Currently, AM 850 in Tacoma is mostly syndicated sports fare - but you gotta admit, the call letters are perfect for an all-comedy format!
http://www.seatacradio.com/blog/?p=22563
http://www.seatacradio.com/blog/?p=22563
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KHHO To 24/7 Comedy
- Thread starter DToTheJ
- Start date
All-comedy is CC's latest format du jour. They just put it on a Boston AM that had poor ratings and are rolling it out on other underperforming AM sticks.
What people who actually live in Seattle know is that all-comedy isn't a new format to the market - it's been on an Entercom HD2 channel for several years now.
What people who actually live in Seattle know is that all-comedy isn't a new format to the market - it's been on an Entercom HD2 channel for several years now.
DToTheJ said:
I've always thought of that call sign as "K-Ho-Ho-Ho," which would be great for Christmas music ... or the Green Giant.
Their website http://www.southsoundsports850.com/ redirects to KJR.
KKWF hasn't had comedy on theirHD for a year or more. It was replaced by Smooth Jazz,andafter a short time, Blues was moved from KMTT's HD2 to KKWF's HD2.
Still, comedy was on HD in Seattle for four years.
Maybe Clear Channel should simulcast comedy on one of their HD2's, because KHHO doesn't do well here in Seattle.
Still, comedy was on HD in Seattle for four years.
Maybe Clear Channel should simulcast comedy on one of their HD2's, because KHHO doesn't do well here in Seattle.
If KHHO are indeed switching to an all-comedy format, could someone give us the projected start date? I'll then remember to switch one of my "wish there was a more interesting AM station" presets to 850. I'm not in the habit of sampling them otherwise. I'm guessing I'll give up my KVI preset, since I always seem to hear Clark Howard with some dry "consumer news" discussion whenever I happen to try them. It just doesn't pull me in to want to listen. Glad they're at least not shouting political hate anymore, but they could use a little more "personality," as KIRO-FM has now.
KHHO's signal usually comes in moderately-fine day and night in North Seattle and beyond when I've whisked past them before, if you don't count the traffic signal interference (which seems to be getting a lot worse lately - even KOMO-AM was masked by noise for a block in either direction of a couple of intersections in Woodinville when I drove thru there the other day). A good laugh or three would sure make weekend driving a little more pleasant in perpetually-clogged "just stay home if you don't have to be anywhere!" metro Seattle.
KHHO's signal usually comes in moderately-fine day and night in North Seattle and beyond when I've whisked past them before, if you don't count the traffic signal interference (which seems to be getting a lot worse lately - even KOMO-AM was masked by noise for a block in either direction of a couple of intersections in Woodinville when I drove thru there the other day). A good laugh or three would sure make weekend driving a little more pleasant in perpetually-clogged "just stay home if you don't have to be anywhere!" metro Seattle.
may want to order a side of sauce with those words.Goldilocks94941 said:
Just sayin'....
political hate talk, is in the eye of the beholder. if hitler had an open media during his reign, and a left or right wing extremist radio station and its hosts educated the listeners, by scorning hitler, and his agenda with political hate talk, would you consider that a reason to scold the station with the political hate talk tag? perhaps, an opposition"political hate talk" station in that era, could have educated the masses to prevent hitlers power grab.
when one considers the financial, economic, and political state of the future of this country in 2012, do we really want to scorn the opposition corporate right wing media(rush limba), and the alternative political media(alex jones) with the political hate tag as a negative? not me.
when one considers the financial, economic, and political state of the future of this country in 2012, do we really want to scorn the opposition corporate right wing media(rush limba), and the alternative political media(alex jones) with the political hate tag as a negative? not me.
By the way, I tried AM 850 last evening around 7:30 on I-405 in the stretch that some silly traffic people call "Swamp Creek," and the rest of us call Bothell-Lynnwood-etc. While I never listened to KHHO much in the past, I always thought they put out a good "secondary" signal for a long way north of Seattle whenever I was dial around.
However, last night, it was indistinguishable which of two "sports stations" was dominant in the "critical hours" before sunset. I couldn't tell if Denver was coming in or what was on, but it wasn't the listenable signal I thought was there from the South Sound.
Has KHHO recently reduced power? I thought they were 5 or 10kw days, and I couldn't have been more than 60 miles from Tacoma. I don't think anyone's on 850 in British Columbia anymore, either. One of the signals got a little stronger as soon as I got on the ramp to I=5 south, but it never cleared up enough to be what anyone would listen to all the way to Seattle. Anyone else notice a drop is signal from KHHO? Or it is "just the way it is?"
However, last night, it was indistinguishable which of two "sports stations" was dominant in the "critical hours" before sunset. I couldn't tell if Denver was coming in or what was on, but it wasn't the listenable signal I thought was there from the South Sound.
