KBSG PD opening on All Access

[dan_greenberg1500]

KBSG Program Director
Bonneville Seattle Radio Group is looking for the best programmer in America to lead our team at KBSG/Seattle to greater success. If you are a strong leader with a proven track record of excellence in the , have a great eye for talent and know how to develop it, and are strategic and innovative, we’d love to talk to you. For the right person, this is a wonderful opportunity with a great company, living in a beautiful city and building on the legacy of KBSG. Bonneville Seattle Radio Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Email resume and application to [email protected] or mail to 1820 Eastlake Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102.

Is the above a sign that there is definitely some sort of flip coming? My question is if they did a KIRO-FM simulcast, is there really a need for another PD?

 

[searadiofreak]

KBSG Program Director
Bonneville Seattle Radio Group is looking for the best programmer in America to lead our team at KBSG/Seattle to greater success. If you are a strong leader with a proven track record of excellence in the , have a great eye for talent and know how to develop it, and are strategic and innovative, we’d love to talk to you. For the right person, this is a wonderful opportunity with a great company, living in a beautiful city and building on the legacy of KBSG. Bonneville Seattle Radio Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Email resume and application to [email protected] or mail to 1820 Eastlake Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102.

Is the above a sign that there is definitely some sort of flip coming? My question is if they did a KIRO-FM simulcast, is there really a need for another PD?


This ad could be just an EOE required ad. Beyond that, I could see a KBSG as a 70's/80's hits format. Perhaps the KSL model is not an exact fit for Seattle.

 

[Grindlfan]

The best thing that KBSG could do is to use K-Hits (KLTH FM) in Portland, Oregon as a template. Just copy everything that K-Hits is doing because it is the best damn oldies station I have heard in years and their numbers are very good in PDX. They really have captured the feel of AM radio in the late 60s and 70s ( I mean that as a compliment.) I listen to K-Hits whenever I sign on my computer. KBSG has sucked for years but it really went in the crapper with Jay Coffey running the show. I really hope that a flip to a KIRO simulcast is not going to happen. Like we really need to hear Dori Monson on the FM dial. Any Bonneville honchos out there reading these posts....think K-Hits for KBSG!

 

[searadiofreak]

Uh huh, the opportunity to turn KBSG into a fun, 70's-80's hit-driven format is right there on the table. How about a K-Earth presentation with a core 1972-1984 music focus? Big personalities, big fun, big promotions, big jingles. Give Seattle something that reminds listeners of radio the way it used to be and should be! OK, may not be longterm, and may not appeal to anyone under the age of 35, but could be viable for a few years at the least. Why not?

 

[dadetim]

i agree with making kbsg sound like k-hits in portland. k-hits sounds really good. i really don't want fm talk...it didn't work with the buzz.

 

[Grindlfan]

60s and 70s...NOT 80s. KJR has inched in to the 80s and even 90s. KBSG should stick with 60s and 70s and do jingles, vintage commercial clips, big remote broadcasts. Go totally retro. I am telling you....K-HITS in PDX has got it down!

 

[searadiofreak]

60s and 70s...NOT 80s. KJR has inched in to the 80s and even 90s. KBSG should stick with 60s and 70s and do jingles, vintage commercial clips, big remote broadcasts. Go totally retro. I am telling you....K-HITS in PDX has got it down!

A couple of thoughts...70's/80's is the new oldies. Except nobody will call it that anymore. But time marches on and the 25-54 demo doesn't care about the 60's anymore. Not everyone for sure, but from a general demographic standpoint, this is where we are in mid-2007. Just like big band isn't viable anymore, the 60's won't be either very soon, if not already. Yes, The Beatles and The Stones will always have a few slots open to them, but beyond that, no dice.

Also, what happened to all the earlier talk of KBSG becoming KIRO-FM? I suppose it could still happen, but the indications seem to be not anytime soon.

 

[Grindlfan]

I beg to differ. It is exactly that kind of thinking that gets radio stations in trouble. When they just figure that nobody cares about a genre or era of music. Who said nobody cares about the 60s music anymore? Give the programming director or any of the on-air personalities at K-Hits a call. They will tell you different.

As for KBSG flipping to KIRO FM, I suppose it still could happen. I am hoping it does not. Dori Monson or Ron & Don in FM? Arggggghhhhhhh!

