Let's give the "Delta 4" in Pine Bluff some programming suggestions.

[musicsweep]

There has been alot of well-warranted complaining about the way MRS VEntures has programmed the suppossed "Delta 4" radio stations of KPBQ/KZYP/KOTN/KCLA.

I think it would be fun to imagine for a moment that you own these stations. What would you do with them.

Here's the specs.

Pine Bluff, AR. Pop, approx 55,000. Home to U. of Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

The stations.

KPBQ-FM: Approx 25,000 watts (I think, I have forgotten) at 101.3. Has been best known for its heritage as a country station. I hear it is now Gospel.

KZYP-FM: Approx 3,000 watts. In recent years has run ABC's "Touch" format with a soft R&B sound.

KOTN-AM: Buddy Dean's legacy station has reportedly dropped mainstream talk in favor of KPBQ's country format.

KCLA-AM: FOr years ran a standards format (Memories off of Jones Radio Network) but has been a train wreck since MRS took over.

You have four stations to try to reach as many demos in Pine Bluff as possible. How would you Program them. Include format, a short sample playlist, imaging, station names, etc. Then, how would you sell it? TO what types of businesses? I have heard that sales are tough in Pine Bluff, But I am convinced that money can be made there.


Let's do some brain storming. Perhaps a programmer from MRS will read this, try to implement the changes, then promptly get fired. (We may help someone's career here. hahahah)

But seriously, let's have some fun with this.

 

[wpiv926]

First off, let me give an update on the current state of affairs at MRS Broadcasting (Miserable Radio Stations.) I believe that MRS Ventures has consolidated their operations. Why? Well, the only 2 of the 4 stations that are even on the air at present are 1400 AM and 99.3 FM. Both of these stations former studios are located at the end of Apple St. with the 2 transmitters on site. The studios for all 4 have been located on Commerce Rd., behind the Pines Mall. The 1490 transmitter was located here. The 101.3 transmitter is located off-site by itself, to the south and east of Pine Bluff. My guess is that they were evicted from Commerce Rd., and didn't pay the electric bill at the 101.3 transmitter site (or it's broken.) So, there using the old studios of KCLA/KZYP, with both transmitters on site there near Watson Chapel, to stay on the air. Programming suggestions: Here goes:

KCLA-1400 AM - ESPN Radio/Local Sports/ UAPB, etc.
KOTN-1490 AM - News/Talk
KPBQ-101.3 FM - Country or Oldies
KZYP-99.3 FM - Urban

Obviously, these are all pretty much the same formats that they have done before. But, someone could come in, upgrade all the crappy, worn-out equipment, spend a little bit for some fancy jingles and liners, put in a decent automation system, run some billboard, newspaper ads, etc., promoting the stations as fresh and new and not the same old crap, and probably do well. But, it would take someone with the patience of Job and plently of money and the business saavy to not expect a return on investment overnight. It took several years for the stations to get into the sorry shape and it will take just as long to get them out. I sincerely hope that one day someone will emerge and take over these 4 stations and get them back to where they need to be. Pine Bluff has such a bad reputation - much of it overblown, but it's a town of 55,000 people (just inside the city limits) and I have many fond memories of spending quite a bit of time in Pine Bluff while growing up. I spend at least a full day every week there now. The place is full of good people and they deserve decent radio. If I had the money, I actually would think about it.

Anymore comments?

 

[musicsweep]

> But, someone could come in, upgrade
> all the crappy, worn-out equipment, spend a little bit for
> some fancy jingles and liners, put in a decent automation
> system, run some billboard, newspaper ads, etc., promoting
> the stations as fresh and new and not the same old crap, and
> probably do well.

It is interesting that you mention Billboards...If you notice, there is a billboard advertising an attorney (at least that is what it advertised in 2002) on the property of the Commerce St. offices. The company that owns that Billboard offered the stations (and may still do so) free billboards throughout Pine Bluff in lieu of rent for the part of the property that the billboard stands on. So Billboards have always been available to the "Delta 4" fromt the get-go. For some reason, Russell was never interested because "How's a billboard gonna make me any (bleep) money?"

