Two unique stations gone in a month.

[likeaboss]

You can say whatever you want about Indie 103.1 and 97.1 FM Talk, but you have to admit... both stations were unique in SoCal, and unique compared to most other US radio stations. How many stations were like either of them? Not many, if any. Both had strong web numbers, both outlasted the rumors that they were going to flip for YEARS, and, well, both eventually flipped to formats that are very non-unique. El Gato is a clone of Jose (which is a Spanish clone of Jack) and Amp is a clone of KIIS. Is there ever going to be another radio station in LA that tries to break ground like either of these two?

 

[nmoore6676]

To answer your question I think it will take first of all an improvement in the economy. Next it would take a return to local and individual (or small group) station ownership. So long as there are big station groups and absentee ownership clone radio will rule the day. I am old enough to remember driving across the country and hearing clearly distinctive differences on the radio dial from place to place. I remember sitting with headphones clamped on my head scanning the nighttime dial for stations coming in on the skip and hearing the many different broadcasters.

I do not think that necessarily that 97.1 was so uniquely LA but Indie 103.1 likely was. As I scan the internet for broadcasts that are different there are certain ones that stand out in different cities that are likely influenced by the local culture and resources. If all programming is done by national consultants or station agglomerations that will be stomped out, because it is risky. Also sales people who are selling multiple stations don’t know how to sell those formats that they don’t understand.

But the big issue is the economy, so long as money is tight everyone will go for the tried and true. Plus as budgets shrink syndication and automation look awfully attractive.

 

[davideduardo]

El Gato is a clone of Jose (which is a Spanish clone of Jack)

El Gato and Jose are under the same ownership, but are as different in format as KROQ is from KOST.

And José is not a clone of Jack... it does use jockless delivery (so does El Gato) but the music style is, if anything, MOR, not rock/pop.

 

[scooty430]

Two things could happen to change this:

- Radio stations become so unprofitable that major corporations no longer are interested in owning them. As they are abandoned, people with more of a passion for radio (and less money being risked) could come in.

- The internet becomes universally available in cars, and more seamlessly tied in with clock radios, table radios, component systems, etc. This would allow an infinite number of players who have almost zero overhead.

 

[radioresearcher]

You can say whatever you want about Indie 103.1 and 97.1 FM Talk, but you have to admit... both stations were unique in SoCal, and unique compared to most other US radio stations. How many stations were like either of them? Not many, if any. Both had strong web numbers, both outlasted the rumors that they were going to flip for YEARS, and, well, both eventually flipped to formats that are very non-unique. El Gato is a clone of Jose (which is a Spanish clone of Jack) and Amp is a clone of KIIS. Is there ever going to be another radio station in LA that tries to break ground like either of these two?

Yes - when people can make money with them.

In defense of KLSX, it was profitable and had big ratings but economics hurt it. We will have FM Talk back in Los Angeles - it just may take some time. The format is very viable and Jack Silver and his staff did a great job adapting to PPM.

As far as Indie goes, it had no listeners. In El Gato's first week, it had dramatically more listeners than Indie ever had. Why can't people realize they were lucky it lasted as long as it did.

 

[Zeb Norris]

Two things could happen to change this:

- Radio stations become so unprofitable that major corporations no longer are interested in owning them. As they are abandoned, people with more of a passion for radio (and less money being risked) could come in.

- The internet becomes universally available in cars, and more seamlessly tied in with clock radios, table radios, component systems, etc. This would allow an infinite number of players who have almost zero overhead.

Wow. For once I agree with Scooty, with the minor exception of the zero overhead thing. Streaming costs $.

But both of these things will happen. And the Wimax internet stations will force radio to re-localize.

 

[LKellerIII]

You can say whatever you want about Indie 103.1 and 97.1 FM Talk, but you have to admit... both stations were unique in SoCal, and unique compared to most other US radio stations. How many stations were like either of them? Not many, if any. Both had strong web numbers, both outlasted the rumors that they were going to flip for YEARS, and, well, both eventually flipped to formats that are very non-unique. El Gato is a clone of Jose (which is a Spanish clone of Jack) and Amp is a clone of KIIS. Is there ever going to be another radio station in LA that tries to break ground like either of these two?

Yes - when people can make money with them.

In defense of KLSX, it was profitable and had big ratings but economics hurt it. We will have FM Talk back in Los Angeles - it just may take some time. The format is very viable and Jack Silver and his staff did a great job adapting to PPM.

As far as Indie goes, it had no listeners. In El Gato's first week, it had dramatically more listeners than Indie ever had. Why can't people realize they were lucky it lasted as long as it did.

Radioresearcher makes a good point. In my 40 plus years as a radio listener, I can't tell you how many times I've had to mourn the loss of a favorite format or station, or a format "tweaking" that turned an inventive station into a cookie-cutter ho-hum station. Some examples: KRLA in the late 60s when it was doing some alternative night-time programming, KPPC in the early 70s...in the Bay Area: KMPX, KKCY, KQAK...many others. The cookie-cutter thing didn't start with deregulation and big corporate radio, it was always true.

The unique stations and formats never seem to last more than a few years. One exception I can think of was KJAZ in the Bay Area, which was a commerical jazz station for about 35 years. But that was because the station's eccentric owner was a jazz-nut and didn't care about making money. The station was always on the brink of insolvency, and he didn't make a dime until he sold the frequency in the mid 90s.

I assume the reason for this is - it's harder to sell a unique format to advertisers, and you get fewer (though perhaps more devoted) listeners.

Look to the non-commerical stations. We still have a real jazz station in the Bay Area (KCSM), but it's listener supported. I often stream KCRW from Santa Monica - a wonderful station. I hear KPCC is also excellent.