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KFNC SUCKS, DUDE!

S

shydog

Does it seem like there are fewer radio professionals posting on this board lately? The header on this website used to say, "For the love of radio."

So it's kind of rough seeing people, whose posts I used to enjoy, piling on KIOL and KFNC now that the Cumulus stations have distracted you from the hatred of what Clear Channel and Cox are doing.

Of course, none of you know how much work we've been putting into getting 97.5 off the ground, or how strongly we want to make it work. We've been on the air with our little nascent news station, what, less than two weeks? The rock station has been on -- not six months yet? But you guys are comparing us unfavorably to college radio, to Madisonville radio, calling our work bullshit and making bets on what the next format will be, implying we're irrelevant because our signal "sucks" and can never be improved and we didn't "hit the ground running" when "you only get one shot." The New Youuuuu 1-0-whatever...

Great. We make mistakes. But for all the carping these past months and years about the Incredible Shrinking News at KTRH, at least we're trying to do something about it, modest though our effort may be, with a staff of solid pros. We're trying to get as much information into every second of morning drive we can. While you're complaining about the presentation (the showbiz) we're working day and night on content and overcoming technical hurdles. Seriously. So if you guys have any further criticism my email is [email protected].

The script worked up for the FM News Channel TV ads ends with, "Aw, I give it six months." Sounds about right, huh?

Mike Shiloh
 
The problem, Michael, is that we live in a high-speed, modern technology era that just about demands perfection from the start. The station has been on the air all of two weeks. Rome wasn't built in a day. As I pointed out in a previous post, I like the "happy-talk" and banter during the news stories. I like the fact the station isn't trying to be a carbon copy of KTRH.

I must admit, I'm not a fan of News-Talk radio. I'm definitely not a fan of FM Talk and Cumulus is quite high on my sh*t list right now, because my favorite radio station was Power 97.5 and they never gave them a chance on the new 103.7 frequency as they promised. I also know that a music format on 97.5 will probably not be competitive because of the rimshot signal, so I can understand why Cumulus decided to try this. With that being said, the times I have listened, I have enjoyed what I heard. It is great to hear Craig, Jim, Brian, and The Boner again. Not to mention, Jim Carola is OUTSTANDING.

I even have listened to the morning show a few times on my way home from work and find it enjoyable. Is there room for improvement, you bet there is, but I'm sure you guys know that. A good meal takes time to prepare. However, as I said before, in the fast-pased modern era, people want it done right away.

<P ID="signature">______________
KVIL Highland Park
KVIL-FM Highland Park/Dallas-Fort Worth
Thanks for the memories Ron Chapman!</P>
 
I appreciate your point of view, and you help make my point. Complaining about KTRH but closing one's mind to new approaches to news reporting (KFNC as "the anti-KTRH"), keeping in mind the need to find new approaches to everything in a highly competitive market like Houston, is somewhat hypocritical. (I don't like the old station, but the style of the new station just isn't as good as the old station -- that's the mindset.)

Thank you. Have you been on the air, Snoman? I once worked with a guy who used that name at Majic 102...
 
>
> Thank you. Have you been on the air, Snoman? I once worked
> with a guy who used that name at Majic 102...
>
Not here in Houston. I may try getting a part time gig here to help suppliment my income (I know that sounds funnier when I say it out loud, too). But it definitely won't be for Radio One or evil Majic 102(.1).

<P ID="signature">______________
KVIL Highland Park
KVIL-FM Highland Park/Dallas-Fort Worth
Thanks for the memories Ron Chapman!</P>
 
