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What happened to KC101
- Thread starter mikedow
- Start date
At the end of the eighties, KC-101 was a powerhouse with a format that was more of a catch-all than the contemporary hits we know today. The format has fragmented. There was no hip-hop station like 93.7 and 94.3 was just getting started without the sales LMA it has today with Cox.
Adult contemporary formats like WEBE 108 seem to have taken many of those heritage listeners from back in the day. Thanks to its big signal, KC-101 used to have huge shares in other markets like Bridgeport and Danbury (before 98Q), where they have seen similar shrinkage.
Remember Dr. Chris? Get a morning show with some strong branding and you get a lot of momentum. People talked about him while he talked to his imaginary friend Hozay! Not to knock the present morning show, but it is certainly not promoted the way it was.
The presentation has also gone through changes over the years, to the point where listeners can start wondering what happened to their station. At one point some time ago, KC-101 shed air talent completely only to return with a reshuffled version of its former self... although less extreme than their sister 104.1 in Hartford.
It still shares the CHR format with WKSS... but there's less to share now than 1989. KISS has seen its home base (Hartford) erode, too. CHR has taken hits in places like New London at Q-105. It's not just New Haven.
I'm sure Clear Channel cost-cutting is a factor, too. So, what HASN'T happened?
Adult contemporary formats like WEBE 108 seem to have taken many of those heritage listeners from back in the day. Thanks to its big signal, KC-101 used to have huge shares in other markets like Bridgeport and Danbury (before 98Q), where they have seen similar shrinkage.
Remember Dr. Chris? Get a morning show with some strong branding and you get a lot of momentum. People talked about him while he talked to his imaginary friend Hozay! Not to knock the present morning show, but it is certainly not promoted the way it was.
The presentation has also gone through changes over the years, to the point where listeners can start wondering what happened to their station. At one point some time ago, KC-101 shed air talent completely only to return with a reshuffled version of its former self... although less extreme than their sister 104.1 in Hartford.
It still shares the CHR format with WKSS... but there's less to share now than 1989. KISS has seen its home base (Hartford) erode, too. CHR has taken hits in places like New London at Q-105. It's not just New Haven.
I'm sure Clear Channel cost-cutting is a factor, too. So, what HASN'T happened?
Glenn,
Some great observations there. As a former KC101 listener I think you've explained the happening of the ages quite accurately. I remember at one point where Chris Evans had moved to WEBE for a time - it just wasn't the same.
Some great observations there. As a former KC101 listener I think you've explained the happening of the ages quite accurately. I remember at one point where Chris Evans had moved to WEBE for a time - it just wasn't the same.
WEBE 108 picked up in 1984 where KC101 left off in 1983. KC101 was more adult contemporary under Pete Salant and then Curt Hanson until they jumped on the CHR bandwagon 25 years ago. CHR enjoyed a real national resurgence then. It served KC101 well for a while. I believe it was Northeast who sold it to Noble in the late eighties for a huge pricetag. Carrying a big debt and taking a station to new heights don't always go hand in hand, which may also explain the start of KC101's slide.
And that's around the time WKSS dropped its own "beautiful music" format for pop:
http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,101240.0.html
http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,101240.0.html
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