What Can Save KABC?

[emailfailed]

The promises made by Bob Moore to improve and shakeup KABC have come and gone, and 790 A.M. is less than a shell of its former self, to put it nicely.

So, what can save KABC?

Perhaps a more pertinent question, is KABC even worth saving as a talk station?

 

[ChannelFlipper]

KABC's motto should be (and should have been for many years) "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em"

Imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery and in KABC's case, absolutely necessary for survivability. They should copy KFI in every way they can. They blew it years ago when they brought Jon and Ken in for morning drive, and then muzzled them so much that they went running and screaming back to KFI the very instant their contract ran out, showing KABC management's complete lack of understanding of the format.

CONTROVERSY is what drives talk radio. KABC does everything they can to tamp down controversy.

MARKETING (and hopefully related word of mouth) is what drives new listeners to sample your station. Have you seen their ads and billboards? Their marketing department could be indicted for inducing driver sleep on our local freeways. Virtually none of them provide you a reason to tune in.

ATTITUDE (and lots of it) are what keep people coming back for more. If KFI is the more stimulating, counter-revolutionary, and out on the streets station, then KABC is the corporate, buttoned-down, "we don't want to offend our audience and advertisers with their precious refined sensibilities" station. Which one would you rather listen to?

The same concept works in TV - that is why FOX is the cable news leader with the top 12 shows in the cable news category, and its nightly lineup trounces the numbers of CNN, HLN, and MSNBC combined. Before the haters come out, remember, this is not my opinion, these are the ratings facts.

The analogy is simple:

KABC = CNN (Old, Stale, Dying)
KFI = FOX (New, Fresh, Thriving)

I've always believed that by imitating KFI, they could assure themselves that they would be runner-up in the talk wars (such as they are). But better to be #2 to KFI than to be #31 to everybody.

 

[michael hagerty]

KABC's motto should be (and should have been for many years) "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em"

Imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery and in KABC's case, absolutely necessary for survivability. They should copy KFI in every way they can. They blew it years ago when they brought Jon and Ken in for morning drive, and then muzzled them so much that they went running and screaming back to KFI the very instant their contract ran out, showing KABC management's complete lack of understanding of the format.

CONTROVERSY is what drives talk radio. KABC does everything they can to tamp down controversy.

MARKETING (and hopefully related word of mouth) is what drives new listeners to sample your station. Have you seen their ads and billboards? Their marketing department could be indicted for inducing driver sleep on our local freeways. Virtually none of them provide you a reason to tune in.

ATTITUDE (and lots of it) are what keep people coming back for more. If KFI is the more stimulating, counter-revolutionary, and out on the streets station, then KABC is the corporate, buttoned-down, "we don't want to offend our audience and advertisers with their precious refined sensibilities" station. Which one would you rather listen to?

The same concept works in TV - that is why FOX is the cable news leader with the top 12 shows and its nightly lineup trounces the numbers of CNN, HLN, and MSNBC combined. Before the haters come out, remember, this is not my opinion, these are the ratings facts.

The analogy is simple:

KABC = CNN (Old, Stale, Dying)
KFI = FOX (New, Fresh, Thriving)

I've always believed that by imitating KFI, they could assure themselves that they would be runner-up in the talk wars (such as they are). But better to be #2 to KFI than to be #31 to everybody.

All excellent points and well worth doing. Like today. By lunch, if possible.

Two other things: One, It ain't gonna happen with Citadel running it. Two, there comes a point where it's too late...especially on AM, especially now. Where there isn't enough available audience on the band who are willing to sample you even if you get good.

 

[TheBigA]

Two, there comes a point where it's too late...especially on AM, especially now. Where there isn't enough available audience on the band who are willing to sample you even if you get good.

That's what I was thinking. Only so much room in this town, pardner. CBS realized the exact same thing with KNX and KFWB. Two newsers may work in NYC, but not LA. Same with righty talk. Let's face it: KFI has done a great job locking up the best talent. They've got a great signal, and they've got a very organized and focused radio station. Say what you will about Clear Channel: They do a good job running radio stations.

