The Wires (Dec 1, 2007)

Randy Dotinga: KPRI's ready to leave nest. It seemed like only yesterday that KPRI ---- formerly known as Sets 102 ---- had a small but dedicated band of listeners from Del Mar to Escondido. That's because it was yesterday. And the year before last. And tomorrow, too. But after more than a decade of existence, the only major radio station geared toward North County is ready to leave the nest. If all goes well, KPRI will soon move its transmitter and boost its signal, allowing it to easily reach radios in San Diego and points south. In other words, our baby will be all grown up. "We expect the move will approximately double the number of people we can reach with our signal," said station co-owner and show host Bob Hughes. "At the very least, it will make KPRI more listenable in more places, more consistently for more people." KPRI is awaiting federal approval of its application to boost its signal from 14,500 to 30,000 watts and move its transmitter from a mountain in San Marcos ---- you can see it as you drive by on Highway 78 ---- to Mount Soledad in La Jolla. Hughes said most problem spots for KPRI reception should vanish, such as downtown San Diego, East County, South County and

Blurt: Ken Leighton breaks the news that KRTM from out of Temecula will be getting a 25,000 watt transmitter on Palomar Mountain that will be operational on 96.9 FM at the end of December. "The tower will broadcast KRTM's religious programming, which originates from Calvary Chapel Bible College in Temecula. A spokeswoman for KRTM said the tower should be operational by the end of December and that the signal will reach most of San Diego County. KRTM splits its broadcast day up with religious talk, sermons, and music by Christian artists such as Jars of Clay." (editor's note: a low-power translator is already operating on 96.9 FM and has been for most of this year.) Despite what some uncredible critic has posted in the comments section, this is interesting news.

Inside Music Media: From Jerry Del Colliano -- It's easy for radio and record executives to blame the iPod or the Internet or those thieving kids who pirate music. But the real answer is closer to home. What we have is generational ignorance. All of us who have children think our kids are representative of the next generation. They don't steal music. They still listen to radio and they even buy CDs with their parent's money. This would be wrong. I am more convinced than ever that the decline of the radio and record industries is based on the inability of baby boomer managers to understand the 18-24 year old demographic

The FCC: The FCC has adopted a number of rules and policies designed to foster and protect LPFM radio service which creates opportunities for new voices on the airwaves and to allow local groups, including schools, churches, and other community-based organizations, to provide programming responsive to local community needs and interest

Clear Channel Spins Off CA Stations: Clear Channel's $40 million sale of 13 small-market stations in California and three stations in Yuma, AZ, to Frontier Capital Partners has closed. The Frontier deal, announced in July, involves Californiat stations KSLY-FM and KVEC-AM in San Luis Obispo; KSMA-AM, KSNI-FM and KXFM-FM in Santa Maria; KSMY-FM in Lompoc; KSTT-FM in Los Osos-Baywood Park; KURQ-FM in Grover Beach; KATJ-FM in George; KIXA-FM in Lucerne Valley; KIXW-AM and KZXY-FM in Apple Valley; and KRSX-FM in Yermo; and KBLU-AM, KQSR-FM, and KTTI-FM in Yuma, AZ. Los Angeles-based Frontier Capital is headed by Jason Wolff.

RadioWorld: Volvo is offering HD Radio as standard equipment for most models in the coming 2009 model year

RadioWorld: Internet Radio in the Car: More Than a Test Drive? An RW reader writes to Guy Wire: “My results suggest that TODAY, as long as you’re in a metropolitan area, you can obtain near CD-quality streaming audio as you motor around town in your automobile, and not miss a beat.”

The Wires (Nov 30, 2007)

Inside Music Media: From Jerry Del Colliano -- With Yahoo and Time Warner considering shutting down their web radio services due to the potential of a 38% increase in royalties, how does that bode for Internet radio? Will Internet radio be at a disadvantage vis-a-vis terrestrial radio if streamers can’t afford to operate? Hell, if big mega companies like Yahoo and Time Warner can’t afford to operate, how does paying high royalties for music work for the tens of thousands of small Internet streamers?

