KOKE-FM returning to Austin

[willdav713]

We must be the envy on all other cities because we are bringing back old formats at a rapid pace.

Oldies well it's back on 98.9
Jammin well that's back, too on 103.1 (hopefully on 98.1!)
Mega well that's also back but on 103.5 HD2
KOKE is soon to be back!

Why can't San Antonio and Houston bring back stuff like
96rock for HD2 80s and 90s Active Rock
Star93 even if it would be on 810 AM
Jammin/Jamz
A second oldies station to compete with KONO
KKYX back on 106.7
Houston's Jammin Hits
102Jamz HD2 Classic Hip Hop
y985
Kiss985
KNUZ
KENR Country

Since we are the 3rd fastest growing city, others should take the lead? hmmm.

 

[beaun]

Everyone seems to forget these stations failed for a reason, either because of dismal ratings or revenue. For KOKE, these people seem to be conjuring up a memory that’s almost 40 years old on a rimshot signal. I don’t think that’s going to work out very good for them.

 

[bturner]

If KOKE FM ends up along the lines of what KAFM was doing in Dallas in the mid-70s, it could very well be a success. Point your ears to Fredericksburg where KFAN evolved the format.

The format offers an element missing in other music formats: the music is based partly on regional artists and Austin is the hub of this activity. Keep in mind listeners can bond with the station and many times with the artist that performs numerous gigs in the area, The format involves the listener in a way that a typical format cannot.

If it works out, then the local business community involved with the music will provide the revenue not placed by the agencies and create a solid footing financially.

With some solid promotion work, they can add to the listener base through awareness and getting out there where the listeners are.

Austin is an unusual market with a strong identity. If there is fertile proving ground for such a format, this is it.

It shall be interesting to watch from the sidelines.

From a personal perspective, this is exactly what radio needs. My opinion is radio placed itself in a tiny box over the years. We trained listeners to be way too picky. Between the money and listener, the box has been sealed shut and our fate defined. Here's one broadcaster trying to break out of the box of proven cookie-cutter radio the 'safe' investor demands. I hope they bust open the flaps and spring out of the box, not for the format but as an example to show radio can live outside the box.

 

[Mediafrog+]

If KOKE FM ends up along the lines of what KAFM was doing in Dallas in the mid-70s, it could very well be a success. Point your ears to Fredericksburg where KFAN evolved the format.

However the Progressive Country format on KAFM was a flop. Lasted only two years.

I also recall reading recently that KFAN was in bankruptcy.

Still, both were innovative formats. But innovative ideas don't always resonate with the listening public, for better or worse.

 

[intx]

The Statesman just posted a story. KOKE debuts Sunday.
http://www.statesman.com/business/new-locally-owned-radio-station-with-iconic-call-2409415.html

 

[bturner]

Yes, Progressive Country lasted about 2 years in Dallas. They revamped the format after about 15 to 18 months and sterilizing it, so to speak. After the new PD came in, it didn't last long. 92.5 had a long string of formats, few lasting more than a couple of years. It was almost as if it was a jinxed frequency. They'd flip almost as frequently as 93.3 in Austin did.

KFAN did go bankrupt. I think if you look at the picture, the company likely should not have been adding to their stable with more stations as the economy tanked. KFAN took a couple of years to catch on but it is still going strong.

There have been others that have tried the format. Many have not lasted a long time or evolved out of a 'Texas' emphasis. For some it was the market. For some it was difficult to sell (remember Long Star 92.5 in Dallas doing a single live sponsrship per hour...advertisers balked). Some were poorly programmed. Some had management more dominated by the format than a good marketing plan for gaining advertisers. There was Mandatory FM in Stephensville and The Revolution in Kerrville that both had troubles (I'd think twice going after KFAN 20 miles away if I was The Revolution). A KAFM original, Steve Coffman, ran KTXN in Victoria for years before passing away from cancer a few years back. The station didn't last long after his passing.

I admit the format isn't going to take you to #1 but it does have really nice TSLs and lots of local revenue options in lieu of the agency buy the top stations get.

The real point of my post is the format might not be perfect but we are reaching a point in radio where we need to expand or change the mindset to try to bring some new life into radio. Unless we take some chances and throw some dollars into experimenting I'm afraid radio will lose the hold it has enjoyed in people's lives. The thing that perplexes me is how to do that. I wish I had answers. At any rate, I applaud anyone in the business willing to try something new.

 

[beaun]

No mention from The Statesman that it isn't even an Austin station and listeners outside Manor or Taylor will have a hard time hearing it. Yes, best of luck to them. But while this is a nice addition to radio, there are a dozen glaring elephants in the room, and God forbid our 'newspaper' ask about them.

 

[willdav713]

If KOKE FM ends up along the lines of what KAFM was doing in Dallas in the mid-70s, it could very well be a success. Point your ears to Fredericksburg where KFAN evolved the format.

However the Progressive Country format on KAFM was a flop. Lasted only two years.

I also recall reading recently that KFAN was in bankruptcy.

Still, both were innovative formats. But innovative ideas don't always resonate with the listening public, for better or worse.

I know until about 1981 KFAN was KNAF and then the FM counterpart flipped to Adult Contemporary in late 1987 which lasted until 1990 and it became a KONO simulcast LMA'd with Gillespie Broadcasting, KFAN then moved to 107.9 as AAA I think. KFAN was a good station in the late 80s. I have a small aircheck of them. Cox could revive the format, but they are cheap.