> Does it seem like there are fewer radio professionals
> posting on this board lately? The header on this website
> used to say, "For the love of radio."
>
> So it's kind of rough seeing people, whose posts I used to
> enjoy, piling on KIOL and KFNC now that the Cumulus stations
> have distracted you from the hatred of what Clear Channel
> and Cox are doing.
>
> Of course, none of you know how much work we've been putting
> into getting 97.5 off the ground, or how strongly we want to
> make it work. We've been on the air with our little nascent
> news station, what, less than two weeks? The rock station
> has been on -- not six months yet? But you guys are
> comparing us unfavorably to college radio, to Madisonville
> radio, calling our work bullshit and making bets on what the
> next format will be, implying we're irrelevant because our
> signal "sucks" and can never be improved and we didn't "hit
> the ground running" when "you only get one shot." The New
> Youuuuu 1-0-whatever...
>
> Great. We make mistakes. But for all the carping these past
> months and years about the Incredible Shrinking News at
> KTRH, at least we're trying to do something about it, modest
> though our effort may be, with a staff of solid pros. We're
> trying to get as much information into every second of
> morning drive we can. While you're complaining about the
> presentation (the showbiz) we're working day and night on
> content and overcoming technical hurdles. Seriously. So if
> you guys have any further criticism my email is
> [email protected].
>
> The script worked up for the FM News Channel TV ads ends
> with, "Aw, I give it six months." Sounds about right, huh?
>
> Mike Shiloh
> Reply: I am happy to hear you stand up for your station. The silence is was drives so much of the negitive coments. Many of us think 97.5 has its nitch. All of us want it to win. Madisonville radio can not overcome the will that you and your friends at 97.5 have to win. Until your post many questioned that will. Last weekend you must admit was really sloppy and for this size market hard to understand. That really made many negitive. I know that things happen on live active formats. I am changing my opinion and see that there is a effort being made. One thing though...I think the coments on the news really takes away from the format

Lameboy
 
There are not fewer radio professionals posting on the board, it's more professional people posting their opinions on radio in general. I know it's hard not to take it personal, but we have every right to post what we think.

I feel that my previous post is what sparked you to reply. I don't believe it's your fault for the lack of prep that the Cumulus stations needed before they hit the airwaves, but the facts are still the facts. It's just my professional opinion that you don't go on the air until you've got all your ducks in a row and your ready to present a full blown product. You may disagree, but it's just the truth and you can't expect listeners to be forgiving and keep waiting for the stations to get their (BLEEP) together. You already lost me as a listener and I'm probably not the only one.

If you go back to my previous posts, I stated that I had high hopes for the new news station, and hell, even KIOL. I'm disappointed in both. It's not your fault, but you happen to be a part of it.

I have no doubt that you are working your ass off, but that's what you get paid for. I don't get paid to listen, so it better be top notch, or I'm flipping the dial.

You said that the header on this website used to be "for the love of radio".
Well I can tell all of us love radio and that's why we post. No radio corporation or DJ or anything else in radio in immune from being dissed or praised. I would say take what you read on here and use it as feedback to make what your company does better.

It's just my take!

SW
 
I know it's hard not to take it
> personal, but we have every right to post what we think.

And I appreciate your take. Your posting what you think about radio is the freedom of speech I love and one of the reasons I read Radio-Info, so you know, conversely, I have the right to defend my station and its efforts. I don't take it personally; you can call me a jerk and I may agree with you, but I felt that dissing my station requires an explanation and clarification against assumptions and hasty judgments, that's all. And I do take what you and everyone post as feedback to make us all better. It would only help, though, if criticism were pointed rather than general invective. Just my take. Thank you, SW.
 
Michael,
I posted before KFNC came on the air that it best have all it's ducks in a row with a News-Talk format. You can't play 10,000 songs back to back while you try and get your act together. Yet KFNC came on the air with it's act no even ready for off Broadway, much less the big time. KFNC would have been better off waiting another month if necessary and coming on with a quality format and not a station under construction. Your tune out rate was probably 50% or higher and they aren't coming back, unless someday down the road KFNC is truly a station to tune to for News. All good and especially great stations are constantly making little changes to their station, but not building it while on the air.

It is a shame Houston needs a News station, chances are very good that once Sam Malone's non-compete is up, KTRH will go Talk in am drive with Sam Malone and expand Debra Duncan's show an hour to noon and get out of the news business completely. That leaves KFNC as the only news source for Houston.

I've writen it before, but will recap what I feel would make KFNC a much better station and one that Houstonians will tune into and put up with the signal.

1) Do not editorialize the news, just report it. Talk stations are for hashing over the news and ones views.

2) Drop the Talk shows during the day and go All News from 5am to 7pm when there is the greatest demand for information from those working and on the roads.

