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Has KIXI's lack of local caught up to them?
- Thread starter cranky1
- Start date
It wasn't only the loss of local that made me stop listening...the music changed substantially. Under Bob Brooks with was kind of a nostalgia + old M/O/R hybrid --- the last place you could hear groups like Fifth Dimension, Carpenters, etc. in addition to much older. The MOYL syndication tends to be much older and you have to wait forever to hear one of those fairly recent cuts ... and on top of it hear talent that talks to you like you're 80. They lost me at "goodbye".
S
Seattleradiodude
Guest
Haha, i was surfin' the AM dial and landed on KIXI (before this thred) .... WOW
I was listening in the afternoon and a MORNING traffic report aired! (VT'd of course)
I just had to laugh to myself.
Kinda makes you wonder if anyone is even in the KIXI studio's or if they just punch up the sat. pot and call it good!
haha
Sandusky doesnt have much punch on the AM side, programing wise.
I was listening in the afternoon and a MORNING traffic report aired! (VT'd of course)
I just had to laugh to myself.
Kinda makes you wonder if anyone is even in the KIXI studio's or if they just punch up the sat. pot and call it good!
haha
Sandusky doesnt have much punch on the AM side, programing wise.
LITTLEBOYBLUE said:
I remembered KIXI (back on 910) and their format was the Big Bands of the '40s. My folks used to like it and over time, I kinda like it now too.
Now people who were 40 in the '70s and now in their '70s today. And folks in their 40s now grew up in the '70s (like me....DAMN! That's SCARY!)
KIXI tried to stay with the changing times in their local format and bless them for that. But this MOYL stuff is a mess. KBRD reminds me of what a MOR/Nostalgia station sounded like when I was growing up than KIXI. And I actually listened to KIXI quite often before they switched to MOYL myself.
KRWM these days sounds more like KLSY did, circa 1994. It's not the soft AC station no more. KBSG is sounding more and more like a KJR-FM clone, there's gotta be a place on the radio for those who like Gold AC, which is now OUR target demo for "Nostalgia/MOR". So THERE'S the niche a station pondering a format flip can consider. Lite stuff from the '60's, '70s, '80s. The kind of stuff I HATED when I was growing up.....
Maybe it's just the apartment management - that profession alone can change even the most solid waver, headbanger or psuedo-gangsta in years past. But I do believe when you're no longer a bachelor and you got kids, you eventually begin questioning things you never even thought of questioning at 20. Like hair length, overall lifestyle and how much trans-fat content is in that bag of potato chips you're eating.
Oh Nonononono....this CAN'T be....I'm scaring myself.....My God.....I have become one of "THEM". The same a--holes I always hated when I was growing up.....
If THIS is "the real world" and "adulthood", it SUCKS!
Seattleradiodude said:
When will Sandusky get it's act together? This group used to have 4 out of 5 stations running great. From what I see in the latest book: KIXI DOWN, with no immediate help; KQMV Down, just not as bad but way off from a year ago; WARM and KWJZ holding, but not growing much and another AM that doesn't even register on the ratings radar!
What's really sad is that KIXI had a virtual lock on this demo; they had good advertisers willing to pay and low inventory; great ratings and low costs respectively BEFORE the switchover. Now they VT the whole day with one guy and it's beyond obvious that it's killing this former cash cow in Bellevue.
My dad always said: "you have to spend money to make money....and make wise choices to prosper the business".....neither one apparently applies at this cluster nowadays. I guess greed and selfishness seemingly rules the day in Factoria. The end result from the people who know it better than me: bad radio, low profits and terrible programming at KIXI.
I really hope corporate suits look at this current "mix" of robot radio and VT at AM 880....because the end result is absolutely less money, not more!
KIXI was voice-tracking 15 years ago, before hard drives were cheap. They had 2 CD changers with identical music library so they could segue from any song to any song. Bob Liddle (sp), the all-night guy, came in one day a week to VT his next week's shows.
They did have live drive-time shows, however.
And they had "younged-up" the format over the years, to appeal to more than the 65-plus listeners.
An earlier post suggested that maybe there isn't somebody in the studio. Of course there isn't. Just like there's nobody in the studios of other radio stations that either voice-track or run satellite. If there was somebody in the studio, he/she'd be live.
Automation is not new, even in the major markets. We did it in the late 60s and again in the 70s at the old KOL. The difference today is that you can do it inside a computer instead of with a bunch of reel-to-reel decks and cart machines. And it can sound live. However, you will get the occasional Christmas spot playing in June, or the Thursday PM weather on Sunday morning, or the wrong song title, and you won't get the Charleston Heston story.
On the other hand, satellite networks can sound live too, since they usually are.
