KFNC tower near Winnie nearly unlit.

[Fieldtech1]

That's way too much for outdated technology on a dying medium IMO.

Doesn't seem like much. But at the end of the day, you're paying for the privilege to add more options on the dial. In today's market, that seems counterintuitive.

This isn't 2006 anymore. There is no opportunity for growth in terrestrial radio anymore. Adding more stations just further divides the shrinking pie.

I agree radio is a dying medium, but you still gotta play by the rules.
There are broadcasters bucking the trend. Cenla broadcasting in small unrated market Alexandria, La has HD with multicast on 3 of their 100kw stations. If you saw their studios you'd be blown away that they are in an unrated market with the amount theyve invested. They could do it on the cheap, but chose not to.

 

[theantennaguy]

I agree radio is a dying medium, but you still gotta play by the rules.
There are broadcasters bucking the trend. Cenla broadcasting in small unrated market Alexandria, La has HD with multicast on 3 of their 100kw stations. If you saw their studios you'd be blown away that they are in an unrated market with the amount theyve invested. They could do it on the cheap, but chose not to.

Same for the cluster in Ruston.

 

[Mrtejano]

Meanwhile I have a solid HD lock on rimshot KQQK at my northwest Harris County location.

I wonder why Estrella doesn’t turn on HD2 on KQQK? Or turn on HD on 98.5?

 

[R.D.P.]

My corrected post is below. Thanks @HTX for the thumbs up. I appreciate it.

Dan <><

 

[HTX]

I wonder why Estrella doesn’t turn on HD2 on KQQK? Or turn on HD on 98.5?

98.5 used to be in HD I believe last year as well as 101.7 KNTE

 

[R.D.P.]

Much love to those who are obeying the rules, like I'm doing. Keep up the good work.

Dan <><

 

[R.D.P.]

As I was adding to the post, I made a mistake. Here's my original post, with some changes made.

Dan <><

If I must obey the rules, then everyone else must do the same. Just saying! It pisses me off to see broadcasters break the law and no one is doing a darn thing about it. We have many in my area of Alabama, that are guilty as sin but no one is cracking down on them. When will the FCC do their job and make the lawbreakers change their ways or either shut down for good?

P.S. For examples here we go: (1) Some stations here don't have an EAS device and are putting their listeners in danger when a bad storm is moving through their area, (2) Some stations haven't painted or kept their tower lit for years and that's very dangerous, especially for the pilots who fly around them at night, (3) One station broadcasts with more power, than they're legally allowed to have, (4) One former radio station has yet to tear down their old tower and doesn't even keep it painted or lit at all and (5) Some will wait till the last minute to file for their license renewal and when a fine is slapped on them, they cry hardship and the FCC will let them get away with it.

My beef is...why is the FCC letting all these violators get away with their antics. Here I am trying to obey the rules and do everything by the letter of the law and these other "Characters" are allowed to break them. It makes no sense to me.​

 

[davideduardo]

I agree radio is a dying medium,

A "medium" that is used by over 85% of all people each week is not "dying". Maybe it is "declining" as hours a week of use are off.

but you still gotta play by the rules.

And that applies to everything in life in a civilization.

There are broadcasters bucking the trend. Cenla broadcasting in small unrated market Alexandria, La has HD with multicast on 3 of their 100kw stations.

Cenla used to subscribe to Nielsen but cancelled about 6 years ago and the market was dropped. Cenla has 6 FMs including 3 translators, plus two AMs and several of the stations billed around $1 million each before the pandemic. The 3 big FMs cover over 300,000 persons so that is not a tiny market.

The first HD was installed to allow them to have a translator for their soft AC format.

If you saw their studios you'd be blown away that they are in an unrated market with the amount theyve invested. They could do it on the cheap, but chose not to.

With over $5 million in annual revenue, they can certainly afford to have a good facility.

 

[BamaTX]

A "medium" that is used by over 85% of all people each week is not "dying". Maybe it is "declining" as hours a week of use are off.

85%? Wasn't that number around the mid 90s just 10 years ago? And more importantly, what good are those numbers if revenue continues to decline?

Terrestrial radio is a dying medium. The money isn't coming back and listeners are slowly ditching it. There is just no scenario in my head where both trends are reversed. The future is with streaming. Not only is the adaptation of streaming increasing, but IT IS A LOT EASIER to reach your target audience and measure engagement.

 

[b-turner]

Bama TX please let my listeners know They must not have heard. Yes it is 85% now. A quick google will reveal current radio listening. Check the usual, Nielsen and RAB.

The station I work has 38.1% of the 35+ in our home county. We do well and keep eclipsing the prior year. Sales isn't what it used to be a couple of decades back but our sales keep going up year after year.

 

[R.D.P.]

From a piece of paper I pass out, when I'm pursuing a new underwriter, I found this tidbit of info. Pay close attention and let it sink in @BamaTX. 77% of all adults tune in to radio for more than three hours everyday** **Radio Advertising Bureau. Since I started passing out that paper, that number may have increased. I know of many people, in my area, that listen to the radio very often. It's their go to place for the music, info and entertainment they depend on. To @b-turner , your post was spot on sir. I loved it.

Dan <><

P.S. In closing, @BamaTX, I still have many people telling me how much this broadcast means to them. As of late, I've also picked up a few new listeners and hope to get even more.​

 

[stan]

I’d be interested in the demographics of the 77% number. If you told me it was people age 60+, I might believe that.

