Radio landscape in OKC

[bchris02]

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.

103.5 broadcasts from out west of Anadarko and many days is difficult to pick up in OKC especially north of I-40. Wild 104.9 is specifically programmed according to Cumulus' rural small-market Top 40 format, playing primarily older hits from 3-5 years ago. Wild is the stereotypical outdated, small town top 40 people used to joke about that I am surprised still exists in the age of the Internet. OKC had two alternative stations but lost both of them a few years ago, one changing to classic rock and the other changing to sports.

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.

I do agree the trend is towards satellite radio. However, these formats I am speaking of that are lacking in OKC are pretty mainstream and are consistently heard in pretty much any other city.

[theparkman81]

I listening to NOW 92-9 right now and they have the 90's 2K hour on right now, I guess they just start doing that for the lunch hour.

[adaniel]

Spotify, Pandora, Iheart, XM, Sirius, TuneIn, Slacker, Youtube, etc......

All of these will provide a superior listening experience than the FM dial, and that's just about true in any city. I live in a much bigger market, and I find the radio here no better than in OKC, especially since they've canned the one old school station I used to listen to. Any creativity on over-the-air radio is over; that ship sailed a loooong time ago.

Also, what's wrong with Power 103.5? That's one of the more underrated hip hop stations in this part of the country IMO. Yes there antenna is in Anadarko, but their signal is fine in the majority of metro OKC. I could pick it up just fine well out to Guthrie and Shawnee. Sounds like something is wrong with your car.

[theparkman81]

I can get Power 103.5 here in Ada sometimes despite interference from 103.7 in Okemah, and even BOB FM comes in good down here.

[TheTravellers]

I can get 103.5 decently in our cars on NW 164th, haven't checked to see if it comes in great at the house, though.

[bchris02]

I could get Power 103.5 pretty clearly in my old car in NW OKC but in my new car I can barely hear it unless I am south of I-40. I do listen to it when I can though and it's pretty good. OKC is in the distant area of their coverage so it all depends on how good your antenna is. I agree with ADaniel that it's an underrated station, but I am sure it's coverage is a big part of why.

From a business perspective, I don't understand why radio broadcasters would choose to add a fifth country station or sixth sports station rather than try one of the formats I mentioned above. Do urban or alternative rock and you will own the format in this market. Do Top 40 and you will only have one real competitor and that competitor is currently #1 in the market. To me, that seems like a better strategy than further saturating an already saturated market. Obviously the people at Tyler and iHeart don't agree.

[Soonerman]

If the Brew has such horrible ratings, Why not flip it??

[warreng88]

If the Brew has such horrible ratings, Why not flip it??

To what? It was The Buzz, a more modern rock station and that didn't do well, so they went with a KATT type of setting.

On a different note, I am curious if The Criterion and The Chevy (it's going to catch on, I promise) will bring in the kind of concerts like the Cains and Brady where there will have to be a modern rock station. For God's sake, Black Label Society, Bush, OK Go and They Might be Giants are playing at The Diamond. We deserve a better venue for higher tiered bands.

[Soonerman]

Why not bring back Jack FM?? Yea I know OKC had one at one time but it had a horrible signal or maybe alternative like 102.1 The Edge out of Dallas!!

[Soonerman]

It's pretty sad that Tulsa has an alternative station and OKC doesn't

[bchris02]

It's pretty sad that Tulsa has an alternative station and OKC doesn't

Alternative stations are pretty standard in most cities, its just OKC doesn't have one at the moment. The Buzz was on the air for almost ten years though so I wouldn't say it was a complete flop to have lasted that long. I personally miss 105.3 the Martini. Stations like that are rare in this day and age.

Tulsa also has an urban station and two quality Top 40 stations. Right now their FM dial is well balanced I would say, moreso than OKC's. It wasn't always that way though. OKC's FM dial was fairly diverse around 10 years ago.