3) The Talk shows can go to the 7pm to 5am period. Live Talk radio that is local at night should go over well.

4) Go the "give us 22 minutes and we will give you the world" route. Keep the news fast paced and tight.

5) Go immeadiatly to breaking news and stay with it, until it is no longer necessary.

6) Traffic on the 1's or 2's, etc but traffic every 10 minutes 24/7 at the same time throught out the day and night.

7) Weather on the 1's or 2's, etc but just as the traffic weather every 10 minutes 24/7 at the same time through out hte day and night.

8) Sports updates am and pm drive times every 15 minutes.

9) Get a good jingle package that will leave listeners knowing that it is KFNC FM News Channel 97.5.

10) Basically a Top 40 (remember Top 40 radio of the 60's and 70's or too young) News Station.

Now to KIOL, the air personalities that you do have are great. Walton and Johnson have a morning show that is excellent. Wendy Miller is a great air personality, in fact a Wendy Miller clone would be welcome on the all night shift. Wendy is all over the place and her show is Grade A. You never know what is going to happen next on her show and that is a huge plus. Outlaw Dave and Locke are going to be the afternoon show to be reckoned with by every station in the city. I imagine that there are a good deal of nervous General Managers across the Houston metro area right now.

Why can't people, and it seems to be every air personality on KIOL, operate the equipment? Is it that complicated, poorly designed, or technically deficient?

It's been way too long that the rest of the shifts have been left vacant. With the amount of air talent on the beach, KIOL should have no problem finding great air personalities for the night and over-night shifts and all but Lisa Kendall's shift on the weekends. Way over due on getting KIOL fully staffed. If who you have on the air now is it, Cumulus and their stations go on my shitlist and unlistenable. The last thing Houston needs is another GD jukebox. The fact that KIOL has real air personalities from 5:30am to 7pm is one of the things that make the station stand out, even more so than the music.

Mike O
 
Okay, now I understand. You're comparing us (2 weeks old) to WINS New York (40 years old)! Okay.

> 1) Do not editorialize the news, just report it. Talk
> stations are for hashing over the news and ones views.
>
> 2) Drop the Talk shows during the day and go All News from
>
> 4) Go the "give us 22 minutes and we will give you the
> world" route. Keep the news fast paced and tight.
>
> 5) Go immeadiatly to breaking news and stay with it, until
> it is no longer necessary.
>
> 6) Traffic on the 1's or 2's, etc but traffic every 10
> minutes 24/7 at the same time throught out the day and
> night.
>
> 7) Weather on the 1's or 2's, etc but just as the traffic
> weather every 10 minutes 24/7 at the same time through out
> hte day and night.
 
> Okay, now I understand. You're comparing us (2 weeks old) to
> WINS New York (40 years old)! Okay.

No Michael I think you missed my point completely. I am not comparing KFNC to anyone. In fact I haven't heard WINS in 30 years. KFWB I do listen to because I am in SoCal on a regular basis and that is the station I tune to for news and just as important the traffic, the station does a fantastic job of reporting freeway and major street conditions. They make mistakes at times and they have been All News for likely 40+ years also. I would give KFWB 980 Los Angeles a listen if you are not familiar with the station to give you an idea of what I was referring. www.kwfb.com

The fact that you made that statement is disconcerting though. Maybe you are just being overly sensitive or tired of the comments that have been made about both stations. Cumulus sounded like so much promise for Houston for great radio on both KFNC and KIOL, and at this time neither station falls into that category and if your attitude is any example of how Cumulus feels about Houston and the citizens, KFNC/KIOL are not going to even strive for great radio status. The city doesn't have any great or even excellent radio at this time and I have the feeling that the game plan now is throw us a bone or two and that is it. The best station is most likely KSBJ 89.3 a Contemporary Christian station that is very good. KUHF's NPR programs are very good and KPFT has a wide variety of programs. Some I have heard are very good. Some suck. Biz Radio 1320 KXYZ came on the air with every day, hour and minute worked out before they came on the air and even though the first day had it's share of technical problems the shows were great. However by the second day there were no more technical problems. KIOL was having technical problems again this afternoon.

