> > In SF, Portland, LA AM radio remains strong. Is it just
> Seattle?
>
> Two small factors come to mind about SFO --- one is the
> terrain has always been AM-friendly (so many hills means
> some signals have a field day with multipath, etc.)
>
> But I think the overriding difference between Seattle and
> those three markets you mention is the other three are
> consistent. LA has established news and talk stations with
> KABC, KFI, KFWB, KNX -- I think the rest are not as strong.
> SFO has KGO and then mainstays like KCBS(A) & KNBR.
> Portland, KEX, and so forth. Seattle has, in its news/talk
> leaders, stations which keep messing with the formula,
> hosts, approach, content, etc. (though not so much the case
> with KOMO -- but I would argue the issue there is KOMO is
> "one station" when it's a news station and a "second
> station" when it's a Mariners flagship). People here have
> not found the same station they are used to where the other
> markets are not making those changes. The news/talk leaders
> in most other markets are still strong as well -- because
> they have also been delivering consistently.
It's also a lack of innovation on the AM dial. So many made the mad rush to FM with music that it left AM a news/talk/religious/oldies ghetto.
Trying to put another average news/talk/sports/relgious/oldies station is like reinventing the wheel. It just does not compute with most programmers that AM's biggest problem is the ghetto-ization of the band that started in the '80s. That's what's been killing it mostly, not necessarily the occasional electrical static and the low to mid-fidelity of AM radio itself (the fidelity on your particular radio is also a factor, most manufacturers treat AM as an afterthought.)
It's a fact, AM may be beyond salvation as far as big ratings are concerned for most stations. But that's not a license to do nothing or repeat the same tired formulas. AM, like FM needs more leaders, not more followers.
Stations like Radio Disney (most affiliates are AM) and Air America have their place, but it's not a resting place. There should be alternative genres. I say now should be a time for AM what the '60s were to FM. A place to experiment and try new formats. With Air America bringing many listeners back to AM, now should be the time to be offering new styles of programming to capture some of the Air America listeners who aren't too hip to Al Franken (Franken's cool, but he just bores me to death listening to him.)
KKNW 1150 leads the way in alternative talk, offering talk for new age spiritualists and other underrepresented communities, although that "Crustbusting Your Way To An Awesome Life" show leaves me puzzled. This is how the
http://www.crustbusting.com website describes it. Just count how many times the word "crust" is used:
"How do we Crust Bust? Creatively! Crust Busting™ is an engaging learning experience that taps into the five senses. In the process you will discover the culprit behind crust deposits, the dreaded "Crust Ball." You will learn how to block "Crust Balls," remove deeply layered crust, and sweep away the residual "Crust Dust" by using a process called Crust Busting™. You will meet Crusty and Crustine, who will share experiences, challenges, and insights about how they have been able to remove years of accumulated crust...."
Yes, even the crusty people have their own talk show.
During my drives to Seattle in the past few weeks, I've actually listened to Contact Talk Radio quite a bit.
I would like to hear a frank and non-judgemental program for the cannabis community (yeah, it's cool to sound all stoned and make bong jokes, but there are much greater benefits to marijuana as medicine and hemp as an alternative to conventional products), there are those who would like to hear more gay/lesbian talk, more Native Ameican programming, religious programming for the Buddhist, Islamic and Rastafarian communities. Even though none of this will produce huge ratings, with good and targeted promotion of these shows in the right channels, KKNW can become a force of it's own through listener loyalty to each program.
I like the concept behind the alternative talk direction of KKNW and I really hope they expand on it. There is more than just the usual liberal/conservative bickering and locker room blabber of the sports stations. Alternative talk may just be picking up the outcasts and misfits of the talk radio audience. But even all these weirdos can add up if they play their cards right.
Musically speaking, AM can still be viable if it can offer programming no FM station is providing. And there's lots of different genres out there from bluegrass to reggae to Celtic to all blues, etc. In an age when such choices are popular on Music Choice and satellite radio, it just seems natural to create local radio outlets for these formats-even on AM. Most people still don't have satellite radio or Music Choice. There's a ready made audience for these genres if you know where to look for them. And chances are, the AM band will only be a minor problem for most of these people. They'd just be happy that some radio station anywhere on the dial was reaching out to them.
Classic country could make a return somewhere (by the way, if you need a classic country fix on the radio right now, you can get it via the all-powerful nighttime signal of CKMX 1060, Calgary, which flipped to classic country last month from their nostalgia/gold AC hybrid they've been running since 1995.)
Some say there's no hope for AM. And there will be no hope if they sit and do nothing about it. I mean, if you're going to shuck out $$$ for a massive power bill each month, I say you might as well make it worth something (or at least try. The only way they can fail is not trying.)
I would like to see some more passionate and creative minds programming the AM band. Because as the growing popularity of 1090 has proved, a real effort to make a difference will NOT go unnoticed.
My $2.00......
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