Goodbye "Evolution 101.7", hello new country competition to WKLB!

[Eli Polonsky]

(EDIT: Two other threads about this station that were not here before I started this one appeared while I was typing this post)

Apparently, Clear Channel just flipped EDM (Electronic Dance Music) WEDX "Evolution 101.7" to a contemporary "Country" format! (At least it's what they call "country" nowadays, the music sounds like modern AC/pop-CHR to me).

A stunt? I don't know, but if they get only a small fraction slice of the ratings of the successful WKLB, they will be ahead of where they were as "Evolution". Seems to be a strategy these days, in both commercial and professional public radio, for underperforming stations to choose to compete with a very successful station in the market, and try to get a piece of their pie that's bigger than what they previously had doing something else on their own.

Promo just heard, appealing to potential "young" country listeners: "We're building YOUR country station, and your parents will still have theirs!" (implying that WKLB programs to old folks).

 

[Fenway1912]

Posted Friday, June 13th 2014 @ 11am
Thanks for listening to Evolution 101.7 over the past year and a half. Thanks to your support, Evolution 101.7 has grown, generating a loyal fan base in Boston at 101.7 on the radio and especially digitally on iHeartRadio.

Evolution will transition off 101.7 but remain on iHeartRadio and HD radios at 107.9 HD2, where we will continue to support the local Boston dance scene, the clubs, the shows, the energy, the lifestyle. Pete Tong, Sisanie, DJ Costa, DJ Cesar and all of our Evolution Underground local DJs will all still be right here with the same shows, same music, same website, same Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. It’s the same Boston Evolution 101.7 on iHeartRadio.

We’ll still be there when you get into an uber late night and see the driver streaming Evolution 101.7, when you’re at the gym and hear the Evolution 101.7 stream during your workout and when you are out with friends on the weekend and someone has Evolution 101.7 streaming for the pre-party.

Thank you for listening to Boston’s Evolution 101.7!



Read more: http://www.evolution1017.com/articl...nk-you-boston-edm-fans-12459909#ixzz34Xkoae2Q

 

[Gregg.]

>>>We’ll still be there when you get into an uber late night and see the driver streaming Evolution 101.7, when you’re at the gym and hear Evolution 101.7 stream during your workout and when you are out with friends on the weekend and someone has Evolution 101.7 streaming for the pre-party.<<<

Wow. First, I'm sure many people over 40 don't know what an uber is. (I only heard the term for the first time the other day. It's an app for getting a taxi. But I guess now, you can refer to the taxi as an uber?) And how many of us have ever gone to a pre-party? And of course, you're using the taxi "late night" and you're at the gym and you're with your friends over the weekend going to parties. I guess young professionals live a totally different life than the rest of us.

But the most startling thing in this message is that they assume so many young people are NOT listening to a real radio. I know they want to put the best face on getting kicked off an FM frequency but the way this makes it sound, so few young people actually get their radio over the air that it will have little impact on their listeners.

Can I also believe them when they say these four DJs will continue to do their usual shows? I know the station ran automated most of the week anyway. Who knew they had all these people involved? But they ALL keep their gigs?

 

[pjc1961]

101.7 The Bull Boston's NEW Hit Country website: http://www.thebull1017.com/main.html

iHeart player link: http://www.iheart.com/live/1017-The-Bull-6586/

Direct streaming URL link (copy + paste only):

http://wbwl-fm.akacast.akamaistream.net/7/662/293126/v1/auth.akacast.akamaistream.net/wbwl-fm

Clue in above URL as to what the new call letters will likely be: WBWL-FM.

The now departed-from-101.7 "Evolution 101.7" direct streaming URL (copy + paste only):

http://whba-fm.akacast.akamaistream.net/7/950/166146/v1/auth.akacast.akamaistream.net/whba-fm

"Evolution 101.7" iHeart player link: http://www.iheart.com/live/Evolution-1017-5772/

 

[raccoonradio]

Are those EDM DJs that will still be working doing so at multiple stations?
CC's Bull brand has morning drive (Bones) and After Midnight and allegedly there will be a local hire for afternoons.
Same country that's on most stations, though personality should help...but only late afternoon and only on a weaker
signal?

I do remember Mike had no DJs but they had a bunch of events and a kind of street promo team. They were blown up to put EEI on FM.

As expected many disgruntled listeners on the Facebook page for Evolution along with the inevitable change.org petition to get CC to change their mind. Except bringing back Steve Leveille those usually don't work (Bring back
Mike 93.7, bring back Prog. Talk, etc)

 

[TheBigA]

Except bringing back Steve Leveille those usually don't work (Bring back
Mike 93.7, bring back Prog. Talk, etc)

I never understand the thinking behind these petitions. The time to show your support for a station or format is when it's on the air. After it changes, it's too late. There is no reconsider.

 

[raccoonradio]

Exactly. A bunch of prog talkers changed format and there were efforts to bring
them back or stop the change and I think Madison, WI was the only 'success'.
A site called Non Stop Radio for these efforts existed for awhile.

As stations in Seattle, Portland OR, LA, and San Fran changed to sports or conservative talk
there were the usual complaints, threats of going to the FCC (nice try--they don't step in regarding format) and possibly petitions.
Heck, even in the fictional WKRP In Cincinnati, an early episode showed some old timer fans
of the previous elevator music format Occupy-ing the studios as a protest.

"Bring Back Mike 93.7 FM" facebook group started up when they flipped to sports etc. Also there are
folks who wanted folk, blues, jazz etc. back on WGBH or WBUR, but they made their decisions and
stuck with them.
Someone on facebook suggested going to CC's Cabot Rd., Medford studios.

