KEXX Goes Adult Hits

[radioresearcher]

KEXX Less Variety, more repetition.

When will the high paid consultants figure it out. This formula isn't working. I had hoped that we'd hear something different here.

All the canned comments by supposed local listeners bragging about all these great songs on MY 103 9, when the station hasn't even been on for 24 hours seems just a tiny big fake.

If this station lasts longer than 2 years, I'll commit suicide.

Really... the top cume stations in the market are Top 40 and Hot AC and having nothing but repetition... I'd like you to back up your facts that tight playlists don't work with ratings and revenue statistics. When you say :"different" - that generally means niche and that means low cume and that equals low ratings and low revenue. Radio is not someone's play toy - it is a business. I am a radio fan and love music just like many of you, but he reality is these businesses have to make a profit. The appetite for Alternative in Phoenix has dwindled as it did with Smooth Jazz. Times and taste change.

 

[radioresearcher]

Alternative is on life support with the plug pulled in Chicago, New York, Vegas (1 of them), San Jose, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Boston (rimxhost WFNX is left),and Baltimore to name a few.

KROQ loses half their ratings at 10am. KBZT is steady low 1 share in San Diego, Live 105 is generally fighting for a 2.0 share. Comparing shares in PPM to diary is apples and oranges. 103.9 was programmed by the his people -same person who had the highest numbers ever so it wasnt him or his staff. The format is simply not viable in certain situations. Indie/L.A. listeners whined and complained too and the station has three times the listeners as the 4th Regional mexican choice in L.A. on a rimshot

Boston has 2 Alt stations including WFNX -- you forgot Greater Media's WBOS (Radio 92.9). CBS Radio brought HFS back to Baltimore on an HD side-channel that's being relayed on an FM translator, and the station's been hovering at around a 1-share 6+ -- not bad at all for a station that most people listen to on a 250-watt translator.

In San Diego, KBZT is dealing with a morning show that doesn't match the station, but to call their mid-1-share a bellwether for the format dismisses the fact that they're also in a direct competition with 91X, who's beating them by over a full share. If you combine the two stations' ratings, Alternative in San Diego is getting almost a 4-share 6+.

So if comparing PPM to diary is apples to oranges, how can you claim that KDLD has three times as many listeners as Indie 103.1 did? First of all, if you do actually look at the numbers, it's less than twice as many (which also can't be compared considering the formats are completely disparate and in two different languages); second of all, Indie went off the air only a couple of months after PPM was rolled out as unofficial "pre-currency" numbers in Los Angeles.

WBOS is fringe Alternative at best. It’s been through many incarnations. Looking at today’s log, I see AC/DC, Maroon 5, Bon Jovi, Eagle-Eye Cherry, Pink Floyd, and Aerosmith. So they are far from a pure Alternative play.

The fact that WHFS is on an HD-Side channel tells you how highly they thought of it. CC tried Alternative on 104.3 in Baltimore and then blew it up went Top 40 and at least doubled their numbers.

KBZT has gone completely in the toilet. 91X came back, improved their programming while 94/9 got off track with Mikey and music that didn’t match. I’ve seen weeks of 1.3 in KBZT’s numbers of late. If you look at real demo numbers, 91X is annihilating KBZT. The truth is – there is room for one in San Diego and 91X is probably it.

Then there’s Indie. The station currently has around a 2.0 share in P 18-49 – the demographic for both Alternative and Regional Mexican. They were in the 0.6-0.7 range in the early PPM numbers. So it is about triple at least… BTW, with those signals – and their coverage of the “Other” population in L.A. – their shares were a JOKE.

 

[2Son]

KEXX Less Variety, more repetition.

When will the high paid consultants figure it out. This formula isn't working. I had hoped that we'd hear something different here.

All the canned comments by supposed local listeners bragging about all these great songs on MY 103 9, when the station hasn't even been on for 24 hours seems just a tiny big fake.

If this station lasts longer than 2 years, I'll commit suicide.

Really... the top cume stations in the market are Top 40 and Hot AC and having nothing but repetition... I'd like you to back up your facts that tight playlists don't work with ratings and revenue statistics. When you say :"different" - that generally means niche and that means low cume and that equals low ratings and low revenue. Radio is not someone's play toy - it is a business. I am a radio fan and love music just like many of you, but he reality is these businesses have to make a profit. The appetite for Alternative in Phoenix has dwindled as it did with Smooth Jazz. Times and taste change.

Can this market support two "old school" stations in KYOT and KAJM?

 

[RockTheGlobe]

WBOS is fringe Alternative at best. It’s been through many incarnations. Looking at today’s log, I see AC/DC, Maroon 5, Bon Jovi, Eagle-Eye Cherry, Pink Floyd, and Aerosmith. So they are far from a pure Alternative play.

