Market-by-market viability of AM radio

[FreddyE1977]

Okay. I suppose 1460 isn't technically a graveyard frequency.
But the point is out of all the local AM's WTVN is the only one that
puts out any kind of decent coverage for the modern day expanded
City Limits of Columbus.

 

[michael hagerty]

What's the status of KCBS-AM (740), now simulcasting with 106.9 FM...I mean in the ratings??

KCBS-AM is #1 in the March 2011 PPMs. 6.8 share (total audience ages 6 and older), a cume of 1,278,500. That number appears to be the simulcast of AM and FM, with no breakout of how much is on which band.

 

[davideduardo]

KCBS-AM is #1 in the March 2011 PPMs. 6.8 share (total audience ages 6 and older), a cume of 1,278,500. That number appears to be the simulcast of AM and FM, with no breakout of how much is on which band.

Stations in a single rated market area that simulcast have the option of having each station listed separately or having them combined on a "single line" and this is very imaginatively called "Single Line Reporting." The data on the individual stations is not available unless a significant extra fee is paid by the station for a custom report.

The simulcast is 5th in 25-54, with KQED in first, over 35% ahead of KCBS. KGO is way down there, with about 40% of the KCBS audience and a tad less than a third of the KQED share in 25-54, and ranks 19th.

 

[MarioMania]

Why is KQED #1??

Does it have news/sports/weather??

 

[davideduardo]

Why is KQED #1??

Because it is good. This is one of those cases where a station that has really good programming wins.

Does it have news/sports/weather??

Why not listen?

 

[LKellerIII]

Why is KQED #1??

Because it is good. This is one of those cases where a station that has really good programming wins.

Does it have news/sports/weather??

Why not listen?

KQED has news/sports/weather, and traffic in drive times. Now that they have a repeater in the Sacramento area (KQEI), they even include Sacramento traffic.

Once you get used to NPR's long detailed stories - not to mention lack of commercials, it's very hard to go back to commercial news or talk radio. I understand that KCBS is considered one of the best, but I find it un-listenable now.

And the charge that NPR has left-wing is just bulls**t. There are numerous conservative commentators who contribute, including David Frum and David Brooks.

 

[radiorob2.0]

At some point the FCC will allow the AM call letters to transfer to what is now the translator, then the AM's will have an option to shut down or sell at a fire sale price. Then you will see KFI, WBBM, WCBS and other still successful AM's move to a co-owned FM frequency and have the option of shutting down or sold at a fire sale price.

The former Citadel now Cumulus big city AM's might have a major problem on the horizon.

 

[dave73]

Nobody went into talking about Chicago in detail. 670 (WSCR), 720 (WGN), 780 (WBBM), 890 (WLS), & 1000 (WMVP) being the 50kw blowtorches that still have a future in AM radio. Don't rule out 5kw WIND on 560. They have coverage over the entire Chicago market as well as the Milwaukee market 24/7. WYLL on 1160 also has a possible chance, as they upgraded their nighttime signal to 50kw, & cover nearly the same area that their daytime site covers. In some areas, it's still possible to hear KSL Salt Lake City in Chicago, but not as well as when they broadcasted at 5kw to the SE at night. Most other stations have a bleak future. 1600 WCGO (call letters now on 1590 Evanston, IL) went dark, along with WKKD 1580 Aurora, & another 1600 (don't remember the call letters) in Harvard, IL, in order to allow for 1590 in Evanston, IL to get a power increase (only for daytime, as I believe Carol Stream blocked Kovas's attempts to build new towers in their community, & had to settle for a power increase at their existing site). I still see a bleak future for this station. The 2 1600's were daytime stations with very low wattage. WCGO when they were on 1600 Chicago Heights was 1kw with coverage to the NE & SW, & only 23 watts at night on the same pattern. I however believed that they stayed on their daytime power, because 1600 Chicago Heights was not supposed to be heard in Gary, IN at sunset, nor on the far south side of Chicago near the old Jays Potato Chip plant.

 

[LKidd]

Here's the central Kansas lowdown.

