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WBAP on 96.7 is a Smart Move

A

amisdead

Guest
Running news/talk programming on 96.7 is one of the smartest things Citadel can do based on the ears they are capable of reaching with the signal. 96.7 is second-tier signal and always will be, however, the most densely-populated areas where the signal does poorest are in ethnically high parts of southern Dallas county, areas that have little interest in right-wing talk.

Smart move. I wonder if this is a preemptive move against the long-rumored news/talk on 97.1 that I keep hearing of.
 
I don't totally disagree, I just wonder if there's enough extra ratings/billing to be found to make up for whatever small amount Platinum was making.

Are there enough people out there that don't listen to WBAP just because it's on AM to make the simulcast worthwhile? Although there is something to be said for a premptive strike and being the first news/talk format to go to FM. Puts KRLD, KLIF, KSKY, etc at a competitive disadvantage.

Or are we totally overthinkingthis, and this is just a sign of Citadel's world of hurt. Larry and gail, Debi Diaz, Chapman getting a little bit, could they be doing all this just to save half a million in salaries per year?
 
Don't forget about the millions of $$ they're saving on music licensing fees. I also doubt that the payroll was that high, although I have no inside info on that, just a hunch. I am very sorry for my friends who are now unemployed. Trust me, it's the worst feeling in the world.
 
Just pulled a nice round number out of mid-air. Although I also figured that with half a dozen people making 50-75-100K, 500K is possible.

But yes, Could be lower. MUCH lower.
 
Don't underestimate us under-30s. I NEVER listened to news/talk here in SLC until KSL went to 102.7. Now, I probably TSL 15-40 minutes in the car each day. There really is something about my demo and the "AM" band. We just refuse to listen to it. But make it an FM present, and WHAMMO! I'll punch in all the time.

I think WBAP would easily make up the difference in billing. Much easier to sell one strong station than two floundering ones. And 'BAP on AM will just get worse and worse as my demo gets older and older.

Build the habit now, I say.
 
henry said:
Don't underestimate us under-30s. I NEVER listened to news/talk here in SLC until KSL went to 102.7. Now, I probably TSL 15-40 minutes in the car each day. There really is something about my demo and the "AM" band. We just refuse to listen to it. But make it an FM present, and WHAMMO! I'll punch in all the time.
Click to expand...

A true story (and I realize an anecdote does not confirm a trend).

I was driving to a remote at Red Bird Mall (that'll give you an idea of how long ago it was) with a media buyer (in her late 20's I surmise). On the way out Highway 67 (Marvin D. Love, right Mike?), we saw a bunch of smoke to the west and we were both curious about it. I mentioned that I could switch over to all-news KRLD and they'd probably have a report about it.

``Eeeeewwwww...but that's an AM station'', she said. In spite of the fact that AM 1080 would have been the best source for breaking news at the time, her attitude was that anything on AM was just plain rotten.

And I think that stations such as KSL, WWL, WTOP, KCBS, KTAR and others are accepting that reality, unfortunate as it may be for those of us in the older demos that still like AM.
 
96.7 is second-tier signal and always will be, however, the most densely-populated areas where the signal does poorest are in ethnically high parts of southern Dallas county, areas that have little interest in right-wing talk

That is also where the signal isn't the best either..there..southern Tarrant and Ellis/Johnson/Navarro..etc.
 
sox fan matt said:
That is also where the signal isn't the best either..there..southern Tarrant and Ellis/Johnson/Navarro..etc.
Click to expand...

That's a fair point. I am not arguing that 96.7 is the most perfect FM signal in the market to put WBAP on, after all 96.3 would far better, but rather looking at Citadel's options for 96.7, WBAP is the best option considering the people it reaches.

They can also make a few technical adjustments to squeeze out a little more coverage if they are not playing music.
 
Of course people don't want to listen to AM. The manufacturers have made the AM sections sound awful.
Especially car radios, where many have such limited IF bandwidth that the audio decoded is hopelessly muffled.
Then too, there's no analog tuning anymore where one could tune to the side to "brighten up" reception if the IF bandpass is narrow,

Fixed step tuning is what's really killing the AM for younger demo listeners who expect to hear high frequency information
in their audio.

I think AM on the best radios sounds better than FM.

I just won't listen to AM on bad radios.
 
At first I thought that this business of younger people avoiding AM stations just because it is AM sounded implausible, but I'm just a listener. This is more anecdotal evidence, but a talk/news station that I listen to here in Oklahoma City, 740 KRMG out of Tulsa, recently added a simulcast FM, 102.3. All of a sudden they are advertising a joint effort with the Tulsa Young Professionals to host a St Patrick's Day beer party at a local pub. I don't recall them doing anything as crazy as (?) that while being AM only (at least in modern times).
 
How are they doing the legal IDs right now? If anyone could get me a 128 kbps recording of the legal ID (and its surrounding :05-:10 or so of audio) I'd appreciate it.
 
amisdead said:
That's a fair point. I am not arguing that 96.7 is the most perfect FM signal in the market to put WBAP on, after all 96.3 would far better, but rather looking at Citadel's options for 96.7, WBAP is the best option considering the people it reaches.

They can also make a few technical adjustments to squeeze out a little more coverage if they are not playing music.
Click to expand...

Like broadcasting in FM mono like KWRD and KESN does. It doesn't make much sense to do talk radio in stereo anyway unless you want to hear the commercials in stereo.

This is the start of the migration of the AM talkers to FM....two of them already have the call letters set! KLIF-AM on 93.3, KRLD on 105.3 and a good chance "Rush Radio" on 97.1 (with a simulcast on 1190).
 
John,
You and I shared that feeling about eight months ago. I'm sick about Larry, Gail, Debbi and the rest of the crew. Larry in particular is one of the best voices in Dallas radio, ever. He and I passed each other in the hall about 4 every morning.
I'm no music programmer, but I liked Platinum. I'm sorry they didn't make it. I hope the bleeding is over soon. Hope you are well.
 
billyg said:
This is the start of the migration of the AM talkers to FM....two of them already have the call letters set! KLIF-AM on 93.3, KRLD on 105.3 and a good chance "Rush Radio" on 97.1 (with a simulcast on 1190).
Click to expand...

It's like 1965 all over again with the AM/FM simulcasts. I think KRLD would be well-served as the next one to do this. They can split when need be for sports conflicts and infomercials. In my wildest dreams, KRLD AM/FM would migrate back to its all news format of the 80's.
 
Bob E. Nelson said:
billyg said:
This is the start of the migration of the AM talkers to FM....two of them already have the call letters set! KLIF-AM on 93.3, KRLD on 105.3 and a good chance "Rush Radio" on 97.1 (with a simulcast on 1190).
Click to expand...

It's like 1965 all over again with the AM/FM simulcasts. I think KRLD would be well-served as the next one to do this. They can split when need be for sports conflicts and infomercials. In my wildest dreams, KRLD AM/FM would migrate back to its all news format of the 80's.
Click to expand...

KRLD is already doing it on HD-2...that's good enough
 
You talking AM or FM?

AM spreads across 42 states at night. FM spreads across 42 square miles around Decatur, TX, at any given time. :p
 
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