Half of KOOL Morning Crew gets the Ax

[Linen]

First Bill Gardner, now John Michaels. I can't listen anymore.

 

[mrpbp]

junkmail said: Why wouldn't KOOL "copy KEZ" they kick A#$%^*^% in the ratings in December with their Christmas music. Who wouldn't want a share of that? Pretty smart I think.

Dude, what kind of glue are you sniffing? KOOL's move is patently ridiculous. They gave up their advantage against KSLX, and jumped into the Jesus pool way too early. This will bode poorly for the station, and will shave just a bit off of KEZ's fall juggernaut. Remember, KEZ is the "Christmas Station."

 

[KOOL Listener Lauren]

junkmail said: Why wouldn't KOOL "copy KEZ" they kick A#$%^*^% in the ratings in December with their Christmas music. Who wouldn't want a share of that? Pretty smart I think.

Dude, what kind of glue are you sniffing? KOOL's move is patently ridiculous. They gave up their advantage against KSLX, and jumped into the Jesus pool way too early. This will bode poorly for the station, and will shave just a bit off of KEZ's fall juggernaut. Remember, KEZ is the "Christmas Station."

Not this Christmas, KEZ isn't.

I must be sniffing the glue too, or how about those researchers? Why do you think in the case of KOOL, the benefits of the all-Christmas format do not highly outweigh the small draw-backs that may come from it? Personally as a listener, I don't love it, but this has got to be the best thing to do (especially given the recent happenings). And, you're suggesting that KSLX is a threat this season?

I just read in a blog this morning that WCBS-FM has about gone for it too. WCBS-FM-- one of the best-- must almost be the latest fool?

 

[KOOL Listener Lauren]

To add more to the post above... I've given it more thought and here's why I think KOOL has done it right.

1. They've beaten KEZ to their own game.
2. We haven't heard all-automation and no on-air personalities with the all-Christmas format like we did last year.
3. Christmas is the "season of giving", and there's no shortage of Christmas gifts... or prizes, being given away to the listeners.
4. Everybody is in the best mood, and any listener can hear it... thus, taking the mind off all of the horrible things that have happened this year. The Christmas "spirit" IS present!
5. And of course, it's a proven ratings winner, is it not?

I'd like to see a KOOL Christmas video, kind of like the Y-95 one on YouTube, except made for the listeners. It could be sent out on one of their promotional KOOL Loyal Listener emails. Prove time and time again for the season to be a fun one.

 

[DrAkbar]

To add more to the post above... I've given it more thought and here's why I think KOOL has done it right.

1. They've beaten KEZ to their own game.
2. We haven't heard all-automation and no on-air personalities with the all-Christmas format like we did last year.
3. Christmas is the "season of giving", and there's no shortage of Christmas gifts... or prizes, being given away to the listeners.
4. Everybody is in the best mood, and any listener can hear it... thus, taking the mind off all of the horrible things that have happened this year. The Christmas "spirit" IS present!
5. And of course, it's a proven ratings winner, is it not?

Very persuasive arguments KLL, but the Nurse and I beg to differ.

1) KOOL didn't beat KEZ to the game, they started the game two months before XMAS.
2) With the exception of AMD, most music listeners could give a lump of coal about on-air personalities.
3) By launching all XMAS music on Halloween, all KOOL has given us is nausea.
4) XMAS music is valium for troubled times? We'll gladly take the stock market crash, high unemployment, rampant foreclosures and Aunt Carlos doing his All Saint Johns All the time talk show!
5) We agree....but for only one station. KEZ has owned the Xmas Music position for many a silent night.

Other than that, hope to see you at the Buckeye Media Hut's annual Xmas party this year. Nurse Jeff will be driving over served guests home in our '76 Gremlin.

(ps - tell Luvable One the party this year is December 26th!)

 

[landtuna]

KOOL's personal changes and Christmas music blitz have driven me full-time to KSLX and KYOT.

KOOL doesn't even rate a push button any longer.

How smart was that?

 

[KOOL Listener Lauren]

Very persuasive arguments KLL, but the Nurse and I beg to differ.

Thanks, Doc!

1) KOOL didn't beat KEZ to the game, they started the game two months before XMAS.

KOOL beat KEZ to the game by previewing the all-Christmas starting 5pm on Halloween, all throughout that weekend and ending on Monday morning. I believe KEZ didn't start until the week after, exactly when KOOL restarted the Christmas (5pm?).

Of course, none of us would truly know if KOOL can beat KEZ at this ratings-wise, until the book comes out. But I'm a believer.

2) With the exception of AMD, most music listeners could give a lump of coal about on-air personalities.

