What should Fisher do with KVI?

[spectacle]

KVI should run some 24 hour news syndication that focuses on national news like CNN used too. My vote.

 

[xmtrland]

KKMO is the old KMO 1360 in Tacoma (Calls assigned in 1998) .....They are programing a Regional Mexican music format branded as "El Rey". . And I'll bet you that they Play Kokomo and most can't tell because it's in Spanish! So that format is already being done...Is there a room for another.

Here is a thought; I'm a little Leary even mentioning it.

Sell the Real estate the transmitter site is on. It’s water front property with a view and the beach the tower sites on is a separate tax lot which they own (might be able to work a deal with the state since it is basically tide land, some cash or tax write off).

Then move the transmitter five miles north to the KOMO plant. You could pay for the re-engineering at the KOMO plant with the land sale and lower your operating cost by having everything in one place. If you ever sold KVI you can charge the new owner rent! I Bet KVI would still talk good from one of the KOMO towers. One less tower to maintain, paint, light.

And then run a Spanish format with a Salsa version of Kokomo or all international versions of Kokomo...Wonder how many there are???

 

[searadiofreak]

If you're going to counter-program Tesh at night, at least syndicate his full show! Why do they start it 10 minutes late then cut out the first story of each hour? I should hear the legal id at top of the hour right into John Tesh, as most stations do. They should adopt a similar model to what KBBY in Ventura does, start it on time, then run a modified schedule.

I'm not understanding how Tesh is related to the current KVI. Did KVI run Tesh during their oldies phase? Help me out here. (Tesh can run with its own music, or they can just offer tracks and the station can provide their music, this is what usually happens.)

 

[bobdavcav]

If you're going to counter-program Tesh at night, at least syndicate his full show! Why do they start it 10 minutes late then cut out the first story of each hour? I should hear the legal id at top of the hour right into John Tesh, as most stations do. They should adopt a similar model to what KBBY in Ventura does, start it on time, then run a modified schedule.

I'm not understanding how Tesh is related to the current KVI. Did KVI run Tesh during their oldies phase? Help me out here. (Tesh can run with its own music, or they can just offer tracks and the station can provide their music, this is what usually happens.)

No, someone just brought it up a couple pages back. Tesh is running on Star, and they just provide tracks, like you said. However, KBBY alters their schedule somewhat at night when they run the show so they fit it in. Star just keeps their schedule and airs the second story of the hour where they should air the first one, and then goes on from there. Sometimes, the first story is the most interesting, so I have to go to another out-of-market station to hear it. It used to be CIOC in Victoria, but they seem to have dropped the show.

 

[Scoobyfan1]

How about sticking to a format for more than a year? They were HOT Talk, then Freedom, then Talk, then Oldies, then Smart Talk. It takes a couple of years in any format to have an impact especially on the AM dial. Conservative Talk is too crowded in Seattle, which is why KVI left. KTTH has a 1.7 share 25-54 and has all the major talent. KVI should have adjusted and they would still have a solid one share or so. Oldies was a good plan. There are multiple Oldies stations on AM that do well, like AM 650 in Vancouver BC that typically has a two or three share. Oldies, Classic Country and Music of Your Life are on dozens of AM stations from Detroit to Denver to Vancouver and work. Smart Talk may do well too, but not if you change the format every six months.

Should KVI have stuck to Conservative and improved on it. YES (Maybe adjusted hosts)
Should KVI have stuck to Oldies for more than 11 months. YES (Maybe adjust to Gold AC or older when KJR came on)
Should KVI stick to this new format for a couple years before changing again: YES


Should stations consider improving formats before blowing them up to try the next hot thing, no matter AM or FM: YES

I kind of like that Gold AC idea. The thing is though with that kind of a format, just like with any oldies type music format is you have to think about what songs that should be on the playlist in terms of what the newest song that should be on there.

With that format you also get into the "Oldies" problem, mainly what to do about songs from the 80s, 90s and even the 2000s-now. For example: do you play a song like Aerosmith's Don't Want To Miss A Thing from 1998, even though it's from 1998, or a song like Janet Jackson's All For You from 2001.

For the above, I say yes(although maybe not on the Janet Jackson song) because there are artists from the 50s, 60s and 70s who were still popular into the 80s, 90s and the present.

Another interesting thing about the Gold AC format is how do you handle songs from bands who were not big in those eras, but got played on AC radio in the 90s and 2000s.

Those being people like N' Sync, Backstreet Boys, Carrie Underwood, and many others. Although, the thing is most of the AC stations of the 80s and into the 90s did play the older songs, alongside newer stuff.

