KKNW?

[SandyG]

What's the story with this station? Is it all brokered? What other Seattle area stations broker time?

 

[Bongwater]

What's the story with this station? Is it all brokered? What other Seattle area stations broker time?

KKNW is brokered. This is why you hear so much cosmic new age/self-help chatter on 1150 kHz.

ANY station will broker you time...at the right price....

 

[Shark]

KKNW is 100% brokered with the exception of overnights when it carries the Lifestyle Talk Radio Network. Other stations offering brokered programming (usually on weekends) are KTTH, KVI and KIXI. I don't know of any significant FM stations that carry it...good luck getting that one past the PD.

 

[Bongwater]

KKNW is 100% brokered with the exception of overnights when it carries the Lifestyle Talk Radio Network. Other stations offering brokered programming (usually on weekends) are KTTH, KVI and KIXI. I don't know of any significant FM stations that carry it...good luck getting that one past the PD.

But in this economy, you might be surprised who would. And while I'm sure the PD would be tearing his/her hair out at the very thought, it's not necessarily them that call the shots anymore. If the upper management feels this would help the bottom line (and with things as they are....) nothing would surprise me.

I have heard brokered programs on KMPS in the wee hours on Sunday mornings. Bigger dayparts might be a problem for any station, but never entirely out of the question. If there's BIG $$$ in it (meaning it exceeds all revenue from every stop set), well, what station is going to realistically turn that down these days?

I personally don't know how or where these "enhancing" pill pushers or other schemes get their capital to afford all these brokered time programs on radio stations, but it's there. And they got money to burn, even thought the vast majority of people tune out whenever these programs come on. There may be a time at the rate things are going that we may be hearing brokered programming on top stations during "peak listening hours". Like I said, they got money to burn and money doesn't talk anymore - it SCREAMS.

Besides, almost everyone in management in this biz tells me radio is an advertising medium and nothing more. So I take them at their word......

 

[Grindlfan]

Not being a radio insider, would someone please explain in a nutshell what brokered radio is? Thanks.

 

[SeattleObserver]

Not being a radio insider, would someone please explain in a nutshell what brokered radio is? Thanks.

You know how stations like ion Television are basically all paid programs during the day? It's the same idea. Someone buys a block of airtime for a fee then airs their own programming content. In the case of KKNW, they try to make a "format" out of it and as far as I know, those purchasing air time sell commercials within their programs to pay for the show (and maybe make some $). KTTH's Saturday morning programming is the same kind of example.

Other shows (ie. those on KIRO, KVI, others) are usually a half hour self-contained with a call in number to order a product - usually something totally lame like a "colon cleanse" or "Nature Bee." A lot of the "specialty programs" on this schedule are examples of both. http://www.kvi.com/onair/schedule

 

[crainbebo]

They ARE brokered, with lots of alternative talk. I've even heard Russian programs on this station. Can it get any worse?

-crainbebo

 

[Grindlfan]

Not being a radio insider, would someone please explain in a nutshell what brokered radio is? Thanks.

You know how stations like ion Television are basically all paid programs during the day? It's the same idea. Someone buys a block of airtime for a fee then airs their own programming content. In the case of KKNW, they try to make a "format" out of it and as far as I know, those purchasing air time sell commercials within their programs to pay for the show (and maybe make some $). KTTH's Saturday morning programming is the same kind of example.

Other shows (ie. those on KIRO, KVI, others) are usually a half hour self-contained with a call in number to order a product - usually something totally lame like a "colon cleanse" or "Nature Bee." A lot of the "specialty programs" on this schedule are examples of both. http://www.kvi.com/onair/schedule

Thank you very much. So it is basically radio whoring out their stations like the TV channels are doing more and more? At least radio is free. I resent paying $80 a month for my TV cable only to have the stations selling off increasing amounts of their broadcast time to Ron Popeil, Chef Tony and that fat old bag selling the omlette maker. What steams me is that the cable companies get a slice of the pie on all sales from those infomercial spots as well as the home shopping channels. That is why they stick HSN and OVC in the cheapest package they offer. THey want to make sure EVERY cable customer has them. It is a racket and the FCC needs to get involved.