Citizens of the metro area are hungry for some great radio, hell we would be happy with some very good radio at this point. If you read the list of things that I think would make KFNC a great station and you took it as your answer indicates, I am worried. I guess that was a polite way of saying f**k off.

In all seriousness and respect KFNC was not ready to come on the air. No, things are not going to flow totally smoothly the first day, but I would have assumed that dry runs where done for a week of two before actually coming on the air so the staff would have a better working relationship and technically things were working 100%. It didn't sound like any of this was done.

No one expected perfection out of the gate or in reality, perfection day in and day out. People that are reading the news and hosting the talk shows are human and mistakes are going to be made. Hopefully on the News time periods the mistakes will be kept to a bare minimum, Talk shows are much more free form and mistakes aren't as noticeable or important.

Since you didn't answer any questions, I will have to go on the assumption that both stations are going to do their growing from ground zero on the air.

Personally I would concentrate on the News angle. KFNC has the opportunity ahead of it that will most likely make KFNC the only News station in Houston. KTRH will almost assuredly no longer be in the news business once Sam Malone's non-compete runs out. Clear Channel has already picked up the rights to Fox's 5 minute newscast that will be broadcast at the top of the hour for both KPRC and KTRH. There is a very good chance that there will not be any local news from any CC stations.

If KFNC wants to have talk radio do it from 7pm to 5:30am, the city could use good, local talk programming. The ratings would beat the syndicated programming on the other stations.

It would be great if KFNC went All News 24/7, but even from 5am to 7pm would be covering the time period that the greatest amount people will be looking for news on the radio. Yes it is expensive, but the return can be very handsome. I don't know what the possibility is of partnering with FOX 26 KRIV, NBC 2 KPRC, CBS 11 KHOU or ABC 13 KTRK and combining resources? It could be made into a win-win situation for both KFNC and the TV station.

Out of the 70 stations as defined by the BIA Financial Network in the Houston Market Definition for Houston-Galveston, KFNC would be the only News station on the air. The potential is enormous for KFNC as a News station. There are nearly three million English speaking citizens that KFNC could be a service to on a regular basis. You would have no problem selling the station to high quality customers at a very good price per 30 seconds. All News stations generally get a higher income listener, just as Biz Radio 1320 does. Even if Biz Radio 1320 doesn't make the ratings, they are selling spots to high quality customers at I'm sure a good amount of income.

I told a woman friend that a news station was coming on the air and she wrote down the frequency of KFNC. She spends a good deal of her time traveling the freeways and needs good traffic reports frequently. Also with her 18 hour work days the radio is her only place she really has time to get the news. I'm sorry I told her about KFNC now.

Enough of KFNC, if you do reply it will likely be to tell to get f'd again.

KIOL Rock 103-7 as I said before and will say again, Walton and Johnson in the morning is an very good show. I had never really listened to them before they came on KIOL. I haven't missed a show since the first day if I was in Houston. I can see why many people were upset when their show was no longer on the air in Houston.

Wendy Miller is great. There were some negative things written about her, although in a post today, the person believes it was done by ex-fellow workers. It is hard to describe just why Wendy's show is so great, other than it is real. She doesn't sound scripted and talks about anything and you never know what is going to happen on her show next, meaning unless you have to, you are not going to miss any of her show. An excellent choice. I give Wendy and her show an A+, yet I have this feeling you really don't care.

Outlaw Dave has a very professional show, but still a fun show and another excellent show. It can be funny as all get out. Bottom line you have great personality radio from 5:30am to 7:00pm. Houston needed the excellent personality radio that KIOL is providing. What has happened to 7pm to 5:30am? All music radio is not catching on, regardless of format. It is a tune out factor for many, as I'm sure you are aware if you have time to read any of the trade magazines.

Cox Radio blew a chance at having a real money maker in KTHT Country Legends if they hadn't been so cheap and only hired a morning air personality and Tubby is an air personality. There is a big difference between an Air Personality and a liner card reader, anyone can do that. So when I say air personality, I mean someone with talent. It is too late for Cox Radio, every small town and city radio station that is in KTHT's fantastic coverage area picked up on the Country Legends format and ran with it, meaning KTHT doesn't stand much chance of ever getting those listeners back. Cox Radio is a paradox in this market, they have done literally nothing with their stations, yet they are suppose to be a very good company with excellent stations. No one has understood why Houston has gotten rather poor radio from Cox.

