See ya, K-Zep. It's gotten "Hot" at 104-5.

[purpledevil]

I'd like for you to engage me for a moment if you would, Stevens. Why wouldn't you program it?

Honestly.

I ask because as a listener, your number 3 is exactly what I see wrong with radio in general, in the here and now. Concern for the program, concern for the advertiser, but not a mention of the consumer of the product. Your product. The one you're programming.

How can a programmer such as yourself expect to continue to sell these spots to advertisers, when at some point, there will be no consumers for the product, due to the fact that the younger generations have no interest in a program that they can't program themselves, or at least have some control of what's going into their ears, and all of the old demos that still support the basic radio model, have all been run off? These advertisers that are basically running what's going over the air today, will be dropping the medium like a hot rock once they figure out there's nobody left to hear their commercial, thus not generating any money from utilizing the public airwaves. Technology is ever advancing, as is the advertising market, and ways will always be found to market their goods to potential buyers. The way it appears, both consumers and advertisers may just leave radio behind, if the current mentality is retained.

I mean, won't that advertising dollar dry up when there's no return on the money spent to run those ads, since there'll be no one left to hear them? I don't understand why there's such a lack of concern for the people that every radio station needs to survive.

I thank you for taking the time to respond to my genuine questions, and look forward to the response.

 

[stevensonair]

First off:

"1. Unless there goal is to have a lot of unhappy customers and sell off the station like they did with KLOL then they did their homework."

No, their goal is a more sellable product within the demographics and their revenue goals for this station in this market. KZEP wasn't delivering what they, as the owners, wanted from it. So they did research to come up with the most viable option. Just as in Pittsburgh, the talk station gave way to country, because that genre of radio (talk of any kind, but especially the more ideological) is decreasing in listenership and not showing future growth.

Purple - in answer to your question, I would venture that KZEP flipped to a format that did target younger listeners. The new Pittsburgh country station is aimed at a younger demographic. If they weren't using local radio, that would be a concern. But there are still enough listeners, in mainstream formats that attract enough of an audience to sustain the station.

I can't program a format that has a ton of listeners and few advertisers. I have to balance what people will listen to and buy time on - now, in a cluster situation I can consider certain niches that wouldn't work in a standalone scenario, but I'm still having to maximize the return on the costs of running each property. Now, I could program an excellent "hard rock" station, a progressive or comedy/talk station, pure dance, any number of styles that I know people listen to - but if the sponsors don't want or don't attract enough ears with that format, I'm running a charity.

For my part, I focus on localism. I try to have engaging entertainers and compelling local content between the songs. But I have to play songs enough people like, and those people have to be the people my sponsors want to reach. Otherwise, I'd be doing community access radio for the fun of it. I've been a fan of any number of stations that were passionately programmed, and had cult following - but unless I've got piles of money and want to do this as a hobby, I can't justify that programming.

I hope the digital rights holders will recognize the value of new media and set reasonable rates that allow more niche formats and artists to reach their audiences and sell their downloads, concert tickets, merchandise, etc. I hope people can find what they want, and I hope somewhere along the line it can be sustainable for content creators.

But terrestrial radio is a mass media, and when it's owned by large corporations that need a return on every cent, you go where the most people and sponsors ARE, not where you'd like them to be. And right now, there's huge growth and audience in young country, CHR, and other such formats. We haven't lost them yet.

 

[davideduardo]

Wasn't Clear Channel on the verge of bankruptcy recently and they had to sell more stations? I might be wrong but I remember someone mentioning that.

Clear has only been selling two kinds of stations:

1. Those it put in the Aloha Trust to comply with the DOJ / FCC requirements when they went private.
2. Those in small, unprofitable markets or those with such bad facilities that they can't be profitable in larger markets.

They are very thorough when they do a format change.

 

[purpledevil]

I understand the dilemma you are in, Stevens. I certainly recognize the growth you speak of within the formats that are geared towards the younger demos. What concerns me as an avid OTA fan, is that while CHR, young country, Rhythmic top 40, and the like genres do enjoy an ever increasing following, the younger crowd is simply not relying on radio to provide that content to them. My 19 year old simply has no use for an AM/FM tuner in his eyes, and unfortunately he's not alone in his thinking. With so many devices, apps, and online content providers available, allowing them to have what they want when they want it and readily available at their fingertips, OTA radio is as antiquated as a cassette deck to them.

Now, this is what I observe often, just being around my son and his gang of friends. None of them can begin to fathom why I flip around the dial, listen to scratchy, barely listenable signals, when I'm DXing, or barely comprehend why I automatically check the various stations I listen to on the Houston dial first, before deciding to continue listening, or to pop in a CD or hook up the phone to the head unit.

