I have been wondering why KTRB-860 hasn't made it in the Arbitron Ratings? Is it the Program Schedule? Or a lack of a Local Show? Or What? The only two Talk Stations in the Top 10 is KGO-810 and KSFO-560 and both are owned by Citadel. Even both Clear Channel Talk Stations (KNEW-910 and KKGN-960) have made it in the latest ratings, Not high but at least still in it. KTRB's Modesto Sister Station is doing better but than again, They have a better Talk Lineup than KTRB. That 50000 Station has me stumped. If I was KTRB's owner, I'd jump in and hire those recently laid off at KGO.
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KTRB-860 A Flop Of A Talk Station?
- Thread starter Madmansam
- Start date
whats to not understand? 3rd rate talent constantly dumped for infoscams
I preface this by saying I know absolutely nothing about this particular station or its ownership, other than that a monster signal (at least on paper) was theoretically moved into the San Francisco market.
As a businessman, what this tells me that there's a good possibility that the object of that wasn't so much to successfully compete, but to turn around and sell this "major market big signal" to a brokered or religious broadaster at a significant profit.
I could be 100% dead wrong, but what I see here is "Flip this facility"
As a businessman, what this tells me that there's a good possibility that the object of that wasn't so much to successfully compete, but to turn around and sell this "major market big signal" to a brokered or religious broadaster at a significant profit.
I could be 100% dead wrong, but what I see here is "Flip this facility"
What you're saying totally makes sense. Remember, this move was started many years ago, well prior to the current economic slump. The original plans called for different daytime and nighttime sites. The daytime facility has yet to be built, so they're running the nighttime site all the time. If the daytime site is ever built, it should have excellent coverage. In contrast, the current site has marginal coverage at best. It has a very strong signal at my home in Newark, but that's about it. Ironically, the marriage between the A's and KTRB is probably a good thing. The signal is going to scream at the new ballpark. It's arguably stronger than KNBR.cyberdad said:
As far as flipping the facility, one would think, however, that maybe the station buyers are doing a little more due diligence regarding signal coverage, rather than just looking at power levels. Running anything on AM is going to be difficult tho. Putting 3rd-tier syndicated talk on the air might be OK in Casper, Wyoming (no offense to Casper, BTW) but it really won't make it here. I actually knew people who listened to KTRB when it first came on with the "Sounds of San Francisco" or whatever that format was. I don't know anyone who listens today. The Athletics brought a totally unknown station (KYCY) into the ratings books, and I suspect they will do the same for KTRB. Hey - Maybe the A's organization will buy it.
Dave B.
DaveBayArea said:
To be perfectly frank, the A's new ballpark isn't going to be ready for four more years, if even that soon. I was over at the new ballpark's proposed site last week, and there ain't nothing going on there. Who knows what station the games will be on once it opens, if it ever gets built there -- heck, their flagship could be a station in San Jose, and the ballpark could be there, too.
But to say that the "signal is going to scream at the new ballpark" doesn't make a lot of difference. The majority of your audience isn't at the ballpark, it's everywhere else.
Arguably stronger than KNBR? That's arguable. KNBR's signal is like throwing a blanket over northern and central California. KTRB's is like throwing a washcloth over much of the Bay Area.
(By the way, KFRC/1550's signal at the new ballpark site was excellent.)
50,000 watts or not, I can't pick up KTRB in my home in San Francisco, on the south slope of Bernal Heights. I'm in a odd area over the air reception of both TV and radio - I can only bring in South Bay TV stations over the air, and some FM stations are not listenable without cable or an antenna. But all the other AMs come in reasonably well.
Madmansam said:
Hiring ex-KGO and current parttime employees is probably the best move KTRB could make after ditching the infomercials and the lame 3rd string hosts. Of their entire line-up, Mancow is the only show that this market would listen to, but he's on for 2 hours before morning drive when people are still asleep!
I think the owners deserve to get a refund from the folks who designed its transmitter site. I've seen lots and lots of bone-headed ideas, but clearly, putting a transmitter where it will push most of its signal into a mountainside, and has to be fed with propane, this has got to be the worst of the worst ideas.
Newsperson responds:
Remember Pappas is in bankruptcy and even if KTRB is not inlculded they are not in a position to hire people.
Their goal was to build the station and sell it. Business was still OK when they went on the air except no one rushed to pay 30 mill for it.
The question is how much is KTRB worth now? 10 Mill or 8?
I always say that the old KOIT-1260 with 5.0 KW day and 1.0 KW all non-directional has a much better signal (and coverage) and at 14M it was a manageable price.
I will look for your replies.
Newsperson
Remember Pappas is in bankruptcy and even if KTRB is not inlculded they are not in a position to hire people.
Their goal was to build the station and sell it. Business was still OK when they went on the air except no one rushed to pay 30 mill for it.
The question is how much is KTRB worth now? 10 Mill or 8?
I always say that the old KOIT-1260 with 5.0 KW day and 1.0 KW all non-directional has a much better signal (and coverage) and at 14M it was a manageable price.
I will look for your replies.
Newsperson
Madmansam said:
That's a good question. I live in SF; KTRB is licensed to SF. The nighttime signal is overcome with QRM skywave from maybe one or two other stations (there shouldn't be but there's obviously something there). The daytime signal I think is marginal except in a car.
When KTRB was about to move to SF, I speculated that it could succeed, or at least make a dent, because of its proximity to KGO dial-wise. Especially if people were tuning back and forth between KGO and KNEW or KGO to KKGN they'd eventually bump into KTRB and some would stick. But ratings show that that hasn't happened. I was totally wrong about cross-tuning -- or maybe I was, but the signal is so bad that people don't notice KTRB? I'm not sure.
One of the things that feeds stations such as KGO is legacy. It's successful in some part because it's already successful. This is true in any business, actually. Habit is by far the most successful way to build a business.
I don't think anybody has gotten into the KTRB habit.
I will grant you that. But as a person who likes to take a radio to the ballpark, and talks to other fans who do likewise, I can say that not having to orient your radio for a particular station while trying to watch the game is a good thing.BossRadioDJ said:
I'm only talking about the Auto Mall Parkway site, and I'm using signal strength a couple of miles North of there (near 880 and Mowry) as a reference. Traditionally, KNBR has been the strongest signal here forever. KTRB has pretty much equivalent field strength here, enough to overload some cheap radios. Nowhere else tho. The 1550 signal is pretty good during the day, and receivable at night. But nowhere near 680 or 860.BossRadioDJ said:
Dave B.
Pappas Telecasting had no intentions of being a real palyer ~ even with such a great signal Too bad, what a waste!
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