Bill Virgin's Radio Beat - April 19, 2007

[radiofan]

KKOL moves to bolster its signal power, format and market share
By BILL VIRGIN
P-I REPORTER

In its effort to be more than an afterthought in the competition among Seattle's conservative-talk stations, Salem Communication's KKOL-AM (1300) has boosted its signal from a new transmitter site, added a high-profile national talk host, recruited a program director who used to work at a competing station in town and has been looking to add more local content.

Whether the last three steps make a difference in KKOL's performance in the market may depend on whether the station can resolve issues involving the first -- its 50,000-watt transmitter from a site at the Port of Tacoma.

After losing its lease on a transmitter site on Harbor Island, KKOL spent several years broadcasting from a ship moored near Alki with a low-power signal that hindered its reach across the region. Eventually it found a new site for its antenna, signed a 10-year lease with the Port of Tacoma, and last year announced it had gone to full power.

But that prompted U.S. Oil & Refining Co. to file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission saying the transmitter has created a series of problems at its refinery less than a mile away. Of particular concern, U.S. Oil said, is an electrical charge produced by the transmitters at the refinery's docks that creates a safety hazard when crude oil is unloaded from tankers. The Coast Guard has also weighed in, calling for the FCC to order KKOL to change operations to eliminate the risk of a spark causing an explosion.

Salem (which operates its Seattle stations as Inspiration Media) proposed lowering its power to 47,000 watts, its nighttime rating, at times when U.S. Oil is unloading oil tanker ships. The FCC in turn asked that KKOL operate at 25,000 watts during the day and 47,000 at night until the issue is resolved.

Salem said it has voluntarily complied with that request.

In the meantime, KKOL is trying to bolster its content to compete with KVI-AM (570) and KTTH-AM (770), which have had higher-profile national and local hosts. It took a step to narrow the gap recently by adding the new nationally syndicated show hosted by comedian Dennis Miller; its other hosts include Bill Bennett, Laura Ingraham, Dennis Prager, Hugh Hewitt, Mike Gallagher and Michael Reagan.

KKOL also has named as its new program director Tom Clendening, who had been program director for KIRO-AM and KTTH-AM when Entercom operated them.

Clendening says KKOL has added more news, traffic and weather updates during drive-time and the rest of the day, as well as morning and afternoon local commentaries by Thor Tolo, who hosts a 4 to 7 p.m. weekday talk show on sister station KGNW-AM (820). KKOL is "not ruling out the possibility of adding a local show or two in the future," he adds.

In other radio notes:

KMTT-FM (103.7) is compiling its "Mountain Music Lounge" performances into a weekly one-hour show, hosted by John Fisher, beginning this Sunday at 8 p.m. Speaking of which, upcoming performances include Martin Sexton at 3:15 p.m. today, Vega 4 at 3:15 p.m. Friday and Rufus Wainwright at 3:15 p.m. Monday.

Rob "The Possum" Walker, who has been afternoon drive-time host on country station KKWF-FM (100.7), has been named program director for the station. Lobo, who had been filling for Walker, now takes over that slot on a regular basis, and the station is looking for a replacement in Lobo's nighttime shift.

KPLU-FM (88.5) has released "KPLU School of Jazz -- Volume 3," featuring performances by local high-school jazz bands. The CD is available at Mills Music, Easy Street Records, Sonic Boom, Silver Platters and Rainy Day Records in Olympia.

Jenny Wieland, director of Families & Friends of Violent Crime Victims, is the guest on "Cop Talk" at 6 p.m. Saturday on KVI-AM.

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 Rachel Sarah, author of "Single Mom Seeking."

Sister Joyce Cox, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Archdiocese of Seattle, is the guest on "Conversations With Father Bob" at 8 a.m. Saturday on KKNW-AM (1150) and 5 p.m. Tuesday on KBLE-AM (1050).

The Metropolitan Opera performs Handel's "Julius Caesar" at 10:30 a.m. Saturday on KING-FM (98.1).

Gust Burns performs on "Sonarchy" at midnight Saturday on KEXP-FM (90.3).

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

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Bill Virgin's Radio Beat every Thursday in the Seattle P-I

[jon]

Bill may have got that KKOL new PD story indirectly from RadioWest, as someone complained on a Seattle radio board that RadioWest had the story, but the Seattle board didn't.

Who says you didn't hear it here first?