It's been a long time since I have posted anything here. Like most, I have resorted to IPOD, MP3 and other choices since most radio companies would rather cut costs than localize. I would like to take some time and talk about some radio groups and what they do or don't do.
Since Clear Channel has the most stations, we'll start with them first. Sunny is as solid it gets. Now that Party is not playing 70's, this will benefit them even more. While we are on the subject of Party(almost the worst station in town, next to Fresh) You will see history repeat itself unless they can work out a deal with Ryan Secrest(he won't be as successful as Howard) or change their music for the better. A KLUC lite won't cut it. The format should have been 100% urban gold to get adults. The recurrents blow off the upper demos and the disco blows off most of the 18-34(especially 18-24) Either go with currents and try to sell(bad move...i.e. Wild 102) Or focus on a dance/gold station and not played stale recurrents or ballads they would have been fine.
Next is KWNR. Getting rid of Stunt Runt started their tumble. Then they get rid of the guy in the morning that people like. Not a good move. Lucky for them that Coyote hasn't figured out a way to use it to their advantage. If Coyote hired someone who knew KWNR and country music, KWNR would be in trouble. Until Coyote does, KWNR should weather the storm.(Although Rick Kelly and Tom in mornings at Coyote will continue to be a thorn in their side)
Since CC is selling La Preciosa, I am done here.
On to CBS. Mix sounds awesome! High-profile, well-liked mornng show, music is solid, live 24/7...can't ask for much more here. Like all stations, it would be nice to have a promotion budget, but the big wig idiots would rather save 2 cents than make millions of dollars in ad reveunues these days.
KLUC....Thank god for Chet and Carlos Diaz..Top 40 is playing my favorite music constantly, imforming me, entertaining me, and giving me free stuff...No one on the Zoo does it better than these two. I could do without the mindless chatter of Spence and Lauren(play a song please) Spence is talented in making song parodies but he's so so on the morning thing...he tried, he bombed, Bo Jaxon had better numbers...oh yeah! Carlos Diaz is the man! The best part of the show. I am constantly hanging on his every word and actually met him recently. What a genuinely nice guy and breath of fresh air. Without Chet and Carlos, the station is in big trouble. Middays without Chris Tracy....sad...while you have to move on, the station lacks credibility without him. That's a budget cut that never should have happened. The music is solid though, and is marketed well, is live 24/7, and does a lot with no budget. Impressive!
Jack....its done...please come up with something else...at least their music is better, but the concept is old and boring now...While personality doesnt mean diahrreah of the mouth, a jukebox has no personality. If my choice is Jack or my music collection, I will take my music collection.
Xtreme...So what is Xtreme about the station? The music used to be "balls out"...now its a joke...Mike Stern is the best rock programmer in all of America...no offense, Chris. The music on Xtreme used to be Xtreme...now its eh, so-so. What happened to the great promotions they used to do...win your height in CD's, my favorite was the Dr. Joel Kaplan pumps they have away...for the dad who has nothing on fathers day...Great radio! When I heard "Under the Bridge" by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, I quit listening.
Next on the hit parade is Lotus. KOMP as stale as it is...its there...Gooch is by far the most original and talented here....Stealing Carlotta from Xtreme was the final nail in their coffin. I just wish KOMP would decide which audience they want and not be so wishy-washy with their music. They are lucky they have no competition and can get away with it. If the station were live more, they would have better numbers. But like most stations in a 24 hour town, they don't care, so most of us don't listen as much as we used to. Now KXPT...What a joke! Lark on nights instead of days...bad move...Ever since they didnt want to pay #1 rated Mike O Brian and Karla Ray a decent salary...they stuck it to themselves...and #1 for Classic Rock...good luck with that....3 chatter boxes in the mornng with no talent, and 2 people who waste time talking about nothing---Culotta is a strong talent---he could do afternoons and they could actually have someone live at night and some numbers...nah...Lotus is afraid of success. If they weren't they would have kept the ONLY morning show to ever beat Howard Stern.
Now on to Beasley. Thank god for cash cow KKLZ. Like it or not, the station is doing well so who am I to argue with success. As for Coyote, Rick and Tom are awesome in the morning....much better than KWNR...Cadillac is good too but this station needs someone who knows music something fierce...lack of artist seperation make this station hard to listen to for a long time for one thing...If Coyote were smart, they would get someone from KWNR who knows KWNR and country music. Coyote is fiaxble and KWNR is vulnerable.
Now onto Flush, uh, Fresh...The worst station I have ever heard. Trying to be a Sunny lite or Mix Lite....from lite 100.5 we know Lite anything doesn't work here. This station could be a 5 share station in one book with no money. While their music is improved, they are once again hurting sister station KKLZ. Bad move. Two words...Classic Alernative. All gold. Depeche, New Order, Cure, Smith's, 9 inch nails...lots of strong rested titles to beat mix 25-54...you cannot beat MIX at their own game. You won't make money in the long run and it will cost you too much. Same with Sunny. Going in the middle of the 2 won't work either, Jerry Dean tried that in 1999 and failed miserably. Left as is, this staion is doomed to repeat history...a constant 2 share station.
Being in retirement I am sure there are some things I missed. I look forward to your replies. I will always have a soft spot for radio as it afforded me a good life. I only wish people in it were paid more..that they had "training grounds" for weekenders and new talent, and that radio was live 24/7...especially in this city. I hope someday there's an owner that will come to his or her senses and do it right before its too late.
