-
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
What Is The Largest Market Without A K-Love Affiliate?
- Thread starter DToTheJ
- Start date
Boston doesn't have one, unless you count WBRU Providence as a rimshotter, which it never was considered in its rock days.
R
rbrucecarter5
Guest
I don't think Orlando does. I don't know what they think they will accomplish in Dallas and Houston, with KLTY and KSBJ covering that market niche.
Hasnt happened yet.
They will do the same as in Atlanta, where there is a very good commercial Contemporary Christian station owned by Salem.
2 main reasons why DFW doesn't have a K-Love.
1. CBS/Entercom/Audacy has the rights to the "K-Love" name via KLUV 98.7 (an oldies station)
2. KLTY is a strong Christian station
We do have an Air1 affiliate (KYDA 101.7) but lacking K-Love for many years and will probably never get one. We're better off listening to KLTY or use the K-Love app.
1. CBS/Entercom/Audacy has the rights to the "K-Love" name via KLUV 98.7 (an oldies station)
2. KLTY is a strong Christian station
We do have an Air1 affiliate (KYDA 101.7) but lacking K-Love for many years and will probably never get one. We're better off listening to KLTY or use the K-Love app.
The rights to K-Love is a deal in Dallas and perhaps still in Houston. A strong commercial competitor is not typically a thing they will shy away from. There's room for both. Likely the big issue elsewhere is the availability of a decent signal at a price that matches their game plan.
In Houston KSBJ is a giant in the format scoring numbers about like KLTY in Dallas. Air One came in on a rimshot and actually didn't hurt KSBJ but bolstered the K-Love/Air One revenue enough to be labeled the monetary leader in the state. Even against a non-comm with essentially the same playlist, it appears both can do just fine without destroying each other. It's as if the audience for the formats is creating audience from other formats versus shaving off existing stations in the format.
In Houston KSBJ is a giant in the format scoring numbers about like KLTY in Dallas. Air One came in on a rimshot and actually didn't hurt KSBJ but bolstered the K-Love/Air One revenue enough to be labeled the monetary leader in the state. Even against a non-comm with essentially the same playlist, it appears both can do just fine without destroying each other. It's as if the audience for the formats is creating audience from other formats versus shaving off existing stations in the format.
Depending on how technical you want to be, Baltimore doesn't have its own KLove affiliate. DC's 107.3 however puts a good signal over much of the market though.
KLUV has used the "K-Love" branding since 1980, so a long heritage in the market. I don't see EMF getting past this for the foreseeable future.
EMF could probably strike a deal with Univision (which supposedly still have the brand rights in Houston) just as they did in LA. Not the problem it is in DFW.
When Air1 launched in Houston it had a much more upbeat and younger musical style than KSBJ, so there was a noticeable difference between the stations. Air1's flip to Praise & Worship at the beginning of 2019 made it much blander than KSBJ, so there is still a difference.
KROI would be the perfect place to launch K-Love in Houston, if Radio One finally decides it has had enough of a string of failed formats on the station and sells it to EMF. KROI has a nice new transmitter facility with a moderately improved signal that would be a good fit for the market. Also of note is that the current "Praise" format on KROI seems to be a placeholder (the format's earlier incarnation fizzled ten years ago) and the station still co-brands with its HD-2 simulcast on KMJQ.
However KROI would also be a perfect place for either iHeart or Audacy to move their AM sportstalkers, so EMF might want to get serious about an acquisition before they are beaten to the punch.
Yep, in Los Angeles, don't they use "Positive, Encouraging 100.3" instead of the actual branding? If EMF legitimately wanted to have a K-Love affiliate in Dallas, this is the route they could take, so I don't think the name is such a big deal, it's more Dallas is close to the saturation point, and KLTY/KYDA probably does a good enough job on it's own. Interestingly enough, most of South Dakota is not home to any EMF affiliates (except on the east side around Sioux Falls), and in Rapid City, Bethsheda runs two stations that act like K-Love and Air1 respectively, so I doubt EMF is moving there anytime soon.
Just having a successful Contemporary Christian station doesn't prevent competition. Seattle has had one for nearly 50 years but it didn't stop K-Love from entering the market a few years ago!
At some point KLove will be in all the major markets... It's matter of time. Just look at the areas they have went into - They are in DC which has a well-established CCM (WGTS) and I know this was an old thread someone revived but they have made some serious inroads in some big markets like 95.5 in NYC! They as others have said not made it into Dallas, Houston, Orlando yet. There are some smaller markets such as Columbus OH, Cleveland, OH that do not have KLove either... KLove is on a translator near Cleveland but no full powered signal there. Columbus, OH has an "Air1" signal on a translator. (Cleveland has a "Fish" that is fairly established, and Columbus has "The River") so EMF has not found the right roads in yet (for various reasons).
Does anyone else remember an article about 10 years or so ago in which EMF stated that they would not enter markets where there already is a strong Contemporary Christian station? I remember that plan flew out the window when they bought 97.1 in Nashville, but I figured that was an exception since it's the center of CCM. Well since then they have been buying in practically every market. What happened to that original plan not to compete with established stations?
Competition is good, as so long as it lets the local CCMS be on par with K-Love, even in the same market. Times have certainly changed
- Status