1 spin for each of those artists doth not a fringe station make. Both KROQ and 98-7fm in Los Angeles play Guns 'n' Roses routinely, KROQ also routinely plays Metallica, and I see they've played the Gin Blossoms, Afrika Bombataa and J-Kwon within the past two weeks. Does that make KROQ far from a pure Alternative play? You also forget that Maroon 5 and Eagle-Eye Cherry started as Alternative artists and were successful at the format.

The fact that WHFS is on an HD-Side channel tells you how highly they thought of it. CC tried Alternative on 104.3 in Baltimore and then blew it up went Top 40 and at least doubled their numbers.

The fact that WHFS is even on the air says they're at least trying, and it's being used as a proving ground. Again, you dismiss the format but then when it reappears, it's apparently not good enough for you. The CBS/Baltimore stations are billing nicely, and they had the opportunity to add in a new offering on a translator, so they did, rather than risk the revenue coming in from established stations. As you said, it's a business, and they're in to make money, so they have added revenue now from this additional outlet that they didn't have before. If Alternative was such a dud format, I'm sure they could've found something else to run on that signal.

KBZT has gone completely in the toilet. 91X came back, improved their programming while 94/9 got off track with Mikey and music that didn’t match. I’ve seen weeks of 1.3 in KBZT’s numbers of late. If you look at real demo numbers, 91X is annihilating KBZT. The truth is – there is room for one in San Diego and 91X is probably it.

Well, that's great and all, but the fact is that both stations still exist there, and you're proving my point that FM 94/9 is not a bellwether for the format in San Diego, as one station is doing well. If there's only room for 1 Alt station in San Diego, at least there's room and viability for the format there.

Then there’s Indie. The station currently has around a 2.0 share in P 18-49 – the demographic for both Alternative and Regional Mexican. They were in the 0.6-0.7 range in the early PPM numbers. So it is about triple at least… BTW, with those signals – and their coverage of the “Other” population in L.A. – their shares were a JOKE.

They were 0.6-0.7 6+ in the early PPM numbers. What were their in-demo numbers vs. what you're quoting now?

 

[buster2]

Sampled this station at about 7 AM Thursday and heard "My Sharona." Ok, I can live with that. Same day, drove home after 5 PM and sampled 103-9 again and heard... "My Sharona." Unless we have all been tele-ported back to 1979, that ain't gonna fly. KSLX has little to fear.

 

[DJ_Perry]

a 10 hour rotation isn't the worst, however programming it during both drive shifts is dumb. But keep in mind 7am is Pratts shift. It may have not been programmed.

 

[landtuna]

KSLX has little to fear.

KSLX has even less to fear unless KEXX gets a decent signal. Can't get 'em at all at McLintock & Warner.

 

[radioresearcher]

KSLX has little to fear.

KSLX has even less to fear unless KEXX gets a decent signal. Can't get 'em at all at McLintock & Warner.

KSLX played Linda Ronstadt today ... not exactly Classic Rock... KSLX probably has little to worry about since half their audience are at or close to becoming AARP members.

 

[landtuna]

KSLX played Linda Ronstadt today ... not exactly Classic Rock...

Ronstadt covered a number of genres some of which included Rock and would now be considered Classic Rock - both as a solo artist and with duet partners and the group Stone Ponys.

And before you jump on AARP members consider the classic in Classic Rock. We are the classic generation! ;D

 

[sgrosz]

I listened for about one hour today...I like it...good 35-54 year old male music in my opinion.
Not as good as KVIT, but it will be my 2nd fav....lol

 

[DJ_Perry]

I listened for about one hour today...I like it...good 35-54 year old male music in my opinion.
Not as good as KVIT, but it will be my 2nd fav....lol

I liked hearing the Stones - Miss You, but the Motels? Mr. Mister? kinda soft

 

[Bill Drake]

KSLX has little to fear.

KSLX has even less to fear unless KEXX gets a decent signal. Can't get 'em at all at McLintock & Warner.

Then you do need a new radio. Not that I am defending this now-loser of a station, but for some reason I can get them all the way to Prescott, long after all the other mushy Phoenix stations have been left far, far behind.

I was scanning through Radio Locator and it seems Pee-Nix has once again established itself as a bellwether hayseed town... My gawd even Albuquerque has an alternative station. Denver has a pretty decent one that, in spite of being owned by Bain Capital, err, Crud Channel, seems to have long roots in the community. I guess even CC can do something right once in a while.

So let me see, we have 93.3, 94.5, 100.7 and 103.9 all with overlapping playlists. And if you add 95.9 and 93.9 for those of us on the North side, that sounds a bit like overkill. How soon until 103.9 plays "Low Rider?" I think that's a mandatory daily for KSLX.

"Mandatory" makes me think about the "Mandatory Marley," which was pretty sophomoric (besides targeting the stoner crowd, and what kind of demographic is that?).