Music of Your Life, however, is voice-tracked on the bird. The worst of both worlds... not local... and not live. ABC has a similar format, and several years ago, it was live. And the old fart on the mic, although not local, had the latest 3rd quarter football score. Then one day, there were new jocks, and the songs faded at inapproriate times at the top of the hour, and it was admitted they they were voice-tracking. I think every satellite network has some formats and time slots that are totally-automated.
I know why we use satellite in some dayparts in the small market, and I know why some major market stations might use national syndicated shows like Big D & Bubba or Howard Stern in the morning, but for the life of me I don't know why a Seattle station would grab MOYL off the bird when they probably have sufficient resources to voice-track locally and have better control of their play list.
Even in Aberdeen, WA the morning shows are all live and local. And we work with a much much smaller budget.
They did have live drive-time shows, however.
And they had "younged-up" the format over the years, to appeal to more than the 65-plus listeners.
An earlier post suggested that maybe there isn't somebody in the studio. Of course there isn't. Just like there's nobody in the studios of other radio stations that either voice-track or run satellite. If there was somebody in the studio, he/she'd be live.
Automation is not new, even in the major markets. We did it in the late 60s and again in the 70s at the old KOL. The difference today is that you can do it inside a computer instead of with a bunch of reel-to-reel decks and cart machines. And it can sound live. However, you will get the occasional Christmas spot playing in June, or the Thursday PM weather on Sunday morning, or the wrong song title, and you won't get the Charleston Heston story.
On the other hand, satellite networks can sound live too, since they usually are.
Music of Your Life, however, is voice-tracked on the bird. The worst of both worlds... not local... and not live. ABC has a similar format, and several years ago, it was live. And the old fart on the mic, although not local, had the latest 3rd quarter football score. Then one day, there were new jocks, and the songs faded at inapproriate times at the top of the hour, and it was admitted they they were voice-tracking. I think every satellite network has some formats and time slots that are totally-automated.
I know why we use satellite in some dayparts in the small market, and I know why some major market stations might use national syndicated shows like Big D & Bubba or Howard Stern in the morning, but for the life of me I don't know why a Seattle station would grab MOYL off the bird when they probably have sufficient resources to voice-track locally and have better control of their play list.
Even in Aberdeen, WA the morning shows are all live and local. And we work with a much much smaller budget.
Bill Wolfenbarger said:
Bill, It's not about resources,. It's about $$. They blew out some great local talent to save $$. Along with that talent they blew out the only people on staff that really knew how to program 880. It's that simple. Sandusky has never believed in any of their AM properties. They had multiple chances to improve programming, promotions and technical plant on both 1150 and 880 and refused to pull the trigger. And amen to MOYL being beyond lame. Bring back Jack Morton and Jim & Jim...
Honestly doesn't everyone with an AM station have a big problem?
Most AMs aren't in the top 10, attract older listeners if ANY, and are LIKE I HAVE SAID FOR A FEW YEARS HAVING A NIGHTMARE OF A PROBLEM WITH HD.
If I had ANY AM station I would sell NOW to any buyer quick! It is over!
KIXI is the least of the problem AMs out there.
Most AMs aren't in the top 10, attract older listeners if ANY, and are LIKE I HAVE SAID FOR A FEW YEARS HAVING A NIGHTMARE OF A PROBLEM WITH HD.
If I had ANY AM station I would sell NOW to any buyer quick! It is over!
KIXI is the least of the problem AMs out there.
mimo said:
I think the point was: IT DIDN'T HAVE TO END UP THIS WAY. These owners just got so greedy and sucked the life right out of their own cash cows. The issue isn't about technology either. The listeners are still there, but the owners better wake up and see that their bad choices on the AM side of things could easily just as soon happen on the FM SIDE of the dial as well!
You've got to give people a REASON to LISTEN. Too many suits cannot figure this out today and you're right,
it's driving people straight towards other media devices that will deliver for them.
Money...cash...moolah! Thats it folks!
Sandusky flipped to the bird because it saved money, and for the most part, wouldnt disrupt the programming. The average listener, aka people unlike us, probably didnt notice the flip. Sure, some song titles and artists were lost, but the concept stayed the same. As I assume the billing did...and now they are saving all that money too!
As for the person in studio, I think there might be. I know that they have board ops in studio while VTs fly at MOViN.
Sandusky flipped to the bird because it saved money, and for the most part, wouldnt disrupt the programming. The average listener, aka people unlike us, probably didnt notice the flip. Sure, some song titles and artists were lost, but the concept stayed the same. As I assume the billing did...and now they are saving all that money too!
As for the person in studio, I think there might be. I know that they have board ops in studio while VTs fly at MOViN.