 

[SeattleRadioPro]

I resent paying $80 a month for my TV cable only to have the stations selling off increasing amounts of their broadcast time to Ron Popeil, Chef Tony and that fat old bag selling the omlette maker. What steams me is that the cable companies get a slice of the pie on all sales from those infomercial spots as well as the home shopping channels. That is why they stick HSN and OVC in the cheapest package they offer. THey want to make sure EVERY cable customer has them. It is a racket and the FCC needs to get involved.

That will NEVER happen. The FCC has always been "hands off" on regulating programming with the exception of enforcing decency standards. And that won't change even with the upheaval in the "other" Washington.

 

[bossbill]

Brokered programming is not new. Wayyyyyy back... Jim Baine at KMO Tacoma would interrupt his Country format in midmorning to run a paid program. What is much newer is the concept of running it all the time.

Anyone remember Personal Achievement Radio network?

 

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

Anyone remember Personal Achievement Radio network?

...or Garner Ted Armstrong!!

 

[Bongwater]

Anyone remember Personal Achievement Radio network?

Heard they found a much higher plane of consciousness than radio and floated on outta here....

 

[Mike Fright]

"That will NEVER happen. The FCC has always been "hands off" on regulating programming with the exception of enforcing decency standards. And that won't change even with the upheaval in the "other" Washington."

You know, that is a damned shame. I was hoping we were moving away from the era of "conservative" government "Of By and For the Super-Rich" that has us in our current downward spiral, and start moving in a more people-oriented direction. Stupid pie-in-the-sky me. Still, what is so terribly wrong with wanting the FCC to support and enforce its original mandate "to serve the public interest"? The broadcastable band of the electromagnetic spectrum is a public resource after all, and cable companies use government-installed telephone poles to hang their cable and are allowed monoply exemptions.... Why do we allow holders of broadcast licenses to put this sort of garbage on the air? Will we ever be smart enough to stand up for ourselves?

 

[Lonely Summer]

KPTK is doing brokered programming on the weekends. One Saturday morning I heard 90 minutes of infomercials for Purity Products - fish oil capsules, Coke U10, etc. Klee Irwin's Dual Action Cleanse is also featured regularly on that station - and if you've missed it, be thankful, unless you enjoy hearing 30 minutes of talk about bowel movements!

 

[AuxRSS]

Anyone remember Personal Achievement Radio network?

Yup. Don't the KXPA 1540 call letters date from those days?

KKNW is still on my bank of presets because they air brokered second-tier sports, which are essentially the remnants of respectable Seattle sports.

 

[QZVX]

Wasn't this "format" the idea behind KPMA 1400 Tacoma [formerly KTNT] PMA stood for Positive Mental Attitude. I think it was mostly bartered programming.

 

[SeattleObserver]

KKNW is still on my bank of presets because they air brokered second-tier sports, which are essentially the remnants of respectable Seattle sports.

I actually think the Storm sound pretty good when I listen to them on KKNW "Alternative Talk 1150." Ever been to a game? It's an incredibly fun experience. They're smart enough to re-carry the AM signal on a LPFM in the stadium.

Unfortunately the T-Birds moved over to "Funky Monkey." I guess Clear Channel was hoping for a ratings bump with that...

 

[IndigoCoyote]

The T-Birds now play in Kent, and their on ice and web advertising is dominated by south county businesses. 1150 signal at night nulls out almost exactly down the Kent valley, making that a less than desirable option. 104.9 has an adequate signal throughout the target geographic area, the age group of the players and a chunk of the fans matches the demo of the station, and frankly it's not like they are going to damage the ratings much by dropping automated active rock for a few hours. It's a good fit. And a creative one. Football and hockey have done well in other markets on rock or classic rock stations. Cannot imagine baseball would be as good of a fit, however. ;D

 

[Bongwater]

Wasn't this "format" the idea behind KPMA 1400 Tacoma [formerly KTNT] PMA stood for Positive Mental Attitude. I think it was mostly bartered programming.

KPMA was a flat out DISASTER. NOBODY listened and a lot of people got stiffed on their paychecks towards the end....

(For the wondering, as mentioned KPMA was the former KTNT. It moved to Silverdale in 1985 and is today's KITZ....)