 

[AQH]

Uh huh, the opportunity to turn KBSG into a fun, 70's-80's hit-driven format is right there on the table. How about a K-Earth presentation with a core 1972-1984 music focus? Big personalities, big fun, big promotions, big jingles. Give Seattle something that reminds listeners of radio the way it used to be and should be! OK, may not be longterm, and may not appeal to anyone under the age of 35, but could be viable for a few years at the least. Why not?

Because people don't wake up in the morning and say "boy, I'd like to hear big promotions and big jingles on the radio." People actually expect to hear music on their radio, plain and simple.

I know that's a blow to many egos on this board, but the fact of the matter is that people want to hear music. Times have changed since the KOL/KJR/KING days. Quit living in the past and come to terms with the fact that listeners don't care about talking up to the vocals, deep radio voices or "big jingles."

Does it suck? Of course it does. I still listen to Police Blotter airchecks once in awhile.

Again, times have changed. You may not like it, but that's the reality.

 

[searadiofreak]

grindlfan, you've kind of hit a nerve with me, 'cause a couple of years I would have been completely in agreement with you. Afterall, the upper demos have disposable income and still use radio in great numbers. However, my thinking has evolved. 60's music, with the exception of a few select artists, was not all that it is cracked up to be. There was a lot of crud put out during the decade, and a lot of great stuff as well. But the great stuff is so over-saturated that it becomes meaningless after awhile. I just don't think the average 40 year old cares about The Turtles, Sonny & Cher, and Dusty Springfield. (Not that they represent the decade, but they are a good sampling of the mediocre music that came out of the decade). Today, I believe the "money" demos want to hear those 70's and 80's hits that have not been over-exposed. The BeeGees "More Than A Woman" sounds great today, as does Benny Mardones "Into The Night". These are just a couple of examples. The oldies (or more P.C., classic hits), have moved up the spectrum as the demos age. Look at mainstream AC's today. Many are 60-70% gold (meaning 60-70% 70's, 80's and I guess even 90's is considered "gold" now. (Yikes!) .

Bottom line, I hear you about not letting go of the 60's. But I feel the reality is radio must evolve with the aging demos if it is to continue to be relevant from a music standpoint.

With all that having been said, as a boomer, I would certainly listen to a late 50's/early 60's "hit parade" format...atleast for an hour or so.
I guess I am a closet hypocrite afterall. ;D

 

[searadiofreak]

Uh huh, the opportunity to turn KBSG into a fun, 70's-80's hit-driven format is right there on the table. How about a K-Earth presentation with a core 1972-1984 music focus? Big personalities, big fun, big promotions, big jingles. Give Seattle something that reminds listeners of radio the way it used to be and should be! OK, may not be longterm, and may not appeal to anyone under the age of 35, but could be viable for a few years at the least. Why not?

Because people don't wake up in the morning and say "boy, I'd like to hear big promotions and big jingles on the radio." People actually expect to hear music on their radio, plain and simple.

I know that's a blow to many egos on this board, but the fact of the matter is that people want to hear music. Times have changed since the KOL/KJR/KING days. Quit living in the past and come to terms with the fact that listeners don't care about talking up to the vocals, deep radio voices or "big jingles."

Does it suck? Of course it does. I still listen to Police Blotter airchecks once in awhile.

Again, times have changed. You may not like it, but that's the reality.

Hey AQH, no big disagreement with you here. But I don't think I'm living in the past when you consider that so many in the 35-54 demo DO remember the past and don't think would be adverse to hearing this kind of radio. Bringing back some of the "magic" of radio may not be the ultimate answer, but might slow the decline. That's all I'm saying. And I loved Police Blotter too.

 

[AQH]

I beg to differ. It is exactly that kind of thinking that gets radio stations in trouble. When they just figure that nobody cares about a genre or era of music. Who said nobody cares about the 60s music anymore? Give the programming director or any of the on-air personalities at K-Hits a call. They will tell you different.

I would love for someone to call Constantine in PDX.

Go ask him how many songs from the 1960s he plays per hour. It's the same amount that KBSG plays.

 

[AQH]

Hey AQH, no big disagreement with you here. But I don't think I'm living in the past when you consider that so many in the 35-54 demo DO remember the past and don't think would be adverse to hearing this kind of radio. Bringing back some of the "magic" of radio may not be the ultimate answer, but might slow the decline. That's all I'm saying. And I loved Police Blotter too.

I'm not against entertaining radio, it's just that the definition of entertaining radio has changed. Even with the 35-54 audience having been exposed to the "glory days" of radio, it doesn't necessarily mean that they want what they heard in the past.

With all due respect, when you think about the way radio is right now, would the entertaining radio you describe be seen as an evolution or desperate measure?

