A traffic format obviously would not work. But a weather station, promoted well, would be to go to destination for people who want local weather.
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Star 102.5
- Thread starter CassChopper96
- Start date
Might cume OK, but TSL would be awful.
And really, how would such a station be a "destination" for listeners on those days when no severe weather is taking place or imminent? Even in winter, many days are not dominated by weather events. Buffalo has plenty of days that are sunny and seasonably cold, or cloudy with scattered flurries. Nobody's going to make an all-weather station their listening destination on days like those, or on a 60-degree, partly cloudy day in May or a drizzly, chilly day in October.
Good points are made here. Yes TSL would be horrible but such a station would not be after the ad agencies but rather the businesses that see value in weather on demand via radio.
While today is nice, how about tomorrow or the next couple of days where future plans may need to be altered? Many businesses require decent weather to operate (construction for an example). There is a certain sector of the population that could appreciate such a service even if they have an app.
Granted selling the format would not be easy but is any format easily sold? Would a weather station be easier to sell by the month to a local business than any other format on AM? I would suspect the station would be an AM signal. A weather station could be entirely automated and a good deal of it outsourced. The monthly operating expenses could certainly be lower than other format options.
While today is nice, how about tomorrow or the next couple of days where future plans may need to be altered? Many businesses require decent weather to operate (construction for an example). There is a certain sector of the population that could appreciate such a service even if they have an app.
Granted selling the format would not be easy but is any format easily sold? Would a weather station be easier to sell by the month to a local business than any other format on AM? I would suspect the station would be an AM signal. A weather station could be entirely automated and a good deal of it outsourced. The monthly operating expenses could certainly be lower than other format options.
Pittsburgh has an al ltraffic and weather station on one of the KDKA 93.7 HD side channels.. it would work there, maybe if you could do it for little cost and with staff you already have, and not interupting their day too much to do it
This would not be a ratings driven station. TSL does not matter. You go to the weather channel on tv when big things are happening. That’s were you go. Or on your smartphone. But you go to the branded name, the weather channel.
In Buffalo, that’s all people think about is what the weather is gonna be. It’s the first thing you think in the morning. This would not be a TSL station obviously. It would be a go to destination when weather happens, and if serious weather happens, which it does, it would be total destination.
Especially if you brought back some trusted TV meteorologist. Advertisers would live this format. That is why the scroll on weather channel Tv is always sold out.
It’s a niche. And an important one.
Your logic reminds me of a station in Mexico City, XEQK, which for many decades from the 50's through the 90's did nothing but give a time check every 60 seconds.
11 five-second commercials, and a five second time check in each 60 seconds. You could buy one of three packages: every minute, every 2 minutes or every 4 minutes. It was always sold out.
In a market where a low-end watch cost a week's wages or more, this was a valuable service. Many people regularly tuned in to set their home clocks and wrist watches, too.
I remember a trade magazine article in the 60's that was titled, "The Strange Case of a Successful Station with No Ratings".
Now that's funny...the thread "drifted" and the station would be "Snow 102.5". Did it take a while to come up with that?
A news/traffic/weather format might be a good idea for 1400 or 1520 - do a 2x 30-minute wheel. Automated of course. BEN staffers cut news briefs, weather forecasts from a TV meteorologist, sports from 'GR and traffic from NFTA or barter with a virtual traffic provider. Of course promos to tune into to 550 and 930 would be a part of that.
Maybe now that Entercom hired a News czar to improve their product they could do something like that.
1400 is actually doing pretty well with "Solid Gold Soul". 'KB is likely doing better as the "sports overflow" station for Entercom handling the Bisons (when they're playing) and college sports on top of the their syndication. That brings up another point. Virtually any barter format would likely bring in more money. Ditto an ethnic format.
Or dollar-a-holler soul saving.
WKRP In Cincinnati had the episode with Rev. Little Ed.. A former wrestler turned huckster. He sold various religious items on his show. Funny show and mostly based on real radio situations...
1400 hasn’t been “Solid Gold Soul” for about a year and a half now. It’s been 107.3 RNB since around the end of 2018. I suspect the new format is similar enough to the old one that it hasn’t lost many listeners, but I've definitely noticed it has a lot more syndicated hosts than it did in the Solid Gold Soul days.
This was my favorite KRP episode by far! I have all the DVD's and the Rev. Little Ed, and his wife Big Ed, is the best! Good call!
WOW! tbolt and Buddy agree on something! And Buddy praised it! Hallelujah! There is hope yet.
File under "A broken watch is right two times a day".
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