Moving From AM to FM... A Question

[emailfailed]

The other problem I have with KMET and Jim Ladd and his fans is that they over emphasize their importance to music and culture. I was never a fan of underground/progressive or AOR radio but while it is easy to see how much better KHJ was than WABC or WMEX or WSAI, I don't see KMET is being anything better than KSHE or WNEW or WIOQ or KZEW etc.

I think the early "progressive rock underground FM" stations were unique and provided an alternative to those who were no longer, or never were, inclined to tune into stations like KHJ.

Many such FM stations, like early KMET and KPPC, did provide a community for the growing counter-culture.

The problem as illustrated by people like Jim Ladd, the said radio stations and deejays never quite, well, progressed with changing trends and attitudes as they held on to the thought that, "The spirit of the tribe will never die, man."

Well, as is life, things and people change. Many listeners to the early KMET and KPPC grew up themselves and others went on to explore new alternative music coming out of London and New York.

 

[Jknight]

While this is a moot point I have wondered, in the 1970s why didn't many of the successful AM stations that had FM outlets matriculate their programming to FM, when FM was becoming popular.

For example, why didn't RKO move and continue the legacy of KHJ on 101.1?

For that matter, out in the Inland Empire why didn't KMEN move to 99.1 or KFXM move into 97.5?

About the only station in Southern California I can think of this happening was Orange County's KEZY "moving" from 1190 to 95.9 sometime in the early 80s (after the FM side had a brief stint with a KROQ type format).

It seems odd station owners at the time who had successful AM stations didn't maximize their FM property when it was becoming inevitable FM would become the dominating force sooner than later.

At the risk of answering my own question I would venture a guess what may have hindered such a move was the FCC's ban on full-on AM-FM simulcasts.

The reason fr ALL of the cases you have described is that CHR (top 40) was dying and other formats were simply a better fit. KRTH is the best there is. Following KHJ demise Robert W. and Real Don recreated the KHJ sound on KRTH. In retrospect it was a good decision.

As for KMEN and KGGI and KFXM and KDUO: Same answer as above. Top 40 was a dying format. Transplanting the same format to FM would not have lasted. This is particularly true of 99.1 who achieved phenomenal success with Jerry Clifton's urban contemporary format.

 

[michael hagerty]

While this is a moot point I have wondered, in the 1970s why didn't many of the successful AM stations that had FM outlets matriculate their programming to FM, when FM was becoming popular.

For example, why didn't RKO move and continue the legacy of KHJ on 101.1?

For that matter, out in the Inland Empire why didn't KMEN move to 99.1 or KFXM move into 97.5?

About the only station in Southern California I can think of this happening was Orange County's KEZY "moving" from 1190 to 95.9 sometime in the early 80s (after the FM side had a brief stint with a KROQ type format).

It seems odd station owners at the time who had successful AM stations didn't maximize their FM property when it was becoming inevitable FM would become the dominating force sooner than later.

At the risk of answering my own question I would venture a guess what may have hindered such a move was the FCC's ban on full-on AM-FM simulcasts.

The reason fr ALL of the cases you have described is that CHR (top 40) was dying and other formats were simply a better fit. KRTH is the best there is. Following KHJ demise Robert W. and Real Don recreated the KHJ sound on KRTH. In retrospect it was a good decision.

Yes, it was...but remember, it was more than 19 years between Robert W. and The Real Don walking out of KHJ (June, 1973) and walking into KRTH (August, 1992).

 

[calguy]

I keep seeing 'the format was dying" in all of these posts, but I have to disagree. Top 40 as a format did not die, it simply evolved as it always had. If Top 40 was dying or dead how would you explain Top 40 stations that remained in the format, or stations like KIIS or Z100 that exploded in the early 80's and stayed with it to this very day?

Music on AM in general was a dying trend by the late 70's early 80's depending on the city. It lasted longer in some than others, but by 1986 or 87 most were gone. Progressive evolved or as some would say was homogenized into AOR. Top 40, CHR, call it what you will, evolved as well over the years as musical tastes changed. Even now, the Top 40 designation is still used. Do these Top 40's sound the same as they did 25 years ago? No, but the basics are pretty much the same. The format didn't die, it just moved to FM and in most cases the popular stations did not make that move. New stations popped up on the FM dial and took their place, more formats popped up as well and stations became more specialized. I would say that the Top 40/CHR of today is a little different for that reason and does not play as many different types of music as it would have in the 60's, 70's and early to mid 80's, but the basics of the format are not that much different than they were back in the day.

 

[davideduardo]

The reason fr ALL of the cases you have described is that CHR (top 40) was dying and other formats were simply a better fit.

Calguy stated it very clearly... Top 40 continues to do very well.

Perhaps the confusion has to do with the name of the format being changed from Top 40 to CHR by a trade magazine to make their chart appear better? ... in an era of AOR, "CHR" looked better than "Top 40" I guess.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

Perhaps this is just my age showing, but I think Top 40/CHR is a lot different now than in the past. The formatics of only playing the top hits and recurrents are the same, but not the music mix. When I was growing up in the 70's and 80's, Top 40 CHR was a mix of pop, rock, dance, country, singer-songwriters, MOR, and (in the 80's) new wave/alt rock. Now I see much less diversity in the types of formats offered, with much more hip-hop, dance and rhythmic stuff.

Also the subject matter, is much more "adult". Not to say there were not songs with more mature adult content back then, but it was not nearly as crude and specific as it is now. Frankly, much of what I hear on KIIS and Amp, on the few occasions I tune in, seem like they could be background music at a strip club. It seems odd to me that stations devoted to such young demos could get away with such R-rated material, but I guess that is the world we live in these days. I never hear anyone complain, and if they did, they would be immediately castigated as old, out-of-touch, prudes. Perhaps that is why they don't bother. I am not one to complain, but I don't listen that much either. Of course, they don't care if I listen; I am not part of the target demo.

 

[michael hagerty]

I keep seeing 'the format was dying" in all of these posts, but I have to disagree. Top 40 as a format did not die, it simply evolved as it always had.

I agree to a point. But at the very least, Top 40 was on life support in a lot of markets from 1978 or so until 1982.

L.A.'s a great example...in the fall 1976 Arbitron, L.A. had two top 40 stations in the top 10, KHJ at #3 with a 5.3 and Billy Pearl's KRLA at #10 with a 3.3. In fall '77, KHJ was the only Top 40 in the top 10, and it had slid to #8 with a 3.5.

In fall '78, the highest-rated Top 40 was still KHJ, but it was down to #12 with a 2.7. And in 1979, KFI took the format crown and eked back into the Top 10 (at #10...God, I'm channeling Casey Kasem) with a 3.3.

I don't have the fall '80 Arbitron, but spring '81 showed KIQQ-FM as the leading Top 40 at #14 with a 2.6.

KIIS-FM flipped in July of that year, and in the spring 1982 Arbitron was #4 with a 3.9. The reason? They were fresh...they had a different sound and attracted a new audience to the reincarnation of hit radio.

Until KIIS-FM and the new CHR, Top 40 was being nibbled to death by ducks....oldies and A/C taking the upper demos...teens flocking to AOR and strong R&B and disco stations pulling away the ethnic audience. KIIS-FM came along at exactly the right moment...a time when there were once again songs that could be hits that were just too hot for the AC of the time, songs that you had to listen to CHR to hear.

 

[michael hagerty]

And another thought....

Contributing to the impression of Top 40's "death" was that previously, evolutions of the format had come along and knocked off still-healthy earlier versions. KFWB was riding high when KRLA's tighter, cleaner, younger sound knocked it off the top of the heap in '63. Same with when KHJ did the same to KRLA in '65.

In markets outside L.A., Buzz Bennett's "Q Format" took Bill Drake's stations and their clones down in '71 and '72. And even cities that didn't have "Q format" stations had stations somewhat influenced by them (in L.A., KKDJ and even KHJ under Gerry Petersen in 1974).

But by the time "Q" had run its course in 1976 or so, there wasn't a new innovation in Top 40 to take its place...instead it was highly polished mass-appeal Top 40 with its roots in pre-Buzz Bennett Top 40...from guys like Paul Drew and John Rook. It was a format that already leaned adult...and was in no position to combat mass defection of teens to AOR.

The FMs that tried Top 40 from that point on (KIQQ post-Drake, the month or so that KHTZ was Top 40 and KWST) were simply the old stuff on a new band.

So, in reality, it was 11 years between "next big things" in Top 40...from Buzz and the "Q Format" to KIIS-FM's blast of fresh air. Had KIIS simply been another "AM on FM" retread, it's very possible that Top 40 would have died...and its replacement, at least in L.A., would have been KROQ.

 

[davideduardo]

I agree to a point. But at the very least, Top 40 was on life support in a lot of markets from 1978 or so until 1982.

LA had a confusing and erratic set of CHRs in that era, which was the tail end of the disco phenomenon, too. A number of markets were similarly messed up, while others were not.

As an example, Miami had dominant Y 100, which rode disco, and transitioned away with no harm as it's a very rhythmic market. NY went into disarray after WKTU imploded, setting the scene for Z 100.

Some of the issues had to do with the coming of age of FM, as well. '77 was the year where FM passed 50 shares nationally, and that caused lots of older CHRs to change.

So, I'd question if the issue was the format or simply things going on with stations, music and station management's reaction to the churn.

 

[rwagoner]

I find this an interesting comment:

>Had KIIS simply been another "AM on FM" retread ...<

Because it was KIIS-FM that brought BACK the old elements of good top-40, perhaps the closest thing to KHJ/KFRC/WCFL/WLS since the originals. KIIS-FM was true mass-appeal, unlike what top-40 had become and is now once again in most cities.

 

[michael hagerty]

I find this an interesting comment:

>Had KIIS simply been another "AM on FM" retread ...<

Because it was KIIS-FM that brought BACK the old elements of good top-40, perhaps the closest thing to KHJ/KFRC/WCFL/WLS since the originals. KIIS-FM was true mass-appeal, unlike what top-40 had become and is now once again in most cities.

Brought back...but completely re-imagined. KIIS-FM suceeded because it was its own animal.

 

[michael hagerty]

This is probably a better way to look at it...format shares, combining all the Top 40s:

Fall 1976: 13.3

Fall 1977: 12.1

Fall 1978: 9.2

Fall 1979: 7.2

Spring 1982 (9 months after KIIS' debut with Rick Dees): 11.4

That 11.4 in 1982 includes KIIS-FM, KIQQ, KFI and KWST-FM. KIIS-FM alone would end up getting close to that number as the 80s went on.