When WFNX was sold to Clear Channel, the paper (the now defunct Phoenix) showed a couple people
outside the Phoenix's offices, with duct tape across their mouths as they stood next to Phoenix
dispensers...
http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/236x/29/e5/97/29e597ac07ff5ed3cb33ad4ab983b61c.jpg

 

[TheBigA]

It's kind of like holding protests outside the local McDonalds demanding the return of the McRibb.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

>>>We’ll still be there when you get into an uber late night and see the driver streaming Evolution 101.7, when you’re at the gym and hear Evolution 101.7 stream during your workout and when you are out with friends on the weekend and someone has Evolution 101.7 streaming for the pre-party.<<<

Wow. First, I'm sure many people over 40 don't know what an uber is. (I only heard the term for the first time the other day. It's an app for getting a taxi. But I guess now, you can refer to the taxi as an uber?)

Actually, Uber is not an app. for getting a real taxi, it's a company that uses its app. for its customers to get a nearby driver (who has registered for their "service") in their own private car, unlicensed, untrained, and uninsured as a taxi driver, to give you a "taxi ride" in exchange for a random fare (no meters or official mileage rates in their private cars) that is officially considered to be a "gift" given to a "friend from your neighborhood" for the ride. It's another New Millennium business phenomenon that has, at least for now, figured out how to circumvent all the legal regulations governing an industry, in this case licensed taxis, while claiming to be just a "ride matching service" among neighborhood "friends". Kind of like some pirate radio stations as for the business model.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

Are those EDM DJs that will still be working doing so at multiple stations?

I thought the EDM DJ's on "Evolution" (WEDX) were all aired directly from iHeart Radio's national EDM feed. No one local.

 

[raccoonradio]

That's what I meant, basically syndicated EDM was being run.
Scott Fybush has a very interesting perspective on what Clear Channel is doing:

https://lists.bostonradio.org/pipermail/boston-radio-interest/2014-June/031531.html
He says a station like 101.7 can do very well "inside 128" with today's country listeners... and the music
of today (expect to hear vocoders, rap, not so much fiddles) appeals to a young demo. Scott says CC
is unlikely to get back what they paid for the old FNX, BUT:

-----------------------------------

>>(Fybush):add up
the combination of whatever minimal revenue they can get from 101.7
itself, plus the additional national sales they can derive from a
top-10-market clearance for syndicated shows such as Bobby Bones on
101.7, plus whatever additional revenue they can generate from 107.9 if
it can stay at #1 in the market by holding off WKLB's rise.
--------------------------------------
That plus minimal operating costs...

 

[Wimmmex]

It's another New Millennium business phenomenon that has, at least for now, figured out how to circumvent all the legal regulations governing an industry, in this case licensed taxis, while claiming to be just a "ride matching service" among neighborhood "friends".

So the government must be involved in every transaction we make? We are not free to make our own choices and have informal relationships without a government OK?

Kind of like some pirate radio stations as for the business model.

Pirate radio is dealing with limited spectrum. There is not really a limit on people giving each other rides.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

So the government must be involved in every transaction we make? We are not free to make our own choices and have informal relationships without a government OK?

No, people are obviously free to ride with someone that the company "matches" them with who is not licensed as a taxi/livery driver, in their own private car that doesn't carry the kind of comprehensive insurance that a taxi or licensed livery vehicle (limo for hire) does, and who can arbitrarily make up the amount of their fare (required "gift") on the spot and charge them anything they want, even if it's much higher than a regulated taxi fare for the same ride. They have that freedom. I just hope that the clients are aware of these differences between this unregulated transportation industry and the regulated transportation industry while making their choice.

 

[johnster]

Actually it was a very limited market. Taxi Medallions are worth what they are due to the limited amount given out by the cities. In Boston a taxi medallion is worth over 500 thousand and most folks who own them have mortgages on them.

 

[Wimmmex]

They have that freedom. I just hope that the clients are aware of these differences between this unregulated transportation industry and the regulated transportation industry while making their choice.

Same choices I make when someone from work gives me a ride home.

Actually it was a very limited market. Taxi Medallions are worth what they are due to the limited amount given out by the cities.

Yes, thanks to the government there is a limited supply of medallions.

There is not a limit on people giving rides to each other.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

Same choices I make when someone from work gives me a ride home.

Right, the only differences in the choices being that you're more likely to know, or at least have met, a work colleague that you'd ride with, and you would be under no obligation to pay them anything for the ride unless you choose to, or you choose to honor a request they ask of you to do so. I don't know what kinds of documentation or agreements that Uber customers must sign, but I'd guess that they would be obligated to pay whatever "gift" that their driver asks of them for their ride in order to use their service.

 

[Wimmmex]

Right, the only differences in the choices being that you're more likely to know, or at least have met, a work colleague that you'd ride with, and you would be under no obligation to pay them anything for the ride unless you choose to, or you choose to honor a request they ask of you to do so.

With a Uber driver...I see their rating...based on previous customers experience.

I would LOVE to see something like that for CAB drivers.

 

[Unregistered]

With a Uber driver...I see their rating...based on previous customers experience.

I would LOVE to see something like that for CAB drivers.

Right. Just like a seller on Ebay with a customer satisfaction rating of 99.9999999% can ultimately turn out to be the biggest rip-off artist going.
In this day and age such online "ratings" can easily be manipulated in a number of ways, I don't trust them.

 

[nowradioguy]

Is it just me who feels this way, or has this thread been hijacked by the debate over taxis vs Uber?

 

[WLYNWAZNgm]

It is not just you. This thread has, indeed, been hijacked...