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Post by David on May 3, 2003 23:28:18 GMT -5
Does anyone on the board know if Simmons Media is making any money with KXOL since they bought the station last year? Maybe I'm missing something here, but I've only heard one commercial advertisement on KXOL since they tweaked the oldies format last September. How can Simmons afford to keep the station on the air with no support from advertisers?  |
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Post by x on May 4, 2003 8:42:30 GMT -5
Revenue from their other stations. Remember that the previous owner (name escapes me at the moment) never ran commercials there either.
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Post by David on May 4, 2003 11:38:33 GMT -5
Revenue from their other stations. Remember that the previous owner (name escapes me at the moment) never ran commercials there either. Brent Larson was the previous owner of KXOL and KSOS. I know Brent never ran commercials on KXOL, but I was under the impression that he didn't run ads on 1660 because KXOL was just a "hobby" for him. I'm just curious as to why Simmons hasn't turned KXOL into a commercial station like they have done with KSOS by simulcasting KZNS on 800 AM. |
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Post by Michaeljwyo on May 9, 2003 11:08:15 GMT -5
You hit the nail on the head David. Exactly. I did some engineering for Brent at KXOL and KSOS at the studios out there in Hooper. KXOL was just a "hobby" for Brent. He did it because he wanted to. Just for fun. He didn't care about commercials. I even remember him telling me that there were advertisers that called him to run ads and he told them "no". He didn't want to spoil the uniqueness of his station. It was commercial-free...all music...and fun for him. He liked it that way. No commercials, and yes, it was on purpose. I had even talked him into buying a C-Quam AM Stereo exciter so that he could go STEREO on 1660. I bought it, and the only problem we ran into was his MONO STL from Hooper out to Plain City. So he decided he didn't want to spend the $10,000 for a stereo STL and it never happened. The stereo exciter went in at KMER AM 950 in Kemmerer, Wyoming instead. Now I'm guessing Simmons uses some sort of digital line or equalized phone line to get the signal from 7th East out to Plain City. I'd be really interested to be IN the KXOL "studio" on 7th East. As far as I can tell, it's not easy to pick it up in SLC, and I guarantee ya it can't be picked up in SLC at night. Heck, maybe they don't have an off-air monitoring system for it. Might be that they just have some sort of Burk or Moseley unit set up so that it calls them if the transmitter goes off the air. I don't like the processing that they use. Sounds kinda tinny like it's in a plastic tube or something. Sounds almost like they're cutting off at about 7 or 8khz instead of going the full 10khz. Anyways....getting technical now. Yes, KXOL didn't run any commercials when Brent had it. It was a hobby for him and he did that on purpose. Brent's loaded and didn't need the money. He sold his 106.9 FM to (Simmons? ClearChannel? Mercury? WHOEVER) for a gargantuan amount of money. Plus he's got lots of other interests....so he's got lots of money.
Michael n WYO
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Post by x on May 10, 2003 17:17:42 GMT -5
So can I assume that KXOL didn't get stereo preference when it applied for an ex-band license? I'm too lazy to dig through the records now.  On day power, KXOL is pretty clear in the city itself. Getting down to Midvale or so it starts to get some interference from power lines if you're near a high voltage feeder, but it isn't that bad. At night, it runs into trouble about in SLC itself due to (I think) the meeting of the groundwave and skywave signals that cancel each other. I know it gets out pretty well and have read reports of fans long ways from here (like Montana). Disclaimer: I have a pretty darn good car radio. Factory Ford, but it's SWEEEEET. I can pick up KMXU in central Davis County with only a very small amount of splash from a pretty solid KBNZ one channel away. Oh, and KRAR (106.9) is owned by ClearMercChannel, as is KOSY. |
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Post by Michaeljwyo on May 14, 2003 10:21:17 GMT -5
Hey CA....you're right. KXOL, just like any other expanded band station did indeed have "stereo preference." That was an attempt by the FCC to push some stations to go AM Stereo after they had made their decision to make Motorla C-Quam the standard. Welp, they should have REQUIRED it, not PREFERRED it. Bottom line is, they PREFER it, but it's not required. I wish they had indeed required it....then that way ALL EB stations would be stereo. Alas, they didn't, and they're not. That's how Brent got around it and never did it. Notice KBJA isn't stereo either. Interestingly enough, KKWY 1630 in Cheyenne IS stereo......er uh...WAS. It's off right now. Been meaning to write to them and ask them why. It really sounded good. Also sounding good are the 2 radio disney stations at 1680 and 1690. 1680 is KAVT Fresno, and 1690 is KDDZ Denver. They're both stereo and both sound great!
Anyhoo....back on topic
Michael n WYO
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Post by Doh on May 14, 2003 13:47:14 GMT -5
Well AM Stereo is a dead issue with IBOC, shame really AM sounds incredible in stereo...hey Micheal I need to come up your way and listen to your AM up there!!!!!!!!!
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Post by x on May 15, 2003 1:37:13 GMT -5
I don't think AM stereo is dead. This IBOC (It's Broken Or Crap) nonsense isn't finalized yet. I've heard too many people saying it sounds terrible to think it's a slam dunk. Several people who have actually heard it say it sounds WORSE than analog AM, not better.
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Post by Michaeljwyo on May 16, 2003 11:50:31 GMT -5
IBOC DOES sound like crap. Back before the forum was changed I had quite the rant on IBOC. It is crap. It sounds like you're listening to a RealPlayer low bitrate feed on the internet. I'll take analog AM STEREO ANY DAY!!
Hey KC7....you're welcome ANY time! Come on up! I can REALLY show you the beauty of AM stereo. I'll let ya hear the genuine Motorola C-Quam AM Stereo modulation monitor here in the studio. I converted the Mitsubishi stereo in my car to AM Stereo as well...it's nice and WIDE so it sounds nice and crisp.
Just say NO to IBOC!
Michael n WYO
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