YesSo I'm guessig the format going to stay
It'll be interesting how Bonneville will handle 99.7 NOW (and KBLX, for that matter). Bonneville has a history of being conservative when it comes to music, seeing that they extensively censor music and refrain from playing suggestive songs in the past. It remains to be seen on how they will handle Top 40 in a liberal place like the San Francisco Bay Area.
Not to mention an openly-gay morning team
I'm guessing that they won't mess with a good thing - perhaps just not playing extreme examples of songs with sexual or misogynistic lyrics going forward. I don't think they could make a case for jettisoning Fernando & Greg any time soon. That would look bad. As pointed out, they did own Z-95.7 in SF about a decade ago.
For what's it's worth, I've heard that Salt Lake City has become a gay-friendly town, though I've also heard that SLC is no longer majority LDS. Also FWIW, Mormons (Marriott for example) have historically owned businesses like casinos. I think that's considered OK as long as you are not openly recruiting Mormons to be your gamblers. In other words, it's OK to provide the opportunity to sin, and make money doing it, as long as you are not sinning yourself.
Bonneville got rid of any urban related format when they acquired stations in Phoenix (2006) and Los Angeles (2008). In Phoenix KKFR was replaced with news radio KTAR and KKFR's rhythmic format moved to another frequency, while KKBT/KRBV in LA, which was ruined by Radio One, gave way to KSWD. Whatever is going on behind the scenes of the merger, my only hope is Entercom, which has expanded into more urban properties, could retain KBLX's intellectual property and move it to another channel, rather than Bonneville blow it up.It'll be interesting how Bonneville will handle 99.7 NOW (and KBLX, for that matter). Bonneville has a history of being conservative when it comes to music, seeing that they extensively censor music and refrain from playing suggestive songs in the past. It remains to be seen on how they will handle Top 40 in a liberal place like the San Francisco Bay Area, although Bonneville did have KZQZ (Z95.7) in the late 90s/early 2000s.
Also, given that Bonneville has minimal, if any, history in owning Urban-oriented radio stations, I am not sure what will happen to KBLX.
Well, KBLX hasn’t been toasted yet. It’s already broken Bonneville's mode of getting rid of urbans as soon as it gets them.
While KKFR would probably have been nuked on 92.3 regardless, Bonneville's bigger motive was probably to get KTAR on FM. It knew as well as, maybe better than, anyone else that talk radio was going to need to be on FM to be the money maker it had previously been.
I did, however, find it odd that so many people seemed to think its acquisition of a dog in KRBV meant hopelessness for everyone at KBLX. While there have been some rumors that Bonneville isn’t done dealing in San Francisco, KBLX continues on. Bonneville probably wouldn’t be letting that happen if it didn’t have some sort of vision for the station.
Bonneville hires Mary Lea Wagner as General Sales Manager for AC KOIT-FM and CHR KMVQ-FM (99.7 Now)/San Francisco. She'll oversee all sales for the two stations. Most recently, Wagner was General Sales Manager for KSWD-FM/Los Angeles. She's also managed CBS Radio's National Sales office in San Francisco as well as the Cox Media-owned television stations' national rep firm in both San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Do the former CBS radio stations vacate the KPIX building on Battery Street?
Does Bonneville have one location for their newly acquired stations?
From what I understand KRBQ, and KGMZ move into Battery with the Entercom stations (Previously CBS stations) already there. KMVQ moves in to Third St. with KOIT, KBLX, KUFX who are already there. A little confusing, not sure if I got that right or when this takes place.
KMVQ, 99.7 NOW! has already relocated.Thanks, and no, not confusing.
Just wondering
How does a station move while there still broadcasting?
They set up a new studio at the new location, and when it is ready, they switch the feed to the transmitter from "old" to "new". It can appear totally seamless to the listener.