Annoying and Overplayed Commercials on KFI

[sdwulfdawg]

It is obvious that KFI radio is a very successful advertising medium for ambulance chaser attorneys and plumbing/sewer contractors. I've always endured what I have characterized as the "sad bear" sounding owner of Rooter Hero, John Akohian. But now he is running ads on KFI portraying himself as not only saving a customer from a sewer problem, but saving a cat. That ad must run several times during some hours, especially during drive times. But the worst part of it is that it is extremely annoying to the point that I turn off KFI.

I must not the only one who feels this way.

While trying to make sure that i was spelling his last name correctly, I ran across an article that he is under probation by the California State Contractors Board for really dishonest conduct and got hit with a $250k fine.

Rooter Hero settles, ordered to pay $209K, other fees — podcast | Claremont COURIER

by Mick Rhodes | [email protected] Rooter Hero, the plumbing company that was the focus of a four-part COURIER investigative series last

claremont-courier.com

 

[CTListener]

It is obvious that KFI radio is a very successful advertising medium for ambulance chaser attorneys and plumbing/sewer contractors. I've always endured what I have characterized as the "sad bear" sounding owner of Rooter Hero, John Akohian. But now he is running ads on KFI portraying himself as not only saving a customer from a sewer problem, but saving a cat. That ad must run several times during some hours, especially during drive times. But the worst part of it is that it is extremely annoying to the point that I turn off KFI.

I must not the only one who feels this way.

While trying to make sure that i was spelling his last name correctly, I ran across an article that he is under probation by the California State Contractors Board for really dishonest conduct and got hit with a $250k fine.

Rooter Hero settles, ordered to pay $209K, other fees — podcast | Claremont COURIER

by Mick Rhodes | [email protected] Rooter Hero, the plumbing company that was the focus of a four-part COURIER investigative series last

claremont-courier.com

You read the story, saw his name, and still got it wrong. Excusable, as it's a quite unusual combination of letters for Americans not of Armenian extraction. It's Akhoian, not Akohian, both the "-oian" and "-ian" endings being common on Armenian surnames

 

[sdwulfdawg]

You read the story, saw his name, and still got it wrong. Excusable, as it's a quite unusual combination of letters for Americans not of Armenian extraction. It's Akhoian, not Akohian, both the "-oian" and "-ian" endings being common on Armenian surnames

And????

What does this have to do with the subject of the original post? Huh?

Or did you write the post so you could appear superior and condescending and appear to be smarter than everyone else?

 

[Weiserguy]

You read the story, saw his name, and still got it wrong. Excusable, as it's a quite unusual combination of letters for Americans not of Armenian extraction. It's Akhoian, not Akohian, both the "-oian" and "-ian" endings being common on Armenian surnames

It's a basic typo, dude. He transposed the "ho" in Akhoian into "oh". Not exactly a breach of the Ten Commandments or the Constitution. If you're going to use a typo on an uncommon name as an excuse to invalidate the OP's opinion, you'd also have to do it to the fellow who doesn't know the difference between "to" and "too", or our esteemed moderator, and even occasionally each of us).

 

[PTBoardOp94]

When one spot is being run multiple times an hour, that usually means sales aren't going great for the station and they're relying on some faithful clients to fill the avails.

 

[DavidEduardo]

When one spot is being run multiple times an hour, that usually means sales aren't going great for the station and they're relying on some faithful clients to fill the avails.

No, not necessarily. Stations that don't have network shows with fixed break times just run shorter stopsets when there are more unsold avails. In January, we see this on many stations, including KFI.

Occasionally a client wants multiple ads in an hour, believing that this creates heightened awareness. We see this in local TV a lot with "split fifteens" where a 15 second spot will run twice in a stopset... sometimes the same spot, sometimes the second extending the pitch of the first.

