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Why does the Country music format continously fail to succeed in large markets?

zumahans said:
[
Liberal democrats do not listen to talkradio.

WABC is a big frog in a small pond. Most NYC commuters do not listen to radio in cars.

AM talkradio is a loud pipsqueak on the overall scheme of things.
Click to expand...

I guess it would have to be for it to do as well as it does in a city that consistantly votes overwhemingly democratic and is about as liberal as you can get in this country, at least but I suppose that's a topic for another board.
Thanks for you're impute. I would tend to agree.
 
Re: Why does the Country music format continously fail to succeed in large marke

Even if WABC gets a 4 share, 96% of all New Yorkers are listening to something else.

I just find it hard to believe that anyone with a shred of knowledge about popular music or radio would still have 1940s stereotypes about country music. I would like to think that media buyers in New York aren't that stupid.
 
Re: Why does the Country music format continously fail to succeed in large marke

It's not terribly shocking when you consider the programming of most country radio stations is following rather than leading. There's not enough attention being paid to the future of the music or the fragmentation of the audience. Recipe for disaster.
 
Seeing that the folks here at Radio-Info don't allow actual numbers posted. In Providence Rhode Island.
Cat Country 98.1 WCTK-FM. Is the #1 station. The numbers are strong. The station has been on the air since
1989. And is a heritage station. Some may disagree. But in this market. People who want to hear country radio know
where to find it. And the signal is strong as well. Anyway you look at it. Country radio works. And WCTK-FM. Is proof.
 
Your point is well taken and correct, but:

Is 18 years heritage?
 
truthandjustice said:
Seeing that the folks here at Radio-Info don't allow actual numbers posted. In Providence Rhode Island.
Cat Country 98.1 WCTK-FM. Is the #1 station. The numbers are strong. The station has been on the air since
1989. And is a heritage station. Some may disagree. But in this market. People who want to hear country radio know
where to find it. And the signal is strong as well. Anyway you look at it. Country radio works. And WCTK-FM. Is proof.
Click to expand...

I don't think anyone negates that country music does work and is one of the most popular formats across the country but it's success varies hugely from market to market.
 
The just-released Fall 06 book shows that Country works in major coastal markets--even LA and San Francisco. In LA, CBS Radio's rimshot KFRG/San Bernadino checks in a half-share above Emmis' "Movin'" KMVN and just a half-share below co-owned KLSX. Assuming CBS execs can read and count, look for KLSX to flip it's full-market signal to Country very soon as LA's own K-Frog. And, assuming CBS's LA & SF execs talk to each other occasionally, look for a San Francisco K-Frog to emerge on a frequency currently occupied by either Alternative KITS or Hot AC KLLC, both whipped in the Fall by barely-audible KRTY/Los Gatos and its 870-watt signal halfway to Monterey.

It's the most basic kind of radio research. When more people are willing to listen to a faint, scratchy, distant signal to hear Country than are willing to listen to Fray on your local maximum-power flamethrower... you flip the SOB to Country.
 
Re: Why does the Country music format continously fail to succeed in large marke

Wow! I didn't know I made front page news of this site by this thread! Thanks guys! I will read the whole thread later, but I think I know why country radio is not a big success in the large markets. It probably mostly has to do with the ethnicity of the population. In L.A. there are lots of hispanics as well as blacks. 40.7% Hispanic and 7.6% black according to Radio & Records online. In fact, the only country stations even near that area are KFRG 95.1 out of San Bernardino, CA, KHAY 100.7 out of Ventura, CA, and if you count KUZZ AM 550 out of Bakersfield, CA. According to those ratings, that one isn't doing so great.

I think the more populated a city gets, the more diversity it will have. It's obvious that major city people don't love country music (no offense to those who do love it) and thus, it's not that profitable. I had an interview with a PD (I was interviewing him), and he agreed with me about formats being profitable to succeed. I will read the rest of this thread later and respond. Thanks again for the publicity guys!
 
Icycool7227 says "In L.A. there are lots of hispanics as well as blacks. 40.7% Hispanic and 7.6% black according to Radio & Records online. In fact, the only country stations even near that area are KFRG 95.1 out of San Bernardino, CA, KHAY 100.7 out of Ventura, CA, and if you count KUZZ AM 550 out of Bakersfield, CA. According to those ratings, that one isn't doing so great.

I think the more populated a city gets, the more diversity it will have. It's obvious that major city people don't love country music (no offense to those who do love it) and thus, it's not that profitable. I had an interview with a PD (I was interviewing him), and he agreed with me about formats being profitable to succeed."

In LA you don't need a 5 share (5 percent of the audience) to be profitable. A 2.5 to 3 share (KABC/KCBS) is plenty. If K-Frog can pull a 1.1 with a signal barely audible in at least half the LA market, the same format on the KLSX stick will pull a 2.5 to 3 share. Occasionally a fluke 4 share and headlines in Radio & Records.

As they say, this ain't rocket surgery. (Hell, if the right guy at CBS Radio sees this post, I've made him a million bucks)!
 
all good in theory...but...Emmis wouldn't have pulled the plug on KZLA
if there was a chance at remaining profitable.

the target for country listeners in LA county continues to shrink...
not a reflection of the format's acceptance: there just are non enough non-ethnic
listeners to go around
 
You can blame Emmis's incompetence for their decision to dump KZLA's country format; KFRG has DOUBLED their rating in LA with ZERO spending for bus benches, ads in the LA Times and/or TV ads.

According to the current issue of R&R (dated 1-19), the Riverside-San Bernardino market is 42% Hispanic and 7% African-American (I'm sure LA's ethnic mix is VERY similar!!!), and I'm pretty sure that's why KFRG not only replaced heritage CHR/Rhythmic powerhouse KGGI at #1 in that market, but that KFRG now has the second-highest cume of ANY country station in America, trailing only US99.5--Chicago's WUSN.
 
Re: Why does the Country music format continously fail to succeed in large marke

Country's large market failures (especially in LA) can be traced to three things. The ratings company's complete inability to find white diary keepers....which leads to the 24 year old Media queens not placing ad schedules (ad agency buyers who know everything) and bad sellers who have no training who couldn't sell water to a thirsty man in the middle of the desert.

Its all about the ad money folks. And as long as its easier for companies to get ratings in big markets programming Spanish language or urban programming, you'll get spanish language and urban programming. Or whatever programming lets them have numbers.
 
A Lon Helton column in R&R a year or two ago highlighted the fact that TONS of country radio ad salespeople don NOT know their product they sell, which is downright mind-boggling.
 
Re: Why does the Country music format continously fail to succeed in large marke

romer979fm said:
all good in theory...but...Emmis wouldn't have pulled the plug on KZLA
if there was a chance at remaining profitable.
Click to expand...

Not at all true... Emmis saw a chance to make a quick buck and jumped at it without doing their homework...
 
KZLA also had the WORST morning show in LA with Peter Tilden.

Now that KKGO has placed Shawn Parr in mornings, his show is already among the VERY best in the city for adults and baby-boomers.

With an oldies/gold library MUCH larger than KZLA's or any coporate-owned country station (and that includes The Dixie Chicks!!!!!!), Parr's show is as good as it gets, and he's absolutely hysterical, and now starts at 5:00 AM as of this past Monday.
 
Re: Why does the Country music format continously fail to succeed in large marke

I like Tilden but far and away, Parr is a much closer match to the format and lifestyle. While "go country" has faults, they made a wise pick for mornings.
 
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