HEY BONNEVILLE!...WAKE UP! THE SOUND AIN'T WORKIN!!

[airpab]

You gave CBS the opportunity you blew, by not going after KIIS! Cut your losses now and flip to 100.3 FM TALK...and then push the crap out of the return of FM TALK in L.A.


Unless you love getting 0.7's and think you can sell that to advertisers, ya might wanna see what's right in front of you??

-Try to buy-out the contracts of the talent at KLSX...if you can?
-Then offer them half of what they were making at CBS....Somehow, I think they'd go for it...and if not, there's plenty of other good talent out there


KLSX brought in significant revenue and had very decent numbers in their Demo's! You have the Mt. Wilson stick and a Supreme Opportunity! Do it before Emmis wakes up with MOVIN!!

 

[4UH8SIMBKAGN]

Bonneville would never have done CHR. They lost no opportunity.

Bonneville would never do a KLSX style talk format.

Emmis is the only company that should have gone mainstream CHR with Movin. At least two Movin stations, Salt Lake City and San Francisco, have headed in that direction in just the last few weeks.

SBS, although heavily rumored to be trading or selling KXOL, is the other company that missed the opportunity to go mainstream CHR.

Just as well that neither SBS or Emmis did, each of them would have blown it. CBS won't.

The only kind of talk you would hear on a Bonneville station is one that would compete directly with KFI.

 

[radiolives]

Bonneville could do news/talk format which they have many of on FM in other markets like Washington D.C. and Phoenix, AZ. I wonder if CBS Radio ever had that idea with 97.1 by moving one of their news/talk AM stations their just like they did in San Francisco. Not that the AMP Radio idea is a bad one.

 

[MarkW]

When taking into consideration peformance of existing stations on the dial in L.A., and the formats where Bonneville has expertise, by far the most likely possible future format for 100.3 is Mainstream AC.

 

[Todd]

It's the return of KXEZ... coming soon... hahaha!

 

[scalito]

I agree the Sound isn't working. It's too sleepy. I get bored after a few songs. I wish they would go a similar route to my favorite station, KINK Classx, a web based station that offers the best alternative, 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's music. Their music mix is better than anything I hear on local radio. www.kinkclassx.com

 

[accessdlp]

Again, please remember who OWNS Bonneville. The LDS is probably not interested in a guy who tells men how to get women into bed with less money...and a athiest as well, a bisexual woman, or one half of The Man Show.

As for the Sound, give it a year before playing any derges.

 

[SuperRadioFan]

You mean give it another year...? April 8, 2009 will be one year.

Glenn originally predicted 18 months from the beginning so that makes it in Ocober if he's correct.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

You mean give it another year...? April 8, 2009 will be one year.

Glenn originally predicted 18 months from the beginning so that makes it in Ocober if he's correct.

Glenn isn't the only one. On April 8 of last year I also gave it the same year and a half (see reprinted post below). I think a few others gave it a similar timeframe. Not rooting against the station mind you, in fact, I am one of the less than 1% that actually listen to it. But business is business and predictions are not based on what I like. As predictions go, this one wasn't the hardest to formulate and unfortunately, it is right on schedule to come true. So sad.

There are still millions of white people in LA. It's a huge city. Moreover, not everyone who is "ethnic" dislikes rock. Fellow KSCA listeners in my dorm back when I was in college here in LA included a Mexican guy from Downey, a girl from India, an Asian guy from Stockton, an ethnic Hawaiian, and an African-American guy who grew up in Capetown, South Africa. That group attended a Paul Simon concert at the Forum!

I used to listen to it too. Liked the station a lot. Bought CDs of artists they played that nobody else did. (Example: Southern Culture on the Skids).

The problem is niether I nor one of your roommates ever filled out a diary for them.

By design, the diaries go to the demos, and as has been posted eloquently here and on other threads by David and Glenn, the sheer numbers dictate that people like us will never receive enough diaries to return to suport the station. I doubt the addition of PPM will change that, although I would love to be proven wrong in this regard.

This station has 18 months to live. Enjoy it while it is here.

 

[4UH8SIMBKAGN]

You mean give it another year...? April 8, 2009 will be one year.

Glenn originally predicted 18 months from the beginning so that makes it in Ocober if he's correct.

Glenn isn't the only one. On April 8 of last year I also gave it the same year and a half (see reprinted post below). I think a few others gave it a similar timeframe. Not rooting against the station mind you, in fact, I am one of the less than 1% that actually listen to it. But business is business and predictions are not based on what I like. As predictions go, this one wasn't the hardest to formulate and unfortunately, it is right on schedule to come true. So sad.

