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It's just Amazing...

C

ChannelFlipper

It's just amazing how for the entire life of this board, which is home to discussions about Los Angeles radio, which includes outlying areas such as the IE, the OC, the deserts, and even a little TO and Ventura, an area that must enpcompas over 100 signals, the station that generates the most discussion on this board is a couple of peashooters that combined have rarely exceeded a 1 share. Of course I mean the 103.1's.

From current discussions of Indie ("Can it succeed?" "Is it hurting KROQ?" "Why is it only a wobble to you if it is a significant ratings acheivement for me?") to KDL ("Was it programmed right?" "Does Dance really have a following?" "Was it the worst executed station ever?") to AAA Channel 103.1("Can AAA sell in this fragmented market?" "Was it the music or the signal?") to of course the station whose demise originally started this board the Groove, ("Whatta loss!" "Please let me use this board to gnash my teeth!") and actually the demise of MARRS-FM even way before that ("Station was just too cool - way ahead of its time...")

With all of the truly (once) great stations in this town and the many personalities that make up the radio scene, it is hard to fathom how one small little frequency could get so much play on this board. But it does. Amazing.
 
> With all of the truly (once) great stations in this town and
> the many personalities that make up the radio scene, it is
> hard to fathom how one small little frequency could get so
> much play on this board. But it does. Amazing.

Possibly because the 103.1s tend to be the radio industry equivalent of a soap opera.<P ID="signature">______________


</P>
 
> > With all of the truly (once) great stations in this town
> and
> > the many personalities that make up the radio scene, it is
>
> > hard to fathom how one small little frequency could get so
>
> > much play on this board. But it does. Amazing.
>
> Possibly because the 103.1s tend to be the radio industry
> equivalent of a soap opera.
>
Also because Indie and Jack are the only stories in town lately. No other big flips to talk about.

I'd like to keep ragging on the happy talk at KNX but it's old, sad news now and just depresses me to even think about.
 
> It's just amazing how for the entire life of this board,
> which is home to discussions about Los Angeles radio, which
> includes outlying areas such as the IE, the OC, the deserts,
> and even a little TO and Ventura, an area that must
> enpcompas over 100 signals, the station that generates the
> most discussion on this board is a couple of peashooters
> that combined have rarely exceeded a 1 share. Of course I
> mean the 103.1's.

...

> With all of the truly (once) great stations in this town and
> the many personalities that make up the radio scene, it is
> hard to fathom how one small little frequency could get so
> much play on this board. But it does. Amazing.

I find similar situations on other boards. I look at the Connecticut board a lot and they mostly talk about AM's that run lots of (or all) brokered programming, with no signal and no ratings.

But the 103.1 frequency has been the home of more than a couple of formats that, while not getting numbers, have aroused the passions of their audiences. That alone is notable and worth talking about. Too often, around here and in the radio world, the art of radio is lost in all the business. Just because a station isn't making money doesn't mean the programming isn't successful. Look at the sports stations that make a ton of money with no ratings, and the news stations that make more money with very little ratings. You can argue about their art but they have well-defined, targeted audiences. The 103.1's should be able to make money focusing on an audience their stick reaches, but that's up to the sales side (and programming's ability to define the target for sales people who don't get it).
 
One's a Flip, one's a Flop!

There must be other things to speak about?. And what's this 103.1 Story, I must of missed it.
> Also because Indie and Jack are the only stories in town
> lately. No other big flips to talk about.
 
>...Just because a station isn't making money doesn't
> mean the programming isn't successful.

Uhmm... yeah it does. Other than NPR and a few religous stations, radio today isn't a not-for-profit venture. A station could be #1 in a market, but if the audience isn't attractive to advertisers, it's not a viable radio station.

> Look at the sports stations that make a ton of money with no ratings, and the
> news stations that make more money with very little ratings.
> You can argue about their art but they have well-defined,
> targeted audiences.

Sure, smaller ratings, but demos that are attractive to advertisers with money to spend. Combine that with the ability to add inventory almost at will and they better make money.

> The 103.1's should be able to make
> money focusing on an audience their stick reaches, but
> that's up to the sales side (and programming's ability to
> define the target for sales people who don't get it).

I think you have it backwards. Sales (more precisely advertising demand) should define the target that programming then attracts. Having spent 25 years in radio, all of it on the programming/operations side, my experience has been that on-air/programming people are as guilty of not getting the whole picture as the the sales weenies are. Think of it like a football team (you guys in LA remember those right?;-)). The offense can blame the defense and vice-versa, but ultimately if the team loses, the WHOLE team loses.
 
