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NEWS/TALK SIMULCAST BRANDING

R

radioguy39nj

Most news/talk stations that add an FM simulcast usually brand themselves mentioning the FM before the AM. KXL Portland brands itself NewsRadio 101 FM & 750 AM. KMBZ Kansas City brands itself NewsRadio 98.1 FM & 980 AM. The KCBS simulcast in San Francisco goes the opposite way, branding itself All News 740 AM & 106.9 FM.

IMHO, KCBS brands its AM first because it is a 50 kW blaster whose value they don't want to downgrade. That's just a guess!

I welcome all comments! :)
 
radioguy39nj said:
IMHO, KCBS brands its AM first because it is a 50 kW blaster whose value they don't want to downgrade. That's just a guess!
Click to expand...

Also, the FM is KFRC-FM, not KCBS-FM. KCBS-FM is in LA.
 
Plus market heritage. 740 has been KCBS since 1949. 106.9 has a recent history of hosting low-key niche Family Radio from 1978 to 2005, the failed Free FM format and a short-lived stint as classic hits prior to only 2 and a half years of KCBS so far.
 
In Greenville, SC, Entercom used to just have "Newsradio 1330/950, WORD"....after it added 106.3 FM in 2008, it became "Newsradio 1330/950 WORD, now on FM at 106.3" - now it is just "Newsradio WORD, 106.3 FM" most of the time. Was a gradual transition. I don't blame them for not mentioning the AM's - terrible signals and the FM is much better, that's probably what most are listening to.
 
WSYR in Syracuse dropped the "570" in its branding like a bad disease when adding its 106.9 simulcast.

It still uses the 106.9 as primary in its branding, but added back 570 mentions a week or two after the change.
 
When I listened, KXL was saying "News Radio 101FM KXL" but only mentioning the AM on the legal ID and half past the hour. KXL switching to FM may have been a preemptive strike. KEX has been in the process of securing an FM translator. It's now on the air and I actually heard them say, "102.3FM and 1190KEX Portland" at the top of the hour. I also heard it as a promo on one of their sister stations. I was surprised! I thought it was something that would be casually mentioned for people in downtown office buildings.
 
It may have to do with whether the station plans to drop news or news/talk from the original AM station (like WTOP did) and do something else with AM.

Also as more listeners migrate from AM to FM or if the station picks up additional cume or added TSL - especially if the added cume is in the money demos - FM becomes the more important part of the station franchise (and therefore gets top billing). Eventually, AM is likely to be superfluous.
 
semoochie said:
When I listened, KXL was saying "News Radio 101FM KXL" but only mentioning the AM on the legal ID and half past the hour. KXL switching to FM may have been a preemptive strike. KEX has been in the process of securing an FM translator. It's now on the air and I actually heard them say, "102.3FM and 1190KEX Portland" at the top of the hour. I also heard it as a promo on one of their sister stations. I was surprised! I thought it was something that would be casually mentioned for people in downtown office buildings.
Click to expand...

Here, Clear Channel has bought an FM translator (W262BN 100.3 Lorain), and is in the process of moving it. They just ended up at 99.7, and it's believed they are going to eventually plant it on 99.1.

For now, it's out in North Ridgeville (far western suburb), but I wouldn't be surprised to see it in downtown Cleveland as the end game. Does that mean they simulcast WTAM/1100 on it?

That idea was shot down before, but it's almost the exact same situation as KEX and the 102.3 translator - both KEX and WTAM are 50 kW flamethrowers with no coverage problems otherwise.
 
Don't forget WSB/750 in Atlanta, who have branded their AM/FM simulcast as "AM 750 and NOW 95.5 FM News/Talk WSB..."
 
radioguy39nj said:
IMHO, KCBS brands its AM first because it is a 50 kW blaster whose value they don't want to downgrade. That's just a guess!
Click to expand...

I agree. 740 covers all the market, which runs from Santa Rosa all the way to Campbell, while FMs generally don't catch all the market.
 
DavidEduardo said:
radioguy39nj said:
IMHO, KCBS brands its AM first because it is a 50 kW blaster whose value they don't want to downgrade. That's just a guess!
Click to expand...

I agree. 740 covers all the market, which runs from Santa Rosa all the way to Campbell, while FMs generally don't catch all the market.
Click to expand...

I'm sure if in the future CBS simulcasts any of its other heritage AM news outlets on FM, the same approach will be used. The radio landscape may be changing but no way do they destroy decades of brand loyalty.

The KCBS website said it best regarding the simulcast: "The power of AM combined with the clarity of FM." :)
 
I know In Dallas when WBAP got on FM They Did this

"NewsTalk 820 AM, 96.7 FM, WBAP"

The FM even got the WBAP calls, although 96.7 never had WBAP-FM originally. WBAP-FM had been on 96.3 many decades ago.
Also the first time in 96.7's history to ID as Flower Mound Dallas Fortworth.
it used to ALWAYS be Flower Mound Fort Worth Dallas

Although WBAP-AM is Licensed to Fort Worth. and Id's as Fort Worth Dallas

I assume they did that to Bring the two Cities together...
 
Here in Providence, the A.M. frequency is given top billing. Station liners are usually "News/Talk 630 WPRO and 99-7 F.M.". At the top of the hour the ID usually goes "WEAN-FM: Wakefield Peacedale. News on the hour, on the half, and when it breaks. News/Talk 630 WPRO...PROVIDENCE!" 99.7 is in South County, about 25 miles SW of Providence & is a class A. When going in or out of a break, the positioner is usually "News/Talk 630 WPRO and 99-7 F.M.".

The only reason I have on 99.7 is in the morning I can't hear 630 in Taunton, Ma. but can pick it up in Rehoboth, about 10 miles west. This is on their night pattern. Their day pattern is fine. There's no reason to listen to the F.M. in the daytime.
 
Apparently, the entire state of Rhode Island didn't think there was a reason to listen to 99.7 FM in the first place - they've changed their format and call letters for most of the last twenty years like they change their underwear...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WEAN-FM
 
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