550 - KFRM, licensed to Salina but operated out of Clay Center, northeast of Salina (where the owners also have an FM based). 5KW day, 110 watts night, pattern goes south and west from 3 tower DA about 40 miles north of Salina. Farm station (think business news with an ag orientation), city grade goes south past Hutchinson and almost to Wichita.
900 - KSGL Wichita, 250w days/28w nights DA, mix of standards and religious programming. Directional is east-west on two towers in west Wichita.
910 - KINA Salina, 500w days/29w nights, DA. Fox oriented talk station, local in AM drive. DA beams northwest supposedly. Presently on an STA with 125w days due to problems with the antenna that reportedly day from the day after it was built.
950 - KJRG Newton, the heritage religious station in the area, now owned by Bott. 500w day/147w night non-directional on a 440' tower. Signal gets out about 70 miles during the day, and puts a good signal about 20-30 miles at night depending on direction from Newton.
1070 - KLIO Wichita, 10kw days/1kw nights, DA-N. This for years was legendary country KFDI, today running True Oldies format. Has best day signal in Wichita, night DA is a very tight figure 8 that is roughly N-S in orientation. Covers core of the city well but has a lot of problems in the east and west suburbs where Wichita's growth is.
1150 - KSAL Salina, 5KW, DA-N. One of just just 3 stations in Kansas west of Topeka that has 5KW nights. Night DA is mainly west with side lobes going NNE and S. Station can be picked up most days in parts of Wichita with a daytime coverage that rivals some 50KW clears. (NIF is an area best just over 3 mv/m) News/Talk station with the big national hosts (Rush etc.) plus local AM and PM drive, local sports, and Kansas State.
1240 - KFH Wichita (also see 1330 below). Wichita's graveyard station, 630w ND. Tower located near 21st and I-135, very close to the center of the urbanized area. Station started out as KANS in 1936, then became KAKE when KANS moved to 1480. It later was known under two other call letters before becoming the original home of News/Talk KNSS, now at 1330. Runs ESPN sports and other talk, simulcast on 98.7 FM (C2 licensed to Clearwater, south of Wichita) for the only full simulcast in the region.
1330 - KNSS Wichita. 5 kw DA-N. Long time home of KFH before Entercom made a frequency swith to put the news-talk on the best night signal/number 2 day signal in the market. Tower is located in east Wichita right along Wichita's long time "Yuppy Way" (Rock Road). Nulls on night pattern equate to a 1kw signal, more than adequate to cover core metro. DA pattern at night is oriented NNW-SSE (roughly towards McPherson and Arkansas City respectively). Has Rush and all the other big talk shows.
1360 - KAHS El Dorado. 1kw day/240w night, DA-2. Catholic satellite programming. At one time was a 500w daytimer targeting home Butler County. Past owners then tried to target Wichita, despite a huge signal problem in parts of town (especially in the area of the 1330 tower). Day DA is southwest, night beams straight west from just east of El Dorado.
1410 - KGSO Wichita. 5kw day/1kw night, DA-2. Sports talk. DA from north wichita goes southwest days, mostly south with side lobes E-W nights, the most complicated night pattern in town. Has operated under multiple call letters-formats over the years.
1450 - KWBW Hutchinson. 1kw graveyard station. Arguably has the worst nighttime signal of any station in the area excepting the flea power operations (and one of them actually has a better night signal), getting out 10 miles at night can be a challenge. News/talk with Rush etc plus a lot of local talk and sports. It's long had signal issues, but does well in the city of Hutchinson which is all they really target.
1480 - KQAM Wichita. 5kw day/1kw night, DA-2. East-west pattern day and night, with a deep null north at night from tower in NE Wichita. Has probably the 2nd best night signal in the market, especially on the east side where a lot of money is. Station runs mostly 2nd tier talk programming plus does local sports (sister station to 1410).
1540 - KNGL McPherson. 250w day/2w night (does not use night power), ND. One of just two AM's in Kansas that still runs on a dawn-dusk schedule. Airs 2nd tier talk programming, plus does some similcasting of sister class A FM KBBE 96.7. For the power it has, it has an incredible coverage thanks to a tall (277') tower. The oil refinery next door NW does create a directional effect on the signal, nulling it in that direction - but you can still get a decent signal 20-25 miles in that direction.

