Bye bye, KFRC-FM

[newsperson]

Newsperson responds:

I beleive that the reason to drop the KFRC format was not so much to help KCBS-AM than it was to stop spending money on an FM that doesn't allow istelf to be sucessfull.

This is not a national trend of CBS as WCBS-FM stands out on its own. Brian Thomas is the PD at WCBS-FM and he was up at KFRC up until 2004.

This is a station that was never allowed by middle mangement to be a personality station.  The constant liners really killed KFRC this time!

You cannot force a feeling amoung listeners it just has to happen more naturaly and there are so many other choices in S.F. (even different formats) that have a better connection with listeners. KISS, KLCA, KBLX, The Bone, 101.3, The Wolf and others.

Dan Mason gave this opportunity for 106.9 KFRC and it was blown.  Your comments?

Also does anyone know who is staying in middle management?

Newsperson

[flakunkel]

Newsperson responds:

This is not a national trend of CBS as WCBS-FM stands out on its own. Brian Thomas is the PD at WCBS-FM and he was up at KFRC up until 2004.

It absolutely IS a national trend, if you look at spoken-word-format stations in general.  WTOP, Washington, D.C. (all-news, went to #1 after switching from AM to FM with no simulcast); WIBC, Indianapolis, KSL. Salt Lake City (now simulcasting on FM), KTAR, Phoenix, all showed major increases in the key demographics of 25-54 and 18-49 once the programming was put on FM.  Those are the demographics sought by advertisers and those people do not use AM.   The younger ones don't even know it exists.  But they will respond to the format if it's put on the band they use.  AM radio is dying because its audience is aging to 55+, and there are not many ad buys targeting 55+. 

[RadioStarOne]

The song that came to mind for me has some very haunting lyrics..

                     Both afraid to say we're just to far away
                     from being close together from the start
                     We tried to talk it over but the words got in the way
                     we're lost inside this lonely game we play
                     thoughts of leaving disappear each time I see your eyes
                     and no matter how hard I tried to understand the reason
                     why we carry on this way we're lost in "This Masquerade"

This station was just a shell of what the legend really is. The time to move forward into a new reality has arrived. So long friend its been a swell ride! We really can't go home anymore! The calls will certainly stay elsewhere in the city by the bay. They are to valuable to go anywhere else. I hope...

[Word Life]

What does this mean for the A's, if anything?

[Jim P. Pappas]

Being a Classic Rock and 90's Alternative listener, I tried to listen to KFRC-FM, but found it tedious.  107.7 The Bone is good, until they get into the headbanging rock or I get too much static or multipath.  As a 41 year old male, I guess my demo is not what people are after.

[XCountry285]

I think that 106.9 should go Top 40. Are they insane? this will flop to. They should totally go Top 40.

[RadioStarOne]

 From: DrDonRose To: mjpowell45@ Subject: Re: Hello Dr. Don Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2005 13:33:01 EST Hi Mark, Well, yes.  I don't know that we can call what is happening to KFRC, the "Demise."  Time will tell.  The marketplace will dictate what will happen to KFRC, The Big 610. I'm just happy that I had some influence for more than 13 years. For sure, the station will not just go black. Thanks for your loyalty through the years! Love, ddr

Well, My good friend ddr it looks as if the demise is upon us. Although it took a few years. Dougee poo sure muffed it up well just like I predicted he would years ago when he was moved from Sacramento. Radio transformed to be sure.

[Bongwater]

The sad fact is, if you put too much news talk on it, you'll just ghetto it like AM.

Not if it's good news and talk you won't. 

People stopped listening to AM because music sounds better on FM: but some AM news and talk stations have continued to be among the the highest rated 12+ stations in many markets and will probably do even better without the audio and static problems of AM.

True in some respects, but in the same breath you have to acknowledge the fact that AM was still viable even in 1989 (I think that's when WLS flipped from CHR to talk.)

While music is pretty much owned by FM today and I won't argue that, the fact is if you put too many news/talk stations on FM, you're only going to drive the music audiences to Sirius XM, Music Choice, wi-fi or some other provider. HD has been real slugglish in taking off on FM and on one hand, it could be good for HD to move the music to it's sub-channels. On the other one, HD radio digital audio has more artifacts than the Smithsonian (not saying wi-fi is any better by a long shot.)

Radio today is in an especially delicate predicament today. Cutbacks are the buzzword of the day and while CBS is looking forward and keeping the classic hits on HD-2, the real problem remaining is how many people will be listening on October 2nd? There are BAZILLIONS of analog FM radios out there and only a handful by comparison of HD radios. The radio manufacturers are currently under no ordered mandate to transition radio from analog to HD anytime soon and that's going to cost CBS and others in the long run. Then there's small public, LPFMs, Part 15 transmitters and several commercial stations who have cannot provide/resisted HD for one reason and/or the other.

I know radio is going through tough times (not being ENTIRELY sympathetic), but I think a lot of shots are being called prematurally. In these times financially, it's best not to jump on a hog wild speculation now and instantly expect success a year from now. You can kill a station that way.

My best suggestion to CBS San Fransisco (and elsewhere, regardless of broadcasting company) is to forget the $1,000 Thursdays (or whatever) for now - if there's any promo staff left anymore, and start giving out HD radios instead. If you really want HD to take off, this is the best way to do it. Plus, you'll be actually SAVING a LOT of money.....     

[Bongwater]

The song that came to mind for me has some very haunting lyrics..

                     Both afraid to say we're just to far away
                     from being close together from the start
                     We tried to talk it over but the words got in the way
                     we're lost inside this lonely game we play
                     thoughts of leaving disappear each time I see your eyes
                     and no matter how hard I tried to understand the reason
                     why we carry on this way we're lost in "This Masquerade"

This station was just a shell of what the legend really is. The time to move forward into a new reality has arrived. So long friend its been a swell ride! We really can't go home anymore! The calls will certainly stay elsewhere in the city by the bay. They are to valuable to go anywhere else. I hope...

Mmmmmm.....LOVE George Benson! Dude simply RULES!

You can say that for the whole radio industry entirely. But things will never be the same anywhere. It's called "progress", but the little known fact is progress is when you SEE it (or hear it.)

[AnimatronicAbeLincoln]

While music is pretty much owned by FM today and I won't argue that, the fact is if you put too many news/talk stations on FM, you're only going to drive the music audiences to Sirius XM, Music Choice, wi-fi or some other provider.

I would say that in a while, a majority of music listeners will have fled to their iPods, their winamp playlists, yadda yadda.

The marketplace will continue to support the market leaders... but will there be 20 stations in any market playing music 5 years from now?  I would seriously doubt it.  The big music stations that have established brands now (Z-100, KOIT, KOST, yadda yadda...) will survive, but I don't think the also-rans will make it. 

Thankfully, there are plenty of varieties and approaches to non-music programming and as a result, many different voices and approaches will be viable, some local, some satellite.  They just have to be interesting, compelling, informative, all that stuff.  Sports... right-wing... left-wing... business... all-news... room for all of those and probably then some on the FM band.  Nashville already has a sports and a talk on FM.