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Houston 's FM News channel my score?

F

fireboy

Guest
Score about a 7...lose the coments durring the newscast...keep creditabilty!!! Read the news dont hype the news.....image image image it is everything! What do you think?
 
> Score about a 7...lose the coments durring the
> newscast...keep creditabilty!!! Read the news dont hype the
> news.....image image image it is everything! What do you
> think?
>

I think that's what makes them different. They are trying to go after the younger news audiences. Keep it loose, kind of like a Morning newscast where you have people talking about the news to keep it interesting. You can have credibility and keep it interesting. Don't go overboard with it like Imus and inject sex inuendo and such into the conversation, but I think a little "happy talk" with the news, especially if the story is worth expanding on, is a good thing.

The key for them is to try and be the anti-KTRH, and yet still give people a reason to choose them. They definitely stacked the deck as far as talent goes, and I give Cumulus all the credit in the world for that. They have some seasoned pros, who have great credibility in this market.

As I have stated before, I will be interested in seeing what happens when MAJOR news breaks here in Houston and nationally, also, severe weather coverage. As hurricane season approaches, they ought to hire a meteorologist with some credibility in the market. They could have the upper hand here, because you don't get really bad interferrence on FM radio, as you do on AM, when it is storming really bad.

I give them an 8 so far for their strong talent and presentation. I would like to hear stronger imaging. I would like to hear longer sets and fewer stopsets. Also, a few less "kicker" type stories, which is basically your fluff type news. No one cares about cat stories in Minnesota. Just stick to news that people here actually know and care about.

So far, so good though.<P ID="signature">______________
KVIL Highland Park
KVIL-FM Highland Park/Dallas-Fort Worth
Thanks for the memories Ron Chapman!</P>
 
I'm curious if they have a mobile unit for covering breaking local stories. On Pruett's show the other day they were talking about mobile units where Carolla had worked previously and I think Pruett said that KIOL's mobile unit was an ice cream truck. But seriously, I wonder what they are doing in this regard, and who would cover the news as a mobile reporter?
 
> I think Pruett said that KIOL's mobile unit
> was an ice cream truck.

I guess the news theme can be the music jingle as the unit cruises through Houston neighborhoods looking for news "scoops."

Reminds me of seeing the old KTBT (KSEV predecessor) mobile unit at a remote at Willowbrook mall back around 1988. Appeared to be a converted bakery truck.
 
Another thing I heard him say the other day was an Infinity station in Dallas had offered them a good amount of money to put Stevens & Pruett back together. He said he called Stevens and told him about it. Mark thought about it for a little while and decided to decline. Jim said he was happy with the decision as he didn't really want to leave Houston. He didn't say exactly how long ago this was, but it's an interesting bit of knowlege.

I heard Back Talk with Pruett, Shannon & The Boner being rerun this afternoon (Saturday). I think it's fine that they're reruning it, but it sounds kind of weird with news updates and sports scores from a few days ago. It seems like the news updates could at least be replaced with a live read, but I can see where they want people to discover the show. There's just no mention of it being an old show or Best Of or anything. A sweeper saying such and perhaps when it can be heard live would be nice.

> On Pruett's show the other day they were
> talking about mobile units where Carolla had worked
> previously and I think Pruett said that KIOL's mobile unit
> was an ice cream truck.
 
> Another thing I heard him say the other day was an Infinity
> station in Dallas had offered them a good amount of money to
> put Stevens & Pruett back together. He said he called
> Stevens and told him about it. Mark thought about it for a
> little while and decided to decline. Jim said he was happy
> with the decision as he didn't really want to leave Houston.
> He didn't say exactly how long ago this was, but it's an
> interesting bit of knowlege.
>
> I heard Back Talk with Pruett, Shannon & The Boner being
> rerun this afternoon (Saturday). I think it's fine that
> they're reruning it, but it sounds kind of weird with news
> updates and sports scores from a few days ago. It seems
> like the news updates could at least be replaced with a live
> read, but I can see where they want people to discover the
> show. There's just no mention of it being an old show or
> Best Of or anything. A sweeper saying such and perhaps when
> it can be heard live would be nice.
>
> > On Pruett's show the other day they were
> > talking about mobile units where Carolla had worked
> > previously and I think Pruett said that KIOL's mobile unit
>
> > was an ice cream truck.
>


I thought it was sad the fm news station Saturday had no news except reruns of old newscast! I think next weekend it will be better. I hope.
 
