What AMs are still great?

[Prais]

Nobody outside of radio has ANY idea if the cookies are oatmeal or chocolate chip - as long as the quality of the programming is good. Making a place "sound local" is actually quite easy even with satellite delivered stuff.

[firepoint525]

I remember an attempt by WDXN in Clarksville, Tennessee, to return to their former greatness back in 1993.  I remember this because I was working there at the time.  The station sold to new ownership, who bought all new equipment, moved us into a sharp new studio, bought a new station van, converted the station to AM stereo (too late by 1993), and put up billboards all over town promoting the station.  But as far as I could tell, the attempts at reform were greeted with a collective yawn by the people of Clarksville.  For one thing, Clarksville is too close to Nashville, so everyone was listening to the FM powerhouse stations from Nashville.  Even Q-108, the Clarksville-Hopkinsville-Fort Campbell FM station, was #8 in the Clarksville-area ratings.

[Steven21]

Is radio's business model so bad that they need to strip local content to the bone in order to save money---even in major markets?

[dustintv]

Interesting isn't it? I started a topic called "once great stations that are now jokes" and it got 60 replies and over 1500 views yet this topic discussing stations that are still decent gets just three replies and a handful of views....

Interesting isn't it?

You started that other thread over six weeks ago, while this one was started less than 3 days ago.

Hmmmm.

Well my point is obviously moot now but it seemed as though replies to that topic came at rapid fire within a matter of a couple days rather than over time. I just imagined we enjoyed a well-deserved roasting of stations gone sour rather than complementing and admiring those stations which still remain good if not great. I suppose its a case of the boss never says a word when you do a good job.

[RadioBill]

AMs that are still great? I'd go with:

WINS
WLW
KGO
WGN

I would add KNX and WSM to that list.

[audioguy]

AM 740, Toronto.

[kinetic]

AMs that are still great? I'd go with:

WINS
WLW
KGO
WGN

I grew up with WINS and WCBS (we were a news household!) and I'm reminded of othe CBS stations. What about that formula? WCBS, KCBS, WBBM-AM. I don't know if they're "great" but they're reliable. KCBS in the Bay Area is pretty darn good. How does WCBS-AM in NYC stack up with WINS these days? What makes WINS great (as I haven't heard it in ages).

I agree on WLW and KGO. WLW operated with a CHR attitude. They promoted themselves like a CHR. When I lived in Cinci, they always ran ribald promos, poked fun at the Bengals (and they were the flagship) and Gary Burbank was a nice change of pace from the blowhard midday talkers.

KGO is a model of what local talk can be. Solid hosts for all tastes without any of the tubthumpers who constantly pound the table with partisan claptrap. And they have a darned good newsroom, too.

What about stations in places like Seattle, Dallas, Denver, Houston, St. Louis and Phoenix?

[rschultz2005]

KGO - still the best local station in the country
WGN - some of its legendary brilliance has dulled but they are working on it

I keep hoping for a return to solid local programming. 

[herbiedradio]

WLW 700 despite Bill Cunningham
WCBS 880
WBT 1110/99.3
KYW 1060

AM exception:
WTOP 103.5/103.9/107.7

Former greats:
WWL 870 pre-Katrina
WHAS 840
WSB 750/96.5

[greenie]

KMJ 580 Fresno deserves a vote