MICHAEL STEELE OUT AT INDIE

[hnglkjss]

Just announced on All Access about 10 minutes ago... Michael Steele has been let go from Indie 103. Rumor has WFNX Boston OM/PD Max Tolkoff as the replacement.

 

[marko83]

I wish Entravision would sell this station to some one who knows how to run it. From what I hear, the sales staff pretty much makes the big decisions anyway.

 

[scooty430]

Indie is great just the way it is:

- Excellent, eclectic free form show 2 hours a day (Jonsey's Jukebox)
- Great new music, without preadolescent stuff currently cluttering KROQ
- Playing artists nobody else does, and breaking new artists often months before KROQ.
- Fantastic specialty shows: Feel My Heat, Harmony in my Head, Mashup Show...
- No annoying, noisy station IDs between each song with lots of stupid crashes and clangs (see KROQ and KLOS)
- Great, intelligent, listenable, and fun morning show.
- They've even jettisoned the "Napoleon Dynamite/Jeff Spicolli/Bill and Ted" slacker voice guy. Hooray!

Only weak points: 1) Not enough announcing of the artists and song titles. 2) Still too much automated/jock-less airtime. 3) Lastly, afternoon jock TK tends to yell and tries too hard. Put the weekend guy on in TK's place, or make TK talk like a normal person. (And no, TK, that does not mean talking like a K-Earth jock as a joke. Just talk, buddy. Listen to the morning show for an idea of how to do this, my loud-mouthed friend.)

I am amazed that this station has lasted as long as it has, what with almost zero ratings, zero promotion, and zero signal. I hope it stays around for a long, long time.

 

[marko83]

who is the weekend guy?

 

[hnglkjss]

Not enough announcing of the artists and song titles.

It's such a simple thing. One of the top 2 complaints from radio listeners is "they don't tell us the title and artist." Even songs that the jock assumes everyone knows, there's always someone out there who doesn't. And the ones who do know aren't bothered to hear it announced again.

I can't tell you how many times I've heard a song on KROQ and they never announce who it is. I'd ask but someone would tell me the song's a year old so they don't back or frontsell... Well, that doesn't help me any. If they announced titles more, I'd buy more music. Seems to me the music industry would have an interest in getting radio jocks to announce titles and artists more than they do. (I seem to remember a campaign a few years ago, "Play it, say it."

Oh, and backselling is much better than frontselling. I don't know if I like the song yet or not until I've heard it. When the song's over, then I'm interested in finding out. Beforehand, I'm not paying attention yet.

 

[JimmyJames]

A shame. I really found Steele to be a talented programmer.

 

[Radiogeek500]

This station is a non core assest for Entravision, they need to either sell it or flip it to something that serves the agenda.

 

[leethalweapon]

This station is a non core assest for Entravision, they need to either sell it or flip it to something that serves the agenda.

I seem to remember (I think it was) Entravision GM saying they were using it to gather a slice of the english speaking (market) revenue. So if it is working for them, why flip it?

 

[ronkaram]

This station always had higher ratings as a dance station. I wonder if Clear Channel is still paying them under the table to keep the format to take listeners away from KROQ.

 

[scooty430]

A shame. I really found Steele to be a talented programmer.

I hope they're not planning to make Indie like WFNX. I grew up in Boston, and though it was fairly neat in the 80s, they really lost their way trying to battle WBCN. Last time I checked, it was basically just like KROQ, minus any listeners or coolness factor. Their slogan a few years ago was "Radio Anarchy." Ick.

Seeing as they just gave Jonesey another weekly show, complete with a panel of guests, where he reviews new records, it seems unlikely they're planning to make a big change or sell it. They probably wouldn't bother to book guys like Andy Summers (Wednesday) either. But, who knows? It certainly defies all logic to have that station still keep that format.

Business decisions aside, the station is a fantastic listen if you enjoy great music and great radio.

 

[scooty430]

This station always had higher ratings as a dance station. I wonder if Clear Channel is still paying them under the table to keep the format to take listeners away from KROQ.

Did it really? I know Groove Radio had very loyal fans, but I remember it as being a fairly small niche kind of station.

I doubt a huge corporation like Clear Channel would pay another company under the table. Besides, if they were going to go after KROQ, it would make more sense to play more KROQ artists like My Chemical Romance and Korn that male teens like. Certainly they wouldn't let Henry Rollins near a microphone at 8pm on a weeknight either.

Most likely, they have this station and don't quite know what to do with it, so it's on the back burner. And hopefully it will stay there....

 

[david]

Adding my voice to those who lament the departure of Michael Steele.
The station he built has drawn comparisons to KMET (which says quite a lot for his achievement).
Moreover, despite consistent half share ratings, the station airs spot loads in both quantity and quality that would make many stations with 2X and 3X its ratings envious (KRLA comes to mind).

While I think some of the programming decision he made are ludicrous, such as having a legal affairs talk show in late AM on Friday mornings, the adventurous music (especially for those of us who follow the UK charts) is an absolute treat: Guster, the Shins, Lily Allen, Editors, Bloc Party, Aqualung, Peter Bjorn & John, Interpol, Art Brut, Muse, etc. are available either nowhere else, or infrequently on stations like KCRW.

I hope Indie 103.1 does not move too much in the direction of repetitive KROQ. While KROQ is considered to be a brilliant station on a national basis, it has become quite predictable (i.e., boring and not worthy of heavy TSL) for those of us fortunate enough to have access to it over the air.

 

[hamNcheese]

Any idea why he is no longer employed as the program director at Indie 103.1?
What other stations has he programmed?
Where might he land next?

 

[hotpatrick2004]

I loved that slacker guys voice on indie i also heard his voice on some jack statio in sandiego i think but it was on a jack station but not los angeles.The slackers voice just added to the cool feel of indie.I thank the heaven above for indie 1031!!!They have introduced my to great bands like nightmare of you and brandtson.I like tk he is very passionate and good voice for radio.

Good luck michael whereever you may land!!!

 

[davideduardo]

The station he built has drawn comparisons to KMET (which says quite a lot for his achievement).
Moreover, despite consistent half share ratings, the station airs spot loads in both quantity and quality that would make many stations with 2X and 3X its ratings envious (KRLA comes to mind).

You should, though, remember that radio is priced by delivery, and the number of spots, per se, is meaningless unless you know the rate. In the case of Indie, the rate is appropriate for the half-share they generate in the ratings.... meaning a station like KROQ would probably charge 5 to 10 times more per spot.

A lot of cheap spots is not a sign of success.

I hope Indie 103.1 does not move too much in the direction of repetitive KROQ. While KROQ is considered to be a brilliant station on a national basis, it has become quite predictable (i.e., boring and not worthy of heavy TSL) for those of us fortunate enough to have access to it over the air.

The fact that KROQ beats Indie even on the West side indicates that the majority of listeners, even where Indie can be heard, do not agree with you.

In fact, in Orange County, where KROQ does not always have the best signal from the Verdugo Mountain transmitter, it beats Indie, which is local in much of the OC, by about 8 to 1.

 

[david]

You should, though, remember that radio is priced by delivery, and the number of spots, per se, is meaningless unless you know the rate. In the case of Indie, the rate is appropriate for the half-share they generate in the ratings.... meaning a station like KROQ would probably charge 5 to 10 times more per spot.
A lot of cheap spots is not a sign of success.

I am not comparing the Class A KDLD/KDLE to the full market KROQ signal (albeit 106.7 is one of the poorest full-market signals in SoCal) but rather to other Class A's and other lower rated AM stations, which is why I mentioned KRLA. I would also compare its billings to KTLK, KLIT, KDAY, KFSH, KJLH. In fact, of this group only KDLD and KLIT exist on more than one stick.
My second point was the quality of the spots. Entravision has done a good job of selling the demographic to the agencies that normally would not include a station with a half share in their market buys.

The fact that KROQ beats Indie even on the West side indicates that the majority of listeners, even where Indie can be heard, do not agree with you.
In fact, in Orange County, where KROQ does not always have the best signal from the Verdugo Mountain transmitter, it beats Indie, which is local in much of the OC, by about 8 to 1.

KROQ is not a benchmark for comparison due to signal advantages and a format which targets a broader swath of the market. Indie is by design very targeted. The fact that they are included in agency buys appears to be a testament to their success at implementing the strategy effectively.

***BREAKING NEWS***
Max Tolkoff has been named the new PD. Some of us may remember his prior local tenure at the now-defunct Y107 trimulcast back in the late '90s. Y107 was another station that while not as innovative as Indie, still did a lot to shake up the alternative scene here for the two years it existed.

 

[scooty430]

I loved that slacker guys voice on indie i also heard his voice on some jack statio in sandiego i think but it was on a jack station but not los angeles.The slackers voice just added to the cool feel of indie.I thank the heaven above for indie 1031!!!They have introduced my to great bands like nightmare of you and brandtson.I like tk he is very passionate and good voice for radio.

Good luck michael whereever you may land!!!

Thank God the slacker guy is gone.

While they're at it "Indie" is a bit of a misleading name. They need something that better reflects the eclectic nature of the station.

 

[scooty430]

You should, though, remember that radio is priced by delivery, and the number of spots, per se, is meaningless unless you know the rate. In the case of Indie, the rate is appropriate for the half-share they generate in the ratings.... meaning a station like KROQ would probably charge 5 to 10 times more per spot.
A lot of cheap spots is not a sign of success.

I am not comparing the Class A KDLD/KDLE to the full market KROQ signal (albeit 106.7 is one of the poorest full-market signals in SoCal) but rather to other Class A's and other lower rated AM stations, which is why I mentioned KRLA. I would also compare its billings to KTLK, KLIT, KDAY, KFSH, KJLH. In fact, of this group only KDLD and KLIT exist on more than one stick.
My second point was the quality of the spots. Entravision has done a good job of selling the demographic to the agencies that normally would not include a station with a half share in their market buys.

The fact that KROQ beats Indie even on the West side indicates that the majority of listeners, even where Indie can be heard, do not agree with you.
In fact, in Orange County, where KROQ does not always have the best signal from the Verdugo Mountain transmitter, it beats Indie, which is local in much of the OC, by about 8 to 1.

KROQ is not a benchmark for comparison due to signal advantages and a format which targets a broader swath of the market. Indie is by design very targeted. The fact that they are included in agency buys appears to be a testament to their success at implementing the strategy effectively.

***BREAKING NEWS***
Max Tolkoff has been named the new PD. Some of us may remember his prior local tenure at the now-defunct Y107 trimulcast back in the late '90s. Y107 was another station that while not as innovative as Indie, still did a lot to shake up the alternative scene here for the two years it existed.

While it doesn't pay the rent necessarily, Indie has quite a few listeners in the industry, and thus a certain degree of influence and importance. When you see a band only played on Indie pop up on the soundtrack to a teen-oriented TV show, or see a song picked up for a commercial ("Galvanize," for example), or a song that migrates its way over to KROQ (again, "Galvanize" comes to mind,) you see the impact they do have.

So why has Michael Steele been shown the door, anyway? Is he simply leaving for greener pastures?

 

[MoLarryMoLarry]

you guys are freaking out over nothing. Max Tolkoff is a native californian - he's not gonna mess up anthing with Indie. If nothing else, he know how to take it to the next step, and give it the national exposure it deserves from the industry as a whole. when he came to FNX in the 90's, the people there who played the Pixies day and night feared the station was suddenly gonna become Depeche Mode East, when in fact, Tolkoff was smart enough to hire some terrific loca talent who knew the underground very well. he'll do the same at Indie, and you'll all be very happy with that success.

no, Indie'll never beat kroq in the ratings - and it doesnt have to. just be financially successful within its own paramters and you can still keep playing whatever the hell you want.

 

[radioresearcher]

you guys are freaking out over nothing. Max Tolkoff is a native californian - he's not gonna mess up anthing with Indie. If nothing else, he know how to take it to the next step, and give it the national exposure it deserves from the industry as a whole. when he came to FNX in the 90's, the people there who played the Pixies day and night feared the station was suddenly gonna become Depeche Mode East, when in fact, Tolkoff was smart enough to hire some terrific loca talent who knew the underground very well. he'll do the same at Indie, and you'll all be very happy with that success.

no, Indie'll never beat kroq in the ratings - and it doesnt have to. just be financially successful within its own paramters and you can still keep playing whatever the hell you want.

I agree with you on half of this.

Max does know the market. He knows Alternative music and is an excellent choice to program "Indie"

I don't agree with you on this:

"He will give it the National Exposure it deserves from the industry as a whole"

What national exposure are you referring to? The exposure it needs is more people filling out diaries from people in their listening area. That needs to be Max's job - as it is the job of any Program Director. The only thing that matters is Arbitron. That's what drives revenue. If you want to be respected by the industry - go work at a non-com.