KDKA-FM and CBS changes

[MsMusicRadio]

Of course I'm usually wrong, but it looks to me that CBS has two "outs" if these changes don't work. ( Three "outs" if you count selling out or baseball)

1) With the heritage KD calls on FM, if sports doesn't work, they could flip to a true Soft AC like WDUV in Tampa using calls that go way back. That would touch the heart of every boomer and geez ( and alte kuchers in the Maxon). That move could put Renda into even more trouble with serious competitiuon for WISH and JAS. Just imagine "KDKA FM playing your Soft and Easy Favorites from yesterday and today". They could use old clips from Cordic and Co.,Bob Tracey, Art Pallan, and Ed and Wendy King between the Neil Diamond cuts.

2) 100.7 could slip on over to Churban, a format CBS seems to know and love. It could sort of fill the void left by WAMO and still compete with Kiss.

 

[chipper]

Just get it over and put KDKA on the FM dial at 93.7. Cox Radio did this in a number of markets and it has overall been successful.

 

[corporateradiosucks]

2) 100.7 could slip on over to Churban, a format CBS seems to know and love. It could sort of fill the void left by WAMO and still compete with Kiss.

Theoretically. Given this market's past though, it would probably be about 75% CHR and 25% barely Urban.

 

[Boss Radio]

They could use old clips from Cordic and Co.,Bob Tracey, Art Pallan, and Ed and Wendy King between the Neil Diamond cuts.

They'd have to get some first.

 

[MsMusicRadio]

I didn't think of putting KDKA AM on FM. But that brings up the same question just burning a hole in Tampa radio. What happens to 970 AM if CC puts WFLA on FM? What does CBS do with KDKA AM if the audience migrates to FM? I presume they have no national audience anymore on 1020 . Especially with the Pirates gone from that frequency.

 

[Boss Radio]

A "national audience" doesn't mean squat anyway, unless someone is doing direct response advertising -- and even then, the station still makes most of its money from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the biggest part of that in morning drive.

What audience is going to FM? KDKA doesn't have any sports programming anyway.

 

[MsMusicRadio]

I meant if "sports" on 93.7 is considered a failure, someone suggested that KDKA-FM could simulcast the AM. Would that really hurt them AM or not?

 

[CaliRadioGuy]

I meant if "sports" on 93.7 is considered a failure, someone suggested that KDKA-FM could simulcast the AM. Would that really hurt them AM or not?

Ms.MusicRadio:

Out here in San Francisco they started simulcasting their KCBS-AM (their CBS flagship news station) now on one of their FM stations (KFRC-FM) that was also a Rock station and a failed Free-FM station at one point.

I cannot tell you how its doing in the ratings since the FM Station (KFRC-FM) is listed under KCBS-AM for ratings since it only simulcasts. Back home in the Burg, I would think with AM radio fading into the past, simulcasting KDKA-AM on the FM dial wouldn't' be a bad idea to transition into the future. My only advice would be that KDKA might want to soup up their programming a bit and target the local audience with more emphasis on local news and local talk by local hosts...this is an advantage they have over the syndicated machine 104.7. But I think the Pittsburgh Sports Station just might work especially if its branded under the KDKA name.....

Also one little tidbit, KCBS-AM is an all news, all the time type of deal, not like KDKA which is mix between news and talk.

 

[Parttimer]

Back home in the Burg, I would think with AM radio fading into the past, simulcasting KDKA-AM on the FM dial wouldn't' be a bad idea to transition into the future. My only advice would be that KDKA might want to soup up their programming a bit and target the local audience with more emphasis on local news and local talk by local hosts...this is an advantage they have over the syndicated machine 104.7. But I think the Pittsburgh Sports Station just might work especially if its branded under the KDKA name.....

KD is live and local from 5am-10pm, has live newscasts until 6 and an afternoon news block. Local isn't the issue.

In general, they just aren't that interesting and their audience is really old. Their daytime programming has some of the worst 25-54 numbers in the market despite being #2 12+.