 

[R.D.P.]

The info on that paper never gave out the age group. It was info my engineer extracted while he was helping me put that resource together. I'm assuming the info was pertaining to those that had a disposable income. Anyway, I still know of many that listen to the radio in my area. Our top billing stations here are owned by Scott Communications. They attract many listeners and advertisers. My station may not be as popular but still has a place and serves the intended audience very well.

Dan <><​

 

[Fieldtech1]

A "medium" that is used by over 85% of all people each week is not "dying". Maybe it is "declining" as hours a week of use are off.

And that applies to everything in life in a civilization.

Cenla used to subscribe to Nielsen but cancelled about 6 years ago and the market was dropped. Cenla has 6 FMs including 3 translators, plus two AMs and several of the stations billed around $1 million each before the pandemic. The 3 big FMs cover over 300,000 persons so that is not a tiny market.

The first HD was installed to allow them to have a translator for their soft AC format.

With over $5 million in annual revenue, they can certainly afford to have a good facility.

With regards to listenership......You can spin the numbers any way that makes you feel better......

I used to be a huge cheerleader for radio but I have come to grips with the reality of its future. I still love radio, and enjoy good stations...

As someone who has ridden in many many ubers, in my experience people under 30 arent listening to terrestrial radio more than 90% of the time (maybe closer to 95% actually). Ive convered with many about radio. This is your future money demo people. They havent developed a habit of listening to the "radio" at the formative years of their lives.

Perform your own experiment.....
Find 10 people under 30 years old and ask them to name 5 radio stations in their market.......Bonus points if they can name 3 on air personalities.....

 

[BamaTX]

From a piece of paper I pass out, when I'm pursuing a new underwriter, I found this tidbit of info. Pay close attention and let it sink in @BamaTX. 77% of all adults tune in to radio for more than three hours everyday** **Radio Advertising Bureau.​

The fact remains that this number is lower than it used to be. The number of people and the amount of listening done on terrestrial radio ihas decreased and will continue to decrease as each decade passes.

Since I started passing out that paper, that number may have increased.​

I much doubt that.

Self measurement doesn't take into account the entire market. What you may be gaining may be smaller than what your competitors may be losing.

 

[BamaTX]

Bama TX please let my listeners know They must not have heard. Yes it is 85% now. A quick google will reveal current radio listening. Check the usual, Nielsen and RAB.

85% reach is sad considering that number was well into the mid 90s just a decade ago. It's a massive shift! Nevermind that this is just "reach". The amount of time listening to terrestrial radio has also decreased as there is now more competition for consumers' attention.

The station I work has 38.1% of the 35+ in our home county. We do well and keep eclipsing the prior year. Sales isn't what it used to be a couple of decades back but our sales keep going up year after year.

That's great and all, but your gains pale in comparison to what the industry used to be pre-2008 (and it also doesn't tell the whole picture as your gains could be smaller than your competitor's losses). Radio can definitely be profitable today. There's no question about that. But the same may not be said in a decade or two. It is a dying medium which will soon be dominated by non-profits and religious broadcasters.

It wasn't that long ago where we had the discussion about finding good salespeople in radio. The good salespeople who knew how to interact with existing and potential clients are on their way to retirement. Small operators are having a hard time replacing the staff that is slowly trickling out of the industry. Finding someone that is willing to do cold calls and maintain good relationships with local businesses is hard. And when you do find someone, keeping them is harder as the pay just isn't there.

This industry is in its twilight years.

 

[b-turner]

No it is not dying and that's why I'm succeeding. I'm working on ways to succeed and better things. I don't think doom and gloom. By the way, we are beyond then 2008 sales figures. We might be an exception but it seems our audience, clients and those of us at the station see things differently. Sure, listeners who don't use the radio but their smart phone is increasing at a steady pace and they love it for high school sports. So, we are evolving but if increasing revenue and listeners year after year is dying, then send me off to the funeral home.

You are absolutely right about finding good salespeople. It has even been hard here and we have a great product to sell. I remember some stations where the owner of the business would say 'what's that' when you mentioned the station. I have not had to explain to anybody what we are; not even once (I'm shocked about that). We actually get calls and emails from businesses wanting to advertise a few times a week and about 50% actually buy. I'm glad I found this station!

 

[HTX]

As someone who has ridden in many many ubers, in my experience people under 30 arent listening to terrestrial radio more than 90% of the time (maybe closer to 95% actually). Ive convered with many about radio. This is your future money demo people. They havent developed a habit of listening to the "radio" at the formative years of their lives.

I’m under 30 and I can tell you that’s true. Pretty much the only time I’m in someone else’s car the radio is only on if they have an FM Bluetooth transmitter.

 

[Mrtejano]

I’m under 30 and I can tell you that’s true. Pretty much the only time I’m in someone else’s car the radio is only on if they have an FM Bluetooth transmitter.

I’m 40 and I don’t listen to terrestrial radio either, only time I listen to it is during my morning drive to work listening to KLTN 102.9.

 

[ContinuousWave]

Is it possible that riggers won't climb the tower to replace the bulbs? I've had a few like that over the years.

Not bulbs.. strobes...it has an elevator but tower guys are busy everywhere right now