In your experiences programming, do you find yourself constantly struggling with this dilemma as well? It certainly seems like quite a catch 22 for a professional in your position, from this side looking in. Older folks losing their genres of music and thus their reasons to continue listening, and younger ones having the technology readily available that leaves them with little reason to really bother.

Quite a shame, really, as no downloaded playlist or music source will ever be able to obtain the magic that radio once had to captivate and engage its audience through interaction, and because of this, I certainly applaud your approach with the focus on localism. I sincerely believe that radio, as a whole, will need to revert itself back to a local community focused approach for it to survive the many competing forces pulling against it.

 

[davideduardo]

I understand the dilemma you are in, Stevens. I certainly recognize the growth you speak of within the formats that are geared towards the younger demos. What concerns me as an avid OTA fan, is that while CHR, young country, Rhythmic top 40, and the like genres do enjoy an ever increasing following, the younger crowd is simply not relying on radio to provide that content to them.

But what has happened in the last decade or less is that CHR has been broadening. KIIS in LA is #1 in 25-54 without the benefit of teens and 18-24's. It's even #2 in 35-44 and 5th in 35-64.

Country has broadened to the younger side, becoming as much 18-49 as 25-54. Hot AC, which is CHR without some of the extremes, is very broad in all the 25-54 sub-cells. My FM in LA is #1 in 35-64, and 35-44 as well as #2 25-34 and 25-49.

18-24 and 18-34 are still viable radio cells. While many in those demos may also use lots of new media streaming and sources, radio is still being used but just not as much. So if you take formats that are broad to begin with like Hot AC, Country and CHR (as well as the Spanish language and Urban equivalents) you have a huge and active user group.

 

[saradio1]

Anyone think Hot will bring The Beat down?

My take on Hot- I like the fact that Hot is trying to appeal to everyone without sounding ghetto or thuggish like CC's first attempt with Hot 92.5 years ago. For example, Hot 104.5 isn't saying, 10,000 "joints" in a row or using a some thug from the streets to make Hot 104.5 sound cool. Their voice person sounds Latina and hip. IMO, Hot sounds fresh and on point.

I definitely believe The Beat should be concerned but definitely not be in panic mode. And listening to The Beat yesterday, it was business as usual. I'm sure that will change in the coming weeks/months.

Let me add that yesterday, I did hear Freestyle and booty bass tracks on Hot! So they definitely have taken a page off of The Beat's playbook. Is there still any questions on CC's research regarding Hot?

 

[willdav713]

Anyone think Hot will bring The Beat down?

My take on Hot- I like the fact that Hot is trying to appeal to everyone without sounding ghetto or thuggish like CC's first attempt with Hot 92.5 years ago. For example, Hot 104.5 isn't saying, 10,000 "joints" in a row or using a some thug from the streets to make Hot 104.5 sound cool. Their voice person sounds Latina and hip. IMO, Hot sounds fresh and on point.

I definitely believe The Beat should be concerned but definitely not be in panic mode. And listening to The Beat yesterday, it was business as usual. I'm sure that will change in the coming weeks/months.

Let me add that yesterday, I did hear Freestyle and booty bass tracks on Hot! So they definitely have taken a page off of The Beat's playbook. Is there still any questions on CC's research regarding Hot?

Maybe they did do their homework on this, but should have let us know about KZEP moving down the dial, or maybe flipped another station in their cluster unless KZEP was the lowest performer.

What I feel they should have done was flip it to Urban AC and play the songs 963 RNB does out in Austin. Now that is a good format.

What was your take on Power 106.7?

 

[Kent]

What I feel they should have done was flip it to Urban AC and play the songs 963 RNB does out in Austin. Now that is a good format.

Urban AC has minimal white and Hispanic appeal. It also appeals mostly to women. San Antonio is only about 7% African American and a little over half that audience is female. That's part of the reason KSJL was all over the place musically when it was on 96.1.

If San Antonio gets another urban AC, it'll be an AM and/or an HD2, possibly with a translator.

 

[saradio1]

Maybe they did do their homework on this, but should have let us know about KZEP moving down the dial, or maybe flipped another station in their cluster unless KZEP was the lowest performer.

What was your take on Power 106.7?

KZEP was under performing with the amount of power they had. As for Power 106.7, it was a poorly programmed station. Cox managed it half a$$ like they've done with all of the formats that have been on 106.7. I must say that I really thought Cox would flip 106.7 before CC did 104.5. Despite how people feel about CC, I am glad they made the first move as they have many well programmed stations throughout the country.

