After many years as a Hot AC station, Newport's 102.7 KYTE has suddenly shifted their format to AC. It's sad, the Central Oregon Coast no longer has a station for youthful adults. The old KYTE will certainly be missed.

KYTE-FM Weekly Playlist

How To Save A Life – The Fray
Home - Chris Daughtry
Everything - Michael Buble'
Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
Street Corner Symphony - Rob Thomas
Before He Cheats - Carrie Underwood
The Sweet Escape - Gwen Stefani & Akon
Change - Kimberley Locke
Far Away - Nickelback
Waiting On The World To Change - John Mayer
Say It Right - Nelly Furtado
The Road - Trueheart
If Everyone Cared - Nickelback
Makes Me Wonder - Maroon 5
Hey There Delilah - Plain White T's
Big Girls Don't Cry - Fergie
February Song - Josh Groban
My Wish - Rascal Flatts
Anyway - Martina McBride
Never Alone - Jim Brickman/Lady Antebellum
Ever Present Past - Paul McCartney
Lemonade - Chris Rice
I Needed To Fall - REO Speedwagon
Best Of Me - Chrisette Michele
Heaven Knows - Taylor Hicks
No One Is To Blame - Katrina Carlson/Howard Jones
(You Want To) Make A Memory - Bon Jovi
Beautiful Disaster - Jon McLaughlin
Wait For You - Elliot Yamin
Little Wonders - Rob Thomas

How many youthful adults live in Newport?

Apparently, not enough for KYTE.

"How many youthful adults live in Newport?"

I dunno, but they sure roll up the sidewalks damn to early for me. McDonald's shouldn't be Newport's "nightlife."

Semoochie: Your question is a good one. I’m sure this wasn’t a “knee jerk” reaction to whatever may be going on in the market. Hot AC has become a bit more urban – rap. Not a music genre that the population of Lincoln County listens to on a regular basis. I think it’s a good flip.

Good point. Is this the station Ron Leonard was doing afternoons on lately?

No

Ron was on 100.7 The Boss, the Oldies station.

"Hot AC has become a bit more urban – rap."

Just because an Akon, Fergie, Sean Kingston, Gym Class Heroes, or Justin Timberlake song is on R&R's Hot AC chart, doesn't mean that KYTE has to play it. Most smaller market Hot AC stations simply stay away from the more "urban" material, or they daypart it. KYTE's switch to full-blown AC, wasn't necessary. It will do more harm in the long run, as younger adults (in Lincoln County) will be forced to look elsewhere for music entertainment. They'll turn away from radio in general, as KYTE's audience continues to age out of the 25-54 demo. Where will KYTE's future listeners come from?

If it were up to me, I would certainly not be playing these songs, which lack any kind of mass appeal:

The Road - Trueheart
February Song - Josh Groban
Never Alone - Jim Brickman/Lady Antebellum
Lemonade - Chris Rice
Best Of Me - Chrisette Michele
Heaven Knows - Taylor Hicks

The 20 Miracle Miles is not a rated market. It doesn't matter that much how old their audience is as long as local advertisers get results. There used to be 3 stations between Newport and Lincoln City, 1 in each and 1 in Toledo. None were Hot AC.

KYQT (which became KYTE in '91) was Hot AC, nearly 20 years ago.

That's true, after many years of B/EZ, before which there were only 3 stations, none of which were FM or Hot AC.

According to the records, 102.5 became KYQT on 11/10/86. I didn't get to hear the station until March of '89, and the "QT102" imaging sounded great!

In recent years, KYTE's imaging has sounded quite unprofessional, with bland, dry-voiced liners. What happened to the professionally produced "big-voice" liners they used in the '90s? "From high atop Otter Crest with 67,000 watts of power, 102.7 KYTE-FM is K-Y-T-E, Newport/Lincoln City!"

Radioexpert opines:

"If it were up to me, I would certainly not be playing these songs, which lack any kind of mass appeal:

The Road - Trueheart
February Song - Josh Groban
Never Alone - Jim Brickman/Lady Antebellum
Lemonade - Chris Rice
Best Of Me - Chrisette Michele
Heaven Knows - Taylor Hicks"

Got some figures to back that assertion up?

Clearly, AC PDs don't agree with you as they're playing those songs a lot - songs that have generated VERY positive responses from the format's target audience

If these songs truly tested well, wouldn't K103 be playing them? What about Magic 94.5 in Eugene? Obviously, these songs have *some* appeal, but not enough to become real hits.

Gee, no Hot AC station on the Coast. Apparently, Radioexpert is the only one who cares. One person. Pretty hard for a station to make it on that. Heck, I'll bet most youth spent more time trying to get off the coast than they did listening to the radio. I know I would.

...only if they truly tested well for K103.

They are likely catering to local advertisers, since I doubt they get many agency buys in a market that small.

....Magis 94.5 would also have to test the death out of it.

It's true, in those smaller markets, a station often targets the advertiser with their programming, more than they target the actual audience. The station wants to avoid any objections from that small town business person during the spot buy.

In fact, that happens much with the larger corporate stations too.

"The station wants to avoid any objections from that small town business person during the spot buy."

Very true!

I must admit that KYTE was playing a few songs that may have been a bit too "hard" for the community. But, I don't see anything wrong with playing the latest hits from Lifehouse, Pink, Matchbox Twenty, Avril Lavigne, Goo Goo Dolls, and Gwen Stefani. These are mass-appeal artists.

Hopefully, KYTE's PD is reading this and taking notes.

Outsider:

Coos Bay/North Bend and Astoria/Seaside have Hot AC stations, so why not Newport/Lincoln City? Country and Hot AC are among the most common formats you'll find in the small markets across the country.

I think Hot AC would tend to struggle more in Newport/Lincoln City, because I picture that part of the Oregon Coast as more of a tourist trap/retirement area than the South Coast. The younger demographics in Newport/Lincoln City, in my opinion, can more easily access their lifestyle by heading to Portland/Corvallis/Eugene, than those on the South Coast, Reedsport/Coos Bay-North Bend/Brookings can. I would think listeners in those areas would tend to push for what they want more than further North.

Radioxpert: he is

I've been monitoring KYTE over the past month, and have noticed some programming inconsistencies. First of all, KYTE is still playing Hot AC gold such as Semisonic, Scorpions, Evanescense, Bowling For Soup, etc. However, every current song being played is now taken from R&R's Mainstream AC chart! They're not playing Hot AC currents from Lifehouse, Matchbox Twenty, Gwen Stefani, Goo Goo Dolls, Pat Monahan, etc. What is the PD thinking? The station needs to bring back those Hot AC currents!

Radioxpert:

I think the answer to that question is -- The PD isn't thinking. The music and sound of KYTE has never seemed to fit any ONE format very well. It's always been a blend of AC, Classic Hits, and whatever other random garbage the staff feels like throwing in to the mix.

Good looking out!

Very true, Omega3! How well does KYTE perform in the ratings?

Good question, but I'm not sure. I've HEARD that their 12+ numbers look good, which would make sense.

But, in terms of AQH, CUME, and any of the key demos they're not doing so hot...