KAHM Sells Out

[landtuna]

Same with keeping a precise mix of more "standard" songs (Theme from "The Apartment") and the instrumental versions of Lennon/McCartney or Brian Wilson songs.

I used to love listening to the Boston Pops play the Beatles Songbook (as an example).

 

[Prescott Joe]

When you're listening to radio Quaalude for hours upon end, does selection and flow matter? Rhetorical question, as it all pretty much sounds the same. One of the things that used to drive the Nurse and me crazy about KAHM, was the ambient noise picked up by the studio mic. A wall A/C unit must have been in close proximity to the console. But again, it really doesn't matter as the listeners are there for the muzak.

I know that "noise" well. Actually, as it was described to me by then engineer, Al Hartzell, it was a problem with the relay from the studio's to the Mingus Mtn transmitter site. It took a couple of years to get it diagnosed and corrected back then.....

 

[johndavis]

The problem comes when the big box stores take over much of retail and don't buy local radio.

This right here is what kept me from buying into a station in a little AZ town close to 20 years ago. When retail becomes a mix of big box and franchises there isn't a whole lot of revenue to be had. When the town's sub shop is Vic's Subs, talking Vic into buying a consistent schedule isn't easy but possible. When the town's sub shop is Subway, the owner pays into the region's advertising fund. This in turn buys national TV spots and direct mail. If any of that fund goes to radio, it will go to either Phoenix or Tucson.

During the due diligence, I was told that we'd have to bring the tower site's mortgage payment up to current to sign a LMA before closing. And that's where I tapped out. If the current owner couldn't pay the note on the direct business he already had on the air and my partner was intent on changing the format to something that I didn't think had a chance in hell of ever making a buck, I tapped out.

As much as I hate seeing small towns lose their local radio station to get turned into a crappy rimshot, I now understand the economics of why it happens.

 

[DrAkbar]

In the big Beautiful Music battles, such as Cameo and KRFM, we had Shulke (and later Churchill) vs. Bonneville and the whole issue was about flow.

Towards the end, BBS abandoned Match Flow in favor of Random Access. It was a lot easier to refresh and update the library than create all new match flow reels. Plus TMISU got out their checkbook and started buying out competitors, leaving BBS as the dominant player in a dying format.

 

[EricStein]

I have a feeling that most of the advertising revenue generated by KAHM came from the immediate Prescott area so maybe someone will put the easy listening format on the 101.7 translator owned by KAHM and keep the format alive. All they need is to lease a HD channel. I've not seen any recent Neilsen reports for Yavapai County, AZ, but I suspect KAHM got good numbers.

If no one offers an alternative, here is one..albeit it a more modern version: WHLC in Highlands, NC. They stream at www.whlc.com. Despite its big signal to the south, almost all of WHLC revenue is generated in the local market. $1.7 million for KAHM pales compared to what the Silverstein family could have gotten ten years ago. That would have probably just covered the escrow deposit.

And the residents of the Sun Cities wouldn't miss out either. I have a hunch that there are more HD receivers in use than the average there since Maricopa Community Colleges switched the Sun Sounds reading service from a subcarrier service to a HD subchannel.

 

[vchimpanzee]

The 30-somethings of 1990 were definitely not listening to Percy Faith, Paul Mauriat and Mantovanni.

I wasn't even 30 but I can tell you I was.

I was listening to other styles of music then but I still like them.

 

[johndavis]

Towards the end, BBS abandoned Match Flow in favor of Random Access. It was a lot easier to refresh and update the library than create all new match flow reels. Plus TMISU got out their checkbook and started buying out competitors, leaving BBS as the dominant player in a dying format.

This talk about musical flow reminds me of the secret to KZZP's clocks in the 80's that prioritized tempo.

This of course, was back when you scheduled with file cards and different colored pens...

 

[DrAkbar]

This talk about musical flow reminds me of the secret to KZZP's clocks in the 80's that prioritized tempo.

This of course, was back when you scheduled with file cards and different colored pens...

Yup, if you're a rocker...you might as well sound like one! Files cards were subject to jock fudging at every station (skip that song, and place the card at the back). At least with the Beautiful Muzak format, the jock couldn't manipulate it. All he could do is tap his toes to the 101 Strings and wait for the quarter hour break.

 

[johndavis]

Yup, if you're a rocker...you might as well sound like one! Files cards were subject to jock fudging at every station (skip that song, and place the card at the back). At least with the Beautiful Muzak format, the jock couldn't manipulate it. All he could do is tap his toes to the 101 Strings and wait for the quarter hour break.

You just had to make sure that you didn't zap the deck with static and send all the reels into rewind. (yikes!)

 

[b-turner]

And with my luck it would have been about the moment a song ends and snaps the tape on the next reel before I can manually hit the stop button.

 

[DrAkbar]

Some stations charged repeat offenders the cost of duplicate tapes when they were mangled due to operator error. Because the 10 inch reels were wound tails out, they had to be rewound before airing. Every now and then some neophyte would flip the reel and play the tape. Ferrante & Teicher actually sounded pretty good played backwards!

