Ratings Are Up At L.A.'s Country Music Station

[mostb1]

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/business/la-et-arbitron7may07,1,6078044.story

 

[SportsDotCom]

How many of the OLD KZLA jocks are at this station?

 

[RealCountryPD]

When you start at zero...ANYTHING is up. Give me a break. It sounds like poop. You are looking at the high water mark right now...And that's only 30 days in...

 

[scooty430]

At least now, when the station is eventually sold by Saul's offspring for 8 gazillion dollars, people will not be upset. If it were still the "last private classical station in LA," being sold to the highest bidder, that would be a big deal. This way, it will be some random format at the time of the sale.

He better do it soon, though. One of these days, a new technology is going to come along that makes FM obsolete, and all these stations worthless.

In the meantime, I still haven't figured out what to make my 105.1 preset.

 

[impala88]

??? Correct me if I am wrong, but it looks like the ratings for 105.1 went down after flipping to country. Conversely, 1260 AM seems to have gone up slightly since flipping to classical.

 

[mostb1]

??? Correct me if I am wrong, but it looks like the ratings for 105.1 went down after flipping to country. Conversely, 1260 AM seems to have gone up slightly since flipping to classical.

No. The opposite. You have to look at the monthlies for this not the entire book or a trend. Go Country 105 did a 1.9 12+ in its first monthly. Better than the last rating for KZLA.

1260 tanked. He should just give up on classical. We all know it isn't a format for AM.

 

[dbdigital]

Well, Saul has done it again. This time he's flipped 540 from simulcasting KKGO to Classic Country.

This from L.A. Radio:

www.LARadio.com

"Over the weekend, Saul converted 540 to Classic Country featuring artists from the 60s and 70s like Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton. With already two strong Country stations in San Diego, Levine opted to provide an alternative in the marketplace and a complement to KKGO.

The station will be known as The Zoo, a tribute to the world famous San Diego Zoo. “Between the records we have cute animal sounds during this stunting period,” said Saul."

Imagine having a So. CA radio station that you don't know what to do with? Seems to be the case here.

db


[Link added as a courtesy by Radio Info]

 

[ajhenderson]

“Between the records we have cute animal sounds during this stunting period,” said Saul."

LOL. But apparently true. :

Imagine having a So. CA radio station that you don't know what to do with?

During the day at least. More like an Imperial Beach station after 7pm.

 

[mostb1]

He should do it to 1260 as well. Would make a good combo sale. Considering Clear Channel's AM TheToad (KTDD) gets ok ratings for a poor AM signal in the Inland Empire, competing with CBS' K-Frog on FM, this would be a good format for 1260.

 

[John McNary]

I'll wager a return to standards - maybe even the old KGIL calls - as the next roulettte wheel stop for 1260.

 

[mostb1]

I'll wager a return to standards - maybe even the old KGIL calls - as the next roulettte wheel stop for 1260.

He's done standards before. There is no one alive In Los Angeles who wants to listen to that format. Give it a few weeks, he'll have classic country on 1260.

 

[John McNary]

Another guess, you may be right.

 

[Marv-L.A.]

I do recall reading in R&R that 'The Toad' in SB/Riv was specifically launched as a music-intensive station with the idea of allowing longtime CHR/Rhythmic powerhouse KGGI to reclaim the #1 slot in the IE, at the expense of KFRG.

I don't think there's any doubt that if 'The Toad' didn't exist, KFRG would routinely be racking up those 8 and 9 shares (and occassionally) higher numbers which were almost agiven at the station for many years.

Flipping 1260 to classic country isn't a bad idea, but wouldn't it make sense to simultaneously boost KKGO's current music content substantially so that it could become a reporter to R&R/BB/Mediabase?

I believe the current music percentage threshold required is at least 55% current music, which is roughly twice as high as KKGO's music during the 5AM-midnight daypart on weekdays.

Of course, tossing Dial Global's miserable overnight and weekend programming overboard (or at least flipping to their 'Hot Country' music format) would also be a nice compatible move to flipping 1260 to Classic Country, wouldn't it?

 

[Auralous Sublimate]

They need a country re-image IMO. They should get Krash Bassett.

It's cool to see anyone giving country a shot in LA... however it turns out. Yaaaaaay CHANCES!

 

[davideduardo]

I do recall reading in R&R that 'The Toad' in SB/Riv was specifically launched as a music-intensive station with the idea of allowing longtime CHR/Rhythmic powerhouse KGGI to reclaim the #1 slot in the IE, at the expense of KFRG.

I don't think there's any doubt that if 'The Toad' didn't exist, KFRG would routinely be racking up those 8 and 9 shares (and occassionally) higher numbers which were almost agiven at the station for many years.

While the KTDD gets a 0.7 to 0.9 range share, KFRG would still be nowhere near the 8 to 9 share range if that AM did not program country... even moreso if you realize that some of the KTDD listeners would not even like modern country.

I think the real reason why the KFRG shares are not at the same historic highs is the change in ethnicity of the market, where there are over 40% Hispanics, and about 10% Asians... reducing the share potential for country.

 

[blowmonkey105]

Next to Tejano, the number two music choice for hispanics is country.

 

[davideduardo]

Next to Tejano, the number two music choice for hispanics is country.

1. There are only 3 or 4 Tejano staitons in the entire US. It is probably the least popular format choice for US Hispanic stations. There are more Spanish evangelical / Chrisitan stations than Tejano.

2. I suspect you are recalling some data from markets like San Antonio, where the percentage of assimilated, English dominant Hispanics is high (nearly 80% in SA). In areas where Hispanics are of Caribbean origin, there is nearly zero interest. In areas where there are mostly first generation Hispanics, the interest is limited to third generation and beyond.

In San Antonio, the two country stations do not even make a 7 share total among Hispanics. Hip Hop, American oldies and AOR all have greater shares.

In the IE, KFRG is #11 among Hispanics, with about a third the share of the #1 station, which is Regional Mexican. CHR has the largest share, other than regional Mexican, followed by Hip Hop, Spanish AC, Spanish tropical and American Oldies. And English talk!

Among assimilated Hispanics, the formats of most importance are Hip Hop, CHR, Oldies, AC, AOR. In markets with lots of 3rd generation and beyond, like McAllen, Albuquerque and San Antonio, country has some interest, but is not a strong contender for Hispanics.

Tejano, also, is a later-generation Hispanic format. It has nearly no appeal among first generation, and none at all outside of a couple of markets... mostly ones where Hispanics have been there longer than anyone else.

 

[semoochie]

Did you just say that, among assimilated hispanics, the third most important format is Oldies? A big light just went on over my head! Could it be that we should be programming this previously unsalable format to assimilated hispanics?

 

[davideduardo]

Did you just say that, among assimilated hispanics, the third most important format is Oldies? A big light just went on over my head! Could it be that we should be programming this previously unsalable format to assimilated hispanics?

In most markets, there are not enough 45+ assimilated (third generation, usually) Hispanics to make a difference. US Hispanic populations have an average age around 22 or 23 in most Southwestern markets.

 

[semoochie]

Isn't this the audience that KRLA used to court? Did they all move away?