Will any more radio markets migrate talk to FM?

[smedge2006]

To-date, our sense of Talk Radio success has been calibrated to AM reach.
Rush gets a 5 Share, and we call him a star.
Why SHOULDN'T he get a 15?

I'm not saying he shouldn't but maybe he WON'T, because he's not relatable to all those new demos that are being exposed to him for the first time. We're told car marketers are having trouble reaching GenY because... they DON'T LIKE CARS and would rather use MASS TRANSIT! What kind of a conservative is that? What kind of a RADIO LISTENER is that going to be?

 

[gr8oldies]

How many Gen Y'ers live in places where they can not own cars and rely 100% on mass transit? Makes me wonder if the survey respondents were saying the "responsible green thing". Everyone wants a 2 hour bus ride to work every day? Please.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

How many Gen Y'ers live in places where they can not own cars and rely 100% on mass transit? Makes me wonder if the survey respondents were saying the "responsible green thing". Everyone wants a 2 hour bus ride to work every day? Please.

I haven't checked the research to see if these Gen y'ERS are a little bitty fraction of the population or if they are a large enough group to actually affect a market as large as the automobile market, but being the father of someone just a little older than Gen Y, but a pioneer in the "live where you can use the bus" crowd, let me suggest gr8oldies, you are assuming that the Gen Y crowd is going to live way out in the suburbs like I did and maybe like you did. Who do you think these people are who are gentrifying old neighborhoods in the city so they can walk to the deli in the evening and ride the bus or the rail system to work each day? It is obvious radio is ignoring them. And Steve Jobs is getting richer by understanding them. My daughter was 30 when she finally accepted a position where the public transit thing wouldn't work so I bought her an $800 car to get her by until she could acquire one on her own.

Today she drives a Acura to work while hubby pedals a bike to his university professor work assignment. And she writes checks to her NPR station. And as a couple they look like an experiment farm for products made by Steve Jobs and company. And commercial radio is not part of their life.

Broadcasters of today ignore this couple and all their friends at their own peril.

 

[SeanMGilbow]

There's been no proof that liberal political talk "works" beyond some very good situations/markets/etc.

Holland Cooke would probably disagree with that after all the appearances he's made with Ed Schultz, including yesterday. ;D

Sorry, OMW, I was just in the mood to throw a jab since I haven't done it lately to the usual suspects.

 

[radioguy39nj]

FM talk does work if done corectly, a man who is instrumental in FM talk is Walter Sabo. If you do a search on him there's a wealth of knowledge about it.

Sabo's approach is in many ways the opposite of just sticking the AM talker on FM, if you look at the stations he consulted over the years. He advocates "baking from scratch" and finding talent that fits the demos, rather than plugging in syndicated talk like a puzzle. Unfortunately, station owners don't seem to want or afford anything other than plug-n-play.

Plug-n-play is a very good description of NYC talk radio. That just about describes WABC and WOR. WABC will be adding Joe Crummey from KTAR-FM Phoenix starting Oct 11. He will be local and will broadcast from NYC. Crummey's KTAR-FM program was broadcast from LA, though it was broadcast exclusively in Phoenix.

 

[Holland Cooke]

I don't ask for promises, so you won't have to lie.

Holland Cooke would probably disagree

I'm not talkin' 'bout movin' in.
And I don't want to change your life.

 

[SeanMGilbow]

Re: I don't ask for promises, so you won't have to lie.

Holland Cooke would probably disagree

I'm not talkin' 'bout movin' in.
And I don't want to change your life.

Anything I should know, Holland?

 

[MedianJ]

There is a winning combination to FM talk and Walter Sabo is the industry expert on the matter. Beware of " the Johnny come latelies" with unproven track records who claim they know about FM talk. Ask anyone who's been around for decades, no one has done it better than Walt Sabo. The key is picking the right talent like the successful John and Ken. Walter discovered them over 20 years ago.

 

[radiotower40]

Holland, how much longer do you think it will be until WBBM or WSCR ends up
on 105.9(Fresh) in Chicago?

