KWYZ 1230 off air

[crainbebo]

Case in point w/ the Punjabi and Indian population. How many are listening to 1250 AM or one of the Bellingham high-band AM stations targeting Vancouver?
Then again, how many are listening to KVRI's FM translator in Blaine more than 1600?
Radio Hankook has been a great addition to the Seattle radio dial, but in 2021 with streaming and a noisy AM band, it probably isn't that profitable anymore. I notice even in my SUV driving around Yakima, 1280 KIT will fade to powerline or traffic light noise for several seconds at a time driving around town. And this is a local signal! Noise level has gone up 10-fold since the late 1990s, when Jean Suh purchased KKBY and KWYZ. The only thing that helps is FM translators at this point. Otherwise, Hankook is closer to obsoletion than anything else. AM radio listening is down to low levels compared to the 1990s. Even FM is down some, it remains profitable, but for how long? Streaming is catching on. Spotify playlists and songs downloaded from iTunes are an on-the-go soundtrack for many college students and young people. 75% of that being rap crap. Young Asian demographics are probably doing the same thing. They are more likely to play current K-pop from Spotify in their Airpods than the stream for KWYZ.

The only profitable AMs in Seattle nowadays are KOMO, KIRO-AM, and KTTH. KVI and KJR-AM to some degree. Maybe a sliver for KIXI, as the audience remains 65+. KKDZ, KWYZ, and Bellingham Punjabi rimshots are NOT profitable and NOT making PPM ratings. Heck, I don't think KKDZ did much on the charts as a Radio Disney affiliate.

 

[davideduardo]

The only profitable AMs in Seattle nowadays are KOMO, KIRO-AM, and KTTH. KVI and KJR-AM to some degree. Maybe a sliver for KIXI, as the audience remains 65+. KKDZ, KWYZ, and Bellingham Punjabi rimshots are NOT profitable and NOT making PPM ratings. Heck, I don't think KKDZ did much on the charts as a Radio Disney affiliate.

A significant number of the specialized ethnic and religious stations on AM are nicely profitable. They do not need or depend on ratings.

There is a Farsi station in LA on an AM that is even an AM rimshot. It supposedly cash flows over $2 million a year.

So in Seattle, any number of Eastern and Southeast Asian language stations can make money. Some of the Spanish language AMs, maybe all of them, make money. A number of the religious stations do as well, although the paid preachers are fewer every year.

All these station program to separate communities, whether bonded by ethnicity, language or faith. They are, in a way, like small town local service stations. They don't, for the most part, call on ad agencies and the like. They just make money.

Of course, except for English and Spanish, Nielsen makes no effort to find speakers of other languages. And the stations don't care as they have a very sizable and marketable audience to offer advertisers who want to reach those groups.

 

[dxsphere]

I found this article on KING 5 about Radio Hankook from 2019. The station has a very loyal listener base, and there's a chance they make just enough off advertising to stay afloat. I don't even think they subscribe to PPM ratings in the first place.

It's quite possible that Korean Americans in the region stream K-pop music, in fact it's likely, but K-pop is not all that Radio Hankook airs.

This Federal Way radio station has the most loyal listeners in the state

Radio Hankook plays K-Pop and offers advice to thousands of people with Korean heritage. #k5evening

www.king5.com

 

[davideduardo]

I found this article on KING 5 about Radio Hankook from 2019. The station has a very loyal listener base, and there's a chance they make just enough off advertising to stay afloat. I don't even think they subscribe to PPM ratings in the first place.

I do not believe that any station not in English or Spanish subscribes to ratings*. No need, no purpose.

* Not just in Seattle... in all US markets.

 

[fordranger797]

I'll be the first one to say I hate seeing AM radio go. With that being said, I do not see a way to make a small AM asset profitable in 2021. Unless we're talking about a major signal, I think we've reached the point of "game over." Small radio ownership groups already struggle to keep the lights on, and many of these owners have far better assets and facilities than a graveyard AM signal.

 

[davideduardo]

I'll be the first one to say I hate seeing AM radio go. With that being said, I do not see a way to make a small AM asset profitable in 2021. Unless we're talking about a major signal, I think we've reached the point of "game over." Small radio ownership groups already struggle to keep the lights on, and many of these owners have far better assets and facilities than a graveyard AM signal.

Look at this a different way: A large private group, Lotus, is buying AMs when the market and the price are in line; they just included an AM in a Seattle purchase. They have bought AMs recently in Reno, Las Vegas, Fresno, Bakersfield and LA among others.

