KRWZ 950 AM moving off of 103.1 FM for a comedy format

[Colorado Media Newsroom]

From Radio Insight:

Lincoln Financial Media looks prepared to bring Comedy to FM in Denver.
The company has registered Comedy1031.com, 1031Comedy.com, Funny1031.com, and 1031Funny.com for 103.1 K276FK Denver. The translator currently simulcasts “Cruisin’ Oldies 950” KRWZ via 98.5 KYGO-HD2.
K276FK would join semi-successful translators in Austin, Kansas City, and Santa Rosa as well as a distant rimshot in Phoenix running the Comedy format on FM.

More... (http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/netgnomes/70545/denver-cruisin-for-comedy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=denver-cruisin-for-comedy)

[Rob]

I don't think this is a smart move if they are really going to do it. Thoughts?

[radiodude]

And they think this well be a money grabbing idea? Comedy?
Talk about ratings going into the deep south of the ocean, they well loose
advertisers like crazy! Who the heck would want to listen to 24/7 comedy?
Gag! That is almost as worse as listening to 105.5 now a days! It won't last and it well be the dumbest thing that Lincoln has ever came up with!

[jtr115]

I could see comedy on an HD sub-channel, but not on a main signal.

KMDY-AM in Thousand Oaks, CA had tried an all-comedy format from 1984-1992.

[Rob]

I could see comedy on an HD sub-channel, but not on a main signal.

KMDY-AM in Thousand Oaks, CA had tried an all-comedy format from 1984-1992.

KALC 105.9 FM Denver had a comedy format on their HD-2 up until sometime last year when they dropped it for the current Blues format.

[Rob]

KRWZ has begun promoting they will soon no longer be heard on 103.1 FM or KYGO 98.5 FM HD-2. The station has been added to KKFN 104.3 FM HD-2, moving KEPN 1600 AM to KKFN's HD-3 channel. So maybe comedy is coming after all?

[SirKit]

I wonder, if they are going to do a comedy format, will each bit have a time limit? Will they have to make the bits fit, and cut them down to 3:05?

Why not do a comedy songs format? They could play They're Coming To Take Me Away Ha Ha by Napoleon XIV; It's A Laugh - Hall and Oates; Tiptoe Through The Tulips - Tiny Tim; You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) - The Beatles; See The Funny Clown - Paul Petersen; Ha Ha Said The Clown - The Yardbirds; Laughing - The Guess Who; Laugh Laugh - The Beau Brummels; Funny Girl - Barbra Streisand; Laugh At Me - Sonny Bono; I Started A Joke - Bee Gees; Grade 8 - Bruce Mcculloch; Paralyzed - The Legendary Stardust Cowboy; and so on.

Or, instead of warmed over recordings by comedians, have local hosts who know how to tell jokes and do comedy bits, or who try to, and maybe sometimes even fail. That could be great on-air comedy itself.But not professional morning person types with sidekicks, we've all heard enough of that. Also, get listeners involved. Invite them to submit recordings of their own comedy bits and funny stories, "... and it might get played on the air!" Yes, of course, this would all cost more money and be more risky, but it might generate more interest than comedy recordings. But I really think the probability is that they will be all-automated, all the time.

I for one, don't much care for a lot of live recordings by comedians. Too often, the audience laughter overwhelms the recording, and it gets to be a bit too much, and even if it is funny, I want it to end or I tune it out. I prefer studio recordings by comedians. I'll provide the laugh track myself, if it rates my laugh.

[radiodude]

I have been thinking about this, and I have been wondering about something?
103.1 is just a translator there is no physical studio link to it. So how in the world are they are going to put this "Comedy" on 103.1? How is it going to be done? Without a computer tied to it there is no way in the world for it to be done. Plus the ratings well flop and sink and it well most likely stay at a 0.6 ratings.

