Is Sacramento Radio Boring?

[calguy]

I don't get up to the Capitol City more than 3 or 4 times a year, and I don't want to sound insulting, but I find radio in Sacramento on the stale side. I really feel that de-regulation has hit the smaller markets harder than the majors and Sacramento, while a mid 20's market, doesn't sound much better that markets 5 or 10 steps down in size. While KFBK still has the ratings, I find it pretty un-interesting and the way CC runs it, it's obvious that they have a fraction of the budget they did 15 years back. Mix 96 has decent numbers too, but outside of the music sounds pretty awful as well. Didn't like the jingles, the imaging voice can't seem to pronounce ninety-six calling it nonty-six and I didn't hear much in the way of "stationality". Y92 should just give-up. They're over compressed, over voice tracked and have little in the way of any “stationality” themselves. I did think that the Wolf sounded okay as well as 94.7 the Smooth Jazz outlet. I could go on, but I'd like to hear what others who are exposed to Sacramento radio on a daily basis feel about it. So?

 

[yourmom]

you've seen the board.........a tumble weed just rolled by and all I hear are crickets

 

[calguy]

you've seen the board.........a tumble weed just rolled by and all I hear are crickets

Well it is Sunday...

 

[RadioStarOne]

The crickets are still here and there is no Buddy Holly to sing along with and today is Monday afternoon. Samo Samo!

 

[calguy]

The crickets are still here and there is no Buddy Holly to sing along with and today is Monday afternoon. Samo Samo!

Hello Sacramento oh oh oh... Yup there's an echo in here. You're right, no one seems to be home except crickets.

No opinions, or no one cares?

 

[Big D]

Mix 96 has decent numbers too, but outside of the music sounds pretty awful as well.

Just think of the numbers they could pull if they played more gold AC and less Shania Twain...Y92 is not the competition it once was.

Y92 should just give-up. They're over compressed, over voice tracked and have little in the way of any “stationality” themselves.

I remember when this was a great AC station back in the early-mid 90's. Top caliber talent, good music rotation and a great local presence. Now, aside from the morning show, Y92 sounds just like a satellite-fed network station. Speaking of top caliber talent, has anyone noticed Dana Hess now doing traffic reports on 92.1??

I did think that the Wolf sounded okay as well

Yes...Entravision has stepped up to the plate. However, KNCI seems to be holding their own quite well.

Aside from AC and Country, what about rock? KWOD let their MD for the past 2 years go just recently, leaving Rubin as the only KWOD v2.0-era jock remaining. While KWOD's (2.0) "experiment" seemed to have failed and been swept under the rug, I have to admit I enjoyed their Triple-A lean just because it was different and somewhat adventurous in this otherwise dull market.

 

[twist]

The programmers in this town have gotten cozy in there ruts. Where once there were leaders and inovaters, now are collecting paychecks and not doing anything to really earn them. The sad thing is, even if there was a station flip, it would be the same tired production. You can't expect anything exciting from Y or Mix or v101. And the Zone has shot every foot they have, KWOD is a shell of what they once were, and The Wolf is very slowly knicking away at KNCI. 98 Rock continues to add ideas to their programming, and The Eagle just finished the Made in America or whatever. The hip hop stations I haven't a clue because I can't stand the music.

My question is, who is the Real Listen at Work station,

Mix?
Y?
Zone?
Jack?

I think it's funny that the head of cbs here in sac insists that there own stations fight against each other as opposed to other clusters. You can hear the same song at the same time on mix, zone and Jack..........
Probably why I hear everyone in CBS hates each other and managment

 

[CalPro1]