And across the country there are still plenty of profitable AMs, either in smaller markets or where there are niche opportunities in large ones.

That said, there are many that are just on the air to get a translator, which in many markets and at the right height is enough to be nearly as good as a Class A FM and adequate for covering the central area of a market or a medium to smaller city. If the FCC allowed those translator owners to turn the AM off, I'm sure over 90% would.

 

[semoochie]

Being on the air doesn't mean they showed a profit. A mid-band 1 kw AM in Everett didn't hit much of the Seattle metro in the good ol' days, let alone in today's high-noise environment. When will we get over this AM thing? It is obsolete. AM served us well back in the day, but we're not "back in the day" anymore. I'm with Kelly A on this one. And by the way, for those who think there's a killing to be made, I've got an AM available for you...

It's right next to the bridge I'm trying to sell.

KWYZ applied for direct measurement in July.

 

[Treehouse SWL]

I'll be the first one to say I hate seeing AM radio go. With that being said, I do not see a way to make a small AM asset profitable in 2021. Unless we're talking about a major signal, I think we've reached the point of "game over." Small radio ownership groups already struggle to keep the lights on, and many of these owners have far better assets and facilities than a graveyard AM signal.

I said above I'm always sad to see local media outlets in Snohomish County close (if this indeed a permanent transmitter closure), but I'll also admit I've enjoyed logging four or so new stations on 1230 kHz during the past week's worth of nights. I, too, am sad to see the apparent death of AM radio, something that's already happened in many other nations around the world.

Of course, I also spend time listening to shortwave radio, and I was a newspaper reporter and editor for 15+ years. Maybe I'm just addicted to dying media formats.

 

[AuxRSS]

Isn't KSUH the home station, and KWYZ the "translator" for North Sound coverage? That would seem to be indicated by dx_sphere's link to the King5 piece on owner Jean Suh.

The stations' programming is indeed not particularly K-Pop, which is a hit music genre similar to what 92.5 and 106.1 program for English-speaking audiences. What music is on the Suh stations is geared to an older audience not versed in K-Pop -- Korean-dominant, not bilingual, and certainly not Korean-American. Think ballads, Korean oldies, stuff like that. One midday talk segment I heard tried to unpack what Medicare was all about, which gives you an idea of the stations' target demo.

 

[Bongwater]

Young people within the target of popular music, let alone K-POP, don't listen to crappy mono AM stations. There are so many more choices out there now.

That may be true. But Jean Suh and Radio Hankook are very powerful names in the Puget Sound Korean community and in Korean culture, sometimes tradition is more potent than convenience. And for that, young people (and not just Korean young people. K-Pop fans of all stripes) tune in. Mostly for the music but also to learn/study the Korean language through Radio Hankook's news and talk shows. And the Korean community in Puget Sound is pretty well off. And Jean Suh is well respected. So I wouldn't count KWYZ out just yet.

Laptop speakers the size of a dime? 96kb MP3s? Bluetooth speakers? Smartphone speakers? Earbuds? Crosley Phonographs? (And don't even get me started on THE LOUDNESS WARS!!!!!)

C'mon. Young people will listen to crappy audio. And like it. Because they already do.

They aren't typically the audiophile snobs of our respective generations anyway, as long as they can stream/download it quick and for free.

And under these conditions, KSUH and KWYZ, even on AM, sound just fine. (Or whatever's passable for 2021.)

 

[Bongwater]

I said above I'm always sad to see local media outlets in Snohomish County close (if this indeed a permanent transmitter closure), but I'll also admit I've enjoyed logging four or so new stations on 1230 kHz during the past week's worth of nights. I, too, am sad to see the apparent death of AM radio, something that's already happened in many other nations around the world.

Of course, I also spend time listening to shortwave radio, and I was a newspaper reporter and editor for 15+ years. Maybe I'm just addicted to dying media formats.

Unfortunately, AM has no real corporate value anymore (coming soon to FM.) The Hams should get AM and lower power local signals should get FM. Gives everybody what they want.

Corporate radio is getting more "branded", more centralized, homogenized and de-localized. So ultimately, it will make no sense running big giant old local FM transmitters when the national market saturation point of smartphones was already here long ago and a single app is much cheaper than the rent of 800 towers/local cluster buildings.

And the PRO's had better get ready for some new changes in web streaming rates because the radio industry will demand it as it moves further to streaming. And corporate music/radio can't live without each other, they're practically conjoined twins.

A lot of changes coming....

