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Opera Returning to KDFC

L

LKellerIII

An article in this morning's SF Chronicle announced that live performances from the San Francisco Opera would be returning to KDFC after 25 years, with Dianne Nicolini hosting. Leuth cancelled the Metropolitan Opera broadcasts a few years ago because he felt that the broadcasts were not consistent with the somewhat restricted classical format he had put in place...and becaue you can't run a full load of commercials during a full length opera.

Aside from the good news for Opera fans, it's being seen as proof that the classical format is here to stay -at least for now - at KDFC.

I know I can't quote the article - but a couple of other tidbits:

* Bill Leuth is still the PD.
* The deal was in the works when Bonneville still owned the station. Leuth gave his Entercomm
bosses the word that the deal was not inked and could be cancelled, but Entercomm said to go ahead.
* KDFC has a half million listeners, the second largest classical audience in the nation, after WQXR, New York.
* Leuth thinks classical is safe for now, but has no doubt Entercomm will reassess the situation in 18 months or so, but he said this was true for Bonneville, as well.


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/13/MNGRHOK7S21.DTL&hw=KDFC&sn=001&sc=1000
 
You know that I know that Entercom wants to unload classical. And badly, in Market 4.

I smell an April Fool.

Roll that tape, people.
 
"I thought KUSF was carrying the Metropolitan Opera?"

They probably are. KDFC dropped the Met some years ago. They are now going to carry the San Francisco Opera

"You know that I know that Entercom wants to unload classical. And badly, in Market 4."

You guys really really want your "Q-102" don't you? The people who run Entercom are business people. Perhaps they've decided that selling commercial time on a heritage classical music station - the second most popular classical music station in America with a half-million listeners - will make them more money than yet another urban oriented CHR station with less than half that many listeners.
 
This makes my day. KDFC-102.1 will not be changing its format, at least not in about 2 years. That is good news about the San Francisco Opera will be returning to the air.
 
Does it really matter what contracts are signed today? This is radio, contracts are broken every day. Look at Jo Jo Kincaid at Classic Hits 99.7 KFRC. He had a contract, uprooted his family, moved to the Bay Area. Then one day, "Sorry Jo Jo, do not come to work today" Adios, see ya, get out!

The same can happen here. Did Entercom actually say Classical will stay on KDFC? No, it was an unspoken gesture.

Of course, I could be wrong.....It wouldn't be the first time ;)
 
"This is radio, contracts are broken every day. Look at Jo Jo Kincaid at Classic Hits 99.7 KFRC. He had a contract, uprooted his family, moved to the Bay Area. Then one day, "Sorry Jo Jo, do not come to work today" Adios, see ya, get out! The same can happen here. Did Entercom actually say Classical will stay on KDFC? No, it was an unspoken gesture."

No - it was Lueth speculating, and of course Entercom didn't promise. But the point I keep repeating is: Call Lueth a loser for Max-FM if you want, but KDFC has been very successful under Lueth's direction. Actually, he has been criticized over the past few years by true classical music purists for turning the station into sort of a quasi-beautiful music station - winnowing the playlist down to a limited list of easy listening classical "hits," in other words. You could call it the "K-Earth 101" of classical music. But the formula has worked, it's in the top 10, it makes money, and there's no reason to blow it up yet.

Have we learned nothing from MOViN 99.7? Or Max-FM, for that matter? Perhaps these corporations are learning that changing a long-established format with a strong built-in listener base just to join many other stations in chasing a "better" demographic is not a guarantee of succcess. Jack and MOViN are looking more and more like "flavor of the month" formats that are only successful in limited markets. Why would they be a big hit by putting in yet another CHR with nothing other than a slightly different "pop" playlist from all the others? Or "Active Rock?" Please...

I know Entercom has dropped classical formats in other markets - I don't know where those stations were, and what they're ratings were like, but I would bet that they weren't as popular as KDFC.

"Of course, I could be wrong.....It wouldn't be the first time"
That's where we differ. I'm never wrong. (Insert smily-face here).
 
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