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A Radio Essay by Larry Shannon
(home)
A Radio Essay by Larry Shannon
* K104-FM just "keeps on" being #1"
While other Dallas-Fort Worth area radio stations and their personalities seem to always get the weekly headlines and praise of area newspaper media scribes, DFW's most consistently top-rated radio station, K104-FM, and its air personalities continue to rule the airwaves. They truly are a team of champions. And they feel like they've earned the bragging rights to say, "K104. We're #1 for real. We're not just saying it, we're livin' it!"
Not only is K104-FM appreciated by its listeners in the DFW area, it is recognized for its programming excellence by broadcasting peers around the country. When K104-FM streams its audio on the worldwide Web, you've gotta believe that jocks and programmers around the country are listening in at their computer speakers. This week, good news is crackling in the air. K104-FM is the feature story in the latest issue of "R&B Airplay Monitor" under the heading, "Salute to the Dynasties."
In the April 27th piece, writer Dana Hall chronicles the many years of success of one of the last independent radio stations in the country. In addition, K104-FM has just been nominated for "Radio and Records (R&R) Urban Station of the Year" and PD Skip Cheatham has been nominated for "R&R's Urban Program Director of the Year." Winners will be announced at the R&R Convention 2001, June 14-16 in Los Angeles.
You'd think that being called a "Dynasty" and staying #1 for so long would make a team like K104-FM's lazy and complacent. Think again. K104-FM (KKDA) being #1 again may be old news to the newspapers, but wise radio people know that a station in the DFW (or any) radio market doesn't stay #1 consistently without having a winning team of spirited people who work hard and smart everyday to keep it #1.
I visited K104-FM yesterday. Located in a quiet neighborhood in Grand Prairie at the corner of NW 6th and College streets, the K104-FM office compound don't look intimidating. But, walking into the lobby of the K104-FM studios is a whole lot like walking into the winning locker room of the NFL Super Bowl Champions or the Titans. There is, at first, a hush as you get your bearings and look up to see the hall of fame-like photographs of air personalities lining the lobby walls. Then an invisible shock of static electricity jolts you awake when the friendly voice of the receptionist welcomes you. You feel the buzz and catch your first glimpse of the beehive of activity. In the hallways, there is constant motion, people in groups of two and three scurrying quickly down the corridors of the labyrinth-like studios and offices, their eyes flashing with a mixture of urgency and excitement.
I came upon a group of staffers at what looked like an impromptu hallway intersection meeting. They'd been huddling around some documents. Just as they broke up their meeting, I could swear that I heard a low, sharp, audible snap and a "Hut!" You find yourself imagining that each office is a radio war room and you're itching to walk into one and just stand quietly and listen. There's a friendly flow of sizzling energy among the team players at K104-FM that you don't feel in the hallways at a lot of radio stations that are hidden away in those carpeted, cold, brick and steel modern office buildings.
These K104-FM folks are veterans of many ratings wars. They're seasoned, they're smart and they're ready to do battle everyday on the airwaves. The ingredients that make up the tradition of winning at K104-FM are ones that other stations might benefit from studying. That won't be easy. They are not written down anywhere. Tradition never is. You live and you breathe tradition. You earn the right to add to the tradition by earning a place on the team. You don't learn about winning and tradition from reading about it in books and deciphering the computer generated graphics from expensive research studies.
Success and winning aren't necessarily measured by the number of radio stations an out of town mega corporation owns in a radio market. Hymen Childs, Ken Dowe and Skip Cheatham are the Lombardi's and Landry's who keep K104-FM well-oiled and well-run. They supply the shoulder pads, helmets and plays, then send their team of air personalities out on to the 100 yard playing field that is the DFW radio market.
They believe in their team players and their team players believe in them. One senses that there is a quiet, humble pride among the players. K104-FM is home-grown and home-owned. These team players are the independents. Maybe those are just a few of the ingredients and reasons that keep them winning and winning. In recent history, they've moved the ball across the goal line more times than any other radio station in the market. But they know that it is a new season. They see the fresh chalk on every five yard line of the playing field. The end zones are all painted up and pretty.
There'll be sweat and blood on the field long before the rating season ends and the scoreboard dances and then lights up with the winning numbers. DFW radio people are gathering in the seats now to watch the upcoming battle among K104, KBFB and KHKS. If you're not in Texas, keep an eye on the battle from afar. It'll be one worth watching.