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What format is Amarillo most in need of?
- Thread starter Garrett
- Start date
107.1 played 60's and 70's for a while but then flipped it to Country.
Allow me to throw you a curve -- How about a Classic Country format in Amarillo? Yes, a country oldies station. I suggest this because, to my knowledge, since the sale of KDJW-AM to a Catholic firm in '05, Amarillo has had no such programming.
I did an afternoon air-shift at KDJW in 2004. As a low-power AM station, virtually inaudable even in parts of the city, we had loyal, grateful listeners, even on night power. Amarillo Radio/TV icon Ron Slover had just purchased KDJW from the widow of it's previous local owner. Ron and I had a working history in the early '70s, when he was News Director/Anchor of KFDA-TV Channel 10. I was his Tucumcari-based Eastern New Mexico stringer.
Ron programmed a resumption of KDJW's beloved legacy, "cowby" music, a mix of tunes dating as far back as the '40s, by Rose Maddox & Tex Williams. The format was working! Even with pesty interference and a weak signal, the phones were ringing! We also enjoyed hosting evening gospel shows at the Big Texan.
It boggles my mind that Amarillo, in the heartbeat of the cattle industry, has little or no access to country oldies programming. Again, I've been away for a while, so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Looking forward to your responses... J F P
I did an afternoon air-shift at KDJW in 2004. As a low-power AM station, virtually inaudable even in parts of the city, we had loyal, grateful listeners, even on night power. Amarillo Radio/TV icon Ron Slover had just purchased KDJW from the widow of it's previous local owner. Ron and I had a working history in the early '70s, when he was News Director/Anchor of KFDA-TV Channel 10. I was his Tucumcari-based Eastern New Mexico stringer.
Ron programmed a resumption of KDJW's beloved legacy, "cowby" music, a mix of tunes dating as far back as the '40s, by Rose Maddox & Tex Williams. The format was working! Even with pesty interference and a weak signal, the phones were ringing! We also enjoyed hosting evening gospel shows at the Big Texan.
It boggles my mind that Amarillo, in the heartbeat of the cattle industry, has little or no access to country oldies programming. Again, I've been away for a while, so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Looking forward to your responses... J F P
Garrett-- apprectiate the comeback, but I think you missed my point. Unlike more hyper urban markets, Amarillo has a more unique mix of listeners. Among that mix are retired farmers, ranchers, railroaders, and even some roughneckers from the oil industry. Trust me, many of these folks are surfing for more tradional, "classic" country music, and they're not finding it, save for occassional spins on their own local stations.
I learned this lesson from air time I did on AM radio stations in Eastern New Mexico, as well as KDJW. The cookie-cutter Nashville fluff you hear on commercial radio, especially in Amarillo, really doesn't cut it for many "older" listeners. Besides Greater Amarillo's listenership, traditional country music fans are tuning in from surrounding bedroom communities, like Hereford, Dalhart, Friona, Vega, and smaller towns out east. They represent an untapped goldmine, if any station would take the risk of programming some classic country. Incredibly, KDJW's signal problems not-with-standing, we fielded requests from callers as far away as Hereford while on day-power. Those callers were asking for tunes from 30 to 40-years hence!
Nearly all of those "bedroom" communities I mentioned have their own radio stations, but, after listening long enough to hear readings of the day's obits and the weather report, many then turn to Amarillo for the excitement and professionalism they feel are missing on their local stations.
I learned this lesson from air time I did on AM radio stations in Eastern New Mexico, as well as KDJW. The cookie-cutter Nashville fluff you hear on commercial radio, especially in Amarillo, really doesn't cut it for many "older" listeners. Besides Greater Amarillo's listenership, traditional country music fans are tuning in from surrounding bedroom communities, like Hereford, Dalhart, Friona, Vega, and smaller towns out east. They represent an untapped goldmine, if any station would take the risk of programming some classic country. Incredibly, KDJW's signal problems not-with-standing, we fielded requests from callers as far away as Hereford while on day-power. Those callers were asking for tunes from 30 to 40-years hence!
Nearly all of those "bedroom" communities I mentioned have their own radio stations, but, after listening long enough to hear readings of the day's obits and the weather report, many then turn to Amarillo for the excitement and professionalism they feel are missing on their local stations.
