Radio station format changes....Jan. 3rd

The new year means a new format for several stations around the country, separate from the many stations which returned to their "regular" format after weeks of only holiday music.

One other thing. Too many stations not doing holiday music wound up playing too much holiday music as if they would actually keep people who really wanted holiday music to tune away. All that did, for the most part, was drive some listeners further away. Another instance of management of AM and FM stations overlooking how their listeners have internet and satellite radio available to them.

Back to the recent format changes.

WNIC Detroit 100.3 FM is now "Fresh 100.3", while St. Louis KEZK is now "Fresh 102". These titles don't tell the listeners anything, since the vast majority of radio listeners don't read radio columns or keep track of formats in other markets. Generally speaking, "fresh" format stations are really "light music" stations geared toward a female audience.

Also in St. Louis, WSDD changes from "The Sound" to "GenX Radio". So, yes, you could say this radio station starts the year without "The Sound".

KMVA Phoenix is now Hot 97.5, although syndicated shows including Elvis Duran's morning show don't exactly fire up the locals.

KQXT San Antonio is now "The Variety Station". Upon further investigation, they play music of some sort.

Miami's 93.1 is taking it 'easy' as of the new year, now WFEZ Easy 93.1, getting rid of WHDR "93 Rock" in the process.

Two changes hit the Seattle market for the new year. KJR-FM 95.7 has gone ahead with its rumored change, moving back a few years as they have gone from Classic Hits to "Oldies 95.7". That is generally adding more 1955-65 songs and dropping some 80's tunes. The former Smooth Jazz KWJZ is now clicking along as "Click 98.9". If you are wondering, they now play modern adult contemporary, which figures to easily do better than the previous jazz format.

Fresno CA also has one less Classic Hits station. But it's a more significant change than in Seattle. Now the Fresno station is playing Spanish music.

Round and round she goes. Happy New Year!

Format changes - Nov. 30th update................

Well, not all of the radio format changes are just to add to the endless list of stations airing only holiday music after all.

In Atlanta, WYAY has dropped 'True Oldies', but in a slight format change has gone to 'Greatest Hits'. It's really less talking and changing out 50's and early 60's music for more 80's, but it is considered a format change. Somehow other radio experts consider "classic hits" to be different from "oldies" on the format wheel.

In Chattanooga, the 'classic hits' format has come to WOGT 107.9, in this instance replacing the country format which aired for just over 5 years. By the way, the station was "oldies" prior to the 2005 change to country.

And in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, WMYF 1380 dropped its adult standards format last week and picked up ESPN Radio to go all sports. The station also carries Boston Bruins hockey.

Stealing listeners is one thing........

As much as we yearn for competition among local stations, this takes it a bit too far.

It's really not funny, but it fits in as an "only in radio" story.......


http://cbs13.com/local/radio.dj.burglary.2.2003579.html

New York Oldies Lunch coming up

Oldies radio fans in the NYC area might wish to consider the "Oldies Lunch", scheduled for Saturday Nov. 13th at Ben's Deli on West 38th Street in Manhattan from 2 - 4 PM. Russ "Famous Amos" Di Bello and former WNBC and WCBS-FM's Big Jay Sorensen are two of the special guests, with WAXQ's Jim Kerr also expected to attend.

There is no extra cost to attend other than lunch at Ben's. (If only they would go back to 60's prices!!) Reservations are requested by calling (908) 403-8962. I wonder who is bringing the reverb chamber!

(Actually, this sounds like fun, and I wish I could make it.)

Format change update - Oct. 12th......

Bob jacks classic rock. No, it's not a new radio station slogan, although it probably will be one of these days. Instead, it's what happened this week in Biloxi. Classic rock WHGO 105.9 has changed to "Bob FM". At least they are starting off by playing 10,000 songs in a row without commercials, and some of what they are playing are actually classic rock songs. Not sure how Bob differs from Jack, but we'll see what the Biloxi listeners think.

