KIRO AM and KIRO FM

[radioprofessor]

I have been a part of a number of launches. In my humble view KIRO executed the split in programming perfectly giving 5 days for people to discover the FM News/Talk. It is also my humble opinion that the trouble for Bonneville will not be the AM station which will do fine, it is the FM station. Let me explain the parameters of this thinking:

1. The AM station has the Mariners and launching as the team launched will drive cume and bury KJR-AM in cume splatter. The talent of the announcers after morning drive is immaterial. Mariner numbers overshadow, especially in the PPM. The one error is not to run Mike and Mike from 6a-9a. The show delivers good numbers in many markets, splitting morning drive is an error. KIRO will beat KJR 6a-12mid by a large margin based on Mariners, signal reach and promotion. Case closed. When I visit Seattle I cannot pick up KJR-AM at my friends house.

2. The FM station is the same product KIRO had on AM which is an error. FM news stations must have more sizzle and a younger sound to attract a younger audience. KIRO had a perfect opportunity to launch new shows and new content, they chose to stick to the old way in my humble opinion. This is a work in progress at best. Expect average to poor results in the PPM. They will be lucky to be top ten 25-54.

3. It is quite possible that a station like KTTH or KOMO could be the second place station on the AM dial. KIRO-AM will be your cume winner without question in my humble opinion.

 

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

I've got an enormous buzz!

I have a drinking game (like the old Bob Newhard "HI BOB" game) where I have to slug some beer every time I read the phrase "humble opinion".

Thank God it's Coors Lite or I'd be on my way to the E/R!!!!

(your points/observations, however, are VERY relevant!!)

 

[radioman148]

I have been a part of a number of launches. In my humble view KIRO executed the split in programming perfectly giving 5 days for people to discover the FM News/Talk. It is also my humble opinion that the trouble for Bonneville will not be the AM station which will do fine, it is the FM station. Let me explain the parameters of this thinking:

1. The AM station has the Mariners and launching as the team launched will drive cume and bury KJR-AM in cume splatter. The talent of the announcers after morning drive is immaterial. Mariner numbers overshadow, especially in the PPM. The one error is not to run Mike and Mike from 6a-9a. The show delivers good numbers in many markets, splitting morning drive is an error. KIRO will beat KJR 6a-12mid by a large margin based on Mariners, signal reach and promotion. Case closed. When I visit Seattle I cannot pick up KJR-AM at my friends house.

2. The FM station is the same product KIRO had on AM which is an error. FM news stations must have more sizzle and a younger sound to attract a younger audience. KIRO had a perfect opportunity to launch new shows and new content, they chose to stick to the old way in my humble opinion. This is a work in progress at best. Expect average to poor results in the PPM. They will be lucky to be top ten 25-54.

3. It is quite possible that a station like KTTH or KOMO could be the second place station on the AM dial. KIRO-AM will be your cume winner without question in my humble opinion.

Is KIRO running Mike & Mike at all?

 

[ronrob]

I believe they're running Mike & Mike from 3-6 am. That's the live feed of the show.

 

[TheRadioVortex]

A problem could be the same thing down here in Arizona - the signal.

97.3fm won't provide the coverage of 710kHz.

Does 97.3 make it to Bellingham? Chehalis? The coast ? Eastern Washington? Ellensburg?

here in AZ - N/T 92.3 doesn't make it all the way to Flagstaff. 92.3 barely covers Prescott / Prescott Valley. KTAR 620 makes it.

Bonneville will get many complaints. KOMO, KVI, KPTK, and now KIXI w/ local personalities have a chance to compete w/ #1 KIRO on the AM dial ! Perhaps KKNW 1150 could increase power and change patterns - they protect Pullmann(?) and 1160/KSL, etc. Are KKNW and KIXI both in HD ?

At 710kHz KIRO has a tremendous groundwave for 50kW - and it's class A so no interference at night unlike KPTK, KIXI, KVI ... what a waste to throw it away with an automated sports format that will get less ratings than the N/T format on 710kHz.

