What about K 107.1?

[kentuckymedia]

Here is an idea for our lonely little friend in Ironton (his new dad doesnt want him anymore, so they set them in front of the trust department).

K 107 "The Tri-State's Hit Music of the 90's and Today"

Artists include: John Mayer, Kelly Clarkson, Backstreet Boys, Vertical Horizon, Justin Timberlake, Michelle Branch, Sheryl Crow.

6AM - 9AM DAVE AND JIMMY MORNINGS
9AM - 2PM NICK SCOTT
2PM - 7PM CLAY J.D. WALKER
7PM - MID ANDIE (Voicetracked from WRTS-Erie)

Jingle Package: REELWORLD'S KEY 103 Manchester Package
Voice Over: Scott Matthews (www.matthewsvoice.com)
TV Commercials: IQTV - KPLN "Want More"
Owned and operated by: Connoisseur Media of Huntington

Station Revenue: 40K per month on upswing and set goal to 75K per month.

Station Ratings: Book Cleaning and Sampling Period (WKEE ratings would dip into 8 or 9 share) this would allow for WBKS to pull about a 5. Then after 2 or 3 books, break the book in half with WKEE at 6.8

It would make a nice little sellable cluster for BJ and gang!

[ashton]

This seems sideways at best for clay...

[lastone]

Wish I could move it to Barboursville. A station with "small town" flare would sell big time in this end of the county. (Yes, Milton was a try at it but they didn't know how to do it.)

[Jay Nunley]

Is that format "too close" to what they are doing with Magic?

[kentuckymedia]

With doing this it would strengthen Magic and they would use BKS as a flanker to help yank around KEE. Of course KEE is always going to do well because of its power and heritage, but weakinging it at the knees isnt a bad move.

[Jay Nunley]

How does it strengthen Magic? I'm not asking to be a douchebag. I just asking. I'm not sure I'm following you.

[Hoosier Daddy]

With doing this it would strengthen Magic and they would use BKS as a flanker to help yank around KEE. Of course KEE is always going to do well because of its power and heritage, but weakinging it at the knees isnt a bad move.

107.1 has a poor signal in Huntington and east, so the only way this would have a significant impact would be to simulcast with 106.3. I think KEE is beatable (just like WDGG proved WTCR would be conquered) but whoever wants to try your plan better be able to out-promote and out-program WKEE's new owners, and be able to provide a listenable signal to most of the places WKEE covers with ease.

[StopSet]

KY Media.........You have way to much time on your hands

[Arp2]

How does it strengthen Magic? I'm not asking to be a douchebag. I just asking. I'm not sure I'm following you.

Yeah....I'm not getting it, either.

In a real way, signal is destiny, and, if I'm correct in believing that a very big chunk of Huntington's suburban-ish people live to the east, how is a class A to the west going to pull off a suburban-ish format?

And what is this format -- Hot AC or Modern AC? How does it fit in in Huntington with people, not just other radio stations?
And how can a one-hit-wonder be a core artist? (Well, I suppose you could call it that to indicate a particular "sound," but, just as a matter of principle,.... )
And why pick up a morning show that, to this point, has been syndicated only to CCU stations when the station is in the process of being sold off from CCU?
And why believe that you could dangle a lateral-at-best move and attract two jocks from stable, longtime format owners on big sticks in a healthier market to a risky guerilla gamble on a small stick in (what I perceive to be) a less healthy market?
Any why believe you could completely split the audience with a dominant, big-stick station that has the resources to block whatever move you'd make?
And why wouldn't WKEE just immediately block that move? Aren't their core artists somewhere in the neighborhood of John Mayer, Kelly Clarkson, Justin Timberlake, and so on already?
And why "K?"

I'm all for such mental exercises, but........

With doing this it would strengthen Magic and they would use BKS as a flanker to help yank around KEE.

Wouldn't it "yank around" Magic just as much (or more)?

The goal of true "flanking" (the term is very frequently misused in radio; about 80% of the time, "guerilla" is what should be being used to describe what is being talked about) is to distract and pull your enemy away from where you want to be/go with your bigger offensive force. How would putting on a station like this "flank" 'KEE and do so without "flanking" Magic?

No....this station would be a "flanker" of Magic to the benefit of the Oldies station!
(....assuming that Magic wouldn't target older.....but why would it?)