XX Sports To Air Green Bay at Dallas Game (Nov 29, 2007)

The Green Bay at Dallas Game is part of the NFL Thursday Night Football package distributed by Westwood One The announcers for this game are Dick Enberg and Dennis Green.

Westwood One also has the Sunday Night, Monday Night, and Saturday Night games, as well as the Sunday Afternoon Doubleheaders. WWI also has the NFL Playoffs, The Sup...um...we have to call it the Uper-Say Owl-Bay here, as well as the Pro Bowl in case anybody cares.

Meet Amy Radio (Nov 29, 2007)

Sounds of cats hissing at each other.

It's an Amy of one as Star 94.1 introduces Amy in high definition on its HD2 channel.

"Amy is her own thing. She has her own vibe. She was once rebellious and is now adventurous, eclectic and alternative in her style as a Modern AAA format featuring songs from artists like: Annie Lennox, Indigo Girls, Sheryl Crow, KT Tunstall, Jack Johnson, Norah Jones and Chris Isaak... now commercial-free from your computer!

"You can listen to Star on an HD Digital Radio (HD1 frequency: 94.1-1) or our new sister station Amy on an HD Digital Radio (HD2 frequency: 94.1-2)."

Does this sound like a clone of Sophie?

Make a Wish with KSON (Nov 29, 2007)

We've teamed up with some of the top names in Country Music to bring you a holiday show that only KSON can provide...Carols By Candlelight starring Billy Ray Cyrus (the father of Hannah Montanna star, Sat. only), Collin Raye, Joe Nichols, Juice Newton, Carter's Chord and Buck Howdy with B.B. Two nights of your favorite holiday music, live at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido on December 7th & 8th!

All proceeds from this show benefit children diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses through the Make-A-Wish Foundation here in San Diego.

Get tickets online here!

All Christmas Stations in San Diego Yet? (Nov 29, 2007)

As for the Internet side (sorry folks), KYXY's, KSON's, and KIFM's websites have Christmas music channels online and it's streaming from their websites http://www.kyxy.com/, http://www.kson.com/, and http://www.kifm.com/

Since many of them have HD2 channels, and are planning to have HD3 channels, would it make sense for KYXY to launch a Christmas channel on an HD3 channel? How about KSON's christmas on HD2? KIFM isn't broadcasting in HD yet. Maybe Star can launch one on an HD3 channel. More about HD radio next week.

I forgot to check the radio stations to see if any of them were playing Christmas music this past weekend after Thanksgiving (blame football for that). Some might be playing Christmas music on the weekends until a week before Christmas, then some might go all Christmas right up until then.

Podcast of the Week (Nov 29, 2007)

The Wires (Nov 29, 2007)

Inside Radio: Web radio royalty may silence Yahoo, AOL. The two Internet giants say an impending 38% increase in royalties to the record labels will likely lead to an end to their web radio service. Yahoo's Ian Rogers tells Bloomberg "We're not going to stay in the business if cost is more than we make long term." AOL's Lisa Namerow agrees "the current math doesn't add up." Terrestrial radio operators are also facing a big increase for their webcasts. YAHOO and AOL stopped directing users to their radio sites after SOUNDEXCHANGE, the WASHINGTON-based group representing artists and record labels, began collecting the higher fees in JULY. YAHOO is promoting a music service offering videos and songs for sale rather than its LAUNCHCAST, the largest Web radio site, ROGERS said.

Inside Music Media: From Jerry Del Colliano -- It's the Custer's Last Stand of radio and the carnage is everywhere. Imagine, all those digital channels with nothing to listen to. And no digital radios to listen on + Group owners attack the ratings technology that it will eventually have to embrace causing everyone including agencies and buyers to question its viability. I see several radio groups taking credit for derailing the Arbitron People Meter (PPM) rollout in many of the top markets. I've said it before and I'll say it again, they have some legitimate methodology and response concerns. But once you've destroyed the very instrument that you're asking advertisers to rely upon -- what kind of victory is that? It's stupid -- like a lot of other strategical blunders in radio

FMQB: FCC Approves LPFM Expansion In Late Night Meeting. Tuesday's FCC open meeting was delayed almost 12 hours, but got underway in the evening with a number of decisions made by the Commission. Including in the agenda was an adoption of multiple rules to promote the growth of Low Power FM (LPFM) stations. The "Low Power FM Third Report and Order and Second Notice of Proposed Rule" adopts a number of rules and policies which are "designed to foster and protect LPFM radio service which creates opportunities for new voices on the airwaves and to allow local groups...to provide programming responsive to local community needs and interests." The major points of the order include allowing the transfer of LPFM licenses "subject to significant limitations," reinstating the importance of local ownership of such stations and noting that automated programming does not meet the required standards. Read the rest of the article at FMQB.

