Hippie Gets More Coverage

[Tibbs4]

You are right, PTBoardOp94.

If you look at the commercial FM dial in Nashville, you pretty much have 4 sports/talk stations, 4 Urban/CHR-ish stations, 5 Country stations (with a few additional bleed ins), 50+/ religious/Fish/Love/Gospel stations (kidding, sort of.) That leaves basically Mix 92.9, Hippie, 96.3, Jack-FM, Alt-Local leaning Lightning 100, 102.9 The Buzz and the Rock at 105.9. The choices a few decades ago were actually much more plentiful in the CHR, AC and Rock formats. I did not count "all' of the tiny translators in my quick format count, but I did use a few in my format breakdowns. If a listener doesn't want Country, doesn't want inspirational or any type of talk or doesn't want CHR, your choices are somewhat limited.

Seems to me that the Alt 98.3 flip, like BigA said, "makes" some strategic corporate sense, but as BigA also said, why go for such a small piece of an already diluted pie, especially on such a small, unknown signal? I've seen it said that it's also just too expensive to take on the top stations like a Jack or Mix. True. But would you not get more listeners, almost by default, just because you are playing against a strongly rated station that's a pretty much a monopoly in the format on the local level?

I get that the big companies feel that they "have" to have a country station in the country music capital. But, where does logic and years of mediocre results send off the shareholder's bell that revenue isn't being maximized with a 2.9 share?

As for the local side of WHIN and staying country. I look at that completely differently. It's local and it's down home. Best to just let things stay the same and not upset the apple cart or rock the boat with listeners and advertisers until you get settled in and see what options might make sense. Perhaps, no change is the best move.

 

[TheBigA]

I get that the big companies feel that they "have" to have a country station in the country music capital. But, where does logic and years of mediocre results send off the shareholder's bell that revenue isn't being maximized with a 2.9 share?

What's the alternative? First of all, there isn't a better format that is worth blowing up the 2.9 share, and second, you make more money with country, even at a 2.9, than you do with other, higher rated formats. Same with sports. That's why you see so many sports stations in Nashville.

Here's a simple fact: Cumulus wouldn't run two country stations in the same town if they could make more money with oldies or something else on one of those frequencies. There was a time a few years ago when the pundits (perhaps including you) were saying that 95.5 was going back to AC. It didn't. Why? There are more opportunities for NTR (nontraditional revenue) at an active format like country than a passive one like AC. The growth area in radio right now is NTR, not on air. So that's why you "have" to have a country station. At least one, maybe two, which is what Cumulus and iHeart now have. The shareholders in a company that owns hundreds of radio station don't care about the ratings of each individual station. That's not what shareholders do. They care about the big picture. They want to see growth and new opportunities. You don't get that with oldies or AC.

 

[b-turner]

In fact, in the most basic terms, the shareholders only want a return. No matter the ratings, formats, etc., the only thing the shareholder wants to know is that the company makes money and has a path to making money in the future. If that's playing Icelandic folk songs sung by one eyed Mongolians living on the eastern side of Western Samoa, then fine.

 

[TheBigA]

In fact, in the most basic terms, the shareholders only want a return.

That's why they invest. No one asks shareholders about programming. They're not involved in operations. They supply the capital, and the company makes the decisions in how it gets spent. No one asks shareholders if they want two country signals in Nashville. That never comes up for a shareholder vote.

 

[Tibbs4]

FWIW - 105.1 WVRY/WVWF flipped/(semi?) returned to the airwaves yesterday as www.tennesseewolf.com. Classic Country. Yep. Up to about 12+/- country stations in Metro now. I don't think it is a stunt, but, I did hear some interesting things on there about midnight. Signal is west of Nashville and the translator just north of the city is pounding it like nothing I have heard on the dial here or honestly anywhere. This is going to be an interesting fight. I could be wrong, but I don't think the Wolf is fully up to a healthy 50kw just yet. If it is as good as it's gonna get then The Wolf may have a battle on their hands, cause they should have a bit more protection. The Wolf is IDing COL Waverly-Nashville and acting like they will be a "Nashville" station. Send on the coverage maps, David! I think the translator's pushing it. Hippie will have a much better city signal than 105.1, from what I am hearing. From what I do know about the Waverly-Dickson area tower and signal from studies, it should have a better Nashville presence, but from what I heard today, I don't see this having the impact that it should have been able to have in the city with the translator jolting it. Could get a bit interesting, but it is on the edge.

