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PIGEON DROPPINGS

H

hoosier45guy

The biggest surprise I notice in the latest Indy numbers just released: WKLU, which had seen a nice initial ratings spike after flipping to Oldies early in 2008. In September, the station launched the high-profile Jeff Pigeon morning show and supported it with an avalanche of marketing. The individual monthlies now show a steady decline. No one single month hurt their Fall book - all three months were poor.

WKLU-FM has actually, in total, lost just over half their adult listeners in one book, and has lost tens of thousands in cume listenership as well. And this does not appear to be an Arbitron situation - there's a real pattern of audience shrinkage. I think, with their rather erratic ownership, this could mean dramatic changes on a moments notice. Let's watch and see.
 
They should try Hip Hop.
 
I think they are getting their clock cleaned by WJJK...more signal, better songs, better jocks. I'm in the demo for both stations and I spend alot more time with WJJK than WKLU....it's just a better radio station.
 
I tried this station (Oldies, WKLU) last fall because I like oldies and thought I might like the station. But I found it hard to keep with it because the music sounded so overly compressed and maybe even playing at the wrong speed(?) Anyway there were big hits that I barely even recognized; so I flipped over to WJJK. They're not bad; but don't play the "good time" stuff.
 
I graduated from high school in 1974 and from college in 1978. I listened to WIFE, WLS and WNAP.

My parents listened to WXTZ, WLW (Dad was a Reds fan) and WIBC. Jeff Pigeon is who my parents listened to.
 
...maybe an all 70s disco format! Put Pidge in a white tux.
 
I was thinking more of the John Travolta look, but I guess that would only be for the 'DJ Marathon' promo photos.

But you're right, for regular day to day broadcasting, the Herb Tarlek-like jacket would be more suitable.
 
radioho said:
But you're right, for regular day to day broadcasting, the Herb Tarlek-like jacket would be more suitable.
Click to expand...

Ho's* radioho's endorsement makes my weekend. I hear he's a snappy dresser, but not much of a dancer.

* I typed ho's, then thought better, as this is a very high class radio board with its own standards and practices.
 
I like Pigeon and Libby ... but I too find myself listening to WJJK because of the music ... WJJK plays more of what I like ... the MAXX (96.7 specifically) stations which apparently can only be heard on the NE side really play the most of what I like, but unfortunately for all stations involved, I move the dial way too much to help anyone if I was filling out a diary.
 
There's more money in Oldies than any of the other format suggestions that have been posted here. Even though the station trended down the most recent book, I suspect the station has had more advertisers [and ad revenue] since Pidge was added, regardless of ratings.
The station is exclusive in the format in the market, has good demos advertisers want, and Pidge is a heritage piece of broadcasting in the market with a following both in advertisers as well as listeners - that all means more revenue than another contemporary format of any ilk.
 
Everyone runs PI in January - no big news flash there. I stand by my previous statement - they'll monetize that format better than anything else available. It's exclusive, it's a qualitative sell, and it's not the third or fourth "hot" something or other entry into the market. Pigeon's high profile in the market is just a bonus to give them quicker credibility. Their sellers are smart and connected - they'll be taking their unfair share of biz from other operators with their account relationships in the market as 09 progresses. The only reason they'll not take more money sooner is because they're a stand alone station, and the market's cluster operations tend to get first sniff at most avails.
 
WKLU is not exclusive. They share a lot with WNTR. Pigeon means nothing to the many people like myself who have relocated to Indy in the past year and a half. Their sales department is a revolving door. P25-54 fell by over 50% in the Fall book.
 
mouseman said:
Everyone runs PI in January - no big news flash there. I stand by my previous statement - they'll monetize that format better than anything else available. It's exclusive, it's a qualitative sell, and it's not the third or fourth "hot" something or other entry into the market. Pigeon's high profile in the market is just a bonus to give them quicker credibility. Their sellers are smart and connected - they'll be taking their unfair share of biz from other operators with their account relationships in the market as 09 progresses. The only reason they'll not take more money sooner is because they're a stand alone station, and the market's cluster operations tend to get first sniff at most avails.
Click to expand...

Why is it the apologists for this station ALWAYS say things are GOING to get better and improve - but they NEVER do?

All the theories, experiments, format changes, personnel firings, music survey after music survey, and STILL people say this station will rise from the ashes and ONE DAY bring in listeners and income.

I'm still waiting for that day to happen. This station has gone backwards ever since the move to Castleton.

The only constant for this sad, lost station has been the ownership and PD - hmmmmm ... with every change the ratings drop. There's only one reasonable change left to be made ...
 
are you in radio...and do you listen...if you answer yes to any of these two questions...

then , the only answer is orange or grape Kool Aid....anyone who listens knows this station is not making money

name me the crack sales staff...i know of at least two people with alot of experience who have sent resumes and never got a call back...hmmmmm
 
mouseman said:
Everyone runs PI in January - no big news flash there. I stand by my previous statement - they'll monetize that format better than anything else available. It's exclusive, it's a qualitative sell, and it's not the third or fourth "hot" something or other entry into the market. Pigeon's high profile in the market is just a bonus to give them quicker credibility. Their sellers are smart and connected - they'll be taking their unfair share of biz from other operators with their account relationships in the market as 09 progresses. The only reason they'll not take more money sooner is because they're a stand alone station, and the market's cluster operations tend to get first sniff at most avails.
Click to expand...

Are you on crack?
 
Am I on crack? I guess that about sums up what everyone on this board thinks of my observations regarding the business side of WKLU.

I would be offended by all your negative remarks if I didn't realize there wasn't a stitch of radio business sense among any of you. It's amusing to me that all of you are so consumed by personal axes to grind. You aren't willing to listen to observations based in years and years of experience owning and operating radio businesses. There's no free flow of thought or exchange of idea here, unless it is completely negative leaning. Partisan politics aren't as bad as the solitary negative tone everyone posts here.

If you don't know the difference between cap expense and operational expense, Bad debt and sales credit, OI and net income, then don't show your ignorance. WKLU takes $2-$3m in revenue out of this market with the product they have now. They can [and should be] profitable with that share of market revenue. I didn't say insanely profitable, but in the black. The big difference between this operator, and the larger corporations in this market are that the goals are different. Corporate radio enjoyed 40-50% operating margins for years, and leveraged accordingly. The margins aren't there now; the level they're leveraged can't be sustained. Oasis is much smaller in scale, both in income and debt leveraged. Their operating margin at KLU might not be what it was when the ratings were better, and rates across the market were firm, but I'll bet they have positive operating margin, or are damn closer to positive operating margin than other operators leveraged up to their eyeballs.
 
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