How does "Now 97.9" fit?

[seattlefollower]

I don't fully understand KBZN fully abandoning their past audience, other than the knowledge that smooth jazz has generally struggled in PPM - HOWEVER, it is #2 in San Diego in prime demos and within acceptable levels here in Seattle-Tacoma.

So where does "Now" fit in the Utah landscape? I took a quick look at Yes.com to learn some interesting things. I glanced over their top 100 at the 8 local stations that play about the same kind of music. Here's what I noticed.

1. KOSY is as "cosy" as ever, with its top 30 appearing to be songs 10+ years old. "Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia came in at #10. I think this station really fits the "SOFT" AC label at this point.

2. FM100 continues to do what most adult contemporary stations have done - freshen to meet current hits with the same old adding pattern of picking up chart toppers a year or so after the CHR/Hot AC crowd and playing them in modest rotation. FM100 has one country crossover I noticed - Taylor Swift.

3. KBEE is somewhat similar, but disco weekends are pumping those "disco gold hits" enough to plunge them throughout the top 30 on the station, some even in the top 10!

4. "Now 97.9" appears to be mirroring FM100's playlist (MediaBase subscription perhaps?), which means they appear to be a mainstream AC.

5. KUDD/KUDE "Mix 107.9" appears to be in the CHR niche but avoiding the urban hits as much as possible - probably partially to protect sister station U92. They're basically a "flanker" at this point, and seem to be a little bit too hit-focused to be a hot AC... but Hot/Modern AC appears to be a dying format in its "Star"-esque clothes.

6. KENZ- While not what I would expect a Triple A to look like, this station is doing a surprisingly good job of playing new 'alt-pop' artists that would be friendly to a Utah market where New Wave (basically the term to represent synth-pop in the 80s) was so big in that decade.

7. ZHT- "playing the hits." It works, don't change it.

8. KJMY "My" - Still drifting along the modern AC chart... some cuts from pop, mostly cuts from rock, and because it's Utah, no urban.

[thebaldone]

You know, I try not to think about how bad programming really is these days. Stations flip left, then right and ultimately they are never right. I'll listen to those that have been the ole reliables... i.e. ZHT, X96, Kosy, FM100 (but the "point 3" is bugging the heck out of me), KBER, ( If I listened to country KUBL, KSOP would be good).. honestly, thats it. I used to be a BIG KENZ fan... loved Chunga and Mister, but there is something just not right about it now. The Mix changes their slogans and names and formats every year... still not a station I would flip to when coming into town. The song tagging keeps me away from My 995. The processing on the mics at the Bee bug me, it sounds like they are in an echo chamber everytime they are on the air. 97.9... I never, in my life, have turned to 97.9. Nor will I. The frequency has never stuck out to me, never will. In SLC I am stuck in my ways and I am thinking that most people are. Why do we need stations to flip all the time? My guess is that there isn't one station that has flipped recently and REALLY made a splash... correct me if I am wrong. The best bet they have is to IMPROVE on your current format and stick with it. Don't fall into the usual crap like song tagging. Create a station with a killer staff... ZHT, KUBL, KBER, X96, etc... THEY ALL HAVE REAL DJ's, who have been around for a while.

This is for Music stations, News is a different conversation... but I have always enjoyed talk radio with the right host/s.

[seattlefollower]

Arguably the biggest successful flip in recent years has probably been KSL's move to 102.7 FM simulcast. They kept the entire state happy by staying on 1160 AM, but reached in buildings and to a younger audience that probably NEVER flipped to AM by adding the FM simulcast.

I don't know how the KKAT 107.5 and KENZ 101.9 moves worked out.

It does seem like ZHT held on to its audience, despite moving from 94.9 to 97.1.

Thanks for the perspective, Bald One. You didn't mention X96, and really, they're an old-reliable as well.

[CAwasinNJ]

Bri, it seems like saying that you won't ever listen to 97.9 is a bit extreme, no? Would you still ignore it if it flipped to a completely different format?

As for KSL-FM, the last time I saw Arbitrons that broke out the separate stations I think the AM was still way way ahead of the FM. That would explain why they promote the 102.7 signal about every 5 minutes. The current ratings info at Arbitron is showing only the AM. Either they aren't listing separate stations anymore or the FM isn't even registering. Not sure which.