[Rob]

From Radio Insight:

Lincoln Financial Media looks prepared to bring Comedy to FM in Denver.
Update 10/5: “Cruisin’ 950” has begun promoting that it will soon no-longer be heard on 103.1 and KYGO-HD2. The station is adding an HD2 simulcast on 104.3 KKFN-HD2.
Original Report 9/19: The company has registered Comedy1031.com, 1031Comedy.com, Funny1031.com, and 1031Funny.com for 103.1 K276FK Denver. The translator currently simulcasts “Cruisin’ Oldies 950” KRWZ via 98.5 KYGO-HD2.
K276FK would join semi-successful translators in Austin, Kansas City, and Santa Rosa as well as a distant rimshot in Phoenix running the Comedy format on FM.

[Rob]

I have been thinking about this, and I have been wondering about something?
103.1 is just a translator there is no physical studio link to it. So how in the world are they are going to put this "Comedy" on 103.1? How is it going to be done? Without a computer tied to it there is no way in the world for it to be done. Plus the ratings well flop and sink and it well most likely stay at a 0.6 ratings.

The translator is licensed to broadcast whatever they put on KYGO 98.5 FM HD-2, so they just change it there and can have a totally separate station in doing that.

[radiodude]

Will from the KRWZ's website they already removed the 103.1 frequency and any relations to it. I am still wondering how they are going to manage to do this? 103.1 doesn't have a studio it is just a repeater.
k

[radiodude]

So 103.1 just broadcast on whatever is on 98.5 hd 2? Wow. Btw ever thought about that Lincoln might be sold to the worst radio company in America? Cumlus?
I bet anything that is why all this is taking place? They are preparing to be sold to them, and why no one wants to be part of the morning show at all anymor eon KYGO. In fact I bet anything that if this does take place that KYGO won't be around much longer.

[Rob]

Will from the KRWZ's website they already removed the 103.1 frequency and any relations to it. I am still wondering how they are going to manage to do this? 103.1 doesn't have a studio it is just a repeater.
k

Lincoln probably already has a studio or a closet with a computer setup for the new format that will be on KYGO 98.5 FM HD-2/103.1 FM. It's not that hard to setup a new feed... just a laptop these days...

[Rob]

So 103.1 just broadcast on whatever is on 98.5 hd 2? Wow. Btw ever thought about that Lincoln might be sold to the worst radio company in America? Cumlus?
I bet anything that is why all this is taking place? They are preparing to be sold to them, and why no one wants to be part of the morning show at all anymor eon KYGO. In fact I bet anything that if this does take place that KYGO won't be around much longer.


Why do you think Lincoln is selling these stations to Cumulus? I hadn't heard anything. If they were selling, they would keep things the way they are and not spend any money launching/promoting a new format.

[Rob]

If they do a comedy format, look for 103.1 FM to change to a sports format around the beginning of the year with the new NBC and CBS Sports Radio networks providing a lot of programming and looking for a presence in the bigger markets. They would be smart to just do a sports format right away. Comedy is not going to work here.

[Rob]

A comedy format has been added to KQKS 107.5 FM HD-2... the ID's at the top of the hour give the 103.1 FM translator calls and they say they are "Comedy 103-1"... so it looks like it's coming soon... :eek:
It is using the same feed from this Clear Channel web site: http://www.247comedy.com

So far 103.1 FM is still playing oldies...

[Rob]

The 107.5 FM HD-2 feed of the new format I reported about last week has been removed.
103.1 FM is stunting with "laughing". Their new website is up: http://comedy1031.com/

[Colorado Media Newsroom]

