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KUBE Becomes SportsRadio 93-3 KJR-FM

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Worst kept secret in Seattle radio, but a smart move. 93.3 is a full market FM signal (remember KJR-AM tried this with 102.7 years ago and it didn't work. Partial market signals don't do well with PPM). Seems to be the trend these days to take underperforming full market FM sticks and simulcast with a news or sports AM. KNX-AM just did it in LA, same story in many markets. Trick is finding the full market FM, as a poster in another thread pointed out. I am sure KIRO-AM would love to find a full market FM to compete or KNWN-AM find a full market FM versus the partial market FM signal now to compete with KIRO-FM. I-Heart picked the perfect day to do it with the Russell Wilson story to drive listening.
 
The rimshot station KJR-AM tried to simulcast with years ago was 102.9 the Funky Monkey, not 102.7.

The midday hosts reportedly have confirmed the FM/AM simulcast will only last about a month before the AM flips. Some format candidates were posted in the KUBE thread, but the most straightforward solution seems to be what happened in Phoenix and Boston ... the AM stays on sports, but taken fully from satellite feeds -- Fox Sports Radio in KJR's case. The AM signal is too strong to waste on BIN, ethnic, or Bloomberg (which KIXI already uses). The Vegas-based sports betting station VSIN has a partnership deal with iHeart, so that's another candidate.
 
Both 1090 and 950 air Fox Sports Radio.
 
This will be one of those cases where the FM simulcast can't use the AM's call letters because another station is using them. In this case, there's already a KJR-FM, 95.7 The Jet playing Classic Hits.

In Atlanta, WSB can't use WSB-FM on its 95.5 simulcast because it owns an AC station in the market, WSB-FM, known as B 98.5.

In San Francisco, KCBS can't use KCBS-FM on its 106.9 simulcast because there's KCBS-FM Los Angeles, Jack FM 93.1.

In Chicago, WBBM can't use WBBM-FM on its 105.9 simulcast because there's Top 40 WBBM-FM Chicago, B96.

Interesting that iHeart has already said the simulcast won't last long. Eventually KJR 950 will switch to another format. It's 50,000 watts full time. But what else would you put on an AM signal? Why not just continue to simulcast? As said above, Fox Radio Sports gets a lot of its network shows that aren't heard on KJR on co-owned KFNQ 1090, also 50,000 watts.
 
Gregg. said:
This will be one of those cases where the FM simulcast can't use the AM's call letters because another station is using them. In this case, there's already a KJR-FM, 95.7 The Jet playing Classic Hits.
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The FM is identifying itself SportsRadio 93-3 KJR-FM. I suspect that The Jet will be getting new call letters soon. iHeart owns both stations.

www.iheart.com

Sports Radio 93.3 KJR | iHeart

Seattle's Sports Leader
www.iheart.com www.iheart.com
 
Gregg. said:
This will be one of those cases where the FM simulcast can't use the AM's call letters because another station is using them. In this case, there's already a KJR-FM, 95.7 The Jet playing Classic Hits.

In Atlanta, WSB can't use WSB-FM on its 95.5 simulcast because it owns an AC station in the market, WSB-FM, known as B 98.5.

In San Francisco, KCBS can't use KCBS-FM on its 106.9 simulcast because there's KCBS-FM Los Angeles, Jack FM 93.1.

In Chicago, WBBM can't use WBBM-FM on its 105.9 simulcast because there's Top 40 WBBM-FM Chicago, B96.

Interesting that iHeart has already said the simulcast won't last long. Eventually KJR 950 will switch to another format. It's 50,000 watts full time. But what else would you put on an AM signal? Why not just continue to simulcast? As said above, Fox Radio Sports gets a lot of its network shows that aren't heard on KJR on co-owned KFNQ 1090, also 50,000 watts.
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Not necessarily. WSB, KCBS and WBBM calls weren't duplicated to the FM signals because Cox and CBS Radio chose not to do it at the time. Because KJR-AM and KJR-FM are both owned by iHeart, there's nothing stopping them from placing the KJR-FM calls on 93.3, they just have to move them off 95.7, which they can do with a simple swap - KUBE goes to 95.7, KJR-FM goes to 93.3.
 
