New Lubbock Radio?

[DG]

...Dave did the right thing by going to Country. And I'm told, 105.3 actually has something it didn't before: Ratings!

Jack can work in Lubbock but it has to have more than just a feed.

I agree on both counts.

105.3 is "doing well" from what I've been told, meaning that ratings and revenue are up. Dave may not beat KLLL or KQBR in the book, but he is increasing his revenue in competition against them regardless, and that's BIG these days.

Jack was doing "ok" here in Lubbock, but it would never top whatever few ratings points it was garnering. I concur that it doesn't play well with localism, but even with added local program elements, I doubt Jack would have fared any better here.

I thought JackFM was an excellent automated satellite format, but such operations typically don't pull meaningful numbers. That's generally why such services are offered and used, because such a station is usually lacking in local talent or resources. And such automated stations generally never come close to the success that stations with local talent and programming garner.

105.7 is an excellent example of this.

When I was News Director there in the late 90s, we had a local morning show, but the other 21 hours of the day was all satellite delivered content. The ratings were terrible of course. 5 years later, Paul Beane takes over as GM, introduces quite a bit more local shows and ratings improved considerably. There was still the Real Country format being broadcast, but fewer hours of it, with more local content being offered. The lesson is that localism always trumps satellite automation.

Several more years later, Paul was elected to the city council, and Dave, with most of the local talent from KRBL, dropped Jack FM and began creating some localism of his own on 105.3.

In both instances, satellite programming was significantly reduced and replaced with local content, and ratings (and revenue) increased.

That may sound overly simple, but Lubbock radio isn't necessarily rocket surgery either...

 

[Garrett]

...Dave did the right thing by going to Country. And I'm told, 105.3 actually has something it didn't before: Ratings!

Jack can work in Lubbock but it has to have more than just a feed.

I agree on both counts.

105.3 is "doing well" from what I've been told, meaning that ratings and revenue are up. Dave may not beat KLLL or KQBR in the book, but he is increasing his revenue in competition against them regardless, and that's BIG these days.

Jack was doing "ok" here in Lubbock, but it would never top whatever few ratings points it was garnering. I concur that it doesn't play well with localism, but even with added local program elements, I doubt Jack would have fared any better here.

I thought JackFM was an excellent automated satellite format, but such operations typically don't pull meaningful numbers. That's generally why such services are offered and used, because such a station is usually lacking in local talent or resources. And such automated stations generally never come close to the success that stations with local talent and programming garner.

105.7 is an excellent example of this.

When I was News Director there in the late 90s, we had a local morning show, but the other 21 hours of the day was all satellite delivered content. The ratings were terrible of course. 5 years later, Paul Beane takes over as GM, introduces quite a bit more local shows and ratings improved considerably. There was still the Real Country format being broadcast, but fewer hours of it, with more local content being offered. The lesson is that localism always trumps satellite automation.

Several more years later, Paul was elected to the city council, and Dave, with most of the local talent from KRBL, dropped Jack FM and began creating some localism of his own on 105.3.

In both instances, satellite programming was significantly reduced and replaced with local content, and ratings (and revenue) increased.

That may sound overly simple, but Lubbock radio isn't necessarily rocket surgery either...

Right. Lubbock may not be the largest market in the country, but listeners here aren't stupid either. They want to feel like they are important to the station. Voice tracking on the other stations works because it at least has the feeling of localism: Those voice-tracks are tailored to the market, even if they aren't taillored perfectly. Jack had none of that, it was just music with canned liners repeated over and over again. At some point you have to give me something new.

Jack CAN work in Lubbock. But, the only way it would work was if it were local, and from what others have said here, there are no small market Jacks that are local, they are all feeds. Jack FM 100.7 in San Diego is good example: The music on that station is tailored to the market, and so is the talent. They also just snagged a popular morning show (see the San Diego Board). In the afternoons, they have popular radio veteran doing traffic. So they give listners incentive to stay.

I like that 105.3 has a local format. They still use the network to fill a few day parts, but it IS a locally programmed station. I particularly enjoy the Texas country show in the afternoons. Nealy Yates isn't bad either...

 

[crow]

the BOB or JACK FM here in Austin is pretty damn good [/i])

Because Jack FM worked so well in Lubbock the first time...

