Radio landscape in OKC

[windowphobe]

Even if they downgraded to Class A (6 kW maximum), they'd still have to be 95 km away from KMGL, so the OKC antenna farm is out. Unless they can work up some complicated scheme with competitors, they're stuck where they are.

From my own notes:

[T]he deal that allowed the Sports Animal (WWLS) to move from 97.9 to 98.1 was somewhat complicated: it required the moving of a Stillwater station (KVRO) from 98.1 to 101.1, and a substantial reduction in power at the KATT (100.5) to reduce interference to the new Stillwater signal. The FCC has overseen swaps much more complex than this, though.

[RadicalModerate]

I think that "radio landscaping" is far too poetic for this topic.
Kudos to the OP.

[harp23]

Last three times I've been in Dallas I've listened to KXT, 97.1, listener supported commercial free. Best radio station I've ever listened to. When you have time go to their web page and click on playlist. You'll find they may play an Avett Brothers song followed by U2 and then Johnny Cash. this is what OKC needs.

I think that "radio landscaping" is far too poetic for this topic.
Kudos to the OP.

[Soonerman]

Last three times I've been in Dallas I've listened to KXT, 97.1, listener supported commercial free. Best radio station I've ever listened to. When you have time go to their web page and click on playlist. You'll find they may play an Avett Brothers song followed by U2 and then Johnny Cash. this is what OKC needs.

Yea, 91.7 KXT is an awesome station, It's owned by KERA. Here's their website, KXT 91.7 | Independent Music Radio for North Texas

[theparkman81]

I noticed that NOW 96.5 is now on 92.9, listen to it this morning when I took my brother to the airport, I wish that we get a all news station, because yesterday during that hostage standoff in Norman, I was watching it on TV, but I had to go to work and I was hoping that either KTOK or KOKC was covering it, but they wasn't.

[bchris02]

It looks like right now, NOW 96.5 is simulcasting on both 96.5 and 92.9. It looks like the goal is to move it permanently to 92.9. If they do that, they need to make some adjustments to the signal because it sounds muffled on 92.9. Once they get it worked out though that's a better home for it being that frequency doesn't suffer bleed in from Mix 96.5 in Tulsa.

It will be interesting to see what they do with the 96.5 frequency.

[bchris02]

Magic 104.1 is having a "Christmas preview" weekend this weekend. Personally I don't understand their need to do a "preview" of their Christmas format especially since there is no competitor in the OKC market. Unlike a lot of people, I support stations changing to all Christmas but wish they would wait until Black Friday or at least the Wednesday before Thanksgiving to do it. When 94.7 KQSR used to do it they would start the day before Thanksgiving.

[theparkman81]

When will I heart pull the plug on the Brew, the last ratings that came out show that they had a pathetic 1.5, heck WKY is almost 0catching up with them, it's time for them to change.

[bchris02]

When will I heart pull the plug on the Brew, the last ratings that came out show that they had a pathetic 1.5, heck WKY is almost 0catching up with them, it's time for them to change.

I wish I knew. It's stayed long past its welcome. Maybe they will go all-Christmas over the Holiday season and then change formats come Dec 26th (here's to wishful thinking!). That would be a perfect frequency for iHeart to bring something new to the market. Alternative rock has to be one of the most requested but they already tried that and it failed. Do you think they could give it another go? If not that, then what format? It's a 100KW signal so it cannot be a niche format. It needs to be something with mass appeal.

I also wonder what is going to become of the 96.5 signal once Now 96.5 migrates permanently to 92.9. For those wanting a more niche format like EDM, a translator like that would be perfect for it.

I also think Wild is starting to become more listenable. There are still times when I am shaking my head thinking "really, you are going to play that in 2014?" but overall its been sounding less like an iPhone on shuffle lately than it did after the Cumulus takeover and more like a rhythmic Top 40.

[Soonerman]

I wish I knew. It's stayed long past its welcome. Maybe they will go all-Christmas over the Holiday season and then change formats come Dec 26th (here's to wishful thinking!). That would be a perfect frequency for iHeart to bring something new to the market. Alternative rock has to be one of the most requested but they already tried that and it failed. Do you think they could give it another go? If not that, then what format? It's a 100KW signal so it cannot be a niche format. It needs to be something with mass appeal.

I also wonder what is going to become of the 96.5 signal once Now 96.5 migrates permanently to 92.9. For those wanting a more niche format like EDM, a translator like that would be perfect for it.

I also think Wild is starting to become more listenable. There are still times when I am shaking my head thinking "really, you are going to play that in 2014?" but overall its been sounding less like an iPhone on shuffle lately than it did after the Cumulus takeover and more like a rhythmic Top 40.

Like I said before, either Alternative or Adult Hits (Jack FM) type format could work on 94.7. I think Classic Rock has worn out it's welcome there.

