Nick Wright. Note: This photo of him has now been removed from the KCSP site.
WILL KCSP SURVIVE AS A SPORTS TALK STATION? For several years the highest rated radio station in Kansas City was WDAF-610 AM, a country station. However, a few years ago Entercom made the decision to convert the station to an all sports talk format as KCSP-610. The station has gradually gone downhill from there. In the latest Winter 2008 radio ratings book Entercom's KCSP finished in 20th place with a paltry 1.3 share, down from the Fall book. In the past year the highest the station has finished was at 1.4. The lowest was 1.2. Of the eight Entercom stations in the KC market, KCSP was seventh (beating KXTR, an AM classical station). All Access, a site that focuses on radio stations, reports (5/12) that Entercom stations in Kansas City generally had a very poor ratings period (LINK). KCSP's main competitor, Union Broadcasting's WHB-810 was 13th with a 3.6 share. However, WHB increased its ratings from the Fall book and had a 4.0 rating in 2007. KCSP made a key move when it hired veteran Roger Twibell to host its morning drive time show, although his ratings have been dismal so far (see Flanagan column below). It also can boast the leading radio sports reporter in Rhonda Moss who is not afraid to ask the tough questions on sports fans' minds. In fact, last year the Kansas City Royals yanked her press credentials for asking difficult questions. In another major move KCSP outbid its rivals to land the broadcasts of the Kansas City Royals games. In all likelihood the station overpaid to garner the games, but the theory is that a radio station hopes that fans will listen to the games, and then have their radio stations set on that station when they turn on the radio the next day. While KCSP broadcasts games during the week, but then has to switch broadcasts to its sister station KMBZ-980 on Sundays due to a commitment to air NASCAR races on KCSP. However, that means sports fans listening to Sunday games will then turn on the radio Monday morning to KMBZ, not KCSP. KCSP also made a questionable decision by having a recent college graduate initially do its pre- and post-game reports on the Royals games. Nick Wright, 23, believed to be the youngest sports talk host in any major market in the U.S., has already been replaced on the post-game shows by Marty Wall. WHB, which lost the rights to the games to KCSP, is counter-programming with a full staff of sports veterans doing Royals pre-game and post-game broadcasts. "We clearly want people to switch to our station before Royals games for the best analysis," says Soren Petro, talk show host at WHB. "There really is no comparison with the expertise we have on staff here." Stay tuned. 05-06-2008
RESPONSE (5/9/08) FROM DAVE ALPERT, VICE PRESIDENT, MARKET MANAGER (Entercom Kansas City): "I found your article on KCSP to be extremely uninformed and riddled with mistruths. Additionally, I find it interesting that you would take the time to get a quote from an on air personality of a direct competitor, but not take the time to call the management of KCSP and check your facts. This reads as if Union Broadcasting is one of your clients. "Had you taken the time to inquire and check your facts you may have found out that the ad revenues of KCSP have been climbing steadily since last Summer and for 2008 the station is currently pacing 7% ahead (excluding Royals Revenue) of prior year in a market that is down 9%. Including Royals revenue the station is pacing 32% ahead of prior year with the latest Miller Kaplan (April) showing the station as a top 10 biller for local revenue for the first time ever. "I would hardly call this a “Death Spiral.”
NICK WRIGHT (NICK ORANGE) RESPONDS ON KCTALK.NET:
"I'm not going to lie, losing the Royals job sucked and was certainly a knock to my ego. But like I said before, I understood why they did what they did and I never considered myself to be a baseball postgame guy, that's what I do and to be perfectly honest it's not what I enjoy. "What I enjoy is putting together thought-provoking, funny, and, most importantly, listenable talk shows. I think I do that. "I think when I'm on, I have one of the best sports shows in the city. The problem is that I am not always on. That is not due to a lack of preparation of care for my job, it's simply due to the fact that I am still learning, every day, how to do a consistently quality talk show." http://www.kcforum.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1164
Jeffrey Flanagan says KCSP ratings dismal.
JEFFREY FLANAGAN COLUMN, KANSAS CITY STAR (5/11/08) KCSP switch KCSP has pulled the plug on Nick Wright doing the Royals postgame show and replaced him with the more experienced Marty Wall. Wright, hired fresh out of Syracuse, didn’t appear comfortable trying to provide Royals analysis needed for a postgame show. “That’s my fault for putting him in a position that he didn’t feel comfortable in,” said KCSP operations director Allan Davis. “He’s a young kid who we feel has a lot of talent. I think he’s going to be a big deal in this business someday, hopefully with us.” Wright will continue to do his nightly talk show on non-Royals nights, as well as some weekend work.
