Radio landscape in OKC

[trousers]

Public radio stations hardly ever get mentioned. Is there nothing worthwhile on them as a good means to get away from annoying commercials?

After 7:00pm KOSU flips of theSpyFM. Completely different shows every night, variety you won't get on any other station.

[windowphobe]

I like Classical KCSC here in OKC.

Except for the station breaks, I guess. It's now KUCO. (They retained the KCSC calls for a repeater in Woodward.)

[Bunty]

Maybe it's time for an OKC station to give jazz another try.

[ljbab728]

Maybe it's time for these threads to be merged.

http://www.okctalk.com/arts-entertai...-stations.html

[bchris02]

Surprised this wasn't mentioned here but iHeartMedia has launched OKC's third Spanish language station on 98.5 FM.

[Mel]

Gracias por ese pedacito de la información

[Zorba]

Surprised this wasn't mentioned here but iHeartMedia has launched OKC's third Spanish language station on 98.5 FM.

But we still don't have a single station that will play a rock song that was released in the last 20 years...

[bchris02]

But we still don't have a single station that will play a rock song that was released in the last 20 years...

Nor a mainstream urban station.

Alternative rock and mainstream urban are two very popular formats, formats that are very successful in nearly every other city, yet for some reason broadcasting companies here are reluctant to touch those formats. There are enough redundant classic rock and country stations you would think somebody would see an opportunity.

Now that Tyler Media has moved Now 96.5 to 92.9, it would be cool if they would do something different with the 96.5 signal.

[Zorba]

Even the pop stations here, don't play today's Top 40.

It is no wonder Tulsa gets non-stop good concerts and OKC gets very few. With all the new outdoor concert venues being proposed, I wonder how well they'll actually do, since no one here has actually heard new music. I guess they could be like Frontier City and get a lot of classic rock acts.

[ljbab728]

Even the pop stations here, don't play today's Top 40.

It is no wonder Tulsa gets non-stop good concerts and OKC gets very few. With all the new outdoor concert venues being proposed, I wonder how well they'll actually do, since no one here has actually heard new music. I guess they could be like Frontier City and get a lot of classic rock acts.

I'm sure you're right. Everyone in OKC only learns about new music from the radio. Most don't have TVs or any other devices that download music.

[bchris02]

Even the pop stations here, don't play today's Top 40.

It is no wonder Tulsa gets non-stop good concerts and OKC gets very few. With all the new outdoor concert venues being proposed, I wonder how well they'll actually do, since no one here has actually heard new music. I guess they could be like Frontier City and get a lot of classic rock acts.

Thank Cumulus Media's purchase of Citadel Communications for that. Cumulus' nationwide policy for Top 40 stations is that older, familiar songs are the backbone of a radio station. Their version of Top 40 focuses on the biggest hits of the past decade rather than the biggest hits of the past six months. That's why you don't hear a lot of new music on Wild 104.9 or 98.9 Kiss FM these days. Tyler owned Now 92.9 is actually pretty current. KJ-103 is as well though they are a bit more teenybopper. What OKC doesn't have is a station that plays current rock or hip-hop hits. There is nothing like the Edge in Dallas or 97.9 The Beat. Nothing like 92.1 The Beat in Tulsa for that matter.

Hopefully having a better concert promoter in OKC will help bring better radio to the market, but it isn't likely to come from Cumulus Media.

[Bunty]

What OKC doesn't have is a station that plays current rock or hip-hop hits. There is nothing like the Edge in Dallas or 97.9 The Beat. Nothing like 92.1 The Beat in Tulsa for that matter.

In Stillwater, 92.1, The Beat is rebroadcast on 103.1.

[Zorba]

I'm sure you're right. Everyone in OKC only learns about new music from the radio. Most don't have TVs or any other devices that download music.

Yeah, since MTV and BET still play music... Of course people can still find music elsewhere, god knows I do, but that requires people to go looking for it. Some people do of course, most people will just listen to whatever is on the radio. If your city doesn't have a single station that ever plays a band like Imagine Dragons, or The Kooks, etc, what do you think the chances of them having a concert here is?

For example, right now the BOK center has 7 concerts on their schedule, Chesapeake has 3.

