KKGO BITES IT

[jimmythebassett]

1.4 and #22 25-54, brings in Charlie Cook from McVay and Cumulus to
consult. "We can make it sound even more like 1987" says Cook.

 

[Bianco500]

Re: No, Emmis and Radio One are the ones REALLY biting it.

3.5 with a syndied show on KPWR
1.3 after 1 year of R&B with KRBV
0.8 with a wanna be latino jock on KMVN

Oh yeah, that syndied show is doing great with Oklahoma coverage though!

Jump back on the town, it's friday night in the big town, stay tuned with Val and Amy on Channel 9, we git all yer tornado coverage right here, YEE HAW!

Mabye Big Boy will give us storm updates in May

Liz: This just handed to me
Big Boy: and it is Liz?
Liz: A Tornado warning has just been issued for Moore County till 6pm, residents are urged to take shelter in a basement or the lowest level of the home.

And KPWR listeners will sit dumbfounded as to what the heck she's talking about.

Yeah Jeff, I'm optomistic about Emmis's future too, Optomistic you'll be filing Chapter 13! And while you're at it, tell your buddy Alfred and his Mama to stop pimping that damn Jeff Majors, no one wants to hear a damn harpist.

 

[LAFMDJ]

The Wrong PD...
The Wrong Music...
No Marketing...

Duh?

 

[shirleyschmidt]

Wrong on-air talent - you forgot that one - and as they take no responsiblity for their own show but use to slam a former co-worker for his show. Funny how their tune changes when it's them. All of a sudden it's everyone else's fault.

There is no need to advertise, as Levine is making more money now because the Country Music fans were hungry and frightened about losing music again. Of course, after this week they don't seem to feel that way. The faithful are turning the station off. Disrespecting listeners in a lump sum, dude, is never a smart move.

Then add to it too many changes in such a short time, too.

Wrong Music.. really??? You have said that before.Now I am curious. *** So, let me hand you the magic potion to change the station, LAFMDJ, and please tell us what music you would play instead.

 

[M-ONeil]

Charlie Cook is an excellent country programmer. I worked for Charlie in the 80's at KLAC and besides being a nice guy he knows what he is doing. Charlie always kept a good attitude in the hallways and putting Paul Freeman in afternoons is an excellent decision. Paul is one of the hardest working jocks in the biz and it shows. I wish them all the best!!

Mike O'Neil

 

[jimmythebassett]

(worked with Cook in the 80's) again this is not the 80's. Music style of the station is
too broad to attract cume. It needs to play powers, reccurents and 90-2006 power
gold titles. The talent is out step with the lifegroup. Everyone wants to do something
other than Country in LA. Hollywood Val with Emmis probably wishes she stayed Country.
Morning guy plays what he wants, PD won't let them air callers, Washed-up, disposable
air talent that has been relegated to syndicated programming. You can't play Sawyer
Brown and Restless Heart songs on a contemporary Country station in any market
in 2008 unless you are a legends station taregting 35-54 Men. Stop talking about
Levine making money - How much revenue can you have being 22nd 25-54 in market
2?

 

[shirleyschmidt]

Revenue?? More than when you had a .08 station... You have to start way down there to see what a 22nd station can increase your income.

Then hire Jocks that NEED the job and will take a lot less $$ and even donate free hours to have the job (I know that a few on KKGO are not paid by Mt. Wilson - thank heavens for them).

You get a revenue increase. LOL....

 

[jimmythebassett]

Levine and Biscayne got "pied pipered" by the music industry. They told
them that if they brought Country back to LA, they would finance the
move. That was in the trades, not a secret - It was published payola.
They feel they don't have to run the station like a station in market #2.
I don't know how much they are overbilling Classical with Country. It can't
be all that. These dynamic agency and local direct accounts are numbers
driven and you can't be in regional and national buys being #22.

 

[shirleyschmidt]

All great points. I do remember that bit about the industry supporting them. Now, you can even hear some of the repetitive spins on a station that once boasted about how large the library is that they can air, and that they would not be like a former station, but it seems like daily they are headed there - without the talent.
(BTW, Love Paul Freeman, but not sure about an afternoon slot. Liked him later - but then he is Dial Global and not truly KKGO, Whitney and Melody- DG too). In my opinion, that morning show brings it all down. There is NO difference in shows until Whitney comes on during the weekend.

 

[romer979fm]

You can't play Sawyer Brown and Restless Heart songs on a contemporary Country station in any market
in 2008 unless you are a legends station taregting 35-54 Men.

you can play 'em in lunar rotations for varity...we do in Nashville and it works here...but you're
right...only in small doses. 24-54 numbers are excellent...

 

[davideduardo]

How much revenue can you have being 22nd 25-54 in market
2?

A lot of money. Look at KNX and KFI, way below #2o, and billing over $30 million each. LA is narly a $1 billion dollar radio market, and the #22 station, as you say, has more audience than the #1 station in some of the top 20 markets.

They may not make as much money as #1, but for a family owned business, they can do very well with an exclusive niche format.

Rank does not determine price... number of AQH listeners (rating) does.

 

[Rebafan]

All great points. I do remember that bit about the industry supporting them. Now, you can even hear some of the repetitive spins on a station that once boasted about how large the library is that they can air, and that they would not be like a former station, but it seems like daily they are headed there - without the talent.
(BTW, Love Paul Freeman, but not sure about an afternoon slot. Liked him later - but then he is Dial Global and not truly KKGO, Whitney and Melody- DG too). In my opinion, that morning show brings it all down. There is NO difference in shows until Whitney comes on during the weekend.

