KIRO Shakeup

[SeattleRadioPro]

Anyone know how far out KOMO's M's contract goes?

Through the 2008 season.

While the KOMO CEO may not be from around these parts, he can't be stupid enough to realize what a loss it would be should the Mariners move. If he doesn't, he should not be in his position.

First of all - the CEO is a "she", not a "he". And secondly - that same CEO restored the company to profitability after the previous CEO nearly ran the company into the ground with a number of very costly projects (e.g. Fisher Plaza).

And yes, one of those "projects" was the outrageous bidding to get the M's from KIRO, a move which has severely impacted KOMO's profitability since the flip to all-news.

There's no question the new CEO is aware how important the M's rights are to AM 1000 - but she's smart enough to know if you're spending a dollar to make 50 cents, it doesn't make any business sense to spend that dollar.

 

[searadiofreak]

My apologies to the CEO of KOMO on confusing her gender, but you see, I don't live in Seattle anymore, and it is difficult to keep up with all the changes.

My main point is The Mariners have obviously benefited KOMO from a ratings perspective. If they are still losing money, then yes, someone made a mistake along the line. Most big AM's would kill to have a contending MLB team on their airwaves.

 

[RichJohnson]

Even if the Mariners bail after next year, their presence on KOMO since '02 has turned the once-moribund station back into a player. The evidence is the past four Winter books, in which the M's don't take up a huge chunk of time. This last winter, KOMO hit a 4.0 12+, just .2 behind KIRO.
The Mariners gave Fisher the chance to make KOMO's all-news format a steady, reliable part of the radio universe -- patience that is nearly non-existant these days. Bonneville stuck with KIRO's news/talk format for nearly four years before the station hit #1 in 1978.
KOMO has become a destination. It's consistent elements (ABC at the top, more national at the bottom... sports at 10 and 40... etc etc) make the station a utility more than an enertainment medium.
As a listener (OK, a very occasional listener since I'm 3,000 miles away), I hope the all-news format survives the Mariners. And I also hope that, with millions of rights fee money freed up, KOMO would beef up its staff. It's done a great job doing a lot with very little people and resources. If the all-news format is to survive post-Mariners, they'll have to add some steak to the sizzle.
RJ

 

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

Rich, you triggered a question I have for others who read/post here.

Should an "all news" station have any other content other than being an "all-news" service? KIRO padded theirs' with talk shows, and KOMO pads theirs' with Mariners (as do many other news stations in the country).

But more often than not, I end up getting extremely annoyed when I nail the "news" button to pick up the traffic they have branded into my psychie....only to find play-by-play. Even worse on weekends when staff is thin and you're looking for info and find yourself immersed in other programming.

It's a BIT of chicken-and-egg....Mariners gave KOMO credibility which gives traction to news. But after awhile...does a news station suffer credibility MORE because there is no news so much of the time? On the other end of the spectrum, you can't have all-sports be all-franchise because THOSE stations end up stepping on various sports that compete to some degree (KIRO ran into that with M's + Seahawks sometimes). Seems the best option is a talk station supplementing with a sports franchise...no big whoop if a baseball game preempts more LEFT vs. RIGHT banter ... they can pick up that same-old same-old the next day. But in Fisher case, it's better to go with the 50KW blowtorch as a flagship for Mariners than the 5KW KVI...and therein lies a tradeoff.

What do others think about stations having to make this compromise??

 

[RichJohnson]

Interesting points. I hope others weigh in.

First off, I wouldn't call KIRO, even in its mid-late 70's confiuration, 'all news.' The old mid-day show (which I miss) would break format for breaking news on a dime, and featured a magazine-style short interview format (as opposed to caller driven talk shows). But it was still a news/talk hybrid.
KING tried a horrible cheap kind of all news (lead by a horrible GM, but that's a personal history bias) in late 1982, with the audio of CNN Headline News as its bedrock programming. Don't get me started.
KOMO's take on the basic WCBS format isn't the best in the world, but it fulfills my definition of an all-news station -- even one that does play-by-play: when the team or team-related programing isn't on, the news is on. Simple as that.
Yes, the success of the news programming begats the issue of games interrupting the news. In Chicago a few years back, WBBM took a lot of heat when it didn't interrupt a Bears game when a major, killer storm came through town (way beyond the usual storms that hit Chicago).
WCBS has the same issue with the Yankees -- although WINS, its competitor, is also owned by CBS. In LA, I believe KFWB does a lot of sports (including Monday Night Footbal in PM drive during the fall), but KNX takes up the slack.
Every other town with an true all-news station (and there are darn few) probably puts up with the same situation.

On the FM news subject, a thought or two: Here in DC, WTOP has done very, very well moving its true all-news format to FM. But the AM was the lamest 50k station on the east coast -- audible in Rio de Janero but not on 14th St. at night. The FM puts the station into offices and high-rise condos where it couldn't be heard before.
If KIRO or KOMO are considering putting their AM programming on FM, I would recommend moving the FM transmitter to Capital Hill (if possible). You want that programming in the buildings in downtown Seattle and Bellevue. The Cougar/Tiger mountain stations all have a tough time in the I-5 canyon through downtown Seattle. If Bonneville really does get 104.5, it should try for Cap Hill.
That said, the terrain of Seattle argues against going to FM. KOMO and KIRO are two of the best 50k's on the coast, and their signals reach into every ravine and canyon from Lacy to Marysville. And engineers at both actually care about AM fidelity (see also: Channel, Clear).
But the spoken word stations that survive into the next decade will be on FM. Too many people 40 and younger have no idea there is such a thing as AM radio (except sports radio fans).

RJ

 

[equalinercard]

One other KIRO/Entercom blunder that rarely gets mentioned (or remembered) anymore.

When KIRO was really on top 12+ and 25-54, and Tom Clendenning and Dennis Kelly both worked there, they developed an all-news station on 770. It was all news around the clock, including overnights and weekends.

It offered great opportunities for the KIRO team to do news when there was a Mariners or Seahawks game on KIRO. It also offered great protection for KIRO. What operator in their right mind would try all-news when Bonneville had a news powerhouse in KIRO and a solid all-news utility in 770 KNWX.

But Entercom was too smart by half. They blew up all news and they gave up the Mariners. Thus, KOMO.

 

[searadiofreak]

Rich, you're thoughts are spot on. BTW, love your work for Fox. We know each other, way back, but I am still anonymous here! Feel free to PM.

Look, The Mariners are contending deep into the '07 season. Another win tonight againt Minny-sota. KOMO is in an excellent position to take advantage of this final month and a half of the season. The dividends should be certain for Fisher with this scenerio, if they are not, then there is tremendous mismanagement at the Plaza.

If Seattle should get into the playoffs, or further, expect even greater bidding wars. Sometimes the money is not as important as being "branded" as the winner's station. With all due respect to previous posters, there is an emotional appeal that goes beyond dollars in these type of situations. Scenerio: Seattle gets into the World Series. KOMO still is losing money. Would they let them get away? My thought is simply, No.