And shame on whomover, is responsible for the Univision cluster here in SA. Someone here should have saw this coming. KGSX should have been used to protect 98.5, similar to what CC has done in several markets.

 

[Anonymouse]

Well I like Hot, as a listener.
I agree about the KZEP situation though. Most of KZEP's listeners probably don't know about 93-3 because CC didn't warn them, and they're listening to X1067 now. I think it was a little too sneaky, but it's up to them and not me.


As for the stations that don't make sense I've wondered about the 93-7 translator, K229BJ. Recently it came back to the air and started retransmitting KBNL from Laredo with Spanish Christian programming, pretty bad quality though and for several days last week it was just making ticking noises. It's back to KBNL now but why don't they just retransmit one of the LOCAL AM Spanish Christian stations? Why outsource it from another city like that?

 

[E-Cam]

Well, over the weekend, X106.7 has been spoiling with several billboards stating "For Classic Rock, Tune to 106.7FM." Checking out the website, the station is calling themselves "The Only Classic Rock Station You Can Hear Everywhere in San Antonio." I'm sure they are cheering right now. But like someone had said here, we don't need 99.5 and 106.7 being both classic rockers. One of them needs to fold and play newer rock and I hope 99.5 will be able to bring back an active rock format and play newer bands. But seeing that Cox doesn't have active rockers anywhere else, I think 99.5 should just switch to alternative or do an alternative/active rock hybrid. Or just have both stations merge and 99.5 continuing classic rock with 106.7 going new rock. Either way, Cox doesn't need two classic rockers.

 

[stan]

CC is known for dumb moves like this - taking off legacy stations and putting on crap. "Hot" has been a failure in other markets. There is no reason for this to be any different.

Young people simply don't listen to radio much any more. They listen to things they can control or have some semblance of control over like their iPod or Pandora. The formats CC seems to be choosing are ones with younger, lower income listeners that may not bring the higher dollar advertisers they need.

The sooner CC is liquidated in bankruptcy, the better.

 

[Anonymouse]

I agree with the previous post about 99.5 and 106.7. One needs to become newer rock.

 

[davideduardo]

CC is known for dumb moves like this - taking off legacy stations and putting on crap. "Hot" has been a failure in other markets. There is no reason for this to be any different.

KZEP was down to 15th in 25-54 and 18th in 12+, so whatever "legacy" or heritage it had was long gone.

Young people simply don't listen to radio much any more.

Explain how The Beat reaches, on average, 43% of all San Antonio 18-34's, then.

The formats CC seems to be choosing are ones with younger, lower income listeners that may not bring the higher dollar advertisers they need.

Age, not income, tends to be the important buying metric.

The sooner CC is liquidated in bankruptcy, the better.

The thousands of Clear Channel employees thank you for wishing this on them. Not.

 

[Gregg.]

Wilddav says: >>>I wish Clear Channel would place WOAI-AM on 105.7 FM so I can pick up Sean Hannity on the way to work.<<<

Where do you work that you can't get 1200 WOAI? It's 50,000 watts, non-directional, one of the best AM signals in Texas. And if you didn't hear Sean Hannity on the way to work, I can tell you what he said today. That Pres. Obama is to blame for everything wrong on Planet Earth.

 

[Kent]

KZEP HD2 is now up on iHeartRadio if anyone cares.

 

[Anonymouse]

Where do you work that you can't get 1200 WOAI? It's 50,000 watts, non-directional, one of the best AM signals in Texas.

Yes but it's AM. I do not have an AM radio on me most of the time, that's why I think CC should do something about WOAI on FM again. They could work out a deal with another translator.

 

[jras20]

Finally The beat has comp again. I can pick up Hot 104.5 a lot better. I can't hardly pick up the beat any more because of the KOKE translator 98.5.

 

[saradio1]

Perhaps it's just me but Hot 104.5 sounds somewhere between Rhymthic AC and Rhymthic Top 40.

Btw, I noticed today more music added to Hot's playlist.

 

[Unregistered]

CC is known for dumb moves like this - taking off legacy stations and putting on crap. "Hot" has been a failure in other markets. There is no reason for this to be any different.

Young people simply don't listen to radio much any more. They listen to things they can control or have some semblance of control over like their iPod or Pandora. The formats CC seems to be choosing are ones with younger, lower income listeners that may not bring the higher dollar advertisers they need.

The sooner CC is liquidated in bankruptcy, the better.

That is wrong. Many people still listen to the radio. My helper in the afternoon shift even listens to the radio and he's in his 20's. I don't think many people will be streaming to music service with phone companies capping down on data.