GSP Winter Ratings - a new #2!

[awp69]

Been meaning to post these:

http://ratings.****************/cgi-bin/rol.exe/arb191

Huge book for WFBC. Can anyone even remember when B93.7 was #2 in the market? Both country stations have slid into the 5-6 range. WJMZ slipped probably due to The Block's continued success on a translator with 2.0.

Speaking of translators, Chuck continues to slide and X has been picking up steam -- bestng Chuck by a .5 share at 1.4.

Hot has now been beaten by B in four straight books so the Block is doing its job in both bringing it down and boosting B.

 

[tylerSC]

Has B-93.7 improved their music mix recently? Because I always thought 95.1 and 96.1 sounded a bit better in terms of the playlist. Obviously 96.3 may be having an impact here.

 

[awp69]

Has B-93.7 improved their music mix recently? Because I always thought 95.1 and 96.1 sounded a bit better in terms of the playlist. Obviously 96.3 may be having an impact here.

I haven't listened a lot but seems a bit more rhythmic with some urban leaning tracks in there while Hot has moved more towards a traditional CHR.

Personally, I'm not a fan and like 96.1 for CHR because it is more adult leaning but what B is doing seems to be working in this market. The Block, like you said, could be part of that flanking the urban / hip hop side.

 

[101tm]

WFBC has gone in a Rhythmic direction since last year. They aren't adding any adult tracks really. It's purely Rhythmic pop and hip hop/urban leaning material that's charting on CHR. Then again the CHR charts have been very Rhythmic heavy for the last year or so. A little atypical of an Entercom CHR which is normally adult leaning and very big on breaking new tracks. My guess personally would be they are selling it with The Block? Or want to use The Block and a Rhythmic B to finally force Hot's hand?

The Block is IMPRESSIVE for a translator y'all, and the signal isn't even the greatest for a translator (98.5, 99.5, 96.9 are way better) If the numbers hold up, and I think they will, Entercom should put it on 93.3 with perhaps the rock format moving to the translators at 96.3 and 104.5. The Block is low overhead and they could basically jukebox the Planet on a translator to appease the upset listeners. Entercom has put a lot in to the Block for it to just be stuck on a translator forever.

Hot 98.1 has been backed in to a corner. For years they were the only choice for the younger urban/hip hop listeners to hear some crossover urban tracks, but with The Block around, it's killed their niche. Theyre also NOTORIOUSLY slow to add new music. I think that's what set the CHR transition in to play there. Cox always had Hot/Jamz set up to complement each other with Hot protecting Jamz against another competitor coming on the scene basically a flanker. At this point their only true option is to get a morning show and go straight up CHR against B93. They still throw in some hip hop songs that just sound weird and out of place that B wouldn't play. Perhaps a younger morning show, live in afternoons could be some ammo for them. Its clear they're trying to distance them from Jamz.

iHeart is the biggest loser here, they have a good, upgraded C3 signal going nowhere on 104.9, a Hot AC going sideways, and a slowly fading WESC. To think for years they had 2 of the top 3 stations and 3 of the top 5.

 

[awp69]

Agree with all of the above, but beg to differ on the translator. I have no issues getting a good signal on 96.3 in the Woodruff Road area for instance. But 98.5 is horrendous at many times, especially in the morning.

96.3 may not have as much strength but it is a clearer signal. I'd still argue that 98.5 is the worst in the market overall due to atmospheric issues in key parts of the market at prime times of the day.

I'm honestly surprised X has done as well on it, particularly recently.

I'm wondering if the addition of live jocks really has boosted the station. They recently added a third (now have mid-day, afternoon and evening).

I'd be willing to bet they don't add a morning jock because they know they're reception sucks balls in the morning.

I personally care less about the talking heads and rarely listen to the station because they're WAY too conservative with new music.

But it's working so who am I to judge.

 

[101tm]

IMO, 96.9 has the best translator signal in the market hands down followed by 99.5. With 98.5 doing well and 99.5 struggling the rock format should have gone to the better signal when that whole change happened....

96.3 is an odd signal in that while it carries a long way it even has bad static on Laurens Rd, Woodruff Rd, etc. Its VERY hard to get a clean signal from them. I notice they have a CP to raise the antenna and go more directional. When tropo conditions aren't screwing reception up 98.5 does have a clearer signal but I have noticed the signal being trashed by WSB FM in Atlanta before in the morning hours and even WOMG in Columbia and I'm out towards piedmont so I know what you're talking about. The Spanish translator on 102.9 has the same problem with 102.9 The Lake from Charlotte. That was an awful dial position, their interference sometimes is horrendous. That signal is ripped up worse than 98.5 a lot of times when I stop by those stations (I don't listen to either very often)

Somebody mentioned the sound quality on Lite 96.9 on another thread and I have to agree, it is amazing and they have a great signal for a translator. The voiceovers are just annoying as hell.

 

[AMRocks]

Hot sounds like garbage. And I'm not talking sound quality as mentioned in another thread. They seem to have no idea what format they are. You might hear Justin Timberlake followed by another total pop tune. Then it will go into some EXTREMELY urban cut. I hear no flow at all. I typically listen to the more "pop" stations and, when I tune to Hot, I never know what to expect. Usually, I tune out right away. There's no song I want to hear. But then, another time, I might listen to 2 songs in a row. It's just a mess. Pick what you want to be and go with it.