 

[Holland Cooke]

RE "Beware of 'the Johnny come latelies' with unproven track records"

"Lately?"
"Lately?"
You're BEGGING Little Sal to show up.

As for Young Sabo, who IS my Facebook friend, you're calling him "Walter;" and you should know that he prefers "Walt-o," or the more-formal "Walteaux."

If you're having trouble finding his web site, it's http://sabomedia.com
As you'll read there:
"New Jersey 101.5 is entering its second decade of profitability and association with Sabo Media."

For more on MY unproven track record: www.HollandCooke.com
Or simply Google "talk radio consultant."
Or send an Email -- even a blank one -- to [email protected]
Mere MOMENTS later, the E-robot will send you what-you-need-to-know about the URGENCY of talking-on-FM

BUT SERIOUSLY...

Walt-o's been beating-the-drum about FM Talk LOTS longer than I have...for YEARS.
Now, his hobby has become a business.
Even jokers like ME are jumping-in-front-of-the-parade!
I'm only working with 5 Talk FMs at the moment.
He's probably got many, many more pins-in-the-map.

Holland, how much longer do you think it will be until WBBM or WSCR ends up on 105.9 (Fresh) in Chicago?

It'll be interesting to hear.
CBS stations elsewhere haven't added FM yet.
They're ID-ing sister-music-FMs' HD2 channel simulcasts as though people actually owned HD receivers.

Companies have personalities.
Bonneville, for instance, "gets it."
WBAP and WPRO are among Citadel AMs now simulcasting.
Last month, Cox' WSB.
Last week, Clear Channel's WGY.
Other owners might figure that AMs will continue to defend just fine, notwithstanding that most TSL is now on FM.

Speaking of WGY: This isn't just about radio.
TODAY, General Electric closes its last factory that makes incandescent light bulbs.

Stay tuned...

HC, a/k/a MediarI
http://getonthenet.com/worthlessspineless.mp3

 

[travisl5678]

CBS has two FM Simulcasts KCBS 740/106.9 in San Francisco and KXNT 840/100.5 In Las Vegas

 

[radioguy39nj]

Re: RE "Beware of 'the Johnny come latelies' with unproven track records"

Companies have personalities.
Bonneville, for instance, "gets it."

Bonneville is very good at putting talk and news on FM, having migrated all-news WTOP DC and news/talk KTAR Phoenix and KIRO Seattle to FM. I've spent a good amount of time listening to KTAR and KIRO online and both are well-programmed stations. NYC needs a talk station like those.

Bonneville hasn't owned a stick in NYC since they sold 105.1 in 1997. If they returned to NY and put a news/talk station on FM, it would severely impact WABC, WOR and perhaps WINS.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Sorry, OMW, I was just in the mood to throw a jab since I haven't done it lately to the usual suspects.

Oh, no problem, Sean.

I just harken back to what I've said all along..."It's about The Entertainment, Stupid." (No, that's not a shot at you, it's rephrasing of the Clinton-era "It's the economy, stupid".

That phrase, which I used about Ed Schultz's Dial Global stablemate Stephanie Miller, was actually picked up on the syndication-sales site for Leslie Marshall.

 

[SeanMGilbow]

Sorry, OMW, I was just in the mood to throw a jab since I haven't done it lately to the usual suspects.

Oh, no problem, Sean.

I just harken back to what I've said all along..."It's about The Entertainment, Stupid." (No, that's not a shot at you, it's rephrasing of the Clinton-era "It's the economy, stupid".

That phrase, which I used about Ed Schultz's Dial Global stablemate Stephanie Miller, was actually picked up on the syndication-sales site for Leslie Marshall.

And guess who appeared on Ed's msnbc show Friday night? Stephanie Miller, Bill Press and...wait for it...wait for it...

Holland Cooke ;D

 

[Holland Cooke]

MediarI...LIVE...FROM R.I.!

And guess who appeared on Ed's msnbc show Friday night?

