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Changes at KIXI

K

KilowattKat

It's "More music, less talk" at AM 880 KIXI. Here's what they are doing now Monday-Friday:

New morning show with a local host, Benny Masters. Breakfast with Benny airs 5am to 8am, and the music played during his show is strictly upbeat 60's and 70's Oldies.

8am to 10am is the brokered Del Walmsley Show, followed by John Tesh with Retro music 10am to 3pm.

3pm to 5pm is various brokered shows. Gone is the sports betting and Bloomberg. Definitely not sad seeing that gone.

And finally, evening local host Seth Thompson adds an extra hour, is now heard 5pm to 8pm. Some of the AAA KPNW music seems to have made it's way to KIXI. During Seth's show I heard John Hiatt, Elvis Costello, Marc Cohn, and Donald Fagan. Interesting...
 
Credit when credit is due, it’s amazing to see some changes like this on an AM station that most people wrote off entirely. I’ll certainly check it out. I actually quite like the idea of mixing some oldies with certain newer tracks that fit the format. It reminds me of CISL 650 in Vancouver, which was a pretty cool station before it got bought out.
 
Especially in 2023 when old sounds are new again. I could totally see KIXI or another 50s/60s based station adding the new Steven Sanchez track Until I Found Her, released in 2022 but sounding like it could have come out in 1962. There's also plenty of 1980s sounding tracks out right now that could fit on Classic Hits.
 
But have they finally done something to reduce the splatter overmodulated audio on the AM signal? I love a good retro formatted radio station, but the distortion on the bass and the extreme compression the past couple of decades on KIXI kept me from listening for more than a few minutes. An issue with negative peak overmodulation, perhaps? Really wears on the ears.
It's inconvenient to try to find their HD signal in the car. And I don't even know where to buy a table top radio with HD for the kitchen. I get blank stares from Best Buy, and apparently there's not more electronic stores in this region?

I've found a couple of online streaming stations that run a retro format on FM that are quite refreshing to listen to. They're not copying someone else's model, but doing their own format. I hesitate to mention them here, knowing there are the standard nay-sayers who think there are only six formats possible in commercial radio, and anyone who tries something different should be shot down, not encouraged. Yet these stations have been on the air for several years and appear to be doing fine. I sure hope KIXI can borrow some examples from stations and programmers in other markets that appear to be doing "adult" music formats successfully.
 
Goldilocks94941 said:
And I don't even know where to buy a table top radio with HD for the kitchen. I get blank stares from Best Buy, and apparently there's not more electronic stores in this region?
Click to expand...
Your best bet for purchasing tabletop or portable HD receiver is online - Amazon and Ebay both have plenty of options.
 
dxsphere said:
Your best bet for purchasing tabletop or portable HD receiver is online - Amazon and Ebay both have plenty of options.
Click to expand...
Sangean makes a good HD tabletop...
 
Goldilocks94941 said:
But have they finally done something to reduce the splatter overmodulated audio on the AM signal? I love a good retro formatted radio station, but the distortion on the bass and the extreme compression the past couple of decades on KIXI kept me from listening for more than a few minutes. An issue with negative peak overmodulation, perhaps? Really wears on the ears.
It's inconvenient to try to find their HD signal in the car. And I don't even know where to buy a table top radio with HD for the kitchen. I get blank stares from Best Buy, and apparently there's not more electronic stores in this region?

I've found a couple of online streaming stations that run a retro format on FM that are quite refreshing to listen to. They're not copying someone else's model, but doing their own format. I hesitate to mention them here, knowing there are the standard nay-sayers who think there are only six formats possible in commercial radio, and anyone who tries something different should be shot down, not encouraged. Yet these stations have been on the air for several years and appear to be doing fine. I sure hope KIXI can borrow some examples from stations and programmers in other markets that appear to be doing "adult" music formats successfully.
Click to expand...
Actually, the naysayers you speak of will probably say that those stations are barely scraping by and will sell out to religious operators if the price is right or eventually turn in their licenses.
 
bobdavcav said:
Actually, the naysayers you speak of will probably say that those stations are barely scraping by and will sell out to religious operators if the price is right or eventually turn in their licenses.
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because in alot of cases that true .. KLBB 1220 near Minneapolis was doing standards, had been on tbhe air 60 years or more.. went off the air, sold its land, spent 2 years trying to find a new site and then turned in the license.

And lets not throw hate on religious operators.. no ones holding a gun to their head to buy, they turn down plenty
 
For KIXI, there’s no land to sell. The transmitter is in a swamp where nothing could ever be built. Well, perhaps something COULD be built where the transmitter sits, but it’ll never happen. I estimate that it’s costing Hubbard somewhere around $60,000 per year to keep the transmitters for 880 and 1150 operating (just in power alone). As long as they can make up the cost of operating their AMs somewhere, they probably won’t give it up yet. And as far as their AM stations go, I’d rather have 880 any day over 1150 (in terms of raw coverage).
 
PB Randolf said:
Pretty much going to be a moot point when it's all said and done as major car makers look to get rid of AM radio / band in new cars trucks, and SUV's.
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Interestingly, the new radio group called LMN, Latino Media Network, just named their first CEO on Monday. In her first interview, she spoke out about how eliminating AM from car radios significantly affects Hispanics and minorities. She indicated that the matter was being taken immediately to elected officials in Washington as detrimental to the Latino community.
 
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In my mind this brings up a different but related hypothetical topic to discuss: Let's say The Fordranger797 not for profit Corporation makes an offer to purchase KIXI-AM. Because traditional commercial radio continues to see headwinds when it comes to the advertising climate, the company CEO, Mr. Ranger, announced KIXI will go full listener donation.
Assuming, the new NP KIXI were to play all those oldster hits of your past, including Perry Como, Merrilee Rush, Don Ho, whatever..
would you sign up for a $20 per month deduction/donation from your personal bank account? Do you think there are at least 10,000 other nostalgia fans of old music on AM would also sign up for a $20 per month donation?
 