Isn't it ALWAYS about money? Since oh 3000 BC?
And by the way for the "localism" crowd, you have been sold a load.
Localism means less than nothing.
The only radio that will get ratings and make money instead of saving it by cutting back is COMPELLING TALENT. Be it from NEW YORK, ISTANBUL OR A FREAKIN' CAT BOX BEHIND THE TOILET!
And by the way for the "localism" crowd, you have been sold a load.
Localism means less than nothing.
The only radio that will get ratings and make money instead of saving it by cutting back is COMPELLING TALENT. Be it from NEW YORK, ISTANBUL OR A FREAKIN' CAT BOX BEHIND THE TOILET!
I'm not surprised that on a radio board the big answer always seems to be "THE SOLUTION IS US!! WE MAKE THE STATIONS WHAT THE ARE"
But there IS something to localism that has nothing to do with talent. (TV coverage aside) when a bus rolls over a bridge, a shooting happens at a Jewish Center, an earthquake hits ... gotta gently break it to you that PEOPLE AREN'T TUNING IN BECAUSE OF YOU. And considerably unlikely that someone in New York is going to dedicate their national show to a little ol' crisis breaking in Seattle. And that doesn't even count the things like a fallen public service hero for whose family a station raises some money, a legendary Children's show clown who has fallen on ill health ... many ways that LOCAL kicks some serious butt.
Unfortunately ... to be able to do most of these things you often have to fight the dang NATIONAL consultants who come in with some stupid briefcase full of bogus research and inform everyone this stuff is "clutter".
But there IS something to localism that has nothing to do with talent. (TV coverage aside) when a bus rolls over a bridge, a shooting happens at a Jewish Center, an earthquake hits ... gotta gently break it to you that PEOPLE AREN'T TUNING IN BECAUSE OF YOU. And considerably unlikely that someone in New York is going to dedicate their national show to a little ol' crisis breaking in Seattle. And that doesn't even count the things like a fallen public service hero for whose family a station raises some money, a legendary Children's show clown who has fallen on ill health ... many ways that LOCAL kicks some serious butt.
Unfortunately ... to be able to do most of these things you often have to fight the dang NATIONAL consultants who come in with some stupid briefcase full of bogus research and inform everyone this stuff is "clutter".
Seems to me local works pretty well. With the rare exception of a Howard Stern or Rush the local talent seems to take on the national talent pretty well. The top stations in this market generally have strong talent in place. I also find that true in major markets around the Country. Sadly in smaller and medium markets you see the impact of national shows like Bob and Tom, Bob and Sheri, Kidd Kraddick and more. Still in these markets, good local talent wins. In Seattle even the national talk talent does not perform as well as the local counterparts. Dave Ross, Ron and Don, Dori all beat the national shows aired in this market, including Rush. Hannity, Ingraham, the KPTK lineup, all do not perform as well. There is something to localism.
Disagree. Talent is the leading compulsion for people to tune into top stations.
They may "know" Seattle, but everyone here "knows" Seattle, so what?
They offer experience, knowledge and style that makes them worth listening to at KMPS, KUBE, KRWM or KIRO as opposed to the more automated choices down the dial like KJR FM, KJAQ, and countless others.
They may "know" Seattle, but everyone here "knows" Seattle, so what?
They offer experience, knowledge and style that makes them worth listening to at KMPS, KUBE, KRWM or KIRO as opposed to the more automated choices down the dial like KJR FM, KJAQ, and countless others.
Agree with the above two. Local talent...note I said TALENT, not just liner card/promo suite readers will win every time. That KIXI is starting to slip helps make the point. There was an earlier comment that Sandusky flipped to the MOYL bird cuz it was not very musically disruptive, that the average listener would scarcely notice...all true but they did notice the lame on-air presentation and are slowly drifting away never to be replaced with any fresh cume either. Yet another local AM sucked dry and it's problems being blamed on the fact that it's Ampliotude modulation rather than Frequency modulation. The trouble is not with the modulation scheme, it's with the weak programming.spectacle said:
Yep! I'll say it once and say it again a thousand times.
TALENT IS EVERYTHING.
Just like Clear Channel, Entercom and others were deceived that money and ownership meant the future, so can YOU all be deceived too!
The latest stupidest and most psychotic deception is that gimmicks, formulae, promotions, management, consultants, tricks, systems, etc., make a winner. OH NO THEY DON'T!
TALENT IS EVERYTHING.
Just like Clear Channel, Entercom and others were deceived that money and ownership meant the future, so can YOU all be deceived too!
The latest stupidest and most psychotic deception is that gimmicks, formulae, promotions, management, consultants, tricks, systems, etc., make a winner. OH NO THEY DON'T!
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