Of course KEE is always going to do well because of its power and heritage,...

You said you'd split the audience in under a year!

...but weakinging it at the knees isnt a bad move.

Wouldn't that require....what it's already doing now??!?

Put me in the "Nunley" camp....I'm just not getting it.....

[genlock]

Is this the kind of thing that is taught in college broadcasting programming classes?

[Jay Nunley]

Are you kidding? Most people in radio (or programming it) don't know any of that or even comprehend the basic concepts of radio usage, how ratings work, or cluster programming.

A college class on radio programming starts with "You must do a legal ID" and ends with "Music is a popular programming choice on many radio stations."


Here's another question. Is there a format hole in Huntington/Ashland? Remember, absence of a format in a market doesn't mean there is a hole for it. If the only things left are weak sticks, wouldn't it make better sense to go niche or use it as an actual flanker and try to shave points off a big competitor to clear space for you big sticks?

For example...

There is a rock station blocking your big stick country from third place 12+. So, you take one of your weak sticks and put a rock station on it to shave points off the competitor's rock station and clear the way for your country station.

[lastone]

genlock wrote

Is this the kind of thing that is taught in college broadcasting programming classes?

What is happening with kentuckymedia is that he is stuck in 'think' mode. An affliction of many in the upper reaches of business. In particular the "bean counter" types. Unfortunately many corporations implement such ideas without further input. (I.E. those in this market know further thought indicates this could never work/happen) The error here isn't in the thinking about what may work, it's the idea that "if it looks good on paper, it must be so".

$.02

[genlock]

Is this the kind of thing that is taught in college broadcasting programming classes?

I understand Jay, but it does seem like the pie-in-the-sky sort of solution taught to college students.

[Arp2]

Is this the kind of thing that is taught in college broadcasting programming classes?

I wouldn't know....it's a medium-length story, but, as one interested in radio, I found general business and marketing a much more worthwhile use of time.


As a basic marketing model, it's not horribly hateful or anything...it's actually kinda competent but in need of a lot more flesh on its bones. The problem is that it virtually completely lacks strategy and contains assumptions that probably shouldn't be being made (TV spots for a guerrilla, for example...and, of course, revenue just automatically flying in with apparently no consideration being given to things like longterm relationships, annual contracts, the local retail market, and so on).

No offense.........it's a fine discussion topic, but.......

[Jay Nunley]

College radio is great for a few things. There are certain things you just can't learn without air time. College radio give people a chance to get air time they would never get elsewhere. If you want to do radio and you are in college, skip all the class shit and get on the iar as much as they will let you. Do news, play by play, different shifts, production, and anything else you can get. Just the basic understanding of how a control board works is one thing, being able to communicate basic thought over the air is the biggest thing.

Do not major in broadcasting! Business and/or marketing is the way to go, just like Arp says. Hell, a degree in biology will do more good for you in radio than a degree in broadcasting will do.

To sum up. Grab every second of air time you can on your college station. Stay as far away from the broadcasting classroom as physically and mentally possible.

[Dr. Whiplash]

Back in the day I trained a few new graduates, as I'm sure others here have done. It must be a shock to hear oneself say something like, "Man, I've learned more here in a month than I did in (insert years) at (insert college)."

[Schaffer]

Jay, here's a great story to back up your thoughts on college broadcasting classes.

The D.O.P. calls me into his office to listen to some air-checks that had been laying on his desk for a few days. We really needed a weekend part time guy, or we would have just tossed them. I open the first packsge and find a resume for a kid that just graduated with a B.A. in broadcasting. The kid listed three years of campus radio on his resume, and had a nice cover letter full of vit and vigor for our beloved way of life. we said what the hell and played the CD he sent. I swear to God it started with a 40 second tone. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!

Who could have told this kid that this would grab our attention? We decided to call him and find out. The eager lad went on to explain that his radio professor told him he MUST do this or no P.D. would give him the time of day. This is sad, that kids are paying to have someone make sure they NEVER get a job once they graduate. Had my D.O.P. not been a nice enough guy to take the time to call and set this kid straight, he may never have even got a single call.

[Arp2]

There are certain things you just can't learn without air time....If you want to do radio and you are in college, skip all the class shit and get on the iar as much as they will let you. Do news, play by play, different shifts, production, and anything else you can get.

