Legendary Jim Richards to CLick FM

[radioguy123]

Clear Channel VP of Rock Programming and the guru of 91X in San Diego is the new PD for Click-FM. He once ran the rock, active and alternative brands for the Clear Channel cluster for almost a decade. Announced today he is looking forward to hiring a staff and recreating 91X here in Seattle. For fans of that station it was the home of Resurrection Sundays and great alternative and modern rock. 91X is one of the legendary alternative/modern stations in America and Richards was its PD for a decade or so before moving up the corporate ranks at Channel. Wonder what enticed him to Seattle? Will make for some interesting radio!

 

[Bongwater]

You mean we're finally going to hear something else on 98.9 MHz than the same 30 songs over and over and over and over and over and over and over?..........

 

[peetah]

Mr. 123...

Where did he say he's looking to recreate 91X?
Here is what he said on All Access:
"I can’t wait to begin building a staff, and using the skills learned in New Media to create a unique experience for seattle listeners," RICHARDS said. "MARC KAYE and his team have laid a great foundation, and CLICK 98.9 FM is already gaining traction in its infancy. This is the ideal timing for a programmer to jump on board; I’m grateful MARC chose me to lead the way."

Is it just wishful thinking on your part?
???

 

[AQH]

You mean we're finally going to hear something else on 98.9 MHz than the same 30 songs over and over and over and over and over and over and over?..........

Hahahahaha! It's funny because the station doesn't actually play only 30 songs. :

 

[Bongwater]

You mean we're finally going to hear something else on 98.9 MHz than the same 30 songs over and over and over and over and over and over and over?..........

Hahahahaha! It's funny because the station doesn't actually play only 30 songs. :

It's funny because as a casual listener that's not what I hear. And have listened to this station for HOURS at a time. Way too much repetition. And not too casual to listen to repetitiously either.......

 

[scott salvatori]

mr bongwater: hours at a time? let me solve your problem: listen just 15 minutes a day. then you can be the average quater hour listener. repitition problem solved. otherwise, most of us TSL'ers done moved to XM/SR, or CCWiFi.

 

[radioguy123]

"I can’t wait to begin building a staff, and using the skills learned in New Media to create a unique experience for seattle listeners,"

91X was a unique format for San Diego in the modern/alternative realm. Richards background is entirely in this format genre so it would make some sense that he would lead Click-fm in that direction. Musically it is headed that way right now.
The press release Seems to imply less about the radio format and more about integrating social media into the radio station to create a unique experience. Clearly the modern ac/alternative sound is suited to web, and social networking integration.

Course I could be wrong and Richards will go Oldies, or female based AC...maybe Country? I guess if you programmed rock formats for 20 years it could be time to try something else. I suspect Mark Kaye hired a modern rock programmer for a specific purpose and format, but could be wrong.

 

[FMSteve]

Great. That's just great. Yet another Rock-insipered format in this messed up radio market. Ok, let me get this straight, you drop 400,000 listeners to divy up the Rock/AC pie between KWJZ, KNDD, KPLZ, KMTT, KJAQ, KEXP and 104.9 GenX.

What an F'ing boneheaded move.

No, what is needed is a rhythmically-based AC station in this market. KWJZ had the perfect opportunity to drift (as opposed to "evolve") into an AC station, slightly urban targeting females 25-54. Some folks still feel that a slightly Urban/AC station won't work here. And I would say that is true if it's still 1990. But many people in this market nowdays have come from other, larger markets, and expect to find this format.

Ok, you can say that MOViN with it's "old school" mix didn't work. I say they just didn't do it right. The format was too spastic...gaining high cume but no loyalty because it was actually two or three formats all wrapped up into one station. T-40 and Old School.

What makes a successful station is high AQH and good-sized weekly cume. Probably the most successful station using that yardstick is KCMS, the Christian station. A great, loyal following with very high AQH. If I was a media buyer I would buy KCMS all day long.

A rythmically-based AC station will have high AQH and a resonable amount of cume audience. KWJZ could have drifted into that format over a period of a year or two and been successful. Those 400,000 listeners that they dropped have no where to go, and that's a shame.

