Or, what if 101.5 goes all sports? I think Bob's head would explode.
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Seattle-Tacoma Radio Ratings: August 2023
- Thread starter pjc1961
- Start date
I’d be very surprised to see 106.1 make any changes again. I think iHeart still regrets their last attempt at Hot AC on 106.1 and want to ensure that the station remains competitive against 92.5. If the only real competition goes away, 92.5’s numbers are going to to through the roof.
Knowing Lotus as I do, I think it's much more likely they flip one or both AM signals to sports, leaving the news format to 97.7 and the conservative talk listeners hanging. I highly doubt that's going to happen though. When Click went away, the speculation was that 98.9 was going to go sports, and I thought then that it wouldn't happen. I don't see how the landscape has significantly changed since then, so don't see that happening. Actually though now that I think about it, Hubbard could put the sports betting format currently running on 98.9 HD2 on analog, but to me 880 is the more logical place for that. Regardless I'm not sure my head would explode with another sports station in the market, my main issue with 93.3 is that at least from what data we as the public can see, they're not doing any better or worse than they were on 950. If they're doing any better, that number is buried deep in the numbers that only the folks at iHeart can see. I do think it would be a tough go for a new sports station though. If another one does come to town, it'll be sports betting.
You know Lotus well? How so? Have you worked for them?
Oh that's right. You predicted that they would have dumped sports back to AM by now. Six months wasn't it?
They call that in-demo ratings. Not 6+.
I agree. Those who have found other options have no reason to spin the dial. I've been saying this a while: Radio stations have to do outreach. They have to go where potential listeners are, and shake a few hands.
Are you just in the mood to challenge everything I say? Sure I've never worked for Lotus, but look at their existing portfolio. They tend to run multiple nationally-fed sports stations in one market, all on AM. I would think it more likely that 101.5 goes Spanish CHR, and we've discussed on this board why that's unlikely.
Very true. I know people who were fans of KMTT, but wouldn’t know that 98.9 is even out there unless someone told them (fortunately, I did). The marketing does need to improve, as this isn’t a format that will magically attract a large group of listeners with little effort. But to be fair, no radio station gets far without decent marketing.
I could see all news going to 101.5 and hitting Seattle with a full market FM signal before they try anything else. Perhaps simulcast 1000 and 101.5, and then use 97.7 for something experimental. This, of course, is putting the cart before the horse because KPLZ is not dead. It’s a heritage branding and format with room to carve out some key demographics in the market. I wouldn’t throw in the towel yet.
It depends Established stations can retain audience. But if you're trying to attract a new audience, you need to speak up.
So, you don't know them that well after all? Which is it?
Spanish CHR would work in a place like, oh Los Angeles, but is there a large enough Hispanic population in Seattle/Tacoma to be successful on a full class FM? What is the current Hispanic population percentage in the Seattle-Tacoma market? Come on Bob, since you have such a solid track record of predicting what radio stations do, please educate us all on what the future is for Lotus. After all, you know them so well!
If anything were to happen to 101.5, it's KNWN on a full-power signal and NOTHING more.
97.7 either stays that way or it goes to a Religious operator. Probably Positive Life Radio. They acquired MeTV FM 104.5 in The Dalles and the WAY-FM translator in Portland on 104.5, plus 90.5 Astoria. I think my regional network would love to expand to the South Sound and compete against K-LOVE and KACS.
We don't even have a Spanish CHR station here!! It's all Regional Mexican and Spanish Religious formats in Yakima...where the county went majority-minority in the 2020 Census.
97.7 either stays that way or it goes to a Religious operator. Probably Positive Life Radio. They acquired MeTV FM 104.5 in The Dalles and the WAY-FM translator in Portland on 104.5, plus 90.5 Astoria. I think my regional network would love to expand to the South Sound and compete against K-LOVE and KACS.
We don't even have a Spanish CHR station here!! It's all Regional Mexican and Spanish Religious formats in Yakima...where the county went majority-minority in the 2020 Census.
Music As Cool Now As It Was Then!
I'm not aware that Lotus has a reason to sell either station.
The problem with KNWN 97.7. Is it stuck where it is as far as I know.
It’s coverage does not cover the Seattle market fully. Sure it works for talk, but it’s not a nice music signal for Seattle. Which they are aware with the positioning of the station as AM first, FM second.
www.rabbitears.info
Busto had to install a bunch of boosters for KDDS 99.3 just to be able to cover I-5 completely. They have similar cover holes.
It’s coverage does not cover the Seattle market fully. Sure it works for talk, but it’s not a nice music signal for Seattle. Which they are aware with the positioning of the station as AM first, FM second.
RabbitEars.Info
RabbitEars, where you can learn all about local, over-the-air TV channels.
www.rabbitears.info
Busto had to install a bunch of boosters for KDDS 99.3 just to be able to cover I-5 completely. They have similar cover holes.
97.7 is one of the better signals that come out of the south. Sure, it's not perfect, but it works extremely well as a massive FM translator. Look at WBAL in Baltimore, where a small FM translator is being used. WBAL has a terrible nighttime pattern, therefore some sort of FM is a necessity. Lotus is in good shape with KNWN, as 1000 has excellent coverage throughout western Washington, and 97.7 acts as their FM translator (providing far better coverage than an actual translator would).
If Lotus ever pulled the plug on Star and decided to move KNWN to 101.5, I'm sure they'd find another use for 97.7. Again, it's not a terrible signal. It would do the job.
If Lotus ever pulled the plug on Star and decided to move KNWN to 101.5, I'm sure they'd find another use for 97.7. Again, it's not a terrible signal. It would do the job.
Stupid question: how do you get to the page on RabbitEarsInfo to search for the Longley Rice map for any callsign? I used to have that page bookmarked, and somehow lost it. Now, I can't find the page again lol. I tried to backtrack from the KNWN map, but it didn't work. All I could find was the TV query page.The problem with KNWN 97.7. Is it stuck where it is as far as I know.
It’s coverage does not cover the Seattle market fully. Sure it works for talk, but it’s not a nice music signal for Seattle. Which they are aware with the positioning of the station as AM first, FM second.
RabbitEars.Info
RabbitEars, where you can learn all about local, over-the-air TV channels.
Busto had to install a bunch of boosters for KDDS 99.3 just to be able to cover I-5 completely. They have similar cover holes.
RabbitEars.Info
RabbitEars, where you can learn all about local, over-the-air TV channels.
www.rabbitears.info
Replace the call in the url with the appropriate one.
Yep. Exactly.
Amazing! Thank you. That's exactly what I've been looking for.RabbitEars.Info
RabbitEars, where you can learn all about local, over-the-air TV channels.
Replace the call in the url with the appropriate one.
I'm not Bob, but the answer to your question is 413,000. And growing.What is the current Hispanic population percentage in the Seattle-Tacoma market? Come on Bob, since you have such a solid track record of predicting what radio stations do, please educate us all on what the future is for Lotus. After all, you know them so well!
With a two rimshot FMs (a Regional Mexican and a religious broadcaster), another weak FM out of Covington, and a couple AMs catering to that audience. Granted, many of those folks are second generation, and probably a considerable amount of 3rd Generation people, many of whom may not know all that much Spanish.
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