The Big Show

[John FL]

A long-held tradition of mine at this time of year is posting a radio recap. