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KFMB RUMOR

W

War Of Attrition

Guest
Take this with a grain of salt, but I just heard a rumor that Jack is about to get blown up and News/Talk is going to move to 100.7.

I have not been able to get a second confirmation on this information, but on the surface it does make some sense. Has anyone else heard the same?
 
War Of Attrition said:
Take this with a grain of salt, but I just heard a rumor that Jack is about to get blown up and News/Talk is going to move to 100.7.

I have not been able to get a second confirmation on this information, but on the surface it does make some sense. Has anyone else heard the same?
Click to expand...

Oh goody....Rick Roberts, Glenn Beck, Hannity, Michael Savage, O'Reilly, Mark Levin, Phil Hendrie and Jerry Doyle in stereo....woohoo....
 
no static at all ...
 
You have to ask yourself: Is KFMB AM's signal so bad that they need an FM signal? Why? The AM reaches all over the west with their monster 50Kw at night? During the day, I never had any trouble getting KFMB anywhere in the county, not even north county. Meanwhile, their program schedule consists primarily of nationally syndicated shows that are all available over the internet on various web streams at any time. It's not like its some unique programming that can't be heard elsewhere. And FM talk has already been tried in San Diego, and it is gone already. This rumor doesn't make sense to me. Perhaps it makes Cents?

It sounds more to me like somebody flaoted an idea about what to replace JACK FM with and still save money. But whatever. It's speculation, thats all.
 
I still haven't been able to get confirmation on this rumor, so perhaps it is very early in the planning stage or the information my source received was bad.

Let me add a few thoughts to the comments above. The information I heard did not specify the future of 760. But based on what has happened in recent AM - FM transitions, sports would be a likely possibility. I am sure ESPN would love to upgrade from the current 1k Tijuana signal.

Second, I believe it might make some sense. Jack hasn't quite set the city on fire yet based on anecdotal and 12+ evidence. Someone with demographic breakouts and billing information could make a better call on this than I.

760, on the other hand, seems to be doing quite well and an FM signal could better reach listeners in their homes and offices as well as be able to grab 25-54s. This would give it a clear advantage to KOGO. Long-term, the KFMB brand is more valuable than Jack.

Plus having BOTH a news/talk AND a sports station would be a nice compliment for News 8. Good synergy.
 
War Of Attrition said:
I still haven't been able to get confirmation on this rumor, so perhaps it is very early in the planning stage or the information my source received was bad.

Let me add a few thoughts to the comments above. The information I heard did not specify the future of 760. But based on what has happened in recent AM - FM transitions, sports would be a likely possibility. I am sure ESPN would love to upgrade from the current 1k Tijuana signal.

Second, I believe it might make some sense. Jack hasn't quite set the city on fire yet based on anecdotal and 12+ evidence. Someone with demographic breakouts and billing information could make a better call on this than I.

760, on the other hand, seems to be doing quite well and an FM signal could better reach listeners in their homes and offices as well as be able to grab 25-54s. This would give it a clear advantage to KOGO. Long-term, the KFMB brand is more valuable than Jack.

Plus having BOTH a news/talk AND a sports station would be a nice compliment for News 8. Good synergy.
Click to expand...


No it wouldn't. The target audience which KFMB-AM is focused on has no problem listening to AM radio.
The question to ask is what I'm I gaining with this. This isn't like XTRA sports 1360 with an inadequate AM signal. Office listening-last I checked KFMB streamed. . KFMB-AM has one of the better signals in the metro. It makes more sense for KFMB-FM to compete in the 25-54 arena with a music- based station.
 
TVC1500 said:
It makes more sense for KFMB-FM to compete in the 25-54 arena with a music- based station.
Click to expand...

They tried and they lost.

Regardless of the stats that Davie Eddie trots out to prove that he is always right and radio is a thriving well-run business, something like "25-54" is a useless demo - 25 year olds have nothing in common with 54 year olds when it comes to music, radio listening habits, etc. so you need a more narrow focus than that and right now the radio business is doing a lousy job of coming up with new formats.