From All Access:

http://a3.aastatic.com/assets/img/editorial/100xH/co/comedy1031denver.jpg

LINCOLN FINANCIAL MEDIA is using an analog translator and an HD-2 channel to bring an all-Comedy station to DENVER. K276FK/DENVER, formerly fed by sister Oldies KRWZ-A (CRUISIN' OLDIES 950), is now being fed by Country KYGO's HD-2 channel with the all-Comedy format as "THE NEW COMEDY 103.1."
“DENVER needs a laugh and THE NEW COMEDY 103.1 will deliver,” said SVP/GM BOB CALL. “Stand-up comedy 24/7 will make it the ultimate feel good radio station. Building on the success of COMEDY 102.7 in AUSTIN and FUNNY 102.5 in KANSAS CITY, we look forward to DENVER's NEW COMEDY103.1 becoming a favorite destination for laughs.”

more (http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/111575/denver-gets-an-all-comedy-station-via-lincoln-fina?ref=rss)

[Colorado Media Newsroom]

From Radio Online:

Lincoln Financial Media launches "The New Comedy 103.1," on translator K276FK powered by KYGO-HD2. The new Comedy radio outlet will feature comedians day and night, including Dane Cook, Wanda Sykes, Chris Rock, Jeff Foxworthy, Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Martin, Kathy Griffin, Eddie Murphy, George Carlin, Jimmy Fallon, George Lopez and Ray Romano, among others.

"Denver needs a laugh and the New Comedy 103.1 will deliver," said Senior VP/General Manager Bob Call. "Stand-up comedy 24/7 will make it the ultimate feel good radio station. Building on the success of Comedy 102.7 in Austin and Funny 102.5 in Kansas City, we look forward to Denver's New Comedy 103.1 becoming a favorite destination for laughs."

The KRWZ Oldies format that had been simulcast on 103.1 FM and 950 AM will still be heard on its AM frequency and via online stream at cruisinoldies950.com.

more (http://news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=n25722)

[PC Bigboy]

KALC 105.9 FM Denver had a comedy format on their HD-2 up until sometime last year when they dropped it for the current Blues format.If it didn't work on Alice, it won't work anywhere on the Denver Radio Dial on an HD subchannel. Young mostly suburban people are the very core of Alice's listenership. These are the very same people the Comedy genre was supposed to appeal to (But not on an HD subchannel)

I believe that the Comedy genre will work BUT it needs to be on a station with a decent signal. 103.1 does not fit this criteria (It's just as bad as the HD2 subchannel it came from). However 92.5 would fit this criteria. Problem is Wilks (For whatever reason) insists on sticking with a format which has a long history of failing on that frequency. Why not try Comedy Radio there? What does Wilks have to lose?

Thoughts?

Cheers :D

[Rob]

Wilks wouldn't do it, now that Lincoln is trying it. It should be interesting to see what the ratings will be on 103.1 FM... and how much KRWZ 950 AM drops without the help of the FM translator.

[Rob]

It looks like Comedy 103.1 already has close to 3,000 fans on Facebook. A really good number for how new the station is.
https://www.facebook.com/Comedy1031

[Rob]

One of the few stations doing an all comedy format (I think there's only around 5) is dropping it. Funny 102.5 FM in Kansas City will be going Sports at the end of the month... "Cumulus will flip its FM translator at 102.5 (K273BZ-FM) in Kansas City to Sports as "Sports Radio 102.5 The Fan," beginning January 2."

[radiodude]

So have you listened to it recently Rob? I did one day on my lunch break over a weekend, quite interesting. It was doing clips from different comedians, and this girls voice was telling everyone before that what the name of the comedian was.
So 3,0000 fans huh? Wow, so what well that do for the ratings i wonder? I saw that much so far for 107.1, since alot of people have started to whine about the format change, and yet their ratings were in the whole for a long time.
So that many fans doesn't do a darn thing when it comes to ratings.

[Rob]

Yep, the format is pretty close to what I am used to with Sirius/XM's comedy channels. This version is more family friendly and legal for the over the airwaves. And is the same feed (with different station ID's, commercial breaks) that is on the other comedy formatted stations around the US. Their Facebook page had to close to 5,000 likes the last I looked...

I had my car worked on this week and the repair place in Broomfield had the station on.