 

[TVradioguru]

A problem could be the same thing down here in Arizona - the signal.

97.3fm won't provide the coverage of 710kHz.

Does 97.3 make it to Bellingham? Chehalis? The coast ? Eastern Washington? Ellensburg?

here in AZ - N/T 92.3 doesn't make it all the way to Flagstaff. 92.3 barely covers Prescott / Prescott Valley. KTAR 620 makes it.

Bonneville will get many complaints. KOMO, KVI, KPTK, and now KIXI w/ local personalities have a chance to compete w/ #1 KIRO on the AM dial ! Perhaps KKNW 1150 could increase power and change patterns - they protect Pullmann(?) and 1160/KSL, etc. Are KKNW and KIXI both in HD ?

At 710kHz KIRO has a tremendous groundwave for 50kW - and it's class A so no interference at night unlike KPTK, KIXI, KVI ... what a waste to throw it away with an automated sports format that will get less ratings than the N/T format on 710kHz.

Huh? All those areas you mentioned are out of the market. Why would you think that it matters when no ratings nor revenue comes from those areas? Oh yes, you're a DX'er.. I'm sure you make it a point to spend your hard earned dollars with local Seattle area advertisers..

 

[radioman148]

A problem could be the same thing down here in Arizona - the signal.

97.3fm won't provide the coverage of 710kHz.

Does 97.3 make it to Bellingham? Chehalis? The coast ? Eastern Washington? Ellensburg?

here in AZ - N/T 92.3 doesn't make it all the way to Flagstaff. 92.3 barely covers Prescott / Prescott Valley. KTAR 620 makes it.

Bonneville will get many complaints. KOMO, KVI, KPTK, and now KIXI w/ local personalities have a chance to compete w/ #1 KIRO on the AM dial ! Perhaps KKNW 1150 could increase power and change patterns - they protect Pullmann(?) and 1160/KSL, etc. Are KKNW and KIXI both in HD ?

At 710kHz KIRO has a tremendous groundwave for 50kW - and it's class A so no interference at night unlike KPTK, KIXI, KVI ... what a waste to throw it away with an automated sports format that will get less ratings than the N/T format on 710kHz.

Huh? All those areas you mentioned are out of the market. Why would you think that it matters when no ratings nor revenue comes from those areas? Oh yes, you're a DX'er.. I'm sure you make it a point to spend your hard earned dollars with local Seattle area advertisers..

Maybe he meant the fringe areas of the market.

 

[ronrob]

Does 97.3 make it to Bellingham? Chehalis? The coast ? Eastern Washington? Ellensburg?

97.3 makes it to Canada.

Perhaps KKNW 1150 could increase power and change patterns

You're dreaming in technicolor if you don't also include a complete format makeover for what is essentially an infomercial oulet.

 

[TVradioguru]

[
You're dreaming in technicolor if you don't also include a complete format makeover for what is essentially an infomercial oulet.

You say that like its a bad thing! Trust me, stations that sell only blocks of programming (aka informercials) to preachers or colon cleansing products are like little annuities. They have some of the best margins in radio.

 

[SeattleRadioPro]

Does 97.3 make it to Bellingham? Chehalis? The coast ? Eastern Washington? Ellensburg?

Bonneville will get many complaints. KOMO, KVI, KPTK, and now KIXI w/ local personalities have a chance to compete w/ #1 KIRO on the AM dial ! Perhaps KKNW 1150 could increase power and change patterns - they protect Pullmann(?) and 1160/KSL, etc. Are KKNW and KIXI both in HD ?

At 710kHz KIRO has a tremendous groundwave for 50kW - and it's class A so no interference at night unlike KPTK, KIXI, KVI ... what a waste to throw it away with an automated sports format that will get less ratings than the N/T format on 710kHz.

Posts like those are the result of thinking you can learn EVERYTHING about a market by logging on to a few websites and making a lot of assumptions. C'mon up and spend a little time here and you'll see firsthand the silliness of what you posted.

