THE NEXT SEATTLE-TACOMA MOVE IN...

[JimmyJames]

The people with HD radios. The ones that pay for it in new vehicles. Etc.

 

[Bongwater]

The people with HD radios. The ones that pay for it in new vehicles. Etc.

....and of HOW MANY of those are on the road, how many are LISTENING to it? In homes? ANYWHERE?

Sure doesn't seem like many.

HD Radio programming in most cases is even worse than what is on the regular dial.......

 

[crainbebo]

The radio ads for HD Radio that tell you you can get "cool new stations" isn't really true.

This is my opinion about HD Radio.
HD Radio allows you to hear annoying hash instead of CHQM 103.5 and all those Portland stations which used to come in years ago, sometimes in stereo right against your locals!

-crainbebo

 

[speer360]

This is not a thread about HD Radio I was just saying that the "The Sound" branding is already in use in the Seattle-Tacoma market. It does not matter if it is on HD Radio or not.

It would be the same thing if a radio station moved in and called them self "The Mountain", the branding is already in use.

 

[SeattleObserver]

The radio ads for HD Radio that tell you you can get "cool new stations" isn't really true.

This is my opinion about HD Radio.
HD Radio allows you to hear annoying hash instead of CHQM 103.5 and all those Portland stations which used to come in years ago, sometimes in stereo right against your locals!

-crainbebo

Aw man, Seattle used to hear QM FM? Cool.

 

[Bongwater]

The radio ads for HD Radio that tell you you can get "cool new stations" isn't really true.

This is my opinion about HD Radio.
HD Radio allows you to hear annoying hash instead of CHQM 103.5 and all those Portland stations which used to come in years ago, sometimes in stereo right against your locals!

-crainbebo

Aw man, Seattle used to hear QM FM? Cool.

You got to hear CFOX, CFMI, CKO, CBC Stereo and CJAZ 92.1 in Seattle (which came in clearest). Maybe not so much CHQM as QM 103.5 was usually blotted out by first-adjacent 103.7 KBRD/KMTT in Seattle proper unless you were in a high rise on Capitol or Queen Anne Hill. A little further south of Seattle and Portland stations popped up regularly, sometimes clashing with Vancouver stations. I remember one night hearing classical KYTE-FM 101.1 outblast the usual CFMI in Lynnwood. It was possible to even hear CFOX in Olympia.

But what I can't figure out is why invest so much in HD, only to have really no compelling and exciting programming to show for it. That wouldn't encourage anyone to actually be interested in HD radio even if it did come standard on their next car. You'll just end up with a lot of people playing iPods or thumb drives instead of telling people how great HD radio is. I'll even say a lot of people with HD fortified car stereos now don't know it's even there. Or care.....

It's like AM Stereo all over again. While you can blame the government for AM Stereo's demise for not establishing a universal system BEFORE unveiling it (imagine where FM would be if we did it that way), with HD, the radio industry were entirely in control (they even picked a corporation for license a system for the US, in spite of the rest of the world using DAB) and they did an even WORSE job.

But today, the FM dial is like a sardine can that's ready to burst. And most of what's on there now doesn't need to be there (the Jesuscasters, repeaters of public stations clear across the state.) Besides, we have 3G/4G WiMax internet now. And in spite of the PSAs for "local" radio: The vast majority of populated areas - even in very rural areas DO have cable TV and internet service and radio there is playing a far smaller role in people's lives not actually because of the radio itself, but the mediocre syndicated programming on most commercial small market stations. Why listen to that when you can hear better radio elsewhere online?

It's sad to look at a once valued medium turn into a joke like this. But times are changing. And priorities should change too.....

 

[Andy1970]

This is not a thread about HD Radio I was just saying that the "The Sound" branding is already in use in the Seattle-Tacoma market. It does not matter if it is on HD Radio or not.

It would be the same thing if a radio station moved in and called them self "The Mountain", the branding is already in use.

Actually I don't agree. HD Radio? only radio enthusiasts have HD radios right now. A huge populous would not know this at all, and they are branding it as The Sound Of The End according to the streaming liners, so it is not the same thing. As far as the public are concerned, The Sound is new in our area..

Just my opinion: I don't have an HD radio either!


It is an interesting move though by KGY management. I see that the article says something about local names being on "The Sound". Anyone know who?

 

[bossbill]

So I hear third-hand that KGY in May is either going a) Classic Rock or b) Easy Listening. Both are attributed to the same source, but on different weeks.

It's difficult to correlate either of these with "Cool Classics and Hot Hits"... hmmm... 80s, 90s, and Today. We call that Hot AC, hardly old enough to be "classics".

Well, at least now the Seattle boys will get a taste of their own medicine with hash marks next to 95.5 and 97.3.

But would somebody at least leave a format hole for ME to fill?

 

[BurntOutRadio]

Bill, how about polka?

 

[Dusty Dale Brooks]

It has to be tempting for stations that have good licenses but tough tower sites to go after the brass ring to the north. That has been the history of radio in the south sound.

I am quite certain the call letters that have been bandied about in these posts have noticed that people actually listen to KMCQ yet they still can't find someone to take the station out of the hands of the venture capitalists in Boston.

I would urge whomever these people are to be cautious. Nobody knows what lies ahead for terrestrial radio. Whatever "they" do, "they" need to do it better than what they're doing now.

 

[Scoobyfan1]

It has to be tempting for stations that have good licenses but tough tower sites to go after the brass ring to the north. That has been the history of radio in the south sound.

I am quite certain the call letters that have been bandied about in these posts have noticed that people actually listen to KMCQ yet they still can't find someone to take the station out of the hands of the venture capitalists in Boston.

I would urge whomever these people are to be cautious. Nobody knows what lies ahead for terrestrial radio. Whatever "they" do, "they" need to do it better than what they're doing now.

Exactly, KMCQ has does have a great music selection and is a good station; maybe someone could buy the station and keep it like it is now: commercial free, but like an NPR type station with people donating money or something along those lines; on the subject of KMCQ, I have noticed that they have aired a couple of PSA's every so often and they actually have a non automated program on the air.

Well, sort of; it's called the 10,000 oldies show and it's hosted by someone named Ted Alexander, i've been unable to find any info about it so I don't know if it's syndicated or whatever it is; I think if KMCQ could get a few DJ's, like bringing Mark Christopher back, they would be set; i've actually e-mailed them a couple of times and I have gotten answers back, so there must be someone in wherver KMCQ's buliding is, bascially all they've said in their replies to me is that they are "restructuring", what that means I have no idea.