I mean, people's musical tastes are shaped by their environment. When your environment only has 20 year-old rock, country and no hip-hop or alternative, you aren't going to have a ton of people around champing at the bit to go to rock, rap or urban concerts or events. Also if your area is dependent on people seeking out music from outside the area, people will probably all find different types/bands of music they like. Which is great, but again it is hard to fill up a concert venue if everyone likes different things.

Maybe I am wrong, I am just not used to living somewhere where the radio is absolutely unlistenable and is missing huge genres.

[bchris02]

Yeah, since MTV and BET still play music... Of course people can still find music elsewhere, god knows I do, but that requires people to go looking for it. Some people do of course, most people will just listen to whatever is on the radio. If your city doesn't have a single station that ever plays a band like Imagine Dragons, or The Kooks, etc, what do you think the chances of them having a concert here is?

For example, right now the BOK center has 7 concerts on their schedule, Chesapeake has 3.

I mean, people's musical tastes are shaped by their environment. When your environment only has 20 year-old rock, country and no hip-hop or alternative, you aren't going to have a ton of people around champing at the bit to go to rock, rap or urban concerts or events. Also if your area is dependent on people seeking out music from outside the area, people will probably all find different types/bands of music they like. Which is great, but again it is hard to fill up a concert venue if everyone likes different things.

I completely agree with this. While its a fact that in 2015 radio isn't what it once was and alternative options like streaming and satellite are gaining ground everywhere, Oklahoma City is still a top 50 market and its not unreasonable to expect a little more variety on the radio dial. The stations here sound small market in every way. One thing FM radio has going for it that alternative sources do not is that its free and readily available for everyone. If you want to go Pandora, you better increase your data plan which will cost you and if you want to do XM that will set you back about $20/month. In OKC, unless you enjoy country or sports talk its almost necessary to do so but in a market this size you shouldn't have to.

In regards to concerts, I am not sure if its a chicken or egg thing and I'm not even sure the radio stations have all that much to do with it, though it definitely could be a factor. There are other big factors that go into why Tulsa's live music scene is so far ahead of OKC's. I am definitely going to hold back on placing the blame on OKC and its culture until we see how the new music venues do with Live Nation backing them. I will be very surprised if the local music scene doesn't take a huge leap forward. Maybe, just maybe that will lead to better radio stations.

Maybe I am wrong, I am just not used to living somewhere where the radio is absolutely unlistenable and is missing huge genres.

You aren't wrong. I've lived in small towns before and have had to deal with similar stations and therefore seeking out my own music, but in a Top 50 market like OKC I think more should be expected. I am very close to purchasing an XM kit and being done with OKC radio, but am just not liking that $20/month bill that comes with it.

[Bunty]

Yeah, since MTV and BET still play music... Of course people can still find music elsewhere, god knows I do, but that requires people to go looking for it. Some people do of course, most people will just listen to whatever is on the radio. If your city doesn't have a single station that ever plays a band like Imagine Dragons, or The Kooks, etc, what do you think the chances of them having a concert here is?

For example, right now the BOK center has 7 concerts on their schedule, Chesapeake has 3.

I mean, people's musical tastes are shaped by their environment. When your environment only has 20 year-old rock, country and no hip-hop or alternative, you aren't going to have a ton of people around champing at the bit to go to rock, rap or urban concerts or events. Also if your area is dependent on people seeking out music from outside the area, people will probably all find different types/bands of music they like. Which is great, but again it is hard to fill up a concert venue if everyone likes different things.

Maybe I am wrong, I am just not used to living somewhere where the radio is absolutely unlistenable and is missing huge genres.

So once again, it shows you why someone should be daring enough to set up a FM pirate station of at least 100 watts, or more, so various bands that are not being played on the air can be. Also alternative news and commentary programming, such as Democracy Now, Counterspin and This Way Out, all never heard on the air in OKC could be played as well. (Of course, it's true, such programs are easily heard online. But not everybody can afford Internet service.) If the pirate FM station only broadcasts at night on an unused frequency and all during weekends, it will possibly not be raided by the FCC, because FCC agents generally don't work at those hours. And they sure don't work during federal holidays. But, on the other hand, all bets are off, if an OKC licensed station reports the pirate station.

For what's it's worth, not necessarily an encouraging article: http://diymedia.net/fcc-to-congress-...7727#more-7727

[traxx]

For example, right now the BOK center has 7 concerts on their schedule, Chesapeake has 3.

