Radio One How Long?

[Mike O]

Before you put La Mera Mera or KROI 92.1 out of it's misery and do what you do best? The Winter book saw KROI fall back to it's lowest numbers. Houston could use an excellent Urban Gospel station on FM and that would bring three times the ratings that you have been getting for over the past year. I admire a company that gives a format a fair time to find an audience, but KROI is going no where but down. Houston does not need another "write off" station, Cox has given us four of those already.When does the plug get pulled on KROI?Mike O

 

[jras20]

I agree I think Urban Gospal would be great for 92.1 but I would also like to see classical back in Houston.

 

[Mediafrog+]

Houston could use an excellent Urban Gospel station on FM and that would bring three times the ratings that you have been getting for over the past year. When does the plug get pulled on KROI?

On this board in the fall of 2004 I predicted RO would give La Mera Mera through the Spring 2006 book before making a decision. The numbers spike in the Fall 2005 book made me start to doubt myself, but with the subsequent drop I just might be back on track. RO might see if there is any recovery from a bad Winter book, and if not, make a change. Recuerdo has obviously badly damaged La Mera Mera (props to David Eduardo) and I would bet KOVE continues on a roll, further draining KROI's audience.I also was pumping Urban Gospel for 92.1 back when the sale of KRTS took place. It just makes too much sense. Fits in perfectly with the RO demographic core, and is a format hole on FM here in Houston. RO's sales staff probably would love to sell such a format in combination with their other properties here.Of course, KROI is also rumored to be up for sale, as RO is supposedly looking at spinning off stations that don't fit "100%" with their African-American core. Cumulus is probably the most likely buyer, unless Liberman decides to really splurge--and grab 92.1 for a new FM simulcast of either 1230 or 850. Will be interesting to see if RO gets its $72.5 million back.

 

[Mediafrog+]

I agree I think Urban Gospal would be great for 92.1 but I would also like to see classical back in Houston.

Commercial classical is dead in Houston, as well as most other markets, and I say that as a fan of the old KRTS. Demographics have gotten too old, and there are other choices for the serious classical fan, such as KUHF, which does a pretty good job outside of drive times. There's also Music Choice (three channels), DMX, and Muzak classical channels via cable and satellite providers, plus Sirius and XM. Plenty of internet choices as well, linked through such sites as http://www.classicalwebcast.dds.nl/index.html Classical might resurface as a HD2 offering. I understand that when KUHF launches HD2, it will be sort of an inverse of their current main programming--classical in drive times, and spoken word during other hours.