Bill Virgin's Radio Beat - November 9th

[radiofan]

Thursday, November 9, 2006

On Radio: New technologies deliver listeners and revenue to KPLU

By BILL VIRGIN
P-I REPORTER


It's a continuing headache for commercial radio stations -- how to get programming on new delivery technologies while also trying to generate any revenue from them to cover the costs.

That's not a problem for KPLU-FM (88.5), says interim general manager Kerry Swanson. Last year, the station raised more than $200,000 from outside its signal area, from listeners as close as Spokane and from as far away as China and Japan who were "tuned in" on www.kplu.org or www.jazz24.org.

In fact, Swanson says, revenue from beyond the region has been sizable enough that "we're recovering (the cost) -- and more."

As the non-commercial jazz and National Public Radio station officially celebrates its 40th birthday this month, Swanson predicts the greatest growth in listenership audience -- and revenue from listener pledges -- will come from audiences delivered by those new technologies.

The KPLU of today is a far cry from the little student-run, 10-watt station that debuted in 1966 and was noticed mainly, Swanson says, by people living near campus who were getting interference on their television sets.

Today KPLU has 54 full- or part-time employees and an annual budget of $7 million. It includes the main FM station and two satellite FM stations, KVIX-FM (89.3) in Port Angeles and KPLI-FM (90.1) in Olympia, as well as seven translators, that carry its programming from Vancouver Island to Astoria, Ore. And it operates two HD radio channels and two Web streams.

One reason for that growth, Swanson believes, is KPLU's status as a jazz station. Competitive life would be much tougher, he says, were KPLU a Top 40 station competing with several others in that format in every market including its own. Jazz, on the other hand, provides an audience with an intense interest in the music but not many places on the dial to hear it (smooth jazz, a format played by such commercial stations as KWJZ-FM locally is an entirely different entity, he adds).

With the advent of streaming a decade ago, KPLU made itself one of the top Internet-radio destinations. Now the station is looking at how to take advantage of new technologies that can deliver wireless Internet service -- and stations like it -- to laptop computers, handheld devices, cell phones, even the dashboards of cars.

"I see, some day, people bopping down the highway listening to KPLU and Jazz 24 in Los Angeles and Houston," he says.



Those new technologies not only give KPLU greater reach but more capacity to deliver programming. What might it do with that capacity? One possibility is blues music. KPLU already does blues programming on Saturday and Sunday evenings, which Swanson says has proven to be popular. The audience for blues might not be as large as that for jazz, he says, but "there are even fewer places to find blues on the radio."

Not that KPLU is turning its back on the traditional over-the-air or "terrestrial" signal. After adding the stations in Olympia and Port Angeles, Swanson says KPLU would look at other opportunities, such as a way to improve its coverage of Vancouver, B.C.

In other radio notes:


The Federal Communications Commission has rejected a challenge to a proposed deal that would allow an FM station in The Dalles, Ore., to relocate its city of license to Covington, in south King County. That deal involves the move of KMIH-FM, which occupies the same 104.5 frequency the Oregon station would move to, as well as a shift by Bellevue School District's KASB-FM (currently at 89.3).


KNDD-FM (107.7) program director Lazlo will be taking an air shift as well. The Church of Lazlo will start Nov. 27 in the 2-6 p.m. slot. He also had been program director and afternoon host at his previous stop in Kansas City.


KKWF-FM (100.7) said Seth "Lobo" Hughes is its new 7 p.m.-midnight host, succeeding Wingnut, who went to a Sacramento station.


KMTT-FM (103.7) confirmed the shifts in its lineup following the departure of Mike West as morning co-host. Marty Riemer is now the morning host, with Mary Whitish handling news and traffic; Lee Callahan continues as producer. John Fisher moves to afternoons.


Author Gore Vidal is the guest on "Weekday" at 10 a.m. today on KUOW-FM (94.9).


Portland trio Fantastapotamus performs on Sonarchy at midnight Saturday on KEXP-FM (90.3).


Kate Daniels interviews Leslie Ruben, co-author of "Safe and Healthy School Environments," on "Sunday Morning Magazine" at 5:30 a.m. on KRWM-FM (106.9).


Lizz Sommars' guests on "Conversations" at 6 a.m. Sunday on KISW-FM (99.9), KBSG-FM (97.3) and KKWF-FM (100.7) include Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former vice presidential candidate John Edwards and author of "Saving Graces."


Jim Wilke's "Jazz Northwest" at 1 p.m. Sunday on KPLU-FM features a recent local performance by pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi.


The Sunday edition of Jim French's "Imagination Theatre," heard at 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on KIXI-AM (880), includes the second episode featuring recently introduced character Anthony Rathe.


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


Tuck and Patti perform live at KPLU-FM's studios at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.



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 Thursday in The Seattle P-I