KMCQ deal

[Steenman]

I believe it is completed or so a little bird told me. As far as a format, I think we are already seeing that direction. Hint: it's NOT Fisher.

 

[spectacle]

Oooh Oooh! I know! I BET it is Sandusky!!!!!!!!!!

 

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

I hope the deal includes (a) studio quality gear; (b) a decent automation system. Audio chain when they crack the mic is AWFUL -- even worse when embedding a phone bit. My hunch is they are waiting to resolve a permanent sugardaddy & location before investing in that part of the equation.

 

[WDAE-FM101]

Think Sandusky would try KIXI-FM? or would the leave the format as 60's 70's to fill the gap between KIXI and KRWM?

 

[bossbill]

A deal is good news. We need a few transactions in order to get the prices back up.

 

[Shark]

Think Sandusky would try KIXI-FM? or would the leave the format as 60's 70's to fill the gap between KIXI and KRWM?

KIXI-FM will never happen - there's no way to make an FM station with a 65+ demo profitable.

 

[Goldilocks94941]

Hey, there are plenty of people younger than 65 (not that there's anything wrong with that) who appreciate and would like to hear standards, music from the American songbook (including plenty of new artists doing this), mixed in with the appropriate blend of pop oldies (ie, stay away from the screamers and aggressive stuff).

A format discussion of a new syndicator for a more modern mix like this is on the Dallas board. Looking at their playlist, I think it certainly is a niche that the right company can make work in Seattle. Make sure the audio sounds clean, avoid annoying listeners with the type of break and announcers you use, promote it in other media, and watch it work!

KIXI-AM's performance can't be the sold judge of a format's viability, since it's AM, and too many people now don't bother to go there. Plus, I still think the overdriven audio processing on their signal is way wrong for the format, and probably contributes to listener fatigue - even if no one in a focus groups brings it up.

And to presume that all "younger" listeners only want to hear hip hop, CHR, country, or classic rock - because that's pretty much all they get now on Seattle radio - is really underestimating the tastes and interests of a lot of people.

With the popularity of the non-heavy formats in Seattle in the PPM ratings, there's plenty of room for a blend of standards, alternative AC, oldies, or whatever to draw attention to a new station and bring in some new listeners. I say - try it! We'll like it!

 

[Steenman]

Think first half of the alphabet

 

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

Think first half of the alphabet

Nicely eliminates Salem and Sandusky; leaving EVERYONE that would be viable (though I tend to discount Crista as viable player)!! That clue feels a lot like the lowballs they pitch on "Celebrity Jeopardy".

 

[WDAE-FM101]

Entercom makes sense - since they are broadcasting from their auxiliary antenna on Cougar. Better chance of retaining the 60's-70's format
If its Ackerly - they won't want to cannibalize KJR's audience (although I can't stand listening to their over-processed audio) -- Best bet there is that they would re-broadcast KFNK.

 

[Bongwater]

Entercom makes sense - since they are broadcasting from their auxiliary antenna on Cougar. Better chance of retaining the 60's-70's format
If its Ackerly - they won't want to cannibalize KJR's audience (although I can't stand listening to their over-processed audio) -- Best bet there is that they would re-broadcast KFNK.

I could see 104.5 with KFNK and 104.9 possibly going Spanish.....

 

[SeattleRadioPro]

Wow - as usual, the speculation and predictions on this board are always a source of gut-busting laughter.

Hey, there are plenty of people younger than 65 (not that there's anything wrong with that) who appreciate and would like to hear standards, music from the American songbook (including plenty of new artists doing this), mixed in with the appropriate blend of pop oldies (ie, stay away from the screamers and aggressive stuff).

A nice thought from someone who has no clue how ADVERTISING (that's right, the revenue source that pays the bills) works.

Yes, older people spend $$$ but as they age ADVERTISING (that's right, the revenue source that pays the bills) is less of an influence on HOW they spend that $$$. There's a reason why every station is chasing the 18-49 demo.