There are still millions of white people in LA. It's a huge city. Moreover, not everyone who is "ethnic" dislikes rock. Fellow KSCA listeners in my dorm back when I was in college here in LA included a Mexican guy from Downey, a girl from India, an Asian guy from Stockton, an ethnic Hawaiian, and an African-American guy who grew up in Capetown, South Africa. That group attended a Paul Simon concert at the Forum!

I used to listen to it too. Liked the station a lot. Bought CDs of artists they played that nobody else did. (Example: Southern Culture on the Skids).

The problem is niether I nor one of your roommates ever filled out a diary for them.

By design, the diaries go to the demos, and as has been posted eloquently here and on other threads by David and Glenn, the sheer numbers dictate that people like us will never receive enough diaries to return to suport the station. I doubt the addition of PPM will change that, although I would love to be proven wrong in this regard.

This station has 18 months to live. Enjoy it while it is here.

It certainly didn't take a brain surgeon to know that The Sound wouldn't work. Having slid from 30 to 36th 25-54 in the latest PPM, their lowest ever PPM rating, it isn't getting any better.

This station has digital billboards all over the areas, such as West Los Angeles, where this station should do well but it's doing nothing for them. It's not for trying but this just isn't a format that works in Los Angeles. You'd think these companies would have learned from past failures.

Again, the only thing that will save The Sound is if Bob Moore makes a move to shore up KLOS' ratings after Mark & Brian by doing something non-music. Otherwise, I can't see this station being on the air in the fall.

For those who don't have access to the Los Angeles PPM demos, head over to Net News on All Access as they do a fairly extensive list of Los Angeles PPM demos today (Thursday, March 5th). Scroll down past the New York City PPM demo ratings.

 

[OHIODEAL]

Mainstream AC would be the best choice.LA needs two AC stations to compete with each other.

 

[BC_714]

Saw one of those digital billboards above Pink's in Hollywood. That station should become news/talk. I agree they would never touch the hot talk format being owned by the LDS.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

People saying they should flip to AC may need to study the history of AC in LA. Short story: KOST has clobbered all comers. In fact, the last one was actually on the same frequency (I'm forgetting the calls right now but I am sure someone can help me out). They tried to do a softer approach and had a larger playlist and they were simply annihilated. The station was blown up to make way for Scott Shannon's Pirate radio.

I would agree that even getting a fraction of the KOST rating would probably do better than what they're getting now, but the station would be sentenced to permanent also-ran status from the start. KOST has too much heritage, loyalty, and resources at its disposal. If you have the 100.3 frequecy at your disposal and you really want to make a go of it, why not fill a market hole instead of taking on a market leader, especially when history is not on your side?

 

[leethalweapon]

How about FRESH 100? Although it was rolled out on a couple of CBS stations, I believe it is not strictly a CBS brand. I think it would take the fight up to both KOST and KBIG. Could it work?

 

[Mrtraveler01]

Some folks recommended the idea that Bonneville should do like that do in DC, Seattle, Phoenix, and SLC and make it an FM talk station. There is one issue though, these cities had well-established AM stations which made the migration to FM (WTOP, KIRO, KTAR, KSL), Bonneville does not have that in LA, so I think it would be a flop for them to try that. If anything, CBS radio could've brought KNX to 97.1 FM similar to what they did in SF with KCBS.

 

[socalguy]

Here's my take on the Bonneville dilemna in LA. 1. They thought the fire sale price of $137 million was too good to pass up. (at the time it was) 2. Who wouldn't want to be back in LA and earn a decent share of the then nearly $1 billion (now more like $700 million if that) in annual ad revenue, say 2 or 3%...$20 million, and throw off 35-40% cash flow? Simple math...back then. 3. The corporate guy in charge loves The Sound format and researched his way to the format he wanted. And besides, he could recycle all the same logos, outdoor creative, web sites, imaging, from Cincinnati...no brainer.

Instead he's got a station that's a ratings failure and a revenue disaster. That's the famous "radio death rattle." (remember Indie? Except Indie had a GM who could sell.) If this current promotion doesn't move the ratings needle quickly and lead to significant sales growth (virtually impossible in today's economic climate) I predict Bonneville will trade the station and move on...

What we should be specualating about is who's a willing trade partner for KSWD? Citadel? SBS? Emmis? (Emmis could trade Chicago for LA...)

 

[4UH8SIMBKAGN]

Some folks recommended the idea that Bonneville should do like that do in DC, Seattle, Phoenix, and SLC and make it an FM talk station. There is one issue though, these cities had well-established AM stations which made the migration to FM (WTOP, KIRO, KTAR, KSL), Bonneville does not have that in LA, so I think it would be a flop for them to try that. If anything, CBS radio could've brought KNX to 97.1 FM similar to what they did in SF with KCBS.

You haven't done your research well enough to make your "flop" statement.

