New FM News Station Coming to Houston! News 92 FM!

[jd]

KROI sends a city-grade signal to Spring, Kingwood, Katy and Galveston.

No, it doesn't, except for Galveston. Note that city-grade in this case is the 70dBu contour. Spring and Kingwood are well outside city-grade; Katy is a little closer but those three areas are in fact outside the so-called "service area," (60 dBu) which is shown here: http://maps.google.com/?q=http://tr...I&freq=92.1&contour=60&city=SEABROOK&state=TX

Yes, Galveston gets city-grade. But anything north of the north loop doesn't.

 

[AirUpThere]

JD, fine. Thanks for making it a point to make me wrong. Based on your data, you won that one. But that 10db of contour is easy to circumvent. Shut down the stereo pilot, bump up the compression a bit and you will fill in the picket fencing on the edges. It's going to be spoken word, anyway, so nobody will care if the ABC horns sound a bit overmod and we don't need to hear Lana and JP in true stereo, anyway. Dual mono will be fine. There aren't any hills in Spring or Katy. There are tallish buildings and big overpasses which could cause the signal to bounce. Where they do need building penetration they have it. Where they need to hit car antennas, they can. And what program director wouldn't kill to have that 92.1 frequency? Hell of a lot better than 107.9!

 

[davideduardo]

JD, fine. Thanks for making it a point to make me wrong. Based on your data, you won that one. But that 10db of contour is easy to circumvent. Shut down the stereo pilot, bump up the compression a bit and you will fill in the picket fencing on the edges. It's going to be spoken word, anyway, so nobody will care if the ABC horns sound a bit overmod and we don't need to hear Lana and JP in true stereo, anyway. Dual mono will be fine. There aren't any hills in Spring or Katy. There are tallish buildings and big overpasses which could cause the signal to bounce. Where they do need building penetration they have it. Where they need to hit car antennas, they can. And what program director wouldn't kill to have that 92.1 frequency? Hell of a lot better than 107.9!

For in-home and at work, where on average 70% of all radio listening takes place, close to 95% takes place inside the 64 dbu contour. While in-car goes out a bit more, at some point you run into either the limits of the average receiver or the effects of the nearest co-channel station. In Houston, this is all the more important because of thermal inversion can make reception erratic in fringe areas... and listeners don't tolerate a signal that is anything other than clear and clean at all times.

You pretty much need a 70 dbu for office buildings... so the question is whether the signal has that level in the part of the market where most office buildings are. The fact is that the signal does not do a good job at that.

The KROI signal puts a 60 dbu over 4 million people. The market has 6 million. The 64 dbu covers only half the market population, 3 million.

 

[johndavis]

And yet, if you had a second station like one of those Cumulus move ins from Beaumont (97.5, for example), you'd have good coverage paired with 92.1. I was amazed that the power on 92.1 is as low as it is. Perhaps it can get a boost?

Turning off the stereo pilot would do wonders for that signal. That may be all they would need.

 

[salemjedi54]

To me it kinda sucks, because now a 24-hour gospel station goes away.

 

[PapillionWyngs]

The gospel station doesn't go away....read the article....

 

[salemjedi54]

Over the Air it goes away, if you don't have a HD radio in your vehicle.

 

[secondchoice]

JD, fine. Thanks for making it a point to make me wrong. Based on your data, you won that one. But that 10db of contour is easy to circumvent. Shut down the stereo pilot, bump up the compression a bit and you will fill in the picket fencing on the edges. It's going to be spoken word, anyway, so nobody will care if the ABC horns sound a bit overmod and we don't need to hear Lana and JP in true stereo, anyway. Dual mono will be fine. There aren't any hills in Spring or Katy. There are tallish buildings and big overpasses which could cause the signal to bounce. Where they do need building penetration they have it. Where they need to hit car antennas, they can. And what program director wouldn't kill to have that 92.1 frequency? Hell of a lot better than 107.9!

For in-home and at work, where on average 70% of all radio listening takes place, close to 95% takes place inside the 64 dbu contour. While in-car goes out a bit more, at some point you run into either the limits of the average receiver or the effects of the nearest co-channel station. In Houston, this is all the more important because of thermal inversion can make reception erratic in fringe areas... and listeners don't tolerate a signal that is anything other than clear and clean at all times.

You pretty much need a 70 dbu for office buildings... so the question is whether the signal has that level in the part of the market where most office buildings are. The fact is that the signal does not do a good job at that.

The KROI signal puts a 60 dbu over 4 million people. The market has 6 million. The 64 dbu covers only half the market population, 3 million.

IMHO they could do OK. WWJ AM Detroit Market size 3.7 Million is #3 in the beauty contest which is about the size (number of people) of KROI signal. If KROI could cume 800K+ which WWJ is doing on AM they might make a few buck$. IIRC Texas is a right to work state so they should be able to pay their staff a whole lot less than what CBS is in Detroit. Is there an AM (they could LMA) or a translator that might help some with the Northside?

 

[johndavis]

I'm hearing that there will be no layoffs, and the company will be sending people out into the community to distribute free HD radios prior to the flip to core listeners.

They're taking a huge risk, but so far they appear to be doing all the right things.

 

[salemjedi54]

I'm hearing that there will be no layoffs, and the company will be sending people out into the community to distribute free HD radios prior to the flip to core listeners.

They're taking a huge risk, but so far they appear to be doing all the right things.

Okay, they give them a free hd car stereo, but then they have to get them installed...will that be free. Of course not. If they were making money with Praise 92.1, why blow it up for an All news station, that may cost them more in the long run.