BigA, I don't disagree with some of your thoughts on KDF flipping. Chances are slim to less than nada. But, I am intrigued by the timing of the rise of WSM-FM and the fact that a 2.9 on KDF is dreadfully anemic. If KDF did flip with the right format, it could get WSM-FM close to, if not, up there with Mix for being the #1 station. Especially, if Crums went after Mix with KDF. It takes effort and money, so no one will gamble in this chess game. BTW, I also don't disagree with the online revs impact on formats, but Crums isn't maxing out KDF online, so it's not a disaster if they did attempt to shift everyone looking around online to WSM-FM. It does leave WSM-FM a bit open to an IHeart attack, but with 98.3's signal, it isn't going to be much of a player, so now could be the "only" semi-perfect timing. I guess we have to remember that WSM-FM is just enjoying a kind meter kick, so nothing will probably happen and we can just wait a until Crums re-tanks WSM-FM in a few weeks.

 

[TheBigA]

I am intrigued by the timing of the rise of WSM-FM and the fact that a 2.9 on KDF is dreadfully anemic.

They just replaced their morning show a few weeks ago in an attempt to fix those numbers. I doubt a format change for either station is imminent.

 

[Tibbs4]

Someone in top level management from a medium-sized radio company made an interesting statement to me this morning about your comment about the morning show fix, BigA. "If our (their) company had had that lackluster of a radio station (WKDF) for that many decades, they could not have made the last handful of station purchases."

Granted, to a company with 800+ stations, from the corporate inside, it really doesn't matter. To a company with a few dozen (or less) stations, it's everything. It's all where you are standing in the cow pasture as to how green the grass is, I guess.

 

[firepoint525]

105.1 is (apparently) stunting as "Trump 105.1" right now with songs about walls. I am hearing "Hello Walls" and "Another Brick in the Wall" over and over again. Heard "Good Lovin'" by the (Young) Rascals there earlier this week, which does NOT a country station make.

As for Hippie, it is well past time for them to stop making such a big deal about their MBA games being "in stereo." Broadcasting a team whose games I am NOT interested in hearing is one thing, but making a big deal about them being "in stereo" is quite another. I realize that it is being "local," and is a community service and all that, but I once worked for an FM station that broadcast high school football in stereo 50 YEARS AGO, so trust me, it is no big deal now.

 

[Tibbs4]

I can barely pick 105.1 up out my way near OHB/Brentwood, but as I noted I had heard a few songs that were not country. I heard a midnight ID/TOH, but it was too much static to clearly heard what they were saying. Caught about 30 seconds of Pink Floyd fading.

Re Hippie: Duly noted, Firepoint. $$$. LOL. I will make sure to tell Jack the engineer that the stereo light needs to be off on Friday nights.

I have the copy for your approval -THE ALL NEW* Hippie Radio is proud to present Music City's most exciting (and winning) private high school games, live on Friday nights in (censor sound)...
(Scratch that - we've turned the little red stereo light off for four quarters and a half time.) High School Football, the way you remembered it, unless you are so old you used smoke signals...
from the ALL NEW* NO STEREO FOOTBALL CONNECTION - Hippie Radio 94./cutout - whistle/sacking sound.


^ *Lots of people are moving in, so they are new to Hippie. LOL.

And while we're on the subject, didn't you request a song or two be added by George Harrison on the FB page, a while back? What was that? (Thinking it was "All Those Years Ago" from 81?) You can PM me, if I am right about that, sir. Hope you are well!

 

[firepoint525]

And while we're on the subject, didn't you request a song or two be added by George Harrison on the FB page, a while back? What was that? (Thinking it was "All Those Years Ago" from 81?) You can PM me, if I am right about that, sir. Hope you are well!

Wow, good memory! Actually, in my case, it was "Got My Mind Set on You." I believe that they are already playing "All Those Years Ago." I figure that if 93.3 can play "Mind Set," then Hippie can, too, especially since Hippie also plays Traveling Wilburys.

 

[Tibbs4]

My mistake on the song, Firepoint. It's on. You know the Hippie playlist pretty well!

Off the subject a bit. I get no decent reception in the car on 105.1 from Music Row to near Brentwood. Maybe you can help me from where you live. Did they every go on the air with the classic country format?

What a horrific malfunction of the dial at 104.9-105.3. The B-52's song "Channel Z" (Getting Nothing But Static) is all that should be on any of those stations, since you can get 8 different signals fighting for space there. I am telling you, I would be ballistic if I had bought that station a few weeks ago given the translator. It has no chance of being even a fringe Nashville station. (They started out branding that way on their website, though.)

 

[firepoint525]

Off the subject a bit. I get no decent reception in the car on 105.1 from Music Row to near Brentwood. Maybe you can help me from where you live. Did they every go on the air with the classic country format?