B has improved immensely in the last year. I still don't think they sound as good as a major market CHR like Z100 in NY, but they are getting closer. (The low energy jocks don't help. And that morning show does NOT belong on a CHR --even if they get great ratings.) Musically, they are right on the money for this market. CHR, but not too deep into rhythm or rock. Right smack in the center.

They definitely deserve that bump in the latest numbers.

 

[101tm]

Hot sounds like garbage. And I'm not talking sound quality as mentioned in another thread. They seem to have no idea what format they are. You might hear Justin Timberlake followed by another total pop tune. Then it will go into some EXTREMELY urban cut. I hear no flow at all. I typically listen to the more "pop" stations and, when I tune to Hot, I never know what to expect. Usually, I tune out right away. There's no song I want to hear. But then, another time, I might listen to 2 songs in a row. It's just a mess. Pick what you want to be and go with it.

B has improved immensely in the last year. I still don't think they sound as good as a major market CHR like Z100 in NY, but they are getting closer. (The low energy jocks don't help. And that morning show does NOT belong on a CHR --even if they get great ratings.) Musically, they are right on the money for this market. CHR, but not too deep into rhythm or rock. Right smack in the center.

They definitely deserve that bump in the latest numbers.

Thank you.

Hot has no objection to pop (they have Alessia Cara, Ed Sheeran, Chainsmokers/Coldplay in power, then Katy Perry, Rihanna, Gaga, Bieber, Selena Gomez, Chainsmokers, DNCE, Taylor Swift, etc.....then they will completely ruin the flow and run something like "T-Shirt", "Bad and Boujee", "Trap Queen", "For Free", "679" etc. Those are urban tracks or tracks for a straight up Rhythmic CHR. There's crossover, of course, but these tracks Hot is playing aren't exactly at mass appeal level or never were to warrant their airplay on CHR. I can't figure out what they want to be, it's like they're straddling the line between the acceptable urban tracks on Rhythmic CHR but playing CHR tracks that don't belong on a Rhythmic. They used to just be an urban leaning Rhythmic CHR but that strategy went out the window when Summit took over. The hard urban stuff needs to go. The past couple years they've just kinda meandered along and it just sounds bad. Like you I can listen for 30 minutes at times and it sounds great then something totally off comes on and I lose interest. With The Block, I don't see any reason for them to still be playing urban tracks that ARENT mainstream and can run a lot of mainstream CHR listeners off. The presentation is straight up CHR. I don't know if they even know what they're doing.

My main issue with B is the DJ's too.....the morning show is miserable to listen to, the midday jock sounds tired, and I've never seen another CHR run Ryan Seacrest in PM drive, why not middays? That morning show is impossible for me to listen to. Sounds like a bunch of wash ups whose time ended 15 years ago.

 

[101tm]

After this discussion I've listened to Hot 98.1 more extensively as I'm a bit of a CHR junkie and was trying to figure out what they've been doing.... Observations:

1. A large amount of recurrents make up the hour for a CHR or whatever they are. Many of these recurrents were hip hop hits. Occasional gold tracks appear like "Hypnotize" by B.I.G.? Really? Whatever You Like by T.I.? Antidote by Travis Scott? Really? Odd hip hop recurrents/golds are played rather frequently that never charted on CHR. Crap like that MAJORLY messes up the flow of music.

2. New music is added very rarely. Whether it be from the CHR or Rhythmic chart, although they bill themselves as "first for new music."

3. Power tracks are straight up CHR hits, played more heavily than WFBC. Powers are changed out very rarely and seem exhausted, especially with new tracks added so seldom.

4. The morning show is horrible, not Hawk and Tom horrible, but bad. Consists of the mid-day and afternoon hosts who also do those shifts. The night jock belongs on The Block.

5. They report as Rhythmic, but a lot of the currents they have in heavy rotation also were top hits on CHR and some didn't chart very high on Rhythmic (which is sort of a dead format itself). Coldplay, Alessia Cara, Halsey, Selena Gomez, Daya, Ed Sheeran, Sia, Taylor Swift, Chainsmokers, Bieber, Maroon 5, etc. get substantial airplay but weren't busting the charts on Rhythmic with all of their tracks Hot 98.1 is playing.

I don't know what they are, and they sure as hell don't seem to. It's an awful mixture of CHR currents and recurrents, sporadic hip hop songs that have no business being on a CHR, and gold hip hop. Some current hip hop tracks that would turn off a CHR listener immediately. At least now I know why the numbers are so awful. As a previous poster said, just when it's sounding good, something comes on and ruins it. I honestly don't know what to call this station anymore.

Why not go CHR or go Urban? The playlist is a swamp. I'd love to see a CHR war in GSP, but could WMYI be a blockade considering the amount of CHR tracks they play? Hot 98.1 could PASS as a Rhythmic CHR, but barely. It's like they throw whatever on and see if it sticks. This used to be a very solidly and great programmed station to protect 107.3 Jamz in their #1 spot. I'm just trying to figure out who they're trying to take audience away from. Are the random out of place hip hop tracks to try to peel listeners away from The Block? Are the pop tracks to try to get listeners from WFBC? Are they still trying to protect Jamz?

 

[AMRocks]

HOT will play a very very heavy urban track and then go into Ed Sheeran. Total train wreck. One of those songs doesn't fit. B is much smoother in it's approach. I've heard some heavier urban stuff but mainly at night.