 

[michael hagerty]

Two, there comes a point where it's too late...especially on AM, especially now. Where there isn't enough available audience on the band who are willing to sample you even if you get good.

That's what I was thinking. Only so much room in this town, pardner. CBS realized the exact same thing with KNX and KFWB. Two newsers may work in NYC, but not LA. Same with righty talk. Let's face it: KFI has done a great job locking up the best talent. They've got a great signal, and they've got a very organized and focused radio station. Say what you will about Clear Channel: They do a good job running radio stations.

And let's say that you split KFI's audience. That's a 2.0 for each of you. Congratulations. You've tied KUSC. Now what?

 

[RBB05]

Two, there comes a point where it's too late...especially on AM, especially now. Where there isn't enough available audience on the band who are willing to sample you even if you get good.

That's what I was thinking. Only so much room in this town, pardner. CBS realized the exact same thing with KNX and KFWB. Two newsers may work in NYC, but not LA. Same with righty talk. Let's face it: KFI has done a great job locking up the best talent. They've got a great signal, and they've got a very organized and focused radio station. Say what you will about Clear Channel: They do a good job running radio stations.

KABC/Citadel would throw a party for a 2.0 right now. You can't fall off the floor.

And let's say that you split KFI's audience. That's a 2.0 for each of you. Congratulations. You've tied KUSC. Now what?

 

[emailfailed]

Play classical music?

It is interesting that when KFI went talk in the late 1980s had to do something to stand apart from the legacy of KABC and make its presence known, and now KFI is somewhat considered to be the benchmark on how to successfully market and run a talk station.

 

[emailfailed]

I hit the reply button a little too soon...

I wanted to add that it seems KABC is still living off its legacy by marketing it.

Frankly, how many listeners really remember, much less really care about their legacy?

 

[TheBigA]

And let's say that you split KFI's audience. That's a 2.0 for each of you. Congratulations. You've tied KUSC. Now what?

Exactly. This gets back to a thread here a few weeks back where people were bemoaning the lack of competition within formats. The reason for it is simple: Why bother? In the old days, when you had fewer radio stations, you'd have a format battle for part of a 10 share. Not any more.

 

[michael hagerty]

Don Barrett's laradio.com has a list today of former KABC legend Michael Jackson's 25 tips for achieving success as a talk radio personality. It was published in 1992.

Probably half of them are a recipe for failure today. The medium, audience and society have changed tremendously in 19 years.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

Two, there comes a point where it's too late...especially on AM, especially now. Where there isn't enough available audience on the band who are willing to sample you even if you get good.

That's what I was thinking. Only so much room in this town, pardner. CBS realized the exact same thing with KNX and KFWB. Two newsers may work in NYC, but not LA. Same with righty talk. Let's face it: KFI has done a great job locking up the best talent. They've got a great signal, and they've got a very organized and focused radio station. Say what you will about Clear Channel: They do a good job running radio stations.

And let's say that you split KFI's audience. That's a 2.0 for each of you. Congratulations. You've tied KUSC. Now what?

Now what? A party for management and ownership. When you take a dying station that dwells on its legacy (that virtually no one under the age of 60 cares about) and is ranked 31st in the market, and reformat it to be a vigorous competitor to the number one talker on the entire west coast and increase your share by 67% (1.2 to 2.0) while at the same time lowering the age demo of the average listener (which would be inevitable in order to achieve such a gain), that is called "Winning..."

 

[Lopaka]

KABC could really improve itself by taking on Spanish religious broadcasting, it would be a huge step up for them.

 

[michael hagerty]

And let's say that you split KFI's audience. That's a 2.0 for each of you. Congratulations. You've tied KUSC. Now what?

Now what? A party for management and ownership. When you take a dying station that dwells on its legacy (that virtually no one under the age of 60 cares about) and is ranked 31st in the market, and reformat it to be a vigorous competitor to the number one talker on the entire west coast and increase your share by 67% (1.2 to 2.0) while at the same time lowering the age demo of the average listener (which would be inevitable in order to achieve such a gain), that is called "Winning..."

