KFXM is off the air

[K.M. Richards]

But in smaller markets where the audiences are not as prominent, using a Joel Whitburn or Bronson reference guide could work. If they emulated a city station, like a KRTH, then what would be the point of broadcasting as a smaller market, if they end up sounding like a big city station? Maybe those listeners don't want that "big city feel" for their local stations. Listeners in Elko, NV would prefer many other songs, that an L.A. station would never play. And as you know, there are thousands of small town and cities all over the USA. Just a thought.....

Then why, when a smaller market station engages a consultant to focus their Classic Hits playlist, and the consultant uses the "big city" airplay data to refine it, the ratings go up?

Listeners are listeners, regardless of market size. They all want to hear the "big" favorites.

 

[davideduardo]

208th out of 4700 titles on the past seven days' BDS Classic Hits airplay monitor.

Reminds me of the first time I tested my AC station in the 70's. I gave my "guess" score on the first 100 songs before the test, since I was the head of programming and thought I knew what the audience wanted. I was off by more than 20% on over half the songs. Some that I liked and scored well were disliked by our listeners and not playable. Some I thought were burnt or "dumb songs" were power gold.

I learned that those of us who are insiders and want to outguess the listeners are wrong more that we were right. The station had been # 1 in 18-49 women, the target. I improved dramatically after the test was implemented. It taught me a lot about picking currents, too.

 

[davideduardo]

But in smaller markets where the audiences are not as prominent, using a Joel Whitburn or Bronson reference guide could work. If they emulated a city station, like a KRTH, then what would be the point of broadcasting as a smaller market, if they end up sounding like a big city station?

Yeah, let the big city slickers just play the hits. We gonna' play lots of stiffs 'cause there are no ratings here. The listeners don't have choices in the station they listen to because there is no other classic station around so screw them if they don't like it.

Maybe those listeners don't want that "big city feel" for their local stations.

Yeah, why eat filet mignon when you can have fried liver?

Listeners in Elko, NV would prefer many other songs, that an L.A. station would never play. And as you know, there are thousands of small town and cities all over the USA. Just a thought.....

And they heard the same hits on the radio when they were currents, saw them on TV...

 

[ATSFGuy]

So like "We Built This City"?

Yes
That and so many more…..

There’s stiffs Mr. 76 and I like but would leave my folks scratching their heads.

 

[ATSFGuy]

David, you mentioned somewhere on this forum that in the 50’s you put your first station on the air correct?

 

[K.M. Richards]

Just stop calling "We Built This City" a stiff. It isn't, as much as some of you would like it to be.

 

[davideduardo]

David, you mentioned somewhere on this forum that in the 50’s you put your first station on the air correct?

1964... December 5 to be exact... the night before the celebration of the Battle of Pichincha.

 

[oldies76]

Just stop calling "We Built This City" a stiff. It isn't, as much as some of you would like it to be.

It's not a stiff, you are correct. Even though that on-air radio announcer near the end of the song, may make sound it a tad corny.... I much prefer "Sara".

 

[K.M. Richards]

It's not a stiff, you are correct. Even though that on-air radio announcer near the end of the song, may make sound it a tad corny.... I much prefer "Sara".

Hey, I happen to know that announcer personally!

It's Les Garland, who at the time was program director at KFRC.

 

[oldies76]

Hey, I happen to know that announcer personally!

It's Les Garland, who at the time was program director at KFRC.

Ok, ok....I take that back. It's a great song, everything included and a #1 smash in 1985 😬

 

[K.M. Richards]

In case anyone wants to read the story, in Les' own words, he told it to R&R's Kevin Carter in 2004 after Blender magazine (who dey?) named "We Built This City" the #1 worst song of all time:

https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-RandR-IDX/IDX/00s/04/RR-2004-05-14-OCR-Page-0026.pdf

 

[TheBigA]

Just stop calling "We Built This City" a stiff. It isn't, as much as some of you would like it to be.

It's really a great song, written by Bernie Taupin about the decline of the rock scene in LA, with lead vocals from Mickey Thomas, who also sang the lead on "Fooled Around & Fell in Love." So many stories about that song. I feel like Casey Kasem.

 

[KeithE4]

Just stop calling "We Built This City" a stiff. It isn't, as much as some of you would like it to be.