Before Russell's ownership, those stations used the free Billboards to promote Buddy Deane's "The Morning Mayor" program. Craig Eastham told me he did not use the billboards following Deane's retirement from the show because he did not want to have to moderate which DJ's got promoted, and which ones did not.

P.S. The reason KPBQ is off the air is probably because they do not want to pay an engineer to rig up an STL, or a T-1 line to the Transmitter site. KOTN is probably off air until Russell gives the owners of the Commerce St. building money.

 

[jh]

I was in Pine Bluff once, about 10 years ago, so I don't pretend to know too much about the market, but I would think the two biggest formats would be country and urban. The key would be as much local coverage as possible.

>
> The stations.
>
> KPBQ-FM: Approx 25,000 watts (I think, I have forgotten) at
> 101.3. Has been best known for its heritage as a country
> station. I hear it is now Gospel.
>
I would go back to country, locally progammed for the most part. Live morning drive, probably voice tracked the rest of the day for economic reasons. Local news emphasis.


> KZYP-FM: Approx 3,000 watts. In recent years has run ABC's
> "Touch" format with a soft R&B sound.
>
Keep it "The Touch" but local program AM drive, again with a lot of local cutins during the satellite programming.


> KOTN-AM: Buddy Dean's legacy station has reportedly dropped
> mainstream talk in favor of KPBQ's country format.

News/Talk, make it THE station for anything local... news, weather, sports.
Local news and talk morning drive, best syndicated programs available the rest of the day, with local news update hourly. Have news on the FMs from the "KOTN news room." Local sports usually is sellable, swap shop programs brings in listeners.

>
> KCLA-AM: FOr years ran a standards format (Memories off of
> Jones Radio Network) but has been a train wreck since MRS
> took over.

Paid religion would probably make the most money. If that niche is already taken by signals booming in from Little Rock, then ESPN sports talk. It's cheap, the programming is good, and could be sold in combination with KOTN.

 

[airwolf]

Gallon jugs of gasoline and a match!



> There has been alot of well-warranted complaining about the
> way MRS VEntures has programmed the suppossed "Delta 4"
> radio stations of KPBQ/KZYP/KOTN/KCLA.
>
> I think it would be fun to imagine for a moment that you own
> these stations. What would you do with them.
>
> Here's the specs.
>
> Pine Bluff, AR. Pop, approx 55,000. Home to U. of
> Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
>
> The stations.
>
> KPBQ-FM: Approx 25,000 watts (I think, I have forgotten) at
> 101.3. Has been best known for its heritage as a country
> station. I hear it is now Gospel.
>
> KZYP-FM: Approx 3,000 watts. In recent years has run ABC's
> "Touch" format with a soft R&B sound.
>
> KOTN-AM: Buddy Dean's legacy station has reportedly dropped
> mainstream talk in favor of KPBQ's country format.
>
> KCLA-AM: FOr years ran a standards format (Memories off of
> Jones Radio Network) but has been a train wreck since MRS
> took over.
>
> You have four stations to try to reach as many demos in Pine
> Bluff as possible. How would you Program them. Include
> format, a short sample playlist, imaging, station names,
> etc. Then, how would you sell it? TO what types of
> businesses? I have heard that sales are tough in Pine Bluff,
> But I am convinced that money can be made there.
>
>
> Let's do some brain storming. Perhaps a programmer from MRS
> will read this, try to implement the changes, then promptly
> get fired. (We may help someone's career here. hahahah)
>
> But seriously, let's have some fun with this.
>

 

[dwiman1029]