Norfolk VA has 3 times the fun this week, as 3 of the market's stations have done the switcheroo. Kiss-FM 105.3 has puckered for the last time, as the former urban contemporary station has become Magic 105.3 and gone further back in time to feature classic hits.

Ah, but that's not the end of urban programming in the market. Cool 92.1 has gone from light rock oldies to Urban Adult Contemporary, and 107.7 has dropped smooth jazz to also go Urban. These 2 stations are now in addition to 103 Jamz, which plays "urban pop". There will be a quiz on this later.

In Gainesville FL, the University of Florida owned WRUF will stop the rock music programming this weekend after years of being "Rock 104". Not for talk or sports, mind you. The school seems to think that music tastes are changing, and as a result, on will come "Country 103.7".

In Terre Haute IN, WSDM 92.7 has just dumped its "country rock" format. As of now, the station is simulcasting sports radio WSDX-AM. Yet, in this case there is something to it. The AM signal is 500 watts during the day and even less at night. The station hopes that since people can now actually hear the ESPN Radio station it will make a difference for the audience.

Stay tuned...............

Format change update - October 8th

This one is getting a lot of local media attention in Fresno. KRZR had been active rock for more than 20 years, and now has changed to "103.7 The Beat" (R & B oldies format). That's geared toward a different age group and audience.

The next one is technically not a complete format change. How about this? A station changes everything except morning drive. Killeen-Temple TX changes 101.7 from "The Eagle" (a rock station) to sports radio, yet keeps its syndicated Walton & Johnson morning show. We'll count it as a format change, but it sure will be interesting to see if or how much morning drive moves on the ratings scale over the next few months.

Finally, this one is almost too small to count. WDRD in Newburg KY (technically considered part of the Louisville market) has gone ESPN Radio sports in order to get ESPN back into that market. However, the station is only 1,000 watts during the day and barely 450 watts at night. Not to mention this move takes place as we close in on the least amount of "daytime" hours during the entire year.

Format change update - Sept. 21st...........

Active rock goes inactive in Albany NY. And not even for a different format for the market. The WHRL is gone and now simulcasts News/Talk WGY as WGY-FM.

In Burlington VT 96.7 FM has moved up more than 30 years, dropping its oldies format in favor of playing the hits of today as Planet 96.7.


This is the sort of innovation that has AM/FM radio where it is today. One less music station to be replaced by something already on the air, and a station changing paths to now play the hits of the day.

Format changes - Sept. 7th update

Thanks to "reader" Jeff for the suggestion that we report on as many of the radio station format change announcements as possible around the country. He makes a good point that there hasn't been another good resource which consistently offers such info.

A new format is coming any minute now in Atlanta, as "Legend 96.7" and its country music format have been replaced. For now, the station is simulcasting "Groove 105.7", but that shouldn't last long. I do mean "shouldn't". There are 2 sides to this coin. I'm sure station officials figure that people will keep tuning over to 96.7 while awaiting whatever new format, and that it is a good way to hype the "Groove" format.

On one hand, there will be some people picking up on The Groove format, but won't realize they have to change over to 105.7 for it to continue. They could wind up thinking "The Groove" is gone when the station changes over to whatever it is going to do.

On the other hand, not tipping what the new format will do keeps any possible competitors in the local market from getting a jump, while curious radio listeners will monitor from time to time to see if and when the new format kicks off.

My feeling is they should have waited and gone to the new format within 24 hours. They forget that FM and AM Radio have so much competition and that listeners are no longer hanging around helplessly dependening upon radio. The question is whether or not people will break away from their MP3 players, portable phones, satellite radios, and other technology just to sample a "new" FM station.


Near Denver, KTNI Strasburg dumped its talk format and went R & B with Jammin' 101.5. Unlike the Atlanta story, KTNI pulled the switch right after a syndicated talk show (that it now used to carry) ended and rolled out the music. Since the station is actually located east of Denver, the station is already streaming, supposedly to enhance their "coverage" of the Denver market.