 

[Bongwater]

A problem could be the same thing down here in Arizona - the signal.

97.3fm won't provide the coverage of 710kHz.

Does 97.3 make it to Bellingham? Chehalis? The coast ? Eastern Washington? Ellensburg?

here in AZ - N/T 92.3 doesn't make it all the way to Flagstaff. 92.3 barely covers Prescott / Prescott Valley. KTAR 620 makes it.

Bonneville will get many complaints. KOMO, KVI, KPTK, and now KIXI w/ local personalities have a chance to compete w/ #1 KIRO on the AM dial ! Perhaps KKNW 1150 could increase power and change patterns - they protect Pullmann(?) and 1160/KSL, etc. Are KKNW and KIXI both in HD ?

At 710kHz KIRO has a tremendous groundwave for 50kW - and it's class A so no interference at night unlike KPTK, KIXI, KVI ... what a waste to throw it away with an automated sports format that will get less ratings than the N/T format on 710kHz.

KIRO-FM is in a wash of distance static and multipath in most of the downtown/ Fairhaven area of Bellingham. And here's a handy tip to remember before you try to tune in Seattle FM-HD in Bellingham: Forget it.

The immediate topography simply would not allow it. Plus CKLR up in Courtenay occasionally overpowers 97.3 in Bellingham with a far more listenable signal, like CHWF in Naniamo does here sometimes on 106.9 too.

Bellingham coverage isn't a priority to most Seattle stations. Plus most local pirates often take over Seattle frequencies sometimes. What the hell? Nobody's listening to these channels in these areas anyway. Most people would rather not self-induce a headache trying either.

And I'm not sure who KKNW is a priority to at all. KKNW exists in HD only on their FM sisters (98.9 and 106.9) HD subchannels. Same with KIXI, Both 98.9 and 106.9 don't come in Bellingham and 98.9 is outblasted in most areas by that bluegrassfest pirate on 98.7.

Most 50,000 watt Seattle AM stations, including KIRO-AM and even KPTK most of the time have no problem making it to Bellingham (However 950, 1300 and 770, barely audible here under That Big Blast of Bellingham Blabber 20 kilocycles up the dial just don't have the punches they should have for 50,000 watts. And don't even get me started on 1380.)

 

[Puget Sound Radio]

"That Big Blast of Bellingham Blabber 20 kilocycles up the dial "

Now THAT'S funny!

 

[Bongwater]

"That Big Blast of Bellingham Blabber 20 kilocycles up the dial "

Now THAT'S funny!

"That Big Blast of Bellingham Blabber!..790 KGMI, Bellingham"

Well there ya go KGMI!

 

[TheRadioVortex]

Does 97.3 make it to Bellingham? Chehalis? The coast ? Eastern Washington? Ellensburg?

Bonneville will get many complaints. KOMO, KVI, KPTK, and now KIXI w/ local personalities have a chance to compete w/ #1 KIRO on the AM dial ! Perhaps KKNW 1150 could increase power and change patterns - they protect Pullmann(?) and 1160/KSL, etc. Are KKNW and KIXI both in HD ?

At 710kHz KIRO has a tremendous groundwave for 50kW - and it's class A so no interference at night unlike KPTK, KIXI, KVI ... what a waste to throw it away with an automated sports format that will get less ratings than the N/T format on 710kHz.

Posts like those are the result of thinking you can learn EVERYTHING about a market by logging on to a few websites and making a lot of assumptions. C'mon up and spend a little time here and you'll see firsthand the silliness of what you posted.

That's ridiculous. I have experience in YOUR market and remember THE GOOD OLD DAYS in AM TALK when there were LOCAL AM PERSONALITIES on KING, KVI, KKOL, KJR, KOMO, KIXI, KOMO, etc. The Tellecommunications Act in 1996 has killed local talk and full service AM in many markets. Right now you've lost most of your local personalities formerly on KIRO, KOMO. I don't think anyone from the old KING 1090 is left in the market except the gardening hosts. Brian Jennings is in Bend, Oregon. Last I heard, Dustin Hornby was an exec. producer at KIRO-AM

Although I'd have to look at the engineering, KKNW operating from three towers could modify its pattern and increase power - AND - change the format to include some of the local hosts recently let go from KIRO. Likewise for KIXI who uses the same towers - with a better signal of 50kW day, 10kW night, with a skywave reaching Vancouver and SW Oregon (mixed in with KVRN and others).

