KFOG

Why is this happening now? The answer might come from the fact that there is a new Cumulus market manager in San Francisco:

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/...oins-cumulus-san-francisco-as-market-manager/

In addition, Tom Taylor reports that company CEO Mary Berner made a visit to the market last week, and commented on some of the problem areas that need attention. One in particular was KGO. So you can expect to see some changes there as well very soon.

KFOG had a passionate audience and decent ratings as a AAA format. Competent management and good salespeople should be able to sell a quality product. There is plenty of local direct business in the Bay Area. The changes at KFOG have not brought in the younger demos or success. Cumulus made the station irrelevant...

tbolt909 said:

The changes at KFOG have not brought in the younger demos or success. Cumulus made the station irrelevant...

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It sounds like you've talked yourself into your own narrative. If that's what you want to believe, go ahead and believe it. But the facts say otherwise. Yes the station once had a passionate audience, who unfortunately have gotten older than they once were. Not much you can do about that. Maybe it would work on a public station, but all the options there are also gone.

As I said, the market management has been replaced in the last few weeks. He knows the market, and knows what will work. He ran KITS and other former CBS stations in the market. The timing of these changes can be attributed to him. Embrace change. It's a good thing.

KFOG just burned through another PD. "New Management" surely has the winning formula. Drink the Kool Aid if you wish, Mr. A.

KFOG drove away their loyal listeners and the younger ones they want don't care. If the Rock genre isn't viable, why bother? Unplug and go home...

tbolt909 said:

KFOG just burned through another PD. "New Management" surely has the winning formula.

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Read the linked article. It's obvious that new management is why this PD is gone. They've added a morning show that has a built in fan base. People will listen for the personality, not the music. This audience can get the music anywhere. That's what they were doing anyway.

DavidEduardo said:

New local management just went in; as BigA says, the recent changes in PD are part of that.

The relatively new corporate management (Mary Berner came in in late 2015 to fix the company) spent the last two years getting out from under the DickeyDebt(tm); they are just now focusing attention on operations.



The few remaining loyal listeners were aging and represented demographic groups that advertisers generally don't want to talk to.

Rock is viable, but for the most part AAA is not a viable format within the genre. KFOG has to reinvent itself and that means a total refresh and remake. Billing was down to 23rd, half of that of KSAN and about one-eighth of the top biller in the market.

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Does anyone have any ideas on a rock format that could work in the Bay Area? Based on some of the successful concerts from the genre in the Bay Area, it seems there is an audience for groups like the National, War on Drugs, Mumford and Sons, The Decemberists etc....relatively new groups that are part of the KFOG rotation, are definitely not old, have thoughtful lyrics, use real instruments etc.

DavidEduardo said:

New local management just went in; as BigA says, the recent changes in PD are part of that.

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Back when I was a baby DJ, Doug Harvill was my boss. He's got his hands full turning that cluster around, but he's a very smart man.

Hey, I get that Triple-A's are struggling, and that TSL is an outmoded metric. But going full-on "alternative" when 105.3 is doing that format already -- competing for a pretty small slice of ratings pie -- just makes no sense to me.

RadioJunkieMike said:

Hey, I get that Triple-A's are struggling, and that TSL is an outmoded metric. But going full-on "alternative" when 105.3 is doing that format already -- competing for a pretty small slice of ratings pie -- just makes no sense to me.

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And I think that's why the station has added a morning show that is more lifestyle-based, than strictly music based. The Matt Pinfield show was more music based.

KFOG should've flipped to Classic Hits. KSAN should be tweaked to Mainstream Rock with an updated playlist.

I would split the 104.5/97.7 simulcast and use 97.7 to simulcast 107.7 instead.

To David Eduardo - how well (or poorly) does 105.3 KITS fare from a billing standpoint? Thanks in advance for any info you are able to provide.

DavidEduardo said:

KSAN is the billing leader of the three; KITS is second and KFOG last. The three, combined, bill about what KYLD alone bills. KSAN is about 17th in market billing.

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A post on the Seattle board alerted me to the possibility that KFOG has changed formats to straight Alternative rather than AAA. Looking at the song lists, they appear to be the same as KITS. The Gold isn't as old, although I saw an Everclear song on the list, so it may be more currents-based. But we'll likely see an official press release about this soon.

Given that the PD was fired last week, and there's a new Market Manager, it was pretty obvious something was going to change. Looking at the billing information, one can understand why. Although, as MarkW asked, why would they go after KITS?

TheBigA said:

A post on the Seattle board alerted me to the possibility that KFOG has changed formats to straight Alternative rather than AAA. Looking at the song lists, they appear to be the same as KITS. The Gold isn't as old, although I saw an Everclear song on the list, so it may be more currents-based. But we'll likely see an official press release about this soon.

