Idaho Radio News Etc.

We’re going to keep playing this game for a few weeks… but I decided to take a closer look at the “who plays more music” wars among the booming country market.

For today at least, KLTB is keeping good on its promise to play more music than any other Boise country station.

7am-5pm 1/10/06

KLTB 135 cuts | 13.5/hour
KIZN 121 cuts | 12.1/hour
KQFC 117 cuts | 11.7/hour
KSRV 125 cuts | 12.5/hour
KAYN 131 cuts | 13.1/hour

If you take out the final two morning show hours — the KLTB advantage grows even stronger.

9am-5pm 1/10/06
KLTB 115 cuts | 14.375/hour
KIZN 104 cuts | 13/hour
KQFC 102 cuts | 12.75/hour
KSRV 105 cuts | 13.125/hour
KAYN 111 cuts | 13.875/hour

My Country played an average of half a song more per hour than the nearest competitor – KAYN/Canyon Country 100.7. That’s not a big difference, but the fact that KLTB played an average of 1.625 more songs each hour during the work day than KQFC is. In fact, KLTB played more songs than KQFC & KIZN in each hour of the day — except 2pm, when the Q played 15 cuts and KLTB only played 14.

Remember the last time Clear Channel Boise pulled a format flip? The group blew up KARO-FM “Arrow 103.3,” (no relationship to the current KARO, also in the Boise market – now an Air 1 affiliate). In its place came 103.3 KISS FM (KSAS). The group sent dead flowers and a condolence card to KZMG’s Potomac BANNOCK studios — and seemingly ran more negative promos about Magic 93.1 than actual image promos about the station itself.

This time, Jeff Cochran has gone out of his way to say nice things — even publicly (like the KIVI piece last night)… and the station seems to be focusing on itself in promos and liners — instead of the competition.

KLTB is currently making noise about the fact that they play more country music than anyone else “guaranteed” — even going so far as to say “if it wasn’t true, we wouldn’t say it!”

OK — let’s take a look.

3pm hour 1/7/06
KLTB: 14 cuts
KIZN: 14 cuts
KQFC: 15 cuts
KSRV: 15 cuts
KISY: 14 cuts.

8pm hour 1/6/06
KLTB: 13 cuts
KIZN: 14 cuts
KQFC: 13 cuts
KSRV: 13 cuts
KISY: 12 cuts

This will be a regular feature over the next few weeks.

Playlist data from Mediaguide/Yes.com. All counts start with the first full song after the top of the hour

Of course, KLTB-FM was Clear Channel Boise’s lowest-rated FM station in the spring book.

Except that it wasn’t.

Here’s an odd paring for a chart (12+ data):

That’s right, Oldies saw an uptick in the most recent ratings data, while KSAS was down a touch. In fact, in the last 10 ratings period, Kiss beat Oldies only twice. But in the last year, CC has shown a commitment to Kiss — hiring up-and-comer Aaron Traylor to program the station, and showing some signs of life. The company may also feel that KSAS’s demographic numbers were better and easier to sell.

Also: Kool was actually tied with KCIX – both at 4.1. Oldies saw a 17% increase from spring to fall, while Mix lost about 22% of its audience.

Michael Deeds at the Statesman talked to CC OM Jeff Cochran about the KLTB format change.

“We did come in to compete,” Cochran said, “and I think the one thing we’re going to do in the simplest form is we’re going to try to make this a little more fun.”

Cochran attributed the slide at “Kool” in part to the national oldies trend, but also to the fact that 104.3 FM lost its morning team, “Tracy & Margo,” to late-’60s and ’70s-themed newcomer “K-Hits” in 2002: “All of a sudden, winning an oldies battle became even more challenging,” Cochran said.

[A] steady plummet — eventually out of the Top 10 — forced a change, Cochran said. “If a radio station drops off like that,” he said, “it is time to try something different.”

Only one fact in the piece was wrong — (or at very best ambiguous):

“My Country” will feature local deejays as well as syndicated shows

The station has no local talent — it is made up entirely of voice-tracking and syndication. That may change, but the Statesman piece makes it sound as if local yokels will be on the station at the start.

Also: What’s up with the lack of disclosure in the market? A point I’ve made before – Deeds does work for Journal Broadcast Group. I’m not saying he shouldn’t write about radio — but the fact that he has a vested interest should be disclosed. The same goes for channel 6. They even talked to Dan McColly at JBG, but never thought it important to mention that Journal & KIVI are co-owned. I think the story itself was pretty balanced, but what does it hurt to clue the audience in about the connections?