> I was in Pine Bluff once, about 10 years ago, so I don't
> pretend to know too much about the market, but I would think
> the two biggest formats would be country and urban. The key
> would be as much local coverage as possible.
>
> >
> > jh....i grew up south of pine bluff on the chicot/desha county line. you are living proof that it does not take long to see the way things really are. you hit it right on the head..country and urban....and you have 4 stations to do it with. pine bluff is a unique city in a unique part of the state. listeners there...while they deserve the best they can get..dont want a lot of fancy in their radio. these are the kind of people who can spot fake a mile away. and moreso than the city of pine bluff proper...there are thousands of people in the outlying areas who need agricultural programming. i would take one of those am signals and make it nothing but news/farm/agri/weather. in that part of the state..where agri rules..it would be a cash cow if done right and give the locals what they need at the same time. the other am signal is a toss up.
take the largest fm signal and make it urban with a touch of agri news in the early morning. there are alot of black farmers who could really use the info. i would take the other fm and make it country with a slant toward the classics. lots of local news and happenings and agri news and weather.

it would be good for the pine bluff market to have some real radio for a change. anyone can plug into a sat system and walk away...this will take alot of work.

 

[inthebag]

Country and Urban are probably right on target for music, but one real key here is local, local, local...and living breathing local people on the air, even if they don't sound all that slick. Sure, you can automate nights/overnights and some parts of the weekend, but having someone on the air talking about Pine Bluff is what will make it work.

The agri news/weather is a great idea. Along with that, you'd have to be knee-deep in the community, no matter what the music format. I'd not only carry UAPB sports, but the Zebras and possibly even the junior highs. Covering local politics has to be a priority...heck, you might even want to cover the ladies' garden club meetings.

You have got give a listener a reason to tune over from the Little Rock station they're listening to now. And that won't happen if you do the same thing the stations a few miles up Highway 65 are doing.

Given the fact that I started my career at KCLA and worked for Buddy at KOTN (back when dinosaurs ruled the Earth...no, but seriously, the transmitter was steam powered back then) it's tragic to see what they've come to.



> > I was in Pine Bluff once, about 10 years ago, so I don't
> > pretend to know too much about the market, but I would
> think
> > the two biggest formats would be country and urban. The
> key
> > would be as much local coverage as possible.
> >
> > >
> > > jh....i grew up south of pine bluff on the chicot/desha
> county line. you are living proof that it does not take
> long to see the way things really are. you hit it right on
> the head..country and urban....and you have 4 stations to do
> it with. pine bluff is a unique city in a unique part of
> the state. listeners there...while they deserve the best
> they can get..dont want a lot of fancy in their radio.
> these are the kind of people who can spot fake a mile away.
> and moreso than the city of pine bluff proper...there are
> thousands of people in the outlying areas who need
> agricultural programming. i would take one of those am
> signals and make it nothing but news/farm/agri/weather. in
> that part of the state..where agri rules..it would be a cash
> cow if done right and give the locals what they need at the
> same time. the other am signal is a toss up.
> take the largest fm signal and make it urban with a touch
> of agri news in the early morning. there are alot of black
> farmers who could really use the info. i would take the
> other fm and make it country with a slant toward the
> classics. lots of local news and happenings and agri news
> and weather.
>
> it would be good for the pine bluff market to have some
> real radio for a change. anyone can plug into a sat system
> and walk away...this will take alot of work.
>

 

[musicsweep]

My plan

here's what I would do....



KPBQ- "Pine Bluff's Hometown Country....Q101FM". Q101 would have a mainstream country format majoring in the 80s and 90s country, with some currents and classics thrown in. Emphasis would be on local (6a-7p), with a News/Info heavy morning show, Network News at the top of every hour all day, followed by local news. There would be a newsbreak at noon (with paul harvey if possible), and at 5 pm. KPBQ would carry Arkansas Razorback football, and the Dallas Cowboys.

Core artists would be George Strait, Garth, Tracy Lawrence, Mark Chesnutt, etc.

KZYP- "Pine Bluff's R&B...Z99-3" would take on an adult R&B format majoring in Old School. I would hire a friend of mine to program this all the way. He did a fabulous job programming KNET in Palestine, TX when it was "The Flava". Currently he has a sweet gig in Mississippi. KZYP would be the African American community's station, supplying them with info and public service. KZYP would carry UAPB sports.


