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What would you do if you had the ability to buy a radio cluster in Seattle?

F

fordranger797

Since the amount of active topics seems to be at a minimum around the Seattle discussion board, I thought I would do my part to "revitalize" things. Anyway, if I suddenly because a multi-millionaire and had the ability to buy off my piece of the Seattle radio dial, I would purchase KHTP, KKWF, KNDD, and KISW from the Entercom company.

First of all, I would reprogram KNDD 107.7 to be exclusively alternative rock. I would try to base it off of the template of KNRK in Portland, with a playlist that is completely unique from everything else you would hear on any other rock radio station.

Second of all, I would transform KISW into more of a jukebox style station (I would lay off the rehashing of current rock hits and mix other music from the 80's and 90's back in). I would still make sure that the current rock can be found on KISW, but less frequently so it stays fresh. I would also re-brand the station as Rock 100, their former glory.

KKWF is a tough one. It's success in the market would tempt me to leave it completely alone without tweaking anything. However, the country music detesting side of me disagrees. I would want to reformat the station as "Oldies 100.7", a recreation of KBSG that focuses on the 1960's with a large library of music. That's one way to restore KMPS back to their former glory...

I saved the best for last, no more "HOT" in Seattle. I would try to make a deal with the parent company of KMNT 104.3 in Lewis County to make a call letter swap, and get "The Mountain" back on in Seattle. It would sound like the twin sister of KINK in Portland, new and old AAA music.
 
I'd buy KANY and program a format that appealed to more than a niche audience.
 
Use the money to buy something else. Consider the number of Seattle area residents who DO have the money to buy radio stations, like Paul Allen, who is a huge music fan. Has he bought a radio station?
 
fordranger797 said:
Since the amount of active topics seems to be at a minimum around the Seattle discussion board, I thought I would do my part to "revitalize" things.
Click to expand...

Dude - please stop trying to "revitalize" things. All you're doing is driving this board further into irrelevance.

Instead - do the board a favour and labour on your awesome set of wheels so you can get DX reports from Gig Harbour and Grays Harbour. Okay?
 
The headline appeared as "What would you do if you had the ability to buy a radio"

Well...

The CCRadio currently sells for $159.00.

I'd buy a smartphone. Or a WiFi Internet Radio.
 
Mike Brewer said:
Dude - please stop trying to "revitalize" things. All you're doing is driving this board further into irrelevance.

Instead - do the board a favour and labour on your awesome set of wheels so you can get DX reports from Gig Harbour and Grays Harbour. Okay?
Click to expand...
So what topics do you suggest other than band-scans? [I will indeed get to the band scans if you guys really are interested]
 
semoochie said:
Any word on KXXO's move?
Click to expand...

I believe that KXXO is using a backup transmitter in Tenino right now. I will try to give their signal a test drive sometime this week.

If you all really are interested in band scans and dx reports, what specific location would you be interested in? I feel like a short order cook here..
 
As for the actual topic,there isn't one cluster d like to buy and change. I think I've made my dreams known on this board, though I'm not sure I've been too clear on what I would do with some of the hd signals. As for possible topics for this board, the only one I can think of right now is that Click seems to be phasing out backsells, they're not doing them after every song these days.
 
TheBigA said:
Use the money to buy something else. Consider the number of Seattle area residents who DO have the money to buy radio stations, like Paul Allen, who is a huge music fan. Has he bought a radio station?
Click to expand...

Well he might be a music fan, but that doesn't mean that he cares about radio. If he was interested in radio like the people of Radio Discussions, he would have many stations by now.
 
bobdavcav said:
As for the actual topic,there isn't one cluster d like to buy and change. I think I've made my dreams known on this board, though I'm not sure I've been too clear on what I would do with some of the hd signals. As for possible topics for this board, the only one I can think of right now is that Click seems to be phasing out backsells, they're not doing them after every song these days.
Click to expand...

I was hopeful that Click would do something other than modern hit radio, but again, another disappointment.
 
This question could of been asked 5-10 years ago with different and more positive results than mine. The money is disappearing in advertising, much the same way it is in newspapers, which are DEAD. People go online now to find news and info-tainment(marginally). The economy also dictates if businesses have any more to spare for ad dollars and they do not. I recall David Simon from "The Wire" and the Baltimore Sun who said newspapers thought having a website in the 90's would automatically attract print subscribers, especially 20 somethings to sign up--it did not. It has to have a decent revenue stream from ad sales to hire decent talent and programmers and to also go back to what it used to do, be competitive. The conglomeration of stations being owned by a few corporations has ruined the chances of any real change as they are so big they too will be sold off to another hedge fund shark.

My answer to all this is to do nothing. Yes, it sucks if you're an owner or employee or listener, but in reality the industry will have to reset by shedding what is already happening in the business world, evolution.

Then, when there are fewer sports talks and 2nd and 3rd tier conservative and money talkers and BOB and JACK and ALICE stations producing the same amount of burnt cookies from the oven, then we can talk about perfect worlds and clusters. Small town single owner stations are either to blame or are helpless (the owners of KGY should sell and avoid the cancer that is eating it) Are there exceptions? Yes, several get mentioned here as (your) favorite station. The formats of AAA and Alternate Rock were promising and still are in a few markets, but like progressive talk it didn't have the sustain or the latest owners looked at the bottom line.

Speaking of which, Randi Rhodes and Ed Schultz have both retired from radio this month. A few others got smart and podcasted or found a non-radio venue; Stephenie Miller, Mike Malloy, Thom Hartmann who saw the trends and moved into the online world. I talked to someone at KMAS today about who was going to replace Ed Schultz, she said " I hope Dave Ramsey, if he's not too expensive"..This goes back to declining ad revenue, especially for small markets. They can't even afford syndication in what used to be 'full service' radio with news, music and personalities throughout the day and night.