Has KHHO recently reduced power? I thought they were 5 or 10kw days, and I couldn't have been more than 60 miles from Tacoma. I don't think anyone's on 850 in British Columbia anymore, either. One of the signals got a little stronger as soon as I got on the ramp to I=5 south, but it never cleared up enough to be what anyone would listen to all the way to Seattle. Anyone else notice a drop is signal from KHHO? Or it is "just the way it is?"
A
Andrew Skotdal
Guest
KOA's night signal dominates "KHHO" (a Steve West invention...he requested the call sign from the Coast Guard so he could brand the station as K H20 when they went local, post Entercom, with Bruce Cannon, Charlie Johnson, et. al. Dan Walker was his partner. I like Steve now, but when he created H2O, I had him on the phone at one point and he told me he was going to come up to Everett and do his local format they created in Tacoma with 1230 AM in Everett and implied he was going to take us out...you can still hear the jingle package on the GMI demo for H2O.) KHHO is 10,000 day/1,000 night with a four tower directional signal. I do think the 850 signal has been degraded, and I'm not sure if it occurred around the time they diplexed 950 at that site or if it was happening before then. Kelly made that site into a palace, though, so if they didn't redo the ground system, it might have started beforehand. I used to be able to get 850 in Everett...not so much now. Maybe someday I can get a southern signal. I'll be interested to see how all-comedy goes for PPM on 850 (are you listening, Michael O'Shea? I know you're out there...). Any signal that doesn't have a shot at every potential meter is automatically underreported and penalized. Who knows, maybe the format can beat 1360?
850 in Western Washington has always been a nighttime mush, not a graveyard roar. But you could detect several stations on that frequency.
You'd think KOA would dominate with the same muscle as KGO, but at best, their signal is really ghosty up here. Sometimes it drifts in for a few minutes, then disappears back into the ether, never to be heard from again that evening/morning.
In Eastern Washington, they're a rock solid regular.
I too have noticed a diminished signal on 850. But I've also noticed most Seattle AM stations are really bad these days. KVI, once nearly as strong as a local in Bellingham in the '80s is barely audible today during the daytime. Even little KTAC could be heard here back then, albeit modestly. Now I can't hear 850 at all.
They used to be heard clearly in Lynnwood. I tuned in today when I was down there to see if I could hear any comedy and I could barely pick it up......
You'd think KOA would dominate with the same muscle as KGO, but at best, their signal is really ghosty up here. Sometimes it drifts in for a few minutes, then disappears back into the ether, never to be heard from again that evening/morning.
In Eastern Washington, they're a rock solid regular.
I too have noticed a diminished signal on 850. But I've also noticed most Seattle AM stations are really bad these days. KVI, once nearly as strong as a local in Bellingham in the '80s is barely audible today during the daytime. Even little KTAC could be heard here back then, albeit modestly. Now I can't hear 850 at all.
They used to be heard clearly in Lynnwood. I tuned in today when I was down there to see if I could hear any comedy and I could barely pick it up......
A
AQH
Guest
Bongwater said:
Sounds like you need to educate yourself on the basics of an AM signal. Look up the coordinates of the towers of both of those radio stations, put them in Google Earth and let us know if you can spot the fundamental difference between the two tower sites.
Keep in mind that KOA is a one tower non directional 50kw station and sunset happens in Denver a few hours earlier than Seattle in the summer. Skywave will kick in from Denver while KHHO is still in day power mode. Before Seattle sunset, KHHO power change, you would be receiving KHHO via ground wave.
On 405 north of Kirkland you'd be getting less than 5mv/m from KHHO. Probably more like less than 1mv/m. Easily overpowered by a big 50kw skywave.
Try listening during full daytime while Denver is also in daytime (in the summer of course) and see if you get the same result.
On 405 north of Kirkland you'd be getting less than 5mv/m from KHHO. Probably more like less than 1mv/m. Easily overpowered by a big 50kw skywave.
Try listening during full daytime while Denver is also in daytime (in the summer of course) and see if you get the same result.
KGO has the advantage of being right on saltwater. Much like KVI, whom i've heard their signal come down into San Diego one time at night, during one of my trips down there long ago. KHHO only has the Puyallup River.
We haven't heard anything more on this topic for awhile. Was it just speculation, based on other Clear Channel markets, or was there any thread of possibility to KHHO switching formats to "all comedy" or something like that. We sure could use something like that in Seattle, especially when the celestial gloom sets in for the long months of marine-climate winter.
And if they don't like the KHHO call letters for this, I see that KLAF doesn't appear to be assigned anywhere as well. Has a nice ring to it, no?
And if they don't like the KHHO call letters for this, I see that KLAF doesn't appear to be assigned anywhere as well. Has a nice ring to it, no?
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