[stratosphere]

The Buzz was not a real alternative station though, they were basically just new rock, which you can get on the KATT in between their old stuff.

The only alternative station we had here in OKC that i can ever remember was 95X (i think thats what it was called) back in the late 90s. That was a great station. Even the Spy FM only comes across FM at certain hours of the day.

I guess thats why i dont bother and just listen to XM.

[Soonerman]

I think a station like 91.7 KXT out of Dallas would be awesome for OKC!!

[stratosphere]

I think a station like 91.7 KXT out of Dallas would be awesome for OKC!!

looking at their playlist i would definitely listen to that.

[Soonerman]

Yea, KXT is listener supported (it's owned by KERA) So they really have no ads on there. They do play some awesome music.

[bchris02]

Most creative, innovative radio on the FM dial today is always going to be your college or listener supported stations. Corporate radio is pretty generic and cookie cutter everywhere, though certain broadcasters are worse than others.

What has really DECIMATED OKC's radio dial is the fact Citadel, which was a great broadcasting corporation, was purchased by Cumulus. Cumulus has historically been one of the worst. Their primary focus has always been small market and running stations as low-cost as possible. Upon merging with Citadel, they implemented that vision on their newly acquired stations. That's why OKC has stations like KKWD and KATT that were once good that now sound absolutely atrocious.

[Soonerman]

Here's KXT's website if you want to listen to them. KXT 91.7 | Independent Music Radio for North Texas

[HOT ROD]

Time for OKC to get an independent, listener supported and/or college/school owned station or two/three? Say, replace two country and one religious station with one OCU owned station, one listener supported station, and one OKCPS owned station (like C-89 in Seattle). ...

OKC would then be complete IMO; particularly (as Bchris points out) if 103.5 could somehow get its signal to better cover the OKC metro (and particularly its core audience in the Eastside).

[TheTravellers]

One thing that is annoying about college radio here in OKC is that it isn't like college radio elsewhere in the country (could've changed by now, but I don't think it has much, if any). I always heard the term "college radio" and thought indie, cool, new, weird music (like WMSE), but here it seems to be all NPR or classical. KGOU has a good blues show on the weekends, and The Spy is now on KOSU at night, but I believe that's about the only "college radio" (as defined above) around... Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, I'd love to be...

[bchris02]

I wonder if iHeartMedia is ever going to pull the plug on 94.7 The Brew and do something different. That frequency would be great to fill one of the gaping format holes in OKC radio. It probably isn't going to be anything too innovative or creative like many want to see but if I were iHeartMedia I would go alternative or urban on that frequency. Classic rock has long overstayed its welcome there. In a market like OKC where there are mainstream formats that aren't represented, I don't understand why broadcasters don't jump on them and instead do classic rock or country. An even bigger question is why continue a failing format like 94.7 The Brew when you could flip it to something that would have no competition in the OKC market?

[tsou89]

Spent the weekend in Tulsa. Opted to listen to 104.5 The Edge instead of XM or the iPod. I enjoyed their mix of old and new Alternative. Really wish we had something in okc like it.

[Soonerman]

Spent the weekend in Tulsa. Opted to listen to 104.5 The Edge instead of XM or the iPod. I enjoyed their mix of old and new Alternative. Really wish we had something in okc like it.

That would be perfect for 94.7!!

[bchris02]

Does anybody know if iHeartMedia even has a format flip in the cards for 94.7? Given the station's low ratings and market saturation for classic rock it would make sense that it would, but when it comes to corporate radio the business decisions made aren't always the ones that make the most sense.

[Soonerman]

Does anybody know if iHeartMedia even has a format flip in the cards for 94.7? Given the station's low ratings and market saturation for classic rock it would make sense that it would, but when it comes to corporate radio the business decisions made aren't always the ones that make the most sense.

It needs to happen.

[bchris02]

It needs to happen.

I wonder what they are waiting on. In the Q4 2014 ratings they are down to a 1.4 share.