from the Dallas Morning News
January 7, 2001
Just in time for the new millennium, the Incubus has reared his scabby head in Dallas again.
Yeah, that's right - Howard Stern's back. After a 3 1/2-year absence, he's now on from 6-10 a.m. on KYNG-FM (105.3).
So, you know, run for your lives. Lock up the kids. Hide the silverware. Death has come to our little town.
Nostradamus himself saw it centuries ago: "And when the sum of the year is three, in the city by the River of Three, the sun will turn to black and there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth. Sackcloth will they wear, and they will mourn in ashes when the tall one with no eyes returns to tell poot jokes."
See, here's the thing: Mr. Stern is a pioneer, no question about it. He opened a door to new worlds in radio - worlds that made the old deep-voiced, fast-talking DJ sounds about as dated as, well, deep-voiced, fast-talking DJs.
Once he opened that door, thousands of DJs stampeded through it, wide-eyed at the notion that they could actually have fun on the radio.
Now, granted, "fun" is a relative term, and many listeners definitely don't consider "shock" radio fun. But for this argument, that's beside the point.
Mr. Stern's influence has spread to nearly every station in the country that doesn't play Sandi Patty records. There are DJs by the dozens trying to push the envelope, as they say, playing dodge-ball with the FCC and giggling over female anatomy and the less pleasant things our bodies are capable of.
And yet, when Mr. Stern comes back to town, it's still big news. He's still the quick-draw everyone's gunning for, the guy who makes headlines in the Wall Street Journal when his ratings slip a few notches.
And the reason goes well past his pioneer status.
Simply put, he's smart.
On Tuesday, his first day back in Dallas, he referred to himself as "Columbus, Magellan, Ponce de Leon, Galileo, Wernher von Braun, the Wright Brothers and Carrot Top all rolled into one."
How many DJs around do you reckon even know who Wernher von Braun is?
As is usually the case when someone breaks new ground, most of the broadcasters who have followed in Mr. Stern's wake latched easily onto the sensational but either didn't want to, or simply couldn't, embrace the mental aspects of the game.
Now that Mr. Stern is back in Dallas, you can bet that the letter-writing campaigns have already begun to try to bully sponsors away from the show.
But these people need to realize that it's too late. The game's over. The poot jokes aren't going away.
If the letter-writers succeed, the only thing they'll be doing is getting rid of the smartest guy out there telling them.
But it will be a futile effort, anyway. KYNG is owned by Infinity Broadcasting Corp., which syndicates Mr. Stern's show. That company is owned by Viacom, which owns CBS. Mr. Stern is on much more solid ground now than he was at his previous station, "The Eagle" KEGL-FM (97.1), which was owned by Nationwide Insurance.
Meanwhile, the question remains: What effect will Mr. Stern have on the Dallas morning-drive ratings?
Look for a big spike at first. Chances are that shows with listeners anywhere close to his demographics will take a hit. That could mean anyone from Dunham & Miller at KTCK-AM (1310) to Jagger & Ryan at "The Edge" KDGE-FM (102.1).
But reaching No. 1 is going to be next to impossible. Kidd Kraddick at "Kiss FM" KHKS-FM (106.1) is a monster in morning drive, and his listeners aren't the kind to be lured away by Mr. Stern.
Still, it should be fun to watch.
--snips--
from the Dallas Morning News
January 3, 2001
Proclaiming himself an accident of two people who should never have had children, Howard Stern returned to the Dallas airwaves Tuesday after a 3 1/2-year absence.
Mr. Stern, whose syndicated show airs from 6 to 10 a.m. weekdays on KYNG-FM (105.3), also described himself as "a broadcaster that has historical significance" during an on-air news conference Tuesday morning. The show originates in New York.
"I broke the shackles of conventional radio by speaking what is on my mind," he said. "I'm Columbus, Magellan, Ponce de Leon, Galileo, Wernher von Braun, the Wright brothers and Carrot Top all rolled into one."
Mr. Stern was last heard in Dallas on "The Eagle" KEGL-FM (97.1). The show was dropped by station owner Nationwide Insurance in July 1997 after five years in Dallas. Nationwide said the show was too hard to sell to advertisers.
But KYNG vice president and general manager Reid Reker said Tuesday that his sales staff had been eagerly awaiting Mr. Stern's return.
"When all the rumors started flying that Howard might be coming, we had advertisers on hold waiting to see if he would come before they placed their advertising, because they felt so strongly about the results that Howard is able to produce for them," Mr. Reker said.
KYNG switched from "Young Country" to FM talk in April and planned to air Mr. Stern's show immediately. But rumors that he might not renew his contract with Infinity Broadcasting prompted station officials to wait. Russ Martin, who was hired for afternoon drive, filled in and earned impressive ratings. He began working the 2 to 6 p.m. shift Tuesday.
Mr. Reker said that while the last eight months have been difficult for everyone involved, "I'm sure the wait will be worth it. We're just happy to have been the guys to bring Howard back to Dallas."
Mr. Stern said Tuesday that he was "anxious to resume my broadcasting back in the Dallas area."
He also addressed the Hispanic audience in Dallas briefly and made veiled references to the controversy over his criticism of Tejano music following Selena's murder in March 1995.
"If we do go to No. 1 in Dallas ... I cannot return to Dallas, Texas, because, as you know, there are several warrants out for my arrest," he said. "And if I do become No. 1 in Dallas - which I will - I will fly over and drop leaflets in celebration."
Harlingen Justice of the Peace Eloy Cano issued an arrest warrant for disorderly conduct against Mr. Stern after the broadcaster's comments following Selena's murder.
But Mr. Cano is no longer on the bench, and court administrator Mary Garcia said Tuesday that the warrant was dismissed "a while back."
from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
January 2, 2001
Perhaps anything that happens after a 3½-year wait will feel a little anticlimactic, but Howard Stern's return to Metroplex radio yesterday turned out to be surprisingly low-key.
Stern, who was dropped from rock station KEGL/97.1 FM, "The Eagle," in July 1997, hit the air with his syndicated show at 6 a.m. yesterday on talk station KYNG/105.3 FM, "The Talk ... That Rocks." The 46-year-old "shock jock," who recently signed a five-year contract renewal with KYNG owner Infinity Broadcasting, appeared to be easing back into his groove after a two-week vacation, spending the first hour of his program talking about his trip to the Caribbean island of Anguilla and mocking or praising Christmas gifts he'd received from his on-air crew and from various celebrities.
But aside from referring to one caller as the first ditz of the new millennium (she responded by referring to Stern by an unprintable moniker), Stern was fairly tame until an on-air news conference with a handful of Metroplex reporters and one passionate Stern fan patched in from the KYNG studios in north Dallas.
"I am the genius of me," Stern said during his opening remarks. "I am a prophet -- and a prophet of the new millennium. ... The only bigger news would be if Lee Harvey Oswald himself returned to Dallas."
Stern teased Cathy Calder, who founded an organization called Save Our Stern when the Eagle, then owned by Nationwide Insurance, first indicated that it would drop his program in 1997. But the kidding was good-natured, and Stern suggested that Calder -- who participated in the conference -- deserved a prize for her dedication. Calder's participation helped jazz up a session that focused on Stern's lack of an official Web site, his antipathy for fan sites, his mixed emotions toward President-elect George W. Bush, and his 1999 split from his wife, Alison.
Despite references to lesbian kissing and other sexual shenanigans, Stern didn't truly move into the politically incorrect territory he's known for till about 8:30 a.m., when he discussed an "accident" that happened to associate producer KC Armstrong during sex with his girlfriend.
No one came to the station to protest Stern's return, and KYNG Program Director Bob McNeill said the buzz at the station was strongly positive.
"We really feel now that we have a radio station that makes sense," McNeill said of the station's new lineup, which moves the previous morning man, Russ Martin, to the 2 to 6 p.m. slot. "I think, in a few days, there'll be a bigger reaction to Stern. His coming back right after the holidays lessened the impact. The word really isn't out there yet on Howard."
--snips--
from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
December 23, 2000
By Robert Philpot
Not gonna let that stop me from my original plan, but, of course, I'll have to adapt. At this point, though, Stern's return is almost anticlimactic. Stern strung his listeners along so long, threatening not to renew his contract, hinting that he might ditch radio for good, that he began to sound like he was crying wolf. Although he might have been sincere, the perception was that he was just trying to grab attention. After all, he's on in fewer markets than he used to be, and his ratings are flagging in some of the ones he's on now. But now that he's re-upped with Infinity Broadcasting, and KYNG has confirmed he's coming back, it's kind of like . . . well, yeah, it's about time, but we knew it all along, didn't we?
The Metroplex airwaves that have been without Stern since late July 1997 weren't the same airwaves we have now, and although you can bet Stern will get off to a roaring start, the competition is much stronger. Hip-hopper KBFB/97.9 "The Beat" and Top 40 KRBV/100.3 FM "Hot 100" are programming and marketing themselves aggressively, putting dents into sleeping giants such as urban KKDA/104.5 FM "K104" and Top 40 KHKS/106.1 FM "KISS-FM." Veterans like oldies KLUV/98.7 FM's Ron Chapman have renewed morning power.
Obviously, the target demographics for these stations are different from Stern's, and if early email is any indication, he still has a large Metroplex following. But he's coming back to a bigger radio crowd. And even though KYNG should get a spike from his return, let's face it -- it's not the most visible station in the Metroplex; even with Stern, it'll face an uphill battle.
Stern will air from 6 to 10 a.m., probably going long most days. Current morning man Russ Martin will move to the 2 to 6 p.m. slot. Current afternoon guy A.W. Pantoja, who was already rumored to be looking for other employment, will leave the station.
--snips--
from the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram
December 20, 2000
After an absence of nearly 3½ years, shock jock Howard Stern will return to Fort Worth-Dallas radio Jan. 2, adding a highly rated, controversial voice to a volatile market.
The 46-year-old self-proclaimed "King of All Media," who signed a new five-year contract with Infinity Broadcasting last week, will air from 6 to 10 a.m. on KYNG/105.3 FM. Stern had been rumored to be coming to the Infinity-owned station since April, when the station switched from a country-music format to a "hot talk" station with a logo that befits Stern: "The Talk ... That Rocks."
Stern has been off the radio airwaves in Fort Worth-Dallas since late July 1997, when rock station KEGL/97.1 FM "The Eagle" pulled the plug on his show. Representatives for the station, then owned by Nationwide Insurance, said at the time that although Stern had the No. 1 show in the market, leading advertisers avoided it because of its often politically incorrect and graphically sexual content.
"He's delighted to be back in Dallas," Don Buchwald, Stern's agent, said on behalf of his client, who was on vacation and unavailable for comment. "He has a large constituency there that was unhappy when Nationwide Insurance performed the way that it did, back when it did, and they'll be happy to see him back."
But Stern also has a legion of detractors that wish that he would stay away. During his 1992-'97 days on the Eagle, Stern was most notorious for remarks he made after the 1995 slaying of Tejano singer Selena, ridiculing not only the singer's music but her largely Hispanic fan base. Mexican-American groups were outraged and organized boycotts of Stern's show and its sponsors. Stern later apologized, but some Hispanic groups said his apology was unacceptable. The incident led Stern to cancel a December 1995 Dallas book-signing for his second book, 'Miss America,' saying he didn't want to incite a riot.
Stern's impending arrival is just one part of a huge shakeup in morning shows at year-end. Three-month-old hip-hop/R&B station KBFB/97.9 FM "The Beat" began airing former Dallas DJ Russ Parr's syndicated show Dec. 8, on the same day that KEGL/97.1 FM brought former San Jose, Calif., jock Mikey to town. And Top 40 station KRBV/100.3 FM "Hot 100" will bring Austin personalities JB and Sandy to town beginning Jan. 2.
Current KYNG morning man Russ Martin -- who took the morning-show reins at KEGL after the station canned Stern, then jumped to KYNG when the station went to its talk format -- will move to the 2 to 6 p.m. slot to make room for Stern. Current afternoon personality A.W. Pantoja, whose show is the only holdover from KYNG's days as "Young Country," will leave the station to pursue other interests.
from the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram
December 16, 2000
If you thought the presidential election dragged on, think of the Howard Stern saga. His contract negotiations with Infinity Broadcasting went on for so long, it was beginning to look like it would be an "Infinity" before he made up his mind. On Friday morning, though, he announced that he re-signed -- for five years.
That means he'll be back on the air in Fort Worth-Dallas, right? On Infinity-owned KYNG/105.3 FM "The Talk . . . That Rocks," right? Ending that 3½-year absence, right?
Well . . . maybe. Probably. But not definitely.
