Ratings ??

[scott salvatori]

this sounds like a good promo to launch a new format change to classic/real country. i love the promo idea, but a year form now it will be long gone into regular programming. at least we hope. too much of anything the same is overkill, even the L8 GR8 johnny cash. XM/sirius has an all elvis, and all springsteen channel. and occasionally turns one of there regular channels into an all "artist" weekend. johhny is still loved and respected by all. even the young urban/hip/jive crowd, has repect for the man in black. a true red-blooded American original outlaw.

 

[sirstevie]

Scott...

since you metioned KGY..
Have you listened lately? It's now True Country, and going HD3 on May 1st.
HD1 - the regular channel is flipping to 80's-90's music.

I wish them luck.

 

[rldude]

Scott...

since you metioned KGY..
Have you listened lately? It's now True Country, and going HD3 on May 1st.
HD1 - the regular channel is flipping to 80's-90's music.

I wish them luck.

I would hesitate to say that KGY 96.9 is flipping to 80's-90's music....THE SOUND: "Cool Classics and Hot Hits" suggests a hybrid AC station that plays both Classic Hits/up to the most popular Hits of Today. The bottom line, though, is that classic country doesn't really lead to success...i.e. KGY, the only classic country station in the Puget Sound area, switching formats. However HD radio does provide the ability of stations to target specific audiences with formats which are in a "niche" market that better suits classic country.

 

[sirstevie]

i know for a FACT they are flipping....i was at the station picking up a prize i won, and was informed of everything before the announcement was made.

 

[scott salvatori]

thats quite a blow if KGY switches off the country, after so many years, and adds to the argument to those posters who say classic country dont work. how many people have HD? KGY country will lose 99.999% of the listeners. okay, maybe i need to give up my dinasaur ways, from now on im gonna force myself to enjoy the cosmopolitan pop country of kieth urban, and rascal flat. left] as far as that all johnny cash format in missouri........just an april fools day stunt. to those who may read my post and agree with my rhetoric on country programming, there is a good station i pick up on the CCWIFI from decatur, Alabama, WQAH 105.7 "pure country". i guess them people down that way, can handle the real stuff

 

[rldude]

Sirstevie: you're right!! Having recently spoken with a station “insider,” KGY fm IS flipping....just not to 80's-90's music. Some music from the 80's-90's will be played, but current, 2010, music is also going to be played on the Hybrid AC format.

From what I hear…96.9 THE SOUND “Cool Classics--Hot Hits” with recognizable announcers and a fresh new SOUND for the Puget Sound, come May, will really surprise listeners and the folks on this board….someone should definitely record the switch.

While Scott is right that many people don't have HD radios yet, at least the folks that do have them, and appreciate classic country, have the choice to continue listening to the format they enjoy on HD side channels. I think that there are a good number of people who enjoy classic country---less than new country(based on ratings) nevertheless. It’s just the case that advertisers in the Seattle-Tacoma market do not aggressively target the classic country listener.

 

[sirstevie]

I..for one..and I know I am in the minority...enjoy the classic country.
I have been listening to 96.9 for YEARS mainly early mornings when i was delivering newspapers.
But I guess thats why i have an ipod also. :-\

 

[SeattleRadioPro]

Sirstevie: you're right!! Having recently spoken with a station “insider,” KGY fm IS flipping....just not to 80's-90's music. Some music from the 80's-90's will be played, but current, 2010, music is also going to be played on the Hybrid AC format.

From what I hear…96.9 THE SOUND “Cool Classics--Hot Hits” with recognizable announcers and a fresh new SOUND for the Puget Sound, come May, will really surprise listeners and the folks on this board….someone should definitely record the switch.

Good grief. This has been about as well-kept a secret as KIRO going all sports. Don't believe me? http://kenbalsley.com/?p=895

Now let's get back to reality: When it flips KGY will be the third FM station in the Olympia area to play essentially the same music - KXXO's been doing it since 1990 and KRXY went on the air about a decade ago. This "new Sound format" will make about as much of a dent in the numbers as a penny dropping into a pail of water.

 

[scott salvatori]

this is turning into quite the new development here..... mainly that KGY 1)will have new stronger signal to reach the seattle market. 2) present a new hybrid format devised in europe, only now heard in two markets( NY, and chicago). 3) will use local talent, with recognizable names. 4)is still a family owned station. the format sounds like it may just be a Wendys hamburger stand going into a neighborhood already served with a Mcdonalds and Burger king. the station should reconsider doing a local programmed country station(something better than the bread and water crap we now have), and put icabod in the morning chair, when his anti-compete is up. specially now they gonna reach seattle. this would be kick ass!!!!! how bout it mr owner, mike kerry. anyone want to start a campaign? im sure a "draft ichabod campaign" would gain the station a lot of media coverage. even if his anti-compete is a year off. you icabod people/fans/ bloggers should get this in gear. is this a good promo or what: "countdown to icabod" it could last all year!!!

