K-Big Clock Ticking?

[Element9]

For various reasons, be it nostalgia, genuine interest, the last seven formats being so abysmal or because we have nothing better to write about, KB gets a lot of attention on these boards.

It's only natural to wonder if KB's time is limited as a Progressive Talker when reading about the possible demise of Air America and Lib Talk at radio stations in larger markets:

It's a watershed month for liberal talk. But not just because Air America does or doesn't go away (there are reports of a last-minute angel). For one thing - Boston and Cincinnati are losing their libtalkers next week. And there are plenty of schedule changes at progressive talkers elsewhere, like in Minneapolis - where Minnesota resident Al Franken's being bumped out of his live midday slot by Ed Schultz.

Buffalo-Niagara Falls is an aging market with lots of gray hairs and blue hairs. Adult Standards was successful on WECK, a 1kW Class D that traded the format in for Classic Country. This isn't brain surgery, arguing before the Supreme Court or rocket science.

Change the format. Change the call letters. WWKB has no value whatsoever, even and perhaps especially with 55-64 year old adults. WWKB has long been a bastardized version of the once great call letters.

Start from scratch. Pick 500 bona fide hit songs from Sinatra and Bennett to Elvis and the Supremes. In morning drive, provide local and national news, traffic and weather, an amiable host and at least 10 hit songs from the 50's and 60's. Hire a good program director to cultivate the format minute by minute, day by day and in detail.

The skeptics here might argue that an Adult Standards format on a 50kW AM would siphon a substantial number of listeners from co-owned WBEN, but the truth is the listeners would stay in different rooms of the same house.

-9-

 

[SirRoxalot]

Beef It Up!

Hey, if Entercom is afraid to turn 'KB into a real radio station because it might pose a challenge to 'BEN, maybe Regent will dump the largely ignored format on WECK and follow your advice on 1230.

Before you say that a real news component will cost too much, think about utilizing it as a resource for WECK, WYRK, and WJYE. A minute of headlines at the top of the hour might actually be welcomed by listeners of WYRK and WJYE, and you could use it to promote WECK.

 

[ThePickleReport]

A friend of mine had a great quote regarding the standards format in Buffalo; "Flip any station to standards and get Stan Roberts to sell it!!!"

 

[Debaser]

You guys are forgetting one thing here: for any station to be successful there has to be some promotion. Entercom doesn't seem to be willing to invest any $$$ into 1520 to get the word out what they are doing at that spot on the radio dial. So whether it's business talk, oldies, lib talk or whatever, nobody seems to know it's there.

I still maintain that the oldies format could have worked if they had a budget to promote it (and if they had played the "right" music to go with the DJs who were on air, but that's another story).

Are there any billboards, newspaper ads, TV ads, remote broadcasts, bus ads, etc. that promote WWKB? When I was in Buffalo recently I didn't see one.

Methinks Entercom is using 1520AM as a tax write off.

 

[Yeziknoradio]

Re: Beef It Up!

Before you say that a real news component will cost too much, think about utilizing it as a resource for WECK, WYRK, and WJYE. A minute of headlines at the top of the hour might actually be welcomed by listeners of WYRK and WJYE, and you could use it to promote WECK.

Jack could also use a "92 second newsbreak" in the morning and afternoon drive, regardless of what music format they go with.
How much would it cost to borrow an exsisting body to toss on a quick news update anyway?

Djs would also be nice.

Also, I agree with Debasser that 1520 is most likely a tax write off.
However, if that is true, they should use it as a "farm team" station for WBEN and hire more local (younger) staff.

 

[SpareChange]

From what I've observed, Entercom uses KB as a vehicle to block other companies' attempts to compete with WBEN or WGR, it's two mainstays on the AM band. Thus far, Entercom has been successful with this approach, when directed at another AM competitor. It prevented WHLD's liberal-progressive talk format from gaining any traction or harming WBEN.

However, with the WWKB Oldies format, Entercom sought to take a few shares from WHTT but was clearly unsuccessful in that regard. As has been noted, the execution, presentation and promotion of the format left much to be desired. It's very difficult for an AM music station to compete head-to-head with an FM station that offers a similar format.

Now that WHLD has more or less been minimized, it's quite possible that Entercom's work has been done and Entercom could re-position WWKB with a music format featuring Adult Standards which would be an exclusive format that no FM station would touch. But as Debaser noted in his post, any format on WWKB needs proper and extensive promotion, without which the station is destined to languish, if not fail altogether.

 

[raymond_shaw]

It prevented WHLD's liberal-progressive talk format from gaining any traction or harming WBEN.

Somebody on this board recently added up HLD and KB's combined ratings and it came out a to 1.4 (or something like that)? Trying to neutralize a format that's only worth that much in audience share doesn't seem like a well thought out idea.

Also, I may be one of the few on this board who believes this, but why would HLD's AA programming be a threat to BEN? There are people out there who might choose between Rush Gasbag and Al Franken? There may be a few fence-leaners who sample both, but I think these are "preaching to the choir" shows.

