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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.
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.
Well, we made it almost 2 weeks into 2009 before a major market radio format change. Not bad.Even though it happened in Atlanta, it is merely a jazz station (107.5 FM) being pulled for a new format that has yet to be unveiled. Jazz stations have vanished within the past year and a half in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Miami, and Memphis, that I know of. Some analysts say it is to cut expenses since perhaps the new format will allow for fewer or no air personalities. I contend that the audience for jazz was never sizable enough to sustain anything above a minor audience rating, and even the smaller, local, and niche advertisers have cut back to the point of no immediate return.
