Re: [IRCA] KLOV FM network

[Scott Fybush <scott@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Rick Dau wrote:
> The same way that non-comm public radio stations do, Bill -- pledge drives.  In 
> K-Love's case, it's 3 a year --- one in the spring (10 days), one in the fall 
> (10 days), and one usually on New Year's Eve Day.  And in recent years, it's 
> been like clockwork -- about a week after the end of each pledge drive (which 
> almost always falls far short of goal, under 40% or so), K-Love's president will 
> emerge from his burrow with an announcement that they've had to make what they 
> refer to as "drastic decisions" regarding their budget.  
>
> Content has something to do with it.  IMHO, if I'm going to listen to Christian 
> radio, I'd much rather listen to something local that actually has variety to 
> its playlist (i.e., one that will, from time to time, dig out the obscure, the 
> long-forgotten, and play those, like a good station of any format would) instead 
> of something syndicated that rarely plays anything more than 5 years old and 
> sounds too much like a bad Top 40 station.   

And yet...

Whatever "pledge drive math" K-Love is using to declare itself short of 
its goal, the fact is that they do exceptionally well by non-commercial 
radio standards. In the public radio universe where I live, we'd kill to 
be able to get listeners to donate at the $100/month level that K-Love 
"suggests" to its audience. (We're thrilled to get them to sign up at 
$100 a year!)

What's more, K-Love gets to draw that listener support from hundreds and 
hundreds of transmitters all over the country, all of which enjoy 
FCC-provided "main studio waivers" that allow K-Love's parent, EMF 
Broadcasting, to avoid the expense of maintaining local staffs and 
studios at each location. If those main studio waivers weren't so 
readily granted, K-Love's economic model might not work at all...and 
EMF's CEO wouldn't be taking home $400k+ a year in salary.

I'm no fan of the format, but I do recognize it as being exceptionally 
well-executed, tight, commercial-style radio. Like a commercial top-40 
station, their goal is to put together the largest possible 
audience...and you don't get there with "obscure and long-forgotten." 
There are other places on the dial for that. K-Love is doing what works 
for them, and it's clearly paying the bills, at least looking at what 
they're spending on buying stations and paying their executives.

s

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