 

[AQH]

It's funny because as a casual listener that's not what I hear. And have listened to this station for HOURS at a time. Way too much repetition. And not too casual to listen to repetitiously either.......

You are anything but a casual (or objective) radio listener.

 

[TVradioguru]

A rythmically-based AC station will have high AQH and a resonable amount of cume audience. KWJZ could have drifted into that format over a period of a year or two and been successful. Those 400,000 listeners that they dropped have no where to go, and that's a shame.

Really! Care to site some examples of your theory? Call letters, city and ratings/demo overview please.

Do you have anything to back up that a station lost "400,000 listeners" who have no where else to go? Or is this merely a rant because you personally are disapointed the station changed? Do you really think 400,000 people just stopped listening to radio because a station changed format? If so, you have a lot of reality to learn.

It seems to me I recall you, among others here, being one of the first to jump on the...'hooray, it's a new rock station to rescue us all'...bandwagon.

 

[bossbill]

What is success?

1) high cumes or 2) high AQH or 3) high billing or 4) high net profit or is it 5) satisfying all of us posters on radio-info.

1) or 2) don't necessarily produce 3), but are usually a component. And 3) doesn't always equate with 4). 5) is improbable if not impossible. In the business world we go for door #4. The bottom line is the bottom line.

One common denominator for all successful stations is that whatever they're doing, they've been doing it for a while. 40-50 years ago, "a while" could mean a few months. Today, with more radio stations than hair salons, "a while" may mean several years. Consistency and longevity play a big role. Unfortunately so many stations succumb to the instant gratification syndrome, and bail on a format or formula for success way too early.

 

[radioguy123]

So true Bill. PPM seems to increase the instant gratification syndrome. It used to take a two to three year plan to develop a station during the ancient days of the diary. Many stations took even longer to develop, but over time become solid ratings and revenue producers. In the age of weekly PPM reports stations are looking for instant gratification. Top revenue stations in Seattle in 2010 were KRWM, KPLZ, KZOK, KOMO and KIRO. Two out of three of these stations were not even in the top ten 25-54 in PPM. All of these stations have been doing their formats for over a decade or more. Ratings are only one piece of the revenue puzzle. Live, local, heritage and consistency are highly valued by advertisers. KWJZ did about 4 million in revenue with little cost last year. It will take Click-FM two to three years to establish itself and get to that billing. The hiring of Richards seems to indicate a long-term view. Time will tell, let's hope Richards and the station get that time.

Rythmic based AC stations or urban AC dominate in places like Atlanta (the VEE), Washington DC and several smaller southern markets. The Seattle demographic makeup makes that format a bit more challenging here, though that is slowly changing.

 

[TVradioguru]

PPM seems to increase the instant gratification syndrome.

Rythmic based AC stations or urban AC dominate in places like Atlanta (the VEE), Washington DC and several smaller southern markets. The Seattle demographic makeup makes that format a bit more challenging here, though that is slowly changing.

As David pointed out in the other thread; PPM was developed for advertisers to receive faster and arguably, more accurate data on the demographics they want to reach. Instant gratification? Not yet for ratings, but our listeners do expect it in their media consumption.

I was hoping that FMSteve would step up an mention those two examples in defending his theory, but didn't. That being said, Seattle is not Atlanta nor DC. Just adopting the latest niche' format without adequate market research because the one you have isn't working anymore is like playing financial Russian roulette with five in the chamber and one empty.

 

[FMSteve]

A rythmically-based AC station will have high AQH and a resonable amount of cume audience. KWJZ could have drifted into that format over a period of a year or two and been successful. Those 400,000 listeners that they dropped have no where to go, and that's a shame.

Really! Care to site some examples of your theory? Call letters, city and ratings/demo overview please.

Do you have anything to back up that a station lost "400,000 listeners" who have no where else to go? Or is this merely a rant because you personally are disapointed the station changed? Do you really think 400,000 people just stopped listening to radio because a station changed format? If so, you have a lot of reality to learn.

It seems to me I recall you, among others here, being one of the first to jump on the...'hooray, it's a new rock station to rescue us all'...bandwagon.