Entercom makes sense - since they are broadcasting from their auxiliary antenna on Cougar. Better chance of retaining the 60's-70's format
If its Ackerly - they won't want to cannibalize KJR's audience (although I can't stand listening to their over-processed audio) -- Best bet there is that they would re-broadcast KFNK.

Wow, this is such a laugher all by itself.

First of all - who owns the tower has virtually nothing to do with who buys the station. If that were the case American Tower would be in the running for KMCQ (hmmm, wait a minute, aren't THEY at the beginning of the alphabet)?

Secondly, Ackerley no longer exists. It's owned by Clear Channel - yup, the same Clear Channel who's doing their level best to not go bankrupt. Plus they already own 4 FMs in the market (yes, 102.9 isn't "technically" a Seattle station, but neither is KFNK).

I've said it before and I'll say it again - I'm betting on Bonneville bringing back KBSG on 104.5.

 

[bossbill]

Yes, older people spend $$$ but as they age ADVERTISING (that's right, the revenue source that pays the bills) is less of an influence on HOW they spend that $$$. There's a reason why every station is chasing the 18-49 demo.

So many miss this important fact. Thanks for reminding them.

 

[Bongwater]

Wow - as usual, the speculation and predictions on this board are always a source of gut-busting laughter.

Hey, there are plenty of people younger than 65 (not that there's anything wrong with that) who appreciate and would like to hear standards, music from the American songbook (including plenty of new artists doing this), mixed in with the appropriate blend of pop oldies (ie, stay away from the screamers and aggressive stuff).

A nice thought from someone who has no clue how ADVERTISING (that's right, the revenue source that pays the bills) works.

Yes, older people spend $$$ but as they age ADVERTISING (that's right, the revenue source that pays the bills) is less of an influence on HOW they spend that $$$. There's a reason why every station is chasing the 18-49 demo.

You're kidding me right? The 18-49ers are LEAVING RADIO.....but the industry is "chasing" them.....that's creepy. Yeah, I guess I'd run from it too....

Advertisers, by the way are finding other means of which to get that 18-49 demo to spend their money and radio has had to compete by lowering rates - the end result of overspeculation and irrational overconfidence in the radio industry (Boy Sandusky is just raking everybody and their $$$ in with their 106.9 HD3 channel!)

Radio has thrown the baby out (most of it's best personalities), but kept the afterbirth (this HD garbage) and if you believe for one nanosecond that has not taken it's own toll. Then I have a nice office building at 30 Rockefeller in New York to sell you too.....cheap.

Entercom makes sense - since they are broadcasting from their auxiliary antenna on Cougar. Better chance of retaining the 60's-70's format
If its Ackerly - they won't want to cannibalize KJR's audience (although I can't stand listening to their over-processed audio) -- Best bet there is that they would re-broadcast KFNK.

Wow, this is such a laugher all by itself.

First of all - who owns the tower has virtually nothing to do with who buys the station. If that were the case American Tower would be in the running for KMCQ (hmmm, wait a minute, aren't THEY at the beginning of the alphabet)?

Secondly, Ackerley no longer exists. It's owned by Clear Channel - yup, the same Clear Channel who's doing their level best to not go bankrupt. Plus they already own 4 FMs in the market (yes, 102.9 isn't "technically" a Seattle station, but neither is KFNK).

I've said it before and I'll say it again - I'm betting on Bonneville bringing back KBSG on 104.5.
[/quote]

Well, first the KBSG call letters are in the hands of a little non-com LPFM group now. Bonneville would have to make a nice donation for them.

Secondly, how much is 104.5 going to cost? I don't think it's going to be cheap. And it shouldn't be, considering how much was spent to get the station up here.

Third, why bother? It's not like commercial terrestrial radio will still be even REMOTELY profitable to invest in, let alone work at 10 years from now at the rate things are going. The very last of the old-school jocks will have been fired and it will all be liner-card reading minimum wage suck-ups who never knew any other kind of radio. And the rest of the people will have found newer forms of entertainment that advertisers will consider far more profitable.....except for those folks with PPMs of course. Maybe they'll stick around so the boys in the radio industry can play their little game, but everyone else will have long bolted from commercial radio.....

