I am floored as I had no idea! Well, as many of you know, Bill Tanner is like a Radio God to me. I've written a great deal about him over the years. Kudos to both of you in creating something so great that it has lasted the test of time!
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- Thread starter John FL
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I am floored as I had no idea! Well, as many of you know, Bill Tanner is like a Radio God to me. I've written a great deal about him over the years. Kudos to both of you in creating something so great that it has lasted the test of time!
As in any market, there's a history of formats coming and going. Miami/Ft. Lauderdale is no exception. In Florida there are a number of markets where the country format is dominant. In fact, the market appears to support multiple stations in the genre. Entercom's WKIS-FM (KISS County 99.9 South Florida's Original Country) has been doing the format since 1979 under various owners and even calls.
As was mentioned with 30% of the population being non-ethnic, there's not a lot of wiggle room. But then again, we've seen many formats be a success because they are able to attract Hispanics and blacks to their total listeners. Formats that are office friendly such as AC, when done right, are able to do that. While I wouldn't think WKIS-FM performs well with Hispanics, the reality is many families are multicultural. There's probably exposure to the format generating a fan or two along the way.
There have been many ACs of various types that have come and gone in S. Florida. A long constant has been WLYF-FM 101.5 Lite FM) The format with those calls started way back in 1969. It was beautiful music in stereo. The station posted a history section of themselves boasting that WLYF was incredibly successful "becoming the nation's first FM radio station to achieve a number-one audience rating, and routinely led the Miami market in popularity." In fact, I will add that Miami was earlier than most markets in seeing FM music dominance. I'm sure the interference from Cuba and nighttime signal requirements didn't help AM one bit. When I lived in Ft. Lauderdale, there were a number of AM stations that were loaded with interference.
Many of you probably remember the term "beautiful" was used in many AC type formats. I don't remember exactly when this was but I'm assuming it was in the late 70s and through some of the 80s that WLYF blanketed the billboards with "Life is Beautiful." There was usually a picture depicting the beach or something tropical along with it.
WLYF-FM is a South Florida heritage station. Success can have many definitions. In radio, format flips can often bring momentary success. But it's that test of time that truly counts. Rob Sidney, in my view, did an outstanding job managing the station for a good number of years. What many have said over the years is WLYF differentiated itself from cookie-cutter formatting. While the AC format can be considered a dime-a-dozen across the country in their overall sound, WLYF was long the stand-out. Radio history has shown us that the right individual in the right place in the right time can make all the difference. Rob Sidney has long been one of my radio heroes.
Today, Rob has moved across town doing a part-time gig that was his choice to make. As other companies such as iHeartMedia have engaged in downsizing initiatives, so has Entercom, WLYF's owner. In my first or second post in this string I talked about how radio personalities are important to Boomers, certainly radio junkies, and those in the business. Millennials and Gen X probably don't give it a thought but I believe there are exceptions.
Long-time South Florida personality "Kimba" was released from WLYF. She was afternoon host and APD. There was a good deal of listener outrage that was reported. Yes, these are typical radio business decisions. But in the case of WLYF as we see in many stations across the country, the remaining hosts have 6 or more hours of a shift. For a market the size of Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, it may be a cost-saving move but I believe it cheapens the image of the station.
I am aware of all the reasons it's done so please spare me and all the readers from all of that. I just think it stinks, pure and simple. A highly successful AC in a Top 20 market to be making moves like small market radio just doesn't sit well with me. Kimba is a major talent and she has many fans. When the time is right she'll land somewhere and I have a feeling I know where that could be.
Next: Making it look so "Easy" and our Miami/Ft. Lauderdale wrap-up. I promise you most of the other markets won't be as detailed-oriented. South Florida is an exception because there are so many examples of excellence.
As was mentioned with 30% of the population being non-ethnic, there's not a lot of wiggle room. But then again, we've seen many formats be a success because they are able to attract Hispanics and blacks to their total listeners. Formats that are office friendly such as AC, when done right, are able to do that. While I wouldn't think WKIS-FM performs well with Hispanics, the reality is many families are multicultural. There's probably exposure to the format generating a fan or two along the way.
There have been many ACs of various types that have come and gone in S. Florida. A long constant has been WLYF-FM 101.5 Lite FM) The format with those calls started way back in 1969. It was beautiful music in stereo. The station posted a history section of themselves boasting that WLYF was incredibly successful "becoming the nation's first FM radio station to achieve a number-one audience rating, and routinely led the Miami market in popularity." In fact, I will add that Miami was earlier than most markets in seeing FM music dominance. I'm sure the interference from Cuba and nighttime signal requirements didn't help AM one bit. When I lived in Ft. Lauderdale, there were a number of AM stations that were loaded with interference.
Many of you probably remember the term "beautiful" was used in many AC type formats. I don't remember exactly when this was but I'm assuming it was in the late 70s and through some of the 80s that WLYF blanketed the billboards with "Life is Beautiful." There was usually a picture depicting the beach or something tropical along with it.
WLYF-FM is a South Florida heritage station. Success can have many definitions. In radio, format flips can often bring momentary success. But it's that test of time that truly counts. Rob Sidney, in my view, did an outstanding job managing the station for a good number of years. What many have said over the years is WLYF differentiated itself from cookie-cutter formatting. While the AC format can be considered a dime-a-dozen across the country in their overall sound, WLYF was long the stand-out. Radio history has shown us that the right individual in the right place in the right time can make all the difference. Rob Sidney has long been one of my radio heroes.
Today, Rob has moved across town doing a part-time gig that was his choice to make. As other companies such as iHeartMedia have engaged in downsizing initiatives, so has Entercom, WLYF's owner. In my first or second post in this string I talked about how radio personalities are important to Boomers, certainly radio junkies, and those in the business. Millennials and Gen X probably don't give it a thought but I believe there are exceptions.
Long-time South Florida personality "Kimba" was released from WLYF. She was afternoon host and APD. There was a good deal of listener outrage that was reported. Yes, these are typical radio business decisions. But in the case of WLYF as we see in many stations across the country, the remaining hosts have 6 or more hours of a shift. For a market the size of Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, it may be a cost-saving move but I believe it cheapens the image of the station.
I am aware of all the reasons it's done so please spare me and all the readers from all of that. I just think it stinks, pure and simple. A highly successful AC in a Top 20 market to be making moves like small market radio just doesn't sit well with me. Kimba is a major talent and she has many fans. When the time is right she'll land somewhere and I have a feeling I know where that could be.
Next: Making it look so "Easy" and our Miami/Ft. Lauderdale wrap-up. I promise you most of the other markets won't be as detailed-oriented. South Florida is an exception because there are so many examples of excellence.
It's hard to believe this year will mark the tenth anniversary of Cox Media's Easy 93.1 (WFEZ-FM). As mentioned earlier, Easy replaced a rock station that had a five year run. It reminds us that what may look good on paper doesn't always turn out as planned.
In some respects, I think the same could be said about Easy 93.1. I don't have any inside track so what follows is some speculation on my part. In the previous post, I discussed the heritage AC WLYF-FM and their incredible many decades long successes. While everybody enjoys a good David vs. Goliath story, I don't think the plan was to seriously challenge and give WLYF a run for the money. That did wind up happening.
I suspect Easy's initial job was to attract upper end 25-54 women acting like a "flanker" to WLYF in effect to give them a little haircut. No doubt, with a female-friendly format, the plan was to create a little cash cow that didn't cost much to run.
Cox Media almost always launches formats flawlessly. Such was the case for Easy coming right after almost two months of holiday formatting. Cox also researches the music and executes tightly. There was a lot of buzz, especially among Boomers, that there was finally a station that played the real and in a number of cases the forgotten classics. A competing New York City board must have had hundreds of posts proclaiming the wonders of it all.
Despite the enthusiasm of seasoned broadcasters and avid radio fans, we eventually learned the music was more representative of a market like Tampa and not Miami. Simply, this approach would not work in the long haul.
From the beginning, Gary Williams oversaw the programing and managing of Easy. In time, Mr. Williams evolved the station to a more contemporary sound while establishing quite a formidable brand. It's good Cox Media didn't give up on the potential that was certainly there. Way too often, new formats are not given enough time to be an asset to the cluster. Gary had back then programing duties for their sister AC at the time WFLC-FM. So often we see management put in someone on staff who may know squat about a format. Some can rise to the occasion. But in the end, experience counts most times.
While the music selections and rotations warrant praise, it was the building of the airteam that I believe helped solidify Easy's dominance. Loaded with market familiar personalities and what seemed like a raid of WLYF, Easy 93.1 showed it wasn't going away anytime soon. Even syndicated Delilah works extremely well in the mix.