Radio and Records: Rules Could Remove Third-Adjacent Channel Protections. Inside the bundle of new LPFM rules adopted by the FCC late Tuesday evening (Nov. 27) is a procedural framework for considering short-spacing waivers for second-adjacency channels when possible. The package also included a proposal for consideration of a future rulemaking that could allow LPFM stations to be placed still closer to existing full-power channels by removing third-adjacent channel protections.

The Wires (Nov 28, 2007)

Crain's NY Biz: From Amanda Fung -- Verizon Wireless is the first major wireless carrier to open its network to cell phones and mobile devices sold by its competitors, which means that customers will now be able to switch wireless carriers without having to buy new phones. “The wireless industry is being reshaped,” said Jeff Kagan, telecom analyst at Kagan Research. “We are moving toward a customer-oriented industry"

Inside Music Media: From Jerry Del Colliano -- Radio used to be called "Home of the Hits". But not so today as young listeners turn elsewhere for music. A longtime friend of mine -- a well respected radio figure -- wrote to me the other day that he put the big question to a group of young people 19-24 at the family Thanksgiving celebration. He wanted to know -- where do you get new music?

Jimmy Rabbitt: In Rock 'n Roll Music History, "Incense and Peppermints" by The Strawberry Alarm Clock hits the top of the Billboard Top 40 chart this week in 1967. Originally intended as a 'b-side', the lead vocal is actually that of a friend of the band, 16 year old Greg Munford, who was just hanging around during the session. The 'A-side' of the record was actually the keyboard player, Mark White, singing a song called "Birdman Of Alcatrash"

Happy Hare: I am temporarily putting my promised Internet radio treatise on hold in order to take up the cudgel in a battle against the theft of the time honored name, “Happy Hare.” Maybe it’s just as well that I defer my treatise, as I have only been in it for four weeks. In my defense, several experts deflected my requests for their counsel, writing that they don’t know much about it either. Radio abhors a vacuum, even the vacuum tube, which was replaced as fast as someone could think up a good substitute, the transistor. Who feels sufficiently qualified to question my expertise? Raise your hands. Nobody?

Bugs Bunny: "Eh, what's up, doc?"

KPIG Goes Into Syndication (Nov 27, 2007)

KPIG Radio is an award-winning “Americana” radio station that has long been known for its quirky sense of humor, unique music and live DJ format.

As the first radio station in the United States to stream on the Internet, in 1995, KPIG has created a loyal worldwide audience including original listeners of the famous KFAT (1976-1982), its predecessor, and the station continues to stream online at www.kpig.com.

Read the full article here from a redesigned Kurt Hanson website.

The Wires (November 27, 2007)

Inside Music Media: From Jerry Del Colliano -- Lots of radio people get upset when I write so passionately about how to reach the next generation. In many cases they are angry. They don’t care. To be blunt, they don’t understand them. Take my brethren in radio. They have neglected the needs of Gen Y while they were tending to their short-term needs (i.e., to make a bundle of money consolidating and going public). It’s not all their fault. New technology, changing sociological trends and economic considerations made the next generation potent agents of change. It was hard to keep up

Talking Radio: From Barooosk -- The newest "balanced" talk radio station KGIL/1260, which features Michael Jackson, the highest rated liberal talk show host in the 1990s, will make a significant move to increase it’s coverage and hopefully its ratings when XESURF/540 flips from country to talk tomorrow. KGIL/540-AM is the latest of several balanced talk stations to launch in the past two months. Others include 3WT/1500 in Washington and WTAN/1340 in Tampa