As for whoever said it doesn't matter if KIRO-FM doesn't reach outside the survey area, that's ridiculous. A small but still significant percentage of the audience traveling to work or driving vehicles needs long distance coverage around a major metro region. When your listeners are driving hours on I-5, I-90, state hwy 12, etc. to work or for their jobs, and 97.3 cuts out, what will they do? They'll change it to the competing talkers, all of whom cover the entire territory from Bellingham to Castle Rock, and Aberdeen to Ellensburg (570 KVI, KOMO 1000, KPTK 1090, ESPN 710). But all sports radio is not what they want on 710 so the others will have an edge in the spring
book - although the edge will be even greater this fall when the Mariners are over!

And, if I was an advertiser for a regional product or service, I wouldn't waste my money on 97.3fm. I'd go with KVI, KOMO, or KPTK. People still buy cars in Seattle and visit the home shows from the coast, Bellingham, and east of the Cascades ! And if they need surgery they go to Virginia Mason or the UW Medical Center !

The other stations can jump on this opportunity to get more advertising dollars and then have the money to hire the fired local hosts !

 

[Seattleradiodude]

"Although I'd have to look at the engineering"

"KKNW operating from three towers could modify its pattern and increase power
Likewise for KIXI who uses the same towers - with a better signal of 50kW day, 10kW night, with a skywave reaching Vancouver and SW Oregon (mixed in with KVRN and others)."

KKNW and KIXI definitely do not use the same towers.
There are 2 sets of three in the ol' Blueberry Patch on I90 side of Belleview.
Slightly to the north are the 3 towers of KXPA at 1540 giving you a total of 3 sets of 3!
In all fairness, you did admit to having to look at the engineering.

Anyhow...
KIRO has an INCREADIBLY strong signal which penetrated right through the passes to the east.
I took a road trip last summer and was still listening to them in the daytime well past Ellensburg.

 

[radioman148]

"Although I'd have to look at the engineering"

"KKNW operating from three towers could modify its pattern and increase power
Likewise for KIXI who uses the same towers - with a better signal of 50kW day, 10kW night, with a skywave reaching Vancouver and SW Oregon (mixed in with KVRN and others)."

KKNW and KIXI definitely do not use the same towers.
There are 2 sets of three in the ol' Blueberry Patch on I90 side of Belleview.
Slightly to the north are the 3 towers of KXPA at 1540 giving you a total of 3 sets of 3!
In all fairness, you did admit to having to look at the engineering.

Anyhow...
KIRO has an INCREADIBLY strong signal which penetrated right through the passes to the east.
I took a road trip last summer and was still listening to them in the daytime well past Ellensburg.

KIRO's night signal makes it into Hawaii.

 

[TVradioguru]

As for whoever said it doesn't matter if KIRO-FM doesn't reach outside the survey area, that's ridiculous. A small but still significant percentage of the audience traveling to work or driving vehicles needs long distance coverage around a major metro region. When your listeners are driving hours on I-5, I-90, state hwy 12, etc. to work or for their jobs, and 97.3 cuts out, what will they do? They'll change it to the competing talkers, all of whom cover the entire territory from Bellingham to Castle Rock, and Aberdeen to Ellensburg (570 KVI, KOMO 1000, KPTK 1090, ESPN 710). But all sports radio is not what they want on 710 so the others will have an edge in the spring
book - although the edge will be even greater this fall when the Mariners are over!

