ALT Buffalo 107.7

[tbolt909]

David Field said a couple years ago that he was looking to cut commercial load at his music stations. Commercials are the #1 reason people tune out of radio, and the #2 reason is chatty morning shows. So cutting commercial clutter and eliminating a morning DJ are things the audience will welcome. Field is committed to this format even if its underperforming nationwide. He has other stations in the cluster that make up for any weaknesses at Alt.

What if the target audience doesn't like the music or Radio? If you're station is almost commercial free and people still won't listen, then you have a content problem.

David Field supports the format because theoretically it should deliver those valuable younger demos. Reality may show different results...

 

[TheBigA]

What if the target audience doesn't like the music or Radio? If you're station is almost commercial free and people still won't listen, then you have a content problem.

Or you may have a counting problem. There are some groups who are resistant to wearing PPMs. It's likely alternative audiences are in that group.

The fact is this station is a low risk way of giving the CEO what he wants. As long as they keep the costs down, it's not likely to cause a problem.

 

[tbolt909]

Or you may have a counting problem. There are some groups who are resistant to wearing PPMs. It's likely alternative audiences are in that group.

The fact is this station is a low risk way of giving the CEO what he wants. As long as they keep the costs down, it's not likely to cause a problem.

Buffalo is a diary market. Guess they don't read & write either. Sounds like Alternative Facts...

 

[TheBigA]

Buffalo is a diary market. Guess they don't read & write either. Sounds like Alternative Facts...

Regardless...how long have you been riding this same horse?

 

[Penrod Rightout]

WLKK used to have a translator on top of the Fairfax Apartments on Delaware at 107.3 to help it's downtown coverage (that now is used by WWWS and has moved to the roof of the Medical Campus.) Their present 104.7 translator is licensed to WTSS plus they also are on WTSS-HD2 from Colden. There's a new Nautel solid-state main/HD transmitter out in cow pasture country in Wethersfield, which I imagine cuts down their power bills--plus other tenants at that site like the State Police helps lower overhead. Entercom Buffalo is somewhat unique in that it owns all its transmitter sites except for WWWS which is leased from Cumulus, the folded unipole skirt on the same tower used by The Edge. Bottom line is, except for this one instance, they don't pay rent and own them all outright. I'm not a bean counter, but I imagine low operating costs for WLKK helps it survive and protect its other two FM's. After all, WWKB hangs on since it protects WBEN and WGR.

 

[SirRoxalot]

Even with a translator and HD2 signal, what you have is a station with a very low share in one market and none in the other. And advertising in separate metros is bought, almost always, separately. So the "we do badly in two markets" approach will only work with a few potential clients who buy directly and have a presence in both markets.

Not a lot of buys are made using metrics that involve both geographical sectors of a market and income. I can't think of ever seeing any, in fact.

This is the kind of station and signal that will be harder to monetize as radio becomes a survival of the fittest game.

David, Buffalo is largely a market selling on relationships, not metrics - at least according to the most successful sales people here. If Buddy was selling based on metrics, he'd be out of business. He's not.

Alt 107.7 has a lot of content unique to the market on their website. They're likely a throw-in sweeten a buy for Star and or Kiss.

'Bolt, they ain't goin' back to The Lake unless somebody is going to pay them to do it. If they wanted to put brokered content on the station, they would have done that already. My guess is that if somebody wanted to put a format on their that didn't hurt what they're already doing in Buffalo they'd welcome your money.

See Penrod Rightout's post. He's got the lay of the land there. Eventually FM radio is likely to die in favor of another delivery system. Will 107.7 be one of the first to go? Likely. Maybe they'll donate it to somebody who wants to service their actual COL.

 

[davideduardo]

David, Buffalo is largely a market selling on relationships, not metrics - at least according to the most successful sales people here. If Buddy was selling based on metrics, he'd be out of business. He's not.

I'm aware of that as nearly all markets outside the top 10 to 20 are mostly dependent on relationship selling. But relationships only last as long as a station gives results.

A station that has limited coverage does not give results if a client's business is located outside the primary coverage area. It does not give results if the combination of a narrow appeal of a client's offering and a razor thin audience size don't bring traffic or sales to the client.

Metrics are a measure of who listens. A station that does not primarily sell on numbers can focus sales on accounts where the station's appeal and the client's attractiveness are a good match.

And even when you have huge ratings, sales will be dependent on having the confidence of buyers. I managed sales for a station that was overwhelmingly #1 in a top 20 market but where if our sellers were not making and keeping relationships strong, we would not have billed half as much.

Alt 107.7 has a lot of content unique to the market on their website. They're likely a throw-in sweeten a buy for Star and or Kiss.

I would not guess that they are a throw-in but, instead, a package to get 107.7 on the buy. When in a combo, low rated stations sell because they are dragged along like Linus' dirty blanket.

See Penrod Rightout's post. He's got the lay of the land there. Eventually FM radio is likely to die in favor of another delivery system. Will 107.7 be one of the first to go? Likely. Maybe they'll donate it to somebody who wants to service their actual COL.

FM is a long way from going away in the US. In any case, "another delivery system" already exists: streaming. The US is not going to do DAB or expand a band. It is too late for new RF based systems.

But the first to go of the FMs will be the rimshots and bad signals and small market FMs in the shadow of big cities. The COL of 107.7 unlikely can sustain a station; this is the plight of many small market operators where chain operated big box stores have killed local business or where proximity to better options a few miles down the road are cheaper and better.

 

[Element9]

dragged along like Linus' dirty blanket.

nice turn of a phrase in this weathered thread

 

[SirRoxalot]

The COL of 107.7 unlikely can sustain a station; this is the plight of many small market operators where chain operated big box stores have killed local business or where proximity to better options a few miles down the road are cheaper and better.

I'm sure that WCJW in Warsaw would like that signal instead of their laundry list of translators. There's a viable group of smaller communities around its COL that could support it as a local. I still think that its best purpose for Entercom would be to fill in their nighttime signal in the eastern 'burbs and a chunk of the metro. Maybe Entercom's hanging onto it with that in mind.

BTW, when I say "another delivery system" I mean that OTA is likely to die in favor of streaming and apps. Audio has so little load on a data stream that even if 5G does deliver on its massive promises improved cell service in rural areas will likely supplant OTA in terrain-challenged markets.