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From The KOMO 15-hour-a-day (Or Less) Newsroom

M

multiplex

I can understand the probable reasons, but disappointed that two weeks ago KOMO axed much of their all-night news, replaced by Carlson and Schram reruns.
To be fair, KOMO does have on-air-ready producers, something many other news stations don't have. Still, it's bad enough that we have six hours of talk on a "news" station; now the bulk of the all-night shift is talk reruns, with some news being done by the producer/editors.
Consequently we hear discussions about events which are imminent live but have already taken place by the time they're re-aired overnight.
I realize that news is an expensive format to run, and that radio's economics aren't pretty.
But I'm not a fan of talk radio, and most of my listening has been middays and overnights. No longer, because I'm not getting news.
I now spend more time listening to out-of-market online stations that provide updated news, not outdated talk.
I hope this move doesn't signal a diminished commitment to the news format, but at least to me, talk isn't news, and the more talk I hear, the less likely I'm going to listen to a station when news is what I'm looking for.
 
Not like anything newsworthy happens after suppertime, no? A few years ago, KOMO-AM admitted to me that they only had one person on duty on the weekends to cover breaking local news, when I called in to inquire about what I felt was shoddy reporting on a demonstration to mark the 3rd anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. The scant staffing probably explains why they air so many reports from their TV station, without even rewriting or editing them for radio.
And for that matter, I think people who run most of the so-called "news talk" stations on AM radio today, where they depend mostly syndicated uber-conversative ranters, don't think "news" happens until they get their daily talking points e-mail from the Heritage Foundation.
I'm ready for webstreaming radio in my car now, thank you.
 
As I recall, Larry King started building a base by doing all-night talk on Mutual Network. Is there any kind of network that airs non-stop news live (world & national ... much like what ABC or CBS does on TV overnight? Seems that would be a useful service for many news stations around the country to air overnights .. preserving the news "brand" and also giving some air time for in-depth coverage of various national issues. Think "Nightline" for radio?? I know there's no shortage of TALK shows ... but news feeds??
 
An interesting discussion. From a branding standpoint, 24 hour all-news works. However, I wonder if this is effective for markets other than Los Angeles and New York, or perhaps Chicago. KOMO did a good job, but other than traffic incidents, not sure how this works for stations like KOMO.

Not sure what the answer is for KOMO. I certainly like their all-news philosophy, but wonder if it can garner ratings. (And the introduction of talk during certain dayparts just diminishes this brand).
 
LITTLEBOYBLUE said:
As I recall, Larry King started building a base by doing all-night talk on Mutual Network. Is there any kind of network that airs non-stop news live (world & national ... much like what ABC or CBS does on TV overnight? Seems that would be a useful service for many news stations around the country to air overnights .. preserving the news "brand" and also giving some air time for in-depth coverage of various national issues. Think "Nightline" for radio?? I know there's no shortage of TALK shows ... but news feeds??
Click to expand...

The BBC World Service is the closest thing to that now in the area.....

Doesn't AP have a 24/7 news feed, updated every three hours or so? I know KNWX (1090/770/1210) had them for most of their run. Or did AP scrap that?

KKNW still has CNN overnights....I think.....
 
AP eliminated their 'all news service' several years ago. Sadly.

What KOMO is doing is nothing new for Fisher.

Remember when they decided they liked Ernie Brown so well in morning drive they also had him come back and do afternoon drive? A talk host doing both drive times! That worked out great.

Remember when they absurdly tried running last night's Coast to Coast in afternoon drive? It was especially compelling radio on some Mondays when Art Bell would be talking about some time-specific Friday evening news event or upcoming weekend news or sporting event, and then KOMO would run that in afternoon drive on Monday. Imagine, a so-called major market radio station running a syndicated late night talk show in afternoon drive more than 48 hours after it's original air time.

After years and years and years of being the doofus station that couldn't find it's footing, KOMO finally gets a legitimate foothold in the Seattle market with an all-news format. Then first, Fisher dorks it up by putting on mid-day talk shows and now they dork it up further.

It's a shame, really. Many of us clamor for more local ownership. But then we watch real local owners prove to be incompetent at doing radio.

They know how to do spreadsheets and forecasts and staff reductions. But with KVI and now KOMO, they're proving they just don't know how to do radio.
 
KOMO has always been that "Neccessary Evil" in the Fisher food chain. They seem to go hot and cold, regardless of who's at the wheelhouse or economic conditions. That said, rolling tapes and digitals may lose an audience but it does cut out a paycheck w/benefits. Just sayin'...
 
This is disappointing. A few years ago I had a job making overnight deliveries with a route that covered Edmonds all the way up to Lynden. I kept the trucks radio tuned to KOMO for their up to the minute news, traffic and weather. The frequent weather updates were essential during the snowy winter months. It was also nice to hear live radio personalities like Gary Burleigh to whom I would sometimes call in with traffic reports of my own. I am sure there are many over night drivers who tune in to KOMO. I hope this is just a temporary programming decision.
 
lol.

KOMO-AM is definitely trying to find their way, and their FM in the south sound does little for them. They need to find a way to move to a better FM signal in Seattle. It is very unlikely they will cannibalize KPLZ, but I'm guessing they are searching for other FM signals to compete with KIRO. While KIRO hasn't exactly exploded on FM, this is where the game will take place in the next decade.
 
Funny thing about that signal on 97.7 is that is appears to be one of the strongest signals in Western Washington. It was the only station I could get steadily on a recent flight into Seattle on my mp3 player in seat 23A as we approached the Cascades and until it was time to "turn off all electronics" as we prepared to land. I'm not fond of their heavily compressed, overly-loud sound on my car or kitchen radio. It's exhausting.
 
97.7 can be heard in Yakima, over the Cascades about 110 miles away from it's city of license of Oakville.

-crainbebo
 
My guess is your air experience was based on your approach. Did you fly in from the south? If so, then this signal would have been overpowering as you flew into Sea-Tac over the SE metro. I have experienced this as well, but I kept my radio on. The flight attendants sometimes catch you, sometimes not!
 
Goldilocks94941 said:
Funny thing about that signal on 97.7 is that is appears to be one of the strongest signals in Western Washington. It was the only station I could get steadily on a recent flight into Seattle on my mp3 player in seat 23A as we approached the Cascades and until it was time to "turn off all electronics" as we prepared to land. I'm not fond of their heavily compressed, overly-loud sound on my car or kitchen radio. It's exhausting.
Click to expand...

97.7 does great until you get into the Everett/Marysville area, Then CBUF overrides......
 
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