They were a country station ("Cat Country" based in Dickson, I believe) around 1995-1996, right before they rebranded as Solid Gospel. Not sure if they played any classic tunes or not. The late Lon Sosh (aka "Big Daddy Bobbaloo" on most of his other stations), was "Cat Daddy" on 105.1 about that time. I was living in Bellevue at the time, and had no problem picking them up back then.

What a horrific malfunction of the dial at 104.9-105.3. The B-52's song "Channel Z" (Getting Nothing But Static) is all that should be on any of those stations, since you can get 8 different signals fighting for space there. I am telling you, I would be ballistic if I had bought that station a few weeks ago given the translator. It has no chance of being even a fringe Nashville station. (They started out branding that way on their website, though.)

Not sure which of their translators you are referring to here. I don't even get a decent signal on 93.3 when I am driving on McCrory Lane, and I can see their transmitter site (channel 4's tower) from the hill up there!

WMOT is supposedly going to get a Bellevue-area translator at 104.9 (revised from 105.1) but that has not happened as of yet. What you pick up on any given frequency almost depends on what part of town you happen to be in (or living in) at the time.

 

[Tibbs4]

Well Firepoint, you are literally right under the strobies of Hippie on McCrory and that is why you shouldn't/can't be listening to 93.3 there. LOL! The antenna for 93.3 is not that far up the WSMV tower and pushes toward downtown. The signal is also not very strong near Williamson County either. Them Hills of Old Hickory Blvd there are just too tall.

As for them country folkz at 105.1, there is currently a WAY-FM translator on at 104.9 and yes, a new one (or maybe this is the current WAY-FM translator flipping) by end of the year in Bellevue from WMOT will certainly not help as it is literally right where the 105.1 signal should be at it's best coming into Nashville and adding the illustriously new 105.1 translator just north of Nashville that bleeds in nicely over Music City, all but seems like it would seal the fate of this Country station having more than 10 listeners in Nashville. I wanted to run that "sentence" all over the place like these stations sound. I think these WVWF folks better start filing to move the signal to Memphis. I read that they are putting almost a million into this project. Can Dickson, Waverly and Clarksville (which has a ton of signals) carry this purchase price and build up time? Are the call letters WTLT avail. That's right where the money may end up going, unless I am missing something. Then again, the call letters WVWF may, uh "very well" fit perfectly. I would not want to be the salesperson showing the real contour maps in I was in Davidson County. $1. I am tired from just thinking about this. Anyone have a Bud Chelada?

 

[firepoint525]

Well Firepoint, you are literally right under the strobies of Hippie on McCrory and that is why you shouldn't/can't be listening to 93.3 there. LOL! The antenna for 93.3 is not that far up the WSMV tower and pushes toward downtown. The signal is also not very strong near Williamson County either. Them Hills of Old Hickory Blvd there are just too tall.

Yeah, they promote their signal as reaching "from the Batman building to Bellevue." I live just right outside of that area, although I often tune them in when I am in town. Great listening alternative for whenever Chris Lucky gets too talkative!

As for them country folkz at 105.1, there is currently a WAY-FM translator on at 104.9 and yes, a new one (or maybe this is the current WAY-FM translator flipping) by end of the year in Bellevue from WMOT will certainly not help as it is literally right where the 105.1 signal should be at it's best coming into Nashville and adding the illustriously new 105.1 translator just north of Nashville that bleeds in nicely over Music City, all but seems like it would seal the fate of this Country station having more than 10 listeners in Nashville. I wanted to run that "sentence" all over the place like these stations sound. I think these WVWF folks better start filing to move the signal to Memphis. I read that they are putting almost a million into this project. Can Dickson, Waverly and Clarksville (which has a ton of signals) carry this purchase price and build up time? Are the call letters WTLT avail. That's right where the money may end up going, unless I am missing something. Then again, the call letters WVWF may, uh "very well" fit perfectly. I would not want to be the salesperson showing the real contour maps in I was in Davidson County. $1. I am tired from just thinking about this. Anyone have a Bud Chelada?

I remember 105.1 (years ago) promoting themselves as reaching from "Nashville to 50 miles west of the Tennessee River." Why they didn't just go ahead and say "Jackson" in place of that "50 mi. west of the TN River," I do not know. I remember from when I lived in Clarksville that their signal boomed there. Had no trouble at all picking it up. At one time (again while I lived in Clarksville), TennAire Communications, then-owner of what was then WDXN radio, had an option to buy then-WVRY, as well as some other properties. Sometime after I left Clarksville, the whole deal fell through, and WDXN was bought out by Saga Comm., owner of Q-108 and others. This was all back in the early to mid-'90s when I lived there. I don't believe that TennAire Communications even exists anymore.