The big story I see here is that K-104 is about to drop out of the Top 10, first time since 1994 and only the second time since 1977!! I know, we're talking 6+ and not specific demos, but that Top 10 consistency of almost 33 years is based on 12+ numbers. Maybe this explains all the 'out-with-the-old, in-with-the-new' that Hyman is doing over there. Whether you're a fan of Ken Dowe or Michael Spears, those guys (along with fellow white boy Hyman) kept the momentum going for most of four decades.
So what's the deal? Erosion of listeners due to age? (They all grew up, or 'outgrew' the music and imaging?) Is it the format? (Has the rap/hip-hop audience eroded as well, and/or moving towards more mainstream AC/Urban? Are listeners tired of the hate?) Is the black listenership in general eroding, by not bearing enough children to keep the # of available potential listeners high? (And that's not some sort of racial jab; 'white America' is dealing with the same thing. And don't look to 97.9 to find the missing audience; they're suffering as well.) Or is this 18-34 crowd consumed with their iPods? Should KKDA consider becoming what 100.3 Jamz was, a station that crossed ethnic lines, played more pop crossover, and was more community-oriented? Or is Hyman or his new GM just out of touch? Someone else can quote the national trends to tell us if any of this is the case; I don't know. I'd also like to see what the size of the industry "pie" looks like today...what's considered the total amount of people in the 18-34 demo that listen to radio? Vs 5 yrs ago, 10 yrs ago, etc.
I know for me, I used to listen to K-104 pretty relentlessly from 1977-83. There was a lot of crossover pop/R&B hits being played, anything 'rap' was the early and 'safe' stuff like Sugar Hill Gang, Kurtis Blow, etc. There was a flow to it, the jocks were there but didn't get in the way or have an agenda...it was basically an R&B version of KVIL or KNUS then. Now (and consider I'm older and more dedicated to the music of my youth,) I find K-104 completely unlistenable. Rap and hip-hop irritate me, as well as any songs that are "Featuring (whoever)" or artists who have numbers and slang instead of real names. What I DO hear of K-104 seems like a marketing blitz, much like Disney and Kiss-FM do to promote certain artists ad nauseum, or is 104 just "narrowcasting" and running off the bulk of their potential, mainstream listeners?
As for Hyman Childs, he should have taken everyone's advice and sold K-104 5 years ago. It was still worth $70-80 mil then. With today's depressed radio market and the depressed future of the industry, AND with his ratings finally taking a dive, Hy would be very lucky to get ANY kind of offer, let alone something even in the $25 mil range.
And one day, common people will actually be able to afford to buy radio stations. (That's the same day that the meek will inherit the earth, or when Hell freezes over, or when Letterman goes back to work for NBC.)