HEAVILY made-up:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3096434/#39351054

Fortunately, this-past-Friday's mouth-off didn't degenerate into the nearly-uncontrollable laffs that last Friday's did:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3096434/#39239967

Next Friday, we'll be live from Washington, right after the NAB Radio Show wraps.

But remember, TV is a hobby, not a business.

HC
www.HollandCooke.com

 

[travisl5678]

Re: RE "Beware of 'the Johnny come latelies' with unproven track records"

Companies have personalities.
Bonneville, for instance, "gets it."

Bonneville is very good at putting talk and news on FM, having migrated all-news WTOP DC and news/talk KTAR Phoenix and KIRO Seattle to FM. I've spent a good amount of time listening to KTAR and KIRO online and both are well-programmed stations. NYC needs a talk station like those.

Bonneville hasn't owned a stick in NYC since they sold 105.1 in 1997. If they returned to NY and put a news/talk station on FM, it would severely impact WABC, WOR and perhaps WINS.

Bonneville also owns KSL 1160 in Salt Lake City that is also on 102.7, they now advertize 102.7 as the primary signal.

 

[radioguy39nj]

Re: RE "Beware of 'the Johnny come latelies' with unproven track records"

Companies have personalities.
Bonneville, for instance, "gets it."

Bonneville is very good at putting talk and news on FM, having migrated all-news WTOP DC and news/talk KTAR Phoenix and KIRO Seattle to FM. I've spent a good amount of time listening to KTAR and KIRO online and both are well-programmed stations. NYC needs a talk station like those.

Bonneville hasn't owned a stick in NYC since they sold 105.1 in 1997. If they returned to NY and put a news/talk station on FM, it would severely impact WABC, WOR and perhaps WINS.

Bonneville also owns KSL 1160 in Salt Lake City that is also on 102.7, they now advertize 102.7 as the primary signal.

I'm aware of KSL. It's branded as KSL Newsradio. I know Hannity is moving from KSL to CC-owned KNRS, effectively making the latter station Rush Radio, since they will now have Premiere's big 3 (Beck, Rush and Sean). I think KSL is planning to take Hannity's former time slot local.

A similar scenario could happen in Phoenix if KFYI moves to FM as long speculated. Beck is currently on KTAR, but CC will probably bring Beck to KFYI-FM should that switch occur.

 

[SRGuide]

To the original question, I answer "Yes, definitely" and be sure you include "Sports Talk".

If the "Performance Tax" happens either by legislation or negotiation, that will only speed up the process. I've written for a long time that stations moving talk to FM is a bellwether of whether the performance royalty is going to happen. You don't want to be the third or fourth talk station in a market trying to locate shows that aren't already locked down by a competitor.

Outside of a few major markets with unusual loyalty to a heritage AM station (WGN, WTMJ, WABC, KFI), look for AM to continue to evolve to mostly religious and/or Spanish/ethnic talk where audience size, national ad revenue and ratings are not what drives the business model.

In small town Middle America, local AM radio is still hanging in there, although the trend over time has been to replace local hosts with more and more syndicated shows. "Live and local" runs from about 5AM-9AM, then the computer takes over. There are exceptions where an AM station is still an integral part of their community and do midday local programming - but that requires local management, talent willing to work for not much money, sales people who have long standing relationships with the business in their community and aversion to debt financing.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

The problem here is as it is in many Clear Channel talk markets...there's no way it happens right now.

Unlike in Albany, where a flagging class A FM was offered up as a simulcast of the company's 50 kW flamethrowing news/talk station, WGY...in Cleveland, which FM station would you sacrifice?

Though WGY-FM is CC's first FM simulcast of a powerhouse AM station, it still involved a station which likely would have changed format to something else, anyway. Do you blow up "Mix 106.5" in Cleveland? WMJI when John Lanigan finally calls it a career?

The demos will likely force the issue at some point down the road. Right now, WTAM doesn't need the help.

 

[gr8oldies]

Same with WLW. Now that CC only has WEBN and Kiss 107 on FM, I doubt they blow either one of them up for a WLW-FM. Now when CC had several other FMs, that would have been a different story.