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What's next for KKWD Wild 104.9?

B

bchristi

Long-time PD Cisco left the station a few weeks ago. Jan Jeffries and the Dickey Bros, the people who have been responsible for choosing every song played on the station for the past three years, are also out at Cumulus. Any ideas what they plan on doing with the station or if any changes are coming?

It used to be a great station in the pre-Cumulus era and I would love to see it restored to its former glory. They need to not be so reluctant to play newer music though (a Jan Jeffries thing) and drop songs older than three years unless its Throwback Thursday. Right now, I don't understand why they even have Throwback Thursday as recurrent and gold-friendly as the station is. OKC doesn't have a hip-hop station and KKWD could fill that niche will retaining its Top 40 lean, much like it did under Citadel. It just needs to move away from Jan Jeffries' playbook.
 
FYI. OKC does have a hip-hop station even though it has rim shot coverage in the area. It's KVSP-FM(Power 103.5) and has been serving the market with a urban/hip-hop format since summer of 2004. Prior to 2004, KVSP was broadcasting its urban format on 1140am since 1993. But in 2004 Perry Broadcasting purchased KRMP-FM(103.5) in Anadarko and upgraded the facility to a 100,000 watt signal and moved KVSP's urban format on 1140am to 103.5 FM with the tallest tower in the state. But because it's 50mph or so away from OKC it does not have full market coverage but it still serves the market. As for KKWD, I agree that it sounded better during the pre-Cumulus days and maybe they're leaning in a recurrent and gold friendly due to the throwback hip hop station on 103.1 but since current hip hop is on KVSP(103.5)then KKWD does not have a void to fill.
 
gfrix76 said:
FYI. OKC does have a hip-hop station even though it has rim shot coverage in the area. It's KVSP-FM(Power 103.5) and has been serving the market with a urban/hip-hop format since summer of 2004. Prior to 2004, KVSP was broadcasting its urban format on 1140am since 1993. But in 2004 Perry Broadcasting purchased KRMP-FM(103.5) in Anadarko and upgraded the facility to a 100,000 watt signal and moved KVSP's urban format on 1140am to 103.5 FM with the tallest tower in the state. But because it's 50mph or so away from OKC it does not have full market coverage but it still serves the market. As for KKWD, I agree that it sounded better during the pre-Cumulus days and maybe they're leaning in a recurrent and gold friendly due to the throwback hip hop station on 103.1 but since current hip hop is on KVSP(103.5)then KKWD does not have a void to fill.
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Coverage in OKC for KVSP 103.5 is very spotty and much of the time has too much static to really be listenable. If somebody else wanted to do urban on a frequency actually local to OKC, I can't imagine anybody continuing to listen to KVSP with all its static. It might force Russel Perry to figure something else out. Would it be legal for them to have a translator on 103.5 in OKC simulcasting? If so, that is definitely something the station should consider.

Regardless, KKWD has never been a mainstream urban station, though in the pre-Cumulus days they used to push the envelope a little more in terms of new music and edgier songs.

KKWD switched to recurrent/gold friendly after Cumulus CEO Jan Jeffries forced all former Citadel stations, with a few exceptions, to play the Cumulus-approved playlist back in 2012. KKWD wasn't one of those exceptions and had to switch to the Jeffries playlist. It doesn't really have much to do with V-103 or KVSP. Jeffries believed that the older, familiar songs are the backbone of a radio station and people should rarely ever tune in and hear a song they don't know, hence the reason the station also started to be late with ads in addition to the heavy gold and recurrents. That formula works for AC and hot AC but isn't a good fit for CHR and CHR-rhythmic and I always really questioned his logic in doing CHR this way, especially in larger markets. Prior to the purchase of Citadel, Cumulus was mostly a rural market operation so the format made a little more sense as most Cumulus markets were more conservative and had little competition. Jeffries has now left Cumulus as have the Dickey Bros who were directly under him, which means there is potential for that policy to change going forward.

With Jeffries and the Dickey Bros gone at Cumulus and PD Cisco gone at KKWD, it wouldn't surprise me if the station sees significant changes in the near future. It's ratings have recovered some since the dark days of 2012 and 2013 but it's still underperforming. Hopefully if any changes are made, its for the better.
 
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Looks like there are some changes in the works. Wild's morning show is going to Kiss while Jack & Ron are sliding over to 96.9, which is changing formats after the holidays.
 
Kent said:
Looks like there are some changes in the works. Wild's morning show is going to Kiss while Jack & Ron are sliding over to 96.9, which is changing formats after the holidays.
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What we know so far is this.

Joey & Heather to 98.9 Kiss FM. On their Facebook, it mentioned that 98.9 is going to tweak its format to be more current. Time will tell if they decide to do full CHR and go head to head with KJ 103. I think it could be a good move. Tyler's Now 92.9 sounds good but its signal is too weak to make a real impact.

Jack and Ron to 96.9 - Any ideas what the new format will be? There are rumors that it will be country, but OKC already has so many country stations I hope that isn't the case.

Wild 104.9 will remain CHR/Rhythmic according to their Facebook.
 
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While stranger things have happened, I can't see 96.9 flipping to country. The new management at Cumulus seems to be doubling down on Nash and America's Morning Show. So, it doesn't make sense to be moving Jack and Ron to a country station. Nash Icon also doesn't make much sense as OKC already has two stations in that format.

