KGO: Big Announcement Coming?

[BossRadioDJ]

KGO (810 AM) is promoing that they'll have a big announcement coming up on 10/30 at 10:30...

Guesses?

Could the "103" in 10:30 and 10/30 refer to an FM Dial position ... 103.7?

A WHOIS search shows that KGO has registered KGOFM.com, just a few days ago:

Domain Name: KGOFM.COM
Created on: 24-OCT-08
Expires on: 24-OCT-09
Last Updated on: 25-OCT-08

Administrative Contact:
webmaster, FM [email protected]
Citadel Communications
900 Front Street
San Francisco, Ca 94111
US
415-954-8100
415 398-5995

Technical Contact:
Berry, Ken [email protected]
ABC Radio
900 Front Street
San Francisco, Ca 94111
US
415 954-8100

 

[LKellerIII]

Hmmm...but wouldn't the news have gotten out if Clear Channel sold 103.7 to Citadel?

...or would it be some kind of licensing agreement between the 2 companies?

 

[Michael Rivers Kramer]

Hmmm...but wouldn't the news have gotten out if Clear Channel sold 103.7 to Citadel?

...or would it be some kind of licensing agreement between the 2 companies?

Well they do own 103.3 in Modesto. They could move KATM to 104.1 and rebroadcast KGO to the San Joaquin Valley. It sounds stupid though. Even though there are quite a few commuters from Stockton-Modesto that commute to they Bay Area, they are in the minority. KGO-AM 810 has a null in that direction.

 

[AnimatronicAbeLincoln]

Michael-

Props to you on finding that whois record. Nice score!

Although it's surprising a Modesto station makes it out there towards SF that far... I don't think 103-3 comes in quite well enough in SF to really make that a viable San Francisco FM outlet... Then again, it is Citadel so anything's possible. The frequency's right for a 10:30 announcement, that's for sure.

Is Citadel possibly buying something? Maybe a rimshot? What about that Energy 92-7 thingy or, like, are they maybe buying an FM in, like, Concord or Santa Rosa or something?

The mind reels... unbelievable.

 

[radio dx]

Didn't they do this back in 1982? and how long did news last on that dail position? Don't tell me now we are going to be hit with multible news stations (over kill) on the fm. I did a KGOFM Google search and it puts me onto KGO 810 radio's page. Hay KPIX it's your turn next, and you wonder what's wrong with radio today. I hope this is a guess that doesn't pan out.

 

[Michael Rivers Kramer]

Michael-

Props to you on finding that whois record. Nice score!

Although it's surprising a Modesto station makes it out there towards SF that far... I don't think 103-3 comes in quite well enough in SF to really make that a viable San Francisco FM outlet... Then again, it is Citadel so anything's possible. The frequency's right for a 10:30 announcement, that's for sure.

Is Citadel possibly buying something? Maybe a rimshot? What about that Energy 92-7 thingy or, like, are they maybe buying an FM in, like, Concord or Santa Rosa or something?

The mind reels... unbelievable.

The Modesto station doesn't reach SF at all. This would be a hunch for an expansion of signal. There's no way to move it west either unless they make it a south bay signal. The station would have to be 50 miles away from both 103.7 and 102.9

 

[DavidKaye]

Could the "103" in 10:30 and 10/30 refer to an FM Dial position ... 103.7?

Ummm....maybe not 103.7. There's no reason they should take 103.7 back. I'm sure it's paid off by now; it's gone through 3 owners since KGO owned it.

But, uh...take a look at all the FM stations, who owns them, what their ratings are, and who gets into the South Bay and the answer should jump right out at you.

 

[BossRadioDJ]

Michael-

Props to you on finding that whois record. Nice score!

Actually, the WHOIS record was in my post, but a post in ba.broadcast noted that KGOFM.com had been registered (see below for more). And finding a WHOIS record isn't really a ton of work:

http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/

SPECULATION ALERT!​

Note that the promo on KGO (correct me if I'm wrong, Production Boy) says "On 10/30 at 10:30, KGO will share something illuminating with you."

They might be giving away flashlights for Halloween.

MRK mentioned 102.9 ... which is KBLX. Which Citadel/KGO could LMA from Inner City.

In a Usenet group refered to previously, a KGO on-air personality (initials "C.C.") noted a "new site has appeared kgofm.com ... Site supposedly under construction. ... Engineers building a new studio where the old Dean Edell studio used to be ... All seemed hush/hush when I worked all last week."

 

[newsperson]

Newsperson responds:

I don't think that 103.7 would be the only possibility. Plus if they were doing an FM it would have to be an exchange deal becasue Citadel does not have any money to buy stations (or so they say).

So what station could be acquired now?

Who would they do an exchange with?

