KROQ

[radiojomo]

If the issue is that KROQ's numbers suck and have for years, then I don't know how bringing a guy who people weren't listening to at the competition to your station helps (no offense to Stryker, it wasn't his fault, but...).

I would say it's like moving a fairly quality tenant away from a dying mall into a neighborhood shopping plaza with a little more foot traffic.

I don't think it'll necessarily help the station gain an incredible amount of traction, but it'll definitely help preserve KYSR's lead over KROQ in the afternoons and carry a lot of favor with advertisers/P1s, which may help revenue.

I think it's been mentioned in this thread that afternoon talk shows have definitely helped some rock stations. I think this show is very music-intensive, but I think it's worth the risk for KYSR.

 

[davideduardo]

Again, think of stations like WKTU, WFLC, CHUM, and CKZZ.

Also, WKTU is the most listened to Hot AC station in the USA.

All those are eastern stations, and the Hispanic core is going to be from the Caribbean Basin. In CA, the Hispanics are from Mexico with a much smaller number from Central America. Very different groups.

 

[101tm]

- Adult Album Alternative (highly unlikely)

Yeah, I highly doubt that. There are some variations, like XRT in Chicago, but commercially AAA is in way worse shape than even alternative, since around the late 2000s most major operators have moved away from it, I believe due to the demographics being too old and the audience finding music from other sources. Great non-comm format that does pretty well in that realm, though.

 

[MarkW]

BigA - KDAY has a limited signal and is very hip hop focused. By rhythm throwback hits, I mean a coalition station with a playlist that appeals to whites, Hispanics, and blacks in urban and suburban areas alike.

Examples:
101.1 Phoenix
100.5 Las Vegas
105.1 Detroit
104.3 Chicago
94.7 New York

In terms of rhythm based Hot AC, I envision a station similar to Star 94 Atlanta or Hits 97.3 Miami. Might such a format cause too much overlap with 94.7? It certainly might. Hence, why I provided five or six different format options. When I look at 94.7's playlist, I see a station that gives emphasis to softer sounding music (true, that station seems to toggle back and forth periodically between a playlist that leans soft versus one that includes more tempo). The type of format I envision would compete more heavily with KIIS and KBIG, in my opinion.

 

[TheBigA]

BigA - KDAY has a limited signal and is very hip hop focused. By rhythm throwback hits, I mean a coalition station with a playlist that appeals to whites, Hispanics, and blacks in urban and suburban areas alike.

Audacy is using such a format in NYC right now. So far, it hasn't caught on.

 

[hotpatrick2004]

Seems to me for better or worse Audacy is stuck with Kroq but time will tell. I bet they will make changes to the overall format but they won't blow it up. Just one man's opinion...

 

[Doctah]

BigA - KDAY has a limited signal and is very hip hop focused. By rhythm throwback hits, I mean a coalition station with a playlist that appeals to whites, Hispanics, and blacks in urban and suburban areas alike.

Examples:
101.1 Phoenix
100.5 Las Vegas
105.1 Detroit
104.3 Chicago
94.7 New York

In terms of rhythm based Hot AC, I envision a station similar to Star 94 Atlanta or Hits 97.3 Miami. Might such a format cause too much overlap with 94.7? It certainly might. Hence, why I provided five or six different format options. When I look at 94.7's playlist, I see a station that gives emphasis to softer sounding music (true, that station seems to toggle back and forth periodically between a playlist that leans soft versus one that includes more tempo). The type of format I envision would compete more heavily with KIIS and KBIG, in my opinion.

Hasn't rhythmic AC been tried here several times to limited success? Remember KIBB/B100, which later turned to KCMG/Mega 100 (which then moved frequencies to Mega 92.3). Later the same station switched to KHHT "Hot 92.3," which fluctuated between urban AC and rhythmic hot AC. And then there was KMVN "Movin' 93.9," and it even brought back Rick Dees in the morning, to no avail...

 

[victorres43]

KTBZ’s self-described “Rock & Alternative” format does well in Houston as it has absolutely no competition in the broadest sense. Many consider it a train wreck, but listeners have no alternative (pun intended.) There is literally no other Rock in the market other than the burnt to a crisp Classic Rocker.

The outer Houston suburbs are Trumpland, but Democrats hold most of the Harris County offices. The mayor is an African-American whose predecessor was openly lesbian, so quite the cultural divide in the market.

Houston may be the weakest market for Cox Radio, which is surprising, considering that Cox is strong in Atlanta, Miami, and San Antonio, among a few others.

