format "holes"

[oldiesfunhouse]

Okay.  Let's have some fun! Let's step outside of reality on this thread and suppose that each of us were given, I don't know, several billion dollars and we had to spend it all on Salt Lake Radio.  What formats would we put up?  I would do several.  One that's been tried before a few times but ultimately goes away is an edgy/liberal talk format.  1320 KCNR in the mid '90s for example. KALL when they first moved from 910 to 700 which would include talk that had nothing to do with politics. Bit driven, prank calls, etc. etc.  Get people like Tom Barberi, Martin Davies, Nyk Fry and others.  Another I wish we had is an all-news station, a station like KSL is in morning and afternoon drive but all the time.  (I guess traffic and weather together on the 9s at 3:19 on a Sunday morning might be a little sparse but I did say we were stepping out of reality.) I agree with others about a pre 1975 oldies station.  I would also like a standards station to come back to SLC.  Yeah, there's KMGR in central Utah and gets into Utah County but it doesn't make to Salt Lake at all.  An all-comedy/novelty station would be awesome. From Foxworthy to Yancovic.  I would love a radio theater channel, maybe two.  One for shows from the golden age of radio and one for radio plays produce from the 60s to today, Mystery Theater, the stuff from Jim Frenc Productions, the Louis L'Amour audio dramas, Graphic Audio, etc. Another one would be a station for really little kids, similar to Kids Place Live on SiriusXM if you've ever heard that or like the Imagination Station on 1060 when it first became KKDS.  It would have story hour, songs from Disnye movies, etc.  I know my sister would love to see a smooth jazz station come back to the market.  There's KTCE the Touch in Payson but it also doesn't come in in Salt Lake.  A "Salt Lake access" channel would be cool.  This would have live coverage of different concerts, church services, and sporting events in the area that aren't already carried on existing stations.  Well there are a few of my outlandish ideas.  It would be great to get some from the rest of you.

[Timmy]

Cool topic!

If I had the billions.. I'd likely buy all those shoehorned rimshots and shut them down and sell them for parts. Clear the dial a bit. I'd move 103.1 to 93.3. (Doesn't make sense how they are beating KSOP... just saying) An All-news would be nice. Someone with it handy should list out all the commercial FMs that are not rim-shots or translators here. Then we can pick from the rimshots/translators/HDx's and put them on full-market sticks. I like what we have, really, 92.5 rhythmic chr, 93.3 Country, 94.1 Oldies, 96.3 Alt, 97.1 CHR, 97.9 HotAC, 98.7 AC, 99.5 Hot AC, 100.3 AC, 101.1 Rock, 102.7 News/Talk, 103.5 Classic Rock, 104.3 Country, 105.9 Rock... I know I missed some, either intentionally or not. But my point is I'm ok with the big sticks, mostly. Lots of AC variants. But two competing formats should be fine. I'd be ok to move 100.7 to 98.7, i like that format.

Thoughts?

[David]

Hmmm, this thread reminds me of the song "If I Had A Million Dollars" by the Barenaked Ladies. But I digress. 😉

It's no secret to long-time members of this board that if I had a million dollars, I'd buy an AM station and program it with either pre-1975 rock n roll oldies, or an adult standards format. Having grown up during the late 60's and 1970's when AM Top 40 stations were in nearly every medium to large sized market in the U.S., I'm always nostalgic for that era. And since I was introduced to artists like Sinatra, Johnny Mathis, Ella Fitzgerald, et al because of my parents, I enjoy listening to the pop hits of the 50's and 60's as well. Unfortunately, advertisers are reluctant to buy time on radio stations where the target audience is my age bracket (50+), so it's not likely we'll have another music station on AM in Salt Lake in the future. But I remain hopeful nevertheless.

Comedy formats on AM have done reasonably well in some markets, and I'd certainly rather listen to comedians on the radio than sports yak or any of the political talk shows on KLO or KKAT. 1230 had a comedy format from 1983 to 1986 as KLAF, and I'm guessing it must have been reasonably successful or they wouldn't have stuck with it for 3 years. CKMX "Funny 1060" has had a comedy format since 2013, and apparently it does well enough to pay the power bill for their 50 KW transmitter. Maybe Canadians have a better sense of humor than us yanks, eh?

