Funny. I have not thought about 91.1 in months. With Derek Mason’s firing as Vanderbilt‘s football coach, I started thinking about the old days before Vandy’s recent transitioning to Disney-VU and that brought up WRVU. Sure enough, I caught a few tunes on the all new WNXP. Admit to liking what I heard. More progressive and slightly alternative than what I thought it would be. Heard no imaging, but I was close to the house. Will tune in online. Actually, I like it. Classical just doesn’t matter in 2020, ‘cept in LA. This will be interesting.
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Nashville Public Radio to flip 91.1 to Local Music format later this fall
- Thread starter Radio Nashville
- Start date
Classical just doesn’t matter in 2020, ‘cept in LA.
Unless you're Martha Ingram.
So she is “our” Saul. Funny, her first job was in radio. I am not sure how she felt about WPLN shifting away from Classical, or how much she would listen to 91.1. I admit that I always enjoyed WPLN as a classical format. Truth be told, in my opinion, Chattanooga’s Classical station was even better. The donations were always strong.
No doubt she has certainly been a huge supporter of arts in Nashville x a billion or more. Heck, if legal, she could buy every commercial FM signal in Nashville and it not affect her bank account. But, all those stations combined might break her funding them. Haha. Imagine that. You know Cumulus would love that call. She is in her mid-80s and what an amazing person.
Keep your eye out for the latest Ingram family project, Ingram bourbon. Surprisingly, not a Tennessee project. Aged gracefully on a barge on the Mississippi in Kentucky. It is her grandsons project. Actually, decent juice for a lowly 96 proof. Not readily available, but worth the find.
No doubt she has certainly been a huge supporter of arts in Nashville x a billion or more. Heck, if legal, she could buy every commercial FM signal in Nashville and it not affect her bank account. But, all those stations combined might break her funding them. Haha. Imagine that. You know Cumulus would love that call. She is in her mid-80s and what an amazing person.
Keep your eye out for the latest Ingram family project, Ingram bourbon. Surprisingly, not a Tennessee project. Aged gracefully on a barge on the Mississippi in Kentucky. It is her grandsons project. Actually, decent juice for a lowly 96 proof. Not readily available, but worth the find.
If a station format changes in the woods....
Had a chance to listen for a few hours of midday today. I have to say, this format is interesting. 91 ONE. Nice branding. Not at all near WMOT. Better executed than many commercial station flips. They have broken the mold with conforming to typical formatics for NPL. How they pulled this switch off is beyond me. Surprising music variety, not at all all current.
Someone has had to listen that is on this board. www.wnxp.org. Website is well done for a launch and, BigA, Martha can “still” listen to 91.1 Classical online! Nice experience.
Had a chance to listen for a few hours of midday today. I have to say, this format is interesting. 91 ONE. Nice branding. Not at all near WMOT. Better executed than many commercial station flips. They have broken the mold with conforming to typical formatics for NPL. How they pulled this switch off is beyond me. Surprising music variety, not at all all current.
Someone has had to listen that is on this board. www.wnxp.org. Website is well done for a launch and, BigA, Martha can “still” listen to 91.1 Classical online! Nice experience.
I have to say, this format is interesting. 91 ONE. Nice branding. Not at all near WMOT. Better executed than many commercial station flips. They have broken the mold with conforming to typical formatics for NPL. How they pulled this switch off is beyond me. Surprising music variety, not at all all current.
From what I've read, they're aiming a lot younger than WMOT. This is a format without a format, a genre that defies genres, it's perfect for the young music lover who doesn't care for commercial or popular success. And there's a market for that, not only in Nashville, but in many other places with music communities. Let's face it, we live in a time when musicians don't need record labels or radio airplay. They just need fans. So if this can help them win fans without all the crap musicians go through with labels and radio, then it's a good thing.
As for raising money, they've smartly hired people who know how to combine music with events. If they can build some word of mouth, it could lead to a lot of ways to raise money. Bigger than the typical public radio wine & cheese party. Of course most of that will have to wait until after COVID.
Just like the new look and format here on RD, getting used to the 91.1 changes will take some time. I can tell you (look at various Nashville Scene online options) that there is a typical revolt from the Classical crowd. This is similar to the old flips WZEZ (Easy listening to Lite AC) or JACK-FM (Oldies to Variety Hits.)From what I've read, they're aiming a lot younger than WMOT. This is a format without a format, a genre that defies genres, it's perfect for the young music lover who doesn't care for commercial or popular success. And there's a market for that, not only in Nashville, but in many other places with music communities. Let's face it, we live in a time when musicians don't need record labels or radio airplay. They just need fans. So if this can help them win fans without all the crap musicians go through with labels and radio, then it's a good thing.
As for raising money, they've smartly hired people who know how to combine music with events. If they can build some word of mouth, it could lead to a lot of ways to raise money. Bigger than the typical public radio wine & cheese party. Of course most of that will have to wait until after COVID.
I am ok with classical and have been listening online a bit and did listen to the station from time to time,\ but this new 91.1 is certainly a move to go after a market that this city has a ton of potential listeners and not many options. Older leaning Lightning 100 is at an interesting stage (no pun intended) of it's lifespan. You nailed it, BigA: "format without a format, a genre that defies genres, it's perfect for the young music lover who doesn't care for commercial or popular success."
