K-Earth 101 Having Thousand-Song Weekend (With No Repeats!)

[OldGringo]

Not taking anything away from Kevin, who is extremely talented, and hires some strong people....but all of the JACK stations do the same "customization" and ALICE in Denver had been doing it for years....its not groundbreaking stuff. Something to be said for paying attention to your station as a living, breathing entity. And all of these guys have had #1 stations.....especially Jim Ryan who has had the #1 station in America for 9 straight years.

As for KFI.....figuring that the ratings are tied directly to one issue, like immigration as opposed to the war is simplistic and innaccurate.

I have listened to the Jacks and their clones in all th markets I visit, and I think that KCBS-FM is unique. There are, apparently, good production folks in the studio all the time, and they take calls live at many times. Some are edited so fast that they are dropped on the tail of the very song they are talking about. Others related immediately to rapid weather changes, to little tremors, etc. In some senses, it is like having listenrs as topical jocks.

The other thing I do not notice elsewhere is the customization of the music to anything from the weather to breaking news. It is really obvious that LA's Jack goes beyond the minimum requirements of the format and the cutesy tonge in cheek liners I hear elsewhere.

I did not say that KFI was exclusively talking about immigration. I said that I thought that they misidentified the key issue as being immigration as opposed to the War and other issues. Handel talked a lot more than needed about immigration, John & Ken beat it to death, Ziegler did the same, and even the weekenders like Captain Dye (sp) talked way too much about it (under the guise of border security). In other words, they were focused on what turned out to be a secondary issue, and talked too much about it. Obviously, they did something wrong, as they missed getting high ratings in the months prior to elections.

 

[SuperRadioFan]

How do you know they "misidentified" the key issue. A REALLLLLLLLL stretch about Capt Dale Dye BTW!! Handel talked "a lot more than needed" about it??? How do you figure... Were you counting words or minutes??? Haha you know and everyone else knows that's just YOUR opinion, David. Here's MY opinion... KFI should talk about it EVEN MORE than they do now.

 

[OldGringo]

How do you know they "misidentified" the key issue. A REALLLLLLLLL stretch about Capt Dale Dye BTW!! Handel talked "a lot more than needed" about it??? How do you figure... Were you counting words or minutes??? Haha you know and everyone else knows that's just YOUR opinion, David. Here's MY opinion... KFI should talk about it EVEN MORE than they do now.

All the follow up polls showed the war the key issue, and immigration to be secondary and almost irrelevant. Based on that and the fact that KFI did poorly in Summer and October extraps vs. Spring indicates that the immigration issue was working in Spring but burnt out as people focused on other issues of greater importance. The other matter is that immigration for the mostly-non Hispanic white audience of KFI has only one "side" and the degree of controversy is pretty limited. I mean, how many times do you want to hear the hosts agreeing with what you already think?

BY the way, Dye did several shows on consecutive weeks about border security, focusing on the Southern border. It was a bit much.

They did something that was not as good as what they did in Spring, as the numbers were off by nearly 20%.

 

[TheLaffer]

Not taking anything away from Kevin, who is extremely talented, and hires some strong people....but all of the JACK stations do the same "customization" and ALICE in Denver had been doing it for years....its not groundbreaking stuff. Something to be said for paying attention to your station as a living, breathing entity. And all of these guys have had #1 stations.....especially Jim Ryan who has had the #1 station in America for 9 straight years.

As for KFI.....figuring that the ratings are tied directly to one issue, like immigration as opposed to the war is simplistic and innaccurate.

I have listened to the Jacks and their clones in all th markets I visit, and I think that KCBS-FM is unique. There are, apparently, good production folks in the studio all the time, and they take calls live at many times. Some are edited so fast that they are dropped on the tail of the very song they are talking about. Others related immediately to rapid weather changes, to little tremors, etc. In some senses, it is like having listenrs as topical jocks.

The other thing I do not notice elsewhere is the customization of the music to anything from the weather to breaking news. It is really obvious that LA's Jack goes beyond the minimum requirements of the format and the cutesy tonge in cheek liners I hear elsewhere.

I did not say that KFI was exclusively talking about immigration. I said that I thought that they misidentified the key issue as being immigration as opposed to the War and other issues. Handel talked a lot more than needed about immigration, John & Ken beat it to death, Ziegler did the same, and even the weekenders like Captain Dye (sp) talked way too much about it (under the guise of border security). In other words, they were focused on what turned out to be a secondary issue, and talked too much about it. Obviously, they did something wrong, as they missed getting high ratings in the months prior to elections.

Have to agree with Dave-O. Jack in LA is a very well programmed station musically, and in production. Too bad that's not the case in Dallas. Some good talent was hired to write and produce but were run off for the usual political BS.

 

[OldGringo]

Have to agree with Dave-O. Jack in LA is a very well programmed station musically, and in production. Too bad that's not the case in Dallas. Some good talent was hired to write and produce but were run off for the usual political BS.

