KTWL Bob 105.3 reaction

[Mediafrog]

Have been listening to the station a bit and have some observations:

The playlist is decent--I haven't heard any real clunkers or stuff that makes me go BLEEECH...pretty typical Bob/Jack type format. No new ground covered here, though.

The live talent talks way too much, pretty much between every song. The Bob format is supposed to focus on the music, not air personalities. Bob should probably run jockless outside of morning drive. If they want personality driven radio, they should have gone more mainstream AC. Right now the live talent is a windy annoyance, and clashes with the standard "Bob" liners and imaging.

I'm 40 miles from the transmitter and the signal is marginal at best, with lots of dropouts driving in the car. The Woodlands is 35 miles from the 105.3 stick, so reception isn't much better there, either. It is pretty much a non-factor on portable Walkman style receivers. When the summer tropo kicks in on a regular basis, they are going to get clobbered, particularly by KSMG in San Antonio, which gave KEZB much grief.

With all the other radio options in the market, and such a limited signal, KTWL is going to be lost and ignored. It will probably be one of the quicker format flops in recent Houston FM history--gone within a year, and it wouldn't surprise me if it's gone before six months. Well intentioned idea, but completely wrong facility.

I'm not sure how much farther west the 105.3 transmitter could be moved and still meet the various spacing parameters, but targeting B/CS and Brenham would be a better idea--pretty much the area that KTTX and the future KULF upgrade cover.

 

[rbrucecarter]

Suburban stations ---

In the DFW metroplex, Collin county corresponds roughly to the Woodlands / Conroe area of Houston. Given the relative location of the Houston sticks and DFW sticks in relationship to both, you have an analogous situation. Collin county has attracted 2 stations - an oldies station KXEZ 92.1 and a soft rock KLAK 97.5 - that don't reach Dallas, will be clobbered by summertime tropos, etc. you could argue that a classic rock station - 102.5 KMAD is also a Collin county not Dallas station, because it has a pretty good signal. That would make 3 suburban stations for Collin county.

Are there more Woodlands / Conroe stations that pretty much give up on Houston? Is this part of a trend? How do they do in the ratings?

 

[Mediafrog]

Re: Suburban stations ---

> Collin county has attracted 2 stations - an oldies station
> KXEZ 92.1 and a soft rock KLAK 97.5 - that don't reach Dallas

From my own listening on numerous trips to DFW, both those signals do far better over the populated areas of Collin County than KTWL does over the populated I-45 corridor north of Houston. KTWL is trying the same thing as those stations you mention, but the signal is quite inferior.

> Are there more Woodlands / Conroe stations that pretty much
> give up on Houston?

Prime example of this would be Country KVST 99.7, a Class A which targets Montgomery and Walker Counties from a stick near Willis. Pretty much ignores everything south of the Harris County line (and north of Huntsville) although they do have a number of Houston advertisers trying to bring in suburban $$$.

> How do they do in the ratings?

KVST used to occasionally show up in the Houston numbers when it was a C3 signal on 103.7 (since sold, moved, and upgraded to Class C KIOL.) Hasn't cracked the overall market ratings since the move to 99.7. I imagine businesses in its target counties see it as a frugal alternative to the big boys in H-town, which would be mostly wasted spillage for their advertising budgets.

 

[unluckylistener]

Re: Suburban stations ---The Point vs Sunny

>
> > Are there more Woodlands / Conroe stations that pretty
> much
> > give up on Houston?
>
>
>
I give the signal an D-...the format a B and that is not because of Bob.
I like the wide spectrum. Honestly some of those people North of Conroe back in the woods in those trailers have never heard much of that music before. They may convert. They may be after people north of houston and go to the bank with that audience. Frankley speaking jockless would be better.

Is The Point going Lite and Easy? I thing Sunny is to Hot Ac for there own good. Now would be a great time to enter that race!<P ID="signature">______________
If I could I would program!</P><P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by unluckylistener on 03/20/06 02:14 AM.</FONT></P>

 

[abc-radio-dj]

Re: Suburban stations ---

> > Collin county has attracted 2 stations - an oldies station
>
> > KXEZ 92.1 and a soft rock KLAK 97.5 - that don't reach
> Dallas
>
> From my own listening on numerous trips to DFW, both those
> signals do far better over the populated areas of Collin
> County than KTWL does over the populated I-45 corridor north
> of Houston. KTWL is trying the same thing as those stations
> you mention, but the signal is quite inferior.
>
> > Are there more Woodlands / Conroe stations that pretty
> much
> > give up on Houston?
>
> Prime example of this would be Country KVST 99.7, a Class A
> which targets Montgomery and Walker Counties from a stick
> near Willis. Pretty much ignores everything south of the
> Harris County line (and north of Huntsville) although they
> do have a number of Houston advertisers trying to bring in
> suburban $$$.
>
> > How do they do in the ratings?
>
> KVST used to occasionally show up in the Houston numbers
> when it was a C3 signal on 103.7 (since sold, moved, and
> upgraded to Class C KIOL.) Hasn't cracked the overall
> market ratings since the move to 99.7. I imagine businesses
> in its target counties see it as a frugal alternative to the
> big boys in H-town, which would be mostly wasted spillage
> for their advertising budgets.
>

Yes, 97.5 KLAK DOES reach into Dallas. I can pick up the signal at teh High 5 in Dallas. Oldies 92.1 is more difficult to pick up; they have a much weaker signal and fade out long before the High 5.