C
cspotrun
Guest
like any market, what amarillo Needs and what it Gets depends on what the owners or groups think they can make money on. they are NOT very Creative and they are not going to take a chance on something you or i think the market may actually NEED... that is Why there are at least 2 or more country stations nearly everywhere. and does ANY maket NEED more than 2 Country stations? the audience for it are very Loyal and chances are listeners have picked a favorite station, so chances for a newcommer usually end up the same way. but that doesn't seem to stop country music stations to keep comming especially in Texas. Lubbock for instance has...what? FOUR or 5.. i think that's MORE COUNTRY MUSIC STATIONS THAN NASHVILLE HAS.
WhoDat-- Like it or not, I agree with you. The criteria, or lack of it, that goes into many local marketing and programming decisions is often restricted by "text-book" sense, leaving little consideration toward creative risk-taking. I think this is especially so in smaller markets. Radio is an expensive businness, and broadcasting investors are high-end business venturists. They don't grow on trees, so neither does their money. I guess it shows that I favor more traditional, "older" country music. Guess I should invest in some classic country CDs.
Are you kidding me? Four or five country stations in Lubbock? I've been away for awhile, so I didn't know that. You would think they'd be struggling, given the academic mindset of a college town. My own reading is that, in more recent years at least, Texas Tech's presence has slowly chipped away at Lubbock's western additude. I was noticing a slight uptick there of a trend toward sophisticated, urban tastes. Corporate Lubbock's population has always been greater than Amarillo's, but still, that many country stations?...
Are you kidding me? Four or five country stations in Lubbock? I've been away for awhile, so I didn't know that. You would think they'd be struggling, given the academic mindset of a college town. My own reading is that, in more recent years at least, Texas Tech's presence has slowly chipped away at Lubbock's western additude. I was noticing a slight uptick there of a trend toward sophisticated, urban tastes. Corporate Lubbock's population has always been greater than Amarillo's, but still, that many country stations?...
C
cspotrun
Guest
WhoDat-- Like it or not, I agree with you. The criteria, or lack of it, that goes into many local marketing and programming decisions is often restricted by "text-book" sense, leaving little consideration toward creative risk-taking. I think this is especially so in smaller markets. Radio is an expensive businness, and broadcasting investors are high-end business venturists. They don't grow on trees, so neither does their money. I guess it shows that I favor more traditional, "older" country music. Guess I should invest in some classic country CDs.
Are you kidding me? Four or five country stations in Lubbock? I've been away for awhile, so I didn't know that. You would think they'd be struggling, given the academic mindset of a college town. My own reading is that, in more recent years at least, Texas Tech's presence has slowly chipped away at Lubbock's western additude. I was noticing a slight uptick there of a trend toward sophisticated, urban tastes. Corporate Lubbock's population has always been greater than Amarillo's, but still, that many country stations?...
[/quote]
Trend toward "Sophisticated, Urban Tastes"- not quite, the thing that seems to draw numbers is the lowest common denominator, Country & head bangin' biker bitch rock... and not only does the market have more Country stations than Nashville, it might have more Hispanic stations than Tijuana.. i think its around 5 now(and the BEST part is, all those stations are pulling 2's or worse). most markets this size have a wider range of formats, and if this were like most markets Competition would probably make the market better for radio.
Are you kidding me? Four or five country stations in Lubbock? I've been away for awhile, so I didn't know that. You would think they'd be struggling, given the academic mindset of a college town. My own reading is that, in more recent years at least, Texas Tech's presence has slowly chipped away at Lubbock's western additude. I was noticing a slight uptick there of a trend toward sophisticated, urban tastes. Corporate Lubbock's population has always been greater than Amarillo's, but still, that many country stations?...
[/quote]
Trend toward "Sophisticated, Urban Tastes"- not quite, the thing that seems to draw numbers is the lowest common denominator, Country & head bangin' biker bitch rock... and not only does the market have more Country stations than Nashville, it might have more Hispanic stations than Tijuana.. i think its around 5 now(and the BEST part is, all those stations are pulling 2's or worse). most markets this size have a wider range of formats, and if this were like most markets Competition would probably make the market better for radio.
WhoDat-- Way to go with the comebacks! Thanks for keeping me informed on a market I dearly miss. Used to live in Clovis (and Amarillo), so Lubbock stations, especially AM, were a big part of the mix since local stations didn't exactly light a fire in the sky.
