The Breeze blows into Buffalo

[EricSF]

My post From the SF Fourm:

WMSX FM Buffalo, NY (Townsquare Media) has branded itself as Mix 96 for the past couple years and leaned towards hot AC. About 5 years ago, before the Mix branding, they dubbed themselves as “Joy FM” and leaned towards soft AC. After flipping to all Christmas this season (for the first time under the “Mix” branding) the station just rebranded (12/25 11:50pm) As 96.1 the Breeze, playing “Relaxing Favorites”. Interesting as the soft AC didn’t seem to work under the previous “JOY FM” branding...,but “The Breeze” is being adopted by almost every market, every radio company, large and small.

 

[Rob Piotrowski]

A format change that surprised no one. "We expect the new “96-1 The Breeze” to become a must-listen at work. " (http://961thebreeze.com/buffalos-relaxing-favorites-now-on-96-1-the-breeze/)

The station's jockless running the ubiquitous 10,000 joints...err, I mean songs in a row.

 

[Element9]

"Relaxing Favorites at Work" ... as noted on a previous thread and Post #2 here, this switch was expected by most radio observers in and out of the business. A few of the songs gracing the 7 a.m. hour: I Just Want to Be Your Everything, Total Eclipse of the Heart, Really Love to See You Tonight, That's What Friends Are For, (You Had a) Bad Day, I'll Always Love You, Sometimes When We Touch, Kiss On My List. The Breeze on a Buffalo Class B FM is likely to impact a few other Buffalo radio stations with formats that cater to Women. Astute AC programmers and managers will take note. The self-important will remain oblivious. Ten Thousand Songs in a Row is a good kickoff, especially immediately after Christmas.

 

[SirRoxalot]

Soft AC worked fine for Joy FM before they got "Mixed" up. The problem was that the demographics were skewing older and they wanted a bigger piece of the 25-49 female audience that Star and Kiss had a stranglehold on. WHTT had made a similar move with its foray into "Mix" territory a few years earlier. WHTT found out that wasn't fertile territory and returned as a Classic Hits station instead of Oldies. WJYE surrendered a solid position in the market along with the WJYE call letters, so there is no Joy in Buffalo anymore.

"The Breeze" also has Buffalo history. WECK called itself "The Breeze" and mixed light oldies with standards for a while under the previous owner. We'll have to see if this "Breeze" can restore some former "Joy" listeners to the frequency. It will be interesting to see if WHTT decides to "lighten, tighten, and brighten" in response. They've evolved into more '80s music in an attempt to keep the bulk of their demographics in the 45-64 range. With WECK shooting toward the upper demos it will be interesting to see where "The Breeze" centers its music.

Entercom and iHeart have both had multiple "Breeze" launches. In Detroit, Entercom's “Breeze” plays hits from Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, Boyz II Men, Adele, Alicia Keys and Sara Bareilles, among others. It got out of the gate with 10,000 songs commercial-free and uses the positioning slogan “relaxing favorites at work.” WMSX may still be targeting 35-54 and looking to nip at the Star/Kiss lock on females. It seems that Entercom needs to realize that WBLK is beating them up in the younger demos. Now here's a challenge in their upper demos. They may need to do more to differentiate their stations as well.

 

[tbolt909]

It's curious how many stations recycle and rebrand former monikers. All of these (Breeze, MIX, Oldies, etc...) have been used and reused. WJYE jettisoned its heritage name to try to get "younger" with dismal results. It appears they regret that decision. The new "Relaxing Breeze" might help them land that important laxative account...

 

[Buddy Shula]

I think this format should have never left that frequency. That was a huge mistake to abandon those call letters and the soft AC format. Soft AC was a hole in this market. The problem they will have, as JYE had, will be sales. They will also need to spend money promoting the station which I am sure they will. It is not easy to sell such a vanilla format. As far as listeners, I think this was a good move, but radio is not a new discovery medium. They should have never abandon JYE.

 

[Element9]

They should have never abandoned JYE.

Can't argue with that. Aside from considering the format changes, even by changing to the Mix moniker (which in Buffalo should now be called the Hex considering it's failed on three different frequencies) the heritage WJYE call letters would have been used only once an hour for the legal ID, WJYE / WJYE HD1 Buffalo for the Mix format and the same for the Breeze format. Question: Will TSQ will go for another call letter change or retain WMSX?

 

[TheBigA]

Not really a format change. The format remains Adult Contemporary. More of a branding change. Still very much "today's mix." Just adds some 70s, and removes some tempo. Doing 10,000 songs in a row is easy after Christmas. Not a lot of advertising now.

 

[tbolt909]

Can't argue with that. Aside from considering the format changes, even by changing to the Mix moniker (which in Buffalo should now be called the Hex considering it's failed on three different frequencies) the heritage WJYE call letters would have been used only once an hour for the legal ID, WJYE / WJYE HD1 Buffalo for the Mix format and the same for the Breeze format. Question: Will TSQ will go for another call letter change or retain WMSX?

Not sure why they would waste money changing the call letters. This format may not last anyway. The Stench would have been a better name for this stuff...

 

[Rob Piotrowski]

"Relaxing Favorites at Work" ... as noted on a previous thread and Post #2 here, this switch was expected by most radio observers in and out of the business.

