KOOL Evenings

[SALESGUY2000]

The last great music station on AM was KOOL Gold 960 AM.

 

[DrAkbar]

The last great music station on AM was KOOL Gold 960 AM.

Yes indeedy...they had a passion for what they were doing (even though it was an uphill battle with aging demos). And what a treat for the Nurse and me when KOOL-FM "buried" Lee Baby on AM 'til he was out of the building. As much as he sounded out of place on 94~Five, he sounded right at home on 9~Sixty!

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Other than the marginal 550 and 620 night signals...

???

When did a low-end 1 kw ND and 5 kw DA become marginal signals?

You've always talked them up as the only two full-market AM signals,
day or night, in PHX.

Don't you have to be in the far fringes of the metro--or perhaps even beyond--
to have 55/FYI falling off or be impacted by either of KT'R's nulls?

Your inability to get Sports Parking Lot 620 in Prescott doesn't count. ;D

 

[pattiwacki]

The last great music station on AM was KOOL Gold 960 AM.

AWESOME radio station, SALEGUY2000-I still miss it! "Memphis' by Lonnie Mac,"Mystery Train" by Elvis, "Killer Joe" by the Rockyfellers....

 

[davideduardo]

When did a low-end 1 kw ND and 5 kw DA become marginal signals?

They are marginal at night as the interference free signal or the 10 mv/m signal does not cover all of Maricopa and Pinal counties, the Phoenix MSA. That's being marginal.

You've always talked them up as the only two full-market AM signals,
day or night, in PHX.

The market was just redefined to include Pinal.

Don't you have to be in the far fringes of the metro--or perhaps even beyond--
to have 55/FYI falling off or be impacted by either of KT'R's nulls?

Both are pretty useless in Pinal, up towards Wickenburg, and KTAR has some fairly deep nulls.

Your inability to get Sports Parking Lot 620 in Prescott doesn't count. ;D

Prescott is in a different Metro.

 

[KOOL Listener Lauren]

Some have been wandering off the topic for a few days, but this has been a great discussion.

We can always go on and on arguing for and against syndication. After all, many stations in many markets do it every single day. Many stations need it.

However, this isn't about the average, typical radio station. And this discussion is going in that direction. I believe this is something very different, in the case of syndicating KOOL evenings.

Like Jeremy Oliver said, KOOL is a "Phoenix Radio Landmark". Absolutely!

They have raised the bar for decades. They are in a league of their own, figuratively speaking. This only shows the direction things are headed for radio, when you have one of the best using the same tactics as a station in Akron, Ohio.

KOOL has been blessed with such talented on-air people, other stations must have been envious. I remember thinking that exact thought when I first discovered the station on my own at age 13. It really showed. Even on weekends! W. Steven Martin, Sammy Sherwood, etc.!

KOOL has a loyal group of listeners; long-time and new. I'm not so sure it can be compared to anyone else in any other market. Look at the successes of the events, world tours, and Summer Splashes. Local does matter, most especially to KOOL P1's, which from my understanding is most important audience that programming tries to maintain and increase.

I'm sure this won't be the thing to do all the damage, but how much will it, and where will this take the station next? Maybe it's the old mindset and angle towards things that is killing radio. I sure hope for the best and to see a #1 in the next book!

 

[belowtheline]

Is it true TK receives 5 mins. an hour to run 6a-7p for spot clearance? If so, how exactly does cutting a night jock, who isn't paid much anyway, justify the cost for less 6a-7p inventory availability? The spots end up as a line item, too. How many spots can a station barter out with the number of spots they are already running? Talk about running the listeners off.

Bob and Tom charge a fee to run their stuff plus spots? The Bone in Dallas is starting to run syndicated show for AM drive, but it can't be free either.

It all seems like the the old shell game to me. Unless the syndicated personality is amazingly better than local, I don't see the logic.

 

[AZJoe]

Long playlists (are better than short ones for us "olde fartes")
Local is always better than "good" (disagree, explanation below)
AM will get younger listeners if programmers are creative. (AM is dead except for Mexican and hate radio)

I've amended some of your statements to reflect some of mine. But personally have never said any of them.

