Dana Wright
Brace yourselves…
Today’s the big day when news/talk radio station KMBZ splits in two. Its longtime home on 980 AM will be waltzing off with right win geezer pleasers shows like Darla Jaye, Rush, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck. Meanwhile the 98.1 FM half of the equation will be concentrating on somewhat younger, chattier local shows like Dana & Parks and E.J. & Ellen.
Here’s what’s at stake:
In its most recent ratings, KMBZ’s combined AM and FM signals are holding down 8th place with a 4.8 share of listeners 12 and older and a cume of 231,800 tuning in. However divvying up its talent and chopping the stations in two is all but a lock to result in lower ratings for both and probably a lower cume for each signal as well.
We’ll see.
However St. Louis, Missouri‘s FM news/talk station KFTK FM is languishing in 18th place in the market with a relatively puny 2.5 share, so there’s more to escaping the AM band than meets the eye.
The $64 million question: How low far might the two stations drop?
In half?
That may not matter that much, Entercom insiders seem to suggest. Because by doubling the station’s ad inventory – especially those weekend infomercials that may be boring but rake in big bucks – the parent company’s bottom line will likely benefit in a big way.
Taking a gander across the pond at how news/talk shakes out in St. Louis.
After 14 years in the news/talk game, St. Louis’s FM news talker KFTK’s 18th place finish and 2.5 share are accompanied by the presence of Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity and Coast to Coast, all of whom are being relegated by Entercom to 980 AM. However it’s critically important morning and afternoon drive bases are covered by local hosts similar to the KMBZ of old and the new KMBZ FM.
Meanwhile the legendary, 50,000 watt powerhouse KMOX AM is taking down a 5.4 share in sixth place.
That said, KMOX’s ratings have been slipping. Between 1972 and 2010 KMOX held the record in the United States for consecutive number one ratings books. It was consistently the number one radio station in St. Louis with listeners 12 and older until it got knocked off in 2010.
Until today KMBZ 98.1 FM hosted El Rushbo – Rush Limbaugh – but no mas. KMBZ gave Rush the boot, relegating him to 980 AM only. However the mighty KMOX continues to offer Limbaugh live during its prime midday slot.
Confusing?
Actually, what Entercom’s doing makes perfect sense.
In all likelihood KMOX would just as soon show Rush the door and lock in a kinder, gentler show that isn’t being boycotted by major national advertisers.
But who would they replace him with? A couple of unknowns like Burns & Monacelli?
That’s who KMBZ’s slotting in for its midday show on FM.
Now some fuzzy math:
The St. Louis news talkers – both AM and FM – have a combined 7.9 share.
That compares to the current KMBZ and KCMO 710 AM‘s combined 6.3 share.
And if the two KMBZ’s split ticket ratings go too low, Entercom will have to make concessions to advertisers who may already be flummoxed by having to decide which station or what combination of the two to buy. The likelihood now is they’re offering advertisers a combo sales package, giving them exposure on both AM and FM.
That could become a slippery slope not to far down the road when it comes time to wean current advertisers and make each station stand on its own.
So it’s a little complex.
For now though, Entercom is a tale of two KMBZs – Talk 980 AM) and twice as many ads to sell – is crossing its fingers that 98.1 FM can turn out some appealing – i.e. younger – listener demo numbers.
We’ll soon see, right?
photo caption: dana parks???
Yeah,my bad, talk about a mismatch…
A better screw up would have been, “Dana Ketz”
JoCoB
That must be a old picture of Dana Wright. I saw her not that long ago at a remote in Lee’s Summit, and well she put on a few pounds and kind of let herself go. Radio hasen’t been kind to her.
I heard that she’s dropped quite a bit of weight – doing one of those radio advertiser sponsored deals – and was about to or just married KMBC anchor Kris Ketz.
She and Ketz got married a few weeks ago. Dana’s been a patient of Dr Teagues weight loss center in Leawood on a couple occasions. But so was Chris Stigal when he was here and dropped about 60-80lbs.
missed ya Wilson…where ya been.
went to outlaws for a party…smoked a cigar…
nice smell …horrible taste….
hope to hear from you in new year.
and happy new year to you and family. Who’s dr.
tegue…is he a weight loss specialist?
your friend
Harley
bitch this isn’t your fn blog
wrong again…I’ m the only one who is
right on the spot.
I know whats happening in the city more than
hearne and glaze combined.
I am right on politics and other current issues
and events.
And most importantly I knowwhen I see
b.s. because I know the true facts.
If you need advicefor 2015 feel free to contact
me and stan at law4life1000@yahoo.com
for the up to dateinfo on all the aspects of
life in kc and the world.
I am taking over for all the writers on here
who have no idea what they’re talking
about….because hearne has gtiven me the
outlet to prove the untruths and wrong
positions to be complete hype and b.s. on
the part of the writers.
