The ever-evolving KMCQ

[toonces2u]

I've listened to KMCQ online.  It has a nice sound and a good selection of oldies.  I also noticed they have extremely low ratings, not even visible in March.  Can it successfully compete in the Seattle market?  Is KMCQ in its current format sustainable?  How's their ad revenue? 

Queen Cities deserves credit for trying to make this format work.  It seem they're facing an uphill battle.

Don't kid yourself. I think they didn't show up on the March numbers because they aren't subscribers to Arbitron. Their numbers were respectable prior considering they did next to zero station promotion.

[jupiter2]

MOST stations have little or no promotion.

104.5 is consistently 23rd place and in the mid 1 share range adults 25-54. Still there, still encoding. They should be higher IMHO, given their lack of spot load and musical freedom. 

One wonders if that's all it can ever be, given the weak signal to the north? Also wonder if Oldies days as a 25-54 player are declining.

[radioguy39nj]

I'm aware 104.5 was a move-in and the reshuffling of KAFE Bellingham to 104.1 and CHHR Vancouver BC to 104.3.  Would 104.5 be eligible to build out to better cover the Puget Sound area?

Queen Cities probably doesn't have the resources of CC, CBS, Bonneville and others.  Given what just happened in NY today, good ratings and demos are no guarantee.  NY's #6 rated station, urban AC 98.7 KISS-FM was blown up and will flip to ESPN under a LMA deal next week.  The station is owned by Emmis, which is having major financial issues.

[semoochie]

"Also wonder if Oldies days as a 25-54 player are declining."  That won't happen.  The format will just reposition by moving forward in time.  As I pointed out elsewhere on this board, we're in the same demo position we were in in 2004, when everything before 1964 was pulled and replaced with 70s, only now, "the golden year" is 1972.

[toonces2u]

"Also wonder if Oldies days as a 25-54 player are declining."  That won't happen.  The format will just reposition by moving forward in time.  As I pointed out elsewhere on this board, we're in the same demo position we were in in 2004, when everything before 1964 was pulled and replaced with 70s, only now, "the golden year" is 1972.

And that is exactly why oldies station like KJR FM suck so bad.

[crainbebo]

I'm aware 104.5 was a move-in and the reshuffling of KAFE Bellingham to 104.1 and CHHR Vancouver BC to 104.3.  Would 104.5 be eligible to build out to better cover the Puget Sound area?

Queen Cities probably doesn't have the resources of CC, CBS, Bonneville and others.  Given what just happened in NY today, good ratings and demos are no guarantee.  NY's #6 rated station, urban AC 98.7 KISS-FM was blown up and will flip to ESPN under a LMA deal next week.  The station is owned by Emmis, which is having major financial issues.

Yep, KMCQ was a move-in. Used to be Hot AC, in The Dalles, OR. Then it started testing some nights on KMIH's frequency, 104.5, with IIRC the same Hot AC format. In 2008 we had Oldies hitting the air.

-crainbebo

[Bongwater]

I'm aware 104.5 was a move-in and the reshuffling of KAFE Bellingham to 104.1 and CHHR Vancouver BC to 104.3.  Would 104.5 be eligible to build out to better cover the Puget Sound area?

Queen Cities probably doesn't have the resources of CC, CBS, Bonneville and others.  Given what just happened in NY today, good ratings and demos are no guarantee.  NY's #6 rated station, urban AC 98.7 KISS-FM was blown up and will flip to ESPN under a LMA deal next week.  The station is owned by Emmis, which is having major financial issues.

Yep, KMCQ was a move-in. Used to be Hot AC, in The Dalles, OR. Then it started testing some nights on KMIH's frequency, 104.5, with IIRC the same Hot AC format. In 2008 we had Oldies hitting the air.

-crainbebo

"The Sound of The Gorge is Q-104, KMCQ The Dalles - Hood River....."

Yes, KMCQ once had a BIG 100,000 watt signal that rivaled KPQ-FM and heard from parts of the Eastside to Cheney. It was not hard to tune them in, even on this side of the Cascades (I picked them up regularly in Lynnwood, albeit a ghosty, static filled signal during the '80s......) Sadly, as a Seattle (ahem, Covington) station, their signal is only marginally better. Could use a few thousand more watts really -especially towards the north end. I don't see why that would be any problem......

[Mookie]

"Also wonder if Oldies days as a 25-54 player are declining."  That won't happen.  The format will just reposition by moving forward in time.  As I pointed out elsewhere on this board, we're in the same demo position we were in in 2004, when everything before 1964 was pulled and replaced with 70s, only now, "the golden year" is 1972.

And that is exactly why oldies station like KJR FM suck so bad.

That's not the problem, the problem is the playlist. The one Al Green song or Otis Redding song does not represent the whole of their musical careers or biggest hits. Their Motown playlist is terrible. Nothing from The Impressions, only two songs from The Spinners, but god damn can they play "Listen to the Music" every day. They don't play legitimate Oldies and they don't play enough classic rock. Hell they don't play a single song from The Who and I've never heard them play Grateful Dead!

Time isn't the issue if song selection sucks.

[1954]

 [Mookie said)"That's not the problem, the problem is the playlist. The one Al Green song or Otis Redding song does not represent the whole of their musical careers or biggest hits. Their Motown playlist is terrible. Nothing from The Impressions, only two songs from The Spinners, but god damn can they play "Listen to the Music" every day. They don't play legitimate Oldies and they don't play enough classic rock. Hell they don't play a single song from The Who and I've never heard them play Grateful Dead!"

What Top Rated Oldies station plays The Greatful Dead , The Who or The Impressions? Otis Redding had only one Top 20 hit "Dock Of The Bay" 
What else should they play by him?   What are legitmate Oldies? 

[Scoobyfan1]

[Mookie said)"That's not the problem, the problem is the playlist. The one Al Green song or Otis Redding song does not represent the whole of their musical careers or biggest hits. Their Motown playlist is terrible. Nothing from The Impressions, only two songs from The Spinners, but god damn can they play "Listen to the Music" every day. They don't play legitimate Oldies and they don't play enough classic rock. Hell they don't play a single song from The Who and I've never heard them play Grateful Dead!"

What Top Rated Oldies station plays The Greatful Dead , The Who or The Impressions? Otis Redding had only one Top 20 hit "Dock Of The Bay" 
What else should they play by him?   What are legitmate Oldies? 

The Who had quite a few songs that would be considered Oldies staples. The Greatful Dead, i'm not sure about.