KFNC Houston's OLD News Channel

> I thought it was sad the fm news station Saturday had no
> news except reruns of old newscast!

They reran old news segments on Saturday that aired
earlier in the week?

WHAT A FRICKIN' JOKE!!!

Who is the news director over there?
They should be replaced for that programming decision.

I've listened all week to KFNC and I am definitely
not impressed with their overall programming and air personalities.
Their talk shows are not interesting at all. Their hosts are not interesting.
It sounds like they are just marking time, sometimes floundering,
talking about nothing compelling or entertaining. A bunch of people
patting each other on the back about being back on the air is just plain
boring. I kept hoping for a glimmer of intelligent talk...

But their news coverage has bothered me the most.
It lacks gravitas. I don't dig jokes with my news.
It loses credibility. But who knows...maybe I was listening
to OLD NEWS like today (Saturday), and didn't realize it!
Maybe it was a joke!
I was waivering before, but now I don't feel I can trust
their news coverage at all. I'll get my radio news elsewhere
thank you.

KFNC-Houston's News LATE Channel...
For those of you who didn't get it the first time around,
don't worry, we'll give it to you again a few days later...
or
KFNC-Houston's News LITE Channel...
Hate that nasty real newsy news?
Try Houston's News LITE-97.5
Where serious news is an option.
 
Re: KFNC Houston's OLD News Channel

I wasn't going to jump to conclusions, but I have to agree.

<font color="black"<font>Here is how I picture the scenerio.......imagine if you will!

<font color="red"<font><font size="3"<font>KFNC 97.5....breaking story....an F-3 tornado has just touched down in South Houston, but now on to to latest news!
"Why did the chicken cross the road".... Stay tuned in for the answer after a 15 minute rambling on with sports comedian, Craig Roberts...da da da da da!

<font color="black"<font><font size="2"<font>And then the best part....it's the weekend and you get to re-live it all again!

Hot Damn!!!!!!!

The only thing worse than one bad news channel is two!

SW
 
Re: KFNC Houston's OLD News Channel

> > I thought it was sad the fm news station Saturday had no
> > news except reruns of old newscast!
>
> They reran old news segments on Saturday that aired
> earlier in the week?
>
> WHAT A FRICKIN' JOKE!!!
>
> Who is the news director over there?
> They should be replaced for that programming decision.
>
> I've listened all week to KFNC and I am definitely
> not impressed with their overall programming and air
> personalities.
> Their talk shows are not interesting at all. Their hosts are
> not interesting.
> It sounds like they are just marking time, sometimes
> floundering,
> talking about nothing compelling or entertaining. A bunch of
> people
> patting each other on the back about being back on the air
> is just plain
> boring. I kept hoping for a glimmer of intelligent talk...
>
> But their news coverage has bothered me the most.
> It lacks gravitas. I don't dig jokes with my news.
> It loses credibility. But who knows...maybe I was listening
>
> to OLD NEWS like today (Saturday), and didn't realize it!
> Maybe it was a joke!
> I was waivering before, but now I don't feel I can trust
> their news coverage at all. I'll get my radio news elsewhere
>
> thank you.
>
> KFNC-Houston's News LATE Channel...
> For those of you who didn't get it the first time around,
> don't worry, we'll give it to you again a few days later...
> or
> KFNC-Houston's News LITE Channel...
> Hate that nasty real newsy news?
> Try Houston's News LITE-97.5
> Where serious news is an option.