 

[Grindlfan]

I don't disagree with you on 80s music at all. I love that stuff myself. But when you have other stations already covering that as KJR FM has decided to do, why go after that same audience? KZOK has the Classic Rock thing covered, KJR has abandoned the 60s with the exception of The Beatles, Stones, The Who etc. KBSG needs to go after that audience who does still want to hear those 60s songs. What is wrong with radio in my opinion, especially in Seattle, is that they appear to not listen to the listeners. Some consulting firm or survey organization is telling them what they think people want to hear. They are deciding. It may never happen but that control really needs to come back to the individual station.
All I am saying is that what K-Hits in PDX is doing is working, and it is working for a reason. Listeners like what they hear and it is 60s and 70s. They also don't get the same tired 20 repeated throughout the day. They don't have to hear I Feel Good by James Brown or Oh Pretty Woman by Roy Orbison incessantly, clearly Jay Coffeys recipe for success! Sheesh!
The reason I tune in to an oldies station (and I am 44) is for nostalgia. Yes, I love the music but it is where that music takes me that is important to me. I would bet the national debt that that is why most people listen to oldies or classic hits stations.

I think it just makes sense to fill the void when several stations are slugging it out.

Of course, if KBSG becomes KIRO FM, all of this is moot.

I enjoy this exchange of opinions though!

 

[dadetim]

what i like about k-hits in portland is that they do sneak in a "lost 45" as part of the rotation. that's one of the guilty pleasures that i have...listen to a song from the 60's, 70's, and 80's that you don't hear anymore. jack did that, k-hits does that, and i have heard some of those songs on kbsg (i.e. hooked on a feeling - blue swede)

 

[searadiofreak]

dadetim, agreed. love those...

Here are some more 70's gems, granted a very incomplete list:

Chevy Van-Sammy Johns
Doctor's Orders-Carol Douglas
Timothy-The Buoys
Get Down-Gilbert O'Sullivan (dog song)
Shannon-Henry Gross (another dog song)
People Gotta Move-Gino Vanelli
Sideshow-Blue Magic
Beach Baby-First Class
Sky High-Jigsaw
Wildfire-Michael Murphy (thanks Dave Letterman!)
Stand Tall-Burton Cummings
Hot Line-Sylvers
Fox On The Run-Sweet
Float On-Floaters
Heaven on the 7th Floor-Paul Nicholas

For the most part, all Top20 hits that garner very little airplay today...some for good reason!

 

[radiofan07]

First of all... KBSG used to be called K-Hits, it wasn't working out then, I see no reason that changing it back would help anything.

As for the guy who said that the Buzz didn't work... it billed over 10 million a year and was huge in the male demo. Entercom corperate thought they could be even more succesful in more demos with The Wolf. Don't let corperate greed make you think that any station that gets flipped must of been a failure.

This town is dying for a new "Buzz" and any compnay would be wise to grab Leykis and whoever else is still around from KQBZ and run with it. The only reason KISW is doing so well with men 25-54 right now is lack of competition. The folks at KISW would freak out if "The Buzz" came back and took away there guy demo. Trust me, it's true, but that doesn't mean it will happen.

 

[pbf1]

First of all... KBSG used to be called K-Hits

I remember K-Best, but not K-Hits.

106.9 was once KHIT, K-Hit, so the name was (sort of) already in the market.

 

[searadiofreak]

That's right, KBSG was never K-HITS. You may be confused with 106.9 that used that moniker in the mid-late 80's. They actually sounded pretty good with Steve Weed as the PD, but the market was over-saturated with Top40's at the time, (KUBE, KPLZ, KNBQ-later KBSG)) and it was an uphill battle for that station despite their strong efforts. The Top40 battle was tight between KUBE and KPLZ in the 80's, until KUBE went rhythmic, then KPLZ tried to copy, and then everything blew up and KPLZ decided that it would be better to go Hot AC and became Star 101.5 in the 90's. KHIT eventually became WARM after a couple of format experiments, and of course KNBQ became KBSG. This is how it happened, I know 'cause I was there.

 

[Grindlfan]

searadiofreak, I love every one of those songs on your list. Float On by the Floaters....it doesn't get much better than that for 70s R&B. Anyone tune in to the The Best Of Soul Train airing at 1:00 AM on channel 10 in Seattle Sunday mornings (Saturday night)? Good stuff! Classic Soul Train episodes from the 70s and 80s. The 70s episodes are escpecially entertaining.