KRDO wins three regional Emmys

KRDO/Channel 13 won three regional Emmy awards from the Heartland Region of the National Television Academy.

KRDO won for its morning newscast, Rob Namnoum won best sports anchor and the station won the community service award for its series on sex offenders.

The awards were presented Saturday in Denver.

Totally uncool

Obviously, part of the fun of "American Idol" is watching the delusional, narcissistic jerks get a reality check. It's less fun when those jerks make their dogs suffer along the way.

I mean, seriously, it was 90 degrees in Denver all week. How much of a moron do you have to be to leave your dog in the car while you audition?

Indy looks at radio

The Colorado Springs Independent's Bill Forman looked into the decline of local radio today.

I think it's a decent overview - he focused on Buzz Corona, formerly of KPHT (95.5 FM), Vicky Gregor of KRCC (91.5 FM) and CK from KDZA (107.9 FM) (well, I'm not sure if he's still of KDZA, but CK will always be around somewhere).

However, he doesn't really address whether Clear Channel and Citadel played a role in the decline of radio, or if it's a technology driven decline and the big radio conglomerates are simply the ones left holding the bag (I'd argue that's mostly the case, although see my note about KILO below).

I think KCME is a better example of the toll internet streaming is taking on local radio. It lacks KRCC's news and popular syndicated programs, so it's more heavily reliant on people tuning in just for the music - and more of those people are finding their music through other sources. KCME recently held an off-season fund drive to make up for falling donations (although so did KRCC).

On the other hand, Forman doesn't really explore what KILO's comparative success means, although he has a quote from Ross Ford in the box. Obviously, part of that success comes from lack of competition in the last couple of years, but even when it wasn't on top, KILO was pretty much always top three. You could make a couple arguments here: the importance of listener loyalty and brand strength - both of which would argue against the frequent format flips Clear Channel and Citadel are known for, and maybe the importance of local jocks (which, sorry guys, I think gets overplayed, but it may have a role).

KCMN (1530 AM) is an interesting case, too, making a go of things as a near-independent (Don Crawford Jr. owns KCBR, too, but it's a very small operation).

What's the model that will give radio a future, either for-profit or not? Heck, I dunno. As I'm always saying on here, though, it was newspapers first, now it's radio, next it will be TV. Is "local" dead, or does it just need a heart transplant?

The best thing I can come up with right now is that local media will have to deal with falling revenue for several more years, but that there will be a plateau at some point and that, at some level, local newspapers and radio stations and TV stations will stick around for awhile.

Mo mo

Ross and Mo in the Morning may just be Ross these days, but Mo is still a KILO believer and a homecoming queen - with a sharp elbow for KILO's new competition from KDZA. She sent me this after my earlier post:

"I was reading about the station in the paper and I noticed you mentioned that I was gone and you didn't know where I went. I've been gone from the morning show since April...nothing like everybody noticing I'm gone to boost the ol' ego...3 months later. lol

I decided to spend the summer with my kids. I have an 18 yr old daughter who is just about to fly the coop and I'd been at KILO for over 11 years, hadn't spent much time with her.

So I decided to take the summer off. The toughest decision I've ever made.

The KILO Morning Show was my dream job. Not as much a job but an event...everyday.

Although, from what I understand, Lewis and Floorshine are funny but Ross Ford, even all by himself, is the funniest man I have ever known...or listened to.

The ONLY regret I have about leaving KILO is that I don't sit next to Ross everyday and laugh my ass off...I really do miss that. I still listen and laugh but it isn't the same.

Also, with Ross Ford, you have the advantage of a local voice. Not a bunch of guys from another city who really don't know what's going on right here in Colorado Springs. I, personally, take a lot of pride in the fact that KILO has never dipped low enough to go the cheap way out and syndicate a morning show from somewhere far far away. They have stayed true to the original idea of radio...local news, weather, sports and local interest all the way around.

Sure, fiscally it may cost a bit more, but KILO has the local listeners interest in mind. In turn, KILO Listeners, the KILO Nation, are THE most dedicated and loyal listeners in the world. L! ong live the KILO Nation!

Look out KILO? KDZA wants to rock

Oldies station KDZA (107.9 FM) dropped the "Jet" moniker and the dusty discs on Monday in favor of an active rock format.

The station is also syndicating morning duo Lewis and Floorwax from Denver classic rock station KRFX (103.5 FM).