Pretty sure the BOK doesn't have an NBA team to schedule around for 7 months (or more if they make the playoffs and the finals). And what are these great concerts that Tulsa gets that we're not getting? I looked at the BOK site and saw Arianna Grande, an 80s show with Def Leppard, Tesla and someone else, Florida Georgia Line, and Toby Mac (who was also at Frontier City).

You guys keep talking about rock music made in the last 20 years. It depends on what you're calling rock. I saw Imagine Dragons mentioned. That's pop. The Kooks is more in line with rock. Some of the better rock being made is by old grunge bands reuniting or the Foo Fighters. There's not a whole lot of popular rock music being made these days. If you're describing rock as heavy guitars, drums, etc. You can find some good rock music if you look for it, but you've gotta go looking. Dance and EDM seem to be more popular these days.

I've got teenagers and from my observation they don't get a lot their music from the radio. They get if from friends, social media, etc.

[bchris02]

It looks like Tyler Media has launched yet another Spanish language station on 96.5.

[zookeeper]

I think what's missing is a personality-driven classic oldies channel with upbeat jingles, contests, and a huge playlist from the 50's to about '72. Anybody who loved old "Boss Radio" will love this full-blown re-creation of KYA in San Francisco.
Oldies Radio 1260 KYA - Golden Gate Great Oldies - Oldies Music
KYA's Gary Mora bought the rights to the name, jingle packages, etc. He even calls it "1260 - KYA." But, it's only online. I listen all the time.

[bchris02]

It really all depends on what you like. OKC had an oldies station on 99.7 that was pretty good before they changed to country. I would be totally on board with one of the classic rock stations going oldies. There's only so much 70s rock and 80s hair metal one can listen to. There doesn't need to be three stations doing the same format.

OKC is missing alternative rock and hip-hop. I wouldn't be surprised if its the largest market in the nation without those formats, especially alternative rock.

[zookeeper]

It really all depends on what you like. OKC had an oldies station on 99.7 that was pretty good before they changed to country. I would be totally on board with one of the classic rock stations going oldies. There's only so much 70s rock and 80s hair metal one can listen to. There doesn't need to be three stations doing the same format.

OKC is missing alternative rock and hip-hop. I wouldn't be surprised if its the largest market in the nation without those formats, especially alternative rock.

Just a note on KOMA...I finally quit listening when Tyler made the boneheaded move and let Fred Hendrickson go. Fred was an Oklahoma City radio institution.

[bchris02]

Jan Jeffries Exits Cumulus Media | AllAccess.com

This could mean changes for some Oklahoma City stations. Jan Jeffries was very commited to a "one size fits all" formula for radio programming and music selection and ruined a great many stations after he took control of the former Citadel stations, including KKWD and KYIS here in OKC. Rumor is that Cumulus is going to shift back to allowing local programming directors to choose the music played according to what works in their market rather than having it piped in from corporate. Will be very interesting to see if this helps improve radio in OKC being that Cumulus is such a big player here.

[baralheia]

Boy I sure hope music choices return to being under the control of the local program director. That could resuscitate some of our stations here. Here's hoping!

[bchris02]

If I was overseeing the Cumulus cluster in OKC, I would make the following changes.

KYIS - Should go mainstream Top 40 and compete directly with KJYO
KKWD - Shift to a "Party Station" format. I would program it similar to its current format during the day, with a mix of Top 40 and hip-hop, and then go full hip-hop and r&b in the evenings and on weekends
KQOB - Flip it to another format entirely. My top choices would either be Variety like Bob FM stations are in most other markets, or alternative rock

[bchris02]

Cisco, the PD at KKWD and KATT also resigned a couple of weeks ago. This happened concurrently with Jan's departure.

I wonder if Cumulus plans on tweaking the formats of those two stations going forward? I wonder if the new PD, if allowed, will do things differently?

KKWD could be restored to its former glory if they would stop playing it so safe with newer music and drop songs older than three years unless its Throwback Thursday. The station sounds terrible with songs more than a decade old in regular rotation while claiming to be a current hit music station.

KATT should go back to the modern rock format it once had and drop the classic rock.

[theparkman81]

I also notice that Joey and Heather are no longer on Wild, I hope that Cumulus will also make changes at every one of their stations.