They must be looking for something. Isn't the point of changing format to try to do better? WBUF 92.9 can't use the excuse of a bad signal for its underwhelming ratings...
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February Ratings (BC - Before Cluster****)
- Thread starter tbolt909
- Start date
Sometimes, but in this case, as we've said many times, it wasn't a major format change but rather a tweak from rock-oriented hits to classic rock. In doing so, they saved themselves the expense of the Jack rights fee, and they gave two of their own syndicated shows a Buffalo presence. If they were looking for a new audience, why would they brand it as classic rock? As we've discussed, they sought to grab some of 97Rock's audience. Now with the loss of GRF's morning show, they may have a shot.
It would make for a perfect fit. 90,000 watt transmitter located in the center of Western New York (Cole Road, Colden / Boston, New York) playing a mix of Classic Rock and AAA format.
I say we get tbolt to run the afternoon drive.
The Lake is the only station people still talk about even after 10 years since it's removal from the FM dial.
Two people.
WBUF left Cole Road years ago. It was a great site for wide-area coverage, but it couldn't overcome the intermod and desense issues the Rand Building FMs cause within the city. It's now 76 kW from the old channel 17 tower on Elmwood behind the WIVB studio.
WGRF made the same move, from the channel 2 tower in Holland.
The Cole Road tower is still there, and K-Love has a CP to move 89.9 there from its current site near Chestnut Ridge Park.
I'm sure you're one of those guys who has to read it from a textbook otherwise it doesn't exist. There are a lot more people who aren't on this forum who talk about The Lake.
Hooray.
There is a Facebook group based on a station I built 57 years ago. The station itself changed formats about 40 years ago and about 10 years ago went off the air permanently. Memories of bygone radio stations are sometimes fun, but they have no current value.
Some stations have had passionate listeners. KFOG in San Francisco is just one example. Cumulus destroyed it with absurd programming decisions. It's now just a fond memory in the Bay Area.
Of course, it's not possible to recreate the past and isn't worth it. The problem for Radio is fewer people care with each passing day. A format like the "New" WBUF will create neither passion, ratings or revenue. Entercom just changed the company name in a desperation move to stay relevant...
That's not a problem for WYRK and WBLK, is it?
Why would it be? You're talking about on average the common blue-collar or impoverished listener who doesn't have time to think about the plight of American culture from a sociological standpoint or being a patron of sophisticated Arts and Literature. God bless the blue collar worker because without them we're all screwed but mainly it's about enjoying music that references drinking a cold beer on a Friday night to celebrate their 40 hour work week. Scientific research shows that Country/Western and Rap are the two genres that have the lowest average intelligence from all genres with Classical having the highest average. I wouldn't classify Western New York as a predominately white-collar area.
Buffalo/Niagara is actually above the national average in the number of residents with some college/associates degree, about average in bachelors degrees, and considerably above average in graduate or professional degrees. Maybe you should visit some time in one of your heavy trucks. The art, music, and cultural scenes here are considered to be vibrant compared to other cities of similar size in the Great Lakes region. It ain't all cheap beer and free wings. There are a lot of colleges in WNY and education employs a lot of people here.
It appears that what you're saying is WBEN, WBLK, and WYRK are listened to by very esteemed, highly-intelligent and well-educated individuals in the Western New York area? I had it all wrong this whole time. Thank you I stand corrected.
That's just not true. Cumulus failed in an attempt to update it, but that attempt was motivated by the long and winding descent of the station towards oblivion.
It is hard to say whether all the blame is with music trends and listener lifestyle changes, or with the actual station. The fact is that the successful format of the station in the 70's began to decline in the earlier 80's and never reach the over-4 share averages of the later 70's. It wobbled, likely with musical trends as much as on-air talent and music selection. But by the early 00's it was already way down, and Cumulus did not even buy it until 2006.
https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Duncan-American-Radio/Duncan-1975-1992/San Francisco.pdf shows the history of the ratings from the mid-70's to 2003.
No, the problem with rock is fewer partisans with each passing day. The whole world is rhythmic now, and rock has been on a 25 to 30 year descent in appeal.
Yeah, God bless these jamokes, because without 'em, we wouldn't have plumbing that works, HVAC, cars to drive or roads to drive on. And BTW, most of these blue collar workers make a lot more than half the people who work in radio or TV. Moreover, they're in demand... whereas, most people don't call a DJ or news reader when their AC breaks down or their lateral gets clogged.
So... radio's about culture, eh? This screed ↑ reminds me of the stories about the early days of what was derogatorily called "race music" and rock n roll. "Only heathens, low brow and great unwashed listened to that kind of music and those radio stations."
Research from about 20 years ago regarding Howard Stern's audience: When Stern went into one of his patented time-warping commercial breaks, a significant number of listeners switched to ... wait for it ... their local NPR station.
Just because people don't agree with you and/or your musical taste doesn't mean that they're blue-collar, impoverished, or unsophisticated. Perhaps they just need a break from judgmental, pretentious prigs.
I managed a country station once, and I saw no difference in the audience on the skill and achievement level than listeners of rock, AC or CHR.
I'd wager that the data you cite is "constructed" research with a faulty recruit and/or questionnaire intended to show the results some bigot wanted to find.
Hip Hop is an ethnic music form for the most part and you have all ranges of people listening. Saying otherwise is, of course, highly racist.
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