Moving terrestrial radio stations online is not the answer as evidenced by the failure of KUSF, the University of San Francisco station that yanked the station off the air and on to the internet. When the station was sold, KUSF told their listeners they weren't losing the cutting-edge rock signal, it was just relocating online. But things have not worked out and now the station is trying to kill the deal, with hopes of buying the signal. So, what went wrong? The audience dropped out once it moved online - that's what. According to the New York Times, Miranda Morris, fund-raising and marketing coordinator of KUSF, estimates that the station went from 30,000 weekly listeners at 90.3 FM, to about 20 people at a time listening online...
Ken Freedman, station manager at free-form radio station WFMU in New Jersey observed KUSF's failure, learning wisely in the process. Freedman says "It's not realistic for a terrestrial station to move online and maintain the same audience." Freedman, who's been helping KUSF, says a radio station needs both online and traditional broadcast components. WFMU has donated broadband to Save KUSF, a community volunteer group so they could begin streaming online as KUSF-in-Exile this past weekend. Irwin Swirnoff, leader of Save KUSF and a former music director calls their streaming "a temporary situation that will hopefully lead to us regaining a spot on the terrestrial dial." ...
KUSF's failure should provide a warning to any future radio property considering moving their signal online. Despite ongoing talk about terrestrial radio's demise, it's more than relevant - it's still a powerful force...
10 Timeline Memories:
1.1857] Devastating Quake: An earthquake in Tokyo, Japan kills over 100,000. One hundred fifty one years later earthquakes can still be a destructive force in Japan...
2.1952] Cleveland rocks: A riot breaks out at the "Moondog Coronation Ball" in Cleveland as Alan Freed aka "King of the Moondogs" hosts what many consider the spark that ignited Rock 'n' Roll...
3.1963] The Rock Closes: Alcatraz prison in San Francisco Bay is emptied of its last inmates...
4.1963] Wedding Bells: Barbra Streisand and Elliott Gould walk down the aisle. The marriage will last for 8 years...
5.1965] Marching On: More than 3,000 civil rights demonstrators led by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., begin their march from Selma to Montgomery (AL)...
6.1970] Earth Day debuts: San Francisco Mayor Joseph Alioto proclaims the day - Earth Day...
7.1980] Nyet!: President Jimmy Carter announces a U.S. boycott of the Summer Olympics in Moscow to protest the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan...
8.1980] The shot heard 'round the world: On the season finale of Dallas, J.R. Ewing is shot by an unseen assailant, leading to the question, "Who shot J.R.?" ...
9.1989] The Gambler: Sports Illustrated reports allegations tying baseball player Pete Rose to baseball gambling. My nephew Jim Gray interviewed Rose in 1999...
10.2005] A plea from the president: George W. Bush signs a newly enacted law in an attempt to order brain-damaged Terri Schiavo's doctors to re-insert the woman's feeding tube. A judge will later refuse the order...
2.1952] Cleveland rocks: A riot breaks out at the "Moondog Coronation Ball" in Cleveland as Alan Freed aka "King of the Moondogs" hosts what many consider the spark that ignited Rock 'n' Roll...
3.1963] The Rock Closes: Alcatraz prison in San Francisco Bay is emptied of its last inmates...
4.1963] Wedding Bells: Barbra Streisand and Elliott Gould walk down the aisle. The marriage will last for 8 years...
5.1965] Marching On: More than 3,000 civil rights demonstrators led by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., begin their march from Selma to Montgomery (AL)...
6.1970] Earth Day debuts: San Francisco Mayor Joseph Alioto proclaims the day - Earth Day...
7.1980] Nyet!: President Jimmy Carter announces a U.S. boycott of the Summer Olympics in Moscow to protest the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan...
8.1980] The shot heard 'round the world: On the season finale of Dallas, J.R. Ewing is shot by an unseen assailant, leading to the question, "Who shot J.R.?" ...
9.1989] The Gambler: Sports Illustrated reports allegations tying baseball player Pete Rose to baseball gambling. My nephew Jim Gray interviewed Rose in 1999...
10.2005] A plea from the president: George W. Bush signs a newly enacted law in an attempt to order brain-damaged Terri Schiavo's doctors to re-insert the woman's feeding tube. A judge will later refuse the order...
Music Memories:
- 1939] Recorded on this date: "God Bless America" - Kate Smith...
- 1964] Number One on this date: "She Loves You" - Beatles...
- 1970] Released on this date: "ABC" - Jackson Five (No other station in New York would introduce this song by plugging WABC at the time)...
"WRKO...The Launch" (Part 15) (March marks the 44th anniversary of WRKO Boston. All month long, I will be serializing the story behind the actual launch of what would become one of the country's legendary Top 40 radio stations and today continues to be a mainstay in New England with a N/T format)...
Chuck "Chuckles" Knapp (9pm-12Mid) was one of our most exciting disc jockies on-air and was well suited for nighttime, appealing to teens and 18-24's. Chuck would punctuate his shows with his famous "this is your leader" trademark shouts in between the music and maintain a frantic tempo throughout his 3 hours on the air, night-in and night-out. He was consistently fast and good at the same time...
Chuck, who hailed from Minnesota came to us from North Dakota where he hosted a daily radio show. He was one of those "baby D.J.'s" whose interest in radio started at the age of 14. At 17 he started his professional career and about 50 years later is still hosting a radio show in his native state. I heard from Chuck last week and I'll be sharing his thoughts with you when we get into our "Where Are They Now" segments. To hear an aircheck of Chuck, click here and go to "Talent Pages/Airchecks", "Chuck Knapp"...
Dick Burch (Overnights) had the shortest career of any of the original members of the Now Crowd - one night. No sooner had we launched WRKO, we were hit with a technician strike. AFTRA honored the picket lines and Dick Burch, who couldn't afford to wait out the strike, found a job elsewhere. More on Dick and the rest of the Now Crowd starting tomorrow...
The technician strike was unfortunate for both sides but it should be mentioned here that prior to and following the strike, we had some of the best technicians in radio. I'll single out a few who learned a new format quickly and formed a strong bond with our on-air staff. Since we had a union shop, none of our success could have been enjoyed without technicians who ran a tight board and maintained all of our equipment. Chief among them were: Harry Weinstein, Sid Gaynor, Chet Kelly, Tom Murphy, Jimmy Robinson and Gordon Brown. Thanks to George Capalbo for supplying us with a team of good, young technicians...
(Tomorrow: "WRKO...The Launch" - Part 16: Where Are They Now?)...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Matthew Broderick (49), Rosie O'Donnell (49), Stylistic's lead singer Russell Thompkins Jr. (60), Eddie Money (62) & Timothy Dalton (65)...
Timeline Countdown: 10 days until MLB Opening Day, 29 days until Passover & 35 days until Easter Sunday...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Matthew Broderick (49), Rosie O'Donnell (49), Stylistic's lead singer Russell Thompkins Jr. (60), Eddie Money (62) & Timothy Dalton (65)...
Timeline Countdown: 10 days until MLB Opening Day, 29 days until Passover & 35 days until Easter Sunday...