The morning show is not the only thing the local Clear Channel station is borrowing from its big brothers up in Denver: It's also appropriated KBPI (106.7 FM)'s slogan "KBPI Rocks the Rockies." Only, you know, with KDZA in there.

Nobody's really taken a run at KILO (94.3 FM) since the KMOM days. KILO has been pretty steady at No. 1 in the local ratings, so we'll see what KDZA can do. (Speaking of which, I hadn't even realized KILO broke up Ross and Mo in the mornings. Did that just happen?).

UPDATE: Mo took me to task for my up-to-the-minute radio knowledge. She says she left the morning show in April to spend time with her daughter. I plead unhipness and a severe Tool allergy.

UPDATE 2: Reader Brian M. reports that all is not lost for fans of the "old" KDZA - "You oldies lovers can rejoice...and buy a HD radio. KDZA 107.9 HD2 is ALL OLDIES. Its time to throw away your old analog radios!"

A straightened paper clip will lead you to digital nirvana

KOAA chief engineer Quentin Henry posted this in comments, but it's much too interesting not to pull out to the main page:

Too large of an antenna is a common problem...

Gone are the days (and practices) of analog Television. "Back in the day" (of analog) More antenna was better, no longer is that the case.

TOO LARGE of an antenna can cause the stronger signals to cancel out themselves due to "reflections" of it's own signal coming in 180 degrees out of phase from the side gain of the antenna.

Digital is NOT as forgiving on "Ghosts" (reflections) as analog was. Analog "Ghosts" used to look like echos, or shadows in the video. In Digital the signal just kills it's self.

Flat antenna wire will cause problems too. It is NOT shielded and it DOES act as an additional ANTENNA picking up signals (reflections) out of phase killing the digital signal. Too high of a signal into the receiver can cause the digital receiver to NOT demodulate (receive) the Digital signal, a $2 20db attenuator can help in some cases.

SOME RABBIT EAR antennas have a built in amplifier and that amplifier can cause MORE problems that it solves. MANY cases we have the viewer "un-plug, or by-pass" the amplifier to get perfect signal on ALL digital channels.

Rabbit ear antennas have performed very well in Black Forest, Monument and other areas we have had difficulty with analog in the past.

SUMMARY: Old analog antennas WILL work IF they are not TOO LARGE, and do not have flat antenna wire more than 3 inches on the system.

StationsIn order of strength:

KOAA-42-880,000 watts
KRDO-24-200,000 watts
KXRM-22-51,000 watts
KTSC-26-39,000 watts
KKTV-10-20,000 watts.

Here are some actual case studies:
1.) Black Forest can get KOAA and many others using a straightened paper clip instead of an antenna.
2.) Trinidad (120 miles away) gets us with a small 19"X22" panel antenna that is mounted in the rafters with no amplifier.
3.) Limon gets us with a small 3' antenna no amplifier, and can not see Cheyenne Mt., just the top of Pikes Peak.
4.) La Junta gets us with a small 12"X12" panel antenna no amplifier.

TIPS:

1.) Do NOT use any flat wire longer that 3 inches.
2.) Do NOT use any amplifiers with in 60 miles.
3.) You can Reduce Rabbit ear gain by making the rods as small as possible.
4.) If you can receive channel 30 ANALOG, even a weak signal with sound, you should be able to receive all the digital channels.
5.) An out side antenna MIGHT be needed IF you can not see Cheyenne Mt. due to local terrain, hills, mountains, but not due to vegitation, trees etc...

Do touch that dial!

In other channel-swapping news, someone sent me this interesting item about KKTV eyeing a signal switch.

I don't get this: Who has trouble getting KKTV digital? When I lived up in Larkspur a few years ago, KKTV was the only one that came in clearly (admittedly, it seemed to get broken up by the omnipresent Palmer Divide snow more than the other ones).

It would be kind of handy for everyone pulling in TV off their rabbit ears if everyone would go UHF, but even if KKTV switched, we'd still have KTSC on Channel 8.

Hopping frequencies now would confuse the hell out of a lot of old people with converter boxes.

Also, if KKTV goes to Channel 47 [correction: 49], would that mean that they'd take KOAA's spot as "Southern Colorado's Most Powerful Digital Signal"?

30 gets 86'd

This happened yesterday, but I didn't really notice until I was up in Cripple Creek at 1 in the morning and saw KOAA's sat truck with the new "5" wrap.

It's a little funny, because channel 30 is still alive and well (and, well, analog).

Times they are a changin'.