Pappas Flips Modesto 840, Adds Savage

[BossRadioDJ]

Unfortunately, it looks like Pappas' attempt at a hybrid Adult Standards/Infomercial format on KMPH/840 in Modesto has ended. Of course, I still think that they should have (1) kept the KTRB call letters in Modesto, where they mean something, and (2) at least tried the Adult Standards on 860 in San Francisco, rather than fifth-rate talk.

KMPH is being repositioned with conservative talk as "The Patriot," starting this Monday (March 10). Here's the press release from Pappas, issued this afternoon:

New Talk Radio Station To Debut In Modesto
Michael Savage Returns To The Airwaves!

March 7, 2008—(Modesto, California) KMPH-AM 840, which went on the air on July 24, 2006 as the successor station to Modesto’s first radio station, KTRB-AM 860 (now in San Francisco) changes format to bring The Michael Savage Show and other great talk programs to the Modesto, Merced, and Stockton area starting on March 10, 2008.

Among its shows, the station will feature the fiery Laura Ingraham every weekday morning, nononsense personal advice from Dr. Laura, the passionate intellect of Michael Savage, and a unique mix of commentary with satire and comedy on The Phil Hendrie Show. Plus, AM 840 KMPH The Patriot features Modesto’s only talk show that focuses exclusively on local issues, The Morning Mayor with former Modesto Mayor Carmen Sabatino, traffic updates during the morning commute, and local news with Modesto’s most experienced radio news man, Tim St. Martin.

The Michael Savage Show is now the third largest radio talk show, according to TALKERS Magazine, and airs on well over 300 stations nationwide. Michael Savage is the author of four best selling books: The Savage Nation, The Enemy Within, and Liberalism is a Mental Disorder.

His most recent book is the irreverent Political Zoo. He attacks big government and liberal media bias, but champions the environment and animal rights. Trained as a scientist, he holds Master's degrees in medical botany and medical anthropology and earned his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley in Epidemiology and Nutrition Science.

Jim P. Pappas, General Manager of AM 840 KMPH The Patriot said, “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to give Modesto area listeners a real choice with a Talk Radio station that is anchored by popular hosts like Michael Savage, Dr. Laura, Laura Ingraham, Jerry Doyle, Phil Hendrie, and successful weekend talkers like Bob Brinker, Clark Howard, Leo Laporte, and Bill Handel, not to mention great sports programming with Fox Sports Radio.”

AM 840 KMPH The Patriot is owned and operated by Pappas Radio of Modesto, LLC, and represents a Modesto broadcast tradition dating back to 1953.

 

[ajhenderson]

Doug Stephan is a boring, insignificant tool.

KTRB does mean "Talk Radio for the Bay", although I understand the heritage significance in Modesto. I actually think this is a good thing. Why is talk, including some local talk, a bad thing on AM?

 

[BossRadioDJ]

Why is talk, including some local talk, a bad thing on AM?

I thought that Talk (or News/Talk or Sports/Talk) was about the only thing actually working on AM these days. Is there a better example than KGO?

Here on the far end of Alameda County, I get KSTN/1420 from Stockton, which programs a hideous mish-mash of music -- but the sound quality is amazing, thanks to the great work of Paul Shinn, who tends the transmitter and maintains the audio chain. If I remember correctly, KSTN's compression levels are an exact replica of KFRC's during the Big 610 era.

The sound quality on Talk or News programming doesn't have to be great on AM, but certain types of music -- 1950s/1960s Oldies and 1930s/40s/50s Big Band and Standards -- sound terrific ... if you've got engineers that know what they're doing.

 

[JimA]

Great another 24/7 computer all hate station as if Pappas can even sell it like the SF mess

 

[Madmansam]

Unfortunately, it looks like Pappas' attempt at a hybrid Adult Standards/Infomercial format on KMPH/840 in Modesto has ended. Of course, I still think that they should have (1) kept the KTRB call letters in Modesto, where they mean something, and (2) at least tried the Adult Standards on 860 in San Francisco, rather than fifth-rate talk.

KMPH is being repositioned with conservative talk as "The Patriot," starting this Monday (March 10). Here's the press release from Pappas, issued this afternoon:

New Talk Radio Station To Debut In Modesto
Michael Savage Returns To The Airwaves!

