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KWXY Palm Springs UPDATE.. STILL EZL!!!!

R

rjoc

An update to an earlier post on KWXY 98.5 Cathedral City/Palm Springs, CA.

I was out in Palm Springs on vacation last week and was pleased to hear they are still EZL and still live and local 24/7. And with LIVE news at 45 past every hour, even all night. I know they are in the process of, or have been sold, and there was supposed to be a frequency/band change to AM-1340. But as of last Wed. Nov.5 they were still the same alternating vocal/instrumentals they have been for 40+years!!!. Even a couple of instances I heard 2 instrumentals then a vocal at night.

I hope they are the same when I'm out there again in the spring, but I am realistic, having worked in radio for 15 years.

!
 
rjoc said:
An update to an earlier post on KWXY 98.5 Cathedral City/Palm Springs, CA.

I was out in Palm Springs on vacation last week and was pleased to hear they are still EZL and still live and local 24/7. And with LIVE news at 45 past every hour, even all night. I know they are in the process of, or have been sold, and there was supposed to be a frequency/band change to AM-1340. But as of last Wed. Nov.5 they were still the same alternating vocal/instrumentals they have been for 40+years!!!. Even a couple of instances I heard 2 instrumentals then a vocal at night.

I hope they are the same when I'm out there again in the spring, but I am realistic, having worked in radio for 15 years.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, it's about curtains for KWXY. Here's a thread from the CA board about the station's fate:


FCC OK's Move to Redlands


_________________________
What If...
Radio Didn't Exist?
www.LifeWithoutRadio.com
 
I can't say I am surprised, although I was actually amazed that they were still at it when out there last week. I figured for sure they would have shifted by now.

I'd be curious to see/hear if they actually do go to AM, and what they sound like after! Say what you like about the music, the audio quality and local news and community involvement was exceptional. Even many small town stations up here in Maine don't sound half as involved or community-minded as KWXY. And they are live 24/7. There is only one station within 50 miles of me that is live and local 24/7; that's WKIT 100.3FM, Bangor ME, owned by Stephen King! (And definitely NOT an EZL station)
 
In the Spring ratings (most recent for Palm Springs), KWXY is #3 12+, and the #1 English language station 12+. Yes, I realize that the demos are waaaaay up there and that 12+ numbers are of questionable value. Nevertheless, as a 50KW FM the station is widely listened to. It's unlikely they'll achieve similar numbers when the format moves to an AM graveyard frequency.

In an article in The Desert Sun a few months ago, the owner, Glen Barnett said something to the effect of "I'm not selling out of greed, I'm selling because I'm in my 80's and it's time to get out." I absolutely believe him. Glen, incidentally, is the guy who put the station on the air in the 60's and the format has been virtually unchanged since then.

The station seems to be running on a very low flame right now, just waiting for the sale to actually occur. There are very few spots on the air, when as recently as 3 years ago they were loaded with advertisers.

Nick Gerard
 
rjoc said:
I can't say I am surprised, although I was actually amazed that they were still at it when out there last week. I figured for sure they would have shifted by now.

I'd be curious to see/hear if they actually do go to AM, and what they sound like after! Say what you like about the music, the audio quality and local news and community involvement was exceptional. Even many small town stations up here in Maine don't sound half as involved or community-minded as KWXY. And they are live 24/7. There is only one station within 50 miles of me that is live and local 24/7; that's WKIT 100.3FM, Bangor ME, owned by Stephen King! (And definitely NOT an EZL station)
Click to expand...
Something that might be possible if should KWXY decide to go to 1340 they could still be successful. In 2000, Hagerstown (MD) Broadcasting Company sold WWMD-FM (then at 104.7) but kept WJEJ (at 1240) which maintains a standards and EZ combination format and gets respectable ratings (usually between 5th and 10th place). They are probably one of the few, if not the only, locally-owned stand-alone AM stations in that area.

http://www.wjejradio.com/
 
klutch00 said:
Something that might be possible if should KWXY decide to go to 1340 they could still be successful. In 2000, Hagerstown (MD) Broadcasting Company sold WWMD-FM (then at 104.7) but kept WJEJ (at 1240) which maintains a standards and EZ combination format and gets respectable ratings (usually between 5th and 10th place). They are probably one of the few, if not the only, locally-owned stand-alone AM stations in that area.
Click to expand...

The ground conductivity in the Coachella Valley is such that 1340 is useless daytime by the Eastern part of Palm Desert, and at night is a rough listen in central Palm Desert... it misses most of the market.

The Morris news station "K News" nees a 10 kw on 1140 in Palm Springs and a 5 kw station on 970 in Coachella to cover the market daytime... so 1340 is noot likely to do much.
 
Yes, we know 1340 won't do much as KWXY. Even in downtown Palm Springs at night the signal is not listenable. The switch will take place in Feb. or March. It will be the Dial Global standards format. We signed with Jones earlier in the year then of course they were bought out. We have to run the hourly Dial Global network spot on KDES which we are already doing. KWXY'S 25-54 are zero. At least with Dial Global you will hear all hits. KWXY is 80 percent cover versions.
 
Is Gold Coast out of Ventura still trying to block the whole 104.7 in Redlands deal? Last I heard, they still had hopes and dreams of a Hip-Hop "Superstation" (with the help of dozens of repeaters dotting the So Cal landscape)
 
Has the switch happened yet. What is the on air status of the station.
 
musiconradio.com said:
Has the switch happened yet. What is the on air status of the station.
Click to expand...

I heard 104.7 on the air this morning in the desert... not off, not moved. Jon, what's the status report?
 
DavidEduardo said:
musiconradio.com said:
Has the switch happened yet. What is the on air status of the station.
Click to expand...

I heard 104.7 on the air this morning in the desert... not off, not moved. Jon, what's the status report?
Click to expand...

...

I just spent a week in Palm Springs, and as of Wednesday afternoon, May6th when I left Palm Springs driving down 111 past the Salton Sea, they were still EZL. Enjoyed a week of listening to them while on vacation. Still sounds great. Still 24/7. Still live and local!

Hope they stay that way for my next visit in July.

But, again, I'm a realist and former radio person.
 
Gold Coast has appealed the grant to move 104.7 to Redlands by the audio division of the fcc, taking it to the full commission. It might be 3 years before they rule on it. So we are at a stand still.
 
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