 

[Goldilocks94941]

I, too, like elements of what is now called "classic country," since it's the music I first started DJ-ing on the air back in the 1970s. Despite the really awful lyrics of most of the tunes. But I can see how, outside of Appalachia and Dixie, even Tacoma may not be prime territory for it. (Maybe in Puyallup??) Tho' I have to think an AM station could do something with the format, if they include some "Trading Post" slots or trivia contests or something like that to keep it lively and interactive, not just automated oldies.

This desire for speciality formats on the air is just another reason I'm eagerly looking for the day when I finally can get internet streaming radio in my Subaru. Any suggestions for good stations that webstream the classic country and "hillbilly music" format from the rest of you? (Haven't checked to see if WSM is online now, but they're an obvious choise. And I think KPIG might mix some of it into their alt-country rock-blues format.)

I'd also recommend some shows of old, old country (1940s, for instance) and bluegrass that air on a couple of my former stations in other states, but they're only weekend specialty shows. Which might be another option for some Seattle station to play - might be just the kick ya'll need to put some real feel good and feelin' bad country-western (and even western swing, yessir!) on the air for a fun Saturday afternoon or evening show. Have heard a great western swing show on some station in kansas on Saturdays when driving cross country. Now that was a treat. KNEW Oakland did a mix of classic country and album cuts for years on weekends, too. RIP.

It is a cryin' shame to be livin' in America and not get to hear a Tammy Wynette song on the radio once in a while. Damn.

 

[sirstevie]

Sirstevie: you're right!! Having recently spoken with a station “insider,” KGY fm IS flipping....just not to 80's-90's music. Some music from the 80's-90's will be played, but current, 2010, music is also going to be played on the Hybrid AC format.

From what I hear…96.9 THE SOUND “Cool Classics--Hot Hits” with recognizable announcers and a fresh new SOUND for the Puget Sound, come May, will really surprise listeners and the folks on this board….someone should definitely record the switch.

Good grief. This has been about as well-kept a secret as KIRO going all sports. Don't believe me? http://kenbalsley.com/?p=895

Now let's get back to reality: When it flips KGY will be the third FM station in the Olympia area to play essentially the same music - KXXO's been doing it since 1990 and KRXY went on the air about a decade ago. This "new Sound format" will make about as much of a dent in the numbers as a penny dropping into a pail of water.

i never said it was gonna be a good idea for them to flip. I had said it was gonna be a HUGE mistake in my opinion. But Im a nobody anyway...but we'll see. :-\

 

[scott salvatori]

goldilocks: check out: WDVX 89.9 "east tennessee's own" a listener supported, a very good mix of ecclectic, and alternative country and grass here. WQAH 105.7 "pure country" from decatur AL, is a fav. KPIG is a good one as well! locally, you can find some good country programming on KBCS 91.3 bellevue(FM and internet) sunday morning 6-9AM. i used to work this airshift in the 90's. they have some very capable hosts still doin it. i STRONGLY recomend XM/sirius. specially if your on the road like me all the time. when XM sirius merged though, we lost several XM country channels, which pissed me off. but at least they kept "willies place". just that channel is worth payin 12.00 per month. 10-4 on the tammy!!! a few adult beverages, and im off into tammy land, listening and in awe of her still singin' "till i get it right", "til i can make it on my own", "you and me". all you taylor swift people please wake up to the real stuff!!!!!

 

[bossbill]

Re: KGY True Country

Source-wise, KGY did what we did. Dropped ABC/Citadel and went with Dial-Global for the network programming. Now for the question of Classic Country on an HD channel, seems like a lot of $$$ to go HD and then program a format for older demos. The older demos are not going to be the first ones to embrace HD; they'll be the last.

With Classic Country, KGY has not made a dent. There will be even less chance of a dent on HD.

Airing KGY AM on the other HD channel makes sense, however. Now if they can pick up an FM translator, they can in fact extend the range of the AM station, since the commission is permitting FM translators for HD signals.

 

[semoochie]

"The older demos are not going to be the first ones to embrace HD; they'll be the last." Not necessarily. Beautiful Music got the ball rolling on FM!

 

[bossbill]

Hmmm... dunno about that. We had a good run at KOL-FM in the early 70s. And it was only beautiful music if you were loaded. And I'm not sure the demos for KSEA and KEUT were the same as Classic Country.

With FM, the receivers were already out there, mandated by the government. With HD, you have to choose to buy one. Set penetration is very low. And that's where I don't think you'll get the older demos to pony up.

If the gov't would mandate HD receivers like they did FM/AM, this HD thing might go somewhere.

 

[semoochie]

I loaded up my response. Beautiful Music did very well across the board! On the other point, no one mandated FM. It grew on its own. The only government interference was Multiplex and requiring separate programming.

 

[speer360]

If the gov't would mandate HD receivers like they did FM/AM, this HD thing might go somewhere.

The Government would never/could never mandate it because iBiquity Digital licenses HD Radio technology. FM was never licensed.

 

[bossbill]

Lest we forget. It was a requirement that the receivers include FM. If not for that, it would have taken much longer.

 

[semoochie]

I'm sorry, we must have grown up in a different neighborhood! When was it ever a requirement for receivers to include FM?

 

[bossbill]

Well, I could be wrong. It's happened once or twice. Maybe I'm confusing radio and television (which is the one with the pictures?). I'll stand by the other stuff, though.