Well, we probably need David Eduardo at this point...but that 2.0 is total audience. Is half of KFI's 25-54 (or even 35-64) a survivable number...giving you the revenue to program and promote aggressively and still make a profit?

 

[davideduardo]

Well, we probably need David Eduardo at this point...but that 2.0 is total audience. Is half of KFI's 25-54 (or even 35-64) a survivable number...giving you the revenue to program and promote aggressively and still make a profit?

KFI tends to wander around 15th in 25-54, sometimes as low as 20th or below. We are talking about somewhere around a 2.7 average share. Split in half, neither station has enough to sell and agency business.

KABC has about a 0.6 in 25-54, and that is around 38th (a 0.1 change at those low levels can change rank by 5 or more positions).

To answer the question is really not possible. KABC's vastly inferior signal makes it unlikely that KABC could even pretend to challenge KFI.

 

[TheBigA]

KABC's vastly inferior signal makes it unlikely that KABC could even pretend to challenge KFI.

That alone is the kiss of death. Just like KFWB.

But let's look at it from ownership perspective. The goal isn't to challenge KFI or even get sellable numbers. The goal simply is to provide an LA clear for national programs, spots, and infomercials. And that's not going to change even if the station is sold.

 

[davideduardo]

Now what? A party for management and ownership. When you take a dying station that dwells on its legacy (that virtually no one under the age of 60 cares about) and is ranked 31st in the market, and reformat it to be a vigorous competitor to the number one talker on the entire west coast and increase your share by 67% (1.2 to 2.0) while at the same time lowering the age demo of the average listener (which would be inevitable in order to achieve such a gain), that is called "Winning..."

A move from a 1.2 to a 2.0 is barely outside the margin of error, and definitely outside the range a station would have to move into to be viable in sales. If one station bills $50 million with a 4.0 share, that does not mean that a station with a 2 share bills $25 million... at the 2 share level, it's more likely they would bill $10 million.

And, again, KABC does not have the signal to take half of KFI's audience.

 

[scott5]

the Savage Nation can save it, maybe ?

 

[Big E]

1...Citadel to sell to anyone.
2...Bob Moore to exit and to take Jack Silver with him
3...Lose the "NEWS" and stick to TALK only
4...Fun shows on the weekend, not just Brokered shows.
5...Local...DUH!! WINNING!

 

[michael hagerty]

1...Citadel to sell to anyone.
2...Bob Moore to exit and to take Jack Silver with him
3...Lose the "NEWS" and stick to TALK only
4...Fun shows on the weekend, not just Brokered shows.
5...Local...DUH!! WINNING!

Okay...#1 is done. And Cumulus might make #2 happen as part of the takeover.

But if #5 really matters, then losing the "News" (#3) is counter-intuitive.

And #4 is great from a listener perspective, but weekends won't move the needle enough to justify the investment. Especially on that signal.

 

[stevechang]

KABC reminds me of Washington (or Sacramento for that fact). The various program directors of that station over the last decade have resembled Washington Politicians. Dispite the poll numbers sliding into the gutter on a weekly basis they still held onto their delusional belief that they knew what the LA public wanted. Their over inflated ego's prevented them from making changes to save the slide.

Maureen Lesourd was a great example of this. She was at the helm when the iceberg hit and yet she still went ahead with her idiotic programming choices. Then subsequent program directors after her have had the same stupid ego.

Larry Elder should have been canned decades ago but was kept on, never once able to compete with John and Ken. Then finally when he left, stupid Bob Moore brings him back, like it made an ounce of difference. For years, KABC listeners have been saying they want local shows, but the geniuses there kept plugging the broken records of Hannity and Levin and other national hosts that just don't work here. (KFWB learnt this the hard way).

Now that they have been purchased, I would love to see Bob Moore and Jack Silver out and a total revamping of that station. More than likely though it won't happen.