The Santa Fe Reporter from Santa Fe, New Mexico • Page 7

The New was'ttie revamping of reggae'corhmunity KLSK. That "may result partly had- built from KLSK's which are playYno reggae, to African double those, of all the music; no classical music. All the other Santa Fe stations, and music'now feels the same partly because it is outspending That is, precisely" what Se" s'Tm giving trie stitipn consistency he said. "My goal is to, not puncture thaf atmosphere but to really give -people, a place all the others in, promoting its, claim tor be Mexico's unique radio station." On Feb. 1, Bill Sims sold the FM he founded in 1983, for around $2 million to where they can go and create an Progressive Broadcasting.

Under oasis foe themselves from all the general manager John Sebastian, pressure of the from all the KLSK now has a different and One sound" that is missing is Kolkmeyer's "International of a blend of music sound. that bound as consistent," while their former programmer says it's less diverse, Xs When it first on tHe air, KLSK provided what- program director 44, said was a'spund de- arourid the world. He "said the program was hurt when it was moved from its 8-to-midnight Sunday a 6-to-10 p.m. slot "We tiad a thatv signed specifically for the Santa Johnny Lyons called. 'The Sat- fftatiirost Santa'Fe that jt had under Sims 4 and" is trying to the much wider available in 5 Sebastian' countered, 'J "We play as much or mpre.Ioca) mu-1 sic than the station eyer 4id.

We, probably play more local than all the other stations cornV bined." He also points Sunday morning "Cosmosis' program and the weekday morning "NewV Magazine" evidence that' KLSK. "remains committed to Santa Fel But he acknowledges the importance, df i stations that are going tot prosper land I your, readers are not going to want to -hear this I don't thinkVjhat; "statiorts'that try- are goingloi Fe market. "The original" KLSK verse musically. to play a lot of Latin music; South American salsa," said rurday Showcase' that featured di- cal music," Kolkmeyer'said; "His- program mercial Liebert was the first radio to He Sara K. inkmhofiit Keeps You and Secure.

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KNYN has changed hands three times in six years. KB AC signed on the air last year. KLSK sold for around $2 million in February. And KBOM and KRBL have boosted power to 100,000 watts, allowing them to reach into the Albuquerque market. With station prices rising and competition growing keener, it's a trend likely to continue.

The numbers are simple: There are 600,000 potential listeners in Albuquerque. KLSK's Sebastian said his station is spending "a lot" on as much or more than any other major station in the area." That advertising includes a creative 30- second television spot promoting KLSK as "New Mexico's unique radio station." KRBL has begun promoting its Rebel Rock format heavily in the Duke City. "We're very serious about Albuquerque," said general manager Charles Tuft, 33. "We see the FM dollar split up pretty handily. Because we're a 'niched' we're trying to gather listeners from other contemporary- hit-rock and rock formats." "Niche" is a word one hears often during talk of attracting audiences.

"It's become a niched world," said KTRC's Willard, 48. "Businesses are niched. Some will advertise in one publication on one radio station and spend nothing on another." He said KTRC's niche is "basically 40-plus." When one niche is abandoned, there will be a station out there to rush in to fill the void. "We changed our format basically because of the realignment of KKBR dropping their oldies format and going after a younger audience," said Rountree at KBOM, which used to broadcast contemporary Spanish music. "There was a hole in the market, and obviously KKBR was delivering a large section of the audience in Santa Fe.

When they neglected that audience, it was in our best interest to change format and pick them up." Sebastian, 40, a former consultant to album-rock stations, resists the notion that KLSK shares a niche with others. "Compared to any other station in the area, we are by far the most eclectic," he said "One of the reliefs I have of getting out of Top 40 and out of album rock and into this new thing is that we are so unique that we really have no or very little direct competition. So we can pretty well just do the best we can and not worry about all the others." "To me, that sounds like bullshit," said Sena at KM1K. "I've used the same story 'I'm John Sebastian off targeting a certain We all have an audience we want, and it tends to fall within the 24-49 or up to 55 age group." "KBAC and KLSK they're too close to say they don't compete for the same audience. They definitely do." And they most likely will continue to do so, along with the dozens of other stations in the Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Taos corridor.

That probably means continued turmoil: new stations, new owners, shuffled formats. Sometime this year, a new FM station will join the fray. Bill Sims, 49, who founded KLSK in 1984, is acquiring KEVR, an FM station in Espanola that is off the air. Initially he will simulcast KMIK at 25,000 watts. "I plan to create another unique sound.

I've got some ideas that I'd rather not disclose," he said. About the long term, there are mixed views among industry people. "There will never be a settling down among these jukebox stations," said KTRC's Willard, referring to the FM stations that emphasize popular music. "They will always be changing, because there isn't enough audience to go around." Adds Hanrahan at KBAC, who has been in radio in Santa Fe for 21 years, "Over the next several years you're going to see shakedowns, shakeouts. I don't want to project that anyone's going to go black, but I think there will be some changes and new owners." Even such stations as KRSN in Los Alamos, which has been a full-service AM station in the Burns family since 1956, could change hands.

"I imagine any radio station would be for sale for the right price," said Tony Fitch, operations manager and program director for KRSN and its FM sister, KNLA; "If somebody came along and said to Dean 'I'll offer you $25 million for your I'm sure he'd say, 'OK, yeah, sure. I'll go out and buy another one." DO IT AT HOME, WITH THE INNERQUEST BRAIN SYNCHRONIZER. Deep relaxation, personal reprograming, pain management. The Spa for the Mind. Prices Start at $299 Call for an appointment.

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