News talk on FM has failed because no one has done it right, certainly not in San Diego where we had such debacles as FREE-FM. I'll bet you could simulcast KOGO on a good FM and it'd do very well and KFMB-AM certainly would not do any worse and might even do a whole lot better with a nice clean FM signal.
 
Bob_Hudson said:
I'll bet you could simulcast KOGO on a good FM and it'd do very well
Click to expand...

KOGO-FM 94.5 FM (Temecula) covered Norte County well; but didn't survive.
 
sdwulfdawg said:
Oh goody....Rick Roberts, Glenn Beck, Hannity, Michael Savage, O'Reilly, Mark Levin, Phil Hendrie and Jerry Doyle in stereo....woohoo....
Click to expand...


KFMB-AM is in stereo, too, no?

dr
 
It's only a matter of time... I've been hearing it in the wind too, but that's been a rumor for a few months now in certain circles we sashimi around in.

AM listeners are dying off in droves....literally.

L8R,
SAM
 
Sam the butcher said:
It's only a matter of time... I've been hearing it in the wind too, but that's been a rumor for a few months now in certain circles we sashimi around in.

AM listeners are dying off in droves....literally.

L8R,
SAM
Click to expand...

Here's why I disagree with this rumor (and it’s still all that it is): You can make a general argument that "AM is dying" but this has NOTHING to do with KFMB AM's success! There are top rated news talkers in other large markets (like WBZ in Boston, or WBBM in Chicago). Simulating KFMB AM on 100.7 (which has a weaker reach, by the way) will do nothing to improve the AM; it will only get JACK off the FM. Other than saving money on programming an additional station, I really do not see the point. Rick Roberts and Co. may sound clearer, but they won't sound any better!

Disclaimer: my opinion, that's all...
 
Garrett said:
Here's why I disagree with this rumor (and it’s still all that it is): You can make a general argument that "AM is dying" but this has NOTHING to do with KFMB AM's success! There are top rated news talkers in other large markets (like WBZ in Boston, or WBBM in Chicago). Simulating KFMB AM on 100.7 (which has a weaker reach, by the way) will do nothing to improve the AM; it will only get JACK off the FM. Other than saving money on programming an additional station, I really do not see the point. Rick Roberts and Co. may sound clearer, but they won't sound any better!

Disclaimer: my opinion, that's all...
Click to expand...

Look at WIBC in Indianapolis... 50 kw day, 10 kw night in an area of much better conductivity than SD. They moved in January to FM... completely. Despite the change, they moved up in 12+ by more than a share, but the big story was that they were not even top 10 in 25-54 on AM, and are now in the top 5 in the sales demo after going to FM.

The reason to move from AM to FM or simulcast has to do with imporving the 25-54 sales demos.
 
Garrett, no you actually you're quite right. There's no sense in it, as the small gains you would
muster with 35-54's on FM would be offset by the losses you would experience across
the board with the loss of a viable AM format. A simulcast would be a waste, and there aren't any readily
identifiable formats to place on KFMB-AM which would justify such a move.

To compare WIBC with KFMB-AM is akin to compare KROQ with KWVE.

What David Eduardo (Spanish Music Programmer) doesn't understand is FM Talk is not a format,
anymore than FM music is a format. Your talk must be targeted. We saw the hype and the aftermath of
the Free Fm Debacle. Spoken word is not easy, if it was why didn't Bonneville or CBS fire up
one of their FM's in Los Angeles to take on KFI? Midwest TV is free to do what they want, but
unless they are prepared to change what is already a fairly successful talk lineup, they would be
wise to leave KFMB-AM with it's current format and dig a little deeper to create a viable music
station on 100.7.
 
I'm sorry David, but with all due respect, I disagree with you on this one. 760 KFMB AM is a well known heritage full serivce talk station in San Diego. Throwing them on 100.7 would only serve as a short-term publicity stunt, and would serve no real long term purpose. I'm not doubting your example at all but I don't believe it is applicable in this case. Again, that's just an opinion (obviously).