You say it well! But we can hope for something more.
>
 
Re: KFNC Houston's OLD News Channel

> > I thought it was sad the fm news station Saturday had no
> > news except reruns of old newscast!
>
> They reran old news segments on Saturday that aired
> earlier in the week?
>
> WHAT A FRICKIN' JOKE!!!
>
> Who is the news director over there?
> They should be replaced for that programming decision.
>


Laurie Kendrick is 97.5 KFNC News Director, go figure!
 
> Reminds me of seeing the old KTBT (KSEV predecessor) mobile
> unit at a remote at Willowbrook mall back around 1988.
> Appeared to be a converted bakery truck.
>
Well, Fletch is coming to KIOL / KFNC from KTBT in Tulsa, so the circle is complete. An ice cream truck, bakery truck, FedEx truck, etc. - whatever it takes to get the mobile coverage.
 
Re: KFNC Houston's Newest News Channel

Just one thing: There were no reruns of actual newscasts on KFNC. Pruett, Shannon and the Boner shows that were rerun over the weekend included news reports and commentary that are an integral part of the talk show. There was no wholesale rerunning of newscasts.
 
Re: KFNC Houston's OLD News Channel

They need to go with some syndicated talkers on the weekend. I don't know what they are thinking rehashing old news?! Did the tap out the budget on all the weekday people that they can't afford some syndie talk shows on the weekend?!

They also need some sort of national or statewide newscasts (i.e. Texas State News Network or ABC/CBS news, etc).

I'll give them a break, because it was their first weekend, but they have to try something else on the weekends, otherwise people will not take them seriously as a credible news station.<P ID="signature">______________
KVIL Highland Park
KVIL-FM Highland Park/Dallas-Fort Worth
Thanks for the memories Ron Chapman!</P>
 
Re: KFNC Houston's OLD News Channel

> They need to go with some syndicated talkers on the weekend.
> I don't know what they are thinking rehashing old news?!
> Did the tap out the budget on all the weekday people that
> they can't afford some syndie talk shows on the weekend?!
>
> They also need some sort of national or statewide newscasts
> (i.e. Texas State News Network or ABC/CBS news, etc).
>
> I'll give them a break, because it was their first weekend,
> but they have to try something else on the weekends,
> otherwise people will not take them seriously as a credible
> news station.
>
I give them a "D" for the first week and a "N" for needs improvement. I would have thought they would have been better prepared for the launch of a new station. Rerunning the same business program, although locally produced, and a rerun of Pruett's show, and the "Money Pit" syndicated show with NO news coverage just doesn't cut it. As bad as KTRH is, at least they have local and national news and weather on the weekends. I'll give them a break for the first weekend, but someone had better be working on this. News Channel, indeed.
 
KFNC - Houston's News LITE Station

Thanks for the clarification MS.
Still, listeners were obviously confused by the re-airing of shows that contained and commented on news reports from earlier in the week. A disclaimer would have been helpful.

IMO, KFNC is trying to re-invent too many wheels...
rock music with the news, jokes with the news, personal commentary on the news...
And referring to their FM radio station as a 'channel' is confusing as well.

In an article on billboardradiomonitor.com titled:
"Houston's Radio News War Starts Now," they talk about how
"Cumulus Media is gunning for the news image in Houston currently
held by Clear Channel's KTRH "newsradio,"...(with) the new FM signal on 97.5..."

"We know what's at stake when we say we want to be the leading news radio station in the market," Cumulus market manager Pat Fant tells BillboardRadioMonitor.com.

What's he smokin'?
Pat Fant wants to be the leading news radio station in Houston, Texas?
(Notice he didn't say 'News Channel')

I don't know him, but this guy is dreaming, man, totally dreaming.

No way they'll be the #1 news station in this market with the way they've structured their news right now. IMO, news is a serious topic and should be delivered as such...no jokes, no sexual innuendos and no personal opinions or commentary.

I don't take their news coverage seriously because obviously they don't.

When they read the news, I think what's confusing to the listener is:
Is this an actual news report or is this some sort of new talk show where
they discuss the news?

I also think they are underutilizing longtime industry vet Jim Carola.
He has credibility and I believe him when he reads the news.
He has gravitas. I don't believe the other newsreaders on KFNC.

