A footnote to the controversy over the loss of KNGY-FM, “Energy 92.7,” San Francisco’s Gay oriented dance music station. It appears that had the frequency’s new management wanted to, it could have retained the old format’s staff, or at least retained the services of Energy’s popular morning show duo: Fernando and Greg. Radio Survivor has […]
Archive | Commercial Radio
The Romance of Radio Rediscovered on the iPod Nano
I probably don’t have to convince anyone reading Radio Survivor that radio rules. But just in case you need some persuading, I’d like to share a beautifully written love-letter to radio (written by a reviewer at Popular Mechanics of all places). While checking out the new FM radio feature on the iPod Nano, former college […]
SF Supes pass resolution urging return of Energy 92.7
The SF Board of Supervisors passed a resolution asking Ed Stolz to bring Energy 92.7, which critics see as part of a “pressure campaign” that includes, well, me.
Classical music fans nervous about WGBH snarfdown of WCRB
It’s official—public radio station WGBH in Boston is buying up Waltham classical signal WCRB 99.5 FM and will turn it into a non-commercial outlet. You know the GBH announcement is serious because it comes with a pitch for money. Plus cellist Yo-Yo Ma has endorsed the move, so it’s got to be good. “This is […]
My five minutes with KREV’s Ed Stolz
As Jennifer Waits has reported, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is poised to pass a resolution calling on KREV station owner Ed Stolz to “reconsider his choice to abandon the successful format of Energy 92.7 and rehire the talented staff that provided a radio format that was adored and appreciated by so many fans […]
"Save Energy 92.7" Resolution up for Vote at SF Board of Supes Meeting Tomorrow
Both Matthew and I have recounted the recent ownership and format change of San Francisco station Energy 92.7. The formerly gay-friendly dance music station has proven to be a fan favorite, with many people expressing their displeasure over its change to top 40. Even a member of San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors, Bevan Dufty, has […]
Goodbye Fernando and Greg; Hello Edward R. Stolz
What will it take to make sure popular radio stations like Energy 92.7 in San Francisco aren’t bought and sold as if the audiences for them don’t matter? Maybe it would help if the station’s owners were required to tell the public about their plans.
San Francisco Loses Gay-Friendly Radio Station
I rarely listen to commercial radio, spending the majority of my time devoted to college and community radio stations. So, I was caught completely unaware when I read yesterday that San Francisco was losing its gay-friendly dance music station Energy 92.7. I didn’t even know that it existed. The 5-year-old station, KNGY, “often touted itself […]
AM on FM Begins Oct. 1
After rendering the AM dial a garbled mess after sunset by cramming in too many stations along with space-hogging HD signals, in 2007 the commercial radio industry came a-calling to the FCC with it’s hand out. It’s request? To let AM radio stations have repeater stations–called translators–on the FM dial. While sitting on the NAB’s […]
Digital radio revenues up; terrestrial way down
If you are looking for the bright spot in radio’s future, it’s streaming from a digital platform. The Radio Advertising Bureau’s report for this year’s second fiscal quarter makes this abundantly clear. Local and national over-the-air radio saw a 25% drop in revenue, while digital saw a ten percent boost. Digital radio’s revenue from advertising […]