Tuesday, August 28, 2007

KLSD What's Next?


Yesterday over 500 listeners rally in the Clear Channel offices parking lot in Kearny Mesa to show their support for KLSD 1360am and its progressive talk radio format. When rumors began to circulate last week that KLSD was going to change its format to sports talk, grassroots activists went to work. In a short time, they manage to collect over 1100 signatures with an online petition and turnout 500+ supporters early on a Monday morning to make their case to station management not to dump the progressive format.

Speaking to the crowd gathered in the parking lot. Station program director Cliff Albert stated: "that while various options are under consideration, they want the Progressive voice to remain heard loud and clear in San Diego." So what is next for KLSD?

While some people have speculated that Clear Channel's decision to change KLSD format here in San Diego is part of a much larger effort to kill progressive radio across the country. Low ratings have contributed to KLSD's predicament. In the most recent Arbitron ratings for the Spring 07 period, KLSD received a paltry 0.9 share or 25th place in the San Diego market. This was down from a 2.2 share or 19th place the station had garnered in Winter 07 period a drop of over 50% in its listenership.

Unless something dramatically alters the landscape progressive talk on 1360am here in San Diego is going to end soon. Last week it was reported that KLSD had applied to move its transmitter to Santee and increase its signal to 50000 watts. If they are allowed to increase their signal, I suspect that KOGO, currently the highest rated am station in San Diego, will move from 600am position to the newly increased 1360am position, allowing KOGO to be heard as far away as the Temecula/Rancho California area. As for KLSD look for them to move to the low power 800am signal that is currently home ESPN radio.
UPDATE:
A friend reminded me that Cliff Albert who is program director for KLSD is also the program director for KOGO and the other Clear Channel owned talk radio stations in San Diego. It seems like there isn't much incentive for him to see KLSD succeed if it is going to come at the expense of KOGO. I'll discuss this more on a later post.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Low ratings have contributed to KLSD's predicament. In the most recent Arbitron ratings for the Spring 07 period, KLSD received a paltry 0.9 share or 25th place in the San Diego market. This was down from a 2.2 share or 19th place the station had garnered in Winter 07 period a drop of over 50% in its listenership."
See! Do you need any more proof? The scourge of Liberalism is dead! Reagan was the deathblow and 1994 killed the rest of the carcass. 2006 was an abberation because the Liberal Media in Hollywood kept trumping up "conspiracies" and other hogwash. This just proves my point that real Americans hate whiners and love strong winners. I mean seriously when was the Prom King in High School the captain of the geek patrol and not the captain of a sport team? God Bless the Free Market! It always takes the trash out!

Chris Carmichael said...

KOGO will not move to AM1360 if the power approval is increased. The main reason, even with 50,000 watts, KLDS's signal will not cover San Diego county. It'll cover the San Diego metro fine, but areas in North County and South Bay will have poor coverage at night. KOGO's 5,000 watts is strong from Tijuana to well past Santa Barbara -- hugs the coast and inland about 30 miles.

regards, Chris at SDRadio.net

Just a guy said...

So let me get this straight...Clear Channel spent God know how much creating an Air America affiliate out of one of their previously successful stations and after Air America garnered so much bad press and created such a fiscal sink hole for themselves, when Clear Channel finally decides to dump the loosing proposition it's all been part of a plan to shut up the liberal views that never would have been heard in the first place if Clear Channel hadn't given the whole thing a chance in the first place? Oh wow, I think someone has been watching "Loose Change" too many times...