The biggest story in Classic Rock right now is undoubtedly the shift of KCAL/Riverside. The station has been some flavor of Rock for the last sixty years, but the change to Classic Rock represents a major departure. KCAL had been a Mainstream Rock station for a quarter of a century.
The most shocking part of this story isn’t the music itself; it’s the decision to cut the entire airstaff. The station has shifted to a jock-less presentation. Anyone who knows me knows that I am one of the biggest fans of talent on the radio. Frankly, I do not want to downplay how distressing this is.
However, it’s also safe to say that between coverage and commentary in the trades and on social media — which created an avalanche of comments — that topic has been covered. To summarize: it sucks. It’s unfortunate. It’s not a great harbinger for radio. Moreover, no one outside of management knows for sure what financial pressure the station is under.
But that doesn’t make a whole column. So, much like I encourage air talent to do when they evaluate content, I decided to take a different angle. I wanted to examine the musical shift. Essentially, there are three questions worth addressing:
- How different is the new KCAL music mix from the old? • How close is the new mix to its Classic Hits sister station KOLA? • How close is it to KLOS, which has always been a factor in the market.
The New Mix
Comparing a day’s music log from a month ago to the new Classic Rock log reveals stark differences. The station’s music had been nearly half nineties with another 35% coming from the ’00s. Only a small amount (2%) consisted of new music.
The new mix is centered in the eighties with that decade accounting for 40% of the mix. The rest splits almost evenly between the seventies and nineties. That’s a big shift for Rock fans in the market.
The Sister Station
While KCAL’s new mix is 40% eighties, KOLA is even heavier on that decade. Over 60% of songs played come from that same era. Additionally, another 25% of KOLA’s music comes from the nineties and the 2000s. This leaves the seventies mostly to KCAL.
However, the real difference between the two is less about era and more about the types of songs being played. KCAL’s top sounds are Harder Rock and Hair Metal from the eighties. Also included are seventies Rock and 90’s Rock Alternative. In contrast, KOLA is centered on pure pop titles from the eighties and nineties. Their selection includes Flashback Alternative sounds — early MTV-type titles — from the eighties. While they share decades, the two stations’ sonic profiles are very different. This gives them plenty of room to co-exist.
And Then There’s KLOS
KLOS/Los Angeles has traditionally garnered strong ratings in the market. I don’t know enough about Riverside to know if KLOS’ owners monetize those numbers. Still, having a heritage station like that in play certainly impacts the competitive situation. For perspective, in the June PPM, KCAL was a 2.9 6+ and KLOS was a 3.1. That was a high-water mark for KCAL — of course — and a relatively low point for KLOS.
Musically, with KCAL’s new direction, KLOS is actually the more contemporary radio station. Nearly 40% of their music comes from the nineties and another 10% from the ’00s. As mentioned above, KCAL’s center is 40% eighties music and 20% seventies. The two overlap quite a bit but KCAL is slightly older.
Sonically, the two stations are close. The only sounds that have a notable presence on KCAL that don’t have a big foothold on KLOS are eighties hair metal. Also notable are straight-ahead rock from the eighties and nineties — like the Black Crowes, Billy Squier, and later career Aerosmith. Otherwise, there is a lot of overlap.
It will be interesting to see how this move plays out for KCAL’s ratings. Equally interesting would be knowing how this impacts the station’s balance sheet. Unfortunately, that’s information we’re never likely to see.
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Mike Stern is a Classic Rock columnist and Features writer for Barrett Media. He has been with Jacobs Media consulting stations in the Classic Rock, Rock, Alternative and AAA world for more than a decade. Prior to that he programmed stations in Chicago, Detroit, Denver Las Vegas and other markets. He also worked as News/Talk Editor for Radio and Records, wrote about Top 40 Radio for Billboard Magazine and had his own radio talent coaching business called Talent Mechanic.