KOY

[ajhenderson]

When does CC finally decide to sell KOY? The listenership has steadily tumbled to what seems to be a shocking low. The format is horrible for billing and even having a morning show must be an uncomfortable expense. Even the block programming on the weekend isn't that expensive. So how long? There's no Spanish language or religious group with a few bucks?

 

[DrAkbar]

...and the bidding starts at $500k for 12~Thirty, so what's the point? While the ratings for KayOhWhy are geriatric, the station gets results for it's clients. Danny Davis generates revenue while benching him for VT in AMD doesn't. And does this market really need a 38th Spanish language station or 22nd Bible thumper? The Buckeye Boyz think not. Now if you want to talk about switching the format on their lowest rated FM station, we wrote the book!

 

[davideduardo]

When does CC finally decide to sell KOY? The listenership has steadily tumbled to what seems to be a shocking low. The format is horrible for billing and even having a morning show must be an uncomfortable expense. Even the block programming on the weekend isn't that expensive. So how long? There's no Spanish language or religious group with a few bucks?

The last decade is littered with failed, unprofitable or unsuccessful Spanish language AMs in Phoenix. The reason is that AM is even less appealing to the demographics of Hispanics than to the general market. KOY, as it is, likely produces some cash flow ('09 billing of $2.5 million... it can't cost $200 k a month to run) and is a service to a small part of the market.

The format is horrible for agency billing... not necessarily for local direct.

 

[johndavis]

The format is horrible for agency billing... not necessarily for local direct.

...and Danny Davis gives them somebody to do testimonial spots & remotes, all of which do well with local direct sales. So KOY keeps on keepin' on at the dirty 12-30.

 

[pattiwacki]

Wouldn't want to listen all the time, but It's kind of funky fun-like the old KSAZ Marana

 

[radiobum]

What ever happened to Dan Armstrong? I heard him a few years ago on I believe the satellite service KOY now carries and I thought he still sounded great. I remember when he used to do 9-Noon about 40 years ago. In fact I heard "Kay" by John Wesley Riles the other day on a classic country station-which I hadn't heard in about 40 years ago-on KOY.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

What ever happened to Dan Armstrong? I heard him a few years ago on I believe the satellite service KOY now carries and I thought he still sounded great.

Dan passed away at age 68 in March 2010.

 

[rickityone]

And what a nice voice and presentation Dan had on the real 55 Phoenix KOY.

rickity
www.gulchradio.com

 

[fusejockey]

Re: KOY / 550

"... the real 55 Phoenix KOY."

"Covering Arizona like the sun "

"First in Phoenix and first on your dial"

-- sigh --

Question: The very old story was that KOY had the opportunity to broadcast with 50 kilowatts.
The response of the owners / management was: "...to broadcast to a bunch of cactus?"
True or fiction?

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Re: KOY / 550

Question: The very old story was that KOY had the opportunity to broadcast with 50 kilowatts.
The response of the owners / management was: "...to broadcast to a bunch of cactus?"
True or fiction?

I've heard--or read--the same story, it probably goes back to the 1940s or '50s. I don't recall
what (class II?) freq. it involved moving to, or where the new tower site would be or with how
many sticks, but station honchos nixed the idea due to a big increase in costs for the higher
power output, I suppose not realizing that the Phoenix metro would explode in size later on.

If KOY (550) had acquired its current south Phoenix tower site long before the 1968 move,
just think, at 12th Street & Camelback we could have looked for a mega-finned '59 Caddy as
the car...on the ROOF! ;D

 

[davideduardo]

Re: KOY / 550

I've heard--or read--the same story, it probably goes back to the 1940s or '50s. I don't recall
what (class II?) freq. it involved moving to, or where the new tower site would be or with how
many sticks, but station honchos nixed the idea due to a big increase in costs for the higher
power output, I suppose not realizing that the Phoenix metro would explode in size later on.

The FCC did... and does not... advise stations that they can improve their facilities. To know that KOY could increase power, it would have been KOY that did an engineering study.

In the 40's and 50's, 5kw/1 kw was adequate power even in markets that were already large, like San Francisco (KSFO), Houston (KXYZ), Miami (WQAM) and quite a number of other 5/1 non-directional stations. Many upgraded nights to the 5 kw max, but had to directionalize to go from 1 kw up to 5; KOY did not even do that so they must have been happy with the coverage they got.

I did a search of Broadcasting Magazine from 1939 to 1945 and could find no applications by KOY (which at the time was associated with WLS-Chicago, so they knew the advantage of higher power if needed).

 

[fusejockey]

Thanks for the input... you are correct.
550 KHz is an excellent dial location for non-directional 5Kw / 1Kw -
It still sounds so great set to music:
"Fifty-five, Phoenix...K-O-Y"
8)

 

[DrAkbar]

5~Fifty would benefit from more pow-pow-power at night, given the size of the market and things that interfere with Ancient Modulation transmissions. But given the fact they'd have to go directional and the miniscule audience for revenue at night, why bother? Put the money into moving KFWhyEye to 95~Five.

 

[johndavis]

5~Fifty would benefit from more pow-pow-power at night, given the size of the market and things that interfere with Ancient Modulation transmissions. But given the fact they'd have to go directional and the miniscule audience for revenue at night, why bother? Put the money into moving KFWhyEye to 95~Five.

Given the average age of a talk radio listener, who cares about the night signal? They're all in bed after eating the early bird special at Smitty's.