What is happening in Modesto?

[TheJakes]

Daniel mentioned in the Pop Forum that KHOP was switching from HOT AC to CHR/Pop (which makes sense).

But has Mediabase gone crazy with KHTN?

[EvanJ]

Mediabase still calls KHOP Hot Adult Contemporary. Their playlist is what I call adult-leaning CHR-Pop, I would agree to move them to CHR-Pop. Ten out of their top eleven songs went top ten on CHR-Pop, with "The First Cut Is The Deepest" being the exception. Several of those eleven went top ten on CHR-Pop but not Hot AC. It has very bad audience per spin, it even has bad audience per spin relative to its market size if you add Modeston and Stockton. Both markets are embargoed so I don't have any recent ratings for the station. For KHOP Mediabase says "TV" instead of giving a frequency. According to the radio-locator map, KHOP reaches Merced (not monitored by Mediabase) but it doesn't appear in the Merced ratings.
Looking at a map I'm surprised KDND Sacramento couldn't make the bottom of the Stockton ratings.
As for KHTN, the only possible reason I could think of to reduce the spins to 0 would be if it moved from CHR-Rhythmic to Rhythmic Hit. They have playlists with spins for Mainstream Hit stations, so it's not a good reason to reduce the spins to 0, but it's the only reason I can think of other than a total mistake.
You should post on www.radio-info.com You have a big interest in American radio for a Canadian. Radio-info currently has no mention of KHOP changing panels.

[tobedawg]

Being a resident of the area in question.. I don't understand why KHOP, PLANET 95.1 hasn't caught on as it should have.. It has a great upbeat music mix, and good personalities.. Geno and Jordan in the morning are great!!

Their competitor KOSO B-93.1 is more of a Modern-leaning HOT A/C (in a market with no Alternative station, it makes sense), but the personalities seem a little stale.. BUT B-93.1 does have the advantage when it comes to presenting shows and bringing bands/artists to Modesto.. They have a Christmas Show and a Summer Fest every year and even brought Avril Lavigne to Modesto during the height of her popularity..

Playlist wise, PLANET 95.1 (KHOP) is playing Black Eyed Peas, Beyonce, Sean Paul, and Kylie Minogue.. But I wouldn't consider them to be a CHR station, since they play the songs a couple of months behind the CHR/Pop Charts.. They are just now catching on to Baby Bash and they are spinning Black Eyed Peas "Where is the Love?" in heavy rotation..

KOSO plays a mix of Hot A/C and Modern product, and at night plays alot more Modern product and Alt Gold like Weezer's "Buddy Holly" and Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun"..

In the Merced ratings, KHOP (planet 95.1) is actually ranked at #5 and KOSO (B 93.1) is ranked 16th.. This could be mainly due to signal strength.. or just tastes in the Mid-Valley.. KHTN (HOT 105) has been the #1 station in Merced for the past few years.. and The CHR/Rhytmatic sound has been big in the Central Valley for many years.. That's probably why the Jammin' Oldies in Stockton and Fresno have done so well..

[Guy LeDouche]

What about KWNN (98.3)? That's a heavily pop-leaning rhythmic. Hell, I've heard Jessica Simpson on that station. If KHOP goes pop, will KWNN go more urban? Are there any existing urban stations in the SJ valley?

And EvanJ, KDND doesn't get any kind of reception in Stockton - its a prety weird coverage area in practice. Going north, south, or west from Sacramento and you're lucky to get 25 miles out of the signal. But where I grew up, 65 miles east of Sac, its clear as a bell. I also get KWNN there, and its over 100 miles from my old house to Modesto. Go figure

[EvanJ]

Radio and Records says KHOP is now calling themselves pop.
www.radioandrecords.com/Formats/pop_home.htm

[chebingeo]

Mediabase has them as Rhythmic. Nothing pop about that station.

[EvanJ]

chebingeo said:

Mediabase has them as Rhythmic.  Nothing pop about that station.

www.mmr247.com/mmrweb/AllAccess/Stations.asp?c_let=KHOP-FM still calls them Hot AC.

[tico]

They still have "Pop" in regular rotation?

[EvanJ]

golden said:

They still have "Pop" in regular rotation?

They played "Pop" while stunting (they played songs with "pop" in the title). It had 0 spins last week so I don't call that regular rotation.
Somebody on radio-info said this is a second station of the pop brand of Cool Pop WCPP Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle, with both stations owned by Citadel.

[EvanJ]

I posted in the CHR-Pop forum that they have been moved to the CHR-Pop panel, giving the state of California 5 out of 124 CHR-Pop stations.