Is the moon in a weird phase? You are not supposed to aggree with me. That takes all the fun out of this... ;D

But every listen to Dallas' Jack makes me think "automation" and "cost savings." It's an implementation with no feeling, no soul, no warmth compared with the LA Jack. It sounds like "let's do this really cheap" rather than "let's do this really well."

 

[TheLaffer]

Have to agree with Dave-O. Jack in LA is a very well programmed station musically, and in production. Too bad that's not the case in Dallas. Some good talent was hired to write and produce but were run off for the usual political BS.

Is the moon in a weird phase? You are not supposed to aggree with me. That takes all the fun out of this... ;D

But every listen to Dallas' Jack makes me think "automation" and "cost savings." It's an implementation with no feeling, no soul, no warmth compared with the LA Jack. It sounds like "let's do this really cheap" rather than "let's do this really well."

Actually Dave-O,

Actually, I agree with you alot, i just like to stir it up sometimes to get your goat or as they say play Devils Advocate.

 

[OldGringo]

Actually, I agree with you alot, i just like to stir it up sometimes to get your goat or as they say play Devils Advocate.

Awwww. I am heartbroken. Can't we find something to fight about again?

 

[TheLaffer]

Actually, I agree with you alot, i just like to stir it up sometimes to get your goat or as they say play Devils Advocate.

Awwww. I am heartbroken. Can't we find something to fight about again?

Not with me anymore (maybe) This radio board is boring me. It appears to be about 5 people on here with 10 different nics.

 

[BACKnUSSR]

Well I think JACK/LA sounds great. JACK/SD is pretty good too (with jingles!!). And New York is done VERY similiarly to LA....the difference being there is a familiarity and thirst for 80's based rock music in LA, and none exists in NYC....probably since their wasnt a REAL current based rock station in the city for most of that decade....(WNEW leaned more classic than anyone ever wanted to admit).
Its really about the overall music selection, (which Kevin does sans research) rather than the "weather songs".

And I agree....the immigration issue is the one that will roust most listeners in LA out of their nests, and I think KFI needs to really BANG IT MORE. Not the war...the national shows and TV news, which most listeners use to supplement their listening will suffice for that. Bang the immigration issue....there's numbers in them there hills!!

 

[zumahans]

In the K-Earth 101 Having Thousand-Song Weekend (With No Repeats!), on November 06, 2006, at 09:04:26 pm, you said and I quote "formats are not splintering."

Formats are not splintering. Formats have not splintered since the 70's when FM became viable. Today, they just mutate as some die and others come on the scent.

Now you say they are specializing.

Caught you, David, you did it again.

 

[XM RADIO]

I went online to listen to KRTH, and it really makes me appeciate XM and Sirius!! Commercials and endless traffic reports!! It sounds like KFRC, prior to Movin Format! If I lived in LA I wouldnt go with out Satelite!! Imagine sitting in heavy traffic and hearing a commercial !! I think not! The only thing about KRTH I liked was the morning guy,Gary Bryan, AKA Jumbo Jack on KYA 1260 in the 70 s here in the Bay Area! CBS just cant compete with XM or Sirius!! Tuesday at 315 pm i heard "Snowbird" by Anne Murray 1970 KRTH probably hasnt played that since 1970!! If KRTH was even around then! XM plays songs you never hear anymore,Like Sirius radio these two Sats are "The Future of Radio" Kenny in Concord 6 XM s and 1 Sirius !!!!

 

[davideduardo]

I went online to listen to KRTH, and it really makes me appeciate XM and Sirius!! Commercials and endless traffic reports!! It sounds like KFRC, prior to Movin Format! If I lived in LA I wouldnt go with out Satelite!! Imagine sitting in heavy traffic and hearing a commercial !! I think not! The only thing about KRTH I liked was the morning guy,Gary Bryan, AKA Jumbo Jack on KYA 1260 in the 70 s here in the Bay Area! CBS just cant compete with XM or Sirius!! Tuesday at 315 pm i heard "Snowbird" by Anne Murray 1970 KRTH probably hasnt played that since 1970!! If KRTH was even around then! XM plays songs you never hear anymore,Like Sirius radio these two Sats are "The Future of Radio" Kenny in Concord 6 XM s and 1 Sirius !!!!

Keep in mind that KRTH is up nearly a whole point in share in 25-54 from January of this year. A commercial share in 25-54 is worth about $12 million in billing in LA, so this is a big step in repostioning KRTH for a more 25-54 audience.

The songs you are hearing, like Anne Murray, are part of a move into post-70's oldies that repositioning the station demographically requires.

Satellite, with less than 0.5 share in LA, is not the issue for KRTH. Demos are. They can not continue to play songs that are only or mostly relevant to over-55 listeners in a market that is driven by ratings and demos. So KRTH is likely not at all cloncerned about satellite, and very concerned about demos and audience composition.

