Is WKLU breaking it's Promise

[spark gap]

I was on my way to Menards this morning and I heard at least six minutes worth of commercials in the 750 am stopset on WKLU. I think they are slipping more in, hoping the listener never notices.Thoughts?

 

[IndyDan]

I was on my way to Menards this morning and I heard at least six minutes worth of commercials in the 750 am stopset on WKLU. I think they are slipping more in, hoping the listener never notices.Thoughts?

I heard quite a few during one of the stopsets this morning also...but I thought their promise was only stopping the music once an hour? I guess with that logic, you could run as many spots as you want during the break.

 

[Hionradio]

What did I miss? JACK plays 12 an hour, Q-95 plays 22, The TRACK goes for between 14-16. Need I even mention WRZX? Does someone hate WKLU here???? Hmmmmm?

 

[spark gap]

No Mark, we don't hate WKLU. What I wonder is; are you playing more than 4 minutes an hour as Russ stated he never would. Little tough making budgets when you only have four spots an hour to spread them across. The listeners will catch on, the ratings will suffer and you'll be just like big corporate radio...except for the fireplace in the lobby.

 

[mobilene]

They're rerunning "Ultimate Top 10" episodes all weekend, and I've noticed that their stopsets are at (for them) strange times. Could it be that they're giving their jocks the weekend off, using the Top 10s, but that the Top 10s don't provide for the tidy and regular hourly stopset? Maybe they're still *averaging* four spots an hour.

 

[Hionradio]

Well Chris, what's in your craw...the fact that a little 3000 watt station is less than 15% behind the big boys? You and your buddies have been predicting doom and failure for WKLU since day one. But what's happened? #3 / 25-54. Gee..corporate radio sounds like lots of fun. I hope you're enjoying it.

 

[MACK184]

There were some stations awhile back who only stopped the music once an hour..but then played 12-15 minutes of spots in that one single break. If KLU is running a mere 6, and they're making money..God Bless 'em!! And as mentioned earlier...You may find that the "average" is 4. In any event, it's sounds like they're trying to live up to the spirit of their promise. I wish them well.

 

[Hionradio]

What gives Spark Gap away as an employee of one of the corportate guys is this: Who in their right mind wouldn't cheer-on the little station with no signal and no budget that takes on the big corporate guys? Please, we should all be hoping that WKLU makes their point to the RADIO INDUSTRY loud and clear: Listeners do know the difference between having a million commercials shoved down their throats and voice tracked shows. The corporations have pillaged a once proud business. We no longer even have a "farm team system" for developing talent. Whether or not you like the persons involved with each of the stations, let's not lose sight of the David and Goliath battle being waged and won by KLU.

 

[spark gap]

In order for the owner of WKLU to reach his goal of selling this property for around $20M+ means they will have to generate at least $1.3M in cash flow (based on 17x multiples). Using the assumption that it costs $1.2M to operate the station annually (which is low). With this example, and four spots an hour, the station would have to average $200 per spot for every workday prime hour M-F 6a-7p. That is not happening. Sure they are selling some spots for $200, but they are not averaging $200. The solution; increase the number of avails.Certainly the listeners appreciated less clutter. Good music programming and less spots leads to better ratings. Sooner or later the listeners will figure out there are more spots. Sooner or later they will figure out they were lied to. They will start to drift away.Great ratings without great cash flow doesn't necessarily mean someone will buy the station for 3x what the current owner paid for it. For now the game is getting the cash flow up so some big corporate group will buy it for somewhere near $20M. Now that multiples are falling, cash flow will have to increase, as will the avails.The alternative is to be the altruistic radio person originally portrayed, and continue to run the station over time just for the good of the industry with just four spots an hour.

 

[ZV]

Spark Gap has hit upon the great irony that is KLU. They promote themselves as the great anti-corporate radio station, yet all the while, the plan is to get the station to a point so the owner can do what? Sell it to the highest corporate bidder.It's kinda funny.

 

[Hionradio]

Spark Gap you make me laugh. You act as if it's the owner of WKLU's fault that if sold, the corporate boys would again pig out at the fountain of commercials. If WKLU can deliver a superior product playing less than the 12 commercials that JACK plays or the 24 that FBQ plays and sell it to one of the corporations, what should they do, make the new owner sign a promise that they won't whore it up, like they have with every other radio station they've ever bought. You (more than anybody) knows that the first thing the corporations do when they buy a good station is cut the expenses and add commercials (check on who got fired at the Susquehanna stations this first week of Cumulus ownership). Every corporation in the market has done that (especially YOURS). If the corporations truly cared about the listeners and they meant it when they said that "Less is more," there would be a battle to see who could play the fewest commercials. But to date, unless I'm missing something, "Less is more," means less minutes MORE UNITS. Speaking of tricking the public (as you were before), explain how LESS commercials means MORE units. I'm glad that you like working for "The Man" because as long as you do, you will be relegated to the crap that corporations have brought to the radio industry. You conveniently forget the point I made about the David and Goliath battle and switch the discussion to "Gee if the owner sells the station for $20MM, someone is going to have to play more commercials to justify it." By anyone's standards, WKLU has done a great job against the corporate boys. Additionally, this string started by someone saying that WKLU was "Breaking their promise" because they played 6 commercials in an hour. In ANY TOP 50 MARKET, that comment would be considered ludicrous. 6 units is extremely low. And back to my original point, even the #2 contender (JACK) plays DOUBLE the number of spots. WFBQ plays FOUR TIMES THE NUMBER OF SPOTS. Go ahead, make some crazy comment about WKLU breaking their promise by playing 6 spots. SIX SPOTS AN HOUR!!!! Not 24 like your place.

