Utah is country-radio country, and more of the state's radio stations use that format than any other.
Among Utah's 84 radio stations, 18 currently have country formats. Only three are Wasatch Front stations. The other 15 broadcast from Utah's rural country, a territory seldom covered by the print media.Adult contemporary is the second most popular format with 16 stations. News/talk is the third largest format, followed by diverse and easy-listening formats.
"It's become mainstream. . . . There's a lot of good talent and a lot of good country music available," Dana Horner, general manager of KKAT radio ("KAT Country"), said.
Horner said radio is an industry where jumping on the bandwagon has always been desirable. He said country music is now the main bandwagon and the most popular format in American radio. He said that in the past seven years, country music has really gained a strong presence in radio. Where once there may have been only one country radio station in a large city like Dallas, now there are as many as four.
Tim Hughes, spokesman for KSOP, Utah's original country station and the first country station in the United States to broadcast in stereo, also said country music has a big, national radio audience.
He said in some of the nation's largest markets, country music stations are ranked first and second in audience size. Hughes also agreed this is a jump-on-the-bandwagon effect.
In the latest Arbitron radio estimates for fall of 1993, KSFI is the most-listened-to station for adults ages 25-54, with 14.2 percent of the audience. However, country stations KSOP and KKAT are second and third with a combined adult audience share of 22.6 percent. Add KRGQ, another country station's audience, and country music listeners represent about 25 percent of the entire radio audience.
Adult contemporary formats are the second most popular in Utah. They're tough to define because they are not a very precise category. Still, more than a dozen Utah radio stations define themselves as having that format.
Adult contemporary has been the traditionally favored format among advertisers because it appeals to a core audience between the ages of 25 and 44. Its playlist may go back five or so years, while a hit radio station will stay with songs that generally aren't more than 6 months old.
Broadcasters may sometimes group easy-listening stations or even oldies into the adult contemporary category - it's purely a judgment call on categorizing radio stations.
Some stations, such as Salt Lake City's KRCL, are so varied that they defy categorization. They're perhaps best listed under the diversified heading.
News/talk is still probably the most expensive format of all, but eight Utah radio stations have it.
Still, radio is a consistently changing industry, and owners and formats frequently come and go. At least three Utah radio stations are in the process of being sold. Formats can change overnight, without warning.
Because the Federal Communications Commission recently relaxed rules on multiple ownership by the same company, there is less variety now in ownership of radio stations. In Utah, 46 companies operate the state's 84 stations.
Reception of Utah radio stations can vary widely, too. KSL has a "clear-channel," 50,000-watt signal and can reach into the deep South at night. Other strong AM stations, such as KFWB (AM-980) in Los Angeles, can reach the Wasatch Front at night. FM stations can have "pockets" where reception is difficult, even along the Wasatch Front. What you can hear on the radio in Utah will depend where you are, and the AM reception depends on whether it is day or night.
Nationwide, FM radio has approximately 80 percent of the listening audience. Utah is no exception. About 10 years ago, Utah had 83 radio stations (not counting any high school stations), compared with 84 stations now.
However, a decade ago, 42 of those 83 stations were AM and only 41 were FM. Today, the split is 37 AM stations and 47 FM.
It is sometimes said that Utah has more radio stations per capita than any other state in the country. That may be, but it's tough to determine for sure since radio reception varies so widely and because there is no standard formula for determining who has the most stations.
Several Utah DJs who have worked at many other stations across the country have said they've heard that same claim made about other areas, such as Honolulu and Denver.
By one method of calculation (and ignoring metro area population figures for simplicity), the Salt Lake area may indeed have the most radio stations per capita. Denver and Honolulu have been known to make the same broad claim. The Denver area has 35 radio stations and Honolulu 24. The Salt Lake area has 49.
- FORMATS: Utah's most popular radio formats are: country, 18 stations; adult contemporary, 16; news/talk, 8; diverse, 7; easy listening, top 40 and oldies, 5 each; Christian, 4; Spanish, 3; classic rock, 3; album rock, 2; nostalgic, 2; LDS contemporary, 2, and classical, all-sports, modern music and children's, one of each.
- RADIO REVENUES - KKAT was the leading Utah radio station in revenue generated in 1993 with $5 million, according to "Investing in Radio." The second-largest revenue generator was KSFI with $3.9 million, followed by KSL with $3.8 million, KISN with $3 million and KSOP with $2.4 million.
- OLDEST: Here are the 10 oldest radio stations in Utah:
1. KZN, now KSL (S.L.), 1922.
2. KDYL, (S.L.), 1922.
3. KLO (Ogden), 1924.
4. KOAL (Price), 1936.
5. KSUB (Cedar City), 1937.
6. KUTA (Cedar City), 1938.
7. KLUB, now KISN-AM, (S.L.), 1938.
8. KVNU (Logan), 1938.
9. KOVO (Provo), 1939.
10. KALL, (S.L.), 1945.