Woeful start KCSP’s big move last winter of dumping the morning shows hosted by Damon Amendolara (link to DA's comments) and Tim Grunhard seemed somewhat puzzling at the time, though neither was a consistent threat to rival WHB’s shows. But the first Arbitron book with the new hosts — Roger Twibell from 6 to 9 and Chris Hamblin and Cory Anderson from 9 to 11 — was shockingly low. Twibell posted a 1.1 share for the demographic of men 25-54, while Hamblin and Anderson had a 1.0. During the previous winter book, Amendolara and Grunhard each had over 3.0 shares. WHB, by the way, posted another easy across-the-board victory.
FEEDBACK FROM RADIO VETERAN (05-13-2008):
"He (Dave Alpert) does the usual where he does not answer the question asked, but comes up with something that makes him look good. You never mentioned revenue, you only talked ratings. He never answered anything about ratings. "We know the ratings suck. In fact, if you look at the posts of the message board for KC radio, they show how terrible it must be. In the prime demo of 25-54 year olds KCSP runs a solid 19th. "I just think Alpert did not know what to say…..and did the 'I show you that we’re up in something' dance. "If KCSP is not in a death spiral, it is in a leaky boat taking on more water than they can bail…and the sharks are circulating. It is not a question or whether or not Entercom and 610 will drop sports, but when…
"The truly sad thing is that a great franchise….610 AM….a player for over 50 years, has turned into a non-entity."
He's trying to justify Entercom's decision to wrest the Royals out of WHB's hands and thinking they would be a good match for their station. Unfortunately, many flagships in smaller markets don't make any money, it's just corporate vanity...creating gravitas for the station. Problem is, they didn't have enough equity with the audience to create any buzz prior to gaining the Royals. Their promotions stunk, and their talent for choosing talent is suspect. And, here's an important aspect. WHB had a several years head start on them and had a real knack of promoting themselves as the local experts. Also, KCSP promoted themselves as "The Football Channel" and then they get baseball. The listeners are confused. But, above all, their talent is just not major league. Neal Jones comes across as a whiner and know-it-all, Marty Wall is a great guy but considered a lightweight, Jim Rome can't dent Soren Petro and Roger Twibell is basically known as a golf guy, if he's known at all. And, they haven't thrown any money at all on promotion. They need to outspend HB, but their talent level right now, can never match the amount spent on promotion.
Tim (05-12-2008):
"I just read your recent articles about 610 Sports. Including Alpert's response. Alpert is someone that I have emailed a lot, along with Allan Davis. Both, in my opinion, are pretty clueless. Their refusal to do anything positive to actually improve their station, is ridiculous. Ever thought about actually listening to your audience? I don't know, I would think that their opinion matters. You would never know that judging by their business practices and their response to listeners. "D.A., while not great, did have a pretty good following in Kansas City and was getting better with time. Grunny, was Grunny of course. They let these two go and replace them with boring and horrid. Twibell and whatever his name is, are horrid to listen to. They pack in guest, because they know their takes suck. "Chris and Cowboy, seriously? Who, in their right mind, thought it was a good idea to have these two jokers on during the day? They sound fake, whiny, and, well, terrible together. Why? Because neither could hold a show by themselves. "Neal and Marty, well, we all know how bad they have sucked for years, but 610 holds steady. "Nick Wright? Really? Can you say Steven A. Smith light? There just can't be anyone as brutal as this kid. "There has been multiple email campaigns to get 610 to realize that they are going about it the wrong way. They hire and promote the wrong people. They have no one that has really has strong opinions, good ones, to go along with actual sports knowledge. They did with D.A., Grunny, kind of, and Matt Scott on the weekends, but none of the three are on the air anymore. "Why? Heck, I was involved in two different email campaigns to lobby for Mr. Scott to get the morning show gig. I got then, as I always have, a one sentence response. "Thanks for your feedback." Really? Thanks for the feedback! I don't know, maybe do something to fix your terrible station. Maybe actually put the right people in place. Maybe get rid of your boring, weak host and keep or hire those that have talent. Memo to 610, not everyone wants to listen to 810. "Maybe you should put people in place in order to give those people something else to listen to. Instead, 610 is so bad, said people are forced to listen to 810 for sports radio. "Find me a station in the country that has the rights to 3 of the 4 biggest sports draws in the city, but still pulls in terrible numbers. KU, Royals, and NASCAR are all on the air at 610 Sports. Yet, the station still lives is suckland. Either they're handcuffed by Entercom, or Alpert and Davis are really that stupid."