Kelly A said:
Assuming, the new NP KIXI were to play all those oldster hits of your past, including Perry Como, Merrilee Rush, Don Ho, whatever.. would you sign up for a $20 per month deduction/donation from your personal bank account? Do you think there are at least 10,000 other nostalgia fans of old music on AM would also sign up for a $20 per month donation?
Click to expand...
Looking at the numbers, 10,000 is fairly close to the roughly 20,000 cume the station averaged last year. I don't think that any contribution-based service gets anywhere close to 50% of its users becoming paid subscribers.

Only about 10% of PBS viewers make contributions: Only about 10% of viewers of public television (such as the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the U.S.) make contributions to public television stations. Yet Congress approves budgets that subsidi | Homework.Study.com

A music based AM radio station is likely to get an even lower percentage of participation.

(I would likely pay $10 a month not to hear the artists you named...)
 
fordranger797 said:
For KIXI, there’s no land to sell. The transmitter is in a swamp where nothing could ever be built. Well, perhaps something COULD be built where the transmitter sits, but it’ll never happen.
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The land is owned City of Bellevue Parks department, a land lease is in effect.


"In the 1962 case “Ex rel Pruzan vs. Redman,” 60 Wash. 2d 521, 374 P.2d 1002, the Washington State
Supreme Court determined that the antenna/transmitter system of a broadcasting station should
be considered as a “public utility” use, and this led to land use approval for the location of the
KUDY (eventually KIXI, or “K-91" in Roman numerals!) antenna system at the southeastern part
of the Slough area, just north of the then U.S. Highway 10 right of way, an area zoned agricultural
by King County.

The KIXI site was constructed and placed into operation in 1962. "
 
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DavidEduardo said:
Looking at the numbers, 10,000 is fairly close to the roughly 20,000 cume the station averaged last year. I don't think that any contribution-based service gets anywhere close to 50% of its users becoming paid subscribers.

Only about 10% of PBS viewers make contributions: Only about 10% of viewers of public television (such as the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the U.S.) make contributions to public television stations. Yet Congress approves budgets that subsidi | Homework.Study.com

A music based AM radio station is likely to get an even lower percentage of participation.

(I would likely pay $10 a month not to hear the artists you named...)
Click to expand...

and before anyone cries out.. well WJIB and WJTO do it.

The expenses are substantially less for both stations and Bob has a history of being very consistent with the stations programming

KIXI hasnt
 
DavidEduardo said:
Looking at the numbers, 10,000 is fairly close to the roughly 20,000 cume the station averaged last year. I don't think that any contribution-based service gets anywhere close to 50% of its users becoming paid subscribers.

Only about 10% of PBS viewers make contributions: Only about 10% of viewers of public television (such as the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the U.S.) make contributions to public television stations. Yet Congress approves budgets that subsidi | Homework.Study.com

A music based AM radio station is likely to get an even lower percentage of participation.

(I would likely pay $10 a month not to hear the artists you named...)
Click to expand...
I'm surprised, but not really, that the dyed in the wool KIXI Antique Modulation supporters here aren't stepping up to theoretically pay $20 a month to support the station. Guess their support is limited to their keyboards...
 
Kelly A said:
I'm surprised, but not really, that the dyed in the wool KIXI Antique Modulation supporters here aren't stepping up to theoretically pay $20 a month to support the station. Guess their support is limited to their keyboards...
Click to expand...

people always have ideas how to spend others money
 
Kelly A said:
In my mind this brings up a different but related hypothetical topic to discuss: Let's say The Fordranger797 not for profit Corporation makes an offer to purchase KIXI-AM. Because traditional commercial radio continues to see headwinds when it comes to the advertising climate, the company CEO, Mr. Ranger, announced KIXI will go full listener donation.
Assuming, the new NP KIXI were to play all those oldster hits of your past, including Perry Como, Merrilee Rush, Don Ho, whatever..
would you sign up for a $20 per month deduction/donation from your personal bank account? Do you think there are at least 10,000 other nostalgia fans of old music on AM would also sign up for a $20 per month donation?
Click to expand...
Well, if I’m CEO, the first thing I’m going to do ensure that KIXI play anything but the same “standards” that they’re playing now. Admittedly, I’m happy to still see some older music on the radio, but the current playlist still is problematic. I was hoping that there would be a refresh when the change was announced, but that didn’t seem to happen. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, why not target songs that are primarily based on the 70’s? Songs that 95.7 used to play, but have dropped? Is the audio quality as good as FM? Certainly not, but it you can perhaps get away with it since these songs were on everyone’s AM radio from 1970 to 1980 anyway.

I’m not going to make any argument about the demos being too old, or AM being inferior, because that information is nothing new to any of us. But with that being said, I don’t see anyone, anywhere, lining up to hear “Moon River” in 2023. They’ve got absolutely nothing to lose trying a more 70’s based format.

CISL 650 in Vancouver was doing okay with that approach a few years ago. It’s not a goldmine format, but it’s not the worst approach for a station that can’t do much else. They were playing a little bit of The Beatles, with a little soul, and softer rock from the 70’s.
 
Kelly A said:
Do you think there are at least 10,000 other nostalgia fans of old music on AM would also sign up for a $20 per month donation?
Click to expand...
$20/month seems hefty for one radio station. Public radio and public tv memberships start at about $60/yesr (if my memory is correct). So maybe $5/month but not $20/month
 
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