 

[davideduardo]

No mention from The Statesman that it isn't even an Austin station and listeners outside Manor or Taylor will have a hard time hearing it. Yes, best of luck to them. But while this is a nice addition to radio, there are a dozen glaring elephants in the room, and God forbid our 'newspaper' ask about them.

The 60 dbu covers about 77 thousand people. The 65 dbu, which is pretty much the minimum for usable in-home and at-work listening, covers only 37 thousand people. And a portion of those few folks are in counties that are not even part of the Austin Market.

The nice aspect of a local group with real broadcast experience is seriously mitigated by the fact that less than 5% of the market can hear the signal... even less for in-home and at work. Unless they get some kind of boosters or add additional suburban signals, this will simply be a nice service for their local area, as bturner has described quite completely.

 

[fredcantu]

Are you including their 98.5 translator K253AN Sunset Valley? Their tower is in the antenna farm in West Lake Hills.

If Emmis can have a top 10 station with a translator, maybe... just maybe... KOKE-FM has a shot, too.

 

[Ryan Williams]

If Emmis can have a top 10 station with a translator, maybe... just maybe... KOKE-FM has a shot, too.

Not all translators are created equal. 102.7 is an order of magnitude better than 98.5 both on paper and in actual usage. Not even close.

 

[bturner]

The KFAN history is rather unique. The call letters were on two different stations. The San Antonio 'version' was the 100kw that was sold and became KONO. Then KFAN appaered for the 50kw station assigned to Johnson City, owned by Gillespie.

Earlier, the station that became KONO (the 100 kw serving San Antonio) had a short run with the 'KFAN' format under the leadership of Jayson Fritz and Steve Coffman. Fritz had taken over Gillespie Broadcasting as the third generation of the family's ownership of the radio stations. There was a fairly lengthy time lapse between the San Antonio KFAN format and the Johnson City KFAN.

Coffman, after the 100 kw FM was sold, tried to keep the format alive on the AM dial when KENS TV owned an AM station in San Antonio. This too was short lived. Coffman then purchased the Hallettsville and Yoakum stations and turning them to the same format before heading to Victoria where he enjoyed years of success with KTXN before cancer took his life.

Steve Coffman, as I recall, was Afternoon Drive and Dave Thomas was Morning Drive at 'Progressive Country', KAFM in Dallas in 1975 and 1976. As I understand it, Dave and Steve ran the station. KAFM was owned by KRLD at the time and generally flipped formats every year or two. I recall it was beautiful music when I was in 8th grade, then in no particular order: Top 40, "Hit Parade", Album Rock (the automated 'Montage" following the success of the AM counterpart) and then Progressive Country.

 

[Groove1670]

So how it the reception of the new KOKE in Austin in the car. Any signal indoors.

 

[davideduardo]

Are you including their 98.5 translator K253AN Sunset Valley? Their tower is in the antenna farm in West Lake Hills.

If Emmis can have a top 10 station with a translator, maybe... just maybe... KOKE-FM has a shot, too.

I see only sale of the 99.3 signal, not the translator. Are they buying that, leasing it?

This tanslator is definitely inferior to Emmis's translator, but it does add about 225,000 to the 65 dbu (EMMIS's 65 dbu is nearly 700,000). Still, that is only a total of about 12% of the market reached at home and at work, where 70% of listening takes place.

 

[fredcantu]

I see only sale of the 99.3 signal, not the translator. Are they buying that, leasing it?

Their logo includes both the 99.3 and 98.5 frequencies.

 

[willdav713]

So how it the reception of the new KOKE in Austin in the car. Any signal indoors.

The signal at home for me is nonexistant. At home forget about it, even with the stereo pilot off both channels. but on a Panasonic AM/FM cassette walkman 99.3 sounds a tad bit weaker than 98.5. I pick up 99.7 real good, 102.7, and 103.1

Wierd because I will listen to 103.1 at home on my walkman but on my home stereos with antennas, only the old school GE 8Track Console receives 103.1 but very faint with the stereo always cutting in and out.

I heard the loop of That's Country My Ass around 6:30 or so last evening at Great Hills Baptist Church bus stop on both frequencies.

 

[Groove1670]

The signal at home for me is nonexistant. At home forget about it, even with the stereo pilot off both channels. but on a Panasonic AM/FM cassette walkman 99.3 sounds a tad bit weaker than 98.5.

If you are picking up 99.3 on a walkman that's not bad. According to the coverage map. Austin is further than than the 65db contour.

 

[willdav713]

The signal at home for me is nonexistant. At home forget about it, even with the stereo pilot off both channels. but on a Panasonic AM/FM cassette walkman 99.3 sounds a tad bit weaker than 98.5.

If you are picking up 99.3 on a walkman that's not bad. According to the coverage map. Austin is further than than the 65db contour.

Overhead power lines nearby help at times. Along with a good radio with DX and Local switch, bought used of course.

 

[yeahIwasinradio]

They are running spots now. And it's a lot of them :

 

[willdav713]

They are running spots now. And it's a lot of them :

It is in Stereo now as of 12pm 7-7-2012 for 99.3, heard it clear tonight on my panny around the 11 o'clock hour same location.