 

[johndavis]

If they were making money with Praise 92.1, why blow it up for an All news station, that may cost them more in the long run.

It will cost them more to produce the news format than to produce Praise (where most of the shows are in turn syndicated to other stations, spreading out the expenses) but there's also the possibility of greater returns. They can sell more units in an hour and get a higher rate for each one than they're getting now. It's a tremendous risk and it could blow up in their face. They're doing it anyway.

 

[TheBigA]

It's been our experience that news/talk listeners don't complain about commerials as much as music listeners. All-news WTOP in DC is the top-billing station in the country. No reason why a strong news station in Houston can't make money. The key will be public awareness.

 

[salemjedi54]

I'm okay with Radio One doing a format that is basically not within their area of expertise. But to take away a format that has some appeal in the area from those listeners who MAY NOT have access to it (online and/or HD radios) kinda bothers me. There are not many 24 hour FM gospel stations in this state. It was good to see a FM gospel station succeed.

 

[OldChicago]

Turning off the stereo pilot would do wonders for that signal. That may be all they would need.
[/quote]

Not sure if that is a good idea. I remember from my past a station in Chicago, WNIS. The NBC O&O FM station that was a News/information station for awhile that operated this the stereo pilot off. Someone then noticed that some receivers would not pick up stations of FM the the stereo pilot was not on. They turned the stereo pilot on, an if I remember there was a bump in the ratings.

OLD CHICAGO

 

[johndavis]

Turning off the stereo pilot would do wonders for that signal. That may be all they would need.

Not sure if that is a good idea. I remember from my past a station in Chicago, WNIS. The NBC O&O FM station that was a News/information station for awhile that operated this the stereo pilot off. Someone then noticed that some receivers would not pick up stations of FM the the stereo pilot was not on. They turned the stereo pilot on, an if I remember there was a bump in the ratings.

OLD CHICAGO
[/quote]

It's been a long time since radios used the pilot for seek. It doesn't seem to hurt WTOP.

 

[Mediafrog+]

I'm okay with Radio One doing a format that is basically not within their area of expertise.

***Ahem***Ahem*** La Mera Mera. Epic fail.

Not sure if that is a good idea. I remember from my past a station in Chicago, WNIS. The NBC O&O FM station that was a News/information station for awhile that operated this the stereo pilot off. Someone then noticed that some receivers would not pick up stations of FM the the stereo pilot was not on. They turned the stereo pilot on, an if I remember there was a bump in the ratings.

Might have been an argument in the 1970's, which today is not. On virtually every modern receiver the stereo indicator is completely lost amongst everything else on the display.

92.1 should turn the stereo OFF when the news format launches.

It will cost them more to produce the news format than to produce Praise (where most of the shows are in turn syndicated to other stations, spreading out the expenses) but there's also the possibility of greater returns. They can sell more units in an hour and get a higher rate for each one than they're getting now. It's a tremendous risk and it could blow up in their face. They're doing it anyway.

The sheer cost of payroll alone is what will make this a very risky venture. While I would love to see the format succeed (some former colleagues are working there) I have the gut feeling that it will be an expensive flop. Two years, maybe three years max. I hope I'm wrong, but I think costs versus returns are what is going to eat Radio One's lunch on this.

 

[Drucifer]

I'll bet Opie Erickson and Michael Berry have their panties in a bunch over this... At least I can hope so :-*

 

[radiobop]

You have to commend Radio One for trying this venture. Being able to hear LOCAL radio news in such a large local market is a void screaming to be filled. Over the last few years, radio in this town has become a major disappointment. There is no listenable spot on the dial for folks 45-54 and up and NO place to get a complete local newscast or unbiased national news. Having worked at News 24 Houston, I am excited to see a local news operation develop from the ground up.

Nobody likes it when there favorite station changes formats and I know how Praise 92.1 listeners feel (I felt the same way when KLDE dropped 50s and KQUE went kaput)...but let's get real: dollars drive decisions and the news format stands to bring in a lot more revenue to a more diverse audience. [Hint: sell the stormy weather...the ratings quintriple in this town at the slightest drop of rain!]

You go guys! I'll be one of your biggest cheerleaders!

Harold Levine

 

[FilioScotia]

***The sheer cost of payroll alone is what will make this a very risky venture. While I would love to see the format succeed (some former colleagues are working there) I have the gut feeling that it will be an expensive flop. Two years, maybe three years max. I hope I'm wrong, but I think costs versus returns are what is going to eat Radio One's lunch on this.***

I also have some old friends and former colleagues in that bunch that's going to KROI. Every single one of them has lost a job in recent years because of the brain dead idiots who count the beans at CC and other big Congloms. And to a person, they are all talented radio and TV people who deserve to be treated better. It's about damn time some good fortune came their way.

But, as the above poster points out, the sheer cost of an all news operation will be their biggest mountain to climb. It is enormously expensive and it will be hard to sell. I'm struggling to be optimistic about this effort, but I also fear it'll fail.

I applaud Radio One for being willing to try, but speaking as someone who worked at a few unsuccessful "start ups" over the years, I'm advising my old friends to keep their resumes up to date and handy. And if they're leaving a job to take this new job, don't burn the bridge.

 

[secondchoice]

it will be hard to sell.

It will be different demo's for RI. Looking at RI's stock performance, they need to branch out more from the the Urban demos. They are going to have to find a couple of sales people who have News of News talk sales experience. Personally (20+ years ago) news casts were an "easy" sell.