Over the last few years, both morning drive and afternoon drive saw changes. At first, I was rather surprised. But as I see the results, it helped put WFEZ out in front. They have been proven great moves. Hispanic radio market veteran, Giselle Andres was teamed with AC market veteran, Jeff Martin in morning drive. Mike Kruz was brought in for afternoon drive from sister CHR WFLC-FM. Popular even at WFLC, he probably brought in younger listeners to Easy. His entire vibe is fun. His youthful appearance, his style of dress, the whole package helps enhance an already great image the station enjoys.
In one of my earlier posts, I talked about the importance of "coolness." For a station that specializes in softer AC sounds, some many decades old, it's quite an extraordinary accomplishment to be a top 5 in 18-34! Given all the formats in Miami that gear to the young, WFEZ is one of those anomalies.
Being front and center in social media is a must. They do it extremely well. All the many jocks post the FB page and they identify themselves as contributor. For some companies, it's like a big dark secret. The talent has a blog, easy to get rid of, and not always easy to find. For the life of me, I'll never understand why other companies don't utilize the power of social media effectively.
Kudos to Easy 93.1. My only hope is the new ownership doesn't decide to mess with success. Joy is when those crazy atmospheric things happen and Easy comes in like a local where I live.
And so that brings us to the close of ratings analysis for Miami/Ft. Laauderdale barring any other comments. We pack our bags and head to Tampa soon.
In some respects, I think the same could be said about Easy 93.1. I don't have any inside track so what follows is some speculation on my part. In the previous post, I discussed the heritage AC WLYF-FM and their incredible many decades long successes. While everybody enjoys a good David vs. Goliath story, I don't think the plan was to seriously challenge and give WLYF a run for the money. That did wind up happening.
I suspect Easy's initial job was to attract upper end 25-54 women acting like a "flanker" to WLYF in effect to give them a little haircut. No doubt, with a female-friendly format, the plan was to create a little cash cow that didn't cost much to run.
Cox Media almost always launches formats flawlessly. Such was the case for Easy coming right after almost two months of holiday formatting. Cox also researches the music and executes tightly. There was a lot of buzz, especially among Boomers, that there was finally a station that played the real and in a number of cases the forgotten classics. A competing New York City board must have had hundreds of posts proclaiming the wonders of it all.
Despite the enthusiasm of seasoned broadcasters and avid radio fans, we eventually learned the music was more representative of a market like Tampa and not Miami. Simply, this approach would not work in the long haul.
From the beginning, Gary Williams oversaw the programing and managing of Easy. In time, Mr. Williams evolved the station to a more contemporary sound while establishing quite a formidable brand. It's good Cox Media didn't give up on the potential that was certainly there. Way too often, new formats are not given enough time to be an asset to the cluster. Gary had back then programing duties for their sister AC at the time WFLC-FM. So often we see management put in someone on staff who may know squat about a format. Some can rise to the occasion. But in the end, experience counts most times.
While the music selections and rotations warrant praise, it was the building of the airteam that I believe helped solidify Easy's dominance. Loaded with market familiar personalities and what seemed like a raid of WLYF, Easy 93.1 showed it wasn't going away anytime soon. Even syndicated Delilah works extremely well in the mix.
Over the last few years, both morning drive and afternoon drive saw changes. At first, I was rather surprised. But as I see the results, it helped put WFEZ out in front. They have been proven great moves. Hispanic radio market veteran, Giselle Andres was teamed with AC market veteran, Jeff Martin in morning drive. Mike Kruz was brought in for afternoon drive from sister CHR WFLC-FM. Popular even at WFLC, he probably brought in younger listeners to Easy. His entire vibe is fun. His youthful appearance, his style of dress, the whole package helps enhance an already great image the station enjoys.
In one of my earlier posts, I talked about the importance of "coolness." For a station that specializes in softer AC sounds, some many decades old, it's quite an extraordinary accomplishment to be a top 5 in 18-34! Given all the formats in Miami that gear to the young, WFEZ is one of those anomalies.
Being front and center in social media is a must. They do it extremely well. All the many jocks post the FB page and they identify themselves as contributor. For some companies, it's like a big dark secret. The talent has a blog, easy to get rid of, and not always easy to find. For the life of me, I'll never understand why other companies don't utilize the power of social media effectively.
Kudos to Easy 93.1. My only hope is the new ownership doesn't decide to mess with success. Joy is when those crazy atmospheric things happen and Easy comes in like a local where I live.
And so that brings us to the close of ratings analysis for Miami/Ft. Laauderdale barring any other comments. We pack our bags and head to Tampa soon.
Florida's #18 radio market is Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater. According to Nielsen, the population demos are as follows:
Population: 2,753,100. Black: 328,300 (12%) Hispanic: 501, 700 (18%)
My employer brought me to the area a number of times. The last time I was there was 20 years ago. I'm sure, as is the case for many places in Florida, there have been changes. I have a mostly neutral regard for the market. There was little time to actually listen to the radio. Most of my radio listening would occur via streaming many years later. It's not something I did consistently with Tampa radio. Outside of occasional listening to "The Dove," there was nothing that wowed me in a way Miami radio did. In my case, it's just personal preference. Perhaps my views would differ if I vacationed there instead of being in meetings all day.
The west coast of Florida has a different vibe than the east coast. It's been said that the east coast has many east coast, particularly the northeast, transplants while the Gulf side sees more Midwest transplants. How true that has remained over time? I'm not really sure. Florida as in many places is a moving target when it comes to changes in the population. Things can and do change rather quickly.
When I looked through the ratings, the biggest standout was WCIE-FM. The station appears to be a solid #2 in the ratings. What's interesting is the format is listed as Christian Contemporary. I suppose for a market the size of Tampa, it's a little surprising. Then again I can be making assumptions that Christian stations perform better in rural markets.Obviously, the audience is there for it. In fact, it's not the only Christian station.
WCIE-FM (The Joy-FM) is a non-commercial station at 91.5 FM. The owner is Radio Training Network, a company I never heard of. They changed the calls in 2009. WCIE signifies "Where Christ Is Everything." Radio Years reports that WCIE is "a satellite station of Sarasota’s 88.1 The Joy FM WJIS, originally transmitted its contemporary Christian format with a directional pattern and 16,500 watts, but upgraded its signal to 75 kilowatts in November 2013. With the added power, WCIE's signal blankets the Tampa Bay area from its transmitter site ... in Port Richey."
I've often said that Florida has a great deal of uniqueness about it when you go from market to market. The same can be said about songs. If you recall, I mentioned the song "I Do Love You" by Billy Stewart as being a South Florida staple for many decades. If there is one song that I can associate with the Tampa area, it would have to be Natalie Cole's 1988 Top 5 hit "Pink Cadillac." In the limited time I could listen to the radio, I heard this song on every visit well into the late 90s and into around 2001. I remember it via streaming too.
It's doubtful a Classic Hits station such as WRBQ-FM still plays it. I'll be sure to look at their playlist when we discuss classic hits. That format has changed. From a personal perspective, I don't care much for any of it. There's a station in the Tampa market that I believed didn't have much of a future. Listeners have said something else. We'll discuss that next.
Population: 2,753,100. Black: 328,300 (12%) Hispanic: 501, 700 (18%)
My employer brought me to the area a number of times. The last time I was there was 20 years ago. I'm sure, as is the case for many places in Florida, there have been changes. I have a mostly neutral regard for the market. There was little time to actually listen to the radio. Most of my radio listening would occur via streaming many years later. It's not something I did consistently with Tampa radio. Outside of occasional listening to "The Dove," there was nothing that wowed me in a way Miami radio did. In my case, it's just personal preference. Perhaps my views would differ if I vacationed there instead of being in meetings all day.
The west coast of Florida has a different vibe than the east coast. It's been said that the east coast has many east coast, particularly the northeast, transplants while the Gulf side sees more Midwest transplants. How true that has remained over time? I'm not really sure. Florida as in many places is a moving target when it comes to changes in the population. Things can and do change rather quickly.
When I looked through the ratings, the biggest standout was WCIE-FM. The station appears to be a solid #2 in the ratings. What's interesting is the format is listed as Christian Contemporary. I suppose for a market the size of Tampa, it's a little surprising. Then again I can be making assumptions that Christian stations perform better in rural markets.Obviously, the audience is there for it. In fact, it's not the only Christian station.
WCIE-FM (The Joy-FM) is a non-commercial station at 91.5 FM. The owner is Radio Training Network, a company I never heard of. They changed the calls in 2009. WCIE signifies "Where Christ Is Everything." Radio Years reports that WCIE is "a satellite station of Sarasota’s 88.1 The Joy FM WJIS, originally transmitted its contemporary Christian format with a directional pattern and 16,500 watts, but upgraded its signal to 75 kilowatts in November 2013. With the added power, WCIE's signal blankets the Tampa Bay area from its transmitter site ... in Port Richey."