For example: i've heard airchecks from KJR AM in the latter part of the 80s where songs like Allentown by Billy Joel, Life In A Northern Town by Dream Academy and even I Knew You Were Waiting For Me by George Michael and Aretha Franklin got spins alongside classics from The Eagles, The Beatles and Elvis.

So, anyway you slice it, the Gold AC format would be a slippery slope. Although if handled correctly, I think it could be something different, and something that could at least stop Fisher from tinkering with KVI every 6 months or so.

 

[FMSteve]

Steeman got it sort of right, in my mind. The format should be co-habitative of their other news programmng and EASY to sell as a combo with KOMO-AM. This really leaves somesort of Money Radio/CNBC Stock Market type national feed.

Since AM 1300 Money Radio has a terrible signal, why not have KVI simulcast the 1300 signal, and KOMO have a Sales Agreement to sell advertising on that station. Or better yet, put 1300 out of business and run national Money/Business/stocks programing on KVI. KVI's awesome signal would squish the 1300 signal.

That would be a great addition to KOMO-AM and an easy combo sell for an advertiser to buy.

 

[semoochie]

I've got it! Run "YouTube" on "shuffle"! No repeats ever!

 

[AQH]

I've got it! Run "YouTube" on "shuffle"! No repeats ever!

Put in a top of the hour RickRoll guarantee.

 

[equalinercard]

Steeman got it sort of right, in my mind. The format should be co-habitative of their other news programmng and EASY to sell as a combo with KOMO-AM. This really leaves somesort of Money Radio/CNBC Stock Market type national feed.

Since AM 1300 Money Radio has a terrible signal, why not have KVI simulcast the 1300 signal, and KOMO have a Sales Agreement to sell advertising on that station. Or better yet, put 1300 out of business and run national Money/Business/stocks programing on KVI. KVI's awesome signal would squish the 1300 signal.

That would be a great addition to KOMO-AM and an easy combo sell for an advertiser to buy.

The business format on 1300 has never garnered so much as a 0.1 share in any demo.

And let's not forget, Entercom tried going all-business in 1999 on 770 and it never got any ratings either. They claimed not to be concerned about ratings but instead said it would be an easy money-maker. But it never made money and the business format was dumped by Entercom.

The irony in that move was what Entercom had in place prior to switching 770 to all-business. 770 was an all-news station. A nice companion format for KIRO. When KIRO had on talk shows or baseball, the news was always on 770 KNWX. In addition to all-news on 770, Entercom also had inherited an FM Talk station from Bonneville (the Buzz, 100.7) when they purchased the Bonneville Seattle properties in 1998.

Oddly, Entercom dumped the all-news format on AM and eventually dumped the markets first FM talk station. Today an FM talk station and an AM all-news station are near the top of the ratings heap in Seattle.

So Fisher isn't the only company that makes bone-headed moves. Entercom had two stations that were way ahead of their time - All-News on AM; Talk on FM - and chose to flush both formats.

 

[Bongwater]

Steeman got it sort of right, in my mind. The format should be co-habitative of their other news programmng and EASY to sell as a combo with KOMO-AM. This really leaves somesort of Money Radio/CNBC Stock Market type national feed.

Since AM 1300 Money Radio has a terrible signal, why not have KVI simulcast the 1300 signal, and KOMO have a Sales Agreement to sell advertising on that station. Or better yet, put 1300 out of business and run national Money/Business/stocks programing on KVI. KVI's awesome signal would squish the 1300 signal.

That would be a great addition to KOMO-AM and an easy combo sell for an advertiser to buy.

The business format on 1300 has never garnered so much as a 0.1 share in any demo.

And let's not forget, Entercom tried going all-business in 1999 on 770 and it never got any ratings either. They claimed not to be concerned about ratings but instead said it would be an easy money-maker. But it never made money and the business format was dumped by Entercom.

The irony in that move was what Entercom had in place prior to switching 770 to all-business. 770 was an all-news station. A nice companion format for KIRO. When KIRO had on talk shows or baseball, the news was always on 770 KNWX. In addition to all-news on 770, Entercom also had inherited an FM Talk station from Bonneville (the Buzz, 100.7) when they purchased the Bonneville Seattle properties in 1998.

Oddly, Entercom dumped the all-news format on AM and eventually dumped the markets first FM talk station. Today an FM talk station and an AM all-news station are near the top of the ratings heap in Seattle.

So Fisher isn't the only company that makes bone-headed moves. Entercom had two stations that were way ahead of their time - All-News on AM; Talk on FM - and chose to flush both formats.

It's kind of ironic that "business" stations often go OUT of business sooner or later.

And don't you think with the INSTANT mobile sources your typical investor LIVES by these days that the need for a noisy, low grade AM radio signal running outdated stock report updates by the time it actually gets to the station has pretty much run it's course?.....20 YEARS AGO.