Jack and Ron would make better sense on a classic hits or AC than anything else, and it seems like KOMA and KMGL could both use some competition. I'd think KMGL is a little more ripe for competition, and I can't see Cumulus conceding the 25-54 female demos to Tyler, which they may be doing if they take KYIS in a more CHR direction. So, AC would be my best guess, but it's just that, a guess.
 
Kent said:
While stranger things have happened, I can't see 96.9 flipping to country. The new management at Cumulus seems to be doubling down on Nash and America's Morning Show. So, it doesn't make sense to be moving Jack and Ron to a country station. Nash Icon also doesn't make much sense as OKC already has two stations in that format.

Jack and Ron would make better sense on a classic hits or AC than anything else, and it seems like KOMA and KMGL could both use some competition. I'd think KMGL is a little more ripe for competition, and I can't see Cumulus conceding the 25-54 female demos to Tyler, which they may be doing if they take KYIS in a more CHR direction. So, AC would be my best guess, but it's just that, a guess.
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What about alternative/modern rock? OKC might be the largest market in the country without a station doing the format. With no competition it could definitely be a success.

If not, AC could be good. If they go that route hopefully they go with the classic, more easy listening version of the format rather than the newer, more current-based one KMGL is currently doing.
 
bchristi said:
What about alternative/modern rock? OKC might be the largest market in the country without a station doing the format. With no competition it could definitely be a success.
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I can't see it happening. I think your best bet for an alternative station is a translator coupled with either an AM or an HD multicast channel. Also, 104.9 would be a possibility if the changes to Kiss cannibalize it too much. In spite of its recent resurgence, alternative hasn't been a mass appeal format for about 10 years now. The vast majority of alternative stations are heritage stations that have made tons of tweaks to the format or rely on their gold libraries.

If not, AC could be good. If they go that route hopefully they go with the classic, more easy listening version of the format rather than the newer, more current-based one KMGL is currently doing.
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The more current based format is more popular with 25-54 and, especially, 18-49 listeners. That, combined with PPM data, is what's been driving this shift.
 
Kent said:
I can't see it happening. I think your best bet for an alternative station is a translator coupled with either an AM or an HD multicast channel. Also, 104.9 would be a possibility if the changes to Kiss cannibalize it too much. In spite of its recent resurgence, alternative hasn't been a mass appeal format for about 10 years now. The vast majority of alternative stations are heritage stations that have made tons of tweaks to the format or rely on their gold libraries.
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I think the solution at 104.9 is to tweak it to be a little more urban and a little less pop. It always has been one of the most pop-leaning rhythmic CHRs in the country in order to compete with KJ 103. Today, with Kiss being tweaked in more of a Top 40 direction as well as Tyler's rhythmic friendly Now 92.9 on the landscape, I think its a perfect time for KKWD to start sounding like a real rhythmic. KVSP's signal is so poor in the metro it might as well not even exist. I am sure a static-free Wild 104.9 playing hip-hop would pull a lot of listeners away from 103.5. The 6KW signal at 104.9 is also perfect for it.

As for alternative rock, the format is definitely seeing a resurgence with Top 40 skewing younger than it typically has in the past. Most people age 25-34 are shifting to alternative rock. This might be a good time to attempt a station in OKC, because as I've said, OKC is probably the largest market in the country that doesn't have a station doing the format.
 
Kent said:
While stranger things have happened, I can't see 96.9 flipping to country. The new management at Cumulus seems to be doubling down on Nash and America's Morning Show. So, it doesn't make sense to be moving Jack and Ron to a country station. Nash Icon also doesn't make much sense as OKC already has two stations in that format.

Jack and Ron would make better sense on a classic hits or AC than anything else, and it seems like KOMA and KMGL could both use some competition. I'd think KMGL is a little more ripe for competition, and I can't see Cumulus conceding the 25-54 female demos to Tyler, which they may be doing if they take KYIS in a more CHR direction. So, AC would be my best guess, but it's just that, a guess.
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More and more rumors that the format is going to be country.

If so, this will be the 5th country station in OKC. Any truth to that rumor? I really hope not. I understand this is rural America and people love country here, but 5 stations is a little overkill when there are so many formats missing on the dial in OKC.
 
I hope KKWD eventually flips, opening the door for a new operator to do the CHR/Rhythmic format the right way. Since Now 92.9 flipped, I am stuck listening to either teenybopper KJ-103 or Wild 104.9, which is still playing the most overplayed songs from last decade like they are new.

Today's Wild 104.9 sounds awful, playing too much music from 5-10 years ago and not adding new songs until months after they have been popular in larger markets. It sounds like a truly small town radio station.
 
Per the new Cumulus policy giving more control to local PDs, it seems that KKWD has returned to its old format that it had before Cumulus forced it to their national playlist. Over the past week or so the station has been a lot more upbeat, current, and has had more personality. The dated, overplayed tracks from the early 2000s have been reduced to almost nothing (except for Throwback Thursdays, where its appropriate). I am really liking the station's new sound.
 
KKWD has gone back to its gold-based playlist, focusing primarily hits rhythmic and Top 40 crossover hits from the late '90s through now. They were sounding pretty good for a few weeks.
 
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