Bill Virgin's Radio Beat September 21, 2006

Includes archive of Bill Virgin's columns fromJ une 2006 - March 2009

Postby radiofan » Wed Sep 20, 2006 8:45 pm

Thursday, September 21, 2006

On Radio: Ad loudness remains a mute issue

By BILL VIRGIN
P-I REPORTER


It's a perennial complaint every time, over in the business pages, this paper does its annual "Readers Rate the Ads" survey: Why are the ads so much louder than the programs?

A typical complaint from this year's submissions: "The raising of the volume on TV ads drives our dog, neighbor and us up the wall. We immediately mute the volume, so the advertisers' money is wasted." Wrote another: "I can't tell you how many people I know that are wearing out their mute buttons on their remotes or TiVo-ing and fast-forwarding through the ads."

Change those references to "scan" or a preset button on a car radio and you've got much the same issue for radio broadcasters.

Every time the subject comes up, there's usually also a query whether there isn't some sort of rule limiting how much louder than the programming the commercials can be.

According to the FCC, in broad terms there isn't. The commission obviously has been asked about this before, because it has on its Web site a backgrounder on the issue, which says:

"Whether or not something is 'too loud' is a judgment that varies with each listener. The decision is influenced by many factors like content and style, the speaker's voice and tone, background sounds, and music.

"The Federal Communications Commission does not regulate the volume of programs or commercials. FCC rules limit the amount of power that a station can transmit and the peak level of the program material. Within these limitations, however, broadcasters and program producers have considerable latitude to vary the 'loudness' of the program material." The FCC recommends a number of devices to deal with the issue, and the Web is replete with ads for such products.

While most of the complaints about the volume level of ads focus on television, one radio station gets mentioned specifically and repeatedly by listeners writing in to "Readers Rate the Ads": KING-FM (98.1). What listeners find particularly jarring is coming out of a placid symphonic piece only to be hit by a loud commercial.

KING program director Bryan Lowe has heard those complaints before. At least some of them may stem, he says, from the nature of the station's classical music. "Take a Beethoven piece -- it has full dynamic range," from quiet solos to sections in which the full orchestra is playing at full volume.



Commercials, by contrast, have a much narrower range, Lowe says. While KING does try to back off the volume levels on commercials a bit, "We can't play our commercials at pianissimo" or else advertisers wouldn't be interested in buying time.

Lowe says KING does reject some commercials and talks to advertisers about what fits in with the tone of the station. But he adds, "It's a balance." KING doesn't want to chase away the business that supports the station, particularly given the precarious nature of the classical format in radio around the country.

In other radio notes:


KJR-AM (950) tonight unveils its new evening sports-talk team, "Elise and Ian Weeknights at Seven." The team consists of Ian Furness, a Seattle native who most recently was with a sports radio station in Portland, and Elise Woodward, who has worked in local television and radio as reporter and host (she's been color analyst on Storm games for six years and is a sideline reporter on Husky football broadcasts). The program airs 7-10 p.m. weeknights.

The need for a new evening show was created when David Locke departed to be the radio voice of the Sonics on KTTH-AM. KJR-AM says this is the first change in its regular lineup in eight years.


KPLU-FM (88.5) has officially launched its Olympia-area outlet, KPLI-FM (90.1). KPLU bought the frequency from cable television station TVW last year.


Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels takes listener calls on "Weekday" at 9 a.m. today on KUOW-FM.


Trivia expert and "Jeopardy!" record holder Ken Jennings is the guest on "Weekday" at 9 a.m. Friday on KUOW-FM.


Don Riggs' guests on "Introspect Northwest" at 7 a.m. Saturday on KPTK-AM (1090) and 7 a.m. Sunday on KMPS-FM (94.1) include Mercer Island writer Philip Gold, author of "The Coming Draft."


Lullabelle's Junkshop performs on "Sonarchy" at midnight Saturday on KEXP-FM (90.3).


Lizz Sommars' guests on "Conversations" at 6 a.m. Sunday on KBSG-FM (97.3), KISW-FM (99.9) and KKWF-FM (100.7) include Alissa Quart, author of a book on gifted children, "Hothouse Kids."


The Sunday edition of Jim French's "Imagination Theatre," heard at 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on KIXI-AM (880), includes a new Sherlock Holmes mystery.


"Voices of Diversity" at 6 p.m. Wednesday on KBCS-FM (91.3) looks at mental illness.


RADIO STATIONS

AM STATIONS
Freq. Format
KVI 570 Talk
KCIS 630 Christian
KIRO 710 News/Talk
KTTH 770 Talk
KGNW 820 Christian
KIXI 880 Nostalgic pop hits
KJR 950 Sports/Talk
KOMO 1000 News
KBLE 1050 Religious
KPTK 1090 Air America
KKNW 1150 News/Talk
KWMG 1210 Spanish
KKDZ 1250 Radio Disney
KKOL 1300 Talk
KKMO 1360 Spanish
KRKO 1380 News/Talk
KRIZ 1420 Classic soul/R&B
KXPA 1540 Spanish
KLFE 1590 Christian
KYIZ 1620 Urban contemporary
KDOW 1680 Spanish

FM STATIONS
KPLU 88.5 Jazz/News
KNHC 89.5 Top 40/Dance
KGRG 89.9 Alternative rock
KEXP 90.3 Alternative/ World music
KSER 90.7 Public affairs/Music
KBCS 91.3 Jazz/Folk/World
KQMV 92.5 Rhythmic hits
KUBE 93.3 Urban contemporary
KMPS 94.1 Country
KUOW 94.9 News/NPR
KJR 95.7 Classic rock hits
KJAQ 96.5 Rock/pop hits
KBSG 97.3 Oldies
KING 98.1 Classical
KWJZ 98.9 Smooth jazz
KISW 99.9 Rock
KKWF 100.7 Country
KPLZ 101.5 Adult contemporary
KZOK 102.5 Classic rock
KMTT 103.7 Adult alternative
KMIH 104.5 Contemporary hits
KFNK 104.9 Rock
KCMS 105.3 Contemporary Christian
KBKS 106.1 Contemporary hits
KRWM 106.9 Soft rock
KNDD 107.7 Alternative




P-I reporter Bill Virgin can be reached at 206-448-8319 or billvirgin@seattlepi.com.

Bill Virgin's Radio Beat in the Seattle P-I
Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who couldn't hear the music.
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