Even though it happened some six hours after the station went country, here is how KLTB formally relaunched, with the start of “Big D & Bubba.”

MP3 Download

He seems very concerned about Middleton (since it’s mentioned twice) — and what is the city between Homedale and Fruitland (not on the map — in the liner)???

This has been a very active day for IdahoRadioNews.com. With more than 15 posts and about 60 comments — I thought a summary might be appropriate.

Comment highlights:

I’m really disappointed and I love country!! I really enjoyed this station and the programs like Wolfman Jack on Friday’s and Rockin Robin on Saturdays.
-Michelle

I HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO THE OLDIES AND BIG JACK FROM THE BEGINNING. WHAT A SAD THING THIS MORNING WHEN COUNTRY WAS PLAYING ON MY STATION!
-Charlotte

Citadel has always thought they were better than everybody else. In truth, they are wide open to take a hit. Listeners don’t like six minute stop sets. Country listeners LOVE the music. They are incredibly loyal to the music more so than the station they get it from. Citadels first mistake is thinking this new station is no big deal. It’s a huge deal! The new CC country station will hit them where it hurts. Right in the pocketbook!!!!!!
-Shut up dummy

First off, counrty listeners are faithful to their station and the music. A good portion of KIZN and KQFC listeners will never change. Second, you have to actually be here to connect with the country listener. Once they find out they’ve been lied to about living here they will not only be gone but they will make sure others know.
-Get A Clue

I turned on the radio on the way to work and heard country – I couldn’t believe my ears. Big Jack was the best! This baby-boomer will be listening to the oldies one way or another.
-Lynette

Hey Former 104.3 listeners, we invite you to check us out at 107.1 FM K-HITS, no we are not KOOL, but if you like the older songs I think you will like what you hear. We also wish the best to Big Jack and know that he will do well with his Northwest Motorsports event. Good luck to GW and Melissa Dawn with their new duties. Even tho we are on different teams, nobody wants to see a ‘jock’ lose their job.
-KJ Mac

You really don’t have enough shit talking threads on this site. You should find more controversial topics. It’s fun to watch the fights.
-Ian

Ian, you suck. Wanna start a fight?
-Jac

I listened to the oldies station because it was fun, it started my day right to listen to the dj’s and I loved the afternoons with “big Jack”. He is the best, you people messed up.
-Cheryl

Every morning I turn on my radio to listen to G-Dub and Big Jack while I am getting ready to go to work, but I was absolutely shocked this morning when I tuned in and heard a country song playing followed by the “My Country 104.3″.
-Rick

If CC really cared about the 104.3 format…they would have done something when 107 came on and stole their am show and then promoted the hell out of themselves all over the area.
-Busted if writing from work

I almost always listened to KOOL 104.3 on my way home and it was the station the radios in the garage and shop were always tuned to. Imagine my shock, dismay and absolute sadness to hear country music coming from my oldies station tonight!! … These people must all be stupid or something!! GRRRR
-Lisa

This makes 6 country stations you can stop on in the valley. Competition is always good, makes everybody try harder. But good luck to 96.1 and 100.7.
-boiseengineer

Ya, I aksed my wife a couple of nights ago “What is going to happend to Paul Revere? What about that poor parrot?
-Jerr

It’s about time! I tried for years to get Clear Channel or Journal to step up to the plate and challenge the Citadel country duopoly. No one wanted to take the challenge
-Jim

I’m 21 years old and I’ve been listening to Kool since I was a little girl and I am so sad to have it replaced by another damn country station. If it weren’t for Kool, how many kids of my generation here in the valley would have ever been introduced to such great bands as the Beatles, Paul Revere and The Raiders, or The Rolling Stones?
-Laura

I’ve been watching this news with anticipation and I must say I’m pretty let down. What we really need is for someone to take KJOTs “80s at 8″ and play that stuff 24/7. Country? Yawn.
-Some Dude

If you listened to KLTB at midnight — you heard about a minute of silence, followed by a bunch of random audio.

This is what that was:

it happenend at midnight with someone trying to find the RIGHT SAT channel for After Midnight…There were TWO other “blips of audio” before the show came on clipping the beginning of the george Jones song…

Thanks “Busted.”

Not everyone is happy about the KLTB format flip.

