• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Changes at CBS Radio-Entercom San Diego

Signal Geek said:
Sure, moving KSON to 103.7 will help North County coverage a bit, but it also carries big risks. KSON has long had strong ratings, its carried the same format for 50+ years, and even hit #1 in the 12+ a few years ago. Not smart to mess with the dial position. As for the signal issue, 101.5 KGB's tower is near KSON's, and they're both 50kw, but KGB has never had a North County repeater. They still get solid ratings.

I was once in TV management, and worked at several stations that changed networks. Even after massive ad campaigns (Fox is now on Ch. 13!! ABC is now on 11!!), inevitably the stations that kept the same channel position gained share from the stations that changed.
Click to expand...

Kent pointed out the same thing to me when I shared an idea from a video I saw on YouTube regarding Entercom's impact in Dallas-Fort Worth. One of the ideas I shared was that Entercom should swap frequencies with AMP 103.7 and 100.3 Jack FM, meaning that AMP would move to 100.3, and Jack moving up to 103.7. However, Kent told me frequency swaps cost money to promote and they result in some confusion that would take time for listeners to adjust to the new frequencies for those particular radio stations, and said that 100.3 and 103.7's coverage are pretty much identical, stating that there's no reason for Entercom to swap frequencies for those stations. Energy 103.7 is the lowest rated CHR in the San Diego market, but has a strong signal. Therefore, I thought that KSON would have the potential to perform better on 103.7 since Entercom is spinning 92.1, and Energy would move down to 97.3.
 
miketheradioguy said:
Kent pointed out the same thing to me when I shared an idea from a video I saw on YouTube regarding Entercom's impact in Dallas-Fort Worth. One of the ideas I shared was that Entercom should swap frequencies with AMP 103.7 and 100.3 Jack FM, meaning that AMP would move to 100.3, and Jack moving up to 103.7. However, Kent told me frequency swaps cost money to promote and they result in some confusion that would take time for listeners to adjust to the new frequencies for those particular radio stations, and said that 100.3 and 103.7's coverage are pretty much identical, stating that there's no reason for Entercom to swap frequencies for those stations. Energy 103.7 is the lowest rated CHR in the San Diego market, but has a strong signal. Therefore, I thought that KSON would have the potential to perform better on 103.7 since Entercom is spinning 92.1, and Energy would move down to 97.3.
Click to expand...

Entercom knows how much listening is coming from the North County signal. If it is enough to change the rank and rates of KSON, then consideration must be given to swapping signals.

The best way to swap would be to simulcast for a number of months, constantly telling listeners to reset their buttons and their habits.

Since the PPM does not depend on memory and writing down things like dial positions (80% of diary entries include dial position or are only dial position.

If a swap is done, one of the formats will likely die, and its revenue with it. So simulcasting is not as great a sacrifice as it might seem if it protects KSON.
 
DavidEduardo said:


Entercom knows how much listening is coming from the North County signal. If it is enough to change the rank and rates of KSON, then consideration must be given to swapping signals.

The best way to swap would be to simulcast for a number of months, constantly telling listeners to reset their buttons and their habits.

Since the PPM does not depend on memory and writing down things like dial positions (80% of diary entries include dial position or are only dial position.

If a swap is done, one of the formats will likely die, and its revenue with it. So simulcasting is not as great a sacrifice as it might seem if it protects KSON.
Click to expand...

I'm starting to wonder what impact will KSON have when 92.1 is sold, because as soon as Entercom sells 92.1, KSON will announce that it will no longer broadcast on 92.1 and begin redirecting listeners to 97.3.
 
Why wouldn't EMF buy 92.1 and program Air 1? Their current Air 1 signals in San Diego barely cover North County. 96.1 is waaaaay out in Campo, with a weak booster on Mt. San Miguel (also far away) Another (100.1) is a Class A way out in Julian.
 
Last edited:
Signal Geek said:
Why wouldn't EMF buy 92.1 and program Air 1? Their current Air 1 signals in San Diego barely cover North County. 96.1 is waaaaay out in Campo, with a weak booster on Mt. San Miguel (also far away) Another (100.1) is a Class A way out in Julian.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a good idea. Maybe Entercom would be interested in trading some of their spinoffs to EMF, and Entercom would receive some stations in other markets from EMF.
 
Signal Geek said:
Why wouldn't EMF buy 92.1 and program Air 1? Their current Air 1 signals in San Diego barely cover North County. 96.1 is waaaaay out in Campo, with a weak booster on Mt. San Miguel (also far away) Another (100.1) is a Class A way out in Julian.
Click to expand...

So, what I predicted more than a month ago (EMF buying 92.1 and flipping it to Air One), is now coming true. Guess I should buy a Lotto ticket... or go into radio management :)
 
It looks like KSON is vacating the 97.3 frequency November 17 (2017), and all roads are pointing towards 103.7. Stay tuned...
 
I'm not surprised, given everything I've read in the past week. Entercom doesn't want to fight for CHR crumbs against IHeart the way CBS has with the AMP Radio brand. More rumors through the rotting grapevine seem to point at keeping Alt 949 as is, and moving the Padres to 97.3, and and coaxing either CBS Sports or ESPN Radio away from BCA (Mighty 1090)
 
only1moore said:
It looks like KSON is vacating the 97.3 frequency November 17 (2017), and all roads are pointing towards 103.7. Stay tuned...
Click to expand...

If that is true, it'll be an improved signal to the north, with no notable loss to the east. Should make up for the loss of KSOQ. However, they may suffer a ratings drop for a few books as listeners look for them on the dial.
 
CaliRadioFan said:
They have been promoting "moving day" for a few weeks now.
Click to expand...

The super fans will hear it. The casual ones won't. It'll take a while to get everyone to catch up. They may simulcast on both frequencies for a while before making the format change at 97.3.
 
As it was once explained to me, "Nobody is really listening. So long as you sound comfortable and like yourself, it doesn't matter much what you say."

Case in point, at my last radio job, we were in desperate need of part-timers and came across a receptionist at a local office. She had a good personality and voice over the phone. So, the boss decided we were going to train her. He reasoned that, if she didn't work out, it was one less shift he was going to have to work the coming weekend. Her first day on-air, she accidentally referred to a certain band as "Hootie and the Bulls**t" during the top-of-the-hour while frontselling the upcoming songs. Total number of calls we got about it? Zero.
 
TheBigA said:
The super fans will hear it. The casual ones won't. It'll take a while to get everyone to catch up. They may simulcast on both frequencies for a while before making the format change at 97.3.
Click to expand...

It turns out that my prediction about KSON and Energy swapping frequencies post-merger came true after all. When I first saw the news, I thought at Entercom was going to first blow up Energy, move KSON to 103.7, and then flip 97.3 to a new format.

I looked up the coverage maps for iHeartMedia's Channel 93.3 and 97.3 KSON, and I found out that the signals for both stations seem to be identical. I don't know how long will Energy last on 97.3, considering rumors that Entercom could eventually flip 97.3 to Sports, allowing Entercom to move the Padres off of 94.9 by the time baseball season begins in 2018.
 
Hearing the merger has been pushed up and will take place in about an hour. The move of KSON to 103.7 will apparently be happening at midnight Pacific Time instead of the originally scheduled time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.
Back
Top Bottom