But yes, KB should change formats - and Adult Standards would be, realistically, the one and only way to go. 1 million in annual billing beats their likely current billing of $0.00. HLD should be the home of progressive talk and news programming. My guess is the only stations they might threaten would be WNED-AM and WBFO. A recent post on this board mentioned the Pittsburgh AM station doing a hip Adult Standards format. I went to their website - pretty interesting...and while they are indeed playing standards, they call themselves a "real oldies" station. If Entercom actually wants some extra cash flow, this is only way to go.

..and once again, despite their bad ratings, HLD is into lease time programming. Check out "Radio Free Buffalo" on their website. Another realistic way to go, considering the current state of AM Radio

 

[anoldguy]

WWKB and Entercom are the perfect example on why the Telecommunications Act of 1996 should be repealed. The whole idea was to protect the huge broadcasting corporations from competition from other media sources. Entercom is protecting WBEN and WGR from WWKB- their own property. They have destroyed a 50,000 watt station! Yes, oldies could have worked on KB if a little more effort and $$$ was put into it. It would never have been a cash machine but would have paid the bills. As far as the liberal talk goes, it too could be successful with a little more promotion and investment. More local content and local news would help. It is the bigwigs in Philly that hold the strings on KB and as long as they own it, you can count on 1520 being a third class operation. Just hope they don’t sell it off to a religious operation.

 

[Debaser]

Just hope they don’t sell it off to a religious operation.

Well, then, that would bring the station all the way back around, wouldn't it? Not that the people in Philly are even aware of the histories of their properties...

 

[JohnW]

Of course, Well Known Bible Witness, circa 1926

 

[nytalkin]

DB - the history of what................the coin of the realm?

 

[Debaser]

NY- I'd love to engage in witty banter with you, but (and maybe it's just too early in the day) I'm not sure where you're going with that question... ???

 

[rdcuffpa1]

Not that the people in Philly are even aware of the histories of their properties...

The Declaration of Independence was signed at the Pennsylvania State House, now more colloquially known as Independence Hall.

There...some history regarding a Philadelphia property...



Richard in Allentown (ex-EA)

 

[SirRoxalot]

Miss Understanding

There seems to be some disconnect going on here.

DB was referring to the folks in Pha. not knowing the history of one of their own properties - WWKB radio.

John W. indicated that WKBW was originally a religious station, and that WKBW stood for Well Known Bible Witness.

For more on the history of KB, check out this tribute site.

 

[rdcuffpa1]

Re: Miss Understanding

DB was referring to the folks in Pha. not knowing the history of one of their own properties - WWKB radio.

"Folks in Philadelphia"...as in the folks in Bala Cynwyd, meaning Entercom management... now I gotcha. I did indeed miss the Philly connection (figuring it was related to Mr. May).

Sorry for the smart-ass comment.

Richard in Allentown

 

[nytalkin]

I missed the Pa reference as well DB sorry for the "witty" remark.

 

[Debaser]

Re: Miss Understanding

DB was referring to the folks in Pha. not knowing the history of one of their own properties - WWKB radio.

Sorry for the smart-ass comment.

Richard in Allentown

Don't be; your comment gave me my first laugh of the day!~ ;D

You know what...I didn't know that Entercom's home is Philly! Now everything else that was said hereb makes sense.

 

[rdcuffpa1]

Re: Miss Understanding

You know what...I didn't know that Entercom's home is Philly! Now everything else that was said hereb makes sense.

This begs a question, though...how many large-scale station owners other than Entercom are based in cities where they own no stations? Entercom's closest market to Philadelphia is Wilkes-Barre, roughly 120 miles to the north and entirely separate from Philly except for independent OTA TV that is brought in on cable.

Seems to be an odd way to run a media company.

Richard in Allentown

 

[anoldguy]

Entercom's closest market to Philadelphia is Wilkes-Barre, roughly 120 miles to the north and entirely separate from Philly except for independent OTA TV that is brought in on cable.

Seems to be an odd way to run a media company.

Not really. The people who run these companies have no interest in their stations except the cash flow. They could care less about the programing or what their stations sound like. An exception might be Entercom's seemingly hatred for oldies. They do have some middle tier executives who handle these matters for them.

I remember back in the 80's Roy H. Park owned what was then the full of amount stations - 7 AM's, 7 FM's & 7 TV's, the FCC would allow. He was the only company that did. The closest stations to his headquarters in Ithica was WHEN/WRRB in Syracuse. He could get WRRB off air so he dictated they change their format from a very successful country format to beautiful music. By that time beautiful music was a dead format and it was a disaster. He didn't care. That was the kind of music he enjoyed. He was rich & old, and he didn't need the money.

 

[Debaser]

I remember back in the 80's Roy H. Park owned what was then the full of amount stations - 7 AM's, 7 FM's & 7 TV's, the FCC would allow. He was the only company that did. The closest stations to his headquarters in Ithica was WHEN/WRRB in Syracuse. He could get WRRB off air so he dictated they change their format from a very successful country format to beautiful music. By that time beautiful music was a dead format and it was a disaster. He didn't care. That was the kind of music he enjoyed. He was rich & old, and he didn't need the money.

And those are the good ol' days!!!