That dark cloud we talk of, really settled in 2002 or 2003.
KGA's newstalk pretty much died when Rush Limbaugh went to KQNT as Premiers programming by contract went to the local Clear Channel AM talkers. Sure, KGA kept it going, but as a reasonably performing talker, KGA's days were done. Now, KGA almost doesn't even show in the ratings as a sports it's that bad. Today, KJRB carries on KGA's legacy of poor talk performance. This is one I'm interested to see how this is fixed.
KZBD/105.7 since it's original incarnation as the Peak it has rebranded and tweaked it's rock playlist over and over. Ratings never really connected. Only now, as a CHR is the frequency performing on level when it was KEZE/Rock 106.
KBBD/103.9 has been another journeyman frequency which never connected until the Bob format launched. Under Mapleton, it's really shot up. A bright spot in Citadel's twilight of owning the cluster. Great format for the ownership too - cheap to run!
A PD of a station in another Citadel cluster in the mid 2000s told me, the whole Spokane cluster was a wreck and the company internally acknowledged very little was and had been working.
The only station that defied the dark cloud was KDRK/93.7 traditionally. That's why I like Mapleton's move to rebrand and tweak. Reintroduce the brand, people will give it a new chance. The slide should stop cold and reverse if they play their cards right.
I wasn't entirely sold on CHR on KBZD, but it's absolutely been the right move. It's working for them. Since then, they've been making great moves.
Bongwater said:
Was it was only a year ago the whole cluster looked doomed?
Wow.......