Radio, alive and kicking....

Come up with a list of 5 radio stations in the Utah area (choose some FM and some AM stations – music and talk). Write a description of each station including format, advertising, and target audience. What makes each station successful?
Well, that's seems pretty strait forward.

1)94.1 KODJ. super hits of 60's 70's.
This station is probably the one I've listened too most in my life. I don't know why, but my brother (who's is a little slow, but awesome)is obsessed with listening the the "oldies." I really like listening to the Beach Boys and the Temptations now and again so this station is handy. In any event, the station is music (obviously), with news and advertising sprinkled in. The news covers mostly traffic situations in the Salt Lake Valley, and some major headlines. Advertising is varied, but a lot of Utah businesses, such as local dealerships.

2)101 KBER
I like rock music, I like this station. More than rock music though, I like the Bob and Tom Show. I don't listen to it very long, or terrible often, but it is hilarious when I do listen in. My favorite is this phony guy that calls in whose name is Donny Baker. I can't express how funny it is by writing about it, so here is something:

Basically, I think it's funny. Anywho, other than that, the advertising is stuff like Geico and Verizon Wireless. I really don't care about ads, I usually will switch stations at ads time to whatever other station isn't on ads. Audience: mostly younger people I suspect. There are always lots of contests and ads geared towards college aged people.

3)94.3 KXRQ
Basically, in the Uintah Basin (where I hail from), it's the only station where you can get the weekly top 40. It also sucks quite a bit. I usually avoided this station, but it's where I could occasionally catch some Weezer, which is somewhat worth the pain. The audience is the high school kids, which is painfully obvious when they play Michele Branch crap 10 to 15 times an hour. Ads are for local companies, Like Al's Foodtown, the local grocery store. I kind of hate this station, even though everyone listens to it.

4)92.5 KCUA
Classic Rock. That's what this station plays. Pink Floyd, Ted Nugent, Foriegner, Blue Oyster Cult, Led Zepplin, Lynard Skynard. I think this station has kept me alive on my driving heavy job for the past 3 summers that I've worked. Same ads as 94.3. maybe a bit more Oil Field type appealing advertising, and definitely caters to the workers of the area.

5)98.5 the Fox- Todays hits, yesterdays favorite.
This station is kind of a cross between the other 2 FM music stations in the basin (we are discounting Country because I don't consider it really music). It puts out some older stuff that I don't mind and if you listen for a really long time you may even hear a decent newer band. One thing that it does frequently that I HATE is that they play Phil Collins. The audience for this station? Anybodies guess. I think they just want to be loved by all. Since there are only so many businesses in the Basin, they advertise pretty much the same as the other two.

Other stations I occasionally listen to: 1160 KSL, some crazy Spanish stations, and 92.5 hip hop music in the valley. I mostly just catch games on 1160(BYU and Jazz).


Radio is described as “the most personal of the media,” why is that? Why do you think music is an important part in radio programming? Why is talk radio so popular?

I think that the main reason that radio is so personal is that it is what people listen to on the job and to and from work. One feels like they want to be a touch more social when they are trapped away from their normal friends and relationships.
If radio didn't have any music to offer, than I would go nuts and not listen to it. That's just me, but I suppose that others feel that way as well, because that is mostly what it's used for. Talk radio is popular because people like information. Doesn't matter if its political, gardening, travel, etc. Talk gives the people what they want.