 

[11south]

Spark Gap has hit upon the great irony that is KLU. They promote themselves as the great anti-corporate radio station, yet all the while, the plan is to get the station to a point so the owner can do what? Sell it to the highest corporate bidder.It's kinda funny.

This is the essence of the whole WKLU plan. It was never about great radio, flip it...just like a house in need of some TLC in a neighborhood. Then move on to the next project."Wow I really like what you have done to the old place...great curb appeal with the ratings and all...so tell me about the the taxes...er I mean cash flow?"

 

[ZV]

This is the essence of the whole WKLU plan. It was never about great radio, flip it...just like a house in need of some TLC in a neighborhood. Then move on to the next project."Wow I really like what you have done to the old place...great curb appeal with the ratings and all...so tell me about the the taxes...er I mean cash flow?"

All I know is that if I was working there, I wouldn't be getting too comfortable. You may feel like your rebelling against the whole corporate radio structure and all that, and you may be drinking Russ's Kool-Aid, but one day soon, you won't be working for Russ anymore. You'll be counting the days till Entercom/Cumulus/Clear Channel takes over and wondering if you'll 'make the cut.'

 

[11south]

Additionally, this string started by someone saying that WKLU was "Breaking their promise" because they played 6 commercials in an hour. In ANY TOP 50 MARKET, that comment would be considered ludicrous. 6 units is extremely low.

You are correct...six is low. We all knew you would never be able to do it with four. Too bad you lied to the audience saying four. Did you also lie to your advertisers?

 

[Hionradio]

Hey 11....perhaps you should worry more about the listeners...or you could just play 24 spots an hour and say screw em [EDIT]. I know, WKLU isn't about the purity of radio. WFBQ is...right? You better go do your voice tracks for the night so they can eliminate some more jocks.[EDIT*=Derogatory Comment]

 

[11south]

It seems we have hit a nerveI've got evidence they have been lying to both their listeners and their customers:Clearly. So how did it happen? Clark laid it out:• More music, fewer commercials. They play 12 to 13 songs an hour and only one break with four commercials. Can they make money that way? “We do,” Clark says.Check out the complete article:http://www.nuvo.net/archive/2005/06/08/klu_quintuples_their_ratings.html

 

[ZV]

Hey 11....perhaps you should worry more about the listeners...or you could just play 24 spots an hour and say screw em [EDIT]. I know, WKLU isn't about the purity of radio. WFBQ is...right? You better go do your voice tracks for the night so they can eliminate some more jocks.

Do you really believe Russ is running the station for 'the purity of radio?'C'mon. Russ's method of operation is no secret. He's a helluva radio operator, don't get me wrong, but he's a business man first. WKLU will be 'corporate radio' in less than 2 years. And all the people that work there now should be sure to start archiving their best on-air work.[EDIT was made in Hionradio quote]

 

[gr8oldies]

With the possible exception of Bruce Quinn, nobody buys a radio station "to play good music for the people". It's a business and Russ is doing the format that works for that situation.

 

[Hionradio]

Again, you guys stun me. Instead of recognizing KLU for doing good radio, you blame them for what is going to happen to the station if and when the corporate boys get hold of it. If Oasis holds commercials to 6 an hour, how can you blame him for what the corporate guys would or will do? It's as if you are defending what Wall Street has done to radio by minimizing the efforts of WKLU to deliver a quality product. I understand that you are stuck working for the corporations, but can't you be objective enough to acknowledge that KLU is doing radio in a much better way than the corporate guys are? Be objective.

 

[ZV]

I'll gladly acknowledge it, and KLU is one of the few stations I really enjoy listening to. Like I said, Russ knows how to operate a radio station very well. What I laugh at is people who buy into the notion that KLU is all about the 'purity of radio' and are basically drinking the Kool-Aid. Take a step back, and look at the big picture. I'm not "blaming" KLU for anything that may happen once it's sold, just simply pointing out the irony of a station that spends so much time imaging itself as anti-corporate when everyone who pays attention knows the goal is to sell it to one of the corporations it bashes on a regular basis.And again, if you happen to work there, you should realize what eventually will happen. I wouldn't be boasting too loudly about the whole anti-corporate thing, and bragging so much about how you don't have to work for one of those evil corporations, because you'll be eating your words soon enough.KLU is a fantastic station, and I don't really care about the whole 4 minutes vs 6 minutes thing. But I would bet the farm on it being sold in less than 2 years, to the highest corporate bidder.