KIOL needs to fill the night and overnight hours with air personalities. Another Wendy Miller would be a great find for the all night show. Someone who is unpredictable, funny and big hearted. The show that Wendy Miller did from The Museum of Science was EXCELLENT radio. Here it is 4am and there is a crowd of people at the Museum with Wendy. It let people know that Houston is truly a 24 hour city with much to offer. That was a big plus for KIOL and if I remember nothing else about KIOL it will be that show from 2am to 5am. I would hope though that KIOL will do more middle of the night remotes. That is prime radio.

The Imaging is still a big F, but very likely Fletch hasn't had time to get to the Imaging and is working on the more important Promotions. Hopefully Imaging will be addressed soon though.

You either misread my first post to you or you didn't like what you heard and dismissed me in a way that still does not make sense. It is too bad you felt that way. I doubt this post will meet with any greater response, but I will hold out hope and maybe some answers. WINS 1010 you are not and I do not want KFNC to be WINS or KFWB. KFWB I feel is more the type of news station that would work well in Houston.

Good day sir,

Mike O
 
Reply To Mike O

Mike, I have to presume you're joking when you say my previous post is a way of saying F-- Off. I meant no such thing, so no offense taken. It really does seem you've judged KFNC by comparisons. So I'll have to skip to the portion where you get to "In all seriousness..."

From your posts here, I honestly think you believe an FM News/Talk station should copy 1010 WINS or KFWB. Both are great stations for New York and Los Angeles. This is Houston. A whole different animal. And we're attempting a new approach to news/talk. Unlike KFNC, KXYZ didn't attempt all-live-and-local when they went on the air; they're a lot of network and they're only daytime; their station existed when they went on the air. 103.7 is all new, 97.5 is all new on this frequency. Even the studios are new.

Otherwise, you and I are in agreement: About Walton and Johnson (brilliant), Outlaw Dave (the best), Wendy Miller (a great natural talent), Cox (puzzling). I don't know why you think Malone will replace the morning news block at KTRH, but I'm sure you have your sources. And I agree that all-news on KFNC would be great, if that's the commitment Cumulus wants to make.

There are a lot of people who won't listen to KFWB/WINS/KTRH news because it's dry, rigidly formatted and self-important. Yet some of the best cable TV news is fun, interesting, informative and personality-related. Why not reach for that audience?

My only other objection to your points is that it sounds to me like you've only given the station 10 minutes of your time. In other words it seems as though you have spent more time posting here what you think KFNC should do than you have spent actually listening to the station mornings, middays, afternoons. That's your right. Personally, I would appreciate specific criticisms; your posts indicate you like absolutely nothing. But that's just me; I don't take what you or anyone says about us personally. Professionally, however, my colleages like Jim and Brian and the others -- I know how hard they work and would like to see them appreciated rather than trashed or dismissed. I'm interested in hearing everyone's comments on the specifics of what we're doing -- so we can improve within our parameters.

Please let me know if you have specific questions!

Best wishes,

Mike Shiloh
 
Re: Mike O vs Mike S Round 3

> From your posts here, I honestly think you believe an FM
> News/Talk station should copy 1010 WINS or KFWB. Both are
> great stations for New York and Los Angeles. This is
> Houston. A whole different animal. And we're attempting a
> new approach to news/talk.
>
Mike, I have lived in Houston since 1979 and know that Houston is a great city and unique from any other city. I must not be getting my point across very well, if at all. I do not want a station that is a copy of WINS (which I haven't heard in 30 yrs) or KFWB 980 which I do listen to on a regular basis when I am in SoCal. I was trying to get the point across that KFWB is a younger sounding All News station that would appeal to the younger demos that are interested in the news. A copy KFWB would not work, taking some ideas from them would work. There is a difference. Houston, I believe is not interested in the Hollywood hype and LA lifestyle on KFWB. The traffic every ten minutes and the weather every ten minutes, with up dated news every 22 minutes I think are good ideas to use. The use of a good jingle package letting listeners know that they have KFNC FM News Channel 97-5 would be a good idea, you are close already with the musical "ID" used frequently.