Yes....and realize that your role models are the people who succeed at doing it for a living, not the upper classmen who are "managing" the thing.

Other than doing what you have to to keep your place(s) on the air, don't worry one bit about pleasing them! In your time doing college radio, your real targets are yourself and your future employers!

Stay as far away from the broadcasting classroom as physically and mentally possible.

Indeed........which is exactly what I did after one (waste-of-time) class.


Here.....let's help out the youngsters by giving away -- for free! -- all that they need to know and remember from a higher education in broadcasting....

Introduction To Broadcasting -- there are these things called "radio," "television," "internet streams," and "podcasts," and people listen to or watch them; radio and streams usually offer a consistent "format," and television and podcasts tend to offer individual programs. Each has its own extensive history, but nobody really cares except professors and textbook writers; given the current rate of change and the "today!" nature of the business, feel free to actually learn almost nothing about the history of it....for now.

Radio 201 -- there are various pieces of equipment that make sound come out of people's radios, and you'll need to learn how to use them at each place you go; it won't be all that hard, though, 'cause things tend to have labels. There's some artwork and performance to it, but you're going to have to get that and develop it on your own as you go through your career.

TV 201 -- see "Radio 101" but add "pictures" to "sound" and "TVs" to "radios."

Broadcast Programming 301 -- find out what people don't want, and don't do that; find out what people do want, and do do that, instead! If someone else is already doing what you're wanting to do, pick something else unless you're bigger and stronger....which, realistically, you probably won't be until some future point in your career. Whatever you do, find some pretty paper and a nice bow to wrap it in. "There must be more to it than that," you say. Of course there is (much more), but you're just not going to be given it or truly understand it until you're on the inside of something that's actually doing it and taking part in it, yourself. In the meantime, learn everything you possibly can but be the first to admit your complete ignorance. As a matter of fact, consider boasting of your ignorance. If that seems contradictory or doesn't make sense, stay in school a while longer. In a variation on my current sig, "there is a second ignorance and cluelessness on the other side of competence, and that is where your real learning begins."

Broadcasting Practicum (400-level) -- go get yourself a real job or internship, note everything you do and learn, and write extensively so your instructors can read your report and find out a little about how it all really works these days.



Now, am I being horribly inaccurate, incomplete, unkind, and unfair? Yes, absolutely.....well, probably. There are some very learned and real-world successes that return to academe out of a true love for imparting knowledge and experience and investing in the future for the line of work that has brought them to where they are (Larry Patrick, who we see here, of course, and Roger Wimmer immediately come to mind), but there are many, many more instructors who don't bring anything other than this year's version of the textbook.

I say that and act harsh hoping that younger folks making schooling decisions and reading here will at least get this -- if radio and/or television are what you want to do, do no more than minor in it (unless you're some potentially extraordinary film director or something and have found the perfect place, program, and people or something). You will not only do fine in doing no more than minoring in it but will be much better off and much more ahead by what you bring to the job via having learned something else.

An alternative for some might be a double major. Some colleges and universities might protect the jobs of their faculty members by "requiring" "prerequisites" and the such before taking the better and more valuable classes you really want; a double major might make you "too busy" to jump over those miscellaneous, ridiculous hurdles along the path and get you special consideration. After all, more than anything else, institutions want your money and the money you bring and whatever reputation they may gain by having had you there, and that makes just about everything negotiable.

For the practical, button-pushing stuff -- for radio, just go get a parttime, entry-level job; for TV, play around with whatever gear you already have, go do some cable-access stuff, and then go get an entry-level job.

Oh.....and please let me encourage you to learn to write and speak the language incredibly, incredibly well!

[Zak Tyler]

For example...

There is a rock station blocking your big stick country from third place 12+. So, you take one of your weak sticks and put a rock station on it to shave points off the competitor's rock station and clear the way for your country station.

holy crap... were you in the corporate meetings when they decided to take my station rock?

[Arp2]

...played the CD he sent. I swear to God it started with a 40 second tone. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!

Who could have told this kid that this would grab our attention? We decided to call him and find out. The eager lad went on to explain that his radio professor told him he MUST do this or no P.D. would give him the time of day.

Well, duh! They have to set the levels on all that fancy CD playback equipment they're using!