From today's (11/18) FCC actions, it appears that KDOW has cancelled its four-year-old application or CP to move its transmitter site to the east Bay and increase to 50 kW-U DA-2 (three towers days, four towers nights) but has reapplied for what seem to be the identical facilities (the exhibits are missing so it's difficult to be sure). The site was originally (close to 10 years ago, I think) to be used by co-owned KFAX when a power-grid project threatened to force it from its existing site only a few kilometers away. When the power-grid project came a-cropper, Salem proposed that what was then KNTS (now KDOW) use the site instead. The engineering firm of record on the now-cancelled application (at least in its later stages) was the well respected duTreil, Lundin, and Rackley. Presumably D, L, and R is also responsible for the refiled application.
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KDOW 1220 reapplies to increase to 50 kW-U
- Thread starter DanStrassberg
- Start date
I think there running 5kw at night too, Crainbebo on the DX Board says that its a regular at night there in Washington state
e-dawg said:
I had heard over a year ago that the land is owned by the community in which it is located; that community planned to construct some sort of public facility on the land (a park?); and the community would not allow the radio station use--even though it appeared that the private and public uses of the land were not really mutually exclusive. The rumor was that, based on the community's objections, Salem had given up on the CP. However, as far as I can tell, Salem has not turned in the CP and still has until the end of July 2012 to construct it. Given the state of the economy, I would not be surprised to see Salem let the CP expire and the community to do nothing with the land. If somebody has better and/or newer information, I'd be interested.
If they want 50kw they should just swap with KFAX! I've seen some markets (Including SF) where Salem owns two AMs, one with considerably more power than the other and religon goes on the one with higher power, while they have a more successful talk format goes on the weaker station. A good example of that is KTKZ and KFIA in Sacto.
travisl5678 said:
Please tell me you're not serious.
Umm... Why's that?
travisl5678 said:
Umm... because KFAX is a profitable station with a darned good signal. Are you suggesting that the KDOW talk programming should go on 1100 AM, while the (more profitable) religious programming should be moved to the inferior 1220 signal?
KFIA is a lot less profitable then KTKZ, In the most recent ratings KFIA has a 0.1, while KTKZ has a 1.0.KSAC 105.5 has done better then KFIA!
travisl5678 said:
You just used "profitable" in context with "ratings," and in the case of brokered religious stations, one thing has nothing to do with the other. KFAX is sold out in 15, 30 and 60 minute chunks, and they aren't selling to the ratings -- they're selling to the potential reach their 50,000-watt signal offers.
"Focus On The Family" isn't buying time on KFAX because KFAX has high ratings. They're buying because KFAX offers them the potential to reach hundreds of thousands of listeners in Northern California. They could not possibly care less if the station rates a 0.2 or a 3.5 -- the station provides the signal, and they're responsible for attracting the listeners.
I think KDOW could have real potentile as a 50Kw Bussiness Talker, do they reach Downtown SF during the day? KNEW's Rob Black is now in morning drive there. KDOW has a new website at http://www.kdow.biz/ , Their also on Facebook and Twiter, as well as apps on the Iphone and Blackberry. I think If they simply had some advertizing (How expensive are billboards?) I think the format could work.
Rob Black was dropped by KNEW back in March, he is now doing morning drive at 1220 KDOW
Pardon me.. Travis just how old are you??? I am not picking on you in this post. But you really have no idea how the radio business actually works. If a station is making money despite the ratings they are not going to change formats. You must remember you are looking at 12+ ratings...not specific demographic groups.
I thought that KFAX made its money like a talk station, making its money off of advertizing rather than the programing itself. I am young, but I'm learning the bussiness quickly.
travisl5678 said:
There are several business models.
(1) The traditional one is building programming designed to reach a certain part of the listening audience, say, males age 18 to 34 or females 25 to 49. The stations make their money selling 30 and 60 second ads around the programming.
(2) There is also the "brokered" arrangement. In this case the station sells blocks of time to program producers. They could be 5 or 15 or 30 or 60 minute segments, or in the case of KNEW several years ago, they sold the entire broadcast day to CNet. The program producer then makes their money any way they choose.
(2a) The program producer can sell their own ads, so for instance if the station sold time to the producer of "The Greek Hour", the producer would probably be programming in Greek and play Greek music, etc. It would be logical for them to sell ads to Greek restaurants, Greek-owned travel ageneices, etc.
(2b) If the program producer is a religious outfit, instead of selling ads they might ask the audience for donations instead. Most religious program producers do this.
In example #2, ratings aren't going to matter to the station -- they've already sold their time in blocks to program producers who have to find a way to make their money back. Back some years ago when Sturdevant and company owned KFAX, the ratings didn't even show up in Arbitron, yet they were totally sold out of time -- AND there was a waiting list of over a year to get anywhere on the schedule. KFAX paid their staff well, and it was said that the only way they'd ever leave was if they died there. KFAX was able to pay its staff well because they were SWIMMING in money, and yet they never sold advertising and their ratings were nowhere. They were a time broker. They sold program time and let the program producers do whatever they needed to make their money.
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