"I don't know yet," said Reid Reker, KYNG's general manager and vice president. "I talked to my boss this morning, and there's no official start date yet. All I can tell you is the words have not been said that Howard will be on KYNG."
Reker is being very cautious. That's understandable -- how would you like to be the guy who said that Stern is definitely coming back, only to have it not happen? Yet the speculation all along has been that if Stern re-signed, KYNG would air him in the morning, moving Russ Martin to the 2-6 p.m. slot. At one point, afternoon guy A.W. Pantoja looked like he would move to the 10 a.m.-2 p.m. slot, but that's looking a little more iffy.
And in the weird world of newspaper deadlines, it's possible that something will change after this goes to press. But all I can say right now is that Stern is on vacation for the next three weeks, and if I were a betting man, I'd say he'd be on the air here in January. But if I were a betting man, I wouldn't bet on anything in the Metroplex radio market except that the more things change, the more they stay insane.
--snips--
from the Dallas Morning News
December 16, 2000
Howard Stern signed a new contract with Infinity Broadcasting on Friday morning, all but ensuring his show's return to Dallas.
Officials at Infinity-owned KYNG-FM (105.3) - who have been awaiting word of a new contract for months - said Friday they couldn't comment until they learned when the show would begin airing locally.
Earlier in the week, KYNG vice president and general manager Reid Reker denied a Dec. 9 report in the The Dallas Morning News that Mr. Stern would soon return to Dallas, telling one trade publication that the story contained "absolutely no truth ... whatsoever."
But Mr. Stern held a news conference on his show Friday to discuss his new deal, which will likely bring him to Dallas by early next month. He was joined on the air by his agent, Don Buchwald, and by Mel Karmazin, president and chief operating officer of Infinity owner Viacom.
According to the Web site King of All Media, Mr. Stern good-humoredly said at the news conference, "Mel thinks I got more than I deserve - I think I got less."
Mr. Stern could not be reached for further comment. But in a telephone interview later Friday, Mr. Buchwald confirmed that "a deal has been made, a long-term deal whereby he will continue to work with Infinity."
Asked about widespread reports that Mr. Stern signed a five-year contract, Mr. Buchwald said, "I heard something like that." He declined to discuss financial details.
"From our end, we're very pleased," Mr. Buchwald said. "Howard's been working for Mel for a long time, and that will continue. It's a unique situation these days in the entertainment industry when people stay together this long - I think it's been 20 years now. ... And I think they've enhanced each other's lives, and from my part I think it was a good decision for Howard."
Mr. Karmazin said that Infinity is "really happy, and I think the people who've won the most have been the fans. ... They're going to be able to enjoy listening to him every morning again."
Cathy Calder, founder of the Save Our Stern (S.O.S.) fan club in Dallas, which has lobbied nonstop for Mr. Stern's return, said she was thrilled by the news.
"I feel totally elated," she said, "not only for myself, but for all the Howard fans from around the Metroplex who have put in so much hard work."
Meanwhile, the executive director of the Dallas Association for Decency was fielding phone calls Friday from concerned citizens.
"I'm disappointed he's on the air, period," Dan Panetti said. "I'm disappointed Infinity signed him. I think his show is just a mark of where the culture is. That his show is in the definition of humorous or entertaining - it's embarrassing."
Mr. Panetti said it was too early to know how the association would respond to Mr. Stern's return.
KYNG switched from "Young Country" to "Hot Talk" in April and planned to air Mr. Stern's show, with former KEGL-FM (97.1, "The Eagle") morning man Russ Martin in the afternoon-drive slot.
But when questions arose about Mr. Stern's commitment to continuing his radio career, KYNG officials made a last-minute decision to put Mr. Martin on in morning-drive until Mr. Stern plotted his course.
Mr. Martin immediately began bringing in top-10 - and, in some demographic groups, top-five - numbers in a time slot that had once languished in the 20s.
Mr. Martin could not comment Friday, but he has previously said that he would not mind moving to the afternoon-drive spot once Mr. Stern returns.
Nationwide Insurance, which once owned KEGL, dropped Mr. Stern's show in July 1997 after nearly five years in Dallas, citing problems finding advertisers.
His show ranked No. 1 from summer 1995 to summer 1996 and in one more ratings period before it was dropped.
Thanks to RobK for sending this story in...
from the Dallas Morning News
December 9, 2000
Howard Stern will be on the air in Dallas in January, the program director of KYNG-FM (105.3) said Friday.
"Highly placed sources at corporate have assured us that we will have him after the first of the year," Bob McNeill said. "Three people at Infinity [Broadcasting] have said that he will be here."
Mr. McNeill said he doesn't know exactly when Mr. Stern will return, but that it could be as early as Jan. 8. He said Mr. Stern will be on vacation through the first week of January.
KYNG switched from "Young Country" to "Hot Talk" on April 3 and planned to air Mr. Stern's syndicated show during the morning-drive period.
But the host's ongoing contract negotiations with Infinity prevented the station from making a deal. His five-year contract expires at the end of the year, and KYNG officials said they didn't want to put Mr. Stern on the air only to possibly lose him three months later.
Russ Martin, who was to be KYNG's afternoon-drive host, has filled in on morning drive and pulled in strong ratings.
Mr. McNeill said Friday he didn't want to discuss what changes might be made at KYNG once Mr. Stern's show begins airing.
Mr. Martin has said that he would not mind moving to his original afternoon-drive slot should Mr. Stern return to Dallas.
Mr. Stern was dropped from "The Eagle" KEGL-FM (97.1) by station owner Nationwide in July 1997 after nearly five years in Dallas. His show ranked No.1 from summer 1995 to summer 1996 and in one additional ratings quarter before Nationwide dropped it.
The company said it had difficulty finding advertisers for the show.
Reports on Friday announced that Mr. Stern was telling his listeners that contract negotiations with Infinity "have sputtered" and that he estimated his chances of returning to the air at only 60 percent.
According to press reports, Mr. Stern has the No.1 morning show in New York City, although his numbers elsewhere are not as strong.
KYNG is owned by Infinity, which also owns Dallas stations KLUV-FM (98.7), KOAI-FM (107.5), KRBV-FM (100.3), KVIL-FM (103.7), KHVN-AM (970) and KRLD-AM (1080).
By Robert Philpot
--snips--
No crying in his beer: Don't think that Reid Reker, the general manager and vice president of KYNG, is upset that the station dropped its country format for hot talk, even if the station tied for 24th out of 35 ranked stations. Again, that's for listeners 12 and over.
"I don't look at the 12-plus numbers," Reker says. "I couldn't care less about 'em. The only thing I look at is the dayparts. Programming this station is like programming a TV station, and we decide which shows stay or go on the basis of their performance."
As always, Reker praised morning guy Russ Martin, who is practically holding the station together singlehandedly (OK, his crew helps, too) with his 6-10 a.m. show.
"We're elated with Russ Martin's numbers," says Reker, who says that Martin continues to score high with 18-to-34-year-old men - 105.3's target audience. "In virtually every male demographic, under time spent listening, he's No. 1 across the board."
The station continues to say it will pick up Howard Stern in the morning, but it doesn't know when; when it happens, Martin will move to the 2-to-6 p.m. slot, giving the station two strong drive-time tent-pegs. But as he did when he was at KEGL/97.1 FM "The Eagle," Martin is doing just fine without Stern.
--snips--
from The Ft. Worth Star-Telegram
September 16, 2000
By Robert Philpot
--snips--
Stern warnings: Ever since KYNG/105.3 FM became a "hot talk" station in April, the question has been not whether "The Talk ... That Rocks" would add Howard Stern to its lineup, but when it would add him. Answers have generally been along the lines of "We don't know yet," although one rumor is that it might happen late this month.
If it does -- and I have reasons to be skeptical -- KYNG will be the only station in Texas airing Stern-o (not counting TV stations, of course). RadioDigest.com reports that Austin's KJFK-FM recently dropped Stern.
Combine that with a recent Wall Street Journal story that Stern's ratings are in decline, especially in Los Angeles, where he has lost 20 percent of his audience during the past couple of years. The story reports that he has also slipped in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Miami.
"That wouldn't have any effect on whether or not he comes here," says Reid Reker, KYNG's station manager. So when's he coming here? "I honestly have not heard a thing," Reker says. The sticking point, as always, has been Stern's contract negotiations with ViacomBS/Infinity; once those contentious things are settled, he could be on the air here within days.
And don't expect him to have ratings problems here. Ever since KEGL/97.1 FM "The Eagle" ditched Stern in August 1997, loyal fans have been trying to bring him back. They're hungry for their Howard.
"I'm not worried," Reker says about Stern's ratings woes. "There's a ton of interest in him." And don't worry about morning guy Russ Martin, who has almost single-handedly kept KYNG afloat in its new format -- Reker loves him, and if Stern comes to town, Martin has an afternoon-drive slot waiting.
--snips--
from The Dallas Morning News
August 27, 2000
By Al Brumley / The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas radio market has more things hanging over its head at the moment than Carmen Miranda making out with Damocles.
--snips--
Second on the agenda is Howard Stern. Officials at KYNG-FM (105.3) have been held hostage by Mr. Stern's contract negotiations since April.
They could have put him on the air when KYNG switched from "Young Country" to talk, but they wanted a firm commitment. So the station went with Russ Martin and saw its ratings soar.
Still, if Mr. Stern signs the dotted line - and rumors abound that he has - Mr. Martin says he's more than happy to take over KYNG's afternoon-drive slot.
--snips--
from The Dallas Morning News
July 30, 2000
Perhaps you've wondered if Infinity Broadcasting made the right call in April when it flipped KYNG-FM (105.3) from Young Country to "The Talk That Rocks."
Well, here's something to chew on: A major radio market has three country stations. One switches to talk five days into the new ratings period. When the ratings come out, the other two don't even gain a full share point between them.
That's what happened in the spring Arbitron ratings released Tuesday. KSCS-FM (96.3) rose from a 5.0 share to 5.3 for third place. "The Wolf" KPLX-FM (99.5) rose from a 4.6 share to 5.2 for fourth place. That's a combined share-point total of .9.
KYNG, meanwhile, lost a full share point, dropping from 21st place to 27th (and leaving .1 of a point's worth of listeners tuning in who knows where).
Of course, we're speaking in theoretics here. There's no guarantee that the bumps at KSCS and KPLX came from KYNG. For all we know, Young Country's listeners might have flocked to "The Oasis" KOAI-FM (107.5), helping account for that station's dramatic rise from 13th to sixth place. Let's just say we can safely assume that Young Country's listeners didn't jump from Faith Hill to Kenny G.
KYNG program director Bob McNeill says Young Country had few dedicated listeners and shared most of its audience with KSCS and KPLX. That's why, he says, those stations didn't see more of a jump.
It's not surprising that KPLX benefited the most from Young Country's demise. The Wolf's success has hinged on its perception as the place where the hip line-dancers gather.
As for KYNG, while 27th place is nothing to feel peppy about, there's room for hope.
First, KYNG lost only one share point, a surprisingly small drop in light of such a dramatic format change. Second, there's the locker-room stylings of Russ Martin, who occupies the morning-show slot once held by A.W. Pantoja, who's now on in the afternoons.
Arbitron figures classify listeners dozens of ways, and each station has its target audience. Normally, we report the overall ("12-plus") figures, along with the ratings among listeners between the ages of 25 and 54, which are of interest to advertisers.
Occasionally, though, something extraordinary happens that demands we stray from our course.
In the spring ratings, among men ages 18 to 34, Mr. Martin's new morning show on KYNG earned a 7.5 share, up from a .5 - representing a jump from 27th to fourth place.
Among men 18 to 49, he earned a 4.4 share, up from .7 - 27th to seventh place.
Among men ages 25 to 54, he earned an eighth-place 4.1 share, up from a 23rd-place 1.0.
And women are listening, too. Among all listeners ages 18 to 34, Mr. Martin's show pulled in a sixth-place 4.7 share, up from a 15th-place 1.7 share.
"If there's ever been anything like this before, I've never seen it," Mr. McNeill says.
And then there's Howard Stern, who is still in contract negotiations with Infinity but who KYNG officials insist will be on the air in Dallas soon.
If that happens, Mr. Martin will move to afternoon drive, giving KYNG a rock-solid base upon which to build.
Given all this, you have to wonder about Mr. Martin's recent, inexplicable obsession with Dallas' No. 1 morning man, Kidd Kraddick at "Kiss FM" KHKS-FM (106.1). Mr. Martin is running a look-alike contest for Mr. Kraddick and his morning team on his Web site (you can imagine the entries), and he's even taking cheap shots at Mr. Kraddick's wife.