Even my kids have iPods.....and play the Music Choice Hits channel. Mostly because nobody at their school (an elementary school) listens to radio. Who does when you can get a copy of "Tik Tok" Ke$ha faster than it takes to put up with a :30 spot?

 

[Seattleradiodude]

Has anyone givin Alpha a thought? http://alphabroadcasting.com/
I wouldn't count them out! (P.S. CBS wants out of the market, Alpha purchased the PDX CBS stations)

 

[WDAE-FM101]

If Bonneville is the eventual owner, they could use the KIRO-FM Call letters on 104.5 and find an alternative for 97.3 -- Think of the possibility "Cairo-FM - The station your mummy listens to"

 

[TexasTom]

Secondly, how much is 104.5 going to cost? I don't think it's going to be cheap. And it shouldn't be, considering how much was spent to get the station up here.

How much it cost for First Broadcasting to move KMCQ to Seattle/Tacoma is essentially irrelevant to what the station is worth today. First Broadcasting has been working this particular move in for a very long time, and since they started the effort, station valuations have dropped quite dramatically. The likelihood that they will ever get the return that they originally planned for on this particular investment is nil. The money that they spent is a sunk cost...it's gone, and shouldn't matter when they consider what sort of selling price they would accept for KMCQ.

What does -- or should -- matter are two things: 1. How First Broadcasting expects station valuations to change in the next few years, and 2. What else First Broadcasting could do with the money.

For an analogy, consider what you'd do with a house in Las Vegas that you bought three years ago for $500,000. Today it is worth, perhaps, $225,000. Are you going to wait to sell it until the value returns to $500,000...something that might not occur for twenty years? Probably not...if you can get rid of it, you will...and you'll accept the loss to get out from under a rotten investment.

 

[IndigoCoyote]

Let's see...first half of the alphabet.

Now I am no insider, nor pretend to be. I am sure there are those on this board who are and will laugh at me, but every opinion is worth what you paid for it, right?

CBS...yup, they bailed on PDX, but have said they want to keep their props in top 20 markets. They seem to be doing well here. Might they expand? And in what direction? The spending of dollars right now by these guys seems doubtful

Educational Media Foundation...supercast of K-Luv, anyone? Just swell....Crista wouldn't be too happy.

Fisher...this was the direction I was going, to add more FM oomph for the news station N and E of Seattle where 97.7 doesn't reach. But I think I was wrong- the processing I am now hearing make it seem like we are going to hear music of some kind.

Alpha...now, THAT would be interesting. But I wonder if Larry would set his sights so low as an entry into the market. He seems like the type to buy out Fisher instead.

Entercom...I have no read on these guys. Given that they seem to be selling, not buying, doubt they want it.

Crista...well, they have the means. They have done well with Christian AC, maybe they want to add a Christ rocker OR a Christ talker?

Citadel..I have more money than these guys right now. You do as well.

Bonneville...Pro may be right. The return of Oldies. Are they SO smart that they thought this out many months ago? Scenario...they knew 710 was going to take an awful hit on PPM, so busted it to FM to try to salvage what they could. If they already knew they had the right to own 104.5, had that in their back pocket to bring back oldies, rebranded, on the cheap. The AM goes to a cheap sports station...mostly net with some live, tied to contracts they already had for the CHawks and Ms. If they did already plan it this way I sure don't want to play chess with them.

Clear Channel--well, could simulcast 950 on it, I suppose. Otherwise, I doubt it. Not much money in those pockets either.

YOur thoughts?

Chico

 

[bossbill]

EMF is already building their flamethrower on Capitol Peak, and it didn't cost them anything to acquire it. Their Air One format will be knocking on Seattle's door.

 

[SeattleObserver]

EMF is already building their flamethrower on Capitol Peak, and it didn't cost them anything to acquire it. Their Air One format will be knocking on Seattle's door.

At the expense of KPLU's coverage fill on 88.1 FM for Vashon and West Seattle.