Market-by-market viability of AM radio

[Pat Cook]

Here in Denver, it all begins - And ends - with the 50 gallon JUICE GUZZLING blowtorch of the Rockies (That being KOA) which is owned by CC & has news, conservative talk (Including the druggie Rush Limbaugh), Rockies Baseball & Broncos Football

Everything & Everyone else (Including CC's other conservative talker KHOW 630 & progressive talker KKZN 760) is an also-ran

Salem has its usual talkers in KNUS 710 (Home to Hannity & The Beak) & KBJD 1650.  It's religious stuff is largely on FM with 91.1 being the home to K-LOVE & KRKS 94.7 being a christian talker/godcaster (The latter supposedly migrating from AM 990 but hasn't done so yet)

Crawford even has its share of stations in conservative talker KLZ 560 (The OTHER 50 gallon station which has become THE most forgettable station in town over the last generation, which is quite a shame given its heritage history from Denver's OTR days) as well as godcasters 670 (Also a 50 gallon juice guzzler - Perhaps THE BIGGEST one of them all considering the only format it's ever had has been religion) & 1220 (They just pulled the plug on 810)

As for the sports talkers, Sporting News is on KCKK 1510 (Who has a translator on 93.7 which I get better than 1510 itself) & ESPN is on KEPN 1600 (Though this will change in January when it moves to 102.3).  FOX Sports Radip is on FM (KKFN) as is ESPN Desportes Radio (87.7)

KRWZ 950 (The former home of KKFN) is a true oldies station which has a translator on 103.1 (Though neither can be heard very well)

NPR News even has a home on KCFR-AM 1340 (Though it is simulcast on 90.1) & Pacifica Radio has a home on KGNU-AM 1390 (Which is simulcast on 88.5 in Boulder)

That's the report from here

Cheers

[Pat Cook]

Why, out of curiosity, do you think 710 is worthy of inclusion with 550 and 620? It has no listeners to speak of, and no really usable night signal... in fact, it has a null right towards downtown Phoenix. 

Just guessing.  I figured (apparently incorrectly) that sports would be the last remaining semi-viable AM format in Spanish as well as English.  Their almost-nonexistent nighttime signal in the southeast valley certainly doesn't help them, although I would have thought that they'd get a decent number of listeners on the west side.

Sports is not a real format in most of Latin America. Mexico City has had various attempts, and none is either a ratings or billing success... the American sports talk format is more guy talk than just sports, and that may be the cultural factor that makes the format unimpressive in Spanish.

Which is why it'll most likely not go any further than ESPN, maybe Fox Sports Desportes (If the latter even bothers to launch a network) as well as a few border area locals

Cheers

[RadioDaze]

One of Cumulus' first moves after taking over Citadel...adding an FM simulcast for Washington's WMAL 630 AM, which, as of noon today, is heard on FM at 105.9 (formerly classic rocker WVRX). Listenership to AM in the DC market has been notoriously anemic for years, and WMAL is arguably the best signal (still spotty in the suburbs at that) and most viable station still on the band.