I've heard a few stations that were innovative and I hope they survive, but thinning the herd of terrestrial stations is the only way out of this for the sake of keeping whats left of the tech savvy listeners interested. Ask me again in a few months when Rush Limbaugh is # 50 in his market in LA.
 
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Blatherwatch said:
This question could of been asked 5-10 years ago with different and more positive results than mine. The money is disappearing in advertising, much the same way it is in newspapers, which are DEAD. People go online now to find news and info-tainment(marginally). The economy also dictates if businesses have any more to spare for ad dollars and they do not. I recall David Simon from "The Wire" and the Baltimore Sun who said newspapers thought having a website in the 90's would automatically attract print subscribers, especially 20 somethings to sign up--it did not. It has to have a decent revenue stream from ad sales to hire decent talent and programmers and to also go back to what it used to do, be competitive. The conglomeration of stations being owned by a few corporations has ruined the chances of any real change as they are so big they too will be sold off to another hedge fund shark.

My answer to all this is to do nothing. Yes, it sucks if you're an owner or employee or listener, but in reality the industry will have to reset by shedding what is already happening in the business world, evolution.

Then, when there are fewer sports talks and 2nd and 3rd tier conservative and money talkers and BOB and JACK and ALICE stations producing the same amount of burnt cookies from the oven, then we can talk about perfect worlds and clusters. Small town single owner stations are either to blame or are helpless (the owners of KGY should sell and avoid the cancer that is eating it) Are there exceptions? Yes, several get mentioned here as (your) favorite station. The formats of AAA and Alternate Rock were promising and still are in a few markets, but like progressive talk it didn't have the sustain or the latest owners looked at the bottom line.

Speaking of which, Randi Rhodes and Ed Schultz have both retired from radio this month. A few others got smart and podcasted or found a non-radio venue; Stephenie Miller, Mike Malloy, Thom Hartmann who saw the trends and moved into the online world. I talked to someone at KMAS today about who was going to replace Ed Schultz, she said " I hope Dave Ramsey, if he's not too expensive"..This goes back to declining ad revenue, especially for small markets. They can't even afford syndication in what used to be 'full service' radio with news, music and personalities throughout the day and night.


I've heard a few stations that were innovative and I hope they survive, but thinning the herd of terrestrial stations is the only way out of this for the sake of keeping whats left of the tech savvy listeners interested. Ask me again in a few months when Rush Limbaugh is # 50 in his market in LA.
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It makes sense. Although I have not been alive long enough to see the evolution of radio, I know very well that the radio industry of modern day is a shell of its former self. Even when I think back to being a kid, I don't remember the Seattle radio dial containing all of these stations containing the same exact format. When you look at major commercialized radio, you are choosing between Hot-AC, Country, Classic rock/hits, or CHR. Each format caters to a large demographic rather than a specific niche in the community.

As I have said before, I applaud the Portland commercial radio for staying interesting. I wish Seattle would use the radio landscape in Portland as a template for what needs to happen in our own market. I'm not necessarily saying we need the same stations that exist in Portland, but the variety should be looked at as standard. The same can be said for San Francisco.
 
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Not having a Cumulus cluster here helps, but the same was true of Cheap Channel and their predecessor Jacor with mass firings and format changes. I think the ownership rules have changed how much input a community has due to the influence of lobbyists on K Street. ("Corporations are people my friends") The commission hasn't kept any real promises on LP radio being remotely community owned either. The FCC heads are not radio engineers or even hold a ham license (hasn't been one there since the 60's or 70's) and as such, have no &*%ing clue what the rest of us want.
 
Blatherwatch said:
I think the ownership rules have changed how much input a community has due to the influence of lobbyists on K Street.
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That's funny. I spent a lot of time on K Street, and I'm here to tell you that broadcasters are the poorest of the lobbyists on that street. The REAL big budgets are the guys at the telecom companies. You want to know why you really have no choice in cable or phone? I can tell you why. And why radio is LESS than an afterthought.
 
Blatherwatch said:
Not having a Cumulus cluster here helps, but the same was true of Cheap Channel and their predecessor Jacor with mass firings and format changes. I think the ownership rules have changed how much input a community has due to the influence of lobbyists on K Street. ("Corporations are people my friends") The commission hasn't kept any real promises on LP radio being remotely community owned either. The FCC heads are not radio engineers or even hold a ham license (hasn't been one there since the 60's or 70's) and as such, have no &*%ing clue what the rest of us want.
Click to expand...

So far LPFM has done nothing besides compromise my ability to hear bonus range signals that I have been accustomed to hearing for some time. The LPFM programming is utter garbage. If you want to try to convince me otherwise, anyone is welcome to try.

I believe that Cumulus will make it into the Seattle market eventually, to further degrade the situation. Speaking from personal experience, country and CHR are among the most popular radio formats with many teenagers of today. Its no surprise to me more country music radio stations might be on their way in. Why we need more radio stations to handle the new generation of country music listeners, I am not sure. KKWF and KMPS are basically CHR-Country stations already. Neither are really targeting the older "traditional" demographics of country music considering the music that you find on either station do not appeal to most people of the older demo. Both KKWF and KMPS used to feature some music of the 1990's a few years ago, but I think they have long well done away with that in favour of targeting their young audience exclusively. I (unfortunately) used to listen to KMPS or KKWF on occasion, always hoping to hear a song from the the 90's. Both stations would play one track an hour that was from that time period, but otherwise you would get nothing but current hits interspersed with a few hits of the last few years. Their tactic was just an ill-fated attempt of holding onto their older demographic. I'm sure fans of current country music would all agree that there is nothing at all wrong with country music on the radio, though.

I would much prefer to listen to the localized KKXA.
 
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