Let's look at just two markets with recent START-UP FM talk stations, Minneapolis and Tucson. Clear Channel's KTLK-FM has, after 3 years, become the market's #2 (news/)talk station next to the market's news/talk leader for eon's, WCCO. KTLK-FM also beats the original FM talk station in the market, the Hubbard Broadcasting's female leaninng talk station by far.

In Tucson, Journal's new talk FM "The Truth" KQTH is making serious inroads on Clear Channel's long time news/talk KNST.

So, yes, it can be done in Los Angeles. The one worry for Bonneville is how Clear Channel would react. Would it put KFI on FM? Bonneville better come up with a compelling product to beat KFI if they try talk. Any "dull" talk format, aka KABC, would never work. It better be like KFI or it will FAIL. This is Los Angeles not Phoenix, Seattle, Washington D.C. and certainly not Salt Lake City.

KNX nor KFWB would ever garner good ratings on FM. This is NOT a town that gets its news on radio. We have too much tv news in Los Angeles.

 

[david]

Some thoughts on what IS working at The Sound:
* Deeper Cuts - tracks that get little to no airplay typically across the LA dial:
* Just A Job To Do by Genesis
* Lonesome Day by Bruce Springsteen
* Moment Of Surrender by U2 (from their brand spanking new album: No Line On The Horizon - just out this week)
* Etc.

* Breaking New Music - While not a CHR or an Indie 103.1, The Sound has "owned":
* Keane, playing tracks like The Lovers Are Losing by Keane (from their new album: Perfect Symmetry). The Sound has done a good job of promoting Keane on air and online.
* U2's Get On Your Boots has been a power song for the station since the first day it was released for radio airplay. In fact they have played it back to back to symbolize their desire to own and break new significant tracks in this market.
* We Let Her Down by Chris Isaak is getting a spin a day only on 100.3
* Use Somebody by Kings Of Leon is getting a spin a day.
* Etc.

* Tolerable spot load - yes I know this is not healthy financially, but it is comforting to know that when they do go into a stopset, it will be back to the music faster. And...they do have some pretty solid advertisers: Kaiser, Vons, etc.

It is so easy to attack and go negative and perhaps you all are right as I too wish the station were not playing it so safe, and was more effective with its OOH marketing, but factoring in the relatively affordable price ($137M) for which Bonneville acquired the station, it may not need or necessitate Clear Channel type results to justify retaining it in format, notably as there fortunately is an emotional attachment to it on the part of some of the company's and station's management.

 

[airpab]

Bonneville- Let it go! 0.7's with a Mt. Wilson stick isn't good business! Look at what's right in front of you! Swallow your false/costly "radio" pride and do something that people actually want......And then send me a commission check every month for spellin it out for ya!

IT'S BACK L.A. ! 100.3 FM TALK

5-10....DANNY BONADUCE

10-3....FROSTY, HEIDI, JEFF

3-7.....TOM LEYKIS (TWEAKED A TADTO FRESHEN IT UP)

If you can, get these guys for half of what they were making at KLSX?? And you don't need 3 engineers and all these support people. A Board Op, a Screener and The Talent!

If not, go out and get other good, smart, fresh talent, like me! Tons of it out there!

 

[4UH8SIMBKAGN]

Some thoughts on what IS working at The Sound:
* Deeper Cuts - tracks that get little to no airplay typically across the LA dial:
* Just A Job To Do by Genesis
* Lonesome Day by Bruce Springsteen
* Moment Of Surrender by U2 (from their brand spanking new album: No Line On The Horizon - just out this week)
* Etc.

* Breaking New Music - While not a CHR or an Indie 103.1, The Sound has "owned":
* Keane, playing tracks like The Lovers Are Losing by Keane (from their new album: Perfect Symmetry). The Sound has done a good job of promoting Keane on air and online.
* U2's Get On Your Boots has been a power song for the station since the first day it was released for radio airplay. In fact they have played it back to back to symbolize their desire to own and break new significant tracks in this market.
* We Let Her Down by Chris Isaak is getting a spin a day only on 100.3
* Use Somebody by Kings Of Leon is getting a spin a day.
* Etc.

* Tolerable spot load - yes I know this is not healthy financially, but it is comforting to know that when they do go into a stopset, it will be back to the music faster. And...they do have some pretty solid advertisers: Kaiser, Vons, etc.

It is so easy to attack and go negative and perhaps you all are right as I too wish the station were not playing it so safe, and was more effective with its OOH marketing, but factoring in the relatively affordable price ($137M) for which Bonneville acquired the station, it may not need or necessitate Clear Channel type results to justify retaining it in format, notably as there fortunately is an emotional attachment to it on the part of some of the company's and station's management.

Based on The Sound's ratings (#36 25-54, their lowest ever in PPM history), here is what is working:

NOTHING

Based on what brokers say are the price most stations will be going for this summer, 3 or 4 times cash flow, $137 million is a tremendous overpayment.