The fact that you are on FM should have no bearing on the programming. If something could be worked out that 97.5 could be moved closer to Houston so it was a realiable signal over the city would be such a plus. I realize that per FCC Rules and Regs that 97.5 is as close to Houston that it can. It is a shame because there are times that KFTX from Kingsville-Corpus Christi is over powering KFNC and kills trying to listen to the show. The signal is weak, but the work that your crew did with KIOL 103.7 was excellent and KIOL is one of the loudest stations on the dial and the signal holds up remarkably well for the distance the antenna is from Houston. I'm sure that if anything could have been done with KFNC the Engineering crew would have done the same with KFNC. It is interesting since sometime in the near future the City of License for KFNC will be Mont Belvieu.
>
>Unlike KFNC, KXYZ didn't attempt
> all-live-and-local when they went on the air; they're a lot
> of network and they're only daytime; their station existed
> when they went on the air. 103.7 is all new, 97.5 is all new
> on this frequency. Even the studios are new.
>
Sorry but you are incorrect Mike in what you have stated about BizRadio 1320 for all but they are daytime only from 6am to 6pm. That was all the time that they were able to broker from Multicultural Radio Broadcasting, Inc (MRBI) and the Asian programming was pushed to the 6pm to 6am hours. As time becomes available BizRadio will take the time. The positive is that BizRadio has a three year Lease/Buy Option from MRBI and in three years KXYZ will be bought by BizRadio and they can go 24/7.

MRBI knows nothing about radio, they own a fair number of stations, they bought the defunct Radio Unica network stations, which probably doubled their properties. MRBI does not do any programming on their own, all they do is sell time on the stations they own. MRBI does not have much of an Engineering staff to keep the transmission chain in good working order. Maybe they contract out for Engineering work, I do not know. I do know that BizRadio had to get the transmitter and antenna back in good working order before they went on the air.

The very first day that KXYZ went on the air, BizRadio was live for all twelve hours they were on the air. Nine of the twelve hours originated from brand new studios on South Post Oak Blvd. They did not use any existing studios, but brand new studios. One hour of live programming originated in NYC only for KXYZ. The reason was the person they wanted for the show did not want to leave his business in NYC, so a link was set up for a live show that originated in NYC, I doubt that listeners even knew the program was not done in Houston. Two hours were a sydicated program that KXYZ carried live so Houston listeners could call in and be part of the program. Only two hours out of twelve were not originated by BizRadio from day one. With the addition of Dana Steele afternoons, KXYZ may be local and live, with the exception of the show from NYC that is exclusively for BizRadio and live. The station has been 100% live from day one.

Even weekends were not network programs. They are locally produced shows. Most are live and take phone calls. A couple have been pre-recorded during the week and played over the weekend.

It is true that BizRadio KXYZ had some technical problems the first day, but all of them were fixed for the second day. I guess that is why I wonder what is taking KFNC and KIOL so long to get the kinks worked out of the system you are using, if the equipment is not functioning properly the Engineering-Technical team from the company should be in Houston having the system working properly in a week or less or it should be replaced. If it is human error then the necessary training needs to be done.

