KCKC FM - Large Playlist Success ?

[ksradiogeek]

Looking at the KC beauty pageant numbers, I don't see KCKC as any kind of success. Its last four books have been 2.6, 2.4, 3.2, 3.2. It's getting beaten consistently not only by the market's Hot AC but its Christian AC. It's also being beaten by the CHR and two of the market's three country stations, which makes it a distant trailer among the stations targeting female listeners in the demographic sweet spot age-wise. Forty-five-year-old songs and assorted hits that the competition hasn't played in many years pretty much assures KCKC will never amount to anything more than it is today. Why it hasn't flipped to being a more focused, conventional AC is a mystery. All I can think of is the Kansas City just isn't much of a market for AC -- after all, the market's Hot AC only does mid-4s and low-5s compared to the better performances of CHR and country -- and management can't find a format hole worth the trouble of a flip.

KC largely serves as a sales combo for Mix (the still successful CHR that’s down the hall from them in Westport), both of which primarily target women. It’s also aimed to prop up both country stations in the Steel City cluster to prevent KCMO or The Point from being #1. In terms of them flipping to anything else, there really aren’t any holes to go for. Alternative is already being served by Audacy (Cumulus’ “X” experiment lasted two years and was in the lower echelon of 6+), the hard rock field is crowded, commercial AAA has already been done and didn’t do well, country’s well covered in that cluster, urban/rhythmic would steal shares from Mix, and soft AC likely wouldn’t bill well (the boom for it has also died off to the point where two top 20 stations flipped away from it the last nearly two years). *Maybe* a more modern version of classic rock under the established ‘KY’ branding could be done, but I don’t realistically see that happening.

 

[ksradiogeek]

Kansas City had a conventional AC for years - KUDL - that was performing poorly enough 10+ years ago to where Entercom chose to kill it off to place their talker on FM and decided to focus on KZPT instead.

KUDL had the whole heritage thing going for them...but listener perception deemed it as too old sounding despite refreshing the playlist by the end (same thing with ‘Star’, which shifted to AAA and then back to AC three years later). Not only that, moving news/talk to FM was all the rage 10 years ago.

 

[Kelly A]

KC largely serves as a sales combo for Mix (the still successful CHR that’s down the hall from them in Westport), both of which primarily target women. It’s also aimed to prop up both country stations in the Steel City cluster to prevent KCMO or The Point from being #1. In terms of them flipping to anything else, there really aren’t any holes to go for. Alternative is already served by Audacy (Cumulus’ “X” experiment lasted two years and was in the lower echelon of 6+), the hard rock field is crowded, commercial AAA has already been done and didn’t do well, country’s well covered in that cluster, urban/rhythmic would steal shares from Mix, and soft AC likely wouldn’t bill well (the boom for it has also died off to the point where two top 20 stations flipped away from it the last nearly two years). *Maybe* classic rock, and reviving the established ‘KY’ branding, could be done, but I don’t realistically see that happening.

This makes perfect sense. KCKC is part of the larger demo-sell sandwich.

 

[ksradiogeek]

I don't know why more programmers don't program ac stations like kckc. Most are such worn out hits that it's very uninteresting to listen to. Who wants to hear Harry styles for the thousandth time?

Because audience testing and research. That’s why. Harry is (mostly) well received by primarily females who remember his days with One Direction, and his latest album is hot right now. You’d be foolish to avoid it if you were a contemporary PD/brand manager targeting primarily female demos.

 

[TheBigA]

To clarify, by “conventional AC” I mean something like WLTW, KOST, WBEB, KODA, etc.

The main way this station differs from those is they get better ratings. But they all play a wide range of gold with a small group of currents.

 

[ksradiogeek]

When I turn to kckc, I at least can stay on the station and not be bored.

Cool. Still doesn’t make them successful in the grand scheme of things. Whenever I pass through the area, I can’t listen to them for long periods of time. I may be slightly opposite of their target demo, but I’ve been very familiar with their playlist (as I’ve grown up with most of their songs, either listening to or actually playing them when I worked in radio). Problem is that it’s too all over the place for the format they’re in (I’ve heard very awkward segues between songs, from Tone Loc into George Michael into Pink or a stiff that listeners don’t exactly remember, and that’s what does it for me). Want to be adult hits and try to take any shares of Jack on the translator? Do that. Want to still be AC? Focus and narrow down the playlist.

 

[vchimpanzee]

To clarify, by “conventional AC” I mean something like WLTW, KOST, WBEB, KODA, etc.