He's also urging listeners to keep him ahead of Mr. Kraddick in a meaningless Internet poll of the most popular radio personalities.
Apparently, this kind of trash radio still works, if you believe the numbers. But Mr. Martin is talented enough to succeed without resorting to such cheap shots.
Asked about this in a recent telephone interview, Mr. Martin refused to comment.
In other ratings news, there was much joy to be found last week at KRLD, where the morning news show beat WBAP-AM (820)'s morning news show among listeners between the ages of 25 to 54 for the first time in recent memory. KRLD ranked ninth with a 4.0 share; WBAP ranked 10th with a 3.6. The two stations also tied overall among listeners 25 to 54 at 12th place with a 3.1 share. By comparison, in spring 1999 WBAP was sixth with a 4.7 share, and KRLD was 15th with a 2.7.
Over at KLUV-FM (98.7), officials were relieved to be back in the hunt at 13th place with a 3.1 share after the winter ratings put them at 21st with a 2.0. When a station such as KLUV - which consistently hovers around the top 10 - takes such a drastic dive, you have to believe there was a burp in the Arbitron process.
Not so at Christian station KLTY-FM (100.7), though, which recently moved from the 94.1 frequency. The station dropped from 10th to 17th place - from a 3.5 share to a 2.2. But general manager Donna Fadal says it was inevitable.
"Every time you change dial positions, there's a correlation between that and your ratings," she says. "It takes time for new people to find you, and it takes awhile for old listeners to find you, no matter how many times you tell them."
She says that the new frequency is not as strong in areas such as Ellis County but that the station is picking up new listeners in Plano, Allen and McKinney.
As for KYNG, while 27th place is nothing to feel peppy about, there's room for hope.
KYNG program director Bob McNeill says Young Country had few dedicated listeners and shared most of its audience with KSCS and KPLX. That's why, he says, those stations didn't see more of a jump.
from the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram
Radio column By Robert Philpot
--snips--
Over at KYNG/105.3 FM "The Talk . . . That Rocks," morning guy Russ Martin is practically turning Kraddick into a game of target practice. Martin currently leads an online "favorite radio personalities" survey at deja.com, and he's campaigning for that poll in a way that would make James Carville grin and drool. Not only is he soliciting his fans to give him high ratings, he's also asking them to skew Kraddick's by giving the KISS jock low ratings. It's working -- Kraddick has dropped to 12th in the survey. They're the only local jocks currently in the Top 20; Howard Stern is in a speciously weak third place.
"I just love radio wars," says Reid Reker, KYNG's general manager and Martin's boss. Reker says he's delighted with KYNG's showing in its first quarter as a talk station, even though the station dropped from 20th in its last quarter as Young Country to a tie for 33rd in its first quarter as "The Talk . . . That Rocks." Again, that's in the 12-and-over ratings, and that's not what Reker says he's after.
"That's a beauty pageant," he says. "The 12-plus numbers are so insignificant in this business. Never are there [advertising] buys based on 12-plus numbers." Reker is more interested in the 18-to-34 male demographic, in which he says the station improved across the board. And Martin, who left hard rocker KEGL/97.1 FM "The Eagle" to become a charter KYNG talker, says that his morning block saw a 1,410 percent increase among 18-to-34 males.
And this is a station that is no longer wondering if it will get Howard Stern, but when. "I can't imagine that won't happen," Reker says, but he dismisses rumors that it will happen as early as Sept. 1. Frankly, I'd love to see it happen Sept. 5 -- that's when Ron Chapman heads from his well-worn KVIL/103.7 slot to KLUV/98.7 FM. Talk about a seismic shift if both happened at the same time.
--snips--
from The Dallas Morning News
April 16, 2000
With two weeks under its belt, KYNG-FM (105.3) is about halfway there toward living up to its new slogan, "The Talk that Rocks."
Infinity Broadcasting dumped the station's Young Country format on April 3, promising instead an FM talk station featuring "24 hours of morning shows."
They hired Russ Martin away from his morning gig at "The Eagle" KEGL-FM (97.1), kept Young Country's A.W. Pantoja and filled the rest of the day with syndication.
And it's that syndicated stuff that's hanging everything up.
Mr. Martin, initially hired for afternoon drive, is working morning drive right now until Howard Stern completes his contract negotiations with Infinity.
Sources say that once Mr. Stern signs on the dotted line, KYNG will take his morning show and move Mr. Martin to his original afternoon-drive destination. Station officials still decline to comment on the whole Howard affair.
Should Mr. Stern decide he's had enough of the morning-show grind, however, KYNG remains in good shape with Mr. Martin. Despite a gutless move on the part of KEGL owner Clear Channel Communications to hold onto most of Mr. Martin's bits as "intellectual property," the show has lost little of the steam that propelled it to consistent top-10 status.
But after Mr. Martin's local show and an hour of "best-of" clips from other shows, listeners are whacked in the head by Ed Tyll, a syndicated, mile-a-minute talker from Detroit who's about as relevant to Dallas-area listeners as tidal charts.
This is not a "morning show" - it's an AM talk show on FM.
Mr. Pantoja brings things back down to earth from 2 to 6 p.m., offering his humorous take on all things local.
Early evenings brings the well-known and popular Tom Leykis, syndicated from Los Angeles and easily the most gifted of the station's outside talent.
For some reason, a setting sun seems to change the dynamics in radio land, and Mr. Leykis' show doesn't have that "tin foil in the mouth" effect that Mr. Tyll's does.
The remaining shows - Love Linesand John & Jeff - air so late that it doesn't much matter what's on, although it is cool to have Love Lines back in town.
All of this could well be moot should Mr. Stern - the one syndicated host whose program does, in fact, sound like a morning show - join the team.
If that happens, there might well be some lineup juggling.
Stay tuned.
--snips--
from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Updated: Saturday, Apr. 8, 2000 at 17:19 CDT
By Robert Philpot
That's the new logo at KYNG/105.3 FM, which said goodbye to Young Country on Monday and said hello to a slew of new voices, as well as some old ones. Yes, it's a silly logo, but then, aren't most radio-station "brands" silly? I keep waiting for a station to dub itself "The 90-Minute Rotation" or "The Seven-Minute Commercial Block."
So just how much rocking did this talking do? It's probably a little too early to pass judgment, but new catch Russ Martin started off in style by cutting off the last Young Country song -- Garth Brooks' The Dance -- and playing a clip from Raising Arizona, with John Goodman shouting, "All right, ya hayseeds, this is a stickup!"
Martin and his crew proceeded to take a mixture of love-hate calls, with some fans welcoming him back to the air after his, what, two-week absence since leaving KEGL/97.1 FM "The Eagle," and others complaining about the format switch, only to wind up on the wrong end of Martin's sarcastic wrath.
Martin also spent a good deal of time mocking his former employer, and got a surprise of his own when he discovered that, for the first few days, anyway, his show would run from 6 to 11 a.m. instead of from 6 to 10. But he recovered well, and by Tuesday, his show started finding its groove. Remember, Martin has a talent for making his show develop -- he was responsible for bringing the Eagle's mornings back from oblivion after the station canned Howard Stern.
Speaking of Stern, speculation is still that he's coming to the station -- and that's why the morning block is five hours, instead of four. But Martin only has to do four of them now. "What we're gonna be running right now is a compilation of best bits between 10 and 11 a.m.," said Reid Reker, the station's general manager and vice president, who added that there are no developments on the Stern front. "We're using it to fill now because it's a new station, and we want people to know what we're offering."
What they're offering on weekdays is a mixed bag of morning-style shows and solo syndicated talkers. A quick rundown of the rest: Detroit-based yakker Ed Tyll from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Young Country holdover A.W. Pantoja and his gang from 2 to 6 p.m.; Los Angeles-based loudmouth Tom Leykis from 6 to 10 p.m.; the sex-advice show Loveline with Adam Carolla and Dr. Drew Pinsky from 10 p.m. to midnight. Overnights are filled with a repeat of the previous night's Loveline, from midnight to 2 a.m., and by the syndicated John and Jeff show, which leads back to Martin at 6 a.m.
Tyll is the oddest fit; his topic-driven show sounds like it belongs on AM, addressing such subjects as cloning, the possible Microsoft breakup and -- in the spirit of rocking talk -- a college course on pornography. Leykis also does a topic-driven show, but he's ruder than Tyll, and his abrasiveness works better in the new format. Both have that one-mike talk-show-host knack for twisting everything that callers say until it agrees with their argument.
Pantoja's locally based show has a loose, rowdy feel and makes for a more good-natured afternoon companion to Martin's morningfest. He also made the inevitable trip-up, once calling the station "The rock that talks." This must involve some major hallucinogens.
But so far, the show that sounds best is Loveline, for a few reasons: Carolla and Pinsky have been at this for several years on MTV. They have great chemistry. They both have appealing radio voices, and because they let callers drive the topics, they don't wind up beating a subject to death for an hour.
--snips--
from Radio Digest
April 4, 2000
Suffice it to say, this makes KYNG (105.3 FM), the new FM talk station that debuted yesterday morning in Dallas, a bit nervous. The long-rumored return of Stern to the Metroplex did not occur yesterday -- local guy Russ Martin, the former shock jock at KEGL (97.1 FM), was in the slot -- even though a slot still looks to be open for the King of All Media.
Apparently, Stern is still negotiating with CBS/Infinity over a new contract, and the network is leery of putting him as the anchor of a new format in Dallas for only a few months. Some sources indicate Stern's contract has nine months remaining on it, while others speculate it is set to expire this summer.
All that being said, KYNG switched from "Young Country" to "The Talk that Rocks" at 6 a.m. Monday. After a sentimental goodbye -- "The Dance" by Garth Brooks was the final song of the country format -- Martin burst into the studio to "kick all you hayseeds out!" For the next five hours, Martin resumed the lowbrow locker-room humor he made popular at hard rocker KEGL.
You'd almost think Martin's favorite target on this day would have been the confused Young Country listeners staring at their radios in complete disbelief. Instead, that honor belonged to KEGL, Martin's former employer. Martin claimed he received a certified cease-and-desist letter from Clear Channel Communications, which owns KEGL, over the weekend.
"I've not even been on the air yet to (talk about KEGL)," chortled Martin.
In addition to Martin in the morning slot, the station's line-up features Ed Tyll from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., A.W. Pantoja from 2 to 6 p.m., Tom Leykis from 6 to 10 p.m., "Loveline" with Adam Carolla and Dr. Drew Pinsky from 10 p.m. to midnight, and "The John and Jeff Show," hosted by John Boyle and Jeff Carroll, overnights.
Leykis, "John and Jeff" and "Loveline" are all syndicated out of Los Angeles. Tyll's syndicated offering originated from L.A. until last year, when he moved his act to Detroit and added a local shift at WKRK (97.1 FM) to his agenda.
"What you can really expect to expect is 24 hours of entertainment," Reid Reker, KYNG's vice president and general manager, told the Dallas Morning News. "We're not going to take ourselves too seriously."
Reker also referred to his line-up as "24 hours of morning shows."
"When you think 'talk,' you have to throw the other AM-station talk shows into another different category, because we will not be a news/talk station," Reker told the Morning News.
As for Stern, the $18 million or so he reportedly makes leaves him "vastly underpaid," according to New York Post radio writer John Mainelli, who is also a radio consultant and the former program director of New York's WABC (770 AM) during its heyday. Mainelli wrote recently in the Post that he surveyed radio station managers, talent agents, ad agency executives and radio-revenue reports before he obtaining this conclusion.
Stern is not unlike a cock -- that's a synonym for rooster, everybody -- strutting his stuff and posturing before the big contract cockfight with the CBS/Infinity cocks -- same definition except for a few notable exceptions -- this summer. Once he gets over himself and realizes that tepid television offerings like "Son of the Beach" isn't going to keep him rich and relevant, expect Stern to arrive for mornings in the Metroplex and bump Martin to afternoon drive.
from the Dallas Morning News
Is he or isn't he?
Not even Howard Stern's psychiatrist knows for sure.
In an interview with The Dallas Morning News on Wednesday, Mr. Stern confirmed that he is considering leaving radio.
"It could happen," he said. "I'm sitting, talking to the shrink about it. . . . I'm starting to wonder, 'When is it going to be that I have some free time?' "
This is relevant to Dallas radio because Mr. Stern's indecision and his ongoing contract negotiations with his syndicator, Infinity, have left what will soon be Dallas' newest talk-radio station in limbo.
At 6 a.m. Monday, "Young Country" KYNG-FM (105.3) will become old news. In its place will be a "hot talk" station featuring such syndicated shows as Tom Leykis, Ed Tyll and John & Jeff, as well as KYNG's own A.W. Pantoja. Russ Martin, who recently resigned as morning man at "The Eagle" KEGL-FM (97.1), will also join the fray.