[bchris02]

Like I said before, either Alternative or Adult Hits (Jack FM) type format could work on 94.7. I think Classic Rock has worn out it's welcome there.

I am pretty sure most of OKC would agree with that given their ratings. I wonder what it will take to send that message to iHeartMedia though?

[HOT ROD]

wish I had the capital and knowledge, I'd work a EDM station. It could play the various sub genres of EDM throughout the day; more house and trance at night, more NRG and techno in the day. ...

Or, I'd just copy C-89.5 here in Seattle; we're blessed (and it's Seattle Public Schools-Nathan Hale HS running it).

[bchris02]

wish I had the capital and knowledge, I'd work a EDM station. It could play the various sub genres of EDM throughout the day; more house and trance at night, more NRG and techno in the day. ...

Or, I'd just copy C-89.5 here in Seattle; we're blessed (and it's Seattle Public Schools-Nathan Hale HS running it).

Do you think OKC has the demographics to support a commercial EDM station? I love the format and would definitely listen but I wonder if it would work from a commercial perspective.

It might work as a college/public station, which is what it looks like that Seattle station is. That's how a lot of other niche formats like classical and folk are also supported that are not popular enough to generate a lot of ad revenue.

[Mike_M]

The reason why they changed formats was the 24/7 comedy that they were using ended its run, other station across the country that use 24/7 comedy also flipped formats, so we wasn't the only ones.

I still listen to that station on the iHeart Radio app and my computer. It doesn't seem to be going away, are they just refusing to broadcast on radio now?

[HOT ROD]

actually our station is a high school station here. and I'd probably think OKC's should be the same, not commercial or not AS commercial.

OKC is seeing an influx and retention of young people/professionals, which means there likely is a rising audience for EDM at least part time.

[bchris02]

OKC is seeing an influx and retention of young people/professionals, which means there likely is a rising audience for EDM at least part time.

This is probably why you have EDM on KJ-103 late nights on Fridays. Wild is now doing it on Saturday late nights.

[HOT ROD]

cool, its a start.

[bchris02]

OKC Top 40 Now 96.5 To Now 92.9 ... Soon! | AllAccess.com

It looks like after the first of the year, as speculated, Now 96.5 is going to be exclusively on 92.9. Has anybody heard any rumors as to what they plan on doing with the 96.5 frequency?

[theparkman81]

The only thing I have heard that 96.5 was going to simulcast the Franchise 2 1560, I hope that's not true, We need something different.

[bchris02]

The only thing I have heard that 96.5 was going to simulcast the Franchise 2 1560, I hope that's not true, We need something different.

That would really suck but given the state of radio in this town it wouldn't surprise me.

[bchris02]

I really wonder, why can't OKC support the following?

An urban/hip-hop station
An alternative rock station
A second full-powered Top 40

A lot of people are wishing for outside the box formats such as EDM or Comedy, but there is satellite radio for that and OKC is hardly alone in lacking innovative, outside the box stations. However, the above three formats are present in almost every other major city except OKC. This market has more country, classic rock, and sports stations than it can handle, some of them currently doing quite poorly *cough KBRU* yet nobody wants to try anything different. Why is that?

[theparkman81]

The last ratings for KBRU was a 1.4, it's time for a change please.

[HOT ROD]

doesn't OKC already have an urban contemporary station at 92.1 and a hip-hop station at 103.5? I thought WILD was a Top - 40 station (whether you like the program director or not) as an alternative to KJ, and I also thought OKC had an alternative station or two already.

I think these formats are covered, and every other format except EDM and ethnics besides spanish. I totally agree that OKC has a ridiculous amount of religious, country, and sports channels on FM. 5 country stations?? OKC is much more diverse than that.

[Plutonic Panda]

Our radio stations suck ass. I wish we'd get something like 97.9 The Beat

[Snowman]

I really wonder, why can't OKC support the following?

An urban/hip-hop station
An alternative rock station
A second full-powered Top 40

A lot of people are wishing for outside the box formats such as EDM or Comedy, but there is satellite radio for that and OKC is hardly alone in lacking innovative, outside the box stations. However, the above three formats are present in almost every other major city except OKC. This market has more country, classic rock, and sports stations than it can handle, some of them currently doing quite poorly *cough KBRU* yet nobody wants to try anything different. Why is that?

In addition to Satellite radio iPods (and eventually smartphones) and bluetooth enabled stereos in cars becoming mainstream has been a problem for marketing to the under 40 across the county.

Satellite can do the music without ads because they are paid directly by the listener. MP3 players in even the most basic smartphone means most peoples entire music library can be available to them in the car, is tailored better to the users song preferences than any station could ever hope to achieve, on top of that you also never have adds, annoyances from DJs and can skip songs on demand. No doubt illegal downloads helped start making the MP3 systems more viable but now you can get high quality streaming/local storage services at affordable monthly rates.