I've often said that Florida has a great deal of uniqueness about it when you go from market to market. The same can be said about songs. If you recall, I mentioned the song "I Do Love You" by Billy Stewart as being a South Florida staple for many decades. If there is one song that I can associate with the Tampa area, it would have to be Natalie Cole's 1988 Top 5 hit "Pink Cadillac." In the limited time I could listen to the radio, I heard this song on every visit well into the late 90s and into around 2001. I remember it via streaming too.
It's doubtful a Classic Hits station such as WRBQ-FM still plays it. I'll be sure to look at their playlist when we discuss classic hits. That format has changed. From a personal perspective, I don't care much for any of it. There's a station in the Tampa market that I believed didn't have much of a future. Listeners have said something else. We'll discuss that next.
While researching the Tampa market for this posting, one of my assumptions was busted. I had long been familiar with station WRBQ-FM (Q105) or at least I thought. I assumed the station had a long run doing oldies. And as in the case of many heritage classic hits stations, there was a gradual morphing and tweaking the music from oldies to a rebranding as classic hits. WRBQ was actually a Top 40 station for a couple decades and a highly successful one at that until a new competitor came along.
There was a time the station was oldies but it didn't last very long. They've been doing classic hits since 2005. In a business where the revolving door is the norm, "Mason Dixon" has been a constant. He's been in the Tampa market for over 4 decades according to an article in "InsideRadio" from 2018. He's been doing Q's morning show since 2000 and that's an accomplishment in itself.
He also spent time as a PD at WRBQ. Interestingly, Brian Thomas of WCBS-FM and one of my idols didn't have a long run there but certainly made his mark. The station was then owned by CBS Radio. As far as classic hits formats go, I believe CBS Radio was the best in their execution, interpretation, and non-cookie cutter approach focusing instead on a local sounding vibe.
As I've casually looked over ratings from various markets, WRBQ didn't always have the easiest time of it in the ratings. There's lots of competition, especially in the upper end 25-54 arena. Today, the station is owned by Beasley Broadcasting Group, a company I'm not that familiar. CBS Radio, to their credit, gave many of their classic hits stations the latitude for them to grow and the time to do so.
Today, WRBQ appears to be performing well in the ratings, overall a Top 5 station in the market. The playlist is mostly the 80s with a few 90s sprinkled in. I didn't notice any 70s songs on the day I reviewed. As is the case with many variety-based classic hits formats, there is a rock-lean. It's quite pronounced but there's also rhythmic and pop hits that offer listeners some music variety and an alternative to their rock/rock 'n roll classic hits competitor.
Cox Media's WXGL-FM (The Eagle 107.3 Classic Hits) has been doing the format since early 2004. The predecessor format, that didn't last long, had the calls WBBY-FM (107.3 The Bay) featuring soft rock probably resembling what SiriusXM does today with "The Bridge." That's another format that didn't cut it on commercial radio. For a long time I couldn't figure why that was but I'm now firmly convinced it has to do with listener preferences. "Soft" is apparently not edgy enough for typical money demo listeners to want a full diet of it.
WXGL is all rock. It's not the place you'll find Michael Jackson or Madonna. As I looked through their music, I was unfamiliar with quite a lot of songs. I knew some of the artists such as Aerosmith but not the song. Obviously, this isn't the station I'd listen to if I lived in the Tampa area. If there was any bright spot, it's that 70s titles still remained in the mix. In some weird way, it gives the format an illusion of variety in the music.
If my memory serves me correct, Cox's Bob Neil was the programing genius behind the "Eagle" brand programming. If someone can clarify, that would be great. As much as I have panned the format over the years, especially in my time in Jax, you've got to give credit where credit is due. Today, there is more than enough clear evidence that younger demos gravitate toward classic rock. It explains why classic hits formats, even the variety based ones, have made that genre an integral part of their playlist.
Eagle appeared to go out of their way eliminating personality. They never talked over the music. "DJ" participation was extremely limited and it always sounded so serious to me. While a number of posters, including myself, never considered "Eagle" or any other station/brand that was rock-oriented only as real classic hits. For we purists, classic hits is simply Top 40 for adults encompassing multiple genres of music besides rock, such as pop and Motown/soul and songs with a beat. It is what it is and there is no denying the success of the format whether it's strictly rock-oriented or has a sound like what WRBQ is doing.
Back in the day, Cox Media replaced a number of their oldies formats with their Eagle brand of classic hits. I believe all of them have remained to this day.
More on Market #18 upcoming...
There was a time the station was oldies but it didn't last very long. They've been doing classic hits since 2005. In a business where the revolving door is the norm, "Mason Dixon" has been a constant. He's been in the Tampa market for over 4 decades according to an article in "InsideRadio" from 2018. He's been doing Q's morning show since 2000 and that's an accomplishment in itself.
He also spent time as a PD at WRBQ. Interestingly, Brian Thomas of WCBS-FM and one of my idols didn't have a long run there but certainly made his mark. The station was then owned by CBS Radio. As far as classic hits formats go, I believe CBS Radio was the best in their execution, interpretation, and non-cookie cutter approach focusing instead on a local sounding vibe.
As I've casually looked over ratings from various markets, WRBQ didn't always have the easiest time of it in the ratings. There's lots of competition, especially in the upper end 25-54 arena. Today, the station is owned by Beasley Broadcasting Group, a company I'm not that familiar. CBS Radio, to their credit, gave many of their classic hits stations the latitude for them to grow and the time to do so.
Today, WRBQ appears to be performing well in the ratings, overall a Top 5 station in the market. The playlist is mostly the 80s with a few 90s sprinkled in. I didn't notice any 70s songs on the day I reviewed. As is the case with many variety-based classic hits formats, there is a rock-lean. It's quite pronounced but there's also rhythmic and pop hits that offer listeners some music variety and an alternative to their rock/rock 'n roll classic hits competitor.
Cox Media's WXGL-FM (The Eagle 107.3 Classic Hits) has been doing the format since early 2004. The predecessor format, that didn't last long, had the calls WBBY-FM (107.3 The Bay) featuring soft rock probably resembling what SiriusXM does today with "The Bridge." That's another format that didn't cut it on commercial radio. For a long time I couldn't figure why that was but I'm now firmly convinced it has to do with listener preferences. "Soft" is apparently not edgy enough for typical money demo listeners to want a full diet of it.
WXGL is all rock. It's not the place you'll find Michael Jackson or Madonna. As I looked through their music, I was unfamiliar with quite a lot of songs. I knew some of the artists such as Aerosmith but not the song. Obviously, this isn't the station I'd listen to if I lived in the Tampa area. If there was any bright spot, it's that 70s titles still remained in the mix. In some weird way, it gives the format an illusion of variety in the music.
If my memory serves me correct, Cox's Bob Neil was the programing genius behind the "Eagle" brand programming. If someone can clarify, that would be great. As much as I have panned the format over the years, especially in my time in Jax, you've got to give credit where credit is due. Today, there is more than enough clear evidence that younger demos gravitate toward classic rock. It explains why classic hits formats, even the variety based ones, have made that genre an integral part of their playlist.
Eagle appeared to go out of their way eliminating personality. They never talked over the music. "DJ" participation was extremely limited and it always sounded so serious to me. While a number of posters, including myself, never considered "Eagle" or any other station/brand that was rock-oriented only as real classic hits. For we purists, classic hits is simply Top 40 for adults encompassing multiple genres of music besides rock, such as pop and Motown/soul and songs with a beat. It is what it is and there is no denying the success of the format whether it's strictly rock-oriented or has a sound like what WRBQ is doing.
Back in the day, Cox Media replaced a number of their oldies formats with their Eagle brand of classic hits. I believe all of them have remained to this day.
More on Market #18 upcoming...
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I continued to consult the station up to a couple of years ago, so I'm most appreciative of your comments.
I first met Bill when I was at WERC in Birmingham and he was in Jackson, MS. We'd help each other get good people off our competition buy bringing them to each other's market... and then I worked with Bill at Metroplex when he was PD of Y-100 and I was GM of sister WHTT. And then we worked for Heftel from 1995 until Bill left HBC for SBC.
David's comment got me thinking about consultants. I believe it's germane when it comes to the subject of ratings. To be honest, I have no idea how prevalent consultants have been used in radio. What we do know is there was a time, many comments on radio boards were mainly negative toward consultants.
While this is just an educated guess, I suspect that they are not called upon as frequently as was done in the past. Many of the larger radio corporations have their own team of analysts who are tasked with all kinds of things from assessing risks, growing market share to establishing processing efficiencies. When iHeart engaged in their significant downsizing initiatives earlier this year, these decisions were not done in a vacuum or by one or two people saying let's try this.