Look at this PDF from the GO Country site... it states they have over 100 songs etc...
http://www.kkgo.am/about/KKGO MEDIA Kit 2006 _ppt [Read-Only].pdf

Interesting reading...

 

[davideduardo]

Levine and Biscayne got "pied pipered" by the music industry. They told
them that if they brought Country back to LA, they would finance the
move. That was in the trades, not a secret - It was published payola.

Payola occurs when an employee of a station takes money unknown to the owner or top management and plays or plugs something for personal benefit. In no way is KKGO engaging in payola.

The fact is, the record industry and CMA are supporting KKGO by ad buys and concert promotions and such, just as they did for KZLA. They are not influencing the play of individual songs, which would be "pay for play" if done by management anyway. They are simply providing a revenue base to help keep country alive in LA. That is legitimate, above boarde and actually commendable that stations be supported by the leaders of the genre.

 

[Rebafan]

Rank does not determine price... number of AQH listeners (rating) does.

Thus the reasoning behind bringing in Charlie Cook to consult... gotta bring up the ratings now that some "loyal listeners" have stated they will no longer support, promote or listen to the station...

 

[Marv-L.A.]

Firing afternoon star Todd Baker (if indeed he was fired) is ressponsbily stupid and indefensibly asinine; he was clearly the best PM drive on an adult-oriented radio station in LA save for KRTH's 'Shotgun' Tom Kelly.

Insofar as the music; they've been playing their 'currents' and 'powers' 40-50+ times per week as KZLA did, and while their library is indeed larger, and their TSL is exceptional,
the morning and midday personalities are pretty weak, and the morning show guy appears to be able to play what he wants to hear with no interference from anyone else.

 

[Rebafan]

Firing afternoon star Todd Baker (if indeed he was fired) is ressponsbily stupid and indefensibly asinine; he was clearly the best PM drive on an adult-oriented radio station in LA save for KRTH's 'Shotgun' Tom Kelly.

Insofar as the music; they've been playing their 'currents' and 'powers' 40-50+ times per week as KZLA did, and while their library is indeed larger, and their TSL is exceptional,
the morning and midday personalities are pretty weak, and the morning show guy appears to be able to play what he wants to hear with no interference from anyone else.

Would the TSL not in turn show in the ratings themselves going up?

I AGREE with you... now there is a novel concept... the morning show is a week one and the firing of Todd Baker (if he was fired) is the station shooting themselves in the foot... wonder how many times they can do that before they fall over ... or off the map...

 

[Rebafan]

In my earlier post as to the number of songs KKGO has in their library the number was supposed to be 1150... they state they have Over 1150 Top 10 Songs in the library.... yet we keep hearing the SAME classics and the SAME currents... many of the current "hits" seem overplayed such as Garth Brooks, Sugarland, and Taylor Swift's New top 10's

 

[nmoore6676]

In my earlier post as to the number of songs KKGO has in their library the number was supposed to be 1150... they state they have Over 1150 Top 10 Songs in the library.... yet we keep hearing the SAME classics and the SAME currents... many of the current "hits" seem overplayed such as Garth Brooks, Sugarland, and Taylor Swift's New top 10's

Don't forget Billy Ray Cyrus' "Ready Set Don't Go".

I can see Garth Brooks with the impending concert event but tonight while I was listening I heard a couple of oldies that I haven't heard in years, so they are trying I think to find the right mix. In any event they still don't rotate as tightly as KZLA did and they do play some good older stuff I really like which KZLA never did.

In market where there are multiple country stations with a Legends and / or a Classic country station too you will get more variety but here in Los Angeles we will only ever have one station and they can not please every taste in Country but they can please most I think. Let's see how they do after the consultant consults.

And remember at KKGO they will never croak at you. ;D

 

[calguy]

Firing afternoon star Todd Baker (if indeed he was fired) is ressponsbily stupid and indefensibly asinine; he was clearly the best PM drive on an adult-oriented radio station in LA save for KRTH's 'Shotgun' Tom Kelly.

Insofar as the music; they've been playing their 'currents' and 'powers' 40-50+ times per week as KZLA did, and while their library is indeed larger, and their TSL is exceptional,
the morning and midday personalities are pretty weak, and the morning show guy appears to be able to play what he wants to hear with no interference from anyone else.

Don't know that he was the “best PM drive talent on an adult-oriented radio station in LA save for KRTH's 'Shotgun' Tom Kelly.” That's clearly your opinion and we all have those. There are very good, very talented people on the air in LA and some are allowed to do more than others. It would be interesting to see what might happen if everyone was allowed to do their shows the way they want without limits for one day just to see how much they could shine.

Musically it makes sense that KKGO would rotate their currents and powers like KZLA as their PD came from there. With regard to the weakness or strength of the talent on KKGO in the morning and midday they clearly need some guidance. With some oversight they could improve dramatically.

 

[nmoore6676]

I am truly sad about the loss of Todd Baker in the afternoons. Paul Freeman is good and was better suited for the later shift when listeners still tuned in want to wind down after a trying day at the ole grindstone. I have been a staunch supporter of Go Country but now have to rethink my support.

Apparently Todd's vacation got a lot longer and going to South Africa could not have been all that cheap. Happy homecoming!

Reminds me of a place I worked several years ago when a fellow employee had gone to Hungary to visit relatives just after the US reopened travel to the communist nation. Our employer had all of the building locks changed to give him a little surprise when he returned a month later.