 

[DavidEduardo]

It's a basic typo, dude. He transposed the "ho" in Akhoian into "oh". Not exactly a breach of the Ten Commandments or the Constitution. If you're going to use a typo on an uncommon name as an excuse to invalidate the OP's opinion, you'd also have to do it to the fellow who doesn't know the difference between "to" and "too", or our esteemed moderator, and even occasionally each of us).

OK, this nit has been picked. Let's move on.

Many times we all have difficulty with unusual names, particularly ones that come from some of the countries that are now "refreshing our population" in the US.

And some of us who either are English-as-a-second-languagers or who don't use English as much as other languages find spelling to be cantankerous and obscure at times.

 

[TheBigA]

What does this have to do with the subject of the original post? Huh?

OK I'll address the original post. Every time the spot comes on the radio, you should thank John for paying money so that you can hear your favorite hosts for free. The alternative is YOU pay a fee. If you're hearing the spot a lot, that means he paid a ton of money. It means the hosts are getting paid, and the format is not in danger of being flipped. If the commercials are annoying, you can hit the mute button or turn the volume down. Or change the station. But nobody at the station will be saying anything negative to the person paying the bills.

 

[Frequency1]

Try listening to KFI using iHeart App. I get commercials for Seattle and Atlanta most of the time for the first one or two in the long break and then lots of stupid iHeart app promos as well as the best ten songs of artists. Sometimes they will be in Spanish for the first one in a break.

 

[Weiserguy]

OK, this nit has been picked. Let's move on.

Many times we all have difficulty with unusual names, particularly ones that come from some of the countries that are now "refreshing our population" in the US.

And some of us who either are English-as-a-second-languagers or who don't use English as much as other languages find spelling to be cantankerous and obscure at times.

I responded to our friend from Connecticut at 2 am (PDT), when this particular nit was still unpicked.

My point, and I thought I made it clearly, was that there's a difference between illiteracy, ignorance and old-fashioned fat-fingering on the keyboard. Anyone who stared at the OP's typo for 12 seconds or more should have figured out it was the latter, especially since it only occurred once. Criticizing the OP's complaint is fair game, but we are *all* guilty of imperfect typing skills.

 

[henry]

Annoying and Overplayed Commercials on KFI

I know the stopsets are different inventory on iHeartRadio. But I hear a lot of paranoid gold and rare-coin spots.

I get that the aging KEIB crowd (and talk radio, generally) has assets and can be terrified into buying near-scammy products to hedge inflation. But what about younger demos (e.g., somebody under age 40)? You know, the crowd who realizes gold is just an asset goes up and down, just like any other asset.

I chuckle, because there is a SERIOUS mismatch between ads I'd respond to (and hear on KIIS/KBIG/KYSR FM/streams). But somehow because it's KFI, they assume I'm suddenly geriatric.

 

[sdwulfdawg]

OK I'll address the original post. Every time the spot comes on the radio, you should thank John for paying money so that you can hear your favorite hosts for free. The alternative is YOU pay a fee. If you're hearing the spot a lot, that means he paid a ton of money. It means the hosts are getting paid, and the format is not in danger of being flipped. If the commercials are annoying, you can hit the mute button or turn the volume down. Or change the station. But nobody at the station will be saying anything negative to the person paying the bills.

When it may affect the listenability of the station, I think it would be legit. I have bought advertising for clients and the station didn't like the creative and put a pause on the order.

 

[sdwulfdawg]

I responded to our friend from Connecticut at 2 am (PDT), when this particular nit was still unpicked.

My point, and I thought I made it clearly, was that there's a difference between illiteracy, ignorance and old-fashioned fat-fingering on the keyboard. Anyone who stared at the OP's typo for 12 seconds or more should have figured out it was the latter, especially since it only occurred once. Criticizing the OP's complaint is fair game, but we are *all* guilty of imperfect typing skills.

THank you. I have a unusual name because my parents grabbed too many consonants from the "consonant bucket." If I were to get upset over how my name and last name has been butchered over the years, I would be a flat out drug-addicted alcoholic drooling at the mouth! That's why I use a professional name in all of my multimedia work.