Reid Reker, KYNG's vice president and general manager, says listeners can expect "24 hours of morning shows."
"When you think 'talk,' you have to throw the other AM station talk shows into another different category, because we will not be a news/talk station," he said. "What you can really expect to expect is 24 hours of entertainment. We're not going to take ourselves too seriously."
Mr. Reker won't comment on Mr. Stern except to say that he is under consideration. But sources have confirmed that KYNG was ready to put Mr. Stern's morning show on the air until learning of his ongoing contract negotiations with Infinity.
Mr. Stern said Wednesday that he would love to return to Dallas, but he's not sure he wants to sign a five-year syndication deal with Infinity. "Why does everything have to be five years?" he said. "I gotta figure out the long-range thing."
Mr. Stern said he has "been doing radio for a long time, and I love it." But he said the constant pressure of doing a daily show is wearing on him, although once he gets to the studio, he enjoys it.
"It seems like I want to go on with this," he said. "I don't know the answer." He said he expects to come to a decision in the next two or three weeks.
Should Mr. Stern not resolve his dilemma by 6 a.m. Monday, Mr. Martin will be the KYNG morning man. But Mr. Martin said he would have no problem moving to afternoon drive - the slot he was initially hired to fill - should KYNG pick up Mr. Stern's show.
And speaking of Mr. Martin, his former employer, KEGL, has staked an early claim for the Dumbest Move of the Year award.
Or maybe it should be Dumbest Non-move, as in not moving quickly enough to get Mr. Martin signed to a contract.
Mr. Martin did what many thought was impossible by bringing KEGL's morning show back from the dead. After a disastrous slide to 19th place in the wake of Mr. Stern's departure in summer 1997, Mr. Martin and his team slowly built one of the best, and most successful, morning shows in the city, peaking at No. 5 last summer.
But as the months passed, KEGL officials continued to drag their feet. When Mr. Martin finally got a contract to sign in December, he felt insulted.
"I found out what other morning shows were making in the top 10, found out what the average was, and still asked for less than that," he said in an interview last week. "Their counter-offer was, 'We're not going to pay that kind of money.' "
Mr. Martin also wanted some promotional support. "I told them that I wanted the morning show to be promoted in other media because it never had been," he said. "And the fact that we had reached No. 5 in the market without any promotion was nothing short of a miracle, especially for a show that had been left for dead after Howard Stern left."
When called for a response, KEGL general manager Tom Schurr declined to comment except to say that "Russ is entitled to his feelings."
When the KEGL morning show beat the legendary Ron Chapman last summer, "there were no internal congratulations at all," Mr. Martin said. "It seemed like contract negotiations became important only when the rumor that I was talking to KYNG started floating around the market [in the fall], and I was even confronted by management wanting to know if I was talking to other stations in the market."
At the time, he wasn't, and he said so. Ultimately, the rumor became fact, but not until early March, when KYNG finally came calling.
"We were playing poker, and I didn't even have any cards," Mr. Martin said. "Who would've known I would've drawn an inside straight?"
On the other hand, he said, "if I didn't get the contract I wanted [with KEGL], I was prepared to go ahead and quit."
This will have to go down as one of the most spectacular, and inexplicable, blunders in Dallas radio history. Sure, Mr. Martin would've taken an initial hit against Mr. Stern, but he represented KEGL's best shot at competing against the popular show.
Now, KEGL stands a good chance of having to compete against both Mr. Martin and Mr. Stern in the day's two most prestigious time slots, and that's a pretty strong hand.
from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Updated: Saturday, Apr. 1, 2000 at 16:13 CST
By Robert Philpot
Today is the last 24-hour broadcast day for the 8-year-old station, which makes its much-anticipated (or much-dreaded, depending on who you are) flip to an all-talk format at 6 tomorrow morning. It's being described variously as "morning shows 24 hours a day," and "a talk station with a rock 'n' roll attitude."
The bad news (or good, again depending on who you are) is that Howard Stern won't be part of the deal. Not now, anyway. At least, not as of press time.
Sorry for the nebulousness, but it's necessary. "Over the weekend, anything can happen," says Reid Reker, station manager and vice president. "All I have to do is get the phone call [from CBS], and it can all change." As for Stern, all Reker will say is that he remains a possibility.
For now, the station is scheduled to pay tribute to its best Young Country moments during the weekend. It will continue playing country music till 6 tomorrow, when former KEGL/97.1 FM "The Eagle" morning guy Russ Martin is scheduled to take the mike. "I can't wait to deal with the complaints on the request line," Martin says via email. "That's my favorite."
He'd better brace himself. Although Young Country had its irreverent side, its listeners probably still aren't used to hearing such morning topics as, to name a few that Martin says will be part of the show, "sex, dating, alcohol, masturbation, idiots, topless dancers, helping homeless animals [and] people I hate." He adds that he'll probably take a few digs at another radio station. Guess which one.
Accompanying Martin will be such cronies as his longtime Eagle buddy J.D. Ryan and "White Lightning" traffic reporter Jonathon Dodge (didn't he used to pilot "Blue Thunder"?). The Amazing Da Juana Byrd is scheduled to show up on Day One to make some predictions about the station. According to Martin's Web site (www.russmartin.com), other first-week guests will include Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.
The key word a couple of paragraphs back is "scheduled," since Martin could still wind up in afternoon drive. But I'm betting against that.
Among current Young Country staffers, A.W. Pantoja will remain on the air in as-yet-unspecified time slot. The rest of the day will feature syndicated shows, including Detroit-based yakker Ed Tyll; Los Angeles-based Tom Leykis, the No. 1 afternoon-drive host in LA; the radio version of the popular MTV sex-advice show Loveline; and an overnight show called John and Jeff.
"Our goal is to have at least three dayparts with local talent," Reker says. "The irony is, since morning shows typically use four to six people, we'll end up with more people in the station than we did when we were a full-time country station."
And what about entering a market that has three major AM news-talkers, an AM sports-talker and an FM noncommercial news/public-affairs station, to name just a fragment of the Fort Worth-Dallas talk-radio crowd?
"One thing that we've got that they don't have -- FM," says Reker, referring to AM rivals such as KTCK/1310 AM "The Ticket." "Signal alone is one of our sledgehammers. Signal and talent. And if you're wondering how we're going to fit onto that wagon, most of those stations emphasize news. News is not going to be an emphasis on this station. Entertainment is. This is not going to be a station that takes itself very seriously."
The fate of such Young Country personalities as Barb Flores and Stubie Doaks (a Fort Worth native who has been at 105.3 since before it was Young Country) is still to be determined. Keep ya posted.
--snips--
from AllAccess.com
March 31, 2000
NET NEWS as of FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 2000 Updated at 1:23p (PT)
MONDAY's scheduled flip of Country KYNG/DALLAS to Talk will include FISHER ENTERTAINMENT's midday ED TYLL show and nightly JOHN AND JEFF show.
from RadioDigest.com
March 28, 2000
Anyway, it's now all but official, and the station will make the big flip to talk next week. Over the weekend, the station struck a deal with Talk Production Network in which TPN will acquire weekend barter programming on the new station and will prepare those shows for national syndication.
Eager listeners in the Metroplex are abuzz at the prospect of Howard Stern finally returning to the region on the station. Stern has not been heard in that market since July 1997, when KEGL (97.1 FM), then owned by Nationwide, abruptly canceled the show.
Radio listeners can pretty much be divided into two camps: music people and talk people. In a large, but not exclusive way, those camps can also be divided as FM people and AM people.
A few weeks ago, a caller to KTCK/1310 AM "The Ticket" said it best. After mocking an FM station for ripping off one of The Ticket's routines, the listener said - and this isn't an exact quote, but it's close enough - "Tell those FM guys to play music. That's what they're there for."
Wonder what this guy will think when KYNG/105.3 FM "Young Country" becomes a 24-hour "hot talk" station in a couple of weeks. Station management confirmed the switch last week, describing the new format as "morning shows 24 hours a day." When I've repeated this description to friends and colleagues, they've looked at me as if I told them I just ran over their basset hound. But then, I hang out with music people.
Heck, I am a music person. I'd rather jump-start my morning with the new Oasis (the band, not the station) or a Stevie Wonder re- issue than listen to a bunch of chatter. But I realize that in Radioland, I'm in the minority. And I'm more curious about this "hot talk" format - which has also been described as having "a rock attitude without the music" - than I am wary of it.
The big question so far, though, is who's going to do the talking? Russ Martin, late of KEGL/97.1 FM "The Eagle," is a definite, and says in an e-mail to fans that he'll be allowed to spin music from his home collection (See? It's not all talk). That makes me curious - a station giving DJs the freedom to play what they want, even if they don't get to play it very often.
Station manager Reid Reker says that Young Country's A.W. Pantoja will remain with the station, too. As for scheduling, Martin says that he'll either be in morning or afternoon drive, but no schedule has been set yet (nor has an official debut for the new format). As for what else is going on, Reker said, "I don't have another piece of information for you."
Which brings up the Howard Stern rumor. The buzz is that he's gonna be back, and that KYNG will have him. Station management says that it is not in negotiation with Stern, but that he is under consideration. Stern's agent hasn't returned phone calls. But many in the radio community think that this is more than a rumor.
Now, you gotta wonder about a couple of things. First, if the station were bringing Stern back, why wouldn't it crow about it? Maybe the rumor is publicity enough; gossip travels fast in radio circles. Second, if Martin isn't definitely in the morning slot, who is the station holding it open for? Maybe Stern just isn't a done deal yet. Remember, the rumor about a Young Country format change had been going on for months before there was verification.
In a market where I often check certain stations in the morning just to make sure they're still there, all I can say is, stay tuned.
-- snips --
from FMQB.com
Up Front column
March 23, 2000
Former KEGL/Dallas morning man Russ Martin has been fielding questions from fans on his Web site about when he'll join the new station and in what capacity. Martin, producer Dan Lewis and morning team members Jonathon Dodge and J.D. Ryan exited the Eagle last week to join the new FM talkers staff. In a Web site posting, Martin said he would be on the air in mornings or afternoons, beginning April 3.
Other personalities and programming that the station is reported to be considering include Howard Stern, Fisher Entertainment's Ed Tyll and John & Jeff, Tom Leykis, and Loveline, as well as the station's current morning team. Stern was dumped by KEGL in `97 after nearly five years in the market.
Current KYNG GM Reid Reker, former PD of WCKG, confirmed that the station would be FM Talk.
"In the next two to three weeks we will be switching the format," Reker told fmqb. "We have some personalities set to go and some that aren't. Our current morning team will remain in some capacity and Martin will be on board in a shift that is yet to be determined. We don't have the rest of the line-up firmed up at this time."
Meanwhile, Infinity has cut a deal with ABC's Country-formatted KCSC in Dallas to sell it the intellectual property of the "Young Country" format, including KYNG's audience research.
Infinity FM Talker KLSX was one of last year's Top 10 billing stations in the country, according to BIA (see separate story).
-Sybil McGuire
from The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
March 21, 2000
After weeks of denials and no-comments, KYNG/105.3 FM management confirmed yesterday that the 8-year-old country-music station will switch formats in early April to a "hot talk" format.
"I'm trying to get this on the air within the next couple of weeks," said Reid Reker, the station's vice president and general manager. "It could be April 3, it could be April 10, but it's safest to say within the next few weeks."
The new format, which will join a crowded field of talk-radio stations in the Fort Worth-Dallas market, is being described as having a "rock attitude without the music." More accurately, it's a talk station with just a little music.
"The way you have to look at it is, it's morning shows 24 hours a day," Reker said. "Sometimes on morning shows, they'll play music, so if they want to occasionally play music here, they can."
"They" refers to the station's on-air staff, which hasn't been announced yet, with one exception: Russ Martin, who had been the morning-show host at rock station KEGL/97.1 FM "The Eagle" from about August 1997 until last week, when he resigned. In an e-mail to fans, Martin said that his time slot hasn't been determined, but that it will be morning or afternoon drive time. In other words, he could fill a 6-10 a.m. slot or a 3-7 p.m. slot, or a slot with similar hours.
Whether Martin gets the morning drive slot seems contingent on a radio industry rumor: that KYNG is bringing back morning shock-jock Howard Stern, who has been off the air in Dallas since being dropped by the Eagle in August 1997. But Reker says that he is not in negotiations with Stern.
"Howard is under consideration," Reker said. "It's always a possibility that we'll bring him on." Stern's agent, Don Buchwald, has not returned repeated phone calls for comment.