Unless they are thinking of creating a different FM Talker on 100.7, this would be CBS-FM in reverse.
Even at that, how would this be different from FREE-FM in the success column?

I just don't see it...
 
(Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.)
(Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more.)
What you say?


FM .... no static at all.
 
TVC1500 said:
Garrett, no you actually you're quite right. There's no sense in it, as the small gains you would
muster with 35-54's on FM would be offset by the losses you would experience across
the board with the loss of a viable AM format. A simulcast would be a waste, and there aren't any readily
identifiable formats to place on KFMB-AM which would justify such a move.

To compare WIBC with KFMB-AM is akin to compare KROQ with KWVE.

What David Eduardo (Spanish Music Programmer) doesn't understand is FM Talk is not a format,
anymore than FM music is a format. Your talk must be targeted. We saw the hype and the aftermath of
the Free Fm Debacle. Spoken word is not easy, if it was why didn't Bonneville or CBS fire up
one of their FM's in Los Angeles to take on KFI? Midwest TV is free to do what they want, but
unless they are prepared to change what is already a fairly successful talk lineup, they would be
wise to leave KFMB-AM with it's current format and dig a little deeper to create a viable music
station on 100.7.
Click to expand...

As traditional talk slowly fades in sales demos on AM many stations are migrating with the same exact format to GM. The WIBC example is clear.. take an ageing-demo AM and move it totally and without change to FM. Suddenly, the 35-54's who just don't want to listen to any AM appear in huge numbers.

It happened with news and commentary formatted WTOP... never had better numbers after abandoning AM totally for FM. KSL now has greater ratings overall and is ranked nearly 10 positions higher in 25 54 after starting a simulcast. Cox is simulcasting in Dayton and Jacksonville with much imporoved 25-54. Clear has moved AM talk to FM in Tallahassee and put new FM talk on with traditional Rush and friends content in New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Charleston, etc. Even sports is moving to FM for demos... look at KXA in Portland.

And then you have WGN on AM... number two in 12+ but not even top 15 in sales demos. While you can not make a bad format better by going to FM, you can take reasonably successful AM talkers and move to FM with great results. In some cases, this renders the AM valueless, but the truth is that all AMs are approaching obsolesence with some markets having single digit AM shares and 18-34 shares of around 3 or 4.
 
Garrett said:
I'm sorry David, but with all due respect, I disagree with you on this one. 760 KFMB AM is a well known heritage full serivce talk station in San Diego. Throwing them on 100.7 would only serve as a short-term publicity stunt, and would serve no real long term purpose.
Click to expand...

KFMB is 19th in 25-54. It is just out of the range of ratings for decent sales results. By moving the existing format to FM the could pick up lots of 25-54 (KOGO is barely 13th which is why they cut staff) and be quite a lot more successful. This has been shown now in several dozen markets across the country.
 
DavidEduardo said:
Garrett said:
I'm sorry David, but with all due respect, I disagree with you on this one. 760 KFMB AM is a well known heritage full serivce talk station in San Diego. Throwing them on 100.7 would only serve as a short-term publicity stunt, and would serve no real long term purpose.
Click to expand...

KFMB is 19th in 25-54. It is just out of the range of ratings for decent sales results. By moving the existing format to FM the could pick up lots of 25-54 (KOGO is barely 13th which is why they cut staff) and be quite a lot more successful. This has been shown now in several dozen markets across the country.
Click to expand...

What would help KFMB-Am quite a bit is a true local presence on the air. In morning drive they run syndicated local news run out of New York City terribly voiced by one "Karen Chase" at ABC. Plus their commercial load is so high that often I turn them off for another station. I know that i must not be the only one who does this.

Rick Roberts is stale as one year old Wonder Bread....
 
WTOP's various AM stations (a total of 3) still didn't cover the entire Washington DC metro, therefore moving the format to a powerful FM made sense.

BTW it's KXL in Portland. In KFMB's case without a younger lineup the improvement in 35-54's
would be only slight.
 
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