KVIL back in the game?

[Don Juan]

I remember looking at Dallas ratings after Ron Chapman left KVIL and was amazed at how badly KVIL was doing for awhile there...

Now it seems they are back in the game.

What changed did they make at KVIL to get back on their feet?

Anyone have any insight?

 

[tuttbs]

Music got better. That's one thing.

 

[dfaulkner]

Maybe what they're doing really appeals to women. I've seen their ratings in recent months & listened to see what they're doing & I can't stand to listen to it for more than a few minutes.
I used to listen to KVIL quite a lot 70's, 80's, 90's, etc, up until Ron Chapman moved to KLUV.
It's not what it was then.

 

[MikeShannon914]

When Chapman left, there wasn't this flurry of modern 'KVIL-type' music out there to play from the Top 40 list. They had to rely heavily on oldies, and some select currents when possible...and it came across like they were aging with their listeners. Now, with Lady Goo-Goo Ga-Ga and John Mayer, and all those God-awful country crossover "artists" (Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, etc,) KVIL's got a plethora of songs to choose from now...and it apparently pulls in those coveted female 25ish-44ish listeners (most likely ones who are too old now for Kiss-FM, but wouldn't be caught dead listening to KLUV.)

Honestly, it's much the same model from KVIL of the past...heavy on pop Top 40 that leans softer, a few oldies scattered in, and country crossover songs as well (since those were a natural part of the Top 40 of the 70s, long before the term 'narrowcasting' was thought up.)

What's old is new again, I guess.

 

[EbolaMonkey]

What changed did they make at KVIL to get back on their feet?

Anyone have any insight?

For one thing, there's not any AC or soft AC competition today. 103.7 has the market to itself. If a new AC or lite AC started tomorrow, it would take half of 103.7's listeners in 6 months tops.

Chapman's KVIL had personality and kicked soft rock launches to the curb pretty easily. That happened to Gene and Julie's old station years ago.

Today's 103.7 is a 2010 version of those old stations that had no chance against KVIL. But it has been 10 years since listeners were offered a choice, so they just listen to what is available.

 

[Don Juan]

What changed did they make at KVIL to get back on their feet?

Anyone have any insight?

For one thing, there's not any AC or soft AC competition today. 103.7 has the market to itself. If a new AC or lite AC started tomorrow, it would take half of 103.7's listeners in 6 months tops.

Between the time Chapman left and now...what competition has KVIL had?

 

[MikeShannon914]

Sunny 97.1 back in 2004, Memories 96.7 1998-03 and Platinum 96.7 2008-10, and even Mix 102.9 before they started skewing younger. Sunny tried to take a direct hit at KVIL, while Memories and Platinum were softer rock/AC gold...but still made some inroads against KVIL. Sunny was poised to do some damage, but CC pulled the plug in favor of Spanish. Personally, I blame Sunny's demise on the "Sunny Sunbeams." :

I also blame what **I perceive** to be a handshake agreement between CBS and CC to not program directly against each other. With the regular flip-flopping of management crossing between the two companies and back again, it's not that hard to imagine.