Hey Guru, thanks for reading my post. I'm flattered. No, I wasn't one of those people that got all excited about new KWJZ. I seem to remember saying I was upset at the change and I was going to "Click...it off."

Regarding where Rhythmic listeners can go right now to hear what was offered from the old format, there really isn't any alternative right now except a smattering of KCMQ, KJR, and KPLU. Will those three stations be the beneficiaries of the audience left from the old smooth jazz format? That remains to be seen.

As for the success of a Rhythmic Adult Contemporary station here, you're right that the market hasn't supported it well. Of course I long for the days of KYAC FM (96.5). But I digress.

I do have incidental local Arbitron information that shows this format is capable of high AQH with a limited cume. I guess I'm just saying that the format might work now as an efficient radio buy but maybe not a cume builder. Remember media buyers like to buy efficiency because it makes them look good at the agency. In any event it might be worth a try. Maybe KMCQ will try it. I think I heard Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes the other day on 104.5.

Thanks for your interest.

 

[AQH]

Hey Guru, thanks for reading my post. I'm flattered. No, I wasn't one of those people that got all excited about new KWJZ. I seem to remember saying I was upset at the change and I was going to "Click...it off."

Regarding where Rhythmic listeners can go right now to hear what was offered from the old format, there really isn't any alternative right now except a smattering of KCMQ, KJR, and KPLU. Will those three stations be the beneficiaries of the audience left from the old smooth jazz format? That remains to be seen.

As for the success of a Rhythmic Adult Contemporary station here, you're right that the market hasn't supported it well. Of course I long for the days of KYAC FM (96.5). But I digress.

I do have incidental local Arbitron information that shows this format is capable of high AQH with a limited cume. I guess I'm just saying that the format might work now as an efficient radio buy but maybe not a cume builder. Remember media buyers like to buy efficiency because it makes them look good at the agency. In any event it might be worth a try. Maybe KMCQ will try it. I think I heard Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes the other day on 104.5.

Thanks for your interest.

What kind of Rhythmic are you thinking about? It's easy to say "Rhythmic AC," but the definition of Rhythmic and even "Old Skool" has changed so much over the past 10 years (just listen to Shellie Hart's show on KUBE as an example).

 

[FMSteve]

Probably 80's and 90's (Quiet Storm). The 60's and 70's seem to be covered by some of the other stations I mentioned, though not too deep.

Quiet Storm would bring you a median age of around 39 as those folks were in their teens and 20's back in the 80's and 90's.

 

[AQH]

Probably 80's and 90's (Quiet Storm). The 60's and 70's seem to be covered by some of the other stations I mentioned, though not too deep.

Quiet Storm would bring you a median age of around 39 as those folks were in their teens and 20's back in the 80's and 90's.

If Rhythmic AC didn't work in Seattle (on 106.1) back when those songs were in their prime, why is there reason to believe they would work as Oldies?

 

[FMSteve]

Good question. I'm scratching my head to try to figure out what 106.1 was playing in the 80's and 90's. Wasn't that KHIT? I thought that was modern rock ie. Elvis Costello, The Clash, etc.

Being a major market, there has been considerable mobility into the area since 1985. Microsoft, Real Networks, Amegen and a host of companies large and small have settled into the market, and brought forth a plethora of new workers from all over the US and the World. Seattle in 2011 is a much different place than it was 25 years ago. I'm a native and quite the oddball at a party as many/most folks have come from somewhere else.

So what I'm saying is that a Rhythmic AC station has the chance to be successful, but certainly untested. I'm not saying it would be an extreme cume builder, but it might possibly deliver an efficient media buy.

 

[radiojjh]

Close but NO cigar----106.1 was KRPM and was country for a good long while and evolving into KBKS/Kiss 106.1 106.9 was KHIT, that is now KRWM. Hope that got it straightened out. Easy with all the changes to forget who was who a couple of decades ago.....

 

[Bongwater]

Close but NO cigar----106.1 was KRPM and was country for a good long while and evolving into KBKS/Kiss 106.1 106.9 was KHIT, that is now KRWM. Hope that got it straightened out. Easy with all the changes to forget who was who a couple of decades ago.....

Mr. radiojjh! FINALLY! A voice of sanity! Where ya been?