Another personality likely to be on the station is A.W. Pantoja, Young Country's morning-show host. Reker says that he doesn't know how Pantoja will be used, but that he will be an on-air personality.
In Young Country's eight-year life, it had battled the more firmly entrenched KSCS/96.3 FM and KPLX/99.5 FM for a slice of the ratings pie. In the most recent Arbitron ratings, Young Country placed 16th among listeners 12 and over, while KPLX - rechristened "The Wolf" a couple of years back - placed fifth and KSCS tied for seventh.
"What's going on here is that the country-music format, from both a revenue and ratings standpoint, isn't doing as well as it used to," Reker said. "When you look at three people being in this format, country music is not strong enough to support that many stations. ...There's just no superstars out there right now."
Talk radio, though, has even more representatives in the Fort Worth-Dallas market, with at least a half-dozen stations, some of which are noncommercial. The main competition for KYNG's new format would appear to be KTCK/1310 AM "The Ticket," which has taken an all- sports format and turned it into lively, often irreverent "guy talk" radio.
As for Young Country's current on-air staff, Reker said that their fates are so far undetermined, but that the station is doing what it can to find positions for them, possibly at other stations. "In certain cases, I'm sure there'll be some severance involved," Reker said. "But we're doing everything we can to help them."
After months of speculation, signs are pointing to KYNG (105.3 FM) switching from the young country format it pioneered to an as-yet-unnamed FM talk format.
The move has been speculated for months, but has been denied at every opportunity by station officials. When Russ Martin resigned from KEGL abruptly on Wednesday afternoon, he told the Dallas Morning News he had signed with a "400,000-watt station that is not ready to make an announcement yet," and that he had signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) regarding his new employer.
The last time an FM station used an NDA on its air staff to keep a launch a secret, the station was Infinity-owned KEWS All News 94.9 FM (now KWRD-FM The Word 94.9). By coincidence, Infinity happens to be the owner of KYNG.
Martin's style would fit the image of a hot-talk format nicely based on his career with KEGL. He has been working without a contract for several months at The Eagle, and declined what station officials called "their final offer" recently for a new contract to stay the morning host (rated No. 5 in his time slot 12-plus).
Other evidence pointing to a switch includes advertising buyers reportedly speaking of commercial availability on the Howard Stern Show "on 105.3 in April." Additionally, the Dallas Morning News reported Friday that Los Angeles-based Tom Leykis will join the station's lineup.
Sources, who asked not to be identified, spoke about syndicated talker Ed Tyll "being on 105 in Dallas next month (April), but the folks at the station don't know it yet."
Reid Reker, KYNG's general manager, speaking to the Fort Worth Star Telegram today, would not deny the switch would happen. "I can't comment on the subject at this time," said Reker.
Young country began its life in the early '90s, blowing out hot adult contemporary Star 105 and playing an electronic countdown that lasted all weekend before ending with "one, one, one, one," and then dead silence at 7:30 p.m. on a Monday evening.
After two minutes of background talk and sound effects, Stubie Doak announced to the Metroplex, "It's country!" (Long pause) "No, We're not kidding! We're going country!" and played the first song, which happened to be "Young Country."
Over the years, the station has been known as much for its publicity stunts as its music, which was one of the first to target a younger audience than the traditional country formats. At one point early in its life, a young country DJ told his listeners there were $100 bills hidden in the book stacks of the Fort Worth Public Library. The resulting damage to the library's collection saw KYNG giving a large donation to the library for repairs.
In 1999, Infinity, reacting to a downward trend in the acceptance of newer artists in country music, changed the name of the station to Superstar Country, and tried to re-create the spark that had people talking about them when they first launched.
Several months later, a "DJ's revolt" was begun by morning host A.W. Pantoja, leading to a return to the name Young Country, which some radio observers in the Metroplex believe was a publicity stunt.
Although some "hot talk" hosts, such as Leykis and G. Gordon Liddy, have been heard in the market before, there has not been a format devoted to the "in your face/I can't believe he said that" style heard in the Metroplex before.
As Infinity executives are still not speaking about the upcoming switch, a date for the new format's debut has not been announced.
from the Dallas Morning News
Young Country is out, and Howard Stern might be in.
Sources confirmed Thursday that KYNG (105.3) is switching to FM talk in two weeks and that the station is in talks with Mr. Stern to bring his nationally syndicated morning show back to the Dallas market.
The new station will feature the "hot talk" format, sources said. Among the personalities will be Tom Leykis, syndicated out of Los Angeles.
The switch will mark the end of the first station in the nation to bear the "Young Country" brand. KYNG signed on in January 1992, heralding a dramatic rise in the popularity of country music with such stars as Garth Brooks and the Judds finding their way onto playlists.
KYNG executives declined to comment. They also wouldn't say whether Russ Martin, who resigned as morning man at "The Eagle" KEGL-FM (97.1) on Wednesday, would be part of the new station's on-air team.
Mr. Martin declined to comment Thursday, saying he had signed a nondisclosure clause.
Mr. Stern, whose show is heard by millions each week, was dumped from "The Eagle" by station owner Nationwide in July 1997 after nearly five years. His show ranked No. 1 from summer 1995 to 1996, and he hit the top spot once more before Nationwide dropped it, citing difficulties finding advertisers.
Mr. Stern's show is syndicated by Infinity Broadcasting, which also owns KYNG.
Cathy Calder, who formed the Save Our Stern (S.O.S.) Fan Club after the show was dropped and has fought for his return since, said she was thrilled to hear Mr. Stern might be back soon.
"It's been a long time coming," she said. "We knew something was going to happen sooner or later, and there are going to be many thousands of Howard Stern fans from the whole metroplex to welcome him back."
Young Country, dubbed as "Top 40 for urban cowboys," soon went national as KYNG sold the rights to its name and format.
By November 1992, KYNG had more than tripled its ratings and risen from 11th to fifth place in the Arbitron ratings, while the more traditional country stations saw their ratings fall.
Over the last few years, however, country music's star has waned, along with its ratings. KYNG ranked 16th in the fall Arbitron ratings.
from the Dallas Morning News
March 16, 2000
An eagle has flown the coop. Russ Martin, the popular morning radio personality who replaced shock jock Howard Stern's syndicated show at KEGL-FM (97.1) "The Eagle," left the station Wednesday to "pursue other opportunities."
"We would have loved to have him stay, but we couldn't reach an agreement," said Greg Stevens, program director.
Mr. Martin won't reveal his new on-air home, saying he signed a "nondisclosure" that prevents him from divulging anything until the station is ready to make the announcement of his arrival. He does, however, say it's a 400,000-watt Dallas-Fort Worth station.
"From the information I have about the new station, this is going to be huge," said Mr. Martin. "It was really hard to leave the Eagle because that's been home for eight years. But the opportunity at the new station was just unbelievable. ... They have been really kind to me, given me a long contract, more money than I can spend on one night at a topless bar."
Meanwhile, Eagle midday man Chris Ryan will be temporarily moved to mornings. More music will fill the a.m. hours while Mr. Stevens finds a replacement for Mr. Martin, whose show ranked fifth in the recent Arbitron ratings.
"We'll try our best to forge ahead," said Mr. Stevens. "Every time there's a major change there's a possibility at least for the short term that there will be a major impact. Sometimes people don't respond well to change. But there's nothing we can do about that."
Thanks to robk for sending these items!
from RadioDigest, Dallas edition
January 27, 2000
Talking About FM Talk: Even more rumors are flying about Young Country 105.3 (KYNG-FM) changing its name and its format to hot talk. While a new 20-line phone system was installed at the Infinity-owned station's studios last week, program director Bob McNeil still maintains the station will maintain its country format. The latest rumor about Hot Talk 105 portends a March 1 launch date, and sources who asked not to be identified suggest that interviews for air-talent are being conducted at the station as you read these lines. On the other hand, Infinity chief Mel Karmazin reportedly nixed the switch at a manger's conference last week.
...Copied from All Access's net-talk, radio professional message board:
MEL'S WORLD - EARTH TO MEL!
Yesterday I left a meeting at Young Country in Dallas that was simply amazing. The management met with the air staff to answer questions about the possible format change that has been rumored for weeks. They admitted that they don't know what's going to happen and that Infinity Corporate is still trying to make up their minds as to the format change. This has been going on for over 3 months now. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to work at a station in limbo for months at a time? Don't the "corporate honchos" realize how impossible it is to sell under these circumstances? How absolutely idiotic. Can't decide what to do for 3 months? With that kind of outstanding leadership I suggest everyone sell Infinity stock as soon as possible.
youngkat, 01/27/2000 2:57:57 PM Message#25562
from: RadioDigest.com
September 15, 1999
By NancySue Krenrich Hamm
--snips--
Okay. Before I say "the H word," I want you to picture me waving a white flag. See? It’s waving. It’s white. I come in peace. No matter what I say here, please remember: I am not the one who dropped Howard Stern from the Dallas airwaves. Now, just repeat this along with me, "Don’t shoot the messenger ... don’t shoot the messenger ... don’t shoot ..."
Seriously, in my few weeks here at RadioDigest.com, I have learned one hard lesson in a very short time: Howard Stern fans are organized and often angry. (Okay, maybe they’re only angry when their Howard is taken from their ears.) But, they are organized. If an otherwise mostly harmless, mild-mannered radio writer poses a rhetorical question, like "I can’t help but wonder if Howard Stern was really that popular when he was still on the air in Dallas," the Stern fans will answer that question. And how. They do not want rhetoric, they do not want hyperbole, and they do not want flippant tongue-in-cheek commentary. They want Howard.
I had reported rumors that Merge933.net, the new interactive, internet/radio hybrid medium (formerly 93.3 FM The Zone) might be negotiating with the Howard Stern people. Obviously, there is a reason they call stuff like that "rumors," as opposed to facts.
I have recently been assured by Trey Morris, local sales manager for Merge933.net, that "Merge933.net is not negotiating with anyone with Stern, and we are not even considering the idea of Howard Stern for the station. Our morning drive will be a locally originated show and will debut in October."
If you’ll excuse me for just a second, I’ll use that aforementioned white flag I was waving to wipe the egg of my face.
--snips--
from: RadioDigest.com
September 8, 1999
--snips--
Tickle Me, Howard? As a writer who has always loved and followed radio, I jumped at the chance to write this column. However, nobody warned me about the inevitable flood of e-mail about Howard Stern.
He hasn’t been on the air in this market for over two years. So, if I was surprised to receive the first e-mail inquiring about a Stern return, I was shocked to receive the second and third and fourth, and that was all within the first few days after my very first RadioDigest.com column.
I can’t help but wonder if Stern was really that popular when he was still on the air in Dallas, or if it is just one of those "Tickle Me, Elmo" situations, where nobody really cared that much until Elmo was not available. That’s when he became a hot commodity. Or shall we compare Stern to a retired beanie baby (Beanie Howard?) that everybody must have. Why? Just because.
If it makes anyone feel any better, I am attempting to follow whatever trail there is of Stern coming to town. Yes, there are rumors he will be on the aforementioned Merge 93.3. Stay tuned.
NancySue Krenrich Hamm is a Metroplex-based freelance writer and can be reached at nhamm@radiodigest.com. Her column about the Dallas-Fort Worth radio scene appears every Wednesday in RadioDigest.com.
from the: Dallas Morning News
August 15, 1999
[Snip - Dallas mid-morning Arbitron info]
Beg your pardon?
Blues guitarist and singer Susan Tedeschi turned in a great opening set for the Allman Brothers Band at Starplex on July 24.
Then she dropped a bomb.
While thanking "The Zone" KKZN-FM (93.3) for playing her music, she told the crowd that "I hope they keep playing it when they change formats."
But Ms. Tedeschi had her information wrong, says Brian Philips, director of FM programming in Dallas and Atlanta for KKZN owner Susquehanna Broadcasting Corp.
Mr. Philips says the station will undergo some minor changes soon, but the format "absolutely will not change."
Then he said he was going to call Ms. Tedeschi and tell her the same thing.
from: fmqb.com
Susquehanna Progressive outlet KKZN/Dallas has appointed its third Program Director in as many years. SBR Creative Media's Scott Strong takes the position recently vacated by Joel Folger, who replaced original PD Amy Doyle, now with MTV. Strong's start date at The Zone will be sometime after the Boulder Summit, held August 18-21. His arrival will coincide with the station's "re-launch," expected before the end of the month. Strong previously programmed WVRV/St. Louis and KSD/St. Louis.
In other Zone news, former KTXQ/Dallas PD Andy Lockridge has been named Promotion Director, Barbara Luchsinger has been appointed Assistant Promotions Director, and Rob Konowitch has joined from KCHZ/Kansas City as Street Promotion Coordinator.