But, I must note, whatever form of rock Atlanta, Miami, and NYC have (besides classic rock), they are faring poorly in the ratings. Only a handful of city slickers care to listen to Three Days Grace.

i did say "culturally conservative" because although Houston has ethnic diversity, Houston does not have a reputation, warranted or not, for advancing LGBTQ rights (despite having a lesbian mayor) or environmental activism. Houston seems to be "traditional", for a lack of a better word.

 

[victorres43]

All those are eastern stations, and the Hispanic core is going to be from the Caribbean Basin. In CA, the Hispanics are from Mexico with a much smaller number from Central America. Very different groups.

Point taken, although CKZZ is in Vancouver, and neither Toronto nor Vancouver have particularly high immigration from Latin America.

But wouldn't Mexican Americans prefer a rhythmic-leaning station, anyway? A lot of California "CHRs" are very heavy in hip-hop, particularly KBOS, KDON, KGGI, KISV, and KWIN. And KIIS played even less rock back in 2006 compared to now.

 

[jt99]

Active Rocker KLAQ does well in heavily Hispanic (and Mexican) El Paso, so my theory is that The Buzz in Houston is able to do well because the harder Alternative Rock music on the station is appealing to the market's 2nd and 3rd generation Mexican Americans. Miami and New York have a lot of Hispanics, but not from Mexican origin. I guess WNYL and WSFS just haven't found a mix that works with Hispanics of Carribean origin, if there even is one out there. Atlanta isn't heavily Hispanic, but WNNX was doing well over there 4-5 years ago, I'm not sure what happened to that station.

 

[hotpatrick2004]

I would say it's like moving a fairly quality tenant away from a dying mall into a neighborhood shopping plaza with a little more foot traffic.

I don't think it'll necessarily help the station gain an incredible amount of traction, but it'll definitely help preserve KYSR's lead over KROQ in the afternoons and carry a lot of favor with advertisers/P1s, which may help revenue.

I think it's been mentioned in this thread that afternoon talk shows have definitely helped some rock stations. I think this show is very music-intensive, but I think it's worth the risk for KYSR.

Same thing with klos in afternoons. Having Kevin and sluggo may help with advertisers. Despite not helping w the overall numbers.

 

[victorres43]

Active Rocker KLAQ does well in heavily Hispanic (and Mexican) El Paso, so my theory is that The Buzz in Houston is able to do well because the harder Alternative Rock music on the station is appealing to the market's 2nd and 3rd generation Mexican Americans. Miami and New York have a lot of Hispanics, but not from Mexican origin. I guess WNYL and WSFS just haven't found a mix that works with Hispanics of Carribean origin, if there even is one out there. Atlanta isn't heavily Hispanic, but WNNX was doing well over there 4-5 years ago, I'm not sure what happened to that station.

K-Rock in New York practically fell apart when Howard Stern left.

When Miami's 93.1 was rock, its ratings were subpar most of the time.

East Coast metropolises just don't have a big appetite for hard rock, especially post-grunge that isn't the Foo Fighters. Even WAAF is practically no more. Certainly, there are big cultural differences between Houston and East Coast cities like New York, Boston, Washington, and Miami. Although, speaking for The Buzz, one must take into account a wildly popular morning zoo, but it can be traced back to the local culture also.

 

[davideduardo]

Houston may be the weakest market for Cox Radio, which is surprising, considering that Cox is strong in Atlanta, Miami, and San Antonio, among a few others.

Rember, except for KKBQ, the Cox /Terrier stations are rimshots. They are not dealing from a full deck there.

KGLK and KHPT only cover about 60% of the MSA population, and KTHT covers less than 15%.

 

[davideduardo]

But wouldn't Mexican Americans prefer a rhythmic-leaning station, anyway? A lot of California "CHRs" are very heavy in hip-hop, particularly KBOS, KDON, KGGI, KISV, and KWIN. And KIIS played even less rock back in 2006 compared to now.

There is a difference between a hip-hop base and a rhythmic one. WKTU is rhythmic, and does not have a deep hip-hop core library.

 

[victorres43]

Rember, except for KKBQ, the Cox /Terrier stations are rimshots. They are not dealing from a full deck there.

KGLK and KHPT only cover about 60% of the MSA population, and KTHT covers less than 15%.

True, but in Atlanta, WALR and WSRV are (semi-) rimshots. WSRV has phenomenal ratings whilst having a weaker signal in the southern portions of the Atlanta area. Ditto, with WALR, but a weak signal in Gwinnett County and beyond.

KKBQ is not a shoe-in for the Top 10 in ratings, and yes, we are talking outside the Holiday season. Granted, KKBQ is competing with KILT-FM, but sister station KCYY has high ratings.