March 7, 2008—(Modesto, California) KMPH-AM 840, which went on the air on July 24, 2006 as the successor station to Modesto’s first radio station, KTRB-AM 860 (now in San Francisco) changes format to bring The Michael Savage Show and other great talk programs to the Modesto, Merced, and Stockton area starting on March 10, 2008.

Among its shows, the station will feature the fiery Laura Ingraham every weekday morning, nononsense personal advice from Dr. Laura, the passionate intellect of Michael Savage, and a unique mix of commentary with satire and comedy on The Phil Hendrie Show. Plus, AM 840 KMPH The Patriot features Modesto’s only talk show that focuses exclusively on local issues, The Morning Mayor with former Modesto Mayor Carmen Sabatino, traffic updates during the morning commute, and local news with Modesto’s most experienced radio news man, Tim St. Martin.

The Michael Savage Show is now the third largest radio talk show, according to TALKERS Magazine, and airs on well over 300 stations nationwide. Michael Savage is the author of four best selling books: The Savage Nation, The Enemy Within, and Liberalism is a Mental Disorder.

His most recent book is the irreverent Political Zoo. He attacks big government and liberal media bias, but champions the environment and animal rights. Trained as a scientist, he holds Master's degrees in medical botany and medical anthropology and earned his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley in Epidemiology and Nutrition Science.

Jim P. Pappas, General Manager of AM 840 KMPH The Patriot said, “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to give Modesto area listeners a real choice with a Talk Radio station that is anchored by popular hosts like Michael Savage, Dr. Laura, Laura Ingraham, Jerry Doyle, Phil Hendrie, and successful weekend talkers like Bob Brinker, Clark Howard, Leo Laporte, and Bill Handel, not to mention great sports programming with Fox Sports Radio.”

AM 840 KMPH The Patriot is owned and operated by Pappas Radio of Modesto, LLC, and represents a Modesto broadcast tradition dating back to 1953.

Shouldn't this have been added to the Central California Board? I started a post on the change until I realized that there was a post for it in the San Francisco Board.

 

[Tube Shortwave]

Why is talk, including some local talk, a bad thing on AM?

I thought that Talk (or News/Talk or Sports/Talk) was about the only thing actually working on AM these days. Is there a better example than KGO?

Here on the far end of Alameda County, I get KSTN/1420 from Stockton, which programs a hideous mish-mash of music -- but the sound quality is amazing, thanks to the great work of Paul Shinn, who tends the transmitter and maintains the audio chain. If I remember correctly, KSTN's compression levels are an exact replica of KFRC's during the Big 610 era.

The sound quality on Talk or News programming doesn't have to be great on AM, but certain types of music -- 1950s/1960s Oldies and 1930s/40s/50s Big Band and Standards -- sound terrific ... if you've got engineers that know what they're doing.

That's true. I remember when AM's were still rockin', and they sounded GOOD.. I would flip back and forth between an AM and an FM and other than some high-end freq. response, the FM wasn't all that interesting.

I am within listening distance of KSTN, just tuned it in. Wow, that DOES sound good! Too bad the format is completely unlistenable. Heard Journey and cranked it. Boy, did it sound like KFRC. I would love to find out what they did at KFRC and KSTN to sound like that! It's difficult to describe that sound, but it does sound BIG.

As for KMPH, I have been listening. I don't quite know how to react except to call it KSFO East. I rarely listened to it when it was playing standards because of the stupid infomercials all the time. I can't catch KVIN where I live/work, but I know it is a Music of Your Life affiliate. I don't unlike that formet, but wish they would lay off the constant new music from Rod Stewart and such. Yuck!

Dave, you sure have a good handle on the radio scene.

 

[BossRadioDJ]

Shouldn't this have been added to the Central California Board? I started a post on the change until I realized that there was a post for it in the San Francisco Board.

Yes, no and maybe. My post is definitely San Francisco-related, through the familial tie between Pappas' operations in S.F. and Motown, my comment regarding KTRB, and Savage's home base here by the Bay.

On the other hand, the content should also have been posted to the Central California board. But, since I don't hang out there (and because I received the press release from Pappas/SF), I felt no obligation to do so.

Then again, I also failed to mention that -- to the best of my knowledge -- Savage does not have an affiliate station in Puerto Rico, thereby violating The Eduardo Rule...

"I guess people love my show because of my hard edge combined with humor and education," Savage says. "Those who listen to me say they hear a bit of Plato, Henry Miller, Jack Kerouac, Moses, Jesus, and Frankenstein."