 

[pattiwacki]

I wasn't even 30 but I can tell you I was.

I was listening to other styles of music then but I still like them.

I sure did. KQYT. It was great music for us to put our kids to sleep with. When they grew up, whenever they would visit Prescott, they would tune in KAHM for nostalgia's sake for a little while.

 

[Prescott Joe]

QUOTE from DavidEduardo

"The format lost essentially all its 25-54 listening by 1990, so even a person who was 45 in 1990 (and among the few in their age group to listen) is now 73 years old. The 30-somethings of 1990 were definitely not listening to Percy Faith, Paul Mauriat and Mantovanni."

I guess I and all the other "exceptions" who responded to your comment about enjoying Easy Listening in their 30's may have not been listening in your mind but I assure you that I've been listening to that format since I was a teenager. I'm now 55 and continue to enjoy the music and the format of KAHM....... Here in Prescott, I know many people whose first choice in radio is KAHM and many are in their 30's, 40's, 50's and older.

 

[b-turner]

What we have here are exceptions to the rule versus the norm. I know some youth that listen to classical music (they play instruments) but the norm for classical music listening is the 60+ age group. I would need to see some survey to believe otherwise as I have research supporting my claim (at least on classical music). I'm sure KAHM has listeners. I think the telling point is they sold. A station doing well gets a 'no, we're not for sale' or an 'okay I'll sell but at a price so I can buy an equal or better local signal'. I know a fellow that says there's a huge big band revival among young demographics. He claims many of his friends like Big Band. I'm sure they do but that does not translate to a revival. You might very well know something we don't know and again I have to ask why don't you try to continue it by either putting in a better offer or buying an existing signal in the area?

 

[DavidEduardo]

Some stations charged repeat offenders the cost of duplicate tapes when they were mangled due to operator error. Because the 10 inch reels were wound tails out, they had to be rewound before airing. Every now and then some neophyte would flip the reel and play the tape. Ferrante & Teicher actually sounded pretty good played backwards!

I see your rewind and raise you an anecdote.

The jocks at Bill Tanner's 13-Q in Pittsburgh were a bit put off by the serious guys in the next studio who ran Shulke tapes and spent 15 minutes waiting to say, "All day... All Night... all nice! (pause) Wish..."

So one of them grabbed a tape, edited in a deep Steppenwolf cut, and returned it to the studio.

Apparently the announcer would go into a meditative state during the music segments, because he did not react until the song was nearly over, stopping the tape, creating a long piece of dead air, and then starting the fill tape.

The listeners had likely all had a stroke or cardiac event.

 

[DavidEduardo]

And with my luck it would have been about the moment a song ends and snaps the tape on the next reel before I can manually hit the stop button.

Also amusing was when the 25 Hz sequencing tone filter croaked, allowing duck farts on the air after every song.

 

[crainbebo]

Like we learn in psychology class, 'there's always exceptions to the rule'. I'm in the CHR/Top 40 demographic and listen to smooth jazz! (via KOAZ 'The Oasis' ABQ, or the Smooth Jazz 102.3 translator in the Tri-Cities). But yeah, when it comes to advertising B/EZ is a 55+ demographic. Does KAHM air commercials for Verizon/T-Mobile etc. to 'upgrade your old smartphone'? I doubt it.

 

[DrAkbar]

Also amusing was when the 25 Hz sequencing tone filter croaked, allowing duck farts on the air after every song.

If the studio speakers were cranked, those duck farts would rattle the room. "..in the air, everywhere - the scent of ducks flatulating on EZ One Hundred"

 

[Prescott Joe]

But yeah, when it comes to advertising B/EZ is a 55+ demographic. Does KAHM air commercials for Verizon/T-Mobile etc. to 'upgrade your old smartphone'? I doubt it.

Actually, they do! They also do commercials on occasion for Best Buy, Lowe's, Home Depot,
Chili's, Red Robin, Peter Piper Pizza, etc, etc. If I had a nickel for every time I hear a spot
for Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile, Cricket, Samsung, LG, in a week, I could take you to lunch!!!!

 

[WorldFamous]

What we have here are exceptions to the rule versus the norm.

1981. I was 22 years old when I called a PD I respected for his input on a new station in the same market offering me an AC overnight gig. Ended up with another offer from him -- for the night shift on WEZK Knoxville. I was a big fan of his, along with his afternoon "host", from their time at top 40 WNOX. The chance to work with them was the sole reason I considered the gig. Turned it down because I couldn't imagine what it must be like sitting through those quarter hour sweeps of music with only four breaks an hour to read "beautiful and easy WEZK - all day and all night in stereo" to break the tedium.

Ironically, I ended up in a larger market working AC. One of those early 80s FM AC stations that did 20 minute sweeps with nothing but call letters between every other song and only three breaks an hour at :15, :35 and :55 to do a back sell of the music along with a liner or once an hour the weather forecast. Heck, I'd have had one more chance to crack the mic every hour had I taken the Knoxville job.