I'm looking at my personal preferences only and not from a business perspective. While I am not necessarily for or against remotely produced shows on radio I will almost always choose the local variety so long as the content is not significantly less. For instance, I am assuming there are a few AM drive shows "better" than the KOOL Morning Show but I continue to listen to KOOL because I have developed a relationship (albeit receive-only) with the characters. It might happen remotely were I to try but for now I am satisfied with the local show. Just as I support the local business owners in my area with my dollars I do the same with local talent and for the same reasons.

The fact is that there are no ratings-based conclusions that can really be made as to local vs. nonlocal as a determining quality in a morning (or other daypart) show. The conclusions that can be made have to do with the entertainment value of programming. "Local" does not give a bad show and instant pass to higher ratings. And not being local is not a yellow card comparitively.

You say AM is only good for "Mexican and hate radio". First, "Mexican" stations are in Mexico. And if you mean "Spanish language stations" please name me one well rated Spanish langauge AM in a top 100 market in the Southwest. Hispanics, much younger than non-Hispanic whites as a group, don't use AM just like under-45's who are not Hispanic don't use AM.

And talk radio is not "hate radio." It's entertainment, like Leno and Oprah and the cable news and talk networks. But it does not work very well on AM, either, in the sales demographics.

Again, long playlists fail when a station with a shorter list is an option. I have never seen a station win by playing more songs than a direct competitor. The average listener wants to hear many of their favorite songs each time they turn on the radio.

Actually that statement is not true. In the 90s KPSN 96.9 (Sunny 97) flipped to oldies and boasted of playing more oldies than KOOL, with a larger, deeper playlist. They beat KOOL at their own game, overtaking them for some time in the oldies ratings. Also, in Salt Lake City a decade ago the same thing happened, the station with a wider playlist knocked off the one with a smaller playlist. It has to be a balanced effort, no one is saying play 2000 songs in regular rotation, but if smaller is better then maybe oldies should pair their playlists down to 100 of the biggest hits only. Presentation and choice still matters, the lack of size can make for unhappy listening.

 

[davideduardo]

The average listener wants to hear many of their favorite songs each time they turn on the radio.

Actually that statement is not true. In the 90s KPSN 96.9 (Sunny 97) flipped to oldies and boasted of playing more oldies than KOOL, with a larger, deeper playlist. They beat KOOL at their own game, overtaking them for some time in the oldies ratings.

I really doubt this case had to do with the list; in the early to mid 90's KOOL was playing odder and deeper song, but the whole station was strange. It went through the Todd Wallace period, and was likely vulnerable on any number of counts.

If issues of playlist length are being analyzed, we have to assume that all other issues, from talent to signal to commercial load are about the same.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

I really doubt this case had to do with the list; in the early to mid 90's KOOL was playing odder and deeper song, but the whole station was strange. It went through the Todd Wallace period, and was likely vulnerable on any number of counts.

I'm not sure if you're equating the Todd Wallace period with the 1990s,
but it was circa 2004-2005, from what I can see from older posts that
had him leaving the building in spring 2005--a long time from when KOOL
had format competition from KPSN.

When KPSN went oldies, one thing KOOL did to react was to pitch up
their CD players a bit (this was the pre-hard drive era) and most songs
sounded terrible. Your mention "the whole station was strange" would
surely apply here. (Pause for "...and don't call me Shirley." ;D)

IIRC, this was also when they were owned by a company that was
either in, or headed for, eleven, so there was little or no $$$$ being
spent. I don't recall who was PD.

 

[davideduardo]

I'm not sure if you're equating the Todd Wallace period with the 1990s,
but it was circa 2004-2005, from what I can see from older posts that
had him leaving the building in spring 2005--a long time from when KOOL
had format competition from KPSN.

I meant that after a long period of weakness, the whole episode ended with the Wallace period. I can recall listening a number of different times in the 1992 to 1995 period, and thinking that the station must have lost its way.

 

[DrAkbar]

I meant that after a long period of weakness, the whole episode ended with the Wallace period. I can recall listening a number of different times in the 1992 to 1995 period, and thinking that the station must have lost its way.