Since Clear Channel has the most stations, we'll start with them first. Sunny is as solid it gets. Now that Party is not playing 70's, this will benefit them even more. While we are on the subject of Party(almost the worst station in town, next to Fresh) You will see history repeat itself unless they can work out a deal with Ryan Secrest(he won't be as successful as Howard) or change their music for the better. A KLUC lite won't cut it. The format should have been 100% urban gold to get adults. The recurrents blow off the upper demos and the disco blows off most of the 18-34(especially 18-24) Either go with currents and try to sell(bad move...i.e. Wild 102) Or focus on a dance/gold station and not played stale recurrents or ballads they would have been fine.
Next is KWNR. Getting rid of Stunt Runt started their tumble. Then they get rid of the guy in the morning that people like. Not a good move. Lucky for them that Coyote hasn't figured out a way to use it to their advantage. If Coyote hired someone who knew KWNR and country music, KWNR would be in trouble. Until Coyote does, KWNR should weather the storm.(Although Rick Kelly and Tom in mornings at Coyote will continue to be a thorn in their side)
Since CC is selling La Preciosa, I am done here.
On to CBS. Mix sounds awesome! High-profile, well-liked mornng show, music is solid, live 24/7...can't ask for much more here. Like all stations, it would be nice to have a promotion budget, but the big wig idiots would rather save 2 cents than make millions of dollars in ad reveunues these days.
KLUC....Thank god for Chet and Carlos Diaz..Top 40 is playing my favorite music constantly, imforming me, entertaining me, and giving me free stuff...No one on the Zoo does it better than these two. I could do without the mindless chatter of Spence and Lauren(play a song please) Spence is talented in making song parodies but he's so so on the morning thing...he tried, he bombed, Bo Jaxon had better numbers...oh yeah! Carlos Diaz is the man! The best part of the show. I am constantly hanging on his every word and actually met him recently. What a genuinely nice guy and breath of fresh air. Without Chet and Carlos, the station is in big trouble. Middays without Chris Tracy....sad...while you have to move on, the station lacks credibility without him. That's a budget cut that never should have happened. The music is solid though, and is marketed well, is live 24/7, and does a lot with no budget. Impressive!
Jack....its done...please come up with something else...at least their music is better, but the concept is old and boring now...While personality doesnt mean diahrreah of the mouth, a jukebox has no personality. If my choice is Jack or my music collection, I will take my music collection.
Xtreme...So what is Xtreme about the station? The music used to be "balls out"...now its a joke...Mike Stern is the best rock programmer in all of America...no offense, Chris. The music on Xtreme used to be Xtreme...now its eh, so-so. What happened to the great promotions they used to do...win your height in CD's, my favorite was the Dr. Joel Kaplan pumps they have away...for the dad who has nothing on fathers day...Great radio! When I heard "Under the Bridge" by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, I quit listening.
Next on the hit parade is Lotus. KOMP as stale as it is...its there...Gooch is by far the most original and talented here....Stealing Carlotta from Xtreme was the final nail in their coffin. I just wish KOMP would decide which audience they want and not be so wishy-washy with their music. They are lucky they have no competition and can get away with it. If the station were live more, they would have better numbers. But like most stations in a 24 hour town, they don't care, so most of us don't listen as much as we used to. Now KXPT...What a joke! Lark on nights instead of days...bad move...Ever since they didnt want to pay #1 rated Mike O Brian and Karla Ray a decent salary...they stuck it to themselves...and #1 for Classic Rock...good luck with that....3 chatter boxes in the mornng with no talent, and 2 people who waste time talking about nothing---Culotta is a strong talent---he could do afternoons and they could actually have someone live at night and some numbers...nah...Lotus is afraid of success. If they weren't they would have kept the ONLY morning show to ever beat Howard Stern.
Now on to Beasley. Thank god for cash cow KKLZ. Like it or not, the station is doing well so who am I to argue with success. As for Coyote, Rick and Tom are awesome in the morning....much better than KWNR...Cadillac is good too but this station needs someone who knows music something fierce...lack of artist seperation make this station hard to listen to for a long time for one thing...If Coyote were smart, they would get someone from KWNR who knows KWNR and country music. Coyote is fiaxble and KWNR is vulnerable.
Now onto Flush, uh, Fresh...The worst station I have ever heard. Trying to be a Sunny lite or Mix Lite....from lite 100.5 we know Lite anything doesn't work here. This station could be a 5 share station in one book with no money. While their music is improved, they are once again hurting sister station KKLZ. Bad move. Two words...Classic Alernative. All gold. Depeche, New Order, Cure, Smith's, 9 inch nails...lots of strong rested titles to beat mix 25-54...you cannot beat MIX at their own game. You won't make money in the long run and it will cost you too much. Same with Sunny. Going in the middle of the 2 won't work either, Jerry Dean tried that in 1999 and failed miserably. Left as is, this staion is doomed to repeat history...a constant 2 share station.
Being in retirement I am sure there are some things I missed. I look forward to your replies. I will always have a soft spot for radio as it afforded me a good life. I only wish people in it were paid more..that they had "training grounds" for weekenders and new talent, and that radio was live 24/7...especially in this city. I hope someday there's an owner that will come to his or her senses and do it right before its too late.
