Ken Dito out at KTRB

[travisl5678]

Last show on April 15th, is there anything left to do at KTRB than flip the switch to off?

 

[SFStatic]

Late last night, they were just transmitting a loud buzz...

 

[Truthiness4DaBray]

Late last night, they were just transmitting a loud buzz...

That's just it, they are not transmitting at night. The buzz is just the noise of the cosmos.

 

[SFStatic]

No, it was a loud buzz...it was carrier with no signal being modulated on it. In other words, a transmitter was on, but with no programming!

 

[DanStrassberg]

No, it was a loud buzz...it was carrier with no signal being modulated on it. In other words, a transmitter was on, but with no programming!

If it was hiss, as opposed to a buzz. it could have been KOA's upper IBOC sideband. Presumably, if it WAS KOA and you listened long enough, you would have heard some fades, though. Denver is, after all, nearly 1000 airline miles from SF and I doubt whether much groundwave gets across the Rockies.

 

[SFStatic]

Nope, it was a buzz, almost like a ground buzz...not hiss.

 

[SFSAC]

SF STATIC- are you describing KTRB or auditioning for an AAMCO commercial?

 

[DaveBayArea]

In other words, a transmitter was on, but with no programming!

Now that's a REAL waste of propane (I assume it was after sunset and they were being legal - which may be a stretch).

I suspect they'll apply for permission to be silent, then sign on again in a little less than a year for a weekend. Like KSTN did. I'm afraid their legacy is going to be:

1. The "classic san francisco sound" stunting from when they signed on.
2. A decent run of baseball.

I asked this before and never got a response, but does anyone know of an upstart AM station - that is, a new format or a new signal - that has caused even a blip in the ratings? Anywhere?

Dave B.

 

[radio dx]

I now think we have a new format....."KTRB your night time hiss and buzz station" "Less talk and more hiss"

 

[Madmansam]

I now think we have a new format....."KTRB your night time hiss and buzz station" "Less talk and more hiss"

or "No Talk And More Hiss!"

 

[tripton99]

Just some idle guessing here:

Imagine that Comerica, in it's foggy wisdom, figures out no one is interested in buying there ugly stick and entertains even the most modest of offers and that one offer is a cents-on-the-dollar offer from........the A's. The thinking would be that the A's deal with 95.7 was not an "exclusive" and that the team would entertain the idea of eventually being an AM and an FM baseball team.

 

[Madmansam]

Last show on April 15th, is there anything left to do at KTRB than flip the switch to off?

What a coincidence! Ken Dito's last day at KTRB is today, April 15th and KBWF changed its format from Country to Sports. I wonder if we will have another format change today from KTRB or will they go silent?

 

[Truthiness4DaBray]

Last show on April 15th, is there anything left to do at KTRB than flip the switch to off?

What a coincidence! Ken Dito's last day at KTRB is today, April 15th and KBWF changed its format from Country to Sports. I wonder if we will have another format change today from KTRB or will they go silent?

The bank is trying to sell/LMA KTRB, they are not concerned about the programming. They kept the station on the air while they had Stanford and A's contracts to honor. If they were going to go dark it would have been right after they chased the A's away.

 

[SFStatic]

It will stay on air in some form until they unload it. It's cheaper to sell at a little better price and dump more bucks into it than try to sell a dark stick. It's a tough sell, no matter what.

 

[Madmansam]

It will stay on air in some form until they unload it. It's cheaper to sell at a little better price and dump more bucks into it than try to sell a dark stick. It's a tough sell, no matter what.

Here is a thought, How about a infomercial format?

 

[Truthiness4DaBray]

It will stay on air in some form until they unload it. It's cheaper to sell at a little better price and dump more bucks into it than try to sell a dark stick. It's a tough sell, no matter what.

Here is a thought, How about a infomercial format?

That's not the worst programming idea for that station in its brief history, but program length infomercials work on TV because of the visual aspect. In other words, the couch potato doesn't have to do much thinking at 2 AM while he drools Cheeto juice down the front of his Slanket. Radio still requires some imagination on the parts of the programmers and the audience if an infomercial format is going to work.

 

[Madmansam]

It will stay on air in some form until they unload it. It's cheaper to sell at a little better price and dump more bucks into it than try to sell a dark stick. It's a tough sell, no matter what.

Here is a thought, How about a infomercial format?

That's not the worst programming idea for that station in its brief history, but program length infomercials work on TV because of the visual aspect. In other words, the couch potato doesn't have to do much thinking at 2 AM while he drools Cheeto juice down the front of his Slanket. Radio still requires some imagination on the parts of the programmers and the audience if an infomercial format is going to work.

On the "Wolf thread", Nate suggested that KTRB-860 switch to Satellite Country?

 

[Truthiness4DaBray]

On the "Wolf thread", Nate suggested that KTRB-860 switch to Satellite Country?
[/quote]
You are assuming that the bank/receiver care about programming. Exactly what would indicated that? The aggressive commercial sales? The push to keep the A's? Nope. The next change you see will be when an LMA is announced.

 

[Madmansam]

On the "Wolf thread", Nate suggested that KTRB-860 switch to Satellite Country?

You are assuming that the bank/receiver care about programming. Exactly what would indicated that? The aggressive commercial sales? The push to keep the A's? Nope. The next change you see will be when an LMA is announced.
[/quote]No. I assume that the bank/receiver is still paying the bills to operate KTRB, even as a daytimer? They are paying to air the syndicated sports shows and any local sports programming left? Isn't the bank still losing money as they still operate it? Obviously they aren't making money. I know the bank/receiver don't care about programming but I am sure they care about making money, not losing it. Does it matter, if the bank turns the station silent? The potential new owner obviously would not keep the current sports format. In fact, all signs turn towards a brokered format. Regardless, Comerica Bank is going to lose money on this station, whether it is on the air or off the air. Wouldn't they lose less money with the station silent?

 

[Rusty Muck]

It will stay on air in some form until they unload it. It's cheaper to sell at a little better price and dump more bucks into it than try to sell a dark stick. It's a tough sell, no matter what.

On the "Wolf thread", Nate suggested that KTRB-860 switch to Satellite Country?

You are assuming that the bank/receiver care about programming. Exactly what would indicated that? The aggressive commercial sales? The push to keep the A's? Nope. The next change you see will be when an LMA is announced.

No. I assume that the bank/receiver is still paying the bills to operate KTRB, even as a daytimer? They are paying to air the syndicated sports shows and any local sports programming left? Isn't the bank still losing money as they still operate it? Obviously they aren't making money. I know the bank/receiver don't care about programming but I am sure they care about making money, not losing it. Does it matter, if the bank turns the station silent? The potential new owner obviously would not keep the current sports format. In fact, all signs turn towards a brokered format. Regardless, Comerica Bank is going to lose money on this station, whether it is on the air or off the air. Wouldn't they lose less money with the station silent?

They *could* make money if they sold off the land where both tower sites stand at over to a developer.

Turn in the license to the FCC for outright cancellation, and Comerica is home free.

Anything else is going to bleed money like none other.