I wouldn't be surprised if this was researched for quite some time. I'm sure the company and others who had downsizing are looking at ratings and revenue following their actions. Covid-19 has probably thrown a monkey wrench into the mix but we are hearing about this community and that community opening up. Slowly, things will eventually return to normal but more accurately, the "new normal."
As with anything, there are no doubt well-respected consultants with proven track records of success and others who are not as credible. Still, I wonder how extensive consultants are used in radio today. I also wonder as we look at a station's success or even failure via ratings and other metrics, how extensive consultants have figured in this. I realize that's not easy to answer but there's probably a great example or two as we analyze ratings in Florida. We've already seen one!
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Obviously, the Coronavirus pandemic has changed many things. Consultants and other outside services that may be on monthly contracts are generally the first to go.
But if we go back to last year, we find that there is a top tier of consultants who continue to have clients, including in the large radio groups.
A good example is the team that provides Jack; although that is also a licensing agreement, it comes with consulting in (I believe) the top 50 markets.
And consultants like the Jacobs firm continue to advise stations.
Little mentioned, there are quite a few small groups in smaller markets that use consultants because they can't have an in-house format specialist and need to give guidance to less experienced PDs.
There are also a number of talent consultants, sometimes called "coaches" who work with often top performing morning or personality shows to enhance their appeal and to prevent them from getting stale.
Of course, as you mention, the larger companies have in-house format specialists who are de facto consultants.
However, the consolidation of the mid-1990's reduced the need for consultants. Often, the PD of the best performing station in a particular format became the internal consultant for all the other company stations in the format. There were advantages in that, too... such as getting extra stuff from the labels and sharing interviews and exclusive releases.
Consultants are still here... but many of us have spent the last decade or so doing in-house work for a single company that has enough stations in a single format to justify it.
Thanks for the detailed response.
Whether we are talking formal consultants or simply a manager, in any business, who is coaching an employee, I believe that positive results depend on a number of factors.
An employee or talent has to be receptive/open-minded about feedback. I managed people for years. Some get defensive and take constructive feedback as "constructive criticism." Those in a radio career are no different.
There are some managers who micro-manage. My most horrid times in my career involved people who made me so nervous that it made me not know what to do. Paralysis pretty much sets in where you're afraid to do anything. Not good. We've seen accounts of talent who have recalled their broadcasting career. They talk of how some were a joy to work for, not because they made things easy, but because they inspired and had confidence in them. Critiques and coaching no doubt occurred. A great manager or even a consultant does this but it's done in a way that doesn't demoralize someone. Then again, we've all worked for someone we wish we never had.
While this may look like straying from the topic at hand, I truly believe that when a team is motivated and the management and or the consultant is great at what they do, and there is respect for each other, it's one more building block to success and great ratings. Dysfunction happens in many places too. It's obviously not a good work environment and results will show that whether we're discussing ratings, sales, or products produced. Consumers reviews often tell it like it is and so do radio ratings.
We'll resume our discussion of ratings in Tampa Bay soon.
Nielsen lists two country music stations in the Tampa market. This is twice as many doing the format as we saw in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale.
iHeartMedia is the owner of WFUS-FM (US 103.5 - Tampa Bay's #1 for New Country) In looking at shares, WFUS is usually ahead of their competitor, Beasley's WQYK-FM but not by much. The 103.5 frequency was once home to classic rock, WTBT but flipped in 2005 to become WFUS (Florida’s “US 103.5”).
WQYK-FM is the older, heritage station. I'm familiar with Jacksonville's WQIK-FM that is also a country format and noticed the similarity in calls. There's a reason for that you might find interesting. RadioYears.com reports that "Marshall Rowland, President of Suncoast Radio and owner of WQIK AM & FM in Jacksonville, took former classical station WTCX-FM 99.5 (which had gone silent and was in bankruptcy) and WALT 1110-AM (which was long past its Top 40 prime) and launched country twins WQYK-AM and WQYK-FM (Tampa Bay’s first 24-hour stereo FM country music station)." By the way, this was way back in 1970 so the WQYK brand has been associated with country for a long time.
WQYK is branded as "Tampa Bay's New Country Hits." Refreshing. As just a personal preference, I never cared much for any station or format that brands itself as being #1 this or that. Just a little self-serving for my taste and that statement is not always accurate.
In virtually every Top 20 market, urban is usually "way up on the ratings chart." In beauty contest numbers, the station I found doing urban is in 14th place in popularity. In market #18, I only saw one lone Urban format as well. Perhaps there's another that doesn't subscribe to Nielsen - I believe the readers would like to know that.
WBTP-FM (95.7 The Beat - Tampa Bay's #1 for Hip Hop, R&B, and throwbacks. Call sign meaning: We're The Beat Of TamPa Bay. Most radio folks get into calls as I do. The vast majority of typical listeners don't make the connection or can even remember them. WBTP is an iHeartMedia station.
It would appear Tampa has a lot of rock fans. There's two classic hits stations we already discussed. One being practically a classic rock format and the other having more than half the playlist one can put in the rock/rock 'n roll category. There's iHeart's WXTB-FM (98 Rock, Tampa Bay's Rock Station) In the ratings it's listed as an Active Rock format and certainly not offered in a lot of other markets.
Beasley's WPBB-FM airs a classic rock radio format, branded as "98.7 The Shark." Entercom has "The Shark" brand in Miami with an Alternative format. WPBB-FM hasn't been doing rock long. On December 26, 2018, WPBB flipped from adult contemporary to 80's/90's classic rock as 98.7 The Shark. The predecessor format was an AC and that didn't last long either. (b98.7)
WSUN-FM (97.1) is owned by Cox Media Group. Nielsen lists it as an Alternative format. It's branded as 97X. For history buffs, the WSUN calls have been a part of the Tampa area since just about the beginning of radio time. You may find this interesting:
http://www.radioyears.com/other/details.cfm?id=426
As we've been saying, Florida has lots of uniquenesses to their markets. Tampa Bay demonstrates. More to come...
iHeartMedia is the owner of WFUS-FM (US 103.5 - Tampa Bay's #1 for New Country) In looking at shares, WFUS is usually ahead of their competitor, Beasley's WQYK-FM but not by much. The 103.5 frequency was once home to classic rock, WTBT but flipped in 2005 to become WFUS (Florida’s “US 103.5”).
WQYK-FM is the older, heritage station. I'm familiar with Jacksonville's WQIK-FM that is also a country format and noticed the similarity in calls. There's a reason for that you might find interesting. RadioYears.com reports that "Marshall Rowland, President of Suncoast Radio and owner of WQIK AM & FM in Jacksonville, took former classical station WTCX-FM 99.5 (which had gone silent and was in bankruptcy) and WALT 1110-AM (which was long past its Top 40 prime) and launched country twins WQYK-AM and WQYK-FM (Tampa Bay’s first 24-hour stereo FM country music station)." By the way, this was way back in 1970 so the WQYK brand has been associated with country for a long time.
WQYK is branded as "Tampa Bay's New Country Hits." Refreshing. As just a personal preference, I never cared much for any station or format that brands itself as being #1 this or that. Just a little self-serving for my taste and that statement is not always accurate.
In virtually every Top 20 market, urban is usually "way up on the ratings chart." In beauty contest numbers, the station I found doing urban is in 14th place in popularity. In market #18, I only saw one lone Urban format as well. Perhaps there's another that doesn't subscribe to Nielsen - I believe the readers would like to know that.
WBTP-FM (95.7 The Beat - Tampa Bay's #1 for Hip Hop, R&B, and throwbacks. Call sign meaning: We're The Beat Of TamPa Bay. Most radio folks get into calls as I do. The vast majority of typical listeners don't make the connection or can even remember them. WBTP is an iHeartMedia station.
It would appear Tampa has a lot of rock fans. There's two classic hits stations we already discussed. One being practically a classic rock format and the other having more than half the playlist one can put in the rock/rock 'n roll category. There's iHeart's WXTB-FM (98 Rock, Tampa Bay's Rock Station) In the ratings it's listed as an Active Rock format and certainly not offered in a lot of other markets.
Beasley's WPBB-FM airs a classic rock radio format, branded as "98.7 The Shark." Entercom has "The Shark" brand in Miami with an Alternative format. WPBB-FM hasn't been doing rock long. On December 26, 2018, WPBB flipped from adult contemporary to 80's/90's classic rock as 98.7 The Shark. The predecessor format was an AC and that didn't last long either. (b98.7)
WSUN-FM (97.1) is owned by Cox Media Group. Nielsen lists it as an Alternative format. It's branded as 97X. For history buffs, the WSUN calls have been a part of the Tampa area since just about the beginning of radio time. You may find this interesting:
http://www.radioyears.com/other/details.cfm?id=426
As we've been saying, Florida has lots of uniquenesses to their markets. Tampa Bay demonstrates. More to come...