Susquehanna Director of Programming Atlanta/Dallas Brian Philips described Strong as "an imaginative, born leader who's truly had his horizons broadened by his consulting work. The national Rock radio overview he's developed at SBR will help us build a distinctive new position for KKZN."
"This is a rare, perfect opportunity for me to return to day-to-day programming," Strong remarked. "Susquehanna operates a bunch of wonderful radio stations, and I'm looking forward to working with Brian, Andy, and the rest of our team to elevate The Zone to greatness."
When asked about the results of the station's recent focus group studies and the "re-launch" (which suggests formatic adjustments at the very least), Strong told fmqb, "We need to upgrade the station, integrating the sound and our Internet presence to take it to the next level. The station needs to be tailored for the marketplace. We're going to Dallas-size it."
The Zone has struggled to establish an audience since its late '96 sign-on. It posted a 2.3 AQH Persons 25-54 in the winter and spring Arbitrons.
Will the station abandon the 25-54 demo and skew younger? For possible clues to the station's new direction, check out the article about "Format 2000" (a format that uses Triple A philosophies, yet targets younger demo listeners) by SBR's Dave Rahn and John Bradley in the Summer/Fall 1999 issue of our sister publication, pro"qb, out August 20.
-Sybil McGuire
August 12, 1999
It seems Al Brumley is back at the Dallas Morning News. Here's a feature he wrote that laments the lack of Howard in the Dallas market.
August 11, 1999
from: AllAccess.com
Dallas fans may want to keep tuned to KKZN, 93.3, "THE ZONE." The word is out that the format is changing, some say this friday. One rumor says it will flip to hard rock as EXTREME RADIO and directly compete with "THE EAGLE," former STERN station.
Would they pick up Howard?
Stay tuned in Dallas.
November 23, 1998
from: Radio Digest
--Snip--
Mailbag. Dan McManaman wrote in asking why Howard Stern is not currently being broadcast in the Fort Worth/Dallas market.
Officials at KEGL (97.1, Fort Worth) explains that while the self-proclaimed "King of All Media" did garner high ratings, the audience tended to be in the less profitable 12-to-24-year-old age group, making it very difficult to sell the show to advertisers.
No other station in the market is willing to pick up the program, not only due to its risqué content, but because, as one radio exec who requested not to be named put it, "We’d have to cut our ad rates in half just to get (buyers). The ratings are useless without the advertisers."
September 21, 1998
Call the "Save Our Stern" hotline at: 214-322-0157 to see about helping to get Howard back in Dallas. Please leave your name and number...
Could there be hope for Howard in Dallas on Monday, August 31st? Time will tell, but this story makes it seem possible although it's not explicitly mentioned. Chancellor is airing Howard in other markets, and if they want to really make a ratings impact...keep your fingers crossed!
Have you heard the news? There's less rockin' in town.
"Q102" KTXQ-FM (102.1), at 25 years one of the nation's longest-running rock stations, appeared ready to lose that title Thursday as its entire on-air staff was fired by owner Chancellor Media Corp. in preparation for what sources say will be a major format change Monday.
Conversely, former KTXQ morning team Bo Roberts and Jim White, who have been filling in for John Boy & Billy's The Big Show at Chancellor-owned KZPS-FM (92.5) for the last two weeks, were rumored to be close to signing a deal Thursday for a permanent gig.
Chancellor officials declined to comment except to say that no deal has been signed with either team.
Amid the programming changes, Dallas-based Chancellor and Austin-based Capstar Broadcasting announced a merger Thursday that would create the nation's largest radio broadcasting group with 463 stations.
News of the changes at KTXQ left many employees angry, and many listeners stunned.
One former station employee, who asked not to be identified, criticized the handling of Thursday's move. "There are people who have been working at this station for 15 years, there are people who have been working at this station who are legends in this business, and they're being treated as part-timers."
Pat Fant, KTXQ's vice president and general manager, wouldn't comment on reports of a new format at the station.
"We would encourage our listeners to stay tuned and listen to see exactly what the programming enhancements are," he said.
As for the firings, he acknowledged that they were difficult. "It's never easy to make changes like this," he said. "But when you're charged with the responsibility to put out the very best product that you can, you have to be sure that everything you do is on target, and this is the right step to take."
Among the employees losing their jobs Thursday were Andy Lockridge, program director for the last 13 years, and disc jockey and music director Redbeard, whose syndicated rock 'n' roll interview show earned him and the station national acclaim and access to rock stars not granted to every station.
"This is not the fault of Redbeard; it's not the fault of Andy Lockridge," said the employee, who said the station has suffered as it has gone through numerous ownership changes in recent years. Chancellor acquired the station earlier this year.
Redbeard could not be reached for comment. Mr. Lockridge said he is "proud of the job we did. Q102 was a dynasty built by very, very talented people, but things change, and I wish Chancellor the best."
KTXQ morning team Lex & Terry will continue to broadcast to the five other stations on their network and will try to find another outlet in Dallas, said Peter Welpton, the show's national syndication director.
Aden Holt, lead singer for local band Caulk, appeared frequently on Redbeard's show. "I've heard rumors about it [KTXQ's change in formats] for a year, but I never thought it was really going to happen," he said. "That is nuts. Redbeard's been a staple in Dallas radio. ... He's been the granddaddy of radio around here, at least for rock. That is crazy."
At KZPS, vice president and general manager Brian Ongaro said he decided to give Mr. Roberts and Mr. White a shot when John Boy & Billy's contract came up for renewal.
The station (KZPS) took on The Big Show in July 1995. After a slow start, the show became a ratings winner. But Mr. Ongaro also said research indicates Mr. Roberts and Mr. White still have a loyal fan base in the Dallas area.
The two-week trial run ends Friday, and Mr. Ongaro said he expects to announce a decision soon.
Officials with The Big Show, based in Charlotte, N.C., declined to comment.
Staff writer Teresa Gubbins contributed to this report.
http://www.dallasnews.com/arts-nf/over1-071.htm
from the Dallas Morning News...
The self-proclaimed "King of All Media" is once again finding himself without a throne in Dallas.
His new syndicated TV project, The Howard Stern [Radio] Show, premieres Saturday night on 14 CBS-owned stations and various other carriers that, combined, will make it viewable in 70 percent of the country, the syndicator said.
So far, however, no Dallas-area stations have picked it up, and no station officials contacted Friday said they have plans to carry it.
Officials with CBS-owned Eyemark Entertainment, the show's syndicator, declined to say whether talks are in the works with any local stations.
The hourlong show, designed to compete against NBC's Saturday Night Live, will consist of video clips shot during Mr. Stern's nationally syndicated morning radio show, along with original material.
His daily E! cable TV program will remain in production, Mr. Stern said when he announced his deal with CBS in April.
Mr. Stern's radio show was dropped from Dallas station KEGL-FM (97.1) in July 1997 by then-owner Nationwide Communications Inc. and has not been picked up by another station.
from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and AnonGuy...the poisoning of the Dallas market's potential advertisers continues.
By John Austin
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Saturday, July 18, 1998
--snip--
...Now, in the world of rumor and innuendo, ears burn at word of Howard Stern's return.
The lucky station this time is allegedly KTXQ/102.1 FM. Yes, there are a couple other guys in the station's morning spot right now. But there's a good chance that management could find another slot for them, should the bad boy return. But the boss nixes this.
"My headline would be this," said Q102 general manager and vice president Pat Fant. " `This sounds like 5 pounds of rumor in a 10-pound bag.' I can't tell you no strongly enough."
As for the reasons you won't hear him on radio here, there are about 45 of 'em, Fant said.
"Let's say this," Fant said. "Forty-five of the top 50 advertisers have Stern on a blackball list."
"He will get you ratings," Fant said. "But can you recover your investment?"
It was just about exactly a year ago that Stern was shut down here, and the listeners haven't quit clamoring for him, even though the advertisers seem to take a less enthusiastic view.
Meanwhile, Fant did have a word of encouragement for Stern fans.
"Watch him on TV," he said. "Just turn it on. It's on cable."
Well, as another great TV guy once said, "You are correct, sir."
But it's sure been a long year without him on that morning commute.
Come back, Howard. All is forgiven.
Another Dallas rumor surfaces! One can only hope...
MORE CHANGES AT KEGL- They won't go down until Jacor closes its acquisition of Nationwide, slated for Aug. 1 or Aug. 15. After that, the morning team of Russ Martin, Brad Baxter, and producer Dan Lewis will exit. Also looking will be overnighter Jeff Davis. These changes are on top of the planned exit of Eagle GM Dennis Frawley, GSM Drew Hilles and several sales and clerical staffers.
...from FMQB June 19, 1998.
Thanks to robk for the tip.
from FMQB, 6/9/98
KEGL GM Dennis Frawley told fmqb that the incident happened well before the current management was in place and that it was 'a Sandusky issue.' Sandusky still holds the license to the station that is currently operated by Nationwide until new owners Jacor take over.
KEGL dropped the Stern show in July on 1997.
May 10, 1998
Radioactive column
John Austin, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram Writer
Stern charges stations something like $750,000 to $1 million per year for the show. That means local radio sales staffers need to bring in about $4 million worth of annual morning-show ad revenue to keep the bean counters happy, said a KKZN/93.3 FM honcho.
The going rate for spots on Stern's show here was about $400 a pop, while over at KTXQ/102.1 FM, you can buy ad time on a program such as Lex and Terry's drive-time sideshow for as little as $75 a shot, said a Zone exec.
Speaking of Lex and Terry, the duo rose to ninth among the listeners age 12 and older in the winter radio ratings. The new kids on "The Morning Edge with Jagger and Ryan," which debuted at KDGE/94.5 FM on April 23, could, however, snag some of their listeners. Chris Jagger, until last month co-host of the nationally syndicated, New York-based Love Phones, heard here on Q102 till about three weeks ago, is working with sidekick Ryan Chase.
Love Phones had its local line cut. It was inflating the Q102 teen ratings, said program director Andy Lockridge, but not pulling the grown-ups, so off it went. Q102 is now spinning music in place of Love Phones.
Meanwhile, Jagger and posse have their work cut out for them. The Edge's 6-to-10 a.m. ratings put them at 20th with just 1.9 percent of the 12-plus market. But there are a lot of former Stern fans up for grabs.
"One of the reasons I even considered it is because Howard Stern isn't on the air here," said Jagger, regarding his move from the East Coast. "I don't think I'm Howard Stern."
The never-married 39-year-old Jagger just bought a two-bedroom house in Dallas' Oak Lawn area, and says he's only had a few "Go back to New York" calls so far.
And for those - both of you - who still listen to new rock instead of oldies, country, talk, adult contemporary and Christian programming, don't lose heart. The ration of morning Edge music will continue as usual. Jagger is savvy enough to know that dropping the music for all talk, a la Stern, is reserved for a select group of air personalities.
"You really have to earn that," he said.
Incidentally, the winter radio ratings are in. The following numbers are for listeners, age 12 and older, from 6 a.m. to midnight, Monday through Sunday.
1. KHKS/106.1 FM 2. KKDA/104.5 FM 3. KSCS/96.3 FM 4. KVIL/103.7 FM 5. WBAP/820 AM 6. KRLD/1080 AM 7. (tie) KDMX/102.9 FM 7. (tie) KLUV/98.7 FM 9. KYNG/105.3 FM 10. (tie) KZPS/92.5 FM 10. (tie) KLTY/94.1 FMThe winter book marks the first time Radioactive has seen Christian-formatted KLTY crack the top 10. Arch-conservative Rush Limbaugh shot back past Dr. Laura to take the top 1-to-4-p.m. spot. The reason apparently isn't that Dr. Laura is slipping, but that the president is suspected of slipping around.
"Thank God for Monica Lewinsky," said a gleeful WBAP Operations Manager Tyler Cox.
April 28, 1998
Rumors have it that Howard's negotiating with Dallas' 93.3FM, "The Zone" for a return to Dallas morning radio.
Keep your fingers crossed!
Writing to "The Zone" may help the cause...use their feedback web page here.
So here's the question:
Is it harder to sell ads when your morning show is No. 1 and controversial, or when it's No. 19 and safe?
And here's another one:
Which is less appealing to a potential sponsor: stigma or more than 50 percent fewer people listening to your ad?
Nationwide Communications Inc. always insisted that Howard Stern's show on KEGL-FM (97.1) was too expensive, too controversial and too hard to sell. So they canned him.
In the fall Arbitron ratings released Jan. 15 - the first ratings period without any trace of Mr. Stern in the mix - the morning show at KEGL-FM (97.1) fell from sixth to 19th place. The show, hosted by Russ Martin and Brad Baxter, saw its share drop from 4.6 to 2.2.
