Z102 Lubbock is now KISS FM!

[ontheairdaily]

Then, at some point, we decided to rely on our own talents etc... when it came to music scheduling and we would look at what KISS in DALLAS was doing and there were two other stations we would look at as well and then we would simply just rely on our own ear.... the complaints practically went away.

Just a hunch....maybe the complaints went away because all of the listeners went away. ;D That's what the ratings would suggest. How can anyone complain when they've stopped listening?

Like I said, just a hunch.

 

[Garrett]

No, the above is an unfair statement and not at all funny.

Crow, from what you wrote, I can tell a lot of things. First of all, you sound like a very cool person to work with and I wish we had been in the same building at the same time. I was unfortunate to have worked for someone named "Jim." I'll let you figure out who that was. Anyway from what you wrote, I can guess that management didn't give a lot of guidence on Z102, but you could also tell from listening. The idea is of course to go play more Hot AC and Mainstream during the day, and more Urban and Hip-Hop stuff during afternoon, evening and weekend hours. At least, thats the way it was always done at Q106 in San Diego, and similarly at Z102. On the other hand, its not at all fair, when asking managment for direction to be told "well, just do what the other guy did," because while there may have been a general rule for picking music, every PD has specific criteria for how they do stuff. So only Jay would know exactly the right songs to fit his formula, because it was his formula, and no nobody else's. Its like asking a cole minor to think like a proctologist. Well, a proctologist wouldn't know. I DO know, from talking to staffers when I worked at KFYO, that Jay was VERY finicky about which tracks were played. For example, before everything was converted to the Prophet system, Jay had orinally put all the music on carts. This was for two reasons: 1. All the songs were pre-cued, so that each track began where Jay felt the true begining of the song was. For example, I remember Madonna's "Ray of Light" had a much shorter intro on Z102, than the version that played on Q106. In the Z102 version, there was no ramp in the begining, just the start of the song. 2. According to one source I knew, Jay was tired of people playing the wrong tracks, no such trouble with carts. So it's very unfair for managment to just say "do as so and so does," becaues there's always so much more to it than that, and you can't get inside someone else's head. Having worked in that building twice, I'm not suprised, and that's why management is different. The attitude in that building drove me crazy! "Just have a bunch of PD's so they can run the equipment, put them on in the mornings, and use VT's from the rest of the chain. Let the computers do the rest.All we need to do is sell sell sell." That place was a ghost town, especially in 1998, and I was shocked with the low level of the moral of everyone who was still there, and NOBODY liked each other. That's no way to run a business, especially a radio station where everyon's supposed to be on the same team.

As far as sounding like different stations, Crow you are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. I could tell stories about how people would call us at FoxTalk askng for "Kiss102" or "z104.3". And why? All because managment didn't get it. Same way the pre-Jacor owners of Q106 didn't get it. Whenever a company assumes that "well, just play whatever's on Billboard, and sounds like CHR, so that we can sell the nationals" things always go south and listeners can tell. I think keeping the Z102 name would have required too much engergy to maintain and keep fresh. Changing to "Kiss" was not only a good move, but EXACTLY what I would have done had someone handed me the PD keys. I can't tell how many times I listened to Z102 and said "why don't they just change the name to KISS FM, it would be so much more fun." Well, that's what they did. I think BIG is a great talent, good guy, perfect for afternoons. I also like the Bones show, and it will be great once KZII figures out how to produce the dam thing (the challenge seems to be how to cover up 96-7's music, so that the same song doesn't repeat from the KZII playlist). The music is focused and fresh now, never too Urban, or too heavy on the Rock. Just the way it should be. Now if GAP would just promote the station. I've seen more ads for KJDL FM than KISS. It'd be nice to see a blue and orange "KISS FM" on a billboard, maybe even off the Sharp Freeway, or some KISS FM superstickers, but I digress..

 

[DG]

I remember Jay and all of those carts. The carts we had on the AM side were crap mostly, and we'd have to beg to get decent ones to use on our side.

I also remember the Z102 studio- very devoid of CDs. I think the only CDs Jay allowed the DJs to keep handy were "retro" and by popular request only. They all certainly had his personal approval, but I recall the Z102 scenario as being pretty much how Garret described it.

Jay's office was the ONLY room in the building I was never allowed into the 4 years I worked at the studio on South Slide.

 

[crow]

Then, at some point, we decided to rely on our own talents etc... when it came to music scheduling and we would look at what KISS in DALLAS was doing and there were two other stations we would look at as well and then we would simply just rely on our own ear.... the complaints practically went away.

Just a hunch....maybe the complaints went away because all of the listeners went away. ;D That's what the ratings would suggest. How can anyone complain when they've stopped listening?

Like I said, just a hunch.

Yeah, you could think that. However, when we opened up a phone line for people to leave messages on what they thought about the Z.... yes there were a few complaints each week. Stuff like... you don't play enough of this etc.... However, the majority of voicemails were positive. However, you can assume whatever you want. No skin off my back.

Also, regarding promoting the station etc.... your right Garrett. It needs to be promoted or it would just seem that they are just wasting their money. I know that when I was there... we didn't get any help with promotion. We had to come with the promotions etc... The whole time I was there.... we were given an opportunity ONCE by management for promotion. It was a TV spot, of course, that only happened becuz of trade. However, the funniest part about it was the spots were run on the wrong channels! ESPN for example. Cartoon Network I believe was one as well. Not female demo shows or channels. Not during American Idol or other popular format related shows and stations. Of course, these were not chosen by us. However, there was nothing we could do about it. Then after they ran... we were told by a specific person that they didn't feel that the TV spots did well. You've got to love upper management that knows NOTHING about radio. But what you gonna do.

The bottom line is... I do hope that KISS does well. Simply for those who I know that are involved with it. It does well... they will keep their jobs a little longer.