I have two arguments about this:

1. If you're going to be playing nothing but Christmas music, you absolutely better have some personality or entertainment there. If not, why stick around through an occasional Christmas songs you might not care for, and just go all-out and pick your own favorites? Now you know why people revert to .mp3 players, iPods, satellite radio, Pandora, etc.

2. By having no personality, it ruins everything that would have made KOOL "do it right" (says the SOS Band), or at least decent, depending on your point of view. There wouldn't be prizes given out like Christmas presents to the listeners, no entertainment and no involvement with the listeners. It's like closing up shop for the winter and throwing on a never-ending CD of Christmas songs on repeat. I think listeners DO get this, and KOOL listeners, from my experience, have always been more loyal and enjoyed actual personalities more than listeners of other stations.

4) XMAS music is valium for troubled times? We'll gladly take the stock market crash, high unemployment, rampant foreclosures and Aunt Carlos doing his All Saint Johns All the time talk show!

You could think of it as Valium, Doc. ;D

Other than that, hope to see you at the Buckeye Media Hut's annual Xmas party this year. Nurse Jeff will be driving over served guests home in our '76 Gremlin.

Sounds good, you can count me in. Now, I'd bake a humble pie to take over for you so you don't have to bother or risk burning the hut down (shh, don't tell Jay), but somehow I forgot the ingredients.

 

[landtuna]

Now, I'd bake a humble pie to take over for you so you don't have to bother or risk burning the hut down (shh, don't tell Jay), but somehow I forgot the ingredients.

Equal parts humble and pie. Stir until elbow hurts. Bake until done.

What could be simpler? ;D

 

[EvanO]

You're the biggest KOOL fan / listener I know....so you can probably tell me
what is the current jock line-up at 94.5 ?

Thanks!

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Unless something else has changed in the past few days, and
"your Christmas wanna-be station" temporary format aside...

5am-9am
Tom Peake and Maria Knight
--Don't know who's producing, with the latest RIFs--maybe
Peaker is running his own board now, and I assume Maria
is doing news.

9am-3pm
Steve Goddard
--Six hour shift in middays? Yeah, but 1-3pm is voicetracked. :

3pm-8pm
Camelback Jack
--7-8pm is voicetracked.

8pm-1am
Tom Kent
--The classic hits syndicated wonderboy. I'd like to say he's
responsible for local/live evening jocks becoming nearly
extinct, but he's just the messenger, and you really want to
(figuratively) shoot Dan Mason and his bean counters, and
maybe a market manager or two.

1am-5am
? ? ? ?
--It was (former AMD producer) Lee Bortel voicetracked, but he
was RIFed down to weekends/fill or something similar.

Accuracy of the above, and who currently does weekends and when,
is at best a crapshoot as I haven't listened to KOOL for a couple of
weeks due to their temporary KESZ clone status. "Oh I wish I had an
Arby-Tron diary..." ;D

 

[EvanO]

3pm-8pm
Camelback Jack
--7-8pm is voicetracked.

So, Jack does a three hour show? Wow.....'cuz I do a 5 hour show daily here at K-Dock and it's
almost the same kind of format (if I read Lauren's post correctly)

Guess he's busy doing other station business as well.

Rock n Roll !

 

[oldiesfan6479]

3pm-8pm
Camelback Jack
--7-8pm is voicetracked.

So, Jack does a three hour show?

Four hours live (3-7), one hour VTed. Although his last live talk break is
usually going into the 6:50 stopset.

Even when Jack, Steve and the weekenders are live, they don't really talk
that much during music sweeps. It's typically song...image voice liner...
song...jingle...song...live jock segue...song...lather/rinse/repeat. They do
more of a talk break going into stopsets.

PD Kris is of course invited to stop by and offer any needed corrections.

Disclaimer: the above "listener's impression" applies during the normal classic
hits programming and may vary currently while the Rambler Of Ratings Doom
is double-parked outside of the KOY Building. We can only hope that, in one
of its test runs, the K-Lite Rail train broadsides the CBS Christmas Clunker,
and we get our radio station back. ;D

 

[desertv]

Why can't our KOOL be more like Tucson's COOL oldies 1450 (KWFM)?- Heavy 60s, with a smattering of 50s and 70s music.

 

[justthenumbers]

Why can't our KOOL be more like Tucson's COOL oldies 1450 (KWFM)?- Heavy 60s, with a smattering of 50s and 70s music.

KWFM can probably get away with focusing on the 60's because they are on the AM band (less pressure to focus on the 25-54 demo).

 

[davideduardo]

Why can't our KOOL be more like Tucson's COOL oldies 1450 (KWFM)?- Heavy 60s, with a smattering of 50s and 70s music.

... because agencies don't buy 55+ and what you describe is pure 55+.

 

[landtuna]

At least there is no listening difference between AM and FM on a streaming signal.

DE: Do you have that response on a hot key?