 

[Marv-L.A.]

The station does sound MUCH better since Jhani Kaye, the former PD/creator/guiding force behind AC mega-powerhouse KOST (once described as the most imitated radio station in America), came in and increased the library size dramatically, and added some early eighties-titles to the format, which led to a dramatice dropoff in repetition of songs.

 

[doublecashkgb]

So "Snowbird" is right on target for those 25-54's but what, The Doors are for over 55+. Do
you ever think, "gosh I'm full of hot air?", or does you need to add your input everywhere?

 

[XM RADIO]

DavidEduardo, nice reply, however according to XMfan.com they have 7,517,770 subs as of today 12/14/06, as time goes on are you saying that XM and Sirius couldnt hurt KRTH? I believe as time goes on people will get their fill of the repitition and go to Satelite!! Casey Casems countdowns are much better than any countdown KRTH could ever do! I seriously doubt KRTH would play "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo' Lobo 1971!! But they will do "Brown Eyed Girl" to death!! Eventually i see people leaving radio, and going to XM or Sirius!! As this happens itwill get into KRTH s wallet!! CBS/ Infinity cant be happy about XM and Sirius!! They have impacted their revenue and have lost listeners!! In the Bay Area where i live Theres no Oldies station , Glad to Have XM and Sirius! Kenny in Concord

 

[SuperRadioFan]

Kenny, the future looks more like Broadband in the car.
Check out link below...

http://www.kurthanson.com/archive/news/121406/index.asp

 

[davideduardo]

DavidEduardo, nice reply, however according to XMfan.com they have 7,517,770 subs as of today 12/14/06, as time goes on are you saying that XM and Sirius couldnt hurt KRTH?

Not liekly. Oldies represent only a couple of channels on satellite, and the channels that supposedly research for XM and Sirius are the 50's and 60's channels, which is where neither KRTH nor any other oldies station wants to be today.

I believe as time goes on people will get their fill of the repitition and go to Satelite!!

Most listeners to KRTH do not perceive there is a repetiton problem. The average core listener to a non-Hispanic FM listens arould 10 to 12 hours a week, and the average second-choice listener around 6 hours. So, with an average of the two of about 11 hours, it means that each listener only hears about 7% to 8% of the total broadcast week... so a song that is played once a day will be heard by that listener, perhaps, once over 10 days to two weeks. That is not high repetition at all.

Only really dedicated oldies fans note the songs that don't play because they have the Billboard and Whitburn books and a collection of charts from the 60's... these are not typical, and radio can not please them... even if they were in demo, which most aren't.

Casey Casems countdowns are much better than any countdown KRTH could ever do! I seriously doubt KRTH would play "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo' Lobo 1971!! But they will do "Brown Eyed Girl" to death!! Eventually i see people leaving radio, and going to XM or Sirius!! As this happens itwill get into KRTH s wallet!!

1985: 96% of 18-54 listend to radio weekly. 2006: 94.7% listen weekly. Not even 2% in 21 years. Please, verify this sort of data before posting it. It's TSL that has eroded, not usage... and TSL for evewrything has eroded... network TV, read time for newpapers and magazines, etc. This is because there are so many alternatives, not because alone in media, radio is suddenly bad.

CBS/ Infinity cant be happy about XM and Sirius!! They have impacted their revenue and have lost listeners!!

Only because of the loss of one peronality, Stern. Just as the Red and Blue nets were unhappy with CBS in the 30's and 40's when Paley stole key talent from them.

In the Bay Area where i live Theres no Oldies station , Glad to Have XM and Sirius! Kenny in Concord

The reason why there is no oldies station is that the owners felt that it was a bad long term commitment. Oldies are declining in ratings and sales, and do horribly in 25-54 demos, which is where the sales are. WCBS-FM in NY was off a combined 40% in 6 years against the market in ratings and revenue when they flipped.

 

[zumahans]

The great numbr magician trots out this bon mot, again:

1985: 96% of 18-54 listened to radio weekly. 2006: 94.7% listen weekly. Not even 2% in 21 years.

Of course, that does not indicate how much time is spent listening, does it?

Once a week samples are included in the figure.

Here's a corollary:

Dateline, April 14, 1912, at 11pm. The captain of the Titanic is proud to report that 96 percent of the ship hasn't sunk yet.

 

[8638]

I have to chime in here: I've been able to listen to KRTH recently, since streaming began, and I think it sounds pretty damned good! I'm on the East Coast, and CBS' oldies outlet here, WOGL in Philly, really is boring and repetitious. I had K-Earth on for about 6 hours Friday before last, and I didn't find repetition at all. I think their format tweaking/evolution or whatever you want to call it has been well done, and at least on the morning show, they talk about the station reaching all generations, mentioning kids calling in, etc.

Sounds like full service oldies to me!