I was an on-air talent in Sacramento in the early-90's and worked full time for over ten years.
What made Sacramento radio great when I arrived here (as far as I'm concerned) was the fact that those in charge of operations enjoyed having as much fun as the people they hired to do the on-air work. And they let them do their job.. as long as they were gaining or keeping ratings and being competitive. When I first came into town, I worked for CC & then Infinity (then ARS). Both companies at the time were managed by people who cared about what the listeners wanted, as well as how their DJ's felt when it came to delivering the product. I'm not saying that those in charge were not beyond management characteristics.. they were still salespeople. However, it seems that before de-regulation, there was such a great team effort against the other radio companies. Not just a sales effort.. it wasn't so much about the bottom line and budgets. It was about the format. What was being said.. who was on the show.. having fun, and being the topic of conversation at the water cooler. Does anyone remember the car give-away that Monica Lowe did on the Zone so many years ago.. ? That was priceless! And it really ticked off the "winner" to the point of a possible major law suit.. that never happened by the way.
But it was great radio.. it was worth listening to. I'm still laughing!
Now.. and for the last eight or so years, corporate conglomorates are so freaked out about law suits and fines (and they have a right to be with the FCC as tight-&$#'d as they are) that stuff like that doesn't happen in the #20 spot. Radio in Sacramento is boring because it is played too safe. DJ's are hired not based on their talent, but on the stations budget. The music is good.. for the most part on most stations. But its the same stuff being played every where else on the same formats. I listen to LA and NY stations online.. I enjoy it! I'm sure the talent is enjoying their fat paychecks.. but they earn it.
That's my two-cents.
You asked for it..

 

[RealTime]

Not a lot of entertainment on Sacramento radio these days. Sweepers and songs. I confess that I don't listen much anymore and neither does anybody I know. Where's the creativity, irreverance and above all...the FUNNY?

 

[calguy]

I was an on-air talent in Sacramento in the early-90's and worked full time for over ten years.
What made Sacramento radio great when I arrived here (as far as I'm concerned) was the fact that those in charge of operations enjoyed having as much fun as the people they hired to do the on-air work. And they let them do their job.. as long as they were gaining or keeping ratings and being competitive. When I first came into town, I worked for CC & then Infinity (then ARS). Both companies at the time were managed by people who cared about what the listeners wanted, as well as how their DJ's felt when it came to delivering the product. I'm not saying that those in charge were not beyond management characteristics.. they were still salespeople. However, it seems that before de-regulation, there was such a great team effort against the other radio companies. Not just a sales effort.. it wasn't so much about the bottom line and budgets. It was about the format. What was being said.. who was on the show.. having fun, and being the topic of conversation at the water cooler. Does anyone remember the car give-away that Monica Lowe did on the Zone so many years ago.. ? That was priceless! And it really ticked off the "winner" to the point of a possible major law suit.. that never happened by the way.
But it was great radio.. it was worth listening to. I'm still laughing!
Now.. and for the last eight or so years, corporate conglomorates are so freaked out about law suits and fines (and they have a right to be with the FCC as tight-&$#'d as they are) that stuff like that doesn't happen in the #20 spot. Radio in Sacramento is boring because it is played too safe. DJ's are hired not based on their talent, but on the stations budget. The music is good.. for the most part on most stations. But its the same stuff being played every where else on the same formats. I listen to LA and NY stations online.. I enjoy it! I'm sure the talent is enjoying their fat paychecks.. but they earn it.
That's my two-cents.
You asked for it..

True, I did, and I find that I agree. I really think that sales rules the roost now days and that coupled with corporate thrift has made radio sound pretty bad in many places. Still, I think that it does sound good in some places because of the people that are in charge. There are many who still have that competitive fire and talent to make it sound good. Of course it depends on the format as well. I have a friend who programs a station in Northern California who seems to be thwarted at every turn. Even when he's come up with cool promotions and nice prizes for trade he gets shot down by his bosses. Some people have no imagination and making it fun for the listener, hence drawing them in, seems to be the last thing on their minds...

 

[calguy]

Not a lot of entertainment on Sacramento radio these days. Sweepers and songs. I confess that I don't listen much anymore and neither does anybody I know. Where's the creativity, irreverance and above all...the FUNNY?

I don't think that radio has to always be funny. Fun or even just friendly and informative work for me as well. As long as you're talking to the listener and doing more than just going through the motions. Talent is nice to have as well and I don't hear an abundance of that on some stations...