Read the article here:
http://billboardradiomonitor.com/ra...article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000939274

KFNC-Houston's News LITE Station
Hate that nasty real newsy-news?
Try Houston's News LITE-97.5
Where serious news is an option...


> Just one thing: There were no reruns of actual newscasts on
> KFNC. Pruett, Shannon and the Boner shows that were rerun
> over the weekend included news reports and commentary that
> are an integral part of the talk show. There was no
> wholesale rerunning of newscasts.
>
 
Re: KFNC - Houston's News LITE Station

> IMO, KFNC is trying to re-invent too many wheels...
> rock music with the news, jokes with the news, personal
> commentary on the news...
> And referring to their FM radio station as a 'channel' is
> confusing as well.
>


I think somebody there at KFNC was confused too-whoever is in charge of their RDS broadcast. "Brett" mentioned this earlier (a few days ago on a thread about KFNC identifying itself as KFNS on the text -I'm guessing this is the RDS display on some stereos-I get it on my car stereo).

I wonder if whoever programmed that text thought it was "FM News Station" also instead of channel. Were KFNS calls taken? That would make more sense (sorry if that issue has already been addressed). KFNC or calling it a "news channel" is confusing and silly to me-especially with the whole Fox News Channel issue discussed before.

I think they've fixed this (display problem) though-I think I remember seeing KFNC now-but it's hard to tell on my display. My car is a 2001, so that technology was just coming out in cars, I think. I think the memory isn't really too strong, because it usually freezes up if the station information/artist and song name, etc. is too long! It did really well one time when KLOL played U2's "Pride" (In the Name of Love) because all it had to display was "U2 PRIDE - KLOL". Anything by "Creedence Clearwater Revival" on "93.7 The Arrow" usually freezes it up because the info gets too long.

Sorry for that last paragraph...I know it had NOTHING to do with the thread :)

John<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by JBhouston71 on 06/06/05 12:30 AM.</FONT></P>
 
Re: KFNC Houston's OLD News Channel

> > They need to go with some syndicated talkers on the weekend.
> > I don't know what they are thinking rehashing old news?!
> > Did the tap out the budget on all the weekday people that
> > they can't afford some syndie talk shows on the weekend?!
> >
> > They also need some sort of national or statewide newscasts
> > (i.e. Texas State News Network or ABC/CBS news, etc).
> >
> > I'll give them a break, because it was their first weekend,
> > but they have to try something else on the weekends,
> > otherwise people will not take them seriously as a credible
> > news station.
> >
> I give them a "D" for the first week and a "N" for needs
> improvement. I would have thought they would have been
> better prepared for the launch of a new station. Rerunning
> the same business program, although locally produced, and a
> rerun of Pruett's show, and the "Money Pit" syndicated show
> with NO news coverage just doesn't cut it. As bad as KTRH
> is, at least they have local and national news and weather
> on the weekends. I'll give them a break for the first
> weekend, but someone had better be working on this. News
> Channel, indeed.
>
You are more tolerant than I am, first weekend or not is no excuse to rerun the "best of the news". That isn't even small town radio, that is just plain stupid to fill time that way. The one thing I said the about KFNC was that Cumulus had to have their game together, this isn't a Rock station they are running where they can get away with running only music and a voice over guy that is going to have me changing stations real soon regardless of the music.

I can't believe that Cumulus would even be so short sighted to pull something like that. It shoots their credibility to hell and once you lose that, you have a hard time building it back up with the public. If KFNC is like that next weekend, the station might as well load another computer with whatever music format 97.5 is switching to on Monday. It is a shame, KFNC has some very talented people at the station.

I don't have any confidence in the station at this point. My understanding is that Pat Fant is a sharp guy and knows what he was doing. Not to forget that all they had to do was follow the example of BizRadio1320 that hit the air with everything together for seven days a week. KXYZ had some technical glitches the first day, but by day two things were running smoothly. KIOL still doesn't have things together technically after three months.