Speaking of demographics, what is the target for classic slop and classic oldies? I thought once you got past 35, or maybe 40, you were pretty much no longer a desirable target for the bean counters that run radio today (Excepting, of course, conservabot talk, which focuses more on {low} IQ rather than age).

 

[DJ_Perry]

So let me see, we have 93.3, 94.5, 100.7 and 103.9 all with overlapping playlists.

you forgot 98.7 and 103.1....Maaaaybe 96.9 on occasion

 

[radioresearcher]

So let me see, we have 93.3, 94.5, 100.7 and 103.9 all with overlapping playlists.

you forgot 98.7 and 103.1....Maaaaybe 96.9 on occasion

And 98.3, 97.5, 104.7, and 101.5 aren't overlapping ... they literally play many of the songs 100 times/week.

Most stations are a plethora of 35-54 targeted radio stations.

Look at San Diego:

KGB (Classic Rock), XPRS-FM (Classic Hits), KFMB-FM (Adult Hits witha rock lean), KPRI (Triple A), KYXY (AC), and two Hot AC's. For a market with a good number of "Other" 45-54, it's not overradiod by any means. I think two Rhythmic Oldies might be overkill though.

 

[David Owens]

KEXX Less Variety, more repetition.

When will the high paid consultants figure it out. This formula isn't working. I had hoped that we'd hear something different here.

All the canned comments by supposed local listeners bragging about all these great songs on MY 103 9, when the station hasn't even been on for 24 hours seems just a tiny big fake.

If this station lasts longer than 2 years, I'll commit suicide.

Really... the top cume stations in the market are Top 40 and Hot AC and having nothing but repetition... I'd like you to back up your facts that tight playlists don't work with ratings and revenue statistics. When you say :"different" - that generally means niche and that means low cume and that equals low ratings and low revenue. Radio is not someone's play toy - it is a business. I am a radio fan and love music just like many of you, but he reality is these businesses have to make a profit. The appetite for Alternative in Phoenix has dwindled as it did with Smooth Jazz. Times and taste change.

I totally agree you on almost all counts. Top 40 and Hot AC stations are all about repetition, and they should be. Tight playlists do work in a lot of formats, but ROCK is one format that's much tougher. A tighter playlist might work initially, but you quickly creative fatigue and button pushing when people become hip to what's going on. I worked in Rock radio for years, I have seen this first hand, over and over. I have worked in radio stations that hired consultants or PDs who almost ALWAYS shrunk the playlist, and ALWAYS realized it was a HUGE mistake. Granted, however, this station is not really a rock station. Frankly, I am not sure what the heck it is.

When I talk about a station offering something "different", I mean that they can't expect to copycat other stations in the market, and get a large audience. I don't necessarily mean niche. I originally thought that KEXX would be classic rock, and I thought they might be for the first 3 or 4 songs, but then I realized what they trying to do, which obviously isn't really classic rock. I thought they would would offer a somewhat different blend of classic rock, maybe a harder edge, maybe a bit older music, or perhaps more variety than KSLX, because what would be the point of offering the exact same thing with an inferior signal? Remember, this was when everyone was saying it would be a classic rock station.

Is this station different enough from well established icons in the market to get people to listen to it? That's what I was asking. We'll see what the ratings say. Facebook comments on the KEXX page and their new page were all negative, every last one. Someone at KEXX had the joy of reading and deleting all those today.

Yes, there wasn't enough of an alternative music audience to support this station. That's probably a correct statement.

Absolutely no data will convince me that playing the same song twice within an 8 hour period on a regular basis in this format of a radio station, will result in more listeners. In fact, I'd say that's fairly suicidal.

 

[OneHorseTown]

Bill Drake, as usual...you are correct, sir! All the people on the "City of Phoenix" bandwagon constantly harp about what a big city we are! We are so metropolitan! We are so big and we are so cool! blah, blah, blah

A big city has at least one big-stick "misfit"radio station.
We got problems.

 

[David Owens]

Yes, great comments, Bill Drake.

I saw this on their facebook page. A format change is rough on listeners but also on the staff.

Do you guys realize that the only people that monitor and read this Facebook page didn't have anything to do with this decision and live/breathe/die the Edge/X? Don't bash the heart and soul of the station that did everything they could to keep X1039 on-air for you and I. We are all suffering and going through the emotions of losing the station and turning on one-another doesn't do a thing

 

[oldiesfan6479]

How soon until 103.9 plays "Low Rider?" I think that's a mandatory daily for KSLX.

Don't know about K-Slacks, but it's a mandatory daily for KOOL.

 

[DJ_Perry]

Don't know about K-Slacks, but it's a mandatory daily for KOOL.

And Eva, and Mega.

 

[Ford]

Don't know about K-Slacks, but it's a mandatory daily for KOOL.

And Eva, and Mega.

It would be interesting to see the songs that cross over among Eva, Mega, KOOL, K-Slacks, Peak, Mix, KEZ, and any other station going after these demos.