Given that the PD was fired last week, and there's a new Market Manager, it was pretty obvious something was going to change. Looking at the billing information, one can understand why. Although, as MarkW asked, why would they go after KITS?

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They are edging closer to it, they've played some Offspring songs recently. However, I heard Tom Petty the other day. Maybe they are gradually transitioning to straight alternative.

Thanks, David, for the info.

I'm surprised 107.7 The Bone's billing is as mediocre as it is. I figured a morning show with terrific longevity combined with the luxury of having KNBR as a clustermate would've at least placed it in the top 15. I suppose that is a commentary, at least in part, on Cumulus' struggles to recover from the Dickey regime.

I can only surmise KFOG is going after KITS because moving in that direction is more of an evolution in programming than a jarring format changes. Let's face it, despite being unable to bring in a lot of fresh ears, KFOG hasn't been a true Triple A station in quite a long time. It's basically been a Modern AC for the past couple years. The only difference between Modern AC and so-called "Alternative" in the year 2018 seems to be perhaps one-third of the music library and a little more risk taking with regard to music adds.

Music wise, KFOG already looks like a carbon copy of 98.7 in Los Angeles.

MarkW said:

I would split the 104.5/97.7 simulcast and use 97.7 to simulcast 107.7 instead

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No, 104.5 needs the 97.7 repeater because 104.5 is at relatively low power on Sutro -- and 97.7 helps the signal in the South Bay. The other lower-power Sutro station, 98.9, also has a South Bay repeater (99.1) for the same reason. 107.7 doesn't need South Bay signal help, because they're on Mt. San Bruno.

MarkW said:

Thanks, David, for the info.

I'm surprised 107.7 The Bone's billing is as mediocre as it is. I figured a morning show with terrific longevity combined with the luxury of having KNBR as a clustermate would've at least placed it in the top 15. I suppose that is a commentary, at least in part, on Cumulus' struggles to recover from the Dickey regime.

I can only surmise KFOG is going after KITS because moving in that direction is more of an evolution in programming than a jarring format changes. Let's face it, despite being unable to bring in a lot of fresh ears, KFOG hasn't been a true Triple A station in quite a long time. It's basically been a Modern AC for the past couple years. The only difference between Modern AC and so-called "Alternative" in the year 2018 seems to be perhaps one-third of the music library and a little more risk taking with regard to music adds.

Music wise, KFOG already looks like a carbon copy of 98.7 in Los Angeles.

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In LA in 1987, they took the legendary KMET out back one day and gave it the proverbial bullet to the head. KMET was once a pioneering free-form rock station helmed by none other than SF's own Tom Donahue, but had gone through several changes over the years, becoming its most successful in the heady heavy-AOR days of the mid-seventies to early 80s. By 1987, the station had fallen on very hard times and it was mercifully put out of its misery. People still remember the many good years KMET had and it is revered for the history and position it once had.

KFOG is the opposite situation. While never particularly cutting-edge, it was probably the best and most successfully programmed AAA in the country in the 90s and 00's (a little too tight on the playlist for me, but hey, that's what keeps a station popular). As other posters have stated, they had a very large and dedicated group of listeners ("Fogheads") that really seemed to appreciate the music and the station. The station was very proactive playing community concerts, coming up with KFOG CDs with the latest new groups they were playing, and doing some really creative programming led by Dave Morey's 10@10.

Dave retired (seemed to be forced into it at the time) in 2008 and the demise of the station can be traced back to that event. He had a well-liked and well-oiled morning show that went right into the very well programmed 10@10 and for better or worse, he was really the face and conscience of the station. Once Dave retired the 10@10s simply were not up to the level he had set for them musically and creatively and the show floundered, as did the rest of the station. As the years went by, there was simply less and less quality AAA music to put on the air to the point where we are today, where there is hardly any and the DJs seemed to have less personality and were much more interchangeable. In short, the station has died a slow and painful death where in 2018 it is simply unrecognizable from its glory days. What I am saying (and it is very hard for me to admit) is that it's past time for KFOG's bullet.

ChannelFlipper said:

What I am saying (and it is very hard for me to admit) is that it's past time for KFOG's bullet.

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Everything changes. This station is no different. Changes at stations reflect changes in the audience. The audience change happens first, and the station follows. A station that tries to hold on to the past after the audience changes becomes a museum with no audience or income. Someone thought AAA was a good idea. They were wrong. Time to fix things.

ChannelFlipper said:

In short, the station has died a slow and painful death where in 2018 it is simply unrecognizable from its glory days. What I am saying (and it is very hard for me to admit) is that it's past time for KFOG's bullet.

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Wasn't KMET replaced with Beautiful Music? I imagine even the last months of KMET were still better than what it flipped to. KFOG and KITS are not nearly as interesting as they used to be, but are still good turn-to stations in my car and I have learned a lot of new bands from them even in the last year or so. I can't imagine if they flipped formats it would be to something better or even as good.