All the links to KXYZ were new, while KXYZ was not a new station, you could possibly compare it to 97.5 where work had to be done at KXYZ since it had been allowed to deteriorate. BiZRadio had KXYZ brought back up to good and proper working parameters.
>
>
> Otherwise, you and I are in agreement: About Walton and
> Johnson (brilliant), Outlaw Dave (the best), Wendy Miller (a
> great natural talent), Cox (puzzling). I don't know why you
> think Malone will replace the morning news block at KTRH,
> but I'm sure you have your sources. And I agree that
> all-news on KFNC would be great, if that's the commitment
> Cumulus wants to make.
>
> There are a lot of people who won't listen to KFWB/WINS/KTRH
> news because it's dry, rigidly formatted and self-important.
> Yet some of the best cable TV news is fun, interesting,
> informative and personality-related. Why not reach for that
> audience?
>
You do not have any argument from me on the above statement. One of the best news sources was News24Houston, the 24 hour cable station. It was too bad that Belo has financial problems that caused them to back out and Time-Warner Cable was not willing to pick up 100% cost of the programming. It was a fairly free form news station. A couple of exceptions, which I personally liked, they had weather on the 7's and traffic on the 9's. You knew you could tune in at 3:09 and get the latest traffic. News24Houston was excellent and accurate in their traffic and up to date. News24Houston was personality news reporting and they had stories that related to the every day person along with the hard news. I'm not quite certain by what you mean by "self-important" as it can be interperted in several ways. Could you elaborate?
>
> My only other objection to your points is that it sounds to
> me like you've only given the station 10 minutes of your
> time. In other words it seems as though you have spent more
> time posting here what you think KFNC should do than you
> have spent actually listening to the station mornings,
> middays, afternoons. That's your right.
>
Not true, I may have given that impression, but I would not feel I would have any right to make comments on a station with out listening to it for some time. I have been listening to KFNC since Sunday night and will until Saturday before I make any comments that I have about KFNC. I feel that listening to a station for one week nearly twenty hours a day for a week should be long enough to be able to give a honest opinion and hopefully objective view of the station, programs, and format. If you do not concur please let me know!
>
> Personally, I would
> appreciate specific criticisms; your posts indicate you like
> absolutely nothing. But that's just me; I don't take what
> you or anyone says about us personally. Professionally,
> however, my colleages like Jim and Brian and the others -- I
> know how hard they work and would like to see them
> appreciated rather than trashed or dismissed. I'm interested
> in hearing everyone's comments on the specifics of what
> we're doing -- so we can improve within our parameters.
>
Naturally you want all of the staff appreciated, in reality that is not likely to happen from 100% of the people that may tune in due to personal likes and dislikes. Mike I am well aware of how hard they work, I am all too familair with 48 hour days personally.

On Saturday expect a very specific view of my feelings about the shows and the station. They will hopefully be very objective with what is wrong and what is very good to excellent about the station and what I feel needs to be changed, if anything.
>
> Please let me know if you have specific questions!
>
The first question is when is KIOL going to staff the 7pm to 5:30am period with live air personalities. I do mean personalities and not liner card readers. KIOL is listened to by me as much for the air personalities that you have on during the day and the music is secondary.

On the weekend Pam Kelly was added from 3pm to 8pm, with Lisa Kendall holding down 10am to 3pm. It makes the weekend much more enjoyable during those hours. I don't even listen after 8pm, if I want all music I can play my CD's.

I have others, but they relate to KFNC and will wait until Saturday to ask those questions.

Mike my email is [email protected] if you want to take this off line.

Sincerely,

Mike O
 
Re: Mike O vs Mike S Round 3

Mike: I guess you'd be surprised that I'm in total agreement on some of these points. I'm not trying to challenge you into listening to KFNC, but the point is: how can we change for the better if all people say is that "the station sucks, dood?" I'll listen closer to KFWB soon. I did listen to BizRadio and several programs sounded like network with no references to anything local in the body of the shows but maybe I made a mistake in calling them network. Of course I love Dayna's show; I was her newsman on the old 97 Talk and we had a lot of fun. But for a reference point on what KFNC is trying to do, see Sheperd Smith's news shows on Fox cable and Aaron Brown's show on CNN.
 
Re: Mike O vs Mike S Round 4

> Mike: I guess you'd be surprised that I'm in total agreement
> on some of these points. I'm not trying to challenge you
> into listening to KFNC, but the point is: how can we change
> for the better if all people say is that "the station sucks,
> dood?" I'll listen closer to KFWB soon. I did listen to
> BizRadio and several programs sounded like network with no
> references to anything local in the body of the shows but
> maybe I made a mistake in calling them network. Of course I
> love Dayna's show; I was her newsman on the old 97 Talk and
> we had a lot of fun. But for a reference point on what KFNC
> is trying to do, see Sheperd Smith's news shows on Fox cable
> and Aaron Brown's show on CNN.
>
Mike I agree with much of what you are saying. A blanket statement that The Sports Animal KBME Sucks doesn't help anyone, the person not involved with KBME reading the post or someone from KBME reading the post. Criticism needs to be backed up with what can the station do to improve. Naturally you will never be able to satisfy everyone, Mission Impossible.