It may have been a hit, but it was a big reason why the former Jefferson Airplane became to be called Jefferson Sellout, or later, just Sellout. Although to be fair, I first heard that name when they first became Jefferson Starship in the '70s. We Built This City just cemented their reputation (or the lack thereof) a decade later.

 

[TheBigA]

It may have been a hit, but it was a big reason why the former Jefferson Airplane became to be called Jefferson Sellout, or later, just Sellout.

To be even fairer, just about everyone from the original band left before this album, and they even sued over the use of the name. They settled on "Starship" after a long battle.

 

[ATSFGuy]

Just stop calling "We Built This City" a stiff. It isn't, as much as some of you would like it to be.

Also know Sara by the same group.

Regarding We Built This City, I once mentioned it to my mom, her response was “That song is annoying”.

Dad said he knows the song, but isn’t a big fan of it either.

I hear it sometimes on XM. If played sparingly it’s ok.

I Doubt KRTH has it, WCBS Maybe

 

[ChannelFlipper]

Also know Sara by the same group.

Regarding We Built This City, I once mentioned it to my mom, her response was “That song is annoying”.

Dad said he knows the song, but isn’t a big fan of it either.

I hear it sometimes on XM. If played sparingly it’s ok.

I Doubt KRTH has it, WCBS Maybe

Number of people who have called the station requesting "We Built This City" = 0. Station still plays it anyway.

It only does well on the test because on the test they don't force you to listen to the whole song (although any 15 second slice is bad enough).

Oh, and I say this as someone who has liked Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship in all of its configurations, including the very poppy Starship. Micky Thomas is a great vocalist as was Marty Balin who preceeded him. But even good groups produce a clunker or two. The Beatles gave us Revolution #9 on the vaunted "White Album", which is eight minutes of pure noise.

 

[ATSFGuy]

Number of people who have called the station requesting "We Built This City" = 0. Station still plays it anyway.

It only does well on the test because on the test they don't force you to listen to the whole song (although any 15 second slice is bad enough).

Oh, and I say this as someone who has liked Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship in all of its configurations, including the very poppy Starship. Micky Thomas is a great vocalist as was Marty Balin who preceeded him. But even good groups produce a clunker or two. The Beatles gave us Revolution #9 on the vaunted "White Album", which is eight minutes of pure noise.

It’s in my list of lost/deeper tracks from the 80’s.

 

[davideduardo]

Number of people who have called the station requesting "We Built This City" = 0. Station still plays it anyway.

Using requests as a measurement of anything is dangerous. It's a sample where n=1 and totally unreliable.

I know of many cases where a competitor hired young people to call and request songs we knew were stiffs.

It only does well on the test because on the test they don't force you to listen to the whole song (although any 15 second slice is bad enough).

That is not the way a test works.

First, in the method used from the mid-60s until online testing was made available, hooks are 8 seconds. When scoring is by a hand-held "meter" or dial, by the fifth second, 99% of people have scored the song. The one that takes 7" or so was taking a sip of their soda or coffee...

Second, if the hooks are too long, participants get fatigue and stop giving a broad range of scores.

Today, we give more of a song. But it cuts off as soon as a score is entered, and that is about 4" to 5" when users are on a tablet, smartphone or laptop.

Third, the question in a music test is "how much would you like to hear the song on the your radio or smartphone TODAY? It is no "how much did you used to like that song" or anything else on past preferences; it is about today, now.

Oh, and I say this as someone who has liked Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship in all of its configurations, including the very poppy Starship. Micky Thomas is a great vocalist as was Marty Balin who preceeded him. But even good groups produce a clunker or two. The Beatles gave us Revolution #9 on the vaunted "White Album", which is eight minutes of pure noise.

On the radio we play songs, not artists. Each song is evaluated on its own. Of course, a favorite artist helps make a song do well, but even if the label to the "Stairway to Heaven" version we all know read "Barry Manilow and Donna Summer" listeners would still vote for the song.

"Radio" whether on FM or a stream, is based on how much listeners like what is on the air at the moment. We don't program Fleetwood Mac... we program "Go you own way".

 

[davideduardo]

Regarding We Built This City, I once mentioned it to my mom, her response was “That song is annoying”.

Dad said he knows the song, but isn’t a big fan of it either.

Sample size of two.

Even the closely controlled Academy Awards has a sample thousands of time bigger.

(2020, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had 9,427 eligible Oscar voters)

 

[Michi]

Maybe @Michi can shed some light on the licensing situation of KFXM-LP.

I have no info on KFXM-LP.