 

[runrun]

Maybe this is a naive and uninformed opinion...like most of my opinions are...but it seems to me that local radio isn't as dynamic as it used to be, at least in part, because stations are now owned by people who don't care about radio. More specifically, corporate owners tend to view radio as an investment rather than a product. They're more concerned with making MONEY from radio than they are with making GOOD radio.

What frustrates me is that none of these owners seem to believe that making better radio will eventually make them more money...or if they do believe it, they don't have the patience to see that philosophy through. Given the choice between, say, hiring good (but pricey) talent and waiting for ratings gains to turn into revenue, or slashing costs by firing a couple of jocks and voice-tracking half their day, most corporate owners would take the second path - and with impatient stockholders breathing down their necks, they may feel they have no other choice.

Personally, I think this attitude is going to have to change if radio is going to thrive. I would love to see someone in Sacramento with the balls - and the pocketbook - to make it happen here.

 

[rickradio]

In a word, yeah, I think it is. I agree with so many posters here, you'll find no quote boxes in this posting because I would be putting virtually the entire thread in a quote box. Radio nowadays (and for quite some time, actually) is NOT done for the listener. It's done for radio management. This may get me in trouble, but I've seen for myself (and heard of from other vets in the biz) cases where the general manager's or program director's mistress or girlfriend actually had input in programming decisions and policies.

Radio is now owned largely by bankers, not broadcasters, like before. The 1996 deregulation had a lot (if not all) to do with this. When companies were allowed to gobble up stations by the handful, there went most, if not all, the competition. It hurt radio all the way around. It hurt listeners because the broadcast industry became very bland for lack of competition. It hurt air talent because if you piss off one manager, you run the risk of locking yourself out of up to 8 stations. Everybody wants everything NOW. No delayed gratification. If the stockholders want something, station management now has to produce instant results, regardless of how long it takes to produce those results. I could say so much more, but time won't allow at this point.

 

[calguy]

In a word, yeah, I think it is. I agree with so many posters here, you'll find no quote boxes in this posting because I would be putting virtually the entire thread in a quote box. Radio nowadays (and for quite some time, actually) is NOT done for the listener. It's done for radio management. This may get me in trouble, but I've seen for myself (and heard of from other vets in the biz) cases where the general manager's or program director's mistress or girlfriend actually had input in programming decisions and policies.

Radio is now owned largely by bankers, not broadcasters, like before. The 1996 deregulation had a lot (if not all) to do with this. When companies were allowed to gobble up stations by the handful, there went most, if not all, the competition. It hurt radio all the way around. It hurt listeners because the broadcast industry became very bland for lack of competition. It hurt air talent because if you piss off one manager, you run the risk of locking yourself out of up to 8 stations. Everybody wants everything NOW. No delayed gratification. If the stockholders want something, station management now has to produce instant results, regardless of how long it takes to produce those results. I could say so much more, but time won't allow at this point.

Amen!

 

[Neanderpaul]

First of all..I love Sacramento.I loved working there, living there, and I miss it every day.

With regard to radio as a whole...It's pretty simple. People no longer listen to radio for music. They have all the options for music at their fingertips all days. What they listen to radio for is to feel connected to the music. We as an industry are failing in that mission. No longer are we the epicenter of the lifegroup that we purport to serve. People's first reflex action is now to go get their information from the 'net. Look at what we're doing right now.

There was a time, when people turned on the radio for their info. The last time that really happened, and forgive me for saying it, but the best thing to happen to radio in decades, was 9/11.

I was at KRXQ that day. We (all radio stations) suddenly became the conduit through which Sacramento first heard updates. Because we didn't have to run it through filters, and newsrooms, and screeners, and need the scripts written. For a few brief days, radio mattered again. We were also the sounding board for the city's feelings, and opinions. We were the voice and ears of Sacramento.

Radio is not a monologue. It's a dialogue. When we forgot that...we ceded power to another medium that depends upon user interaction.