I will have to go back and listen to BizRadio and see if they have dropped some local programming in favor of syndicated fare. It would be a shame if they did that, it is a step backwards. If you heard a show for an hour and there were no local references, I would agree that is not a local show, but syndicated from some anonymous city. If KXYZ is going that direction it is too bad, they had a very good thing going for them.

You don't need to challenge me into listening to KFNC. You felt that I had not spent enough time listening to the station. A point that I thought was a good one and that at the minimum a week of continous listening was warrented. Frankly I am glad that I did. I do not like the Financial Program from 1pm until 2pm and can only offer that the show just didn't appeal to me. Unfortunately I can not give you a specific reason, the show just grated on my nerves.

Jim Pruett and Company have changed my listening habits, I think he has an excellent show that is getting better by the day. I should have prefaced this by telling you I am a person that does not particularly care for Talk radio. Jim's show has news commentary that ranges from the serious when appropriate to the hysterical when appropriate. A key word there was appropriate and Jim Pruett knows what is and isn't appropriate in handling the commentary of a news story.

Neil Boortz I will have to give time to listen to his show in more depth. However I do like some music and switch to KIOL for Wendy Millers' Show, which is one of my favorite shows on the radio. You never know what she is going to do next and not only does it retain the listener to the station but she is a great lead into Outlaw Dave. She is truly Personality Radio and an Air Personality as opposed to the other stations that have liner card readers that read their 30 second script and back to more music or commercials. Since you read the board you know that many people feel that radio is missing a big ingredient that made it great in the past, Air Personalities and Personality Radio. You have brought that back to Houston from 5:30am to 7:00pm. I hope that KIOL will be adding some great Personalities from 7:00pm until 5:30am, the city needs it and I believe wholeheartly that it will bring in the ratings. You know very well the station that is on at the end of day is the station that comes on first thing in the morning, if it is not KIOL or KFNC, then you are losing important listeners.

I will watch Sheperd Smith and Aaron Brown's shows to see what you are attemting on KFNC. I am not at all familiar with either show, although I have most likely seen Aaron Brown's show along the way as I watch CNN after the demise of News24Houston.

In an ideal world Cumulus would buy all four Cox Radio properties in Houston. You get Country KKBQ 92.9; Classic Country KTHT 97.1; '80's KHPT 106.9 and Oldies KLDE 107.5. Up until just the last few weeks, Cox Radio had done nada, not one thing to any four stations for over a year minimum. Cumulus keeps 103.7 and sells 97.5 to stay at the limit of five FM stations. Move KIOL to 106.9 (you would be doing Houston a favor) and KFNC to 107.5 (the station has excellent coverage, better than the Missour City antenna farm stations). I would leave KKBQ and KTHT alone, KKBQ is tied in the raw numbers for #1 Country station. Staff up Country Legends KTHT and see just how high a rimshot station can go in the ratings. KTHT 97.1 is the champion of rimshot signals. It is like a local and no one has ever reported another station interfering with KTHT even in the strongest of tropo ducting.

I would give serious consideration to spliting KFNC into two stations. One all News and the other all Talk. KFTC is in use on a FOX TV station in Bemidji, MN but a deal could be reached I'm sure for the use of KFTC on FM for FM Talk Channel. Keep the news on the strongest local 107.5 and begin the new Talk station on 103.7 KFTC. W&J mornings, Jim Pruett & Co afternoons, if you think he could handle it, middays to Chuck Savage who is a comedian by occupation and seems to be well connected. It would definitely put him in an element that fits his style better than being on a News station. I left Country Legends on 97.1 because the coverage (very possibly the best in Texas) covers Houston and East Texas where Classic Country is very popular. KTHT has a signal that runs from the Oklahoma boarder to Victoria, which is quite amazing. KTHT stopped using the scan button only 40 miles south of Texarkana. Oh well fantasy over.

Mike O
 
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