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Well, Cox owns all three stations, WSB, WSBB (FM) and WSB-FM. Audacy owns KCBS, KFRC (FM) and KCBS-FM. Audacy also owns WBBM, WCFS (FM) and WBBM-FM. So these owners could have swapped out one FM call sign for another but chose to just leave things the way they are.

If KJR and KUBE are now identifying themselves as KJR-FM, then iHeart will probably switch the call sign on 95.7 from KJR-FM to something else, maybe reflecting the moniker as "The Jet."
 
Yesterday (likely in anticipation of this move) 710 KIRO AM underwent a re-branding and are now branding themselves Seattle Sports 710 AM. Still the ESPN affiliate and all local hosts during prime time. Their statement said in part "Seattle Sports positions us as a multi-media platform. Think Hub and Spoke…The hub is Seattle Sports, and the spokes include all the ways consumers receive our content. This includes 710AM, Streaming, 97.3 HD2, App, social, on demand, video, etc. Content creation is at the center of everything we do, we are a sports media brand". Their new primary url is now seattlesports.com
 
CarAgencyGuy said:
Think Hub and Spoke…The hub is Seattle Sports, and the spokes include all the ways consumers receive our content. This includes 710AM, Streaming, 97.3 HD2, App, social, on demand, video, etc. Content creation is at the center of everything we do, we are a sports media brand". Their new primary url is now seattlesports.com
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That sounds like the strategy of the future to me. The world longs for that choice or that variety
 
I don't see there being any immediate need for Bonneville and "Seattle Sports 710" to make any drastic moves to pick up an FM. Maybe I'm getting old, but 710 sounds perfectly fine in most parts of the metro area. Sure, it's not a full market FM, but they have the high quality programming to back it up.
 
So are they just moving the same programming from KJR AM to a simulcast or are they revamping the lineup or presentation? Not being a regular listener I wouldn't know if I tuned in. Just curious as they've had the same PD for 20 some years with no real improvements made along the way. Only the loss of big names without big name replacements. If no changes are being made that assumes the programming is not the problem and being on AM is the problem, thus if that is true then this should send rating through the roof. If the ratings don't go up then what? Bring back Mitch?
 
notalent said:
if that is true then this should send rating through the roof. If the ratings don't go up then what? Bring back Mitch?
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They're hoping this move will introduce the station to younger people who may not listen to AM radio. So it may not affect the ratings as much as the demographics. The way they're talking about it, they're promoting the new sound of the station on static-free FM.
 
notalent said:
If no changes are being made that assumes the programming is not the problem and being on AM is the problem, thus if that is true then this should send rating through the roof. If the ratings don't go up then what? Bring back Mitch?
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Sports Talk radio doesn't rely so much on ratings. (Certainly not 6+) Their target demographic is 18-49M. When agencies who represent auto, jewelry, or beer want to reach that demo, their number one buy is the local sports station(s).
 
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TheBigA said:
They're hoping this move will introduce the station to younger people who may not listen to AM radio. So it may not affect the ratings as much as the demographics. The way they're talking about it, they're promoting the new sound of the station on static-free FM.
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And, they know that as AM use declines, unless they move to FM they will gradually fade out in the ratings. Some stations have moved to FM or an FM simulcast before that happens.

A good case is KSL in Salt Lake City, which over a decade ago started simulcasting and gradually moving from emphasizing the AM frequency to, now, just mentioning the FM. The were ahead of the game and the results show!
 
Seattle is a unique market in that one operator can't (for belief reasons) take several ad categories that are fits for the sports format. I wonder how much that impacts revenues at 710?
 
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