A station following a similar format to KCKC, although different (but does the going back 50 years) and more successful seeming is WKQC in Charlotte. “Southern Cross” and “Why Can’t We Be Friends” on an AC is rather odd.

Songs Archive

More Music, Better Variety

k1047.com

Calling WKQC AC is what is rather odd. This is what is being called "classic hits" in some markets.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Who wants to hear Harry styles for the thousandth time?

I don't want to hear him for the first time.

 

[tall_guy1]

Considering the market size, below 15th in that target demo is definately a bottom feeder. What TallGuy needs to realize is; just because you like a station, doesn't mean it's successful.

Exactly. That old saying holds true: Don't give your listeners a reason to tune-out.

I think they could probably focus a bit more on 70s-80s pop/rock and their ratings would improve. You could probably add some calmer cuts from the '90s and '00s, but I can tell when they stray from their main sound.

Because audience testing and research. That’s why. Harry is (mostly) well received by primarily females who remember his days with One Direction, and his latest album is hot right now. You’d be foolish to avoid it if you were a contemporary PD/brand manager targeting primarily female demos.

Things like adore you and blinding lights are painfully boring in 2022, but I live in KC where that opinion looks to be common.

 

[TheBigA]

I think they could probably focus a bit more on 70s-80s pop/rock and their ratings would improve.

The ratings might improve but the demos would fall even further.

 

[tall_guy1]

The ratings might improve but the demos would fall even further.

Yeah, but at least it would resonate with some demo that way. They could probably take a page from wocn in cape cod, but a more mainstream ac version with some slight adjustments.

 

[101tm]

KUDL had the whole heritage thing going for them...but listener perception deemed it as too old sounding despite refreshing the playlist by the end (same thing with ‘Star’, which shifted to AAA and then back to AC three years later). Not only that, moving news/talk to FM was all the rage 10 years ago.

I would be willing to bet the demo numbers for KMBZ are no better or only slightly better than if they had stayed at 980 AM.

 

[davideduardo]

Yeah, but at least it would resonate with some demo that way. They could probably take a page from wocn in cape cod, but a more mainstream ac version with some slight adjustments.

Comparing a major market with a tiny one does not work. In the Cape Cod market, ranked #194, most sales are local direct and demos are not critical. In Market #34, focusing on the "sales demos" is very critical.

 

[davideduardo]

I would be willing to bet the demo numbers for KMBZ are no better or only slightly better than if they had stayed at 980 AM.

KMBZ 98.1 is now #3 in 25-54 based on a three month rolling average. They are #1 in 12+.

 

[tall_guy1]

KMBZ 98.1 is now #3 in 25-54 based on a three month rolling average. They are #1 in 12+.

I wonder why ac didn't work on that frequency back in the 00s? Why is KC such an anomaly in that regard?

 

[Kelly A]

Yeah, but at least it would resonate with some demo that way. They could probably take a page from wocn in cape cod, but a more mainstream ac version with some slight adjustments.

These are businesses we're talking about here. As Ksradiogeek already pointed out, KCKC is just one station programmed and sold within a cluster. It's designed to target a demographic to fill out the cluster of stations. In this case 25-54. Veering out of their lane by tweaking the music away from your target demo is a fools errand, because one risks getting away from 25-54 and either biting into a sister station inside the cluster, or going too old who's demos don't count.

 

[TheBigA]

Yeah, but at least it would resonate with some demo that way.

All that would be great if there was a way to monetize that audience. But there really isn't.

 

[tall_guy1]

These are businesses we're talking about here. As Ksradiogeek already pointed out, KCKC is just one station programmed and sold within a cluster. It's designed to target a demographic to fill out the cluster of stations. In this case 25-54. Veering out of their lane by tweaking the music away from your target demo is a fools errand, because one risks getting away from 25-54 and either biting into a sister station inside the cluster, or going too old who's demos don't count.

But soft ac is a viable format for many cities (like Miami). Kckc already plays sister golden hair by America, thunder island, and I'd really love to see you tonight which are staples of soft ac.

 

[Kelly A]

But soft ac is a viable format for many cities (like Miami). Kckc already plays sister golden hair by America, thunder island, and I'd really love to see you tonight which are staples of soft ac.

Kansas City is not Miami. Not even close. Again, you use music research to stay close into the demographic you're trying to reach. Going into the 70's, will drive your demo right past 54.

 

[tall_guy1]

Kansas City is not Miami. Not even close. Again, you use music research to stay close into the demographic you're trying to reach. Going into the 70's, will drive your demo right past 54.

But what I'm saying is they already do play quite a few songs from the 70s and I've even heard them play Louie Louie by the Kingsman! (From the 60s.)