WFLA-AM is another Tampa station with great and legendary calls. The owner is iHeart Media. The branding is Newsradio WFLA. (Tampa Bay's News, Traffic, and Weather) Interestingly, talk is not mentioned in the station's slogan. Speaking of, syndicated conservative talk rules in the daytime midweek lineup. Glen Beck, Rush, and Sean Hannity. I've seen other news/talk formats in other markets emphasis news as well. I suppose plain old news is less polarizing. BTW, there's several FM translators that carry WFLA-AM through the market. One has to wonder if WFLA will ever find a permanent home on FM. It's been a trend in many other markets going on very many years now.
The WFLA-AM calls have been in the Tampa market since 1927. A long time ago I recall reading WFLA-AM started in Palm Beach County but they didn't last long there. WFLA-FM is today used by another iHeart Media radio station in Tallahassee. WFLA signifies (West FLoridA). I actually never thought the "W" configured into anything. Amazing what you can learn when you look things up. Another bit of trivia is Florida's abbreviation was once Fla and not Fl. Every once in a while, I use Fla when I'm writing an envelope address.
From a ratings perspective, WFLA-AM is not in the top tier or bottom tier. The same can be said about public broadcasting 89.7 WUSF - FM (University of South Florida) As with many other PBS News/Talk formats, there is some variety in the programing offering music like jazz. WUSF joined NPR in 1976 and was the first public radio station in the country—and the first station of any kind in Florida—to launch HD radio.
I recall public radio stations were not always listed in ratings. That's changed over the years. If anyone can clarify what changed, that would be interesting to know. Subscribing to Nielsen is expensive. How public stations can afford this is a little hard to understand, unless they are raking in a lot more money than I imagined.
Both stations are close to each other as far as shares go but WUSF-FM appears to have a bit more listeners. It's all pretty close but that seems more a reflection of the market than anything else. The political affiliation of the area has parts that swing Democratic, others Republican. As a result, most national or state elections are all very close. As is the case across the country, cities/high population areas are blue and suburban/rural areas tend to be red. There's a lot of rural areas outside of Tampa.
As we go through the various Florida markets, it will interesting to see how competitive the news/talk format is elsewhere. In Tampa, it's highly competitive.
AC is highly popular format in Market #18. That and final thoughts are upcoming.
The WFLA-AM calls have been in the Tampa market since 1927. A long time ago I recall reading WFLA-AM started in Palm Beach County but they didn't last long there. WFLA-FM is today used by another iHeart Media radio station in Tallahassee. WFLA signifies (West FLoridA). I actually never thought the "W" configured into anything. Amazing what you can learn when you look things up. Another bit of trivia is Florida's abbreviation was once Fla and not Fl. Every once in a while, I use Fla when I'm writing an envelope address.
From a ratings perspective, WFLA-AM is not in the top tier or bottom tier. The same can be said about public broadcasting 89.7 WUSF - FM (University of South Florida) As with many other PBS News/Talk formats, there is some variety in the programing offering music like jazz. WUSF joined NPR in 1976 and was the first public radio station in the country—and the first station of any kind in Florida—to launch HD radio.
I recall public radio stations were not always listed in ratings. That's changed over the years. If anyone can clarify what changed, that would be interesting to know. Subscribing to Nielsen is expensive. How public stations can afford this is a little hard to understand, unless they are raking in a lot more money than I imagined.
Both stations are close to each other as far as shares go but WUSF-FM appears to have a bit more listeners. It's all pretty close but that seems more a reflection of the market than anything else. The political affiliation of the area has parts that swing Democratic, others Republican. As a result, most national or state elections are all very close. As is the case across the country, cities/high population areas are blue and suburban/rural areas tend to be red. There's a lot of rural areas outside of Tampa.
As we go through the various Florida markets, it will interesting to see how competitive the news/talk format is elsewhere. In Tampa, it's highly competitive.
AC is highly popular format in Market #18. That and final thoughts are upcoming.
Over the years, there have been many discussions regarding "The Dove." But imagine being another AC in the market. It's like all the oxygen was sucked out of the room. No one really talks about you.
Adult Contemporary is an interesting format. They can take different directions and be highly market specific. In the case of Tampa Bay, besides softer AC Dove, there's a Hot AC, and what I consider a traditional AC format. There's also Spanish Contemporary. In Market #18, there's Beasley's WYUU-FM (92.5 Maxima) (Tu Musica Al Maximo) translated to Your Music to the Maximum.
With over 500,000 Hispanics in the market, one would think the 50,000 watt station would be earning more than average 2 shares. But then, there's a lot I don't know about the market. For starters there may be an overwhelming majority of 2nd and 3rd generation of Hispanics who are simply attracted to other formats the market offers.
There's a rhythmic CHR in the market, Beasley's WLDD-FM, that actually beats Cox's traditional Top 40 WPOI-FM (Used to be an 80s station years ago) and iHeart's WFLZ-FM. Seems like quite a lot of Top 40 in a market that at least has the reputation of older demos. Rhythmic Top 40 attracts a wide audience and from what I know, the format tends to perform well with Hispanics. Perhaps that negates Spanish AC.
AC WMTX-FM (Mix 100.7) (We’re Tampa’s Mix in a transposed sort of way) is an iHeart radio station. It's slogan is "The best variety of the 80's, 90's, and today." In this last holiday season, WMTX went wall-to-wall holiday music a week prior to when the long-established “holiday music station” WDUV-FM (The Dove) launched its annual holiday sound. This was the first time they did this. In the past, it was holiday tunes in the mix with regular titles. It gave them a bounce from 3.7 to a 6 share.
Mix 100.7 has been moving away from hotter AC hits to a more gold-based sound. It’s probably a move toward a little more direct competition to the Dove and their large audience.
In the meantime, there’s Cox Media’s WWRM-FM. If the calls sounds like “Warm” you would be correct. WWRM at a different frequency was known as “Warm 107” at 107.3 on the dial when Cox purchased the station in 1993.
WWRM-FM is listed as AC in the ratings I’ve reviewed instead of Hot AC. This isn’t the only case I’ve noticed where the actual format is not represented in the ratings listings.
As in many other markets, there is a lot of fragmentation in Tampa. So many AC, CHR, and even rock-oriented formats. Do you ever wonder what other formats can radio offer where there's market demand and of course, the format can be sold.
A few comments regarding WDUV-FM and one of my best career memories and wrap up of the Tampa market…next.
Adult Contemporary is an interesting format. They can take different directions and be highly market specific. In the case of Tampa Bay, besides softer AC Dove, there's a Hot AC, and what I consider a traditional AC format. There's also Spanish Contemporary. In Market #18, there's Beasley's WYUU-FM (92.5 Maxima) (Tu Musica Al Maximo) translated to Your Music to the Maximum.
With over 500,000 Hispanics in the market, one would think the 50,000 watt station would be earning more than average 2 shares. But then, there's a lot I don't know about the market. For starters there may be an overwhelming majority of 2nd and 3rd generation of Hispanics who are simply attracted to other formats the market offers.
There's a rhythmic CHR in the market, Beasley's WLDD-FM, that actually beats Cox's traditional Top 40 WPOI-FM (Used to be an 80s station years ago) and iHeart's WFLZ-FM. Seems like quite a lot of Top 40 in a market that at least has the reputation of older demos. Rhythmic Top 40 attracts a wide audience and from what I know, the format tends to perform well with Hispanics. Perhaps that negates Spanish AC.
AC WMTX-FM (Mix 100.7) (We’re Tampa’s Mix in a transposed sort of way) is an iHeart radio station. It's slogan is "The best variety of the 80's, 90's, and today." In this last holiday season, WMTX went wall-to-wall holiday music a week prior to when the long-established “holiday music station” WDUV-FM (The Dove) launched its annual holiday sound. This was the first time they did this. In the past, it was holiday tunes in the mix with regular titles. It gave them a bounce from 3.7 to a 6 share.
Mix 100.7 has been moving away from hotter AC hits to a more gold-based sound. It’s probably a move toward a little more direct competition to the Dove and their large audience.
In the meantime, there’s Cox Media’s WWRM-FM. If the calls sounds like “Warm” you would be correct. WWRM at a different frequency was known as “Warm 107” at 107.3 on the dial when Cox purchased the station in 1993.
WWRM-FM is listed as AC in the ratings I’ve reviewed instead of Hot AC. This isn’t the only case I’ve noticed where the actual format is not represented in the ratings listings.