 

[TheBigA]

When it may affect the listenability of the station, I think it would be legit. I have bought advertising for clients and the station didn't like the creative and put a pause on the order.

Your complaint was on the frequency of the spots. The station is not going to tell a client he's spending too much money.

 

[Yabadabado1]

I responded to our friend from Connecticut at 2 am (PDT), when this particular nit was still unpicked.

My point, and I thought I made it clearly, was that there's a difference between illiteracy, ignorance and old-fashioned fat-fingering on the keyboard. Anyone who stared at the OP's typo for 12 seconds or more should have figured out it was the latter, especially since it only occurred once. Criticizing the OP's complaint is fair game, but we are *all* guilty of imperfect typing skills.

I neva mack a mistook when typiiiing. Its always purrfect. Sheesh, I donut no Y peopull can't lut a slipping dog lie!

 

[sdwulfdawg]

Your complaint was on the frequency of the spots. The station is not going to tell a client he's spending too much money.

Of course! But what if you cause listeners to tune out because of it being very annoying like a Guantanamo Bay prisoner waterboarding?

 

[Daryl Lynn L.A.]

Fairly often, at least in California markets, the owner of the company wants to voice the commercial himself. That person may not be a professional voice artist and his/her intonation , phrasing, or delivery may be what is most annoying.

 

[Daryl Lynn L.A.]

Sometimes the client wants to design the commercial himself, but he’s a business owner, not a producer of audio or visual content.

As a general manager or station manager, how do you tell a client with money to spend, that his idea for a commercial is not very good?

Example from the 1960’s on Top 40 radio:

Wallich’s Music City was a record store owned by Clyde Wallichs. Clyde had a thin voice with a lot of vocal fry in it, because he was older. His voice cracked a lot and was no longer smooth. He voiced his own commercials about selling records, pianos, organs, etc. with all the enthusiasm of an undertaker announcing a funeral.
For the introduction, Pat Boone crooned the jingle:
🎶
It’s Music City
Hollywood, Lakewood, Downtown…🎶
And to my teen ears, it sounded like the melody to Rock A Bye Baby. It was absolutely soporific.
Sometimes, Clyde Wallichs would sponsor entire hours on Sunday afternoons in KFWB. It was excruciatingly painful. That’s not how you get 18-35 yr olds into a store to buy rock records.

But if Clyde Wallichs wants to buy an entire hour of air time, what can you say?

 

[TheBigA]

Of course! But what if you cause listeners to tune out because of it being very annoying like a Guantanamo Bay prisoner waterboarding?

That's a choice the listeners have to make on their own. Someone has to pay the bills. If the listeners want to hear their favorite hosts for free, then they have a different price to pay. The station gives listeners multiple ways to hear the content, so pick one that gives you what you want. It's obvious that people are listening regardless of the advertising.

Keep in mind that if this particular advertiser is paying for his spots to air on KFI, he likely shares the political ideology with you.

 

[Daryl Lynn L.A.]

Here’s more updated versions:
News radio KCBS runs ads for a company called Systems Pavers. The owner is a British man named Larry. Every spring and summer, Larry wants to voice commercials for re- landscaping your yard with his paving stones, so that you won’t be embarrassed by having a grubby looking yard for summertime entertainment. But his voice just gets annoying, because his tone is difficult to listen to.

Same with Pat Vtucci and his “Don’t Invest and Forget” so-called “free seminars “. They’re voiced with the urgency of a carnival barker. Hurry, hurry, hurry, step right up and invest all your money with Pat, folks, or you’ll regret it.

So, getting back to John Akhoian, that may be what is upsetting to you. Simply mute him. realizing that his vocal quality is what’s upsetting.

Voice is really important in broadcasting. The intonation and phrasing has a huge impact on our senses. JMO .