Thanks to Richard Schumacher for the heads-up that KHFM Albuquerque’s manager Sarah Colmark has been hired as General Manager at WRR in Dallas.
Robert Wilonsky at the Dallas Observer has more information, including the contract and the press release from Maria Munoz-Blanco about Colmark’s hiring.
Ms Colmark was station manager of Classical KHFM-FM (95.5 and 102.9 FM) in the Albuquerque / Santa Fe region. The station is owned by American General Media and, like WRR, operates as a heritage classical music station. Leading KHFM since 2008, Ms Colmark increased ratings by 50% and lowered the median age of the classical listener in the community by using an upbeat, positive and interactive broadcast style. During her tenure, KHFM completed several technology upgrades including conversion of the station’s heritage music library to mp3s and updating the on-air system and web stream capability. Ms Colmark is a graduate of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, where she obtained her bachelor of music magna cum laude in piano performance, and of the Conservatoire Nationale de Region Perpignan de Musique et Theatre in France, where she obtained the Prix d’Or in piano performance.
WRR is a city-owned station. Colmark is a close relative of the owners of KHFM.
To me, the main role of a classical station is to support the health of the local arts community. KHFM “lowered the median age” of the listeners and reportedly increased listenership, which is nice for them but is the increased listenership helping the arts community? I’m looking for a real answer here, not being snarky.
I ask because in 2011 the 79-year-old New Mexico Symphony Orchestra went bankrupt, putting 80 players — many of them my friends — out of work. I remember many times when when I was an announcer on KHFM (disclaimer) we went to extraordinary lengths to produce programs and events to support the symphony. I had dozens of symphony players on my show and the conductor was on before every concert.
I’m not saying the station contributed to the bankruptcy, but I am asking a universal question about the value of a classical station to a community. If the station doesn’t get butts in seats, is it doing its job?
I look forward to hearing more about both stations, so if you are an Albuquerque or Dallas listener feel free to weigh in. Should be interesting. I’m wondering about the statement that Colmark increased ratings by 50%, because we routinely had a 4.0 share back in the 90s, but looking at the current ratings, the fall 2010 book has KHFM at a 3.5 share. Still pretty high, though it’s a small market (700,000 population).
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Oh my! Do you think that Dallas has any idea what they are getting themselves into?
If I believed in conspiracy theories, I would see Ms. Colmark’s departure as the first step by American General Media to change the format at KHFM.
I can’t point to any watershed event, but I’ve noticed that in the last four months I get most of my classical music fix from Internet radio. KHFM is a for-profit station, and I can respect that, but the quantity (too much) and quality (too low) of the advertising has grown wearisome. I think the announcers try to do a good job, but in the last six months there has been a trend toward too much talk, and less music.
Maybe we need to do without a classical music station for awhile, so that something better might rise from the ashes.
It’s interesting how the press release really does not reveal the disaster that she was at KHFM and touts the musical credentials of someone who couldn’t even pronounce the simplest musical names.
History repeats itself. Almost exactly the same thing has happened in Dallas as happened in New Mexico, especially the wholesale firing of long-time employees and plumetting revenue and ratings. Just as KHFM is beginning to recover from the Colmark era, she has destroyed another station.
I’m so sorry for the Dallas listeners, James. Sarah’s family owns several stations, and these are the only two classical, I think. I wonder if they think classical stations should be shallow and pop-sounding like other formats? Maybe firing long-time employees is the way to instill fear in the rest of the staff and get them under control. GACK.