I'm not sure that going for the Denver market is going to work for the bottom line in this instance. They need to spend in order to promote the online "coverage" in Denver, as if people will be interested in a regional station over a true Denver station. And that's provided they are not distracted by the hundreds of online channels they could or may already be listening to.

More format change stories later in the week............

Mandatory radio for cell phones? Are you kidding?

I have loved radio since I can remember. It got me interested in music and sports as a kid and that never stopped, and inspired early career decisions to make a living working for radio stations and networks.

Over the past few years, I have observed helplessly as radio lost its competitive edge (primarily due to the drastic change in ownership restrictions), reduced its music playlists, started reporting sports rumors and speculations as if they were "news", and began to cluster more commercial time into a single break than they used to air during a full hour. During that same time, I have noticed how millions of others feel the same way, and thus the success of MP3 players, satellite radio (20 million subscriptons paying for a lot of content we used to get free), and online channels.

Just when you think the current radio industry can't make it worse, along comes this bit of news:


http://www.fmqb.com/article.asp?id=1919285


Are you kidding? The National Association of Broadcasters wants to make radio "mandatory" in cell phones?

First question. At who's expense?

Second question. How often can the police pull over a driver, bike rider, or even a power walker about listening on ear buds while on the road?

If it's up to me, we should all demand that the members of the NAB pay for the 20 million satellite radio subscriptions and the millions of "replacement" cell phones for everyone in America who currently owns one. That's the one way their proposal has any merit.

Whoever thought up this ploy should be sentenced to listen to his or her own station 24 hours a day for 10 years. It would save prison space, and probably have the same effect.

This story had better be a hoax.

American Top 40 charts for 40 years

Hard to believe it was 40 years ago that Casey Kasem first told us to "keep reaching for the stars" at the end of his American Top 40 Radio Show. But it was. He took such a simple concept and yet made a successful national radio show out of doing nationally what top 40 radio stations had been doing locally for years. Just counting down (or should we say up) the hits week after week, and giving us faithful listeners an education about some of the songs and artists on the charts.

This very weekend (July 4th) marks the 40 year anniversary. The show still exists, although barely a shadow of its former self, and hosted by Ryan Seacrest. (Then again, that could be said about many radio and TV shows!)

To give you an idea of how far back AT 40 goes, the entire show for the coming week was actually mailed through the Post Office to each radio station. On vinyl records. With grooves between the segments of the show. Once a segment ended and the tech who was operating the radio station went into commercial, he or she (and it was mostly "he" back then) would simply cue up the next track on the album to be ready for the next segment of the show. It was the same as if he/she was getting the next song ready for airplay.

I remember it well. It was part of my responsibilities while running the board of a Chicago radio station on Sunday mornings, when Casey would "count 'em down" right after the religious and public affairs programming the station was required to air. Yes, in those days, radio stations had FCC requirements to run a certain amount of news, public affairs, and religious programming hours in order to have their broadcast license renewed. Many radio stations would cluster public affairs interviews and religious programming during the Sunday morning 4 AM to 10 AM (or less) time frame, when the audience was likely at its lowest available point.

Yet, I remember answering the station's phone line during the show, and people asking if they could talk to "Crazy Kasem" and variations, as if he was really in the studio playing the national hits. Never mind that he would have "a letter here from Joe in Tallahassee who wants to know......".

Of course, not all of the national hits were big in Chicago. The best example was in 1976 when the Miracles' "Love Machine" was in the national top 3, even "making it all the way to number one!" on American Top 40.....while Chicago stations were barely playing it.

Here's hoping that long-time radio listeners will "keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars" in honor of American Top 40, after 40 years.

Just who are we listening to?

At Rock WCCC/Hartford, night talent Slater departs. As a result, overnighter Craig The Pornstar moves up to nights.

