I usually have to keep myself from crying, many times in person, when I hear people tell me this
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KFI News Format Change?
- Thread starter sdwulfdawg
- Start date
You're talking about two different things. Radio is not the same as social media. You can see that in the way some radio hosts use social media. Radio is one-way. Social media is interactive in a very individual way. What we see in terms of usage is that people still use broadcast radio, just not ask much as before, because their time is split among more things. Such as message boards like this one. You can't say or do what you do here on broadcast radio.
Factually that's simply not been the experience we see at station after station. For example, iHeart fired the morning shows at a bunch of their classic rock stations late last year. Six months later, the ratings for those stations are either the same or better. People are using radio differently than they used to. Companies can see that and are adjusting their resources to cater what they do for how radio is being used.
On the other hand KFI made a very calculated decision to retain ALL of their on-air hosts. If they were looking to cheapen the product, one easy way would be to get rid of Handel or one of their top hosts. They didn't, and KFI's ratings have been rising steadily.
That's not the point. Cuts are made locally to get the expenses in line with the revenues. That's what happened to KFI. They were budgeting like it was 20 years ago. It's not. So they had to adjust their budget to fit within money the station makes now. The fact is that no media company will be making the kind of money they once did.
People change, tastes change and technology advances. All these factors have contributed to the change in the way mass media works.
My love of radio began when I listened to Alan Freed at night; I hid the radio under the pillow so my mom would not hear. I was about 8. By the time I was 13, I worked all my free hours in radio. That was over 65 years ago.
Today I don't need a DJ I don't know to be "my friend on the radio". My friends can text me or do video calls or send emails or even call me on the phone (does anyone do that any more except vendors wanting to schedule your AC maintenance).
There is perhaps nobody with more love for radio's history than me. But that does not mean that it's a viable service going into the future.
Long ago I became General Manager of an AM and FM station pair that was horribly overstaffed, was located in an expensive studio location and otherwise spent too much money, even though it was in a top 15 market.
We moved the offices. We cut the staff, and automated the FM (remember, this was "long ago") and got rid of the excesses everywhere. Instead of losing nearly $3 million (in 2025 dollars) the first year, we made the equivalent of over $4 million. I "right sized" the station to the market and the programming that I implemented.
So, yes, I cut my way to prosperity.
Same with trust in government. Except we have to pay for the government.
They may say that about media in general, but when you ask about the specific media they use, they say they trust it.
Trust in Media 2024: Which news sources Americans trust — and which they think lean left or right
Democrats and Republicans find some common ground on business-focused news sources, but hold vastly different opinions on other sources, including the two used most often: CNN and Fox News.
today.yougov.com
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The difference is I promissed the moderators to not discuss "politics", so I am not commenting on government policies here. KFI is a talk station that of course covers politics, as does the media entities we have been discussing, so that line can sometimes be hard to tread, but nevertheless in my comments I have tried to stay focused on the media and local radio angles.Same with trust in government. Except we have to pay for the government.
They may say that about media in general, but when you ask about the specific media they use, they say they trust it.
Trust in Media 2024: Which news sources Americans trust — and which they think lean left or right
Democrats and Republicans find some common ground on business-focused news sources, but hold vastly different opinions on other sources, including the two used most often: CNN and Fox News.
Me too. That's why I amended my post to include trust in media.
I'd bet most listeners of KFI would agree with you about trust in media. Yet they trust KFI.
Based on the ratings, it appeared a lot of people in LA trusted KNX during the fires.
Admin note: This thread is getting way too personal with politics. Keep it focused on media.
I think the main issue here has been lost. And all the speculation hangs on a flippant comment made by Debra Mark. Whose market update teases being "Up" or "Down" and then has to correct herself just as often as as not.
I don't believe this is happening until i see another source. Other than L'Il Debbie... as John calls her. A dismissive nickname befitting the weight that should be given to any of her comments.
I don't believe this is happening until i see another source. Other than L'Il Debbie... as John calls her. A dismissive nickname befitting the weight that should be given to any of her comments.
John & Ken are among the 24 nominees for the Radio Hall of Fame. Larry Elder is there too:
radioinsight.com
Radio Hall Of Fame Unveils 2025 Nomination Finalists
The Museum of Broadcast Communications has chosen the 24 finalists for induction into the 2025 class of the Radio Hall
radioinsight.com
Debra Mark has received multiple Golden Mike awards and many other recognitions for her work. In particular, a piece she did on suicide was widely recognized.
The "L'll Debbie" nickname should be quite obvious if you see a picture of her standing next to John. It's hardly "dismissive".
I have multiple golden mikes.
I didn't deserve them, either.
Just because you submitted a carefully prepared report for consideration doesn't make up for day-to day performance. And hers is lacking. And unworthy as a reliable source.
and it's not just a height thing. it's a respect thing, speaks more to her chihuahua-like high-strung personality.
Just my opinion.
Has anyone considered maybe she’s called Lil Debbie because she loves the snacks?
And my opinion as a long-time programmer is that Debra also engages in role playing as part of a personality talk show. So a bit of her "style" is theatrics. If you have seen how she and her husband dress for industry events, you'd understand that she capitalizes on that aspect of her style.
Barrett Media did an interview with KFI's John Kobylt:
barrettmedia.com
The Interview: The John Kobylt Show, KFI AM 640
John Kobylt is a nominee for the Radio Hall of Fame. Let's check in on a recent interview to see how he got to that point.
barrettmedia.com
Barrett Media did an interview with KFI's John Kobylt:
The Interview: The John Kobylt Show, KFI AM 640
John Kobylt is a nominee for the Radio Hall of Fame. Let's check in on a recent interview to see how he got to that point.
It’s not an interview.
So i think I figured out the news format "change" on KFI. They have shortened the news stories and are using more actualities and are using more voicers by iHeartRadio news readers.
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