 

[FMSteve]

Ok, then let's have another Classic Rock or Oldies station!

Definately good points guys but my point was to have 570 KVI integrate smoothly with Fisher's other news product. 1300 has a shitty signal and it might be worth a try on a powerhouse AM. I don't think this format would cost much, either. Sometimes it's not how much you make but how much you save.

 

[searadiofreak]

Isn't there a format between "Music of Your Life" and "Oldies"? AC Gold doesn't exist in many places. I'm not saying it is the ultimate format for AM, but there could be a demo that likes this, and who have not abandoned AM completely. Probably has a five year life, but what if...

Sample quarter hour +:


America "Ventura Highway"
The Association "Windy"
Elton John "Your Song"
Carpenters "Close To You"
Paul Mariuat "Love Is Blue"
Lookinglass "Brandy"

 

[radiojjh]

The A/C Gold just might work, and give KIXI-AM a run for it's money.......it's certain that it IS listenable, but the quandry of music again on AM. Maybe music like that, with news and information and lots of traffic. But would there be personalities to serve it up? And wouldn't that almost be like what KVI did when it brought back the Oldies format. I remember listening to KVI back in the late 60's, and early 70's when they were MOR Personality, and in the evening did the "Theatre of The Mind" with the old radio shows. I thoroughly enjoy those even now. I wasn't old enough to hear them when the were run on network radio way back when, so it was a real treat to hear "TV on the radio." KVI then was an amazing radio station, and is IT possible to turn back the hands of time and do something like that again? Keep the term "rock and roll" away from the airwaves and it just might fly! KVI did full service MOR and had stellar #'s back then....could it be done again, similar to KOMO's full-service A/C days when Larry Nelson did the morning show, etc. Fun to think about!

 

[Bongwater]

I have a friend who came up with a BRILLIANT format for AM where A) FM Stereo will make no difference. B) Has a surprisingly young and tech savvy audience (if you look at some of the YouTube videos about this these days) C) No BMI/ASCAP/SESAC fees to be paid (because it's all public domain) D) Can be automated easily because most of the songs are identified on the recordings as they begin E) No one else is doing it. F) Very few will.

"THE NEW KVI 570! ALL CYLINDER RECORDS! ALL THE TIME!"

But seriously, full service AC sounds like a good idea......

 

[crainbebo]

Gold AC...or Smooth Jazz [I would expect satellite Broadcast Architecture/Allen Kepler Smooth Jazz however] would work in my opinion. Someone out here [I don't care if it's a station in Olympia, Aberdeen or Bellingham] needs to TRY to get smooth jazz back to the Seattle area.

I have a friend who came up with a BRILLIANT format for AM where A) FM Stereo will make no difference. B) Has a surprisingly young and tech savvy audience (if you look at some of the YouTube videos about this these days) C) No BMI/ASCAP/SESAC fees to be paid (because it's all public domain) D) Can be automated easily because most of the songs are identified on the recordings as they begin E) No one else is doing it. F) Very few will.

"THE NEW KVI 570! ALL CYLINDER RECORDS! ALL THE TIME!"

But seriously, full service AC sounds like a good idea......

LOL! 680 KBRD down in Lacey [which you should get in the South Sound, only] has a lot of '20s/'30s stuff mixed in with later music.

-crainbebo

 

[Scoobyfan1]

The A/C Gold just might work, and give KIXI-AM a run for it's money.......it's certain that it IS listenable, but the quandry of music again on AM. Maybe music like that, with news and information and lots of traffic. But would there be personalities to serve it up? And wouldn't that almost be like what KVI did when it brought back the Oldies format. I remember listening to KVI back in the late 60's, and early 70's when they were MOR Personality, and in the evening did the "Theatre of The Mind" with the old radio shows. I thoroughly enjoy those even now. I wasn't old enough to hear them when the were run on network radio way back when, so it was a real treat to hear "TV on the radio." KVI then was an amazing radio station, and is IT possible to turn back the hands of time and do something like that again? Keep the term "rock and roll" away from the airwaves and it just might fly! KVI did full service MOR and had stellar #'s back then....could it be done again, similar to KOMO's full-service A/C days when Larry Nelson did the morning show, etc. Fun to think about!

Great ideas J.J.

By the way, not to get too off topic but many of the Jim French dramas produced for KVI back then are rerun quite often on Imagination Theater and on Sirius XM's Book Radio channel.

I know there's the whole idea that young people don't really listen to radio often, but let me say that not only am I 27 years old, but my listening choices are oldies, sports radio and modern radio dramas(like Jim French's, but also other ones like the Twilight Zone radio dramas, and the Colonial Radio Theater On The Air out of Boston).

