2 years ago
265
I precocious made enactment of the large ratings occurrence of KOST (103.5 FM), which has been LA’s favourite vigor presumption since mid-summer. In past years, KOST has done decently well, but it was ever the holidays that enactment KOST connected top. Indeed, the ratings KOST earns during its yearly all-holiday euphony format person been thing little than stellar.
This twelvemonth is simply a small different. KOST has been gathering up momentum starring to the holidays. It earned a 6.3 first-place finish, which is astir a afloat constituent up of September’s 5.5. I whitethorn beryllium wrong, but my representation is that KOST has ne'er done this good starring into the holidays.
Much of the occurrence has to bash with the euphony premix of astir top-40 “hot big contemporary” euphony successful which newer artists similar Ed Sheeran and Dua Lipa are combined with the likes of Michael Jackson and Cindy Lauper to make an upbeat premix of euphony that is acquainted hits with immoderate surprises added. Nothing unfamiliar really, but you don’t consciousness similar you’re surviving successful the past.
Another constituent successful the station’s occurrence is Ellen K, formerly the sidekick of Rick Dees and Ryan Seacrest mornings connected KIIS-FM and a erstwhile top-40 DJ herself. Born successful Palo Alto, Ellen has been heard connected stations successful San Francisco and San Diego; San Diego included the erstwhile B-100 wherever she was known arsenic “Ellen Thomas” and played airy hits weeknights from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. (You tin perceive a speedy illustration astatine https://youtu.be/KqJWVQpgWtU.
Ellen has been doing mornings connected KOST since October of 2015. And judging by letters I’ve gotten from you, she’s rather popular. Her soothing dependable and affirmative demeanor person been mentioned galore times; her ratings from Nielsen person her astatine the apical of the database successful galore demographics for her clip slot: each radical aged 6 and over, each radical aged 25-54, and women 25-54. That gives Ellen the aforesaid value that Dees had erstwhile helium did mornings connected KIIS. Ellen fundamentally drives the remainder of the time by dominating the mornings.
But the large question remains: When volition the presumption alteration to vacation music? My hunch is that it could hap by the clip you are speechmaking this.
The Young Listeners
Dave Beasing, former programmer of The Sound (now KKLQ, 100.3 FM), was precocious a impermanent talker astatine Pepperdine University successful Professor Barry Yudess’s Digital Marketing Class.
I asked him if helium would survey the people connected their vigor listening habits, and helium agreed to bash so. Keeping successful caput that this is – admittedly – a tiny sample, including lone 15 students, it matches with my ain experiences passim the years.
The questions asked included:
1. In the past month, person you listened to a streaming audio work similar Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music oregon Rhapsody?
A. Everyone, 15 retired of 15, said yes.
2. In the past month, person you listened to AM oregon FM radio?
A. Only 4 retired of 15 had. Three said they perceive to AM oregon FM connected a accepted vigor (primarily successful their car), and 1 said they perceive some connected a vigor and via a stream.
3. If you don’t listen, what would it instrumentality to get you to perceive to AM oregon FM vigor (whether via a regular vigor oregon a streaming app)?
A. Contest money, less commercials, much philharmonic diversity, and amended audio prime (primarily related to signal: areas with hills origin reception problems, thing that doesn’t hap with cell-based net utilized for streaming services successful areas similar Malibu … thing that tin beryllium fixed by listening to vigor via streams arsenic well).
Other things came up: Interestingly, lone a tiny fig — 2 — listened to outer radio.
“A batch of times the euphony is repetitive,” said 1 pupil who mentioned a presumption from her hometown successful Texas. “It’s classical rock, but a batch of times it’s the aforesaid 30 songs.”
One remark centered connected having to hold done songs you don’t similar successful bid to perceive songs you do. Another brought up stations specified arsenic KROQ (106.7 FM) that helped motorboat bands, and successful immoderate ways helped dispersed full genres of music, including helping to bring punk stone to Los Angeles.
The Q&A and treatment that followed served to reenforce my feeling astir radio.
Young radical aren’t funny successful radio, but not due to the fact that it is “old” technology. Instead, it is conscionable not offering younger listeners what they want. This means the solution is to really play what they privation … thing entertaining, fun, and diverse. Ironically, arsenic has been mentioned before, the likes of Spotify really gives vigor a accidental to beryllium better.
In a follow-up treatment with Beasing, I mentioned this idea: That if stations don’t commencement listening to this group, they volition beryllium similar immoderate aging radical and arsenic the older listeners dice off, determination won’t beryllium anyone to instrumentality their place. Beasing agreed and past added, “But I fearfulness it whitethorn beryllium excessively late.”
I anticipation not. If vigor embraced online streams, online interactive elements, and opened up the playlists to caller euphony and caller bands, it could spell a agelong way. Craig Carpenter was mode up of his clip erstwhile helium employed these elements arsenic programmer astatine The Mix (now The Fish, KFSH 95.9 FM).
The urgency is real.
English (US) ·