As in many other markets, there is a lot of fragmentation in Tampa. So many AC, CHR, and even rock-oriented formats. Do you ever wonder what other formats can radio offer where there's market demand and of course, the format can be sold.
A few comments regarding WDUV-FM and one of my best career memories and wrap up of the Tampa market…next.
There is a special rate for educational stations.
Educational stations used to get ratings through a third party entity that worked with Arbitron, but in the PPM era they have been able to be direct subscribers.
A few years ago during a doctor's office visit, the radio that was on in the waiting room was louder than normal. An AC station was on and one that I hadn't heard for a long time. The music had certainly changed as I remember it. I believe they were still using "Lite" in their tagline. Eventually that went away. Right there, I wondered what was considered light/lite as far as music goes.
An older woman, looked like 70s, who was sitting with us got up and complained to the receptionist to turn that noise down or something to that effect. When making small talk with the doctor, I recounted the little incident I experienced. The artist and song that got on her nerves big-time was Whitesnake and "Here I go again." My 40 something year old doctor turned out loving the song considering the tune very mainstream. He rattled off rock bands that were radical (his word) At that point, I changed subjects.
Since that time, I've realized more and more that there are distinct generational differences with people. Not to repeat myself, I talked about this in this string's opening. Gen X, as they get older, don't seek out softer tunes as my generation (Boomer) appear to do in large enough numbers. 105.5 WDUV Lite favorites is what they say. But is Lite being delivered or is this the new definition of Lite for those in the money demo. Here's a handful of titles I've seen on the playlist for awhile. Let's call these the "new lite:"
More Than A Feeling - Boston
I Love Rock 'N Roll - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
Another One Bites The Dust - Queen
Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor
Hold The Line - Toto
When Easy/Lite type formats such as WDUV feature songs as described above, I wondered about the negative impacts to the brand. How can you call yourself lite when a rock 'n roll anthem like Joan Jett's song is featured? Perhaps the better question to ask is "would the Dove brand had suffered more if it didn't make these changes? As far as the business of radio goes, we know the answer.
Not all was lost. For the hopelessly soft ballad- loving types out there, songs like "All Out Of Love" by Air Supply and "You Are The Woman" by Firefall and "After The Love Has Gone" by Earth, Wind, and Fire are some examples of what remain. For all those who prefer The Dove of the past, you are probably not alone. If the station were in a Top 100 market instead and not reliant on agency billing but local direct instead, something more one of a kind would still exist. I have that kind of station where I live on The Treasure Coast.
Veteran Tampa Bay talent, Ann Kelly is at the helm in morning drive. Middays are automated. Giselle Andres of sister station WFEZ-FM in Miami (Easy 93.1) voicetracks PM drive. Syndicated Delilah still has a home on The Dove.
And so this brings my comments to a close regarding the ratings and market analysis for Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater. Before this, I knew little about the radio market. I learned a great deal. I hope you did too. Additional commentary is always welcomed. Online research is not always accurate.
As I mentioned earlier, my employer brought me to the Tampa area several times on business. Back in 1997, we spent nearly a week in the market on a Re-engineering project. It was a grueling schedule. The day before we left to go back home, we had to finalize our findings and create all kinds of reports. We were beyond tired. The manager sensed this. Instead of being stuck in another conference room, we were advised to head to the beach. We got low beach chairs, a cold drink, and our laptops and finished the project there. We had a burst of energy. We got it all done.
This was in a place called "North Redington Beach." I don't remember the hotel we stayed at but I took a very strong liking to that neighborhood. It was nice and quiet with a tropical vibe. The sunset over the gulf was spectacular that night. I promised myself to go back there one day. That was 23 years ago. Talking about the Tampa area awoke many memories.
If I'm not mistaken the next market in size order should be Orlando. Stay tuned for that.
An older woman, looked like 70s, who was sitting with us got up and complained to the receptionist to turn that noise down or something to that effect. When making small talk with the doctor, I recounted the little incident I experienced. The artist and song that got on her nerves big-time was Whitesnake and "Here I go again." My 40 something year old doctor turned out loving the song considering the tune very mainstream. He rattled off rock bands that were radical (his word) At that point, I changed subjects.
Since that time, I've realized more and more that there are distinct generational differences with people. Not to repeat myself, I talked about this in this string's opening. Gen X, as they get older, don't seek out softer tunes as my generation (Boomer) appear to do in large enough numbers. 105.5 WDUV Lite favorites is what they say. But is Lite being delivered or is this the new definition of Lite for those in the money demo. Here's a handful of titles I've seen on the playlist for awhile. Let's call these the "new lite:"
More Than A Feeling - Boston
I Love Rock 'N Roll - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
Another One Bites The Dust - Queen
Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor
Hold The Line - Toto
When Easy/Lite type formats such as WDUV feature songs as described above, I wondered about the negative impacts to the brand. How can you call yourself lite when a rock 'n roll anthem like Joan Jett's song is featured? Perhaps the better question to ask is "would the Dove brand had suffered more if it didn't make these changes? As far as the business of radio goes, we know the answer.
Not all was lost. For the hopelessly soft ballad- loving types out there, songs like "All Out Of Love" by Air Supply and "You Are The Woman" by Firefall and "After The Love Has Gone" by Earth, Wind, and Fire are some examples of what remain. For all those who prefer The Dove of the past, you are probably not alone. If the station were in a Top 100 market instead and not reliant on agency billing but local direct instead, something more one of a kind would still exist. I have that kind of station where I live on The Treasure Coast.
Veteran Tampa Bay talent, Ann Kelly is at the helm in morning drive. Middays are automated. Giselle Andres of sister station WFEZ-FM in Miami (Easy 93.1) voicetracks PM drive. Syndicated Delilah still has a home on The Dove.
And so this brings my comments to a close regarding the ratings and market analysis for Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater. Before this, I knew little about the radio market. I learned a great deal. I hope you did too. Additional commentary is always welcomed. Online research is not always accurate.
As I mentioned earlier, my employer brought me to the Tampa area several times on business. Back in 1997, we spent nearly a week in the market on a Re-engineering project. It was a grueling schedule. The day before we left to go back home, we had to finalize our findings and create all kinds of reports. We were beyond tired. The manager sensed this. Instead of being stuck in another conference room, we were advised to head to the beach. We got low beach chairs, a cold drink, and our laptops and finished the project there. We had a burst of energy. We got it all done.
This was in a place called "North Redington Beach." I don't remember the hotel we stayed at but I took a very strong liking to that neighborhood. It was nice and quiet with a tropical vibe. The sunset over the gulf was spectacular that night. I promised myself to go back there one day. That was 23 years ago. Talking about the Tampa area awoke many memories.
If I'm not mistaken the next market in size order should be Orlando. Stay tuned for that.
We continue with a look at market #31- Orlando.
According to Nielsen, the market has a population of 1,907,700. 323,700 is Black or 17%. 620,000 is Hispanic or 32%. The market is just about half minority. I recall one of the posters mentioning that Orlando was once considered South Georgia. That's certainly hard to believe now. It's a fun place and a tourist mecca. Growth has been phenomenal. One of my project teammates was born and raised there pointing out places that were built up to the max that were once farms or open fields.
The song that I most identify Orlando with is Sweet's "Ballroom Blitz." It seemed every time I drove anywhere in earshot of WOCL-FM, I'd hear that song eventually. It's funny how that goes. For virtually any radio station, a song is played over and over and then one day it's never heard from again.
During my many trips between Jacksonville and South Florida, I'd often hear Orlando stations during morning drive. I can't recall the stations but many were talk-fests. It was that Morning Zoo type of concept where it was normal to hear 3 or more people, usually all talking over each other, trying to get the last word in. The pendulum has swung wide. Today, many morning shows have time restraints to execute their content. It doesn't always work. There's still an Orlando exception who goes out of his way to not be predictable. You probably know who it is but we'll discuss later.
There are noticeable differences between the market we just discussed (Tampa) and Orlando. For starters, Urban AC WCFB-FM (Star 94.5) Today's R&B and Throwbacks, a Cox Media station. Their only competition (that subscribes to Nielsen) is iHeart Media's 104.5 The Beat. (Orlando's Hip Hop & R & B) Obviously not the best signal in that it's an FM translator W283AN from WTKS-FM. They get 1 shares on average while Star is currently the #2 station in the market by share. I would suspect they do very well in various money demos.
Star 94.1 has an interesting recent history and one found in other markets too. According to Wikipedia "On November 26, 2014, WCFB flipped from Urban AC to classic hip hop. ... However, due to negative audience feedback, in December 2014, WCFB flipped back to Urban AC, with the classic hip hop format moving to their HD3 sub-channel." We see audience reactions to changes all the time, especially in social media, but that doesn't usually bring about a return to the prior programing. The dismissal of talent is a whole other subject. This must have been an organized protest where sponsors got into the fray. If anyone has anything to add, please do.