Doesn't look like I'll ever resume my radio career, but it sure is fun chatting with folks like you who have their fingers on the pulse. J F P
Doesn't look like I'll ever resume my radio career, but it sure is fun chatting with folks like you who have their fingers on the pulse. J F P
The Amarillo market is lacking an abundance of variety. Three FM stations playing hit country, but numerous formats across the spectrum are absent. I would like to see a HOT AC/adult top 40 in the market. I wouldn't mind hearing a Modern Rock/Alternative station either. AAA would be another fun format to give a shot. The urban listener is deprived as well, with rhythmic top 40 KQIZ being the closest find, while the Urban AC and Urban Contemporary formats are nowhere to be found. And how about Rhythmic AC? KBZD gave that a brief stint a few years ago, but it seemed very low-budget, and that station has flipped formats more than CC has written pink slips. However, I think Amarilloans at large aren't as diverse of music listeners as say the Greater Austin or San Antonio areas. Hard mainstream rock, country, and oldies seem to be the big hits in the panhandle, so unfortunately it seems like that's what's going to be selling the spots.
To TheRadioExpert:
Your observation about Amarillo is right on target. Amarillo is not saturated by the college market, a cutting edge influence on market trends, to the degree that the self-ordained concience of Texas, Austin is. The same goes for San Antonio, and, albeit to a lesser degree, even Lubbock. College listeners are very influential drivers of "diversity" in small & medium-sized metro markets typical of the west.
Government contractors, i.e. Bell Helicoptor, and a steadily expanding healthcare market have been two of the chief movers of Amarillo's economic growth since the 1980's. I would speculate that those migrating to Amarillo to work in those fields probably don't have strong urban tastes.
Your observation about Amarillo is right on target. Amarillo is not saturated by the college market, a cutting edge influence on market trends, to the degree that the self-ordained concience of Texas, Austin is. The same goes for San Antonio, and, albeit to a lesser degree, even Lubbock. College listeners are very influential drivers of "diversity" in small & medium-sized metro markets typical of the west.
Government contractors, i.e. Bell Helicoptor, and a steadily expanding healthcare market have been two of the chief movers of Amarillo's economic growth since the 1980's. I would speculate that those migrating to Amarillo to work in those fields probably don't have strong urban tastes.
My vote is for Rock Alternative.
ETA: Or maybe flip 93.1 to 93-1 "The Zone" and model it after 106-9 The Zone in Conroe/Houston and play 90s Alt Rock songs and early 2000s alternative.
ETA: Or maybe flip 93.1 to 93-1 "The Zone" and model it after 106-9 The Zone in Conroe/Houston and play 90s Alt Rock songs and early 2000s alternative.
Pete Pyeatt said:
That worked so well for the 106.9 in Houston that they flipped it to a simulcast of 107.5.
radiogooroo said:
That worked so well for the 106.9 in Houston that they flipped it to a simulcast of 107.5.
[/quote]
Amarillo isn't Houston, maybe it could work here. And if you disagree with that statement, which city do you believe a "The Zone" format would be a good fit?
Pete Pyeatt said:
I don't believe it would be a good fit anywhere. If it was going to work anywhere, it would have been Houston. Houston had an alternative rock station starting in 1994, and in the late 80s and early 90s, two CHRs that leaned toward dance/alternative acts like Depeche Mode.
Amarillo never had that. FM90 was more college/indie rock, and Z93 was always very mainstream. Stations in Amarillo never played most of that music when it was new. Why would Amarilloans want a classic alternative station now?
Not that it matters. I think there's just about zero chance of Cumulus or Townsquare making such a flip, and even less chance of Morris doing it.
Amarillo has 3 stations playing some form of 70s and 80s rock. The Eagle tries to cater to the "Greatest Hits" audience, but only at 6pm. During the rest of the day, it's "Stairway to Heaven" over, and over and over again... It would be nice to have a station like Kool 98 up in Lubbock, but the closest thing to that comes out of Pampa, and their signal is spotty in most of Amarillo.
Part of the lack of variety in Amarillo might be due to the city being late to the FM game. In 1975 Amarillo had just two FM's. Ten years later there were eight, but these included pairs of format competitors. There wasn't any real diversity of programming back then, and that trend may have carried over to the present day.
The Amarillo cable system did have a nice selection of cable FM stations back then, however...but relatively few people were aware of them.
The Amarillo cable system did have a nice selection of cable FM stations back then, however...but relatively few people were aware of them.
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