As for raising money, you have a point. It will be through legal music sources and shared event/ticket sells and minimal fund raising. They have a hefty payroll to cover. I would think, sadly, anything would have made more money than classical.
Sean Ross wrote an analysis of the "format wars" going on between WRLT and WNXP, with mentions of the other related players:
First Listen: Nashville’s Triple-A War - RadioInsight
First Listen: Nashville’s Triple-A War - RadioInsight
Thanks for sharing that!Sean Ross wrote an analysis of the "format wars" going on between WRLT and WNXP, with mentions of the other related players:
First Listen: Nashville’s Triple-A War - RadioInsight
My personal take as a listener is that WNXP is WAY better than other NPR efforts such as KKXT (Dallas), WFPK (Louisville), and even maybe the vaunted WXPN (Philly).
But I'm still very firmly in the Lightning 100 camp. Their "6/15 x 2" day today (all local music, continuing tomorrow 12/30) was excellent.
I've had WNXP on here for the past half hour and have heard nothing at all representing the Nashville music scene -- a nice variety of indie and indie-ish (e.g., Death Cab for Cutie, whose indie days are in the rear view mirror) music, but of the last six songs, two have been by New York acts, two by English acts, one by a New Zealand band, and one whose title and artist never registered on the playlist display and whose lyrics I couldn't find via Google. Does this station play Nashville music during the daytime? On weekends? On specialty shows?
When Ms. Ingram dies the Nashville Symphony will be the wealthiest orchestra in history. The only question is how much of her $4 billion will they get.Unless you're Martha Ingram.
As you say so often, it all depends on how much the listeners are willing to donate. WUMB Boston has similar numbers but apparently has found enough generous fans of its folk/Americana/AAA music mix to enable it to stay in that format for decades. Of course, the fact that Boston already has two noncomms doing news/talk and another doing classical music doesn't leave WUMB many options even if management is looking to make a change. What would WNXP's next move be if it finds that its few listeners are tightwads?The first full book as AAA didn't go too well. In fact all of the public radio stations got hammered in this book. But launching with a .3 doesn't look too good.
What would WNXP's next move be if it finds that its few listeners are tightwads?
The problem that I see is that they intended this station to be the big money-maker to help pay for the news on their other station. The game plan was to create a lot of music events that members would attend, and those events would augment the membership money. With covid still preventing large groups, they only have the on-air revenue stream. They've got a lot invested in this plan, so they need to have some large gatherings soon. What's their next move? I suspect there's no plan B right now. Hey Tibbs! What's your advice?
Would "next winter, maybe" qualify as "soon"? It looks like 2021 is shaping up as another live-concert washout as the chaotic, politics-infested, conspiracy-theory-burdened vaccine rollout stumbles out of the starting blocks. Also, if we do have two years with no large music gatherings, the venues may start going under and being converted to other uses, limiting opportunities for artists to work after the plague is under control.The problem that I see is that they intended this station to be the big money-maker to help pay for the news on their other station. The game plan was to create a lot of music events that members would attend, and those events would augment the membership money. With covid still preventing large groups, they only have the on-air revenue stream. They've got a lot invested in this plan, so they need to have some large gatherings soon. What's their next move? I suspect there's no plan B right now. Hey Tibbs! What's your advice?
Would "next winter, maybe" qualify as "soon"? It looks like 2021 is shaping up as another live-concert washout as the chaotic, politics-infested, conspiracy-theory-burdened vaccine rollout stumbles out of the starting blocks.
I think they're in for at least 2 years. But my first thought is they picked a bad time to make a major format change.
If L100 as we know it had bought the farm in December, their timing would have been amazingly prescient. Too cynical?I think they're in for at least 2 years. But my first thought is they picked a bad time to make a major format change.
If L100 as we know it had bought the farm in December, their timing would have been amazingly prescient. Too cynical?
We'll see if either survives.
I got nuthin! (I was surprised by NXP's first showing, but it does take time to ring the register. They have done a fairly solid job of marketing. I am wondering if the real issue is they are leaning too female and trying to hit a demographic that doesn't embrace radio and certainly doesn't get public radio or anything left of 92.1 on the FM dial. The music and on-air presentation does seem to be excluding the "Music Row types, but that would be tied to live venues. I agree strongly with two comments in this thread - 1.) A format change now and 2.) who would have thought this format could possibly help carry 90.3 and their sister fringe stations?)
BigA - makes me think down the road...where will NPR and non-comm radio be in five or ten years? The steadfast demographic for the last four decades has "moved on."
BigA - makes me think down the road...where will NPR and non-comm radio be in five or ten years? The steadfast demographic for the last four decades has "moved on."
BigA - makes me think down the road...where will NPR and non-comm radio be in five or ten years? The steadfast demographic for the last four decades has "moved on."
Keep in mind that NPR (the company) defines itself as a content producer, not a licensee of radio stations. So NPR will continue creating content for whatever platform pays for it. To be determined...
NPR says their online content is doing very well demographically. They have some of the highest rated podcasts in the country. Their online excerpts from their shows do very well in streaming. So they feel pretty confident.
As for WNXP, what it says to me is you can't win mass audiences by aiming to be too cool for the room. But maybe that doesn't matter. I know a public station that gets similar ratings and does very well in fundraising. So there you have it.
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