I remember when Classic Hip-Hop made a splashy debut. It becomes a hit somewhere and then all of a sudden it's another format du jour. There was a station, I think somewhere in the Midwest, that had flipped to Classic Hits. Then only 3 months later, it flipped to Classic Hip-Hop. Looking for that golden ticket with no regard to what impacts this makes on listeners is not being professional. That's just my opinion. Make a decision on a format and go from there. There's always exceptions and it's probably what happened with Star 94.1. Cox Media has a good reputation in flipping formats. This may have been one of those knee-jerk decisions where it was better to leave things as they were.
The other major standout in the ratings reflecting minority radio listening is WRUM-FM (Rumba 100.3) Just the sound of that makes you want to dance. This is an iHeart Media station doing a Spanish Pop/Tropical format. The format was launched in 2005. It's a Top 5 station in the market. In looking over their shares over time, they are quite impressive. No doubt, there's a market for the format.
More Orlando radio to come...
According to Nielsen, the market has a population of 1,907,700. 323,700 is Black or 17%. 620,000 is Hispanic or 32%. The market is just about half minority. I recall one of the posters mentioning that Orlando was once considered South Georgia. That's certainly hard to believe now. It's a fun place and a tourist mecca. Growth has been phenomenal. One of my project teammates was born and raised there pointing out places that were built up to the max that were once farms or open fields.
The song that I most identify Orlando with is Sweet's "Ballroom Blitz." It seemed every time I drove anywhere in earshot of WOCL-FM, I'd hear that song eventually. It's funny how that goes. For virtually any radio station, a song is played over and over and then one day it's never heard from again.
During my many trips between Jacksonville and South Florida, I'd often hear Orlando stations during morning drive. I can't recall the stations but many were talk-fests. It was that Morning Zoo type of concept where it was normal to hear 3 or more people, usually all talking over each other, trying to get the last word in. The pendulum has swung wide. Today, many morning shows have time restraints to execute their content. It doesn't always work. There's still an Orlando exception who goes out of his way to not be predictable. You probably know who it is but we'll discuss later.
There are noticeable differences between the market we just discussed (Tampa) and Orlando. For starters, Urban AC WCFB-FM (Star 94.5) Today's R&B and Throwbacks, a Cox Media station. Their only competition (that subscribes to Nielsen) is iHeart Media's 104.5 The Beat. (Orlando's Hip Hop & R & B) Obviously not the best signal in that it's an FM translator W283AN from WTKS-FM. They get 1 shares on average while Star is currently the #2 station in the market by share. I would suspect they do very well in various money demos.
Star 94.1 has an interesting recent history and one found in other markets too. According to Wikipedia "On November 26, 2014, WCFB flipped from Urban AC to classic hip hop. ... However, due to negative audience feedback, in December 2014, WCFB flipped back to Urban AC, with the classic hip hop format moving to their HD3 sub-channel." We see audience reactions to changes all the time, especially in social media, but that doesn't usually bring about a return to the prior programing. The dismissal of talent is a whole other subject. This must have been an organized protest where sponsors got into the fray. If anyone has anything to add, please do.
I remember when Classic Hip-Hop made a splashy debut. It becomes a hit somewhere and then all of a sudden it's another format du jour. There was a station, I think somewhere in the Midwest, that had flipped to Classic Hits. Then only 3 months later, it flipped to Classic Hip-Hop. Looking for that golden ticket with no regard to what impacts this makes on listeners is not being professional. That's just my opinion. Make a decision on a format and go from there. There's always exceptions and it's probably what happened with Star 94.1. Cox Media has a good reputation in flipping formats. This may have been one of those knee-jerk decisions where it was better to leave things as they were.
The other major standout in the ratings reflecting minority radio listening is WRUM-FM (Rumba 100.3) Just the sound of that makes you want to dance. This is an iHeart Media station doing a Spanish Pop/Tropical format. The format was launched in 2005. It's a Top 5 station in the market. In looking over their shares over time, they are quite impressive. No doubt, there's a market for the format.
More Orlando radio to come...
New member* here. Just want to say enjoying the thread. I grew up many decades ago as a child hearing WDBO on AM (580 I think) in the morning. In teen years I was listening to FM. I think WDIZ was one of the stations. When grown and no longer living with parents, I would tune in to WDBO when home visiting, or tune in from the car when in range.
* I'm a consumer. Found the forum searching for something else, browsed around, and came upon this thread.
* I'm a consumer. Found the forum searching for something else, browsed around, and came upon this thread.
Welcome to Radio Discussions and thank you for enjoying this thread. There's a lot of good topics on these boards and I'm sure you'll find many that interest you. Some of the posters are avid listeners and many are radio pros. Hope you enjoy what Radio Discussions has to offer.
With Orlando being a PPM market, it's usually easy to spot what station flipped to holiday music during the season. In this case it was iHeartMedia's AC WMGF-FM (Magic 107.7 The Best Variety of the 80s, 90s, and today.) The station has been doing an AC format for quite some time, starting out as Soft AC in the late 70s.
Magic's holiday book was impressive. For lots of reasons, holiday numbers are not sustained. I noticed the station lost more than 2 shares in the March book. While little can be drawn from one book but rather data over time, it got me thinking about the impacts Covid-19 has made on our daily lives. One of those events is radio listening. I have to wonder if AC formats have a little bit of challenge ahead. I realize the April book will be more revealing in reflecting changes in the work place.
Traditional work environments are changing. There may very well be a number of employees who remain working from home. For the sake of simplicity, let's assume that office was tuned to an AC radio station such as Magic 107.7. It will be interesting to see how much that radio preference will change or stay close to constant.
If we think of a typical work environment where employees are exposed (as well as a PPM meter) to a radio station, what happens outside of that environment? That's a true listener preference. Think of it this way, when that employee heads to their car after work or even before work, what they actually listen to will probably hold true in leisure time. There are certain freedoms working at home. Should any radio listening go on during a break or lunch or running errands - whatever - it's clearly that person's choice to hear what she or he wants. That choice may not agree with what the boss only allowed to be on. This could have impacts. Maybe work from home will eventually become less common over time. Maybe not.
It will be interesting to see how ratings pan out in the various Florida markets. But for the few markets reviewed so far, I can say Classic Hits is proving to be extremely popular.
In Orlando, Classic His formats are in a higher ratings position than AC. We saw the same in Tampa. In Miami, the classic hits station there had one of their best books actually beating out their sister AC but not Easy 93.1.
Last year in a survey, AC was listed as I recall as #3 format overall behind Country and Classic Rock. Many classic hits stations are like hybrid classic rock stations anyway so there's probably some truth to that. My earlier point in questioning rock hits on a supposed Lite format in Tampa may have some down sides. I can't prove anything but in looking at all the rock hits AC is playing, I wonder if AC formats are hurting themselves just a little. When the holiday tunes play and there are artists and songs heard that differentiates the station and builds on all that's female-friendly sound, there's lots of listening going on.
Anyway, I throw these thoughts out for your consideration. The truth is, time will tell what winds up happening.
I've long thought Orlando was a better than average radio market. More to come...
Magic's holiday book was impressive. For lots of reasons, holiday numbers are not sustained. I noticed the station lost more than 2 shares in the March book. While little can be drawn from one book but rather data over time, it got me thinking about the impacts Covid-19 has made on our daily lives. One of those events is radio listening. I have to wonder if AC formats have a little bit of challenge ahead. I realize the April book will be more revealing in reflecting changes in the work place.
Traditional work environments are changing. There may very well be a number of employees who remain working from home. For the sake of simplicity, let's assume that office was tuned to an AC radio station such as Magic 107.7. It will be interesting to see how much that radio preference will change or stay close to constant.
If we think of a typical work environment where employees are exposed (as well as a PPM meter) to a radio station, what happens outside of that environment? That's a true listener preference. Think of it this way, when that employee heads to their car after work or even before work, what they actually listen to will probably hold true in leisure time. There are certain freedoms working at home. Should any radio listening go on during a break or lunch or running errands - whatever - it's clearly that person's choice to hear what she or he wants. That choice may not agree with what the boss only allowed to be on. This could have impacts. Maybe work from home will eventually become less common over time. Maybe not.
It will be interesting to see how ratings pan out in the various Florida markets. But for the few markets reviewed so far, I can say Classic Hits is proving to be extremely popular.
In Orlando, Classic His formats are in a higher ratings position than AC. We saw the same in Tampa. In Miami, the classic hits station there had one of their best books actually beating out their sister AC but not Easy 93.1.