Nurse Jeff and I've listened to KOOL for over 20 years and can recall it's moments of glory, as well as it's valleys of self destruction. Doesn't matter if it was Chauncey, Adams or the current owners, KOOL always seems to bounce back and regain it's title as one of the Valley's best radio station. But the landscape is rapidly changing and KOOL (as well as all other terrestrial stations) will find the going tougher as the years go by. Thanks to Bruce Kelley, our '76 Gremlin is equipped with XM Radio and we're locked on 60's on Six as well as the 70's channel. No need to even punch up 94~Five anymore. With iPods, WIFI, MP3s and soon Al Gore's invention in some Chrysler cars, the alternatives to KOOL, and most over the air stations, are beyond comprehension.

 

[KOOL Listener Lauren]

My personal opinion, for all it's worth, hate me for it or not, but playlists are right up my alley:

The "weakness" that made KOOL sound like it "must have lost its way" was improving with Todd Wallace.

I love the expanded playlists, but of course they have to be done right. I've heard several stations in other markets that can't get it right.

Either play the same 88 songs that always do well in those listener research panels, or do that AND add a sort of surprise factor. If it's any good (fits in well, has a good beat, and was a big hit in it's day), listeners have got to enjoy that too. Repetition creates wandering listeners.

Every now and then between "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" and "Long Cool Woman", it's nice to hear other hits like Temptations' "Beauty is Only Skin Deep" (#3). What wouldn't be best to play between Jim Croce and the Hollies? Thunderclap Newman "Something in the Air" (#37), for example. I think this (the good example), is what was going on when Todd Wallace was at KOOL.

But even this sometimes can't obviously win. Neither can any one person be blamed for it.

 

[lloydpalmer]

What? ???

But what about the obvious problem with the PK files airing during the overnights? Anyone care to address that?

 

[oldiesfan6479]

But what about the obvious problem with the PK files airing during the overnights?

"PK files"? Please explain further.
Is this some sort of Audio Vault (or similar system) glitch?

AFAIK, the overnight slot (1-5) with Lee Bortell is voicetracked.
Lauren can probably tell us when Lee shows up live just ahead
of the morning show (where he is the producer).

BTW--recorded Tom Kent, following "voicetracked Jack" in the 7:00
hour, got started tonight at 8:01. Last week they were generally
real late (8:07 at least once) going to the syndication.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

How do you resurrect a thread that's been dormant
for a couple of weeks?

When you find out that Tom Kent has put yet another
CBS classic hits station evening jock on the beach.

Denver.

 

[davideduardo]

When you find out that Tom Kent has put yet another
CBS classic hits station evening jock on the beach.

Wrong.

Tom Kent did not put some jock out of work. The local management, probably reacting to the recession you may have noticed we are in, reduced costs in a significantly unsalable daypart by using syndicated talent... just like all your local TV stations do, too.

I really doubt that Tom is going around telling managers to fire airstaff members. Get real.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

David, you know darn well I'm not implying Tom Kent
showed up at KXKL and told Da Boogieman "you're fired."

Yes, it's the local management, and the corporate suits
and bean counters making the call. But it still sucks.

Such a vicious circle.

Now if I was your boss... ;D

 

[oldiesfan6479]

And now the Tom Kent disease (yes, it is in a way a "disease")
has spread yet again...to Dallas/Fort Worth.

There is a "shake up at KLUV" thread on the DFW board noting
that Dan Mason, his C(BS) bean counters, and local management
(blame some or all of the above) have brought in Tom Kent's
syndicated show for evenings at KLUV, demoting the incumbent
live local talent (Sandi Sharp) to weekends. I guess that's not
as bad as putting her on the beach, but... :

At this point, I'm not sure that evenings on KRTH and WCBS-FM
are safe anymore.


Closed circuit for voice god CVD: if their legal ID track somehow
got deleted from their Audio Vault and you had to send them a
new one (and while I know you'd never do this being the pro that
you are), it could use an extra word inserted...

"KLUV, KLUV HD1, Dallas/Fort Worth, a CBS sucks radio station"