in San Francisco and like to tune in KDFC on occasion. 102.1 suffers from a lot of drop-offs, hisses and pops that I don't hear on 95.7. Perhaps it's more noticeable because classical music has a lot of soft, quiet passages, but it seems to me that 95.7 is the stronger signal.

Also - I doubt Bonneville wants to hold onto 1260 - imagine the difficulty trying to sell time on a stand-alone AM with a weak signal. What would work there - another talk format, considering KNEW and the Quake barely rate in the 1s? All News? Not likely. Maverick broadcaster Saul Levine couldn't make classical K-Mozart work on AM and flipped it to a canned Oldies format before it became the K-Pig repeater. Another religious or Asian station is more likely.

 

[asstprince]

Oh my gosh! I would cry if Entercom flip KOIT and/or KDFC. These are two of my favorite stations!

It would be very nice tho, to see them make some changes to Max-FM. Since I read on previous posts that they are good at programming a radio station, I would say... flip MAX-FM (unless they can make the station better without flipping) to Country, or CHR! The two format that Bay Area needs. This would also put some pressure on Movin' 99.7 (Although I have nothing against the station, I think they sounded great!)

As for 1260AM.... An Asian format would be nice.... Like KAZN in LA!

Just my thoughts... "but.... you don't have to take my words for it"

 

[1069_KIFR]

When does the official take over happen?

 

[XM RADIO]

I would hope Entercom would come in and "Clean House" on the Max and its "Sad Excuse for a Format" I say Simulcast 95.7 and 1260!! Give the Bay Area back what it Deserves, please no Asian station, Lets hear some Music! In a perfect world It would be to have the station owned by the following , John Mack Flanagan, Chris Edwards, Bobby Ocean, and we all know what the format would be!! It would be worth listening to, As for that ever so annoying voice over guy on The Max the sale cant come soon enough! Make the right decision Entercom. Kenny in Concord

 

[LKellerIII]

"Lets hear some Music! In a perfect world It would be to have the station owned by the following , John Mack Flanagan, Chris Edwards, Bobby Ocean, and we all know what the format would be!!"

Well, personally, that would be fine with me. The only real format hole I can think of around here is Oldies/Classic Hits, which has been missing since CBS flipped 99.7. We've been told over and over that Oldies doesn't work anymore, but a lot of people believe that the Classic Hits (70s, 80s) version of KFRC with Jo Jo Kincaid as the anchor was growing, and would have done well if given time to grow. Classic Hits on 95.7 might do well, and even retain some of Max-FM's small audience. 1260 is really irrelevant though - how many people listened to KFRC on 610AM? I'm sure 90% of all their listeners tuned in 99.7. As for bringing back the KYA call letters - great for nostalgia, but I don't think the FCC ever grants 3 letter calls anymore - the only exception I know of is LA - where the current owners of 930 AM (Spanish format) successfully petitioned to bring back the KHJ call letters. But those calls had previously been assigned to that frequency.

 

[DougR]

Let's ignore the fact that oldies is a dead format.

Entercom is getting a station that already has a strong 45+ audience with the classical format at KDFC. They did not give up as much as they did to get two stations going after the same piece of pie. Especially when it is not the money demo and they are just picking up the crumbs that KGO leaves for them anyway with that older audience.

And, it makes no sense to kill KDFC to go to oldies since KDFC has strong numbers in that demo and bills decently. You are going from a know thing to a gamble with really no upside.

I can see MAX flipping. But no chance it becomes oldies.

 

[Kent]

As for bringing back the KYA call letters - great for nostalgia, but I don't think the FCC ever grants 3 letter calls anymore - the only exception I know of is LA - where the current owners of 930 AM (Spanish format) successfully petitioned to bring back the KHJ call letters. But those calls had previously been assigned to that frequency.

KYA was on 1260 at one time. The FCC will allow the owner who changed the three letter calls to get them back, but no one else can. So, if Bonneville changed 1260 from KYA to KOIT or whatever else, they can have them back. If it was another owner, they're gone forever. The FCC made an exception for KHJ because of potential vulgarity of being KKHJ in Spanish.

 

[CarterB]

As for bringing back the KYA call letters - great for nostalgia, but I don't think the FCC ever grants 3 letter calls anymore - the only exception I know of is LA - where the current owners of 930 AM (Spanish format) successfully petitioned to bring back the KHJ call letters. But those calls had previously been assigned to that frequency.

KYA was on 1260 at one time.

The FCC will allow the owner who changed the three letter calls to get them back, but no one else can. So, if Bonneville changed 1260 from KYA to KOIT or whatever else, they can have them back. If it was another owner, they're gone forever. The FCC made an exception for KHJ because of potential vulgarity of being KKHJ in Spanish.

 

[CarterB]

The KOIT Am transmitter atop Candelstick hill has a bit of history connected to its transmitter building. It was designed by Julia Morgan, who also designed San Simion and the Chapel of the Chimes in the East bay.

 

[XM RADIO]

Thanks Carter B Smith, I would really like to see KYA 1260 back on the air!! Theres nothing worth listening to on Bay Area Radio!! Ive waited long enough for KYA 1260 to be back on the air!! The last song they played when they signed off in 1983 was "Exodus" by Ferrante and Teicher, It was Paula Kelly and J. Parker Antrim who took it till midnight, then it was "Lite Rock"!! I would like to see a reunion of all the KYA/KSFO DJs come on the air for "A Blast From Our Past" Starting with the "Emperor Gene Nelson" and every other KYA DJ that made that station a Legend!! BossRadioDj any comments? Kenny in Concord A KYA Loyal Listener since 1962!!!

 

[Madmansam]

Thanks Carter B Smith, I would really like to see KYA 1260 back on the air!! Theres nothing worth listening to on Bay Area Radio!! Ive waited long enough for KYA 1260 to be back on the air!! The last song they played when they signed off in 1983 was "Exodus" by Ferrante and Teicher, It was Paula Kelly and J. Parker Antrim who took it till midnight, then it was "Lite Rock"!!

Actually the format then on 96.5 which 1260 simulcasted was "Beautiful Music" aka "Elevator Music" aka "Easy Listening Music". 96.5 didn't become AC or "Lite Rock" until 1985.

 

[RadioStarOne]

When Bonneville took over the 1260 Kya frequency the calls were changed with a format of jazz and business news and lasted until the simulcast with KOIT began. KLXR or maybe it was KXLR.

 

[Madmansam]

When Bonneville took over the 1260 Kya frequency the calls were changed with a format of jazz and business news and lasted until the simulcast with KOIT began. KLXR or maybe it was KXLR.

Actually, Bonneville didn't change KOIT-1260 to KXLR until July 15, 1985, a full year and a half after they took over KYA in December 1983 from King Broadcasting. They were KOIT and Beautiful Music from 1983 until 1985 then switched to KXLR and a mix of Jazz, Business News and World News. That only lasted until January 23, 1986 when they switched calls back to KOIT but the format at 96.5 was Lite Rock by then.

 

[SFStatic]

So KING already had the KYA-FM calls on 93.3 at that time? Otherwise they couldn't have gotten a 3 letter call according to a post above. KSFO--KYA-FM, the longest darned jingles!

 

[Kent]

So KING already had the KYA-FM calls on 93.3 at that time? Otherwise they couldn't have gotten a 3 letter call according to a post above. KSFO--KYA-FM, the longest darned jingles!

If my memory is correct, KYA was 1260/93.3. They spun 1260 off when they acquired KSFO, or something like that. 93.3 kept the KYA-FM calls, and FCC rules required 1260 to change at the time.