Los Angeles, home of the two-time defending college football national champions, sure we know what football is...

> Think of it like a football team (you guys in LA remember
> those right?;-)). The offense can blame the defense and
> vice-versa, but ultimately if the team loses, the WHOLE team
> loses.
>
 
> Los Angeles, home of the two-time defending college football
> national champions, sure we know what football is...
>
touche'
 
> >...Just because a station isn't making money doesn't
> > mean the programming isn't successful.
>
> Uhmm... yeah it does. Other than NPR and a few religous
> stations, radio today isn't a not-for-profit venture. A
> station could be #1 in a market, but if the audience isn't
> attractive to advertisers, it's not a viable radio station.

The point is, sometimes sales falls down on the job; quite often, actually. And it is possible to judge a station's programming on an artistic basis. It's not the way the people working at the station better judge it, but it's fair for listeners. Is this only a "pro" board, or does it encourage listeners? And even if it is a "pro" board, it's healthy to look at the art of programming separate from the $$$. The pendulum has swung so far to the sales side that radio has made itself less and less relevant over the last 20 years, which is sad.

> > Look at the sports stations that make a ton of money with
> no ratings, and the
> > news stations that make more money with very little
> ratings.
> > You can argue about their art but they have well-defined,
>
> > targeted audiences.
>
> Sure, smaller ratings, but demos that are attractive to
> advertisers with money to spend. Combine that with the
> ability to add inventory almost at will and they better make
> money.

And they may or may not be quality radio stations. Lots of people are complaining about KNX and KFWB, but they'll still make a ton of cash. Does their programming matter? It does to listeners.
>
> > The 103.1's should be able to make
> > money focusing on an audience their stick reaches, but
> > that's up to the sales side (and programming's ability to
> > define the target for sales people who don't get it).
>
> I think you have it backwards. Sales (more precisely
> advertising demand) should define the target that
> programming then attracts. Having spent 25 years in radio,
> all of it on the programming/operations side, my experience
> has been that on-air/programming people are as guilty of not
> getting the whole picture as the the sales weenies are.
> Think of it like a football team (you guys in LA remember
> those right?;-)). The offense can blame the defense and
> vice-versa, but ultimately if the team loses, the WHOLE team
> loses.

I don't have it backwards. Great sales people can create demand. Advertisers want results with their target. It's up to the programming and sales staffs to work together to attract advertisers to their product. Obviously, smart executives are going to look at the demographics and the psychographics of the area the stick covers and the underserved demos. But if they don't look qualitatively at the competing programming as an art form, they're could miss holes that could be creatively plugged.

Example: In the early 90's, alternative wasn't a successful format with advertisers outside the majors (maybe in the majors, I don't honestly know). Medium market stations flipped alternative and stole a ton of advertising from the rock stations, even in rock markets. And they created advertising demand in other, non-rock markets, as they brought in "missing" listeners who had abandoned radio. If they'd just looked at standard holes, that wouldn't have happened.

But again, radio should be fun, and radio boards should be allowed to be fun, too, right?
 
Underdogs

It is kinda nutty, but maybe some of it involves rooting for the underdog.


> It's just amazing how for the entire life of this board,
> which is home to discussions about Los Angeles radio, which
> includes outlying areas such as the IE, the OC, the deserts,
> and even a little TO and Ventura, an area that must
> enpcompas over 100 signals, the station that generates the
> most discussion on this board is a couple of peashooters
> that combined have rarely exceeded a 1 share. Of course I
> mean the 103.1's.
>
> From current discussions of Indie ("Can it succeed?" "Is it
> hurting KROQ?" "Why is it only a wobble to you if it is a
> significant ratings acheivement for me?") to KDL ("Was it
> programmed right?" "Does Dance really have a following?"
> "Was it the worst executed station ever?") to AAA Channel
> 103.1("Can AAA sell in this fragmented market?" "Was it the
> music or the signal?") to of course the station whose demise
> originally started this board the Groove, ("Whatta loss!"
> "Please let me use this board to gnash my teeth!") and
> actually the demise of MARRS-FM even way before that
> ("Station was just too cool - way ahead of its time...")
>
> With all of the truly (once) great stations in this town and
> the many personalities that make up the radio scene, it is
> hard to fathom how one small little frequency could get so
> much play on this board. But it does. Amazing.
>
 
INDIE 424.1

> It's just amazing ..... Of course I
> mean the 103.1's.
>
Isn't it funny about the Westside and the numbers 0 1 and 3. Like 310, 103(.1)
 
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