Now, I know the general public would say: "27 years old and he listens to that stuff? Hmm...". But again, just because i'm in my twenties, it doesn't mean I can enjoy everything I listed, as well as old time radio shows.

But back to the topic for a second: in smaller towns and cities i've visited, the full service format and variations on the format seem to do pretty well. Maybe something like what KVI tried with oldies or something like Gold AC or something along those lines would work today; because heaven knows radio needs creativity in 2012.

Problem is with a market like Seattle, the creative formats don't seem to last long in modern radio, which is definitely a shame. Companies like Gene Autry's Golden West Broadcasting diefinitely gave a darn about their stations, and maybe some of the companies today need to learn that lesson before they automatically dismiss an idea.

 

[Bongwater]

The A/C Gold just might work, and give KIXI-AM a run for it's money.......it's certain that it IS listenable, but the quandry of music again on AM. Maybe music like that, with news and information and lots of traffic. But would there be personalities to serve it up? And wouldn't that almost be like what KVI did when it brought back the Oldies format. I remember listening to KVI back in the late 60's, and early 70's when they were MOR Personality, and in the evening did the "Theatre of The Mind" with the old radio shows. I thoroughly enjoy those even now. I wasn't old enough to hear them when the were run on network radio way back when, so it was a real treat to hear "TV on the radio." KVI then was an amazing radio station, and is IT possible to turn back the hands of time and do something like that again? Keep the term "rock and roll" away from the airwaves and it just might fly! KVI did full service MOR and had stellar #'s back then....could it be done again, similar to KOMO's full-service A/C days when Larry Nelson did the morning show, etc. Fun to think about!

Great ideas J.J.

By the way, not to get too off topic but many of the Jim French dramas produced for KVI back then are rerun quite often on Imagination Theater and on Sirius XM's Book Radio channel.

I know there's the whole idea that young people don't really listen to radio often, but let me say that not only am I 27 years old, but my listening choices are oldies, sports radio and modern radio dramas(like Jim French's, but also other ones like the Twilight Zone radio dramas, and the Colonial Radio Theater On The Air out of Boston).

Now, I know the general public would say: "27 years old and he listens to that stuff? Hmm...". But again, just because i'm in my twenties, it doesn't mean I can enjoy everything I listed, as well as old time radio shows.

But back to the topic for a second: in smaller towns and cities i've visited, the full service format and variations on the format seem to do pretty well. Maybe something like what KVI tried with oldies or something like Gold AC or something along those lines would work today; because heaven knows radio needs creativity in 2012.

Problem is with a market like Seattle, the creative formats don't seem to last long in modern radio, which is definitely a shame. Companies like Gene Autry's Golden West Broadcasting diefinitely gave a darn about their stations, and maybe some of the companies today need to learn that lesson before they automatically dismiss an idea.

The executive National VP of Programming at Clueless Communications hears this argument and cringes:

"Creativity? Vision? Imagination? That will NEVER work!....Now quit daydreaming and read these liners VERBATIM and play this selection of 200 overresearched and overplayed songs that Corporate put together for us in five minutes or you can go back to WFMU!....Creativity, vision and imagination....even bringing back things that WORKED.....Personality?....What is WRONG with these uppity young radio people today? Radio as 'entertainment'.....It's a SALES medium ONLY! NOTHING MORE WHATSOEVER! ....Next thing they'll be saying is the internet and social networking will have an impact on broadcasting! BAH! They're all FADS!.....Well, I've heard enough of this nonsense. I'm going back to the golf course....."

 

[radiojjh]

Hey Larry...so true been there an done that with micro-managers. It amazes me how their get their jobs and then keep them at times. Guess I've never been a big "brown noser" and usually speak my mind where I hang my headphones. A full-service gold-based A/C might be perfect for KVI, I know I would be a perfect compliment a format like that, but doubt they'd be willing to spend money to facilitate it. 5000 watts non-directional at 570--I can even pick them up during the evening hours here in Spokane.....not clear like a local station, but they do come in nicely!

 

[Wonderfulwino]

Many ideas for a format rollover are likely good ideas, some are pipe dreams. What matters first is what brings an advertiser through the door. If anyone has ever been in radio sales (especially smaller markets) you know what I mean. You can have a very major account willing to sign an exclusive with local production if and only if your stations will play "Silly Love Songs" by Wings at least once an hour..

 

[dunno]

Hate to take sides with our long lost Guru, where are you when we need you on this board. Thinking mono music on AM will cut the mustard is 20 years gone. With all honesty, how many of you are tuned to Andrew's country music station? Show me the ratings. Sure, there are a few stations barely surviving on AM with music. Too many places to get music besides radio. Hey, I experienced the past, I just don't live it.