My only question — are CCers telling people that KLTB lost 75% of its audience? Really? Sure, the 12+ erosion is bad — but it’s only about 50%.

www.koololdies1043.com

Word is KKGL locked down Premiere’s Bob & Tom for another four years on The Eagle.

Haha. Right.

Anyway — watch this.

As mentioned earlier, Melissa Dawn has moved from Oldies to KXLT/Lite FM. She replaces Robin Scott middays — Robin also stays on with CC, and will focus on news for KIDO, and other behind-the-scenes duties.

When I said we weren’t done yet – this is what I was teasing:

KJOT is in the middle of a bit of an overhaul. The station has let morning show host Doug go — and is currently running new liners and has a new slogan “J105 — Everything that Rocks” (replacing “Classic Rock That Rocks.”) The music is just a touch more modern.

Also: The “Pete & Joe” show join the station this coming Wednesday. The duo will be live and local. And the “Pete” isn’t Postal Pete…

Lots of items below — click here for the main story on KLTB

So regardless of what you think of the change — you have to admit that 104.3 will take at least some of the combined 16.8 ratings points that KIZN/KQFC/KFXD enjoyed in the spring ‘05 book.

Who wants to make a prediction?

Gee… betcha’ a buck that KTHI will have a very strong spring book.

KLTB will feature “Big D & Bubba” in the morning — syndicated out of Nashville. Like After Midnite, the show is a CC-owned Premiere Radio Networks production.

No local talent will appear on the station, nor will any of it be live (save the syndicated stuff) for the time being.

Still on – now sponsored by Sirius Satellite Radio.

I noted it in the main story, but it bears breaking out:

Last song on Kool 104.3: Dream a Little Dream by Mama Cass Elliot
First song on My Country 104.3: Finally Friday by George Jones

…the “old” Idaho Country 98 KQFC, before the Q morphed from a fraternal KIZN twin, to an identical one.

Someone at Citadel reads this website. At 8:47pm, I noted that mycountry104.com and mycountry1043.com were still available for purchase.

Sometime between then and midnight, someone purchased both domains — and registered them to Citadel Communications.

And you’ll never guess where they point. OK, well… you’ve got a 50/50 chance of getting that question right…

Ah well, there’s always mycountryonline.com. Well… for now.

Let the games begin…

…Stay tuned…

FIRST ON IDAHORADIONEWS.COM
After more than 15 years on Boise radio dials, Kool 104.3 is no longer available to Treasure Valley radio listeners. Owner Clear Channel Communications has replaced the oldies format with “My Country 104.3″ – a blend of modern country favorites and hits.

The station has seen a sharp decline in ratings in recent years, after rival Journal Broadcast Group flipped the then KCID-FM to “107.1 K-Hits,” a blend of slightly more modern oldies – focusing on the 1960s and 1970s. KTHI grabbed popular morning show duo “Tracy & Margo” from Kool 104.3 to anchor the new station.

The station fired Boise radio icon “Big” Jack Armstrong last Friday. He will continue with Clear Channel, voicetracking a number of out-of-market stations for the time being.

Other KLTB personalities have been reassigned – Melissa Dawn moves to KXLT-FM “107.9 Lite FM,” and morning show host Greg Williamson will take on a behind-the-scenes role with the company, according to Idaho Radio sources.

The station ended it’s oldies format just before midnight, with a swan song of the Mamas & the Papas’ version of “Dream a Little Dream.” After about 60 seconds of silence, the station cut over to the syndicated “After Midnite with Blair Garner” — and the song “Finally Friday” by George Jones.

Liners say “Your All American Country Station – Idaho’s Best Country – My Country 104.3″

Clear Channel is now programming a pair of country stations in the Boise market — KFXD-AM, and KLTB-FM. For now, no word on if the station will get new calls, or retain the heritage letters (which stood for K-LiTe-Boise).

KLTB was one of the oldest FM-format stations in the Boise market. KIDQ/Q104 gave way to KLTB “K-Lite” in the mid-1980s. After a few years of the soft format, Armstrong left KFXD-FM “KF95″ to launch “KOOL 104.”

The last major station to change formats in the area was — in a twist of symmetry — the transition from KCID-FM to KTHI-FM in early 2002. Clear Channel’s lineup has remained unchanged since KARO-FM “Arrow 103″ flipped to KSAS “103.3 KISS FM” in 1999.

KLTB-FM is now “My Country 104.3″