And, if I was an advertiser for a regional product or service, I wouldn't waste my money on 97.3fm. I'd go with KVI, KOMO, or KPTK. People still buy cars in Seattle and visit the home shows from the coast, Bellingham, and east of the Cascades ! And if they need surgery they go to Virginia Mason or the UW Medical Center !

The other stations can jump on this opportunity to get more advertising dollars and then have the money to hire the fired local hosts !

Geez...you must have been living underground for the last thirty years. Especially with PPM now, reaching outside your coverage area means nothing. The days of bragging rights because your 50kW AM station went further than another ended in the 70's. Especially with the recent loss of national ad dollars, a good signal in the local market to sell locally is the target. All the other BS about reaching areas out of market have proven over the many years to be a waste of money.

In most cases, the land values of property to house and maintain an AM directional station have exceeded the value of the AM station itself. FM is FAR more cost efficient to do with multi-use towers on a hill or building than AM. Not too mention the inability to have reception in concrete and steel buildings with AM.

By the looks of your post, you must not be currently working in the radio business. I can tell because anyone who is selling radio would much prefer selling within a market signal like 97.3, than ANY AM station. And from a business perspective FM is much cheaper to operate.

 

[Goldilocks94941]

[ Trust me, stations that sell only blocks of programming (aka informercials) to preachers or colon cleansing products are like little annuities. They have some of the best margins in radio.

Some guru. I think KKNW is the aural equivalent of a pawn shop. And stations that are essentially all time-brokered programming are no different than prostitutes of the airwaves.

(You don't really need many listeners or staff when you can sell time blocks to anybody with the bucks. Some industry, eh?)

Where is the "public" interest in this kind of programming? The radio industry doesn't exist for the sole financial benefit of one "owner." "Radio Ponzie"? K-AIG?

And the people of Seattle and Bellevue deserve better than what AM 1150 cranks out, and what "gurus" like this seem to be doing with our airwaves. Sorry, man, but your recurrent pleas for "reality checks" about the "business" requirements of holding a radio license betray that you are lacking vision and ideas in how to be a nimble, motivated, responsible broadcaster. You can make a fair profit without treating listeners and staff with the same derision you offer to most of the posters on these message boards. And if you can't, then it's time for someone else to get the use those frequencies with different business models to program to the many unserved audiences and interests of this major market. Without having to pay you a ransom for access to the airwaves.

 

[TVradioguru]

Some guru. I think KKNW is the aural equivalent of a pawn shop. And stations that are essentially all time-brokered programming are no different than prostitutes of the airwaves.

(You don't really need many listeners or staff when you can sell time blocks to anybody with the bucks. Some industry, eh?)

Where is the "public" interest in this kind of programming? The radio industry doesn't exist for the sole financial benefit of one "owner." "Radio Ponzie"? K-AIG?

And the people of Seattle and Bellevue deserve better than what AM 1150 cranks out, and what "gurus" like this seem to be doing with our airwaves. Sorry, man, but your recurrent pleas for "reality checks" about the "business" requirements of holding a radio license betray that you are lacking vision and ideas in how to be a nimble, motivated, responsible broadcaster. You can make a fair profit without treating listeners and staff with the same derision you offer to most of the posters on these message boards. And if you can't, then it's time for someone else to get the use those frequencies with different business models to program to the many unserved audiences and interests of this major market. Without having to pay you a ransom for access to the airwaves.

I am the guru because I do my job, and do it well. I make my bosses (the shareholders) money. That is..all together now..because radio is a business. Stations don't owe you any more than any business does. As I told you before, the days of the "public airwaves" urban myth is just that. Guys like me pay for the use of those airwaves.

Don't want to hear about colon cleansing, cool! Then I suggest rather than whining, tune into another one of the 63 stations in the Seattle market. I hear there are a lot of great programming choices there! Alas, no Robin and Maynard though...

 

[semoochie]

AM radio has had one foot in the grave for at least 25 years! The rest of the body has been kept out mainly because of the existence of conservative talk and powerful stations with the resources to make it all come together. That time is coming to an end because the 25-54 demographic is quickly becoming a memory for them!