I appreciate what Cumulus is attempting to do for the city, as a great many people do, but good intentions that are run as poorly as KFNC and KIOL aren't going to cut it with the people of Houston for more than a few weeks for KFNC and KIOL is getting near the end of the time that the listeners are going to wait for more air personalities and the station to get their stuff together.

KFNC is going to have to be much better than KTRH to get listeners to switch over to a station with a poor signal. It is hard enough to get most people to change stations and when you have a poor signal, you have a double whammy against you. This first week did not give anyone a reason to stay with a station that has a sucky signal. This weekend may have really done them harm than if they went off the air.

With KIOL I'm sick of hearing about being part of the building of a station. Wendy I give you credit for trying so hard to turn a negative into a positve, but it is getting real late in the game and all KIOL has is W&J, Wendy Miller, Outlaw Dave and Lisa Kendall on weekends. You are all great in your own ways, but you don't even have half a team yet, how can you play? The station should be built before it comes on the air. There is no excuse for KIOL to still be only partially staffed after all this time and for KFNC there is no excuse not to be 100% ready on day one for 24/7 operation.

I agree KFNC could use Texas State Network, TSN did have some very good programs. ABC news should be used also to fill in time. Maybe Cumulus found out how expensive a news operation is to run, but some of the biggest money makers in the industry are the all News stations. You have to spend money to make money. The management of Cumulus in Houston should listen to BizRadio1320 for a week and learn some things about business and then come back and give 97.5 and 103.7 one more try. BizRadio1320 spent a good amount of money to get off the ground, but it is going to pay them back handsomly.

KFNC gets a F, KIOL gets a D. The only reason I'm giving KIOL a D is Saturday night Wendy Miller did a live remote from the Houston Museum of Science from 2am to 5am and the show was grade A. Wendy did a great job showing that Houston is a 24 hour city and there are things going on in Houston all the time. She made the show fun radio, something this city needs on a music station. If KIOL had an all night air personality to do things like that once or twice a week, it could be a great all night show. I love to see Wendy do the all night shift, but I wouldn't want her to leave the midday shift, she may have the best midday show in Houston and she can't work both shifts for long.

I though Cumulus was really dedicated to what they had in mind for KIOL and KFNC. Now I wonder. Is the joke on the citizens of Houston again? Every time you think radio is going to get better in Houston it turns out to be the same old sh!t and the citizens suffer as well as the image of the city. I hate to say it, but Houston has some of the worst radio in the country. I travel enough that I hear a lot of radio and Houston started going downhill not too long after Clear Channel decided to make radio as cheap as possible and everyone followed along. This is market six unoffically and it sounds like market six six six. I wonder if Houston radio will ever become the kind of radio it was in the 80's when Houston had a good many of the best stations in the country? I've traveled a lot for the last thirty years and in the 80's I was always glad to get back to Houston and great radio.

At 5pm Sunday KFNC ran an old Twilight Zone and at 6pm they started playing Rock music, except 103.7 does sound better for music. Lenny Kravitz and "Are You Gonna Go My Way" at 6:15 Sunday night on a News-Talk station. The Dr. Wax show, which belongs on KIOL, not KFNC. A great image to portray for a News-Talk station. SAD!!

Mike O
 
Re: KFNC Houston's OLD News Channel

> > > I thought it was sad the fm news station Saturday had no
>
> > > news except reruns of old newscast!
> >
> > They reran old news segments on Saturday that aired
> > earlier in the week?
> >
> > WHAT A FRICKIN' JOKE!!!
> >
> > Who is the news director over there?
> > They should be replaced for that programming decision.
> >
>
>
> Laurie Kendrick is 97.5 KFNC News Director, go figure!
>

News needs a facelift on Houston radio and Cumulus is trying to take the first stab. KTRH doesn't cut it, at all.
Give Laurie a break for a few weeks. The station just went on the air. Also keep in mind that this is KFNC, not KTRH. One is owned by CC and one is owned by Cumulus, who are taking shots in the dark with little money and little chance of success. Cumulus is the underdog, but I wouldn't be suprised and would be very happy if KFNC could pull off an audible bark. At least one audible enough to shake up KTRH a bit.
 
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