Looks like the KGLK/KHPT combo is no WSRV. A bit of a waste of a signal, when it's not #1 nor the highest-billing (I could be wrong though). But had FCC spacing regulations been loosened to have spacing requirements similar to, say, Southern California, KGLK or KHPT (or both) would move closer to Houston with a less powerful signal. Rules are rules, yes, but Zone II requirements for FM are nevertheless baffling, when 100,000 watt rimshots have a good signal in only a handful of places that matter; yet, second-adjacent translators (with a coverage similar to Class A FM stations) can operate from Downtown Houston, 15 miles from that big antenna farm.
Okay, I'll be off my soapbox now!

 

[MarkW]

Good points, Doctah. I had forgotten about Movin' 93.9!

A bunch of those stations launched around the country around the same time, most likely under a licensing agreement of some kind. The stations all shared the same name and logo. They all sounded like CHR stations minus currents or alternative crossover hits, and with some 70s & 80s material (Bee Gees, for example) thrown in for flavor a couple times an hour. I think the mix of music was off putting to those who grew up on MTV 90s hip hop videos (as edgier material was absent from the playlist), while CHR fans wanted to hear currents without being disrupted by old disco songs. The brand's stationality seemed geared toward middle aged suburban women.

Some adopters of that format eventually figured out it made a lot more sense to go straight CHR (Seattle and San Francisco), and ultimately thrived after transitioning.

The big unsuccessful thud created in the ratings by that line of stations, along with a much more recent effort on Boston's 97.7 FM, have made me a skeptic of the viability of that format when it is directed primarily at Caucasian listeners.

Magic 92.5 in San Diego follows a different game plan and seems to perform reasonably well. 92.5 in San Diego and 94.7 in L.A. do share some things in common.

 

[jt99]

True, but in Atlanta, WALR and WSRV are (semi-) rimshots. WSRV has phenomenal ratings whilst having a weaker signal in the southern portions of the Atlanta area. Ditto, with WALR, but a weak signal in Gwinnett County and beyond.

KKBQ is not a shoe-in for the Top 10 in ratings, and yes, we are talking outside the Holiday season. Granted, KKBQ is competing with KILT-FM, but sister station KCYY has high ratings.

Looks like the KGLK/KHPT combo is no WSRV. A bit of a waste of a signal, when it's not #1 nor the highest-billing (I could be wrong though). But had FCC spacing regulations been loosened to have spacing requirements similar to, say, Southern California, KGLK or KHPT (or both) would move closer to Houston with a less powerful signal. Rules are rules, yes, but Zone II requirements for FM are nevertheless baffling, when 100,000 watt rimshots have a good signal in only a handful of places that matter; yet, second-adjacent translators (with a coverage similar to Class A FM stations) can operate from Downtown Houston, 15 miles from that big antenna farm.
Okay, I'll be off my soapbox now!

The KGLK/KHPT simulcast combines to cover pretty much the entire market with a 65 dbu aside from Katy, and the station has been a top 5 performer in Adults 25-54 many times before, even as recently as June 2021. I'm not sure how well the station has billed over the past several years, but any recent decline in numbers is surely a programming issue, not a signal issue.

EDIT: I originally forgot to write this, but I wanted to adress your point about KKBQ and add that KKBQ had been a top 10 lock in 6+ and in the key demos until recently. They've fallen off from their usual levels once the pandemic hit, and I'm not exactly sure why.

 

[radiojomo]

The Booker & Stryker show sounds great. Very music intensive, with just a few minutes of talk every few songs. They're also giving away Super Bowl tickets next week during the show, an incredible promo.

Makes you wonder why Audacy didn't think of pairing the both together, as they were both under contract last year.

 

[hotpatrick2004]

Be interesting to see the battle between Stryker and booker vs Kevin and sluggo. Guess it depends if Los Angeles likes rock or alt rock better???

 

[CassChopper96]

Where? Publication and website writers and commentators can call it whatever they want. There is no jail sentence for misinformation... just ask Whoopie Goldberg!

Remember, format names are very vague, fuzzy and arbitrary. Stations can call themselves whatever they want, just like a packaged food manufacturer can make claims about taste and aroma. It's called, in the ad profession, "puffery" and is legal.

"The best flavor" or "the smoothest ride" or "the cleanest floors" are examples of that.

In radio, most format names are industry terms. KOST in LA does not say "The best adult contemporary music in Southern California". And KBIG does not say "We are LA's Hot AC station". Those terms are used so advertising agency media buyers who many never have listened can see what they are dealing with.

What I am saying is that those vague terms are not rigid. The best way to evaluate a station is to look at their playlist. And remember, there are many songs that different listeners will classify in different ways... making definitions even more tenuous and vague.

KBIG used to say More Music More Variety. Now they say 90s to now