The DEMISE of KFOG wasn't entirely a shocker; there's tons of reasons out there and Chuck Barney outlined my own reasons in the San Jose Mercury News.
KFOG was down and out long ago and never would recover. It's been well documented: FM Radio as a music conduit is simply no longer viable nor realistic. With the advent of satellite radio and more and more streaming outlets FM became and still is now a dud. The so-called "younger demo"--read: millennial -do not listen to terrestrial radio.
What works these days is brand certification and creativity. How does an Alice, 97.3 make it? Because they still have valuable and popular personality-driven shows like "Sarah and Vinnie." It's a tough hurdle to compete with limited advertising revenue and dwindled listeners but it can be done and it can be successful in today's marginalized world.
WHAT ENRAGES ME, also picked up in Barney's article in the Merc, is the almost joyful white flag quotes issued by Doug Harvill who seemed giddy at KFOG's demise and excited by KNBR's acquisition of an FM frequency to simulcast its mostly dreck radio.
NO, Doug, instead of echoing glee, you really should be saddened by the death of one of the nation's most valued call letters and a once-famous, if not antiquated FM radio stations that reached its abyss not so much because it failed itself but because of management incompetence and programming retardation.
KFOG had no choice but to fail because, yes, its main infrastructure was going down the toilet but with some creative infusion and a dedication to restoring its storied history, could have carried on in a new iteration based on personality and music variation. It didn't have to die even amidst overall FM decline but the lame -brain nitwits Cumulus cultivates like sharks on blood, prevailed and you know the rest.
KNBR-FM breathes and KFOG dies. The bosses at Cumulus on Broadway and Battery exult as if they just got bonuses from corporate. They willfully clap and cheer as one of their most valued properties is placed in an electronic casket. They DO NOT KNOW RADIO. They never have and never will.
It's not a surprise.
I didn't realize how bad the radio business could be. In a prior comment I already lamented the loss of KYA, KFRC, KLIV, KSAN and KMPX (yes, I'm an old guy), and forgot to mention KOME. I wouldn't mind an FM option/simulcast to AM 560 KSFO or maybe AM 810 KGO, but suppose I really don't need FM fidelity just for talk/news radio. I do get more interference in the evening particularly from AM 560, however. I understand it's an FCC requirement to reduce what could be even more interference nationwide for AM radio stations. I might switch and listen to the FM versions in the evening if FM versions were available.
ReplyDeleteBone to pick: "nobody/young people don't listen to radio anymore." Radio's weekly reach 18+ across the U.S. population is 92%. A larger weekly reach than ANY media. The weekly reach of U.S. adults 18-34 is 90%. Radio is not failing, more likely it's local programmers who are failing.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.nielsen.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019/06/audio-today-2019.pdf
IMHO, KFOG never rebranded successfully. Many Fogheads I know still listened to the station after the "March Massacre", programming's attempt to reformat for a younger audience. If the 55+ crew was still listening after that point(and many were), then the station probably wasn't attracting the number of young listeners the reformatted KFOG was seeking.
Let's bring back Boss Radio, and Music of Your Life, How about some Smooth Jazz? Beautiful Music? Let's do some Big Band. That was the bees knees back when I was a little shaver
ReplyDeleteTo the 4 Fogheads left when they turn out the lights next week: To everything turn turn turn...
There will always be a place for Rock and Roll on the radio!
DeleteHarry, Google 94.1 the lounge - out of Arcata; listen online.
DeleteThe two best classic rock stations I know are 96.9 Eagle out of Sacto, and a tiny little station out of Fort Bragg that I pick up along the North Coast.
95.9 The KRSH in Sonoma County. Pretty close to the KFOG format.
DeleteIt is as is! At some point Buggie Whips were no longer needed. FM was dead in the late 2000's as for AM without Cars 4 Crack Baby's and Fucking window Ad's it's done! Take the AM Spectrum out in the woods and put one behind it's ear!!!
ReplyDeleteM.Dung: "aaaaa-Waaaayyyyy…"
ReplyDeleteI remember one of my uncles telling me back in the 60s and 70s when the car radio had 5 presets on it, Most had them on 610-910-1170-1260-1590 aka KFRC-KNEW-KLOK-KYA-KLIV.
ReplyDeleteWhen KBLX was sold a few years back, the cloud company and Entercom both were after it. If Cumulus would got it instead of Entercom, it probably would've been a simulcast for KGO.
I remember our presets as 560, 610, 810, 1260, and another...maybe KLOK, KABL? or KNEW, good question!
DeleteI remember well when KFOG changed from it beautiful music format and started a great classic rock station. I was able to win concert tickets to Yes, Rush, John Fogerty, Crosby, Stills, and Nash. M. Dung was a wild man and one of a kind. I will miss it but truth be told I have rarely listened to it over the last ten years. When I did I enjoyed it but it was just another station. It had lost it's personality. Growing up with great bay area FM stations was a treat that today's kids will never understand but, life moves on. I just hate that it will just become another simulcast station of another bad station. Farewell KFOG. You deserve better than having the Bleeder drain the life out of you.
ReplyDeleteYes, the DJ personalities, Dave Morey's 10 at 10, what a run they had. But inevitably to be screwed up by disgusting cumulus know-nothings. And also an inevitability after the insane passage of the '96 Telecommunications Act.
DeleteKYA & KFRC devotees did launch respective Facebook pages dedicated to music from each station's glory years. I believe Gary Mora still keeps an eye on KYA's Facebook page (haven't followed the page in years, but I'm sure it's still there). Now we need any Facebook Foghead to do the same and start a page dedicated to KFOG's glory years. In the meantime, the Tricky Dickeys are still tight with the Giants' board, even with Lockstep's role reduced and the new GM not needing them as Zaidl is doing a fine job rebuilding the G-Men, despite their poor record at Oracle Park. It is an understatement to say life is unfair for those who miss KFOG when comparing here.
ReplyDeleteToo bad they didn't launch blogs for those of us who don't touch FB with a 10 metre pole.
DeleteDoes Dr Dimento know about this??
ReplyDeleteThinking about KFOG going dead reminds me of the time when Clear Channel pulled the plug on Smooth Jazz KKSF. I was heartbroken about this along with lots of others when it happened. The Bay Area really has lost a lot of legacy icon stations due to the corporate suits dictating who listens to what stations and who rules them. Same goes for TV as well. At least Sacramento and Napa stations are easy to follow and listen to and don't
ReplyDeletehave all the nonsense going on like the Bay Area does.