One more reason why what remains of truly "local" radio is starting to lose its identity. There I was this afternoon reading up on radio news from an industry source, as usual.

There was a story about WCCC Hartford losing its night personality and moving up its overnight host to replace him. At least that's what it should have been. Maybe I'm too old school for today, but I seem to like personalities that have names. Even if they aren't the real names, I can accept "Tom Jones" or "Bill Scott", etc.

Well, not anymore. The night personality who departed - "Slater". Sorry, but I can't identify with that. Male? Female? First name? Last name? Name of a movie? If it is "Bill Scott", my mind is comforted because I can listen to or read about a man and his program, even if I have no idea what he looks like or what his "real" name might be.

It didn't stop there. The all night personality moving up to nights to replace Slater? According to the story from an official industry source, the new night personality on WCCC will be......

"Craig the Pornstar"

Now, I would get it if I were listening to his show and he used that once or twice as a fun bit or a joke. However, unless the station is totally in existence to serve teenage boys, using this as a regular moniker doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

How is a longtime Hartford area resident supposed to identify with Craig the Pornstar? Could you tell your friends that you listen to him? Would you really go to an appearance? So you might like the music and the station, but now this sort of a name takes away the identity of the person.

It's either that or listen to "Bill Scott" on a national show or satellite playing the music, with no references to your local community. Some choices.

And they wonder why the AM and FM audiences are not what they used to be?

PPM measurement and all that jazz

A recent article in the Columbus Dispatch caught my attention, given its partial focus on the death of jazz radio stations.

I have nothing against jazz stations, but have long believed that these stations really attracted a small niche audience while many others found it hip to act as though they listen. Back in the early 80's, I was a partner in an upstart radio ratings service in the Midwest which reported specifically on in-car radio listening. That research confirmed my belief, even then, that people sometimes reported what they considered "hip" stations to make it appear they were listening.

There was one survey of more than 3,000 drivers showing what they were listening to at the moment of the interview, and it showed a grand total of one person listening to a jazz station. That was among the findings which were NOT in line with the diary system also in use.

Since the PPM method has been introduced, and as the article points out, several jazz radio stations have bitten the dust. It doesn't surprise me one bit.

Considering that audience measurement is primarily for advertisers and potential radio advertisers, finding the truth about listening habits is the most important gain.

Stations should not be concerned about the jazz format, especially with satellite and online channels playing jazz for the small and niche audience that wants it. Rather, they should be concerned with getting the audiences to return to radio. With the trend of tighter and tighter playlists, endless clusters of commercials, and reduced local programming, this is where the stations should be concerned.


http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2010/06/13/why-radios-changing-its-tune.html?sid=101

Where for are thou, local radio?

Another example of looking at this week's bottom line as opposed to months down the road. WWWQ Atlanta's morning show "The Bert Show" will be simulcast starting next week.

What's the big deal? The station that will also air it happens to be WNFN, which is in Nashville.

Don't these station manager's look at the possible consequences? Sure, this week they are giddy because they are paying for one morning show production and now airing it on 2 stations.

However, in Atlanta, listeners could either hear about Nashville, which is of no use to them in the morning, if that is the direction The Bert Show takes. If the show does include Nashville related content, it will totally bore the established Atlanta audience, which could scan the dial in search of more local content, and put the current success at risk. If the show does not include Nashville related content, then there is much less of an appeal to Nashville listeners. Instead they could compare The Bert Show to other syndicated content or stick with a truly local show.

Either way, this decision, albeit to save money now, could hurt the ratings for one or both in the long run.

Look before you leap.

how to spread HD Radio

It continues to amaze me how radio expects other media and outside companies to help the industry push HD Radio on consumers.

At least this year there have been some HD Radio stations worth listening to in the form of true niche programming which is current. That is a big improvement from the earlier days when many of the channels were merely an extension of a current format, or a place to put a struggling music format that hardly attracted an audience of people that could easily hear it.

