KTAR Major Announcement

[username1]

Bonneville's Phoenix Building on edge after MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT is scheduled for tomorrow morning. Entire staffing called in early for announcement. Programming change expected to more lifestyle talk and nightime and weekend syndication. Deep newsroom cuts being braced for after rumors that Bonneville headquarters demands staff reduction. :'( Bets are on that decision has been made to try to be strong number 2 station to KFYI and find way to make that profitable. Fight appears over. KTAR throws in towel.

 

[KOHS]

Bonneville's Phoenix Building on edge after MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT is scheduled for tomorrow morning. Entire staffing called in early for announcement. Programming change expected to more lifestyle talk and nightime and weekend syndication. Deep newsroom cuts being braced for after rumors that Bonneville headquarters demands staff reduction. :'( Bets are on that decision has been made to try to be strong number 2 station to KFYI and find way to make that profitable. Fight appears over. KTAR throws in towel.

Just doesn't pass the smell test. Who enters a market, investing money in an FM station for simulcasting, simply to be a strong number two? Also, why hire Michael Anthony if you plan to decimate your news staff?

I'll tell you the same thing I told RadioGuy2006: Try rolling them a little thinner!

 

[Legend City]

Lifestyle talk?

Sounds like cooking and craft shows and toaster repair talk.

Typical KTAR weenieness.

 

[davideduardo]

Just doesn't pass the smell test. Who enters a market, investing money in an FM station for simulcasting, simply to be a strong number two? Also, why hire Michael Anthony if you plan to decimate your news staff?

I'll tell you the same thing I told RadioGuy2006: Try rolling them a little thinner!

If there is a logical prediciton, it is that Bonneville will do what it did in Washington, DC: move the news and talk format to the FM, and create a new format on AM that is very niche, abandoning AM to the 55+ listener.

 

[KeithE4]

If there is a logical prediciton, it is that Bonneville will do what it did in Washington, DC: move the news and talk format to the FM, and create a new format on AM that is very niche, abandoning AM to the 55+ listener.

A lineup of Gerald, Paul Harvey, Prstn, Fatmino & Gaydos, Clark Howard, and maybe throw in Dayl, Goyette, and Mohan for good measure? Hooboy! Pass the Geritol. ;D

 

[michaelhagerty]

AM/FM simulcast to begin in December....then eventually the AM becomes sports.

---Michael Hagerty

 

[airchic]

McMahon interviewing Erik Hellum, KTAR VP of Marketing (GM), right now (Thursday AM) to formally announce 92.3 to the public. Erik says FM will be all news and talk, while AM will be all sports -- no talk on 620. Can't listen to the entire show...What'll happen to 860?

 

[MASTER_CONTROL]

??? that's the new logo ??? yikes !

 

[tenchances]

AM/FM simulcast to begin in December....then eventually the AM becomes sports.

---Michael Hagerty

KTAR's Web site says that the simulcast will begin in September. Did they say on the air that it will be December instead?

 

[MASTER_CONTROL]

http://ktar.com/

 

[michaelhagerty]

I'm sorry...multitasking kills. I meant September but typed December.

---Michael Hagerty

 

[pberger]

AM becomes all sports in January and will simulcast with 860 for a few months so that sports fans will get used to tuning in 620 for ESPN. After that future of KMVP is uncertain.

 

[Legend City]

Just tuned in, McBland was doing major sucking up to Michael Bidwell.

No job is worth having to suck up to a Bidwell.

Brown lipstick day at KTAR

 

[KeithE4]

McMahon interviewing Erik Hellum, KTAR VP of Marketing (GM), right now (Thursday AM) to formally announce 92.3 to the public. Erik says FM will be all news and talk, while AM will be all sports -- no talk on 620. Can't listen to the entire show...

92.3 can't be all news & talk unless TMISU plan to put the sports overflow on 98.7 (a good idea; they've done it before) or keep 860 for that purpose (but see below).

What'll happen to 860?

I remember someone posting on this board a few months ago that the land in Laveen the 860 towers sit on has been sold and they have 2 years to move or shut down 860 completely. I've also heard that one plan was to upgrade it to 50 kW days and 5 kW nights.

With sports moving to 620, I can't see Bonneville upgrading a facility they don't need anymore. Anyone who buys it would have to find a new home, likely in the far-east valley to protect Tijuana.

I'll make a few predictions:

1. They sell 860 to Clear Channel. They have the megabucks to upgrade 860 to a full-market high-powered signal. CC then moves KOY to 860 (or returns it to 550 and moves KFYI to 860) and dumps the old 1230 building at I-17 & Buckeye.

2. They do what we've suggested Gumpdusky do with 1440 for years: Donate 860 to ASU or Maricopa Community Colleges for NPR programming, which would then allow KJZZ to become full-time jazz. Not too likely since the transmitter has to be relocated in the near future and that would cost the taxpayers money.

3. They take 860 dark before the end of 2007.

My bet is on #3.

And as to the future call letters on 620, I'll guess they'll keep it KTAR.

 

[zumahans]

KJZZ-FM going all-jazz because of a move of NPR spoken word to AM is 1980 strategy. Even if it got a 24/7 AM for news/NPR, they would not switch over their highly-listened-to programming to a mortally-wounded band like AM.

The last thing any NPR station will do is commit more hours to music. Look for jazz to move to online and KJZZ HD-2.

This is very, very smart for KTAR. I remember several years ago, a few radio "experts" said it would never happen, and that there was no upside for a KTAR-FM.