Do they need an FM or is this just a "keeping up with the Jones's"?

Your thoughts?

Newsperson

 

[BossRadioDJ]

But, uh...take a look at all the FM stations, who owns them, what their ratings are, and who gets into the South Bay and the answer should jump right out at you.

I looked at the FM roll call this morning ... are you talking about an S.F. (or Eastbay) station that gets into the Southbay, or a Southbay station?

Does KGO need coverage in the Southbay? Doesn't the 810 AM signal (from near Dumbarton) cover San Jose adequately?

 

[DavidKaye]

Do they need an FM or is this just a "keeping up with the Jones's"?

Your thoughts?

They desperately need an FM. David Eduardo says that the ad agencies won't touch them anymore because their audience is too old. So, this means that they have to beat the pavement and hope that their national rep can bring in business. Notice how few national advertisers are on KGO.

 

[BossRadioDJ]

Radio-Locator.com's list of FM signals and their strength in San Jose and the Southbay is here:

http://tinyurl.com/sjradio

...if you'd like to guess along with us at home.

 

[BossRadioDJ]

They desperately need an FM. David Eduardo says that the ad agencies won't touch them anymore because their audience is too old.

Would the mere fact that they would simulcast KGO on FM (or... hmmm, launch a younger-skewing FM talk station) (nahhhh...) (hmmm...) necessarily change the demographic of their audience?

Are younger listeners going to tune in Dr. Dean or Gil Gross simply because they're on FM?

 

[LKellerIII]

They desperately need an FM. David Eduardo says that the ad agencies won't touch them anymore because their audience is too old.

Would the mere fact that they would simulcast KGO on FM (or... hmmm, launch a younger-skewing FM talk station) (nahhhh...) (hmmm...) necessarily change the demographic of their audience?

Are younger listeners going to tune in Dr. Dean or Gil Gross simply because they're on FM?

Mr. Eduardo can (and has) given examples of stations in other markets that saw significant increases in their ratings in the 25-54 demographic by simulcasting, or just moving to the FM dial, and abandoning AM entirely.

 

[RadioStarOne]

KGO might also be ready to name the new 10P to 1AM show host. The possibility of an FM signal is good news indeed but after we have an FM dial full of News/Talk stations along with all the AM News/Talk stations who wins the prize? I suspect none of them. The market will be even more diluted than ever. Don't cha think? News/Talk on FM may make the owner a bit more cash but its not going to save the ship. Or will it? Time will tell. BTW, KGO's signal in the stockton area could use a lift. What about 107.3? Think they bought it from the group back east?

 

[BossRadioDJ]

KGO might also be ready to name the new 10P to 1AM show host. ... BTW, KGO's signal in the stockton area could use a lift. What about 107.3? Think they bought it from the group back east?

This was mentioned in some blog written by someone earlier today...

The future of KSTN-FM is interesting, regardless of who's hands it ends up in. Check out its coverage map:

www.sfradiocity.com/kstn/images/kstn-fm_coverage_2007.png

Note the immense area its signal blankets. Note that the majority of the Bay Area is greyed out ... and marked "Bay Area coverage not claimed by KSTN-FM."

They ain't claimin' it, but it's still being covered.

...And that could be quite a station to have in your stable.

 

[newsperson]

Newsperson responds:

Has the sale of KSTN 107.3 been consumated? If so that could be a possibility.

Bill Watenburg always blabs about KGO covering the West except it's not true. The signal severly cuts back towards Sacramento and certainly
does not cover the rockies as he blabs about.

KSTN-FM does not have a good signal in S.F. The site (or city of license) can be moved say to Berkley and then that would make sense.

However once you have a full-service FM in this market it sure sounds like a waste of a facility to simulcast an AM station.

Your thoughts?

Newsperson

 

[DaveBayArea]

KSTN doesn't cover the Bay Area at all in terms of building penetration, and I'm pretty sure that a move to the west would place them way too close geographically to 106.9 and 107.7. Besides - that grandfathered site on Mt. Diablo is something that pretty much everyone envies. They might be able to add a booster shooting somewhere out of the East Bay Hills tho. But there's all sorts of mutual interference problems with that idea.

It's hard to keep up with all of the announcements, but didn't Clear Channel say sometime back that they were going to divest their small-market stations? It seems to me that 92.3, 98.5 or 104.9 might fit into that category. Maybe it's one of those.

Dave B.

 

[sfradio]

kgo might go to 98.5, 92.3 or 104.9

 

[LKellerIII]

kgo might go to 98.5, 92.3 or 104.9

For a potential simulcast, wouldn't KGO want a strong FM signal into San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, etc? 98.5 may be strong enough, but the other 2 are pretty weak.