Category Archives: New Media



On The Air – FM Music tops PPM rankings

The most recent People Meter ratings show Star 101.5 KPLZ back in the #1 spot, for the first time since 1989! Music stations KJR FM/Oldies, KRWM FM/Adult Contemporary, KZOK FM/Classic Rock, KBKS FM/Pop-Hip Hop, KMPS FM/Country, KJAQ FM/Top 40-Classic Rock, KKWF FM/Country & KCMS FM/Chrisitian [all music stations] took the top positions for listener ownership overall.
Stewart Ballinger, avid golfer and former owner/partner in KIXI Mercer Island & KFKF Bellevue, died this week. Ballinger changed the KFKF format from beautiful music to rock and roll. KFKF, as the new KZAM, was the first Seattle station to hire female deejays. Ballinger was 95.
Dr Demento takes his radio show exclusively to the Internet this fall. Demento will move his syndicated series from terrestrial channels to an Internet stream which will allow him flexibilty to play tunes that would otherwise be censored by radio stations now carrying the program.
KGY FM/Olympia, has yet to fully develop their website. The station plays a mix of Oldies & current Top 40 tunes with local deejays slaving over hot CD players and music servers. [It would have been much easier just to say "hot turntables", but those days are long gone]. “The Sound” carries hourly news reports from CBS along with local news.

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NPR sees it’s future online

As reported online at Yahoo News:

National Public Radio believes it’s moved beyond just radio.

So the nonprofit network’s dropping the “radio” designation in its company name—so 20th century, right? It’s now rechristened itself to fit the aspirations of a 21st century, multi-platform media company. In other words, no “radio,” please–we’re only “NPR.

“NPR chief executive Vivian Schiller told the Washington Post that “NPR is more modern, streamlined.”

Comment: Audio broadcasts whether through the traditional “radio” or online, are still radio. You might call the online broadcasting “streaming” but it is still the same radio product, either music, news, sports or talk shows. Since most people will be listening with devices such as cell phones, iPods, iPads, etc. it remains “radio”. Radio is simply adding a new platform. That is my opinion.

Video online is NOT radio. Radio stations with webcams, remain radio – with a webcam. It is not, all of a sudden TV just because they added a webcam.

NPR has always considered itself “too hip for the room”. Not worth my dime or my time. Besides, their politically bent to the left and I don’t go that way.

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Bob Rivers – the new Larry Nelson

There is a buzz on the web over a possible move to KIRO by Bob Rivers. Blatherwatch is predicting this transaction and the feedback, as usual, points out the reasons both for and against such a move. Rivers’ contract with KZOK will soon be up for renewal.
Sounds like KIRO is “evolving”, as Blather points out. Maybe, evolving into what KOMO and KIRO – once were: a multi-format or full-service station, as it might be called. Something less than 24 hour news, yet, more than a 24 hour news channel. [We may be in a time warp here]. Personality radio, plus news, sports and all of what new media can bring to “radio”.
Is this “Back to the future”, or is this “Quantum Leap”?

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News, Traffic, Weather & A Few Laughs Too

Caught on the web: this from Q13/Seattle: Mark, Lily, MJ, Kaci & Adam keep it light during breaks, as you see in the video. Follow Lily Jang on Twitter: http://twitter.com/LilyJang and Q13 on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Q13FOX

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