Now, the radio honchos continue to push to have HD Radio in MP3 players and now in some of the more advanced phone systems. I just read about a new application for the Ipod Touch to add HD Radio channels. Yet, this application, if I understand right, costs $80.

You have got to be kidding!

Do they really think someone is going to pay $80 for HD Radio channels? Isn't the reason they own an MP3 player to hear the music they WANT? Consumers can each purchase hours and hours of songs for that same $80 and continue to have a choice.

I have also raised the point numerous times that if radio had continued to expand its playlists in the various formats over the years and treat the music like they used to, there wouldn't have been the demand for MP3 players to the point where the majority of people seem to have them now.

Between the 500 song playlists and clusters of commercials every half hour, it's no wonder people shell out for MP3 players. But asking us to shell out for HD Radio is a bit overboard.

The radio stations which are struggling to maintain decent audience levels as it is are, understandably, looking for additional revenue. They see HD channels as eventually being additional opportunities to sell commercial time. Yet, at this time, there is far too small of an HD Radio audience for that to happen.

If the radio stations launching HD channels truly want HD Radio to succeed, they should take matters into their own hands. Give away HD Radios. If I have more and better choices at no additional cost, maybe I won't need my MP3 player as much. Maybe consumers could think twice about paying for satellite radio.

Instead, these radio stations and companies think that consumers will actually shell out $80 to over $100 to sample HD Radio - in today's economy. No wonder they gave a channel and no one heard.

Here is one solution. Radio stations continue to do trade-outs and barter. I have to believe that some electronics store or chain would like to have extensive air time. Suppose that "Joe's Electronics at 1234 Main Street gives a brand new HD Radio to the 10th caller at 555-1111" every hour from 6 AM to 6 PM. Get a chain of stations involved and give out literally hundreds of HD Radios per week.

Here are the likely results. Listeners continue to hear about HD Radio and the channels that are out there, while hearing excited callers "win" them all day long. Now, from a marketing standpoint, consumers can get a "free" item delivering hours and hours of music and information they are not currently getting. Compare that to spending $100 or more for an MP3 player!

The stations are getting hundreds and eventually thousands of HD Radios into the ears of their listeners. They'll be showing and telling their friends, co-workers, and relatives about this new device they got from the station. And they'll have SAVED money vs. buying songs and devices to do the same.

The electronics retailer gets plenty of air time. On some stations the promotion time alone for the giveaway easily would exceed $80 (and that's retail) for giving away the device.

Everybody wins. And for once, radio wouldn't lose.

For that matter, it doesn't have to be only electronics outfits giving away the HD Radios. For example, a university bookstore could be the only commercials heard on an HD channel featuring independent alternative rock bands which appeal to students. The more they give away, the bigger the audience that constantly hears "their" message, while saving money by not having to spend for doing so.

You see, HD Radio actually can happen, and can make a difference. It could save me, and other listeners, money, and hold my interest, by outperforming the programming and music from satellite radio and MP3 players.

However, the radio decision makers continue to sit around wondering when other companies are going to sell enough HD Radios to make what they are doing viable. While the clock is ticking.

Gotta go now. My MP3 player has finished recharging.

The end of an era in St. Louis

Wow. It almost seems un-American. To see the latest radio ratings for St. Louis and not see KMOX in the top spot. First time in more than 40 years that has happened.



http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2009/10/the_mighty_mox_has_fallen_kmox_out_as_no_1_station_in_st_louis.php

Now it will be interesting to see if or how the station rebounds from this.

But I have to tell you. I think this is the start of the decline of KMOX. Just like WGN in Chicago, the one-time "full service" stations have gone the more typical "radio way" and stopped caring about continuity and programming. Listeners, especially the older audience who grew up with these stations, are smart enough to notice that the effort just isn't what it used to be.