Moving it to FM would only work if they overhaul the lineup.

 

[hypwr]

But, don't forget. We may be old, but we have money and we like to spend it. So KD's advertisers like us!!!

 

[CaliRadioGuy]

Back home in the Burg, I would think with AM radio fading into the past, simulcasting KDKA-AM on the FM dial wouldn't' be a bad idea to transition into the future. My only advice would be that KDKA might want to soup up their programming a bit and target the local audience with more emphasis on local news and local talk by local hosts...this is an advantage they have over the syndicated machine 104.7. But I think the Pittsburgh Sports Station just might work especially if its branded under the KDKA name.....

KD is live and local from 5am-10pm, has live newscasts until 6 and an afternoon news block. Local isn't the issue.

In general, they just aren't that interesting and their audience is really old. Their daytime programming has some of the worst 25-54 numbers in the market despite being #2 12+.

Moving it to FM would only work if they overhaul the lineup.

How would they, in your opinion, target a younger audience through their news and their talkshow lineup?

 

[Parttimer]

The morning show is just flat out boring. Richert's a talented guy but they just use him as a traffic cop.

They could use a team like the old WLTJ pairing of Gary Love and Beth Bershok, or Jon Cline and Kerri Griffith. Get some conversation and entertainment in there. A female voice would also make a difference.

Marty Griffin, well.....

To my knowledge they have not named a permanent replacement for the late Fred Honsberger (Gee, Scott Paulsen's missing from ESPN 1250....)

The PM news block is solid.

They have never recovered from losing Rush to 104.7. Actually a good syndicated show might break things up a little.

 

[DToTheJ]

They have never recovered from losing Rush to 104.7... a good syndicated show might break things up a little.

But who? Smerconish? (Does two daily shows including his flagship in Philly which is owned by CBS.) Ingraham? Dennis Miller?

 

[71dude]

Or Ed Schultz or Thom Hartmann?

 

[Parttimer]

They have never recovered from losing Rush to 104.7... a good syndicated show might break things up a little.

But who? .... Dennis Miller?

NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Miller was a colossal bomb on 93.7, in my mind he might have been the biggest single reason it failed (but McIntyre was a close second).

Had they not already been through Boortz twice I think he'd have a shot, he did well out of the box on 104.7.... I've never heard Smerconish.

Even a couple of hours of Clark Howard might be a nice change of pace (and before you laugh, look at how well he does against Rush on heritage WDBO in Orlando). A non-political show on a big signal might have a chance.

 

[DToTheJ]

... Clark Howard might be a nice change of pace (and before you laugh, look at how well he does against Rush on heritage WDBO in Orlando)...

Rush airs in Orlando on WFLF, whose signal is not very strong. Same deal in Atlanta, where Clark's show on WSB in Atlanta (his flagship) routinely beats Rush on WGST, which, like WFLF, is also an AM station with, more or less, a weak signal. Keep in mind that in both of these cases, Cox owns the Clark station, while Clear Channel owns the Rush station.

 

[Parttimer]

... Clark Howard might be a nice change of pace (and before you laugh, look at how well he does against Rush on heritage WDBO in Orlando)...

Rush airs in Orlando on WFLF, whose signal is not very strong. Same deal in Atlanta, where Clark's show on WSB in Atlanta (his flagship) routinely beats Rush on WGST, which, like WFLF, is also an AM station with, more or less, a weak signal. Keep in mind that in both of these cases, Cox owns the Clark station, while Clear Channel owns the Rush station.

WFLF is 50,000 watts. They have some directional issues but to say the signal is weak is inaccurate (I lived there...).

The story in Orlando is that WDBO is essentially the KDKA of the market and 540 is a relative newcomer. CC pulled a power play to take Rush from DBO, but the audience largely stuck with Bootz, Clark Howard and Hannity on DBO. 540 has had revolving doors in both drive times and for a while was a hybrid sports/news format because 740 the Team was flipped to Spanish.