Can you arrange deck chairs on the titanic?

It might be a good gig if you promise you won’t mention the Emperor has no clothes!

Fired or left? If fired, not sure a new PD can solve the problems. If left, not sure a new PD can solve the problems.

Isn't that like the second or third PD through there in the last three years? Must be a tough gig!

Unreasonable expectations, or unachieveable expectations?

Maybe the new PD will make a bold move that highlights KPAM's local ownership and programming.

How about replacing Clark Howard with Professor Eisinger? Or maybe mix it up with a conservative-liberal team like Greg Clapper with Bill Gallagher? Kind of like a local version of Hannity & Colmes on Radio. It would be a little less wonkish than Kramer & Abrams, who, while good, are maybe a little too focused for the average listener on what they excel at: education.

Herb

I know I'm an aging broken record now on this subject (just using the phrase "broken record" dates me :-), but I still really wish KPAM would go all-news. If you want to emphasize LOCAL, it's the way to go. And it's the only thing that would make it stand out in this market. (Well, maybe all-polka would stand out too...)

Now that KPAM has the CBS affiliation, all news makes even more sense.

good thought.

All news. I like it.

What could KPAM avoid doing to make sure they don't die like KYXI did?

Herb

>>I still really wish KPAM would go all-news. If you want to emphasize LOCAL, it's the way to go. And it's the only thing that would make it stand out in this market.<<

I agree it's the logical thing for KPAM to do - but it's REALLY expensive to staff an all-news operation. Just ask Fisher about KOMO-AM in Seattle. They're running on a really tight budget and would be in a lot worse shape if they didn't have the TV news resources to supply the bulk of their stories.

This one's more for the TV folks - but maybe KOIN and KPAM should partner up - it seems to me like that's a win-win.

All news on a signal-challenged AM: guaranteed 1.5 share. Multi million dollar loss. Which they're already doing. Trust me...been there.

KKAD SHOULD GO 50'S -60'S OLDIES...

I fully understand that all-news isn't cheap. But there already is a ton of money being invested in the station, and I truly believe that being the only all-news station in Portland would attract far more attention than the current talk format. And note that KPAM is part of an entire LOCAL media conglomerate that includes -- and is housed in the same location as -- the Portland Tribune and Community Newspapers. Certainly there could be some serious sharing of news-gathering resources within the Pamplin Media Group?

I don't think I'd describe KPAM as "signal challenged". They have a better signal than most area AMs. My take is that KYXI didn't really die so much as having more indirect competition. It also didn't help that sister station KGON lost a ton of listeners at that time. I think it's entirely possible that KKAD will eventually switch to what used to be mainstream Oldies if someone else doesn't beat them to it. Another adjustment to the Classic Hits format should just about do it. It's one thing not to play pre-Beatles and quite another to ignore the 60s altogether! When everything before 1970 is purged from Classic Hits/Oldies, Classic Rock, AC and AAA, some AM is going to want to jump on that.

Yes, but how well would a 50/60s juke box do?

KPAM has a truly weak night pattern--there are areas of the Metro where I've heard KOA in Denver coming in better. Which means morning and afternoon drive are pretty well shot during the late fall, winter, and early spring periods.

KYXI went south when NBC pulled the plug on its NIS network. They tried to keep going using local resources, but the cost and the enormous amount of time to fill doomed the effort.

Sharing of resources with a co-owned newspaper looks nice in theory but doesn't work. Newspaper people are used to meeting one deadline per day, with one version of the story, and no audio. Over the long haul, and believe me, all news is one fricken long haul, you need radio people, if you're going to do radio.

No offense intended, but people who think 24-hour news is a magic solution on a weak AM in a non-top-10 market have never done it.

Eastwood, no offense taken ... :-) But just out of curiosity, where were you involved in an all-news operation?

Anyone know whether the PD quit or was let go?

Johnf, in order to speak candidly of my troubled radio past, I must cringe behind the veil of a screen name; likewise, the stations where I learned the cautionary lessons of all-news must be shrouded in generalities. There were several, but only one was a clear ratings success, thanks in part to sports PBP bringing in cume. Which reminds me of KPAM's orange-and-black glimmer of hope.

The KOMO Seattle model, like Johnf says, is based on using resources from KOMO-TV, but also is buoyed by the Mariners. While most Top20 markets have all-news stations, below Top20 they become fewer and fewer. All-news is a challenging format at the very least.

Yes, but how well would a 50/60s juke box do?
We've seen that before, with Golden Oldies - Super 62 KPOJ and the much shorter-lived AM 970 - Crusin' Oldies.
Both stations flipped to talk (620 to Progressive Talk, 970 to "Extreme" Talk), with some speculating that each oldies station was a stunt.

KPAM is still on the air???

What areas of the metro does KPAM not come in well at night? They appear to have the same general pattern as KFXX. KOA is on 850 and shouldn't be a consideration, XEMO maybe.

Rip-N-Read the Register-Guard is a proven budget saver.

Try taking a drive by Clackamas Community College when KPAM is on night pattern, then talk to me about their wonderful signal. It's almost like dx-ing.

Of course KOA is on 850. I didn't say they covered KPAM. But there've been occasions when they're stronger in their spot than KPAM is in theirs. Radio junkies might put up with that. Listeners won't.

Many times I find it very difficult to hear KPAM in the Milwaukie & Clackamas areas. There tends to be some splatter from KEX. I'm no signal guy, but having the KEX towers in the neighborhood may not help. I remember working at a small TV facility off Johnson Rd and hearing KEX in our control room to studio IFB feeds. It seemed like every cable in the place was picking up KEX.

Maybe the PD was not fired. Just reassigned to Pamplin's Ross Island annex.

"Maybe the PD was not fired...."

maybe he was just donated to the city of Portland, pending Portland's agreement to cover his severance, unemployment, and any potential lawsuits.

what happened to the pd? nobody ever found out?