KOTN- News/Talk. Fox and Friends in the morning with local cut-ins. 9-11 would be "Talk Back live". 11-12 would be "Super Tradio". Noon to two would be the Oreilly Radio factor. 2-5- Hannity. 5-8 would be Savage. Overnights would be ESPN radio. (I might consider beginning ESPN at 5 if Savage created too many problems.) KOTN would be the home of Arkansas Razorback basketball. KOTN would also be the flagship for High school sports coverage.

KCLA- Contemprary Christian. (Format similar to KSWP in Lufkin, or KLTY in Dallas). I don't care if it would sell or not. In a 4 station cluster one station usually gets bonused by the sales people. I might as well play what I want on that station, and have my own little station to run. More High School coverage here.

 

[scottm1025]

Shut up and play the hits....

> There has been alot of well-warranted complaining about the
> way MRS VEntures has programmed the suppossed "Delta 4"
> radio stations of KPBQ/KZYP/KOTN/KCLA.
>
> I think it would be fun to imagine for a moment that you own
> these stations. What would you do with them.
>
> Here's the specs.
>
> Pine Bluff, AR. Pop, approx 55,000. Home to U. of
> Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
>
> The stations.
>
> KPBQ-FM: Approx 25,000 watts (I think, I have forgotten) at
> 101.3. Has been best known for its heritage as a country
> station. I hear it is now Gospel.
>
> KZYP-FM: Approx 3,000 watts. In recent years has run ABC's
> "Touch" format with a soft R&B sound.
>
> KOTN-AM: Buddy Dean's legacy station has reportedly dropped
> mainstream talk in favor of KPBQ's country format.
>
> KCLA-AM: FOr years ran a standards format (Memories off of
> Jones Radio Network) but has been a train wreck since MRS
> took over.
>
> You have four stations to try to reach as many demos in Pine
> Bluff as possible. How would you Program them. Include
> format, a short sample playlist, imaging, station names,
> etc. Then, how would you sell it? TO what types of
> businesses? I have heard that sales are tough in Pine Bluff,
> But I am convinced that money can be made there.
>
>
> Let's do some brain storming. Perhaps a programmer from MRS
> will read this, try to implement the changes, then promptly
> get fired. (We may help someone's career here. hahahah)
>
> But seriously, let's have some fun with this.
>

 

[u-j]

Pine Bluff has such a bad reputation - much of it overblown, but
> it's a town of 55,000 people (just inside the city limits)
> and I have many fond memories of spending quite a bit of
> time in Pine Bluff while growing up. I spend at least a
> full day every week there now. The place is full of good
> people and they deserve decent radio. If I had the money, I
> actually would think about it.
>
> Anymore comments?
>

Even if I had the money, there's no way I would buy the Pine Bluff stations. Why? Well, for starters, it would make sense for a new owner to live in Pine Bluff. Pine Bluff's reputation is overblown? Hardly. I grew up south of Pine Bluff and got my start there at KOTN working the "Morning Mayor", Buddy Dean. Then I got stupid and left. After having worked for Buddy, I can tell you that, like a lot of parents, it's amazing how much smarter he got after I left KOTN. The way Buddy ran those stations is the best way to operate, by making as many of them, as finances allow, as local as possible. And by having a "target" as recognizable as Buddy was on staff. Lot's of people listened to Buddy because the loved him and lot's more listened because they didn't and knew that, one day, he would say something that ticked them off so much that they would finally call him up and tell him what they thought of him. Buddy was the best at that I've ever seen and I miss him not being around, even though I couldn't hear him if he was. Several years ago, at a roast for Buddy, the Priest at the Catholic Church there offered a prayer that ended with something along the lines of:... and Lord, when it's time for Buddy to come home to Heaven, give him a Golden Microphone, so he'll have some peace. But, Lord, please don't plug it in, so the rest of us can have some, too.