Even worse, in the category of listeners ages 25 to 54 - the one that really helps sell those ads - the show plummeted from from fourth to 20th place, 5.5 to 1.8.
Experienced mountaineers would panic when confronted with descents that sharp. The word "epic" comes to mind.
Of course, Nationwide couldn't care less now. They've gotten out of the radio business and sold all their stations to Jacor Communications (the deal isn't final yet). Which leaves a bunch of innocent employees at KEGL to try to pick up the pieces.
Program Director Greg Stevens says he knew the morning show was going to take a hit.
"The way I actually view it is that we've got a very contained problem," he says. "We have one day part that isn't performing, and we expected that with such a drastic change. The whole station didn't collapse - we just need to rebuild the morning show. I spoke to Russ, and we feel like this probably wasn't quite as bad as expected."
On the other hand, what did you expect him to say? He's been at the station only since October, and problems like this don't turn around over-night.
He's lucky in having Mr. Martin, a genuinely funny person and legitimate radio talent. But the Howard backlash is such that KEGL could have Robin Williams giving away $100 to every caller and reading addresses for nekkid swimming parties on the air and not do much better.
Still, even with those lousy numbers, the morning show will make money.
But at some point, you have to clear away the clutter and ask a simple question: Do you want to be a contender or not?
Nationwide did not. Or at least, it didn't want to do it with Mr. Stern.
"Why" is anybody's guess, but you can bet that Nationwide officials aren't tuning in to E! every night to catch Mr. Stern's show.
From the January 25, 1998, Dallas Morning News. Thanks to Al Brumley.
Dateline: January 1, 1998
Latest on Dallas: apparently the old Program Director for KEGL, the man who signed Howard 5+ years ago, is now the PD at KDGE. Stay tuned!
Dateline: December 3, 1997
Word is that Howard's return to Dallas may be fueled by 94.5 KDGE FM, The Edge, a station now taking on a harder approach towards alternative music.
My source, who works for a sister station of a Stern show affiliate tells me, "I can almost gurantee pending any further legal obligations that Howard has to keep as far as KEGL, The Eagle, goes, that hop along Howie will return to Dallas in the very near future."
Thanks to: www.koam.com
"The Edge" KDGE-FM (94.5) will soon have a new program director. Joel Folger has left to go into full-time consultancy, says the station's vice president and general manager, Brian Ongaro. No major changes are in the works, Mr. Ongaro says, although "we're evaluating everything." As for rumors that the station's going hard after Howard Stern? "That's news to me," he says.
From the November 9, 1997, Dallas Morning News. Thanks to Al Brumley.
Yes, Jacor Communications, Inc. has bought KEGL-FM (97.1). Does that mean they're going to re-install Howard Stern?
I don't know. And even if they are going to do it, it's going to take six months or so for the deal to go through.
But as I did with KDGE-FM (94.5) rumors, I'll go out on a limb again and predict that Mr. Stern will not wind up back at KEGL.
And for all those people who keep calling me: As soon as I know something, you'll know something. If Mr. Stern returns to Dallas, I swear I'll write a story about it. I swear.
From the November 2, 1997, Dallas Morning News. Thanks to Al Brumley.
Stern Friendly Jacor Buys Nationwide! NEWS FLASH! Jacor Communications, owners of Stern stations, WNVE Rochester and KIOZ San Diego, has agreed to buy Nationwide's radio station group, including ex-Stern outlet KEGL in Dallas. The price was about $660 million for the 17 stations. With their penchant for in-your-face attitude, coupled with their familiarity with Howard's show, does this mean the King may be reclaiming Dallas? Also, could he be on his way to Houston, where Jacor is buying long-rumored Stern station KTBZ as part of the NCI package? Stay tuned... Special Thanks To Mario Juan© 1997 www.koam.com All Rights Reserved.
[Ed.-Looks like I was right! See Below.]
Well, since scumbag Nationwide Insurance decided to sell their radio stations a couple of weeks or so ago, the rumor going around is that the folks who will buy KEGL will put Howard back on! I have no idea if this rumor is true or not, but God, I hope it comes through...
Nationwide still boggles my mind...they buy KEGL, completely screw it up, drop Howard, then turn around and decide to get out of the radio business two months later. Unbelievable. Tell me how that makes sense. Either they got one helluva tax break for doing this, or they're so inept I don't even want to think about it. F Nationwide Insurance!
Howard Stern, whose syndicated morning show remained on KEGL-FM (97.1) for only the first one-third of the ratings period, fell from third to sixth place overall with a 4.6 share.
#1 in Dallas was Kidd Kraddick of KHKS-FM (103.7) with a 8.6, second place was Skip Murphy on KKDA-FM (104.5) with a 6.4. For you Lex & Terry "fans," the newest Dallas morning show tied for 18th place with a 2.1 share in the mornings.
Overall, KEGL dropped 1/2 share, from a 3.8 to a 3.3.
Thanks to: Al Brumley for actual the numbers.
From the August 24, 1997, Dallas Morning News and Al Brumley...
All right, now. Repeat after me:
"No matter how many billboards we see talking about the Second Coming, no matter that each of those billboards has a big giant half of a descending 'Q,' and no matter how many people tell us otherwise, Howard Stern is not coming to Q102."
Mr. Stern has been off the air in Dallas since his show was dropped by "The Eagle," KEGL-FM (97.1), on July 28, six weeks before the end of his contract.
This has prompted much speculation - the kind that eventually involves pretty much every station in town and is therefore pretty much useless. Now, however, you can rule one station out for good: "Howard Stern is not coming to Q102," says KTXQ-FM (102.1) program director Andy Lockridge.
For one thing, the station's current morning show, hosted by Lex and Terry, is about to give national syndication a shot, with Dallas as its base. A news release issued this week says Q102 owner SFX Broadcasting "will launch The Lex & Terry Show into national syndication" on Sept. 17 and 18 at the National Association of Broadcasters' convention in New Orleans.
Given that, there's no denying that radio's a brutal business in which anything can happen. But if SFX were setting up Lex and Terry merely to sucker-punch 'em in their relaxed, collective gut with the resurrection of Howard Stern in Dallas, that would set some kind of new industry standard for cruelty.
"Well, then," you might be saying to yourself, "just what the heck do those billboards mean?"
Glad you asked.
For several months now, Q102 has been playing the old stuff again. You might hear a Smashing Pumpkins song, but chances are it was sandwiched between Pink Floyd and Foreigner.
It marked a pretty dramatic format change after three years of trying to out-Edge the Edge.
Oddly enough, Q102 never announced the switch. Could that be the purpose behind those billboards? Q102 isn't saying.
"They could very well be advertising a movie about the Russians," said the diabolical Mr. Lockridge when asked about the billboards. "It [the half 'Q'] looks kind of like a sickle to me."
Curses! Foiled again!
A Dallas Rally story from the August 16th issue of the Dallas Morning News' Al Brumley is here.
Dallas had their Howard Stern Rally this morning, August 15th! Thanks to Kelly for setting it all up! She did a bang-up job, all on her own. Some pics are here at hastypudding of the entire happenings, including Melrose Larry Green yelling at one of Irving's finest... Look on this page for the local media reaction tomorrow!
Another "Save Howard Stern" group is in operation! Check out the "Church of Howard Stern" by sending them some email. Or, give them a call at 1-817-818-4277. Do your part to get Howard back in Dallas!
From the August 10, 1997, Dallas Morning News. Thanks to Al Brumley.
Some Dallas-related pages concerning our loss of Howard:
The "Keep Howard Stern in Dallas" page.
A protest is being organized by Melrose Larry Green, a Stern show regular. He is asking fans to join him outside the KEGL headquarters from 6 to 9p.m. on Aug. 15. Details are here on Melroses' www page.
The Dallas Morning News' Al Brumley wraps up the past week in Dallas radio. (August 3, 1997).
More fan reaction on Howard's dismissal from KEGL from the Dallas paper, written by Nancy Kruh on July 31, 1997.
The reaction from Ft. Worth to Howard getting dumped from KEGL, as chronicled in their newspaper, is here.
The Dallas Morning News' Al Brumley wrote an article today entitled "Howard's End" (July 29, 1997), about Howard being dumped by KEGL yesterday (July 28, 1997). It's here.
This is one month earlier than when Howard was scheduled to leave, but it's still a shock...since this is my "home" Howard station, I'm pretty friggin' bummed. Words cannot express my feelings today. Not even talking to Howard as the Dallas CIA-Hole this morning helped...and the ride to work really freakin' sucked.
Update: Well, we're now up to Thursday the 31st of July. Howard's still off the air and it looks like the faint hope KDGE opened up with their "Howard Hotline" has now been slammed shut. Thanks to friends, we're now getting tapes and I'm listening to this past Monday's show. Sigh...
On July 23, 1997, Stuttering John and Crackhead Bob were at Dallas' (in)famous Grassy Knoll to hold a rally for Howard and for KEGL dropping the show in Dallas. Here's Al's article, from the Dallas Morning News of July 24, 1997, which describes the event.
Another Al Brumley article is here. This story speaks to the events of July 22, 1997, when Stuttering John attempted to enter the studio's of Dallas' KEGL.
Complete with mis-spellings, here's KEGL's letter to Howard's Dallas fan's that you heard Howard reading, and bitching to KEGL about on the phone, on 7/22/97.
6-10 a.m., Mon-Fri, 12-plus Top 10: 1. KHKS-FM (106.1), 8.4 2. KKDA-FM (104.5), 6.8 3. KEGL-FM (97.1), 6.3 (<- Howard) tie KSCS-FM (96.3), 6.3 5. KVIL-FM (103.7), 6.2 6. WBAP-AM (820), 5.5 7. KPLX-FM (99.5), 4.2 8. KRLD-AM (1080), 3.9 9. KLUV-FM (98.7), 3.7 10. KZPS-FM (92.5), 3.4
From the Saturday, July 12, 1997 Dallas Morning News...
There he goes - Miss America.
Controversial radio personality Howard Stern will be dropped by "The Eagle" KEGL-FM (97.1) when his contract expires Sept. 5, station officials have confirmed.
Mr. Stern, the self-proclaimed "King of All Media" who has written two best-selling books, Private Parts and Miss America, and recently starred in the film version of Private Parts, first appeared on KEGL in September 1992. He hit No. 1 in Dallas three years later and has remained at or near the top since.[Ed. - Howard's rating positions since starting in Dallas are below.]
Most Dallas radio insiders interviewed Friday predicted another station will pick up Mr. Stern's show soon after his contract expires, if not immediately. Others said Mr. Stern might be gone a few months.
"I would think that some time of him being away would actually be of some benefit to a station picking him up, because then they're the hero, they're the savior," said a Dallas program director who asked not to be named. "Talk about ingratiating yourself with your audience."
KEGL officials said after Mr. Stern is taken off the air, the station will have "a 24-hour pure rock format" with no talk.
"There will be no replacement [for Mr. Stern's show]," said station spokeswoman Audrey Wager. "This is going to be strictly a rock station. We're going to go 100 percent rock."
An official for Nationwide Communications, Inc., which took control of KEGL in January, said Mr. Stern's nationally syndicated show is too expensive and does not fit the station's long term goals.
"We've decided, after evaluating all the information, including the cost of the show, strategic opportunities elsewhere and the competitive landscape, that for us, doing something else is going to be a better decision," said Clancy Woods, vice president of radio for western operations for Nationwide, based in Columbus, Ohio. "It's that simple."
Mr. Stern could not be reached for comment Friday. His agent, Don Buchwald, responded to the decision derisively. "Quelle surprise!" he said. "What shocking news. It must've been a wrenching decision on their part."
The Dallas Morning News first reported on May 25 that Mr. Stern might be dropped from KEGL. Since then, Mr. Stern has criticized Nationwide on the air for playing "a cat-and-mouse game" and not being honest.
Mr. Woods said Mr. Stern's show is "very, very expensive" and that its high ratings "don't necessarily translate into the appropriate advertising dollars to justify that expense."
"It's certainly valuable from a ratings perspective," he said. "but it's a much tougher putt from an advertising perspective. And there are other organizations that are probably better suited at maximizing that opportunity."
An industry source who declined to be identified said that 44 of the top 50 advertisers in Dallas - representing $172 million in potential business annually - will not do business with KEGL because of Mr. Stern's show.
But Mr. Stern maintained in a June 4 interview with The Dallas Morning News that his show always makes money and that he tripled the morning revenues at KEGL.
"I can make tons of money for stations," he said. "I've done it. No one's putting me on the radio for fun. They want to make money."
