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OK, folks! It's Survey Time
- Thread starter ckg279
- Start date
I wouldn't be surprised if Mix beats Star to the Xmas punch and flips on 11/1.
Consider WWWS in Pittsburgh. The Classic Hits station has embraced All Christmas music and usually leads the market during that period. Could WHTT do the same in Buffalo? Consider the artists and groups and the Christmas songs that get played. Most Christmas songs would seem to be a good fit for WHTT. Star and WHTT battling it out. Wow! and if Mix enters the fray, that would make three Buffalo stations trying to slice the Christmas fruitcake! Probably won't happen... but who knows. The logical thing would be to check the date the Fall book ends and work back four weeks. Somewhere around November 5th? No wagering please.
Except Mix likely won't pull that trigger. They haven't done it in the past few years and I see no reason they'll do the same...UNLESS they use it as an excuse to change format.(And more than a few stations have gone that route before; in 2009, CJEZ in Toronto abruptly ended their run as an AC station on Boxing Day and flipped to classic hits CHBM(boom 97.3).)
Considering the Mix ratings of late, they SHOULD pull the trigger. They've got nothing to lose.
Agreed. But to what format after the holidays? Do they want to start a format war with another station, or do a format that hasn't been attempted in Buffalo(at least in a LONG while, if ever)?
Well, that's cryptic. I checked out the morning show a few times and it's not bad. It's not my cup of THC, but it's not bad for that type of format.
At this point they need to pry a few listeners loose from their direct competition, Star. It's possible if their Christmas mix is superior that they could get people to at least sample what they have to offer and even get somebody to change a dial or pick a different stream. At this point, they need more ears to see if they can establish their product as viable in the market. The only way to do that is get the available audience to establish new listening habits.
It's OK by me, too. (I'm a Shredd and Ragan guy, but I rarely get to listen to it; when I'm at work, it's usually Steve Harvey.)
Last year Mix 96.1 did not go all Christmas if I recall properly. Star did and I wish that they pull Alt Buffalo off HD2 and put Normal Star on HD2 while they do Christmas on Their main channel. They do Christmas too early and it is like making the limited Buffalo stations go down by 1.
I already booted Star off my car pre-set list and replaced it with 105.1 The River. (The others: boom 97.3, 97.7 HTZ FM, 99.1 Virgin Radio and 101.1 More FM.)
My prediction: Once Christmas is over, Star will go back to Hot AC. Mix WILL NOT. (Then again, I could be wrong with the second half of that prediction.
)I heard Christmas music when I walked into Tim's for a tall decaf and glazed cruller, so I asked the counter person, "Is this a Buffalo radio station?" She said it was. She also added, "Way too early for this kind of music." When I got back to the car, I checked. Both Mix and Star were in All Christmas. I have to admit, each station was playing a pretty decent Christmas song... but I switched to 91.7
Looks like I was off by 4 days on my Mix prediction!
The question is WHAT will Mix go to. There's not really any format holes where they can hurt the competition and not cannibalize the rest of the cluster. Maybe they could revive "Joy" and do a WDUV/Tampa-style '80s-centric soft AC format.
My prediction: Once Christmas is over, Star will go back to Hot AC. Mix WILL NOT. (Then again, I could be wrong with the second half of that prediction.
The question is WHAT will Mix go to. There's not really any format holes where they can hurt the competition and not cannibalize the rest of the cluster. Maybe they could revive "Joy" and do a WDUV/Tampa-style '80s-centric soft AC format.
MIX was in a ratings abyss, so flipping to Xmas Muzak gives them 2 months to reboot the format. It likely won't be a format change, but yet another rehashing of Hot, Warm or Tepid AC. It's ironic that they can't even take advantage of the old JOY moniker (which is suited for Xmas). Since they were chasing younger demos anyway, the Xmas sludge is just as likely to repel the few they had...
The "Mix" brand doesn't seem to have had much success in Buffalo. At least two other radio stations have used "Mix" with limited success. Another way of saying it didn't work too well. A few other brands that didn't work were Foxy 92.9 and Hot 104. The suggestion (serious or sarcastic) that 96.1 might revert to a "Warm" approach after the All Christmas era ends isn't out of the question. Trade publications have noted the success of the "Easy Oldies" format in a few markets comparable to Buffalo. However, from what I've read, those formats, like the Dove in Tampa, appeal to upper demographics. How much "easy" product from 1990 to 2010 can there be? That's the era that appeals to younger demographics, like Women 35-44. "Warm" may in fact be a possible moniker. Could be "Sunny." Or a "Breeze" type format (which ran on WECK 1230 for a few years) ... wonder how the Breeze might work on a Class B FM signal? The Breeze was rather hip and musically broad-based. It seemed to have a dedicated, although not massive following. Then again, given Buffalo weather maybe the moniker should be "the Freeze." Another avenue for 96.1 might be straight down the middle Adult Contemporary, like More FM... uh, B-101 Philadelphia.
Whatever happens, the station needs adult air personalities, people between the ages of 35 and 45, on the air, live or voice tracked. The imaging also has to be match the music. Most successful AC stations have a friendly, medium voice male doing the station imaging. 96.1 once was the leading AC station in the market. when the dust settles after the All Christmas Competition ends, I suspect 96.1 and 102.5 will split the All Christmas listening, 50-50 or 60-40, which will allow 104.1 to shoot the gap and have a strong Fall ratings book. One format that can be ruled out, being perched next to 96.9, it's doubtful 96.1 will do any kind of rock-based format on 96.1. I'm guessing it will be something "Easy," "Warm" or "Breezy."
Or...wait for it..."Joy"
Who knows... my post is nothing more than speculation inspired by the thread. For all we know, it could be business as usual after the Fall book. Think of all the business cards, stationary and promo material that would have to be re-done [/sarcasm] The present Mix morning show is on bus cards all over Western New York and seems to be making a name for itself. Last I read on this board the WJYE call letters are assigned to a small station in Maine. A sales rep years ago told me that market research revealed that listeners thought of the old Beautiful Music format when they heard the words "Joy" and "FM 96." That said, the W-J-Y-E call letters on their own standing (without using the word "Joy") seemed to work well with the AC "Lite Rock Favorites" format that preceded Mix 96 moniker and the W-M-S-X call letters. At least W-J-Y-E articulated better than W-M-S-X, which can sound like "W-M-F-X" of "W-N-S-X." Then again, call letters today don't carry the weight they once did... witness Star 102.5; The Edge; 97 Rock; Classic Hits; Kiss 98.5 and Jack. So the station could be called anything as long as the TOH legal was correct.
The only thing I'd say about call letters is that they may be more important than ever when trying to find your favorite station on your smart speakers. When you're trying to enable a station app, nothing is more fool-proof than the actual call letters. If a user just says "Star 102.5" they may get a station with a similar format that's a long ways from Buffalo. Call letters don't have that problem.
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