 

[davideduardo]

Unfortunately, AM has no real corporate value anymore (coming soon to FM.) The Hams should get AM and lower power local signals should get FM. Gives everybody what they want.

Those AMs with translators have to keep the AM to be allowed the FM. I think they should allow AM stations that have a translator for several years to turn in the AM if they wish.

Why would the hams want AM? It's truly the worst of all bands for that purpose.

Corporate radio is getting more "branded", more centralized, homogenized and de-localized.

Oh, just like radio was during the 30's, the 40's and much of the 50's?

And the PRO's had better get ready for some new changes in web streaming rates because the radio industry will demand it as it moves further to streaming. And corporate music/radio can't live without each other, they're practically conjoined twins.

The music industry, particularly in certain genres like CHR and Hip Hop, think radio is of very secondary importance. They have no incentive to play nice with radio.

 

[crainbebo]

Rappers use social media, YouTube, and particularly TikTok, to get to their younger audiences. There are some teen/young adult radio listeners, but really...watch a group of teens walk by all wearing Airpods or Beats by Dre. Bet you plenty of $$$ they aren't listening to the webstream for 92.5...

 

[Kelly A]

Being on the air doesn't mean they showed a profit.

Exactly Bill. Let alone being a one-off station that earns enough to keep the lights on or maintain the aging gear.

A mid-band 1 kw AM in Everett didn't hit much of the Seattle metro in the good ol' days, let alone in today's high-noise environment.

KWYZ was a very local focused to Everett station back in it's 'hey day', which barely served just the town of Everett. Even then, it was a money pit. The owner back then had that expensive office lease overlooking I-5, with a lot of live news, eventually being forced to break the studio/office space lease and cut expenses. And that was back when people still listened to AM!

When will we get over this AM thing?
It is obsolete.

Amen. What remains is a handful of revision-history-romantics who remember 'the good old days'. I doubt any of them have ever had the fun of writing checks to cover costs of running a station, or in-person collections (badgering) a local advertiser who's behind 120 days on paying.

AM served us well back in the day, but we're not "back in the day" anymore. And by the way, for those who think there's a killing to be made, I've got an AM available for you...

It's funny you say that.. Last month I was offered a heritage AM station for free. Just take over the leases. Believe it or not, I thought about it for about ten seconds, but deciding to pass.

 

[crainbebo]

Not only that, but KWYZ as a country format was likely being defeated in the ratings and total listeners by KRKO 1380, and nearby Seattle AMs/FMs (i.e., KMPS).

 

[bobdavcav]

Those AMs with translators have to keep the AM to be allowed the FM. I think they should allow AM stations that have a translator for several years to turn in the AM if they wish.

Why would the hams want AM? It's truly the worst of all bands for that purpose.

Oh, just like radio was during the 30's, the 40's and much of the 50's?

The music industry, particularly in certain genres like CHR and Hip Hop, think radio is of very secondary importance. They have no incentive to play nice with radio.

AM operation is growing among hams as far as I know. If broadcasters don't want the band, I'd say that's a logical use for it.

 

[bobdavcav]

Exactly Bill. Let alone being a one-off station that earns enough to keep the lights on or maintain the aging gear.

KWYZ was a very local focused to Everett station back in it's 'hey day', which barely served just the town of Everett. Even then, it was a money pit. The owner back then had that expensive office lease overlooking I-5, with a lot of live news, eventually being forced to break the studio/office space lease and cut expenses. And that was back when people still listened to AM!

Amen. What remains is a handful of revision-history-romantics who remember 'the good old days'. I doubt any of them have ever had the fun of writing checks to cover costs of running a station, or in-person collections (badgering) a local advertiser who's behind 120 days on paying.

It's funny you say that.. Last month I was offered a heritage AM station for free. Just take over the leases. Believe it or not, I thought about it for about ten seconds, but deciding to pass.

I actually have a friend who would gladly take that station, but her fixed income is barely enough for what she has already.

 

[Kelly A]

I actually have a friend who would gladly take that station, but her fixed income is barely enough for what she has already.

Yeah, trying to run a station, let alone a stand alone AM? May as well throw what money you get monthly, directly into the nearest toilet and push the handle.

 

[Kelly A]

AM operation is growing among hams as far as I know. If broadcasters don't want the band, I'd say that's a logical use for it.

Ham's don't adequately use the bands they're already allocated.

 

[Treehouse SWL]

Update: 1230's back on the air as of Saturday (9/25) afternoon. Tuned my car radio to check around 5 p.m. and found their usual Korean programming. So rumors of the station's death apparently are premature!