Mr. Woods would not say how much Mr. Stern's contract cost KEGL or the amount of revenues the show brought in. He acknowledged that Mr. Stern's show was making money for the station.
"It's not as easy as saying, 'Well, Howard cost X, and we produced Y in revenue, and that was either good or bad,'" Mr. Woods said. "It's much more involved than that."
Surveys have shown that almost all of the people who regularly listen to the station tune in for music, Ms. Wager said.
"Our research has basically shown us that Howard Stern fans don't listen to our station at any other time," she said. "We're going to lose some of Howard's listeners - there's no question about that. But we're going to cater to what our listeners really want to hear."
In the June 4 interview, Mr. Stern said that dropping the show would "destroy the reputation" of KEGL.
"I am so identified with the Eagle in Dallas ... that that station will literally be rocked for two or three years," he said. "The audience will not recover."
Mr. Woods agreed that KEGL will lose a large share of it's morning audience. "I mean, come on, the guy had monster ratings," he said. "We don't expect to replace those ratings to that extent any time soon, nor is it possible ever. On the other hand, we also believe that we can be a more successful station by our own measurement with a smaller audience in morning drive."
Fall 1992: 10th Winter 1993: 9th Spring 1993: 7th Summer 1993: 6th Fall 1993: 5th Winter 1994: 6th Spring 1994: 7th Summer 1994: 2nd Fall 1994: 4th Winter 1995: 5th Spring 1995: 3rd Summer 1995: 1st Fall 1995: 1st Winter 1996: 1st Spring 1996: 1st Summer 1996: 3rd Fall 1996: 1st Winter 1997: 3rd[Ed. - More detailed ratings numbers are listed below for some of these ratings periods.]
As of June 25, 1997, the sale of Dallas' KDGE and KZPS has been confirmed. Pending approval of the FCC and Dept. of Justice, maybe there'll be hope for Howard in Dallas yet! Stay tuned!
From the June 22, 1997, Dallas Morning News. This was the Howard-relevant portion of Al Brumley's regular Sunday column...
You got excited because you thought that if Nationwide Communications drops Mr. Stern's show from KEGL-FM (97.1) in September, KDGE or KZPS might pick it up.
But there are a few catches: Mr. Stern is involved in a lawsuit with Evergreen. He occasionally rants on the air about Evergreen chief executive officer Scott Ginsburg, who he says kicked him off a Chicago station and didn't buy out his contract. I don't know what Mr. Ginsburg says because he doesn't ever return my calls.
If that were the end of it, I'd say forget it. No Howard Stern on either of those two stations.
But Irving-based Evergreen is soon to merge with Dallas-based Chancellor Broadcasting. And in January, Chancellor bought Minneapolis station WBOB-FM and added Mr. Stern's show, demonstrating that they're not averse to his unique brand of humor (burping and whatnot).
On the other hand, the newly formed company, to be named Chancellor Media, will have Mr. Ginsburg, the guy Mr. Stern doesn't seem to like very much, as its CEO.
As usual, this stuff is getting pretty complicated. But let's leave it at this: Some sources say there is now a chance that Mr. Stern's show will wind up on KDGE, where the current morning show is ranked a lowly 22nd. Which is cool, if you've got enough money for a really big antenna.
Others say there's no way Mr. Stern will work for Mr. Ginsburg.
Then again, some think Mr. Stern will wind up at a retooled "V100" KRBV-FM (100.3) to replace the languishing Tom Joyner. Throw about six more potential stations into the mix, and you get the picture.
So, if any of this happens, you heard it here first.
If it doesn't, well, get over it. I can screw up now and then. It's not like this is brain surgery.
A short blurb was in today's, (June 19, 1997), Dallas Morning News about station happenings in Dallas. Thanks, Al Brumley! Whether this means Howard will make a station switch here remains to be seen...
Bonneville selling two Dallas stations
Bonneville International Corp. has entered into an agreement to sell Dallas radio stations "The Edge" KDGE-FM (94.5) and KZPS-FM (92.5) to Irving-based Evergreen Media, sources said Wednesday.
Officials at both companies and both stations have declined to comment, but sources said an announcement about the sale is expected soon. Bonneville is based in Salt Lake City.
KZPS is a classic rock station; KDGE plays new rock. KDGE placed 16th overall in the winter Arbitron ratings; KZPS was tied with KESS-AM (1270) and KTCK-AM (1310) for 20th.
Evergreen will be called Chancellor Media once its acquisition of Dallas-based Chancellor Broadcasting is approved by the Federal Communications Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice.
You might never have heard of radio station KOOO, (1190-AM), but the King of All Media might soon put it on the map. Howard Stern announced last month that he would be banished from the Metroplex at summer's end by KEGL (The Eagle-97.1 FM). Since the Eagle was purchased in January by Nationwide Communications, there have been rumblings that the station would drop its pure-rock format and high-priced syndicated morning show.
New KEGL general manager Dennis Frawley could not be reached for comment last week and is said to be ducking calls from Stern, who's initiating a listener write-in campaign to save his show and planning one of his infamous "funerals," a stunt reserved in the past for trounced competitors.
Stern could be saved by little KOOO, born last fall and known on-air as "K-Triple-O." It now offers a steady diet of mainly bland syndicated talk shows such as Dr. Joy Browne, who dispenses sound homespun advice but without Dr. Laura's edge, and the Dolans, financial advisors who are easy to picture circling the block in their Winnebago, waiting for the senior prices to kick in at Denny's. There's also Don & Mike, whose D.C.-based afternoon gabfest features painfully detailed accounts of their weekends but enough flatulence-based humor to make Stern seem like a sophiscated wit.
And then there's "Imus in the Morning." Don Imus is Stern's mortal enemy and closest national competitor. Imus came to national prominence in 1992, providing a forum to presidential hopeful Bill Clinton. "Imus in the Morning" is part "Meet the Press," part idle chitchat, and part Imus' own stream of consciousness. While there are few Penthouse Pets or reformed drug addicts - except maybe for Imus himself - recent guests have ranged from Mike Wallace to Billy Bob Thornton. And Imus has yet to coax political analyst Laura Ingram, a frequest guest, into taking off her top.
Imus is often maligned on-air and off by Stern, who claims that Imus stole his act when the pair both worked at New York's now-defunct WNBC in the early 1980s. He is heard in 125 cities, many more that Stern's 35 markets. [Ed. - Howard's in 39 markets as of this writing.] His presence, however, has done little to bolster the flailing KOOO, now a station in transition. This month, the station moves to The Ballpark in Arlington, where it will be housed alongside its new sister station, KRLD (1080-AM). Programmer Michael Spears, who has helped KRLD put the squeeze on news-talk powerhouse WBAP (820-AM) in the past 2 1/2 years, will begin the arduous task of putting KOOO on track. "We're looking at everything," Spears said last week about possible changes. "Only a fool wouldn't be interested" should Stern become available, he said.
KEGL management issued brief but reassuring statements last week, claiming that all's well at The Eagle and that Howard Stern is still a part of "the team." In radio, those words usually translate into something completely different. They usually mean, "The nooses are already around everyone's necks. We're just waiting for the carpenter to finish building the gallows."
[Ed. - Nationwide Communications is a division of Nationwide Insurance Co.]
On June 8, 1997, another Al Brumley-authored article appeared in the Dallas Morning News regarding Howard being dropped in Dallas. It's rather lengthy, and for that reason I've placed it here.
One thing about the radio business - rumors spread faster than Tiger Woods' bank account.
And ever since Nationwide Communications took over at "The Eagle" KEGL-FM (97.1) in January, the rumor mill has been grinding away.
Two big questions have emerged: Will Howard Stern's morning show move to another station, perhaps even "Young Country" KYNG-FM (105.3), and will Nationwide change the KEGL format?
The answers are at least not until September and no, said J.D. Freeman, temporary general manager of KEGL. (Former GM Donna Fadal was fired after the Nationwide takeover.)
"Howard's contract is up in September," Mr. Freeman said Wednesday. "So the rumors are flying all over the market. And the comment about him being on Young Country, I heard this morning from another broadcaster, but I thought it was really rather funny because he's under contract with us."
Others insist Nationwide is looking to dump Mr. Stern in Dallas. A local program director who asked not to be named said, "I know he's being shopped around. A couple of people I really trust say he's being shopped and that Nationwide doesn't want him."
Mr. Freeman wouldn't comment, but he did stop short of fully committing to Mr. Stern's show.
"At this point, it would be premature for me to give any comment regarding the renewal of Howard," he said.
But he said he couldn't make that committment because KEGL is going through license renewal and is looking for a new program director and general manager.
The word is that while Mr. Stern brings in great ratings, many advertisers are reluctant to buy time on his show. And that makes things difficult for salespeople at stations that carry him.
"They view it as, because he's so hard to sell, you discount his ratings by half," said another local program director who asked not to be identified.
As for the KYNG rumor, don't count on it, said the station's program director, Dan Pearman.
For one thing, Mr. Stern's show is syndicated by the CBS/Westinghouse/Infinity conglomerate that owns KYNG. The company would prefer to have Mr. Stern on a station not owned by that conglomerate. Otherwise, it loses the syndication fees.
Then, of course, there's the country music problem. Mr. Stern's show is usually associated with rock stations.
"It may be the kind of thing where they're playing poker," Mr. Pearman said. It's probably not bad poker to say, 'Well, we're not sure.' They haven't said they won't renew."
Finally, Mr. Freeman said Nationwide is definitely not planning to change KEGL's hard-rock format.
"We're going to be a rock station," he said. "That's our committment. There was a lot of speculation about what we are going to do, but we're the leading rock station in the market, and I think it would be a big mistake on our part not to look at that and say, "'Here's where our opportunity is.'"
Clacy Woods, Nationwide's vice president of radio for Western operations, said the rumors about a format change are "just simple radio games-manship from our competitors."
"In some cases we're amused by it, in some cases it's a distraction, but the speculation is really originating out of some of our competitors," he said. "And they're generating that speculation in hopes of benefiting themselves."
Mr. Woods confirmed that KEGL will stick with rock, and he said the station has hired Dallas-based radio consultant Lee Abrams, the creator of the album-oriented rock format, to work on programming.
"We think we've got a pretty exciting plan for the future of the Eagle," he said.
The Howard Stern Show has been voted "Best Morning Radio Show" for the last 4 years (1993-96) by the readers of the Dallas Observer.
More Dallas-related articles are available. One, about the release of the "Miss America" book (and a sidebar article on the Selena incident), is here. Another general informational article is here.
DJ/Station Share Format
1. Dave (Kidd) Kraddick/KHKS 8.3 TOP-40
2. Ron Chapman/KVIL 7.3 Adult
3. Howard Stern/KEGL 7.2 Rock
Howard had a 7.4 share of the 25-54 demographic, good for 3rd place. 12+, the rating was a 7.2.
DJ/Station Share Format
1. Howard Stern/KEGL 7.7 Rock
2. Dave (Kidd) Kraddick/KHKS 7.4 TOP-40
3. Ron Chapman/KVIL 6.6 Adult
Howard had a 7.7 share in the 12+ demo, 8.6 in the 25-54 demographic.
DJ/Station Share Format
1. Dave (Kidd) Kraddick/KHKS 6.7 TOP-40
2. Hal Jay/WBAP 6.3 News/Talk
3. Howard Stern/KEGL 6.1 Rock
Overall, Howard was a #1 in the 25-54 demographic with a 6.8 share.
DJ/Station Share Format
1. Howard Stern/KEGL 7.3 Rock
2. Terry Dorsey/KSCS 7.2 Country
For the record, Howard was #1 in the 12+ demographic; in the 25-54 demographic, Howard was #1 with a 7.8.
DJ/Station Share Format
1. Howard Stern/KEGL 7.6 Rock
2. Terry Dorsey/KSCS 6.3 Country
3. Dave (Kidd) Kraddick/KHKS 5.8 TOP-40
Howard was also #1 in the 25-54 demographic with a 7.6. KSCS was 2nd with a 6.7 share.
DJ/Station Share Format
1. Howard Stern/KEGL 6.9 Rock
2. Dave (Kidd) Kraddick/KHTS 6.7 TOP-40
3. Terry Dorsey/KSCS 6.6 Country
4. Ron Chapman/KVIL 6.0 Adult
DJ/Station Share Format
1. Howard Stern/KEGL 7.2 Rock
2. Terry Dorsey/KSCS 6.9 Country
3. Ron Chapman/KVIL 6.6 Adult
1. Terry Dorsey/KSCS 6.8 Country
2. Ron Chapman/KVIL 6.6 Adult
3. Howard Stern/KEGL 6.3 Rock
KEGL-FM first carried the show on September 8, 1992.
Back to DFW ratings.
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