Cumulus Plans have an all news outlet in Atlanta in May.

[recto101]

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2012/04/27/all-news-radio-to-debut-in-atlanta-on.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

I hope this works. KGO's all news format is now established and KLIF's is established since they compete against CBS O&O all-news like KCBS and KLIF.

[LibertyNT]

Im certain you meant KRLD not KLIF, and I doubt KLIF is fully established yet 

[dismuke]

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2012/04/27/all-news-radio-to-debut-in-atlanta-on.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

I hope this works. KGO's all news format is now established and KLIF's is established since they compete against CBS O&O all-news like KCBS and KLIF.

From the article:

"Dickey said Cumulus (NASDAQ: CMLS) will look to attract a broader listenership than the predominantly male, 50-plus audience that tuned into all-news stations 20 to 30 years ago when the content was strictly hard news.

'Pop culture, celebrity news and entertainment news has really become news today,” he said. “That has intermixed with hard news to create a different product.'"

So here is my question:  If the only way to make "news" programing palatable to people under a certain age is to dumb it down with gossip and pop culture fluff, what makes them think that such people will be inclined to tune into the radio to get such stuff - especially over a station on the AM dial?   Seems to me if that is what it takes to entice such a person to listen - well, I would think that such a person probably will want lots of pretty pictures and video to go with such content and will turn to television or the Internet long before they would a radio station.   And for radio listeners who want such pop culture information - my guess is that many of them are already getting plenty of it between songs on music stations.

I would venture to guess (I can't prove it - just based on my own observation) that to the degree a younger person is interested in the news he is less likely to be as obsessed with pop culture fluff as other people in his age group tend to be.   And I would venture to guess that as people become older and become more interested in what is going on in their communities and in the world, as part of that same maturing process, they find themselves becoming increasingly less interested in keeping up with pop culture happenings.

[Nightpattern]

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2012/04/27/all-news-radio-to-debut-in-atlanta-on.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

I hope this works. KGO's all news format is now established and KLIF's is established since they compete against CBS O&O all-news like KCBS and KLIF.

From the article:

"Dickey said Cumulus (NASDAQ: CMLS) will look to attract a broader listenership than the predominantly male, 50-plus audience that tuned into all-news stations 20 to 30 years ago when the content was strictly hard news.

'Pop culture, celebrity news and entertainment news has really become news today,” he said. “That has intermixed with hard news to create a different product.'"

So here is my question:  If the only way to make "news" programing palatable to people under a certain age is to dumb it down with gossip and pop culture fluff, what makes them think that such people will be inclined to tune into the radio to get such stuff - especially over a station on the AM dial?   Seems to me if that is what it takes to entice such a person to listen - well, I would think that such a person probably will want lots of pretty pictures and video to go with such content and will turn to television or the Internet long before they would a radio station.   And for radio listeners who want such pop culture information - my guess is that many of them are already getting plenty of it between songs on music stations.

I would venture to guess (I can't prove it - just based on my own observation) that to the degree a younger person is interested in the news he is less likely to be as obsessed with pop culture fluff as other people in his age group tend to be.   And I would venture to guess that as people become older and become more interested in what is going on in their communities and in the world, as part of that same maturing process, they find themselves becoming increasingly less interested in keeping up with pop culture happenings.

Don't think age..think gender.  The idea may be to make the all-news product more appealing to females. 

[dismuke]

Don't think age..think gender.  The idea may be to make the all-news product more appealing to females. 

I hadn't thought of that - but I can see how that makes sense.  I guess the question is whether they, in fact, will tune in or not.

Anyone know what the age group/demographics are for Morning Edition and All Things Considered on NPR?  Somehow I suspect that it is not just a bunch of old male fogies tuning in - and last time I listened they covered serious stories, some of them in-depth, without little in the way of pop culture fluff.   A quick check online ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most-listened-to_radio_programs ) indicates they are, respectively, the third and fourth top rated radio programs (behind Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity ).   Seems to me that it indicates that there actually is an audience for serious and even in-depth radio news coverage.  And whatever age that audience is, my guess is it is rather affluent and would be valued by advertisers (if only NPR accepted such advertisements).   And it makes me curious: I wonder what the listenership and audience would be if someone were to bring out a commercial program that covered the news with a similar level of seriousness, intelligence and depth but which leaned to the Right to approximately the same degree that the two NPR programs lean to the Left.   Would such a program do as well compared with the NPR programs as Fox News did when compared with incumbent CNN? 

Seems to me that the Dickeys have a pretty dim view of the intelligence level of their radio audience.  Perhaps a case of psychological projection?   

[recto101]

Im certain you meant KRLD not KLIF, and I doubt KLIF is fully established yet 

Thanks for the correction KRLD is a CBS O&O all-news outlet.

[bturner]

The idea of a slightly right leaning in depth news coverage focus sounds like a winner to me.  I personally have longed for a place where you got a left and right slant on everything so you had the chance to hear each side's points and make a more educated opinion.  While I contend I learn a bit more to the right side than left, I have always felt understanding was the key, but then again such a concept might not do as well as a NPR type of in depth reporting that leaned more toward the right...not too much, mind you, just focused on telling the story to this segment.