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What is needed in El Paso?

K

Kris Winston

Used to work there 100 years ago. What's it like now? What does the market need?
I'm sure there are a bunch of you Radio folks out there that know what's happening.
 
What??? No takers? Anyone that's been in El Paso radio for a couple of years knows what would fly. I'm just curious how much the market has changed. Then again, I can understand why someone wouldn't want to tip their hand.
 
Kris...there is no money there - really. I have a friend in a prominent slot and the person does mornings, and middays and MD and APD work plus remotes...

There are 2 CHR's but hip hop is pretty dominent from what i know. Ugly hip hop.

I guess like I told my friend-if the money makes you happy, and the situation makes you happy, then it doesn't matter much about the rest of the story...now does it?
 
Kris, I believe there is still and opening at the Clear Channel Country KHEY for a P.D... it's hard to tell though, it looks as though R and R has dropped them from the panel.
 
El Paso was a fun market. A lot of those situations where they say "there's no $$" boils down to who gets what % of what's coming in. Yes, revenue is down...but start being creative again. Start being relevant. Start letting the jocks become a part of listeners life's again. #'s will go up and so will revenue. I say, win with the quality of your product. Radio will never survive without local LOCAL input and jocks that know their town and sound like a reflection of it. That's what wins. You will never last by just cutting and cutting and cutting. Throw away the talented communicators and you cut your own throat. It used to be that jocks were part of your life...now listeners are part of Rush Limbaugh's life or some other syndicated show. The lack of emotional attachment has greatly diminished.
 
I agree. El Paso was a great radio market and there are people from there, all over the country, in markets large & small.

One of the great things about El Paso and the jocks, were how much we loved talking about El Paso. When I was there in August, I didn't hear any of that. Great jocks came from there and can again.

If I were to be a PD there, the first thing I would do, is make the city, the star of the station...regardless of the format.
 
They always say El Paso is eithier 5 years ahead or 5 years behind the times. Not only relating with radio, it could be politics, fashion, dance clubs etc....and after 5 months as a resident...I knew what they meant.
El Paso had it's days or it's peak years in radio mainly 77-82 with damn good DJ's (Or the ZEROX/KINT days, and yes there was KELP before that).....But when KINT became KYSR.....for some reason...the whole spirit of sound on the dial completely devalued along with the Mexican peso. And as far as AC/CHR .....it lost it's above size sound, and just became another medium market. At times in the middle of the night....even worse. It was always strong with country, good smooth sounding announcers heading into the 80's....but reading a post in front of this that R&R panel dropped KHEY....what worse can happen? I thought that was the only heritage radio institution El Paso might have left....and now that's not even considered as a top country station.
I went through their to visit for a day in somwhere back in the 90's and the market couldn't sound more depressing. It was making feel like jumping in the Rio Grande river. And that what of failed.
I should also not ignore KLAQ....I think they are amazing for where they are located and how it stays up in the ratings where it has, since some chick at the time name Aron Michaels was running it. It felt like that's the only station where the white audiience can call their own and feel like they have something in common with each other.
There is no money there.....Mack Massey is probably the only advertising client. The city mayor is probably making only $45,000 a year. The other city jobs employees probably make half of that unless their getting some under the table from Juarez. Probably the homes in Coronado and the east side never had to foreclosed....they were already devalued.
They say... if your making it big in El Paso.......because you can't make it anywhere else.
 
I use to drive through in the late 80's and there was a vibe an excitement about radio there.

Now it's mostly cookie cutter.

I do like Hit FM.

Corpus Christi is the same way.

Austin...

dare I say San Antonio? I remember the Oldies slogan the fun is back...some questioned what that meant.

I say...the fun is really gone now...so far gone that it seems like the only ones who remember the fun of RADIO are those who worked it when it still was, but not the listeners...most of them have moved on to itunes and cell phones...
 
Although the comments about the current state of El Paso radio programming are spot-on, I have to disagree with Starbuck's gloom and doom assesment on a couple fronts: First, there was still a lot of good talent and good radio in the market through the late 80's, most notably the B-94 (Lee Randle) vs. 93-Z (Bob West and Jerry Clifton) vs. Power 102 (Bob Perry) battle. Secondly, the economics of the market (from both the standpoint of radio as well as the city in general) are much stronger than Starbucks description. Total radio revs are now well above $30 million, and are growing about 9% annually, one of the highest growth rates in the country. Clear Channel, Regent, Entravision and Univision all make money there. And the overall El Paso economy is also very healthy (check the increases in home values compared to the rest of the U.S), driven by the massive expansion of Fort Bliss.
 
My assessment of the city was mostly based on the time I remembered in the early mid 80's. There are few points that your are right .....that was the housing....which I happened to read an article on the top 10 home values along with other cities....Birmingham, Raleigh, Rapid City, SD.etc, and 5 or 6 other glamourous places.
That's because El Paso was always and probably still the cheapest major city as far as cost of living is concerned. And when you can't afford California.....people get desperate for the most affordable housing you can possibly find. Especially in places like Scranton (which out of all places was on the list) where nobody really wants to move to but has little choice. I'm still ecstatic over the price I paid for a nice huge one bedroom all furnished apartment plus FREE cable (only 35 channels back then) in one of the nicest west side neighborhoods in town. 250.00 a month. They wanted me to even renew without a price raise plus one month free.
But try making a buck there. If you made 30,000 a year...you were rich. And that's if you worked at KHEY. You were not going to make anywhere near that in average El Paso radio or even TV unless you were Steve Crosno, or Ted Bender. And if that's what you call talent....??? I respected their longevity...but that's it.
I'm sure the town got bigger....it's easy to get bigger when your across a river or a creek from Mexico's 4th largest market.
Texas as a state is doing very well compared to the rest of the economy....but when it comes to El Paso radio...It's very possible that this will be the last to move on from terrestrial to satellite or WIFI internet entertainment. It's mostly or 60 percent spanish. Revenues will be up to entertain the lowest common denominator. And FT. Bliss ...I can understand the expansion .....the border... it's a national issue. That's what it was set up for in the first place.
I can still see more sirens and police force flashing in my mind every 5 minutes up and down Dyer Ave.
 
Kris Winston said:
El Paso was a fun market. A lot of those situations where they say "there's no $$" boils down to who gets what % of what's coming in. Yes, revenue is down...but start being creative again. Start being relevant. Start letting the jocks become a part of listeners life's again. #'s will go up and so will revenue. I say, win with the quality of your product. Radio will never survive without local LOCAL input and jocks that know their town and sound like a reflection of it. That's what wins. You will never last by just cutting and cutting and cutting. Throw away the talented communicators and you cut your own throat. It used to be that jocks were part of your life...now listeners are part of Rush Limbaugh's life or some other syndicated show. The lack of emotional attachment has greatly diminished.
Click to expand...

The last station that made an emotional connection with its listeners was 93Z with the great Rockin' Ron Shaw and Company!
 
I, personally, would love to see a Top 40/M station in El Paso. Not sure if it would succeed, but would give listeners another option besides Kiss, Power, and Hit FM.

Manny
 
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