Media Watch

THE MOUNTAIN ADDS TWO OUT-OF-TOWN DJS TO LINEUP

In a continuing effort to make headway in the Tucson market, KWMT FM 92.9 The Mountain has made two changes to its daytime lineup.

Delana, a San Diego talent, will broadcast from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and former Tucson radio personality Ryno will take to the airwaves from 3 to 7 p.m. The two DJs meet the station's apparent standard of having just one name, and station managers hope they will help stimulate The Mountain's efforts to be more upbeat.

"Over the past year, our new program director, Chris Patyk, has worked hard to give the station a new sound with more excitement," said Clear Channel Tucson operations manager Tim Richards. "We're just continuing to look to drive that sound."

The lineup change has moved Christopher (O'Gorman) to nights.

The additions are an example of the cluster's utilization of faux-local talent from other markets within Clear Channel. Delana is based out of San Diego, where she handles the 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift for KMYI, aka Star 94.1—basically, that city's version of The Mountain. She'll voice-track a Mountain-specific show and send the files downline so the locals can plug them in at the appropriate points. For all intents and purposes, she'll be a Tucson personality—other than that part about actually being in Tucson.

Delana will also presumably add to her salary, while Clear Channel won't have to hire another body.

"Any personality that is interested in doing work in additional markets can do it," said Richards. "They just submit some work, and program directors can listen to it and see if they fit the sound for the station. We have a resource where we can listen to the airchecks of all the different talents, and see what's right for the station."

Ryno, who previously worked at KRQQ FM 93.7 and 104.1 FM The Point (now talker KQTH, aka The Truth), is currently based in Nashville, Tenn.

Voice-tracking—the act of placing a voice file into a computer program that triggers what plays on a station, including commercial breaks, at a given time—has long since shattered the concept of "live" in much of the radio business. In short, when you hear a DJ on a local music station, there's a pretty good chance the segment is prerecorded.

Today, much of Clear Channel's Tucson lineups blur the traditional concept of local. Johnjay and Rich, who were based in the Old Pueblo prior to their relocation to Phoenix in 2006, remain the morning-show fixture on KRQQ 93.7 FM, one of seven Clear Channel stations on which they are syndicated. Mojo, who preceded Johnjay and Rich at KRQ, today broadcasts his morning show, which airs locally on KOHT FM 98.3, from his home base in Detroit.

"Johnjay and Rich and Mojo still do shows from Tucson, so while they may be home-based out of a different market, they definitely still come to this market and spend time here," Richards said. "I think there's a perception, and it's probably a valid one in some instances, that voice-tracked or syndicated talent is totally disconnected from the markets they are in. Johnjay and Rich are a unique scenario: They were born here and are now syndicated in seven markets. They still are very connected to this market and still spend time in this market. It's not like they're in some far-off land completely out of touch with this place. Initially, in 2006, it was hard giving up Johnjay and Rich to Phoenix, but what we found is that, ultimately, when you have a talent that is that good, you (risk) giving them up altogether—Tucson is a market a lot of talent uses as a stepping stone. We figured out a way to not only help them grow, but keep them in the market in some way.

"(Ryno) and Delana will still be making trips here, so it won't be a scenario where they're out of touch with the place. For Ryno, in a sense, this is a homecoming of sorts. We feel like the station now is dialed in and is as exciting as when we signed it on."


KOLD TURNS IN STRONG SUMMER NEWS NUMBERS

Nielsen TV ratings for July proved to be good news for KOLD Channel 13.

The CBS affiliate led the way in every major newscast among the 25-to-54-year-old viewing demographic. At 10 p.m., KOLD registered a 4.5 share, well ahead of KGUN Channel 9's 3.0, and KVOA Channel 4's 2.9. That 4.5 is one point better than what KOLD registered at the same time last year. KGUN also made a one-point leap in the same time period. KVOA, which led the category in July 2009, dropped 1.2 points from last year's numbers.

A share reflects the percentage of televisions in use in a particular market during a given timeframe.

At 6 p.m., KOLD registered a 2.1, besting the 1.6 share of KVOA, and KGUN's 1.4. At 5 p.m., KOLD led the way with a share of 3.2, compared to KGUN's 1.9 and KVOA's 1.6.

KOLD got better numbers than KVOA—1.8 vs. 1.3—at noon.

Even with the departure of Jenny Anchondo, KOLD still outpaced the other local morning offerings in the 5 to 7 a.m. timeslot with a 1.7, compared to KVOA's 1.5 and KGUN's 0.8.

Among newscasts without significant head-to-head news-related competition, KMSB Channel 11 pulled a 1.9 for its 9 p.m. effort, while KVOA's 4 p.m. news drew a 0.6. That's good news for KMSB when compared to the 1.4 the year before. The 0.6 is a consistent number for KVOA in that timeslot.

The ratings news, however, is not good, ratings-wise, for KGUN's Morning Blend. The sponsor-driven hour-long advertorial program delivered a 0.1 at 11 a.m. and has been consistently sliding since its debut.