Last year in a survey, AC was listed as I recall as #3 format overall behind Country and Classic Rock. Many classic hits stations are like hybrid classic rock stations anyway so there's probably some truth to that. My earlier point in questioning rock hits on a supposed Lite format in Tampa may have some down sides. I can't prove anything but in looking at all the rock hits AC is playing, I wonder if AC formats are hurting themselves just a little. When the holiday tunes play and there are artists and songs heard that differentiates the station and builds on all that's female-friendly sound, there's lots of listening going on.
Anyway, I throw these thoughts out for your consideration. The truth is, time will tell what winds up happening.
I've long thought Orlando was a better than average radio market. More to come...
There's a good deal about the PPM that I don't know. But what I do know is there's a great deal of market information at your fingertips. To add to what I brought up in the last post, AC formats as a norm that engage in wall-to-wall Christmas music and are known as "the official holiday station" will often see a major bump in their numbers.
Almost every year, I wonder what other genre/mix of music in normal programming can get ginormous numbers. But then, as is the nature of radio, if someone is getting double digits you can bet someone else will join the fray. What was once a unique format could have 3 or more stations/formats overlapping with a lot of the same music adding to fragmentation which is a pretty good constant.. For AC, I am seeing a loss of uniqueness if you really look at the music. Other formats are offering increasing numbers of titles.
Weekend radio listening can be different than usual weekday listening. The mom who is driving her kids around somewhere (in normal times) probably has a Top 40 station on as the kids want to hear their music. There are some contemporary elements to AC so with people listening to multiple stations on average, it's not uncommon to see station presets of AC, Hot AC, and Top 40. There's also some familiarity with songs and artists.
Orlando has two mainstream Top 40 stations and one Hot AC. Plus, there are two classic hits stations that both offer 90s hits in the mix. When I looked over WMGF's playlist, I saw some overlap with Tampa's Dove we recently discussed. That's supposed to be a Softer AC. One song in particular we brought up earlier was Joan Jett's "I Love Rock And Roll." WMGF plays it. So does the two classic hits stations. If there was an Adult Hits format in the market, you can expect to hear it there too. They say it's the nature of radio. Not to beat a dead horse, I just don't see the value that song brings to the AC format.
The reality is if someone is in the mood for rock music, there are options. If you want a good at work station, there's options too. There's much muddying of the waters when it comes to song overlap. A reasonable person can expect some overlap. I'm just arguing the amount of it. AC does extremely well during the holiday season. There's many reasons for it but there's no denying it becomes a one of a kind radio station and listeners respond to that in great numbers.
On the CHR front and what I consider some, it becomes indirect competition for AC, especially in the younger end of the demo, but still competition is WXXL-FM and WPYO-FM. "XL 106.7" states they are Orlando's #1 hit music station. WPYO-FM (Calls signified Party as that was a former format). WPYO states they are "Orlando's New #1 For All The Hits." Silly stuff radio does but it's how branding works I suppose for those who engage in that sort of thing. Multiple stations claiming to be #1 doesn't make mathematical sense. I have to wonder if typical listeners don't take any of this seriously.
WPYO doesn't have the best signal but they make a decent showing even though WXXL beats them share wise handily over time.
There's something weird about Orlando's news/talk format. That's worth a look at next....
Almost every year, I wonder what other genre/mix of music in normal programming can get ginormous numbers. But then, as is the nature of radio, if someone is getting double digits you can bet someone else will join the fray. What was once a unique format could have 3 or more stations/formats overlapping with a lot of the same music adding to fragmentation which is a pretty good constant.. For AC, I am seeing a loss of uniqueness if you really look at the music. Other formats are offering increasing numbers of titles.
Weekend radio listening can be different than usual weekday listening. The mom who is driving her kids around somewhere (in normal times) probably has a Top 40 station on as the kids want to hear their music. There are some contemporary elements to AC so with people listening to multiple stations on average, it's not uncommon to see station presets of AC, Hot AC, and Top 40. There's also some familiarity with songs and artists.
Orlando has two mainstream Top 40 stations and one Hot AC. Plus, there are two classic hits stations that both offer 90s hits in the mix. When I looked over WMGF's playlist, I saw some overlap with Tampa's Dove we recently discussed. That's supposed to be a Softer AC. One song in particular we brought up earlier was Joan Jett's "I Love Rock And Roll." WMGF plays it. So does the two classic hits stations. If there was an Adult Hits format in the market, you can expect to hear it there too. They say it's the nature of radio. Not to beat a dead horse, I just don't see the value that song brings to the AC format.
The reality is if someone is in the mood for rock music, there are options. If you want a good at work station, there's options too. There's much muddying of the waters when it comes to song overlap. A reasonable person can expect some overlap. I'm just arguing the amount of it. AC does extremely well during the holiday season. There's many reasons for it but there's no denying it becomes a one of a kind radio station and listeners respond to that in great numbers.
On the CHR front and what I consider some, it becomes indirect competition for AC, especially in the younger end of the demo, but still competition is WXXL-FM and WPYO-FM. "XL 106.7" states they are Orlando's #1 hit music station. WPYO-FM (Calls signified Party as that was a former format). WPYO states they are "Orlando's New #1 For All The Hits." Silly stuff radio does but it's how branding works I suppose for those who engage in that sort of thing. Multiple stations claiming to be #1 doesn't make mathematical sense. I have to wonder if typical listeners don't take any of this seriously.
WPYO doesn't have the best signal but they make a decent showing even though WXXL beats them share wise handily over time.
There's something weird about Orlando's news/talk format. That's worth a look at next....
I neglected to provide a link to Orlando's radio ratings so here it is:
https://ratings.****************/content/arb131
WDBO-FM (96.1) (Where Orlando Turns For Breaking News) is a Cox Media Group station. Orlando doesn't appear to be big into news/talk formats. The station is the leader in news/talk and #12 overall in the market. The station does a news block in the morning and an hour-long newscast at 6PM. The syndicated talk lineup is conservative but Rush Limbaugh is not on the schedule. As we'll soon see, Rush is heard on a different station. In Rush's place, an hour of news runs at noon followed by two hours of The Dana Show with Dana Loesch.
WMFE-FM (90.7) (National Public Radio) is in 13th place overall. As we've seen in the other markets, there is more than news but variety programing as well. Their tagline is "Your trust news source" and for many, that is the case.
And right behind WMFE is WFLF-AM (540 AM) in 14th place. This is an iHeartMedia station. What's a little weird is the station calls itself "Newsradio WFLA Orlando." If you recall in our Tampa market discussion, there's a WFLA there. I don't understand why the calls from another market are used. Perhaps someone in the know will inform us.
I recall that not too far west from all the theme parks, I was able to pick Tampa stations as a rimshot. Perhaps the WFLA calls are familiar to Orlando. Then again, I don't think average listeners care about that sort of thing. Anyway, a little strange.
The programming is simulcast on FM translators W226BT 93.1 and W231CT 94.1 in Orlando. Rush is heard on "Newsradio WFLA"
There are three news radio outlets in Orlando. It sounds a bit excessive but not unusual in that many markets have three of the same format.
We'll move on to classic hits in Orlando next and one of the best stations in all of Florida.
https://ratings.****************/content/arb131
WDBO-FM (96.1) (Where Orlando Turns For Breaking News) is a Cox Media Group station. Orlando doesn't appear to be big into news/talk formats. The station is the leader in news/talk and #12 overall in the market. The station does a news block in the morning and an hour-long newscast at 6PM. The syndicated talk lineup is conservative but Rush Limbaugh is not on the schedule. As we'll soon see, Rush is heard on a different station. In Rush's place, an hour of news runs at noon followed by two hours of The Dana Show with Dana Loesch.
WMFE-FM (90.7) (National Public Radio) is in 13th place overall. As we've seen in the other markets, there is more than news but variety programing as well. Their tagline is "Your trust news source" and for many, that is the case.
And right behind WMFE is WFLF-AM (540 AM) in 14th place. This is an iHeartMedia station. What's a little weird is the station calls itself "Newsradio WFLA Orlando." If you recall in our Tampa market discussion, there's a WFLA there. I don't understand why the calls from another market are used. Perhaps someone in the know will inform us.
I recall that not too far west from all the theme parks, I was able to pick Tampa stations as a rimshot. Perhaps the WFLA calls are familiar to Orlando. Then again, I don't think average listeners care about that sort of thing. Anyway, a little strange.
The programming is simulcast on FM translators W226BT 93.1 and W231CT 94.1 in Orlando. Rush is heard on "Newsradio WFLA"
There are three news radio outlets in Orlando. It sounds a bit excessive but not unusual in that many markets have three of the same format.
We'll move on to classic hits in Orlando next and one of the best stations in all of Florida.
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