I'm almost surprised Entercom didn't put soft AC on 1400/107.3 as a flanker - they certainly had to know the change was coming and could have easily messed with TSM's plan.

 

[Buddy Shula]

You can almost bet that Delilah will return. She would if I had the station

 

[ckg279]

All I will say about 96.1 becoming The Breeze is this: Recall my comments in the "OK, folks! It's Survey Time..." thread, in which I postulated that 96.1 moving to Christmas music may be a cover used for a format change. (See posts #4, 6 & 13.)

I don't know if the WJYE calls are available for The Breeze to use, but it'd be a nice touch.

Also, the Buffalo News mentioned that morning show co-host Melody Nardone was told by phone that she was being let go. She added that it had nothing to do with her work with Townsquare, nor was it personal; it was strictly a business decision. Odds are most, if not all, of the Mix air staff was let go; the station says that a full on-air lineup will be announced in the next few weeks.

 

[Element9]

Not really a format change. The format remains Adult Contemporary. More of a branding change. Still very much "today's mix." Just adds some 70s, and removes some tempo. Doing 10,000 songs in a row is easy after Christmas. Not a lot of advertising now.

There's some truth to this, but in the overall context of the music rotations, tempo and presentation, i.e. the music and presentation listeners heard on 96.1 six weeks ago and what's now heard on the frequency, it's sounds like a change. Notice the station continues to use the same female imaging voice used when the format was Mix. As to on air personnel, it should be interesting to find out who remains from the former Mix line-up, where a youthful morning show was introduced less than a year ago and women held the midday and PM drive shifts. Delilah at night? Can she'll play a role in this presentation? "Relaxing favorites" seems to be a key slogan point. She may be too foreground... and listeners calling with personal pain and problems aren't all that "relaxing" to listen to.

 

[TheBigA]

Delilah at night? Can she'll play a role in this presentation?

That's an interesting question. She hasn't picked up any new affiliates, however she is being run by 98.1 The Breeze KISX in San Francisco. That's an iHeart station, so it's logical to run her show there. They claim to be the flagship station for the Breeze. iHeart's Philly Breeze station hasn't added Delilah. Just one listed host there now.

 

[SirRoxalot]

I'm almost surprised Entercom didn't put soft AC on 1400/107.3 as a flanker - they certainly had to know the change was coming and could have easily messed with TSM's plan.

Why go after a 3-share station when you can go after a couple of shares from WBLK - a market monster?

 

[spt87]

WJYE is now on one of Bob Bittner’s AM stations in Maine. He grabbed them right away when Townsquare abandoned them.

Bob runs his stations commercial free on a listener donation basis. He collects donations once a year to cover operating costs. He has a pretty well listened to AM (stereo no less) in the Boston market - WJIB - which recently added an FM translator.

I digress - I wonder if Townsquare made a nice donation if he would give them the calls back or let them use WJYE-FM while he retains the AM call.

 

[davideduardo]

I don't know if the WJYE calls are available for The Breeze to use, but it'd be a nice touch.

While there is an AM using the calls, if the calls were wanted they could get consent (with or without payment) from the AM to use them in Buffalo.

Why would long-departed calls, in an era where calls are less and less important, be of value?

 

[Mark1981]

Not really a format change. The format remains Adult Contemporary. More of a branding change. Still very much "today's mix." Just adds some 70s, and removes some tempo. Doing 10,000 songs in a row is easy after Christmas. Not a lot of advertising now.

Respectfully disagree. This is more than a branding change. Mix 96.1 was unlistenable to me. I say this not as a critcism but as an acknowledgement that the music had zero appeal to me. But in the hour I’ve had the Breeze on this evening, I heard several tunes I liked. Most surprising was Mike and the Mechanics “The Living Years,” which I don’t think I’ve heard in 30 years. So, I would argue this was a format change. In fact, between having the Christmas music on the last few days — and now this — I’ve probably listened to 96.1 more this week than I have over the past ten years.

 

[TheBigA]

Respectfully disagree. This is more than a branding change.

You can make changes in song selection and remain the same format. Adult Contemporary is a general format that has evolved through numerous changes and variations in song selection in the past 50-60 years. That's how it remains relevant.

 

[Rob Piotrowski]

All I will say about 96.1 becoming The Breeze is this: Recall my comments in the "OK, folks! It's Survey Time..." thread, in which I postulated that 96.1 moving to Christmas music may be a cover used for a format change. (See posts #4, 6 & 13.)

And I was the first to predict in your thread what the new format would be - a knockoff of WDUV/Tampa. And KSWD/Seattle FTM.

I don't know if the WJYE calls are available for The Breeze to use, but it'd be a nice touch.

Getting the calls is pointless without the "Joy" branding.

Why would long-departed calls, in an era where calls are less and less important, be of value?

The answer to this question is obvious if you know the history of the market (and more importantly, about how little the population changes) rather than learning about it from Web searches.

Delilah at night? Can she'll play a role in this presentation? "Relaxing favorites" seems to be a key slogan point. She may be too foreground... and listeners calling with personal pain and problems aren't all that "relaxing" to listen to.

Delilah's on middays at KSWD/Seattle which also plays "relaxing favorites at work". And is owned by Entercom.