 

[JH_Radio]

I'm just outside of Philly and as far as I can hear, the only stations to get decent coverage at night (Those are the ones that you guys are counting, right?)
1210 WPHT switched to local talk, but at night runs Coast to Coast AM. Best signal by far in this city.
560 WFIL Christian teaching, but runs Christian CHR in the overnights
950 WPEN (all sports) i'm thinking most of its listeners are on 97.5 FM< but I can get a good signal here, even at night.
610 WIP good signal overnights, soon to be simocast at 94.1, so there goes that perhaps.
1060 KYW All news 24-7, highest rated AM in town, has co-channel interpherence.
990 WNTP heavier co-channel interpherence salem's news/talk outlet. Denis Brown and Michael Savage overnights.
WHAT isn't with us anymore.
WBCB (a very good local levettown, PA owned by Maral Rease who does the Play-by-play of the Philadelphia Eagles
Reception bearly heard at night but does local talk programming, with Oldies during the overnights, with a live local DJ.
1310 (Forget the calls) out of Kamdon, NJ spanish running AM Stereo horible signal overnight.

The Rest of the band I couldn't tell you about as far as signal coverage goes.
Someone else help ?

 

[JeeperOne]

Here in Denver, it all begins - And ends - with the 50 gallon JUICE GUZZLING blowtorch of the Rockies (That being KOA) which is owned by CC & has news, conservative talk (Including the druggie Rush Limbaugh), Rockies Baseball & Broncos Football

Everything & Everyone else (Including CC's other conservative talker KHOW 630 & progressive talker KKZN 760) is an also-ran

Salem has its usual talkers in KNUS 710 (Home to Hannity & The Beak) & KBJD 1650. It's religious stuff is largely on FM with 91.1 being the home to K-LOVE & KRKS 94.7 being a christian talker/godcaster (The latter supposedly migrating from AM 990 but hasn't done so yet)

Crawford even has its share of stations in conservative talker KLZ 560 (The OTHER 50 gallon station which has become THE most forgettable station in town over the last generation, which is quite a shame given its heritage history from Denver's OTR days) as well as godcasters 670 (Also a 50 gallon juice guzzler - Perhaps THE BIGGEST one of them all considering the only format it's ever had has been religion) & 1220 (They just pulled the plug on 810)

As for the sports talkers, Sporting News is on KCKK 1510 (Who has a translator on 93.7 which I get better than 1510 itself) & ESPN is on KEPN 1600 (Though this will change in January when it moves to 102.3). FOX Sports Radip is on FM (KKFN) as is ESPN Desportes Radio (87.7)

KRWZ 950 (The former home of KKFN) is a true oldies station which has a translator on 103.1 (Though neither can be heard very well)

NPR News even has a home on KCFR-AM 1340 (Though it is simulcast on 90.1) & Pacifica Radio has a home on KGNU-AM 1390 (Which is simulcast on 88.5 in Boulder)

That's the report from here

Cheers

 

[JeeperOne]

Why, out of curiosity, do you think 710 is worthy of inclusion with 550 and 620? It has no listeners to speak of, and no really usable night signal... in fact, it has a null right towards downtown Phoenix.

Just guessing. I figured (apparently incorrectly) that sports would be the last remaining semi-viable AM format in Spanish as well as English. Their almost-nonexistent nighttime signal in the southeast valley certainly doesn't help them, although I would have thought that they'd get a decent number of listeners on the west side.

Sports is not a real format in most of Latin America. Mexico City has had various attempts, and none is either a ratings or billing success... the American sports talk format is more guy talk than just sports, and that may be the cultural factor that makes the format unimpressive in Spanish.

Which is why it'll most likely not go any further than ESPN, maybe Fox Sports Desportes (If the latter even bothers to launch a network) as well as a few border area locals

Cheers

 

[RadioDaze]

One of Cumulus' first moves after taking over Citadel...adding an FM simulcast for Washington's WMAL 630 AM, which, as of noon today, is heard on FM at 105.9 (formerly classic rocker WVRX). Listenership to AM in the DC market has been notoriously anemic for years, and WMAL is arguably the best signal (still spotty in the suburbs at that) and most viable station still on the band.