Jesus, certainly. But Kerouac? Give me a break! Boy, do you have an ego...

 

[Madmansam]

Unfortunately, it looks like Pappas' attempt at a hybrid Adult Standards/Infomercial format on KMPH/840 in Modesto has ended. Of course, I still think that they should have (1) kept the KTRB call letters in Modesto, where they mean something, and (2) at least tried the Adult Standards on 860 in San Francisco, rather than fifth-rate talk.

KMPH is being repositioned with conservative talk as "The Patriot," starting this Monday (March 10). Here's the press release from Pappas, issued this afternoon:

New Talk Radio Station To Debut In Modesto
Michael Savage Returns To The Airwaves!

March 7, 2008—(Modesto, California) KMPH-AM 840, which went on the air on July 24, 2006 as the successor station to Modesto’s first radio station, KTRB-AM 860 (now in San Francisco) changes format to bring The Michael Savage Show and other great talk programs to the Modesto, Merced, and Stockton area starting on March 10, 2008.

Among its shows, the station will feature the fiery Laura Ingraham every weekday morning, nononsense personal advice from Dr. Laura, the passionate intellect of Michael Savage, and a unique mix of commentary with satire and comedy on The Phil Hendrie Show. Plus, AM 840 KMPH The Patriot features Modesto’s only talk show that focuses exclusively on local issues, The Morning Mayor with former Modesto Mayor Carmen Sabatino, traffic updates during the morning commute, and local news with Modesto’s most experienced radio news man, Tim St. Martin.

The Michael Savage Show is now the third largest radio talk show, according to TALKERS Magazine, and airs on well over 300 stations nationwide. Michael Savage is the author of four best selling books: The Savage Nation, The Enemy Within, and Liberalism is a Mental Disorder.

His most recent book is the irreverent Political Zoo. He attacks big government and liberal media bias, but champions the environment and animal rights. Trained as a scientist, he holds Master's degrees in medical botany and medical anthropology and earned his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley in Epidemiology and Nutrition Science.

Jim P. Pappas, General Manager of AM 840 KMPH The Patriot said, “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to give Modesto area listeners a real choice with a Talk Radio station that is anchored by popular hosts like Michael Savage, Dr. Laura, Laura Ingraham, Jerry Doyle, Phil Hendrie, and successful weekend talkers like Bob Brinker, Clark Howard, Leo Laporte, and Bill Handel, not to mention great sports programming with Fox Sports Radio.”

AM 840 KMPH The Patriot is owned and operated by Pappas Radio of Modesto, LLC, and represents a Modesto broadcast tradition dating back to 1953.

At the end of this Press Statement It mentions "AM 840 KMPH The Patriot is owned and operated by Pappas Radio Of modesto, LLC, and represents a Modesto broadcast tradition dating back to 1953", Don't They mean 1933, Not 1953, since KTRB signed on the air in Modesto in 1933. Is this a Typo?

 

[BossRadioDJ]

AM 840 KMPH The Patriot is owned and operated by Pappas Radio of Modesto, LLC, and represents a Modesto broadcast tradition dating back to 1953.

At the end of this Press Statement It mentions "AM 840 KMPH The Patriot is owned and operated by Pappas Radio
Of modesto, LLC, and represents a Modesto broadcast tradition dating back to 1953", Don't They mean 1933, Not 1953, since KTRB signed on the air in Modesto in 1933. Is this a Typo?

No. Actually, KTRB first went on the air in May 1934 (at 740 on your AM radio dial), but had not done anything worthy of being called a "tradition" until 1953, according to a comprehensive internal audit conducted before the move to San Francisco.

You're welcome.

 

[mred]

they have a "Patriot" in Phoenix, which has a bunch of third stringers, Medved, Hewitt, etc., is that name copywrited??

 

[rickradio]

they have a "Patriot" in Phoenix, which has a bunch of third stringers, Medved, Hewitt, etc., is that name copywrited??

Third stringers, huh? Are you calling Salem "third string?" These guys are syndicated by Salem, which, by the way, has a "Patriot" in Minneapolis (don't know if the Phoenix "Patriot" is Salem's though).

 

[ajhenderson]

960 in Phoenix is Salem owned, but it is no longer the Patriot. They've mostly phased out that imaging.