They don't sell any of their audience in Tucson, so they don't monetize it. They're obviously transitioning the audience to the FM, and at some point, sure they'll shut it down. But like most radio people, they're probably hoping to get credit for owning it towards the license of another FM at some point. Until then, they'll give the FCC a usable signal and annual license fees in exchange for the right to program the signal. They're a much better occupant of that signal than anyone else who'd get it.
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
KNX numbers, FM vs AM
- Thread starter leethalweapon
- Start date
They don't sell any of their audience in Tucson, so they don't monetize it. They're obviously transitioning the audience to the FM, and at some point, sure they'll shut it down. But like most radio people, they're probably hoping to get credit for owning it towards the license of another FM at some point. Until then, they'll give the FCC a usable signal and annual license fees in exchange for the right to program the signal. They're a much better occupant of that signal than anyone else who'd get it.
WSB has also abandoned mentioning its heritage AM dial position. It's not all news but you get the idea.
The FM coverage is as good or better in the Los Angeles radio market. In the adjacent Riverside/San Bernardino market, the FM is better than the AM.
There is no money in night time radio at all, so skywave AM coverage is useless.
And nearly nobody under 50 listens to AM any more. So the FM will keep a format that is not very appealing to younger people alive for a few more years.
As to savings, for a station that bills around $2 million a month, a $10,000 electric bill is petty cash.
In April, KROQ is 25th in men 25-54. KYSR is 10th. In 18-34 men, KROQ is 12th and KYSR is #1.
KROQ is a distant second in the format to KYSR in every demo. It has no strength and obviously no heritage that is worth anything.
That's why they've invested in Kevin Weatherly. It's his job to rebuild heritage. Good luck.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
Happens a lot. When I was running a test version of The Eighties Channel on KRKE Albuquerque in 2014-15, the AM's frequency (1550) was never mentioned, only the translator at 94.5 ... and since we used one of the non-aural methods of doing its legal, no one ever heard its call sign K233CG, only "KRKE Albuquerque" at the top of the hour. (For the record, that wasn't my idea, it was the owner's.)
"Nobody" is a strong word. I wouldn't be so sure about that people outside the LA metro don't care about the news here. Sure, they probably don't much care about "traffic and weather on the 5's". But when there is breaking news of national interest, such as the BLM protests, COVID-19 (when it first burst on the scene) etc, KNX coverage is going to be far superior to the local option in Tucson, or St. George, or even Las Vegas.
Agreed with the others that in terms of revenue, that skywave reach is worthless. Nothing to monetize
Last edited:
Not entirely true - it's not with any regularity but there are references to 1070 periodically throughout the day
From a business standpoint, hard to argue with this. That said, the FCC does not issues licenses to operate on the public airwaves for business reasons - they are given with the expectation the licensee will operate in the public interest. Well at least that the way it used to work.
Although one could argue clear channel AM's are a relic from a by-gone era, they served a very important function at the time, and I'm not (yet) entirely convinced there is no longer a public interest for their existence.
I'm sure they DON'T think the AM is worthless! The FM is great in the LA Basin, and in much of the IE flat areas. But it's the AM that fills in all the nooks and crannies, deep into canyons, along certain coastal regions, and the Antelope Valley and VC where the FM is poor or unavailable. KNX 1070 has long served as SoCal's emergency station, i.e. earthquakes, major fires, riots etc. It's really been indispensable over the years. The FM is a great-sounding bonus (where you can hear it) !
For St. George, they'll tune to KSL in Salt Lake, which also has a monster signal, and an excellent news department. Tucson or Vegas? Yeah---KNX.
Except KSL's groundwave doesn't reach St. George, and the skywave blows right over it, so, again KNX
I've been to St. George. We talking daytime or nighttime here?
KNX has skywave cancellation in the Antelope Valley and the eastern Inland Empire market at night. And it is noisy today at the edges of its 10 mV/m contour even in the daytime today.
Yet a third of households now don't have a radio of any kind, AM or FM. I doubt that most people under 40 know about KNX anyway. And for about half of all Hispanics, it would not be understandable anyway... and that means nearly 25% of the market's population today.
The AM still has to be IDed once an hour, the translator less often
And there are non-audible options for translator identification.
That too.
Well considering skywave is not a phenomenon typically observed during daylight hours....
There are some nights KSL's skywave is decent there. Most of the time, not so much. The thing you may not be considering is the significant influx to the area of persons escaping Southern California that started with the Northridge quake in 1994. KSL means nothing to them.
Well, not nothing. KSL-TV is St. George's default CBS TV affiliate. Despite the growth, St. George is still not big enough to be its own TV market. And the KSL-TV newscast cross-promotes KSL radio.
Unless they moved there in the last week, they've had time to figure out who does news in Utah.
But who are we kidding here, ragazzo? When news breaks at night, most of the people in St. George don't dial in an AM station from 300 miles away (KSL) or 400 miles away (KNX). They check their cellphone and/or turn on the TV. Which leaves people in cars, and the last time I drove through St. George at night (three years ago), KNX and KSL's signals in the car were about a toss-up.
Last edited:
- Status