Lastly, I'd like to see a public radio station on AM similar to KCPW 1010, which lasted from 2004-2009. I guess you'd call it a variety format these days, and variety is what I liked about KCPW 1010. Their format was very similar to the CBC stations on 690 and 1010 AM that I occasionally listen to overnights. Moreover, public radio stations aren't really concerned about ratings, so they have more freedom in choosing programs which appeal to their listeners rather than worrying about advertisers.

That's all for now, folks!

[tardiscaptain]

I also like the idea of a comedy radio station. I use to stay up on Sunday nights from 10pm-Midnight listening to the Doctor Demento show on KRSP-FM in the 80's.

[amanuensis]

Aug 24, 2018 11:12:20 GMT -6 tardiscaptain said:

I also like the idea of a comedy radio station. I use to stay up on Sunday nights from 10pm-Midnight listening to the Doctor Demento show on KRSP-FM in the 80's.

Me too. Loved that show.

Another vote from me for an all-news station. KIQN RIP.

With KBYU's near-death experience, I can't help thinking that another Classical station would make sense.

I also want a 60's/70's/80's soft rock station.

Finally, for the "it'll never happen" file, an elevator music station, for those times when I just want background music while I get work done on the computer.

[CAwasinNJ]

If I had unlimited funds to play with I'd like to have a station that would be more like a "non-format." Just play anything and everything. There's a set of stations in DC that's actually doing this and they've reportedly had success with it. It's online at gamut.fm

[oldiesfunhouse]

Some of you may find this amusing. I've always had this idea in my head for some kind of free format train wreck radio if you will. And I've imagined the deep voiced announcer guy saying things like "from the McGuire Sisters to Twisted Sister," "From Judy Garland to Judist Priest," "From Bing Crosby to Crosby Stills and Nash," "From Slim Whitman to Slim Shady..." Well you get the idea. I LOVED Dr. Demento.  He's offering his show now on a subscription basis, about $15 a month.  I haven't subscribed but I've considered it. (Sorry if I've broken any advertising rules by mentioning that. Just wanted folks to be aware of it in case they weren't.)

[David]

I had no idea Dr. Demento (Barret Hansen) was still around-- I was under the impression that he had passed away a few years ago. The good Doctor is also a native of Minneapolis like me, so I think that's why I can appreciate his sense of humor. Most Minnesotans have a unique and somewhat odd sense of humor, and I think it has something to do with the extreme winter weather. When you're stuck indoors for 5-6 months out of the year, you tend to have plenty of time to dream up goofy, off the wall humor bits like Dr. Demento's exploration of strange and unusual recordings. The late Boone & Erickson and Steve Cannon of WCCO Radio fame were milder, more Minnesota centered humorists similar to Dr. Demento, just not as wacky as he is.

[CAwasinNJ]

Hey, Wolfman Jack's shows are being repackaged and peddled around right now (and picking up new affiliates) and he's been dead for decades. But Dr Demento is still alive for whatever that's worth. Are either show airing locally and would they sell?

[amanuensis]

Every time Sirius XM has a free weekend, I hear Casey Kasem rebroadcasts. So many songs that were once in the Top 40 for weeks, that now get absolutely no airplay.

[David]

Aug 29, 2018 6:10:08 GMT -6 CAwasinNJ said:

Hey, Wolfman Jack's shows are being repackaged and peddled around right now (and picking up new affiliates) and he's been dead for decades. But Dr Demento is still alive for whatever that's worth. Are either show airing locally and would they sell?

As far as I know, Dr. Demento's show is only available online now. Apparently his terrestrial radio show was last aired sometime around 2006-2007. He cited declining revenues from airing his program on terrestrial radio as the reason for making it available on a subscription only basis.

[oldiesfunhouse]

I haven't heard any of his online shows but, and I'm just speculating here, there's probably material that he can play now that he never could on terrestrial radio either because of FCC regs or fear of being pulled in certain markets etc. etc.  I know he was pulled from SLC, probably when Rock 103 became te Arrow.  I remember a few years later being within 95.9 KLZX's signal in Logan/Weston and hearing a promo that they were still carrying Dr. Demento.  If I had had my own car and could drive, which I can't because I'm blind, I just might have been crazy enough to take a drive of a Sunday evening just to get within KLZX's signal so I could hear Dr. D.  I never found anyone who felt that would be worth the drive.  Gotta love the internet!

[tardiscaptain]

I'm glad Doctor Demento is still alive. He was present at the unveiling ceremony for Weird Al Yankovick's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame earlier this week.