Thanks….I AM THE COG THAT DRIVES
THIS WHEEL….TAKING ONTHOSE WHO
WANT TO ACT LIKE THEY KNOW EVERYTHING
BUT REALLY KNOW NOTHING.
THANKS…AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.
NOTHING PERSONAL…JUST THE FACTS
SIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I feel that harley is the guy for real that tells the girl to “Put the lotion on the skin or it gets the hose again”
Holy Delusional Narcissist Batman…..
60-80lbs?
Thats a good thing, because the last time I saw Dana, she really had some junk in the trunk, if you know what I mean.
She married Ketz. Personally, I would love to see a show with she and Darla Jaye. I think it would actually be what 980 tried before only they used Mary O’Halloran instead of someone with a brain for the liberal side.
Dana strikes me as being reasonably bright, but is currently being drug down to the level of a giddy teeny bopper by being paired with that idiot Parks. With Darla you would have two serious, intelligent and knowledgeable women and the match should be excellent sinc ethey appear to also get along.
As for the success of the new split I think one question is whether listeners who abandoned the stations when they left from a political talk venue to a trash talk venue will return. Management basically insulted 980’s core audience by dumbing down Darla’s show, getting rid of Mike Shanin and transforming their afternoon show into something that was completely useless. I removed it from all of my presets after Parks glorified sexual harrassment in the workplace and never went back. Now it will be interesting to see how many of those lost listeners have found an alternative elsewhere.
The $64 million question is how much more money they will make? Ultimately the success of this move will be judged in dollars not share points and therefore we will never know from reading this website.
Easy Granny, I’ve already reported how much Entercom can make from those weekend block programing shows (which will double).
And there are other ways to ferret out this kindsortof information. Keep it in your pants – errr bloomers – give things a little time to shake out
right hearne…those weekend blocks bring in a million…
without a full crew…but I see them splitting dollars…but it makes no difference…the fields will never lack hundred of
millions…..they’re very smart and local stations do well
because they know how to keep costs down…and keep
the top talent like dare….smart businesspeople.
So Ketz divorced the woman that paid $750 for lunch with Manny Cleaver?
[lunch with Cleave was auctioned off for that price at a Hope House fund raiser-Ketz’s then wife was the lucky? winner.]
News to me, Lib…
That’s quite the bit of trivia though, if true.
I will share with you that I read through Kietzman’s divorce at the time and confirmed his late night Mission Hills traffic stop with the prairie Village Police Chief at the time.
It was a pretty extensive read.
^^^ What does Kietzman have to do with Ketz?
hey…that’s nothing compared to what glaze claims to be
up to….only glaze got caught just once
We are talking about Kris Ketz, channel 9 news, right?
He MC’s a Hope House fund raiser every year that we do all the production work for.
About 8 or 9 years ago at said event, lunch for 2 with former mayor Manny Cleaver was auctioned off for $750. I was the stage manager, and after a cute little dog went for $2,500, I chuckled at how lunch with Cleave went for so much less.
That’s when Ketz leaned in and told me his wife is the one that won that $750 lunch. My chuckle turned to laughter as Ketz just shook his head.
True story. Just ask Ketz.
There was one other witness backstage with us who thought it funny as well-Teri Wilder.
Interesting, thanks
January 2016
98FM turns into a hiphop or country station.
JoCoB Darla retires to Florida and become the first Jewish Catholic Priest in Orlando.
JoCoB Dana divorces Keitz and opens a brothel in KCK.
Parks re-enters rehab for the 14th time.
New GM and program director at Entercom.
Long as you’re sentencing 98,1, how about it goes sports and Nick Wright returns from Houston?
Yeah, all KC needs is another sports radio station.
How about if they just move it from AM to FM and it remains two sports stations?
I would really rather not hear Nick Wright on AM or FM….I was not a big fan. He is just like the crap talent 610 has now just a lot louder.
Doubt Nick Wright is coming back anytime soon. He has filled in twice for Jim Rome’s nationally syndicated show in the last month, and he regularly does weekends for a CBS nationally syndicated show. He is doing just fine.
I’m hearing his numbers are not very good in Houston, Bill
Shocker….
And Whitlock filled in for Rome too..so I would not put a lot of stock in that.
Good point…
Rome isn’t exactly at the top of his game these days either
The first week of Burns/Monacelli has been a total snooze-fest. No way these two idiots bring higher ratings than Rush.
I am about to bail on Dana and Parks too. Dana’s kackle makes me want to steer my car into a bridge. The sophomoric humor is lost on me as well. I haven’t laughed at boobie or chicken choking jokes since junior high school.
Yea, it is pretty bad….
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Trying to like Burns and Monacelli….the speech of Monacelli drives me nuts….valley girl rhythm, ‘fur shur’ ( for sure)
used too often, ‘thur’ intead of ‘there’…and just counted 60+ “Ya-a-a-h.s’ in the last 15-2o minutes. Is she over caffeinated????