Yes. You have a point. However, the JACK or BOB that was in Lubbock sucked. I have no idea how it was being programmed. However, it was being programmed by an idiot. It was a train wreck over and over.

The BOB in Austin always sounds very tight and I rarely hear any train wrecks. Now, I have no idea who is programming it. If it's local or syndicated stream. Never the less, what ever is happening on that specific BOB was not happening on the JACK in Lubbock.

However, these are just my opinions.

 

[EggsOverEasy87]

the BOB or JACK FM here in Austin is pretty damn good [/i])

Because Jack FM worked so well in Lubbock the first time...

Yes. You have a point. However, the JACK or BOB that was in Lubbock sucked. I have no idea how it was being programmed. However, it was being programmed by an idiot. It was a train wreck over and over.

The BOB in Austin always sounds very tight and I rarely hear any train wrecks. Now, I have no idea who is programming it. If it's local or syndicated stream. Never the less, what ever is happening on that specific BOB was not happening on the JACK in Lubbock.

However, these are just my opinions.

If Ramar were to bring a JACK format back on 107.7, I think it might be smarter to go with a BOB format than a JACK. Jack might be programmed better under Ramar, but, listeners may simply think that it's the same Jack FM we had on 105.3. Bob FM, however, would be something new/fresh for Lubbock.

Bringing back Jack would be like bringing a new and different country station to Dallas, but calling it "The Texas Twister," if you know what I mean.

 

[Garrett]

the BOB or JACK FM here in Austin is pretty damn good [/i])

Because Jack FM worked so well in Lubbock the first time...

Yes. You have a point. However, the JACK or BOB that was in Lubbock sucked. I have no idea how it was being programmed. However, it was being programmed by an idiot. It was a train wreck over and over.

The BOB in Austin always sounds very tight and I rarely hear any train wrecks. Now, I have no idea who is programming it. If it's local or syndicated stream. Never the less, what ever is happening on that specific BOB was not happening on the JACK in Lubbock.

However, these are just my opinions.

The Lubbock Jack was completely syndicated, except for a few cut ins, and the Onion radio news shorts. So whatever "idiots" were programming it, they weren't in Lubbock.

 

[BigVoiceGuy]

BOB in Austin is, or at least last time I checked, programmed by Red Raider James Parker, aka -Krash Kelly.

 

[static]

At first, I was of the mind set that this station, if it was to be a ROCK format, would totally fail... because of the many different factors or things that it would lack, in regards to what FMX has i.e., working relationship with concert promoters etc...

Then I realized that this was a Ramar station... so whatever format they flip on... they would most likely just flip it on and walk away. Wasting no time with anything that would make it an interactive station. One would think they would just pop on a BOB FM or something along those lines... seeing that's how they pretty much run their other stations.

For several of the stations they've had here, I'd agree. But 104.3 is probably the most interactive of stations here. They're always reading all kinds of text messages and that line is sponsored by Tmobile so it must be working. I don't think any other station group has a 5-digit text line to give feedback. They get lots of calls and a Web site that's actually updated and they have some good interactivity. Seems like somebody new started that station up because it was different what was normal over there at that company. It seems like it was a while back they had some format I'd actually listen to, but right now theres nothing there for music, just their news and sports stations.

But didn't 101.1 try to compete with FMX maybe 8 or 10 years ago, calling themselves new and classic rock? That must've failed fast. FMX used to be awesome and now is pretty decent. Even though they've dropped local shows, like your great evening live show, nobody is going to beat them in rock. And I'd perhaps go to the competition for rock for a local show but instead you get this morning's talk at night on 101.1.

 

[DMcCloy]

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I like that 105.3 has a local format. They still use the network to fill a few day parts, but it IS a locally programmed station. I particularly enjoy the Texas country show in the afternoons. Nealy Yates isn't bad either...

I'm a 105.3 convert now that it is a Texas Country station. The old "True Country" satellite service was terrible. I listen and as far as I can tell there isn't any network filling holes. Neely Yates is on from 10ish in the morning until the afternoon guy takes over. He is on until 6 and then News Channel 11 is on until 6:30. After that it's just music and station IDs, but as far as I can tell there is no network involved. I can't imagine there is a Texas Country network. Not enough of a mass appeal format to justify a satellite network I don't think.