It's been eons since I tried to pick up KXTC in Flag or Prescott, does the signal propogate as well as other Phoenix FMs? If not, they ought to get a small AM or FM in Flag to simulcast KTAR FM.

Don't laugh, that's exactly what the MISU did with WTOP on its maryland fringes.

 

[KeithE4]

KJZZ-FM going all-jazz because of a move of NPR spoken word to AM is 1980 strategy. Even if it got a 24/7 AM for news/NPR, they would not switch over their highly-listened-to programming to a mortally-wounded band like AM.

The last thing any NPR station will do is commit more hours to music. Look for jazz to move to online and KJZZ HD-2.

The'd move jazz to 89.5 (classical is dying on radio, even on FM) or dump it completely like WBEZ Chicago plans on doing next year. They're going full-time NPR & liberal-talk, something they've wanted to do for almost 15 years. Wouldn't surprise me if KJZZ did the same thing in the next couple of years.

This is very, very smart for KTAR. I remember several years ago, a few radio "experts" said it would never happen, and that there was no upside for a KTAR-FM.

It's been talked about for decades, but it looks like the AM band is finally dying as a major radio medium. If one of Phoenix's "Big Two" is moving, the other will follow suit eventually (a good reason why Clear Channel might not want to bother with purchasing the 860 facilities and upgrading them). Can you say "KFYI-FM Ninety-Five-Fifty?"

It's been eons since I tried to pick up KXTC in Flag or Prescott, does the signal propogate as well as other Phoenix FMs? If not, they ought to get a small AM or FM in Flag to simulcast KTAR FM.

As KXTC, I believe they transmiited from the original Channel 5 tower on the Westward Ho Hotel in the '70s. I don't know when they moved to South Mountain.

Don't laugh, that's exactly what the MISU did with WTOP on its maryland fringes.

Despite being a 50 kW station, WTOP didn't cover the entire D.C. metro due to being on 1500 and their highly directional antenna pattern. KTAR doesn't have either of those problems. 50 kW on 1500 is worse than 5 kW on 620. KTAR's local coverage will be better on 92.3 due to the fact that FM can get into office buildings better than AM (and without interference from all those computers), but it'll have worse coverage in outlying areas greater than about 100 miles away, which they don't care about in the first place.

 

[MASTER_CONTROL]

with ktar sports 620, what does this mean for kdus 1060?

kukq?

 

[zumahans]

---->The'd move jazz to 89.5 (classical is dying on radio, even on FM) or dump it completely like WBEZ Chicago plans on doing next year. They're going full-time NPR & liberal-talk, something they've wanted to do for almost 15 years. Wouldn't surprise me if KJZZ did the same thing in the next couple of years.

A) It isn't lib talk, I find NPR very conservative. You find it liberal.

B) ASU won't let jazz dilute classical on KBAQ.

--->Despite being a 50 kW station, WTOP didn't cover the entire D.C. metro due to being on 1500 and their highly directional antenna pattern. KTAR doesn't have either of those problems.

Oh yes it does. KTAR does not reach Wickenburg, Prescott, or Pinal County at night. I-17 to Flag, I-10 to Buckeye (Arizona's 2d largest city in 10 years), AZ 85 to Gila, all have terrible KTARnage.

 

[KeithE4]

A) It isn't lib talk, I find NPR very conservative. You find it liberal.

Liberal is in the eye of the beholder. ;D But most people tend to take NPR programming as being left of center, just not AAR- or Pacifica-level radical-left.

B) ASU won't let jazz dilute classical on KBAQ.

Depends on donations, I'd guess. If the blue-hairs who listened to KHEP-FM and KONC in ye olden days don't donate, then classical will go away on 89.5. Classical music on radio is dying in other parts of the country for that very reason. Even non-comms need money to operate and our tax money doesn't cover much of the expenses.

--->Despite being a 50 kW station, WTOP didn't cover the entire D.C. metro due to being on 1500 and their highly directional antenna pattern. KTAR doesn't have either of those problems.

Oh yes it does. KTAR does not reach Wickenburg, Prescott, or Pinal County at night. I-17 to Flag, I-10 to Buckeye (Arizona's 2d largest city in 10 years), AZ 85 to Gila, all have terrible KTARnage.

KTAR has a null to the NW to protect Portland and another slight one to the east to protect the Radio Disney station in Dallas. I've heard KTAR on I-15 near the NV/CA boarder coming almost like a local, but the null would prevent them from being heard in Vegas, and probably prevents them from being heard in Wickenburg. Buckeye's in a major lobe so there shouldn't be a problem there (at least theoretically). It doesn't matter to their sales department if they're heard outside of metro Phoenix anyway.

Link: KT'R's Night P'ttern

 

[oldiesfan6479]

I've heard KTAR on I-15 near the NV/CA boarder coming almost like a local...

I've heard KT'R at night on a Walkman up next to a window in the terminal one
concourse at LAX.

Buckeye's in a major lobe so there shouldn't be a problem there (at least theoretically).

Buckeye's close enough to Tower Plaza to still be the groundwave contour--unless
it's the 620 from TJ that's blasting an "undocumented" (thank you, Arizona Socialist
Republic ;D) signal toward Phoenix. Since zumahansnews94 is in La-La-Land (hey,
maybe he could host a Crummey talk show too!), I'll wait for a reception report from
Dr. Akbar when he returns to the Buckeye Media Hut.