My Radio Report Card

[hitliner]

Since we all like to share our opinions, I thought I'd share mine on a few stations I visit on a regular basis. Of course, opinions are one's own so they will probably (actually..I know they won't) be shared by you. But here we go:

KISQ (KISS) Very consistant and delivers what their audience wants. Good to hear many of their song selections, but they need to schedule better. Do we need to hear "Rapper's Delight" three times a day? Good personable jocks and Renel is one of the better morining folks but she needs a sidekick (not the current news guy).

KIOI (Star 101.3) The closest we get in SF to CHR but the music is all over the place and their jocks are not personality people (save Don Blue and his act is getting a bit stale). The afternoon lady (Laura Scott) is about as exciting as a blank piece of paper. John Tesh is..well..John Tesh. I find him annoying but he's clearly doing the Delilah thing. This is a station that should be a music force in SF but, right now, is about as exciting as paint drying.

FREE FM OK..I know this has been debated and raked over the coals. But I find Darian and John London a good match and an interesting listen. Say what you want, but they deliver what their audience expects. While I'm not a talk fan, I have found myself listening to them frequently. They have some of the best station promos. Haven't listened to Adam C and have no desire. Will it fly in SF? Good question. I'm not sure.

KOIT Their freshened playlist has helped and hurt. It's good to hear non Neil Diamond songs, but some of the rotations just don't mix (the same thing can be said about KFRC). Playing Amy Grant into Avril is not a good sound. They do deliver less talk and don't play anything too radical. Not suprising they're a hit.

KFRC Like KOIT, the mix is too wide and the rotation doesn't always gel. "Flashdance" into The Stones?? Also some of the worst station promos..boring. Sounds like KBAY circa 1970. Save Sue Hall, jocks don't do anything. I know the ratings went up but would be suprised if this flys.

KKSF Why this station doesn't do better in SF I don't know. Good sounding jocks and good selections. I know they've tried to broaden their audience by adding pop hits (Alicia Keys, Anita Baker) which I don't find that distracting. They deliver what they promise.

Stations I don't listen to on a regular basis but have check out:

KMEL not a fan of rap/hip hop but sad to think of what it was once and what it has become. Sounded like a train wreck the few times I've tuned it. They have a great afternoon guy (Super Snake) who they barely use.

MAX FM Time to say goodbye. Just don't put a station there cause it's obvious nothing works (save Z95). This one is another goner and the sooner the better.


OK...open those flood gates and let it in!

 

[MikeAmatori]

> Since we all like to share our opinions, I thought I'd share
> mine on a few stations I visit on a regular basis. Of
> course, opinions are one's own so they will probably
> (actually..I know they won't) be shared by you. But here we
> go:
>
> KISQ (KISS) Very consistant and delivers what their
> audience wants. Good to hear many of their song selections,
> but they need to schedule better. Do we need to hear
> "Rapper's Delight" three times a day? Good personable jocks
> and Renel is one of the better morining folks but she needs
> a sidekick (not the current news guy).
>
> KIOI (Star 101.3) The closest we get in SF to CHR but the
> music is all over the place and their jocks are not
> personality people (save Don Blue and his act is getting a
> bit stale). The afternoon lady (Laura Scott) is about as
> exciting as a blank piece of paper. John Tesh
> is..well..John Tesh. I find him annoying but he's clearly
> doing the Delilah thing. This is a station that should be a
> music force in SF but, right now, is about as exciting as
> paint drying.
>
> FREE FM OK..I know this has been debated and raked over
> the coals. But I find Darian and John London a good match
> and an interesting listen. Say what you want, but they
> deliver what their audience expects. While I'm not a talk
> fan, I have found myself listening to them frequently. They
> have some of the best station promos. Haven't listened to
> Adam C and have no desire. Will it fly in SF? Good
> question. I'm not sure.
>
> KOIT Their freshened playlist has helped and hurt. It's
> good to hear non Neil Diamond songs, but some of the
> rotations just don't mix (the same thing can be said about
> KFRC). Playing Amy Grant into Avril is not a good sound.
> They do deliver less talk and don't play anything too
> radical. Not suprising they're a hit.
>
> KFRC Like KOIT, the mix is too wide and the rotation
> doesn't always gel. "Flashdance" into The Stones?? Also
> some of the worst station promos..boring. Sounds like KBAY
> circa 1970. Save Sue Hall, jocks don't do anything. I know
> the ratings went up but would be suprised if this flys.
>
> KKSF Why this station doesn't do better in SF I don't
> know. Good sounding jocks and good selections. I know
> they've tried to broaden their audience by adding pop hits
> (Alicia Keys, Anita Baker) which I don't find that
> distracting. They deliver what they promise.
>
> Stations I don't listen to on a regular basis but have check
> out:
>
> KMEL not a fan of rap/hip hop but sad to think of what it
> was once and what it has become. Sounded like a train wreck
> the few times I've tuned it. They have a great afternoon
> guy (Super Snake) who they barely use.
>
> MAX FM Time to say goodbye. Just don't put a station
> there cause it's obvious nothing works (save Z95). This one
> is another goner and the sooner the better.
>
>
> OK...open those flood gates and let it in!
>
The Opinion Flood Gates are now open...Look! an answer is trickling out. It's a piece of paper with the words..."We have No Ideas" "Buy an Ipod".

They are all "Templates" of Large Corp Media Ownership. Buy station,Install Format,Hire Very Average Air People, Download Playlist from Corp, Play tested songs, Wait for ratings. No Originality, No Talent, No Ideas. Don Bleu makes 500k a year, His news reader/sidekick/Girl voice makes about $17.00 an hour. No wonder Don sounds like he's waiting for a bus! He has for the past 7 years.

KOIT does nothing much, never have. But they do great in the ratings because
they do Nothing Much Very Well.

As for 106.9 If Darian and London are delivering what their audience expects.
Then the Audience must be Stoned Mysoginistic DryWall Installers. What an expensive disaster that is going to be. Way to go Ken Kohl.
Thank you for SheetRock Radio.

KFIR will have to wait for Max to fold, then do their "Jack" format, which is what they were gonna do till Max beat them to the punch.

KKSF, It's Koit with more Insturmentals, It works fine, and does OK. That
kind of format does not need any "Stars" Just a reliable product, which is what it delivers.

My Opinion:
Music Radio is looking for a place to Die. It killed itself. To many spots,
to little talent. No Ideas. The CC's and Infinity's have become The General Motors of entertainment...They make a Product, but no one wants to buy it anymore. "Our Ideas are Dull, and our Buyers/listeners have figured that out".
We were kinda hopping they were dumb. I know, lets say we're NEW, and they'll love us again. Or how about "Less is More" we'll shorten spots, and play more of them...And tell the listeners that were gonna play spots before we play them...They won't tune away!!!RIGHT?

What did that piece of paper say..."Buy an IPod" Yep, go with that !

 

[hitliner]

I agree that industry deregulation has helped increase the decline of music radio. In the future there will be only five stations in the US and we'll all be listening to just them.

I did want to add another thought. It's really sad to see that there is no more promnotions in radio. Listening to all the above, you were lucky to hear if they were giving away a trip or even qualifying you for the new Diseyland ride (but that K101 contest is not even local..it's national. They tell you to be the 100th caller "nationally").

Is it any wonder no one cares? Music is music and can be found anywhere. Promotions helped make a station special and stand out. But now we're lucky if they're giving away tickets to Disney on Ice to caller 10. Wow. Exciting.

 

[MikeAmatori]

> I agree that industry deregulation has helped increase the
> decline of music radio. In the future there will be only
> five stations in the US and we'll all be listening to just
> them.
>
> I did want to add another thought. It's really sad to see
> that there is no more promnotions in radio. Listening to
> all the above, you were lucky to hear if they were giving
> away a trip or even qualifying you for the new Diseyland
> ride (but that K101 contest is not even local..it's
> national. They tell you to be the 100th caller
> "nationally").
>
> Is it any wonder no one cares? Music is music and can be
> found anywhere. Promotions helped make a station special
> and stand out. But now we're lucky if they're giving away
> tickets to Disney on Ice to caller 10. Wow. Exciting.
>


Hitliner, Part of the problem re: contest/prizes etc is that in the old days
you contested to set yourself apart from the competion...Now you OWN the competition. Up till the early 90's there were more owners, now SF has 2 companies that own 7 each. ie. CC Owns the three Urban Station alone, In the old days, 10 years ago, that would have been 3 owners in a battle to the death for listeners/ratings. Now KISQ,KMEL,KYLD are all pockets in the same pair of pants. So if you want Urban NEW/OldSchool/HipHop...you Have to come to CC. They don't have to contest, they own it all...6 flags tix anybody ?

The national contests are just another way to keep it cheap...KIOI and all of CC star stations start a contest call simultaniously, then some production/phone boiler room center with an 800# gets the 100th caller and sends the winners happy voice out through there system preproduced for you to play and add your call letters to.

In 1973 KSFO, in the Golden West Broadcasters Ownership days. They did a bumpersticker contest that went on for weeks, the prize 100 trips for 2 to Hawaii. They chartered a United Jet, Took over the Kona Surf Hotel and Partied
for 3 Days...Now that was a contest...You saw Stickers everywhere. But in those days, KSFO also had The Giants, 49ers, and Stanford sports,a fully staffed news dept, the best Jocks in radio and they played music too...On AM NO LESS.
They called themselves the Worlds Greatest Radio Station because they were.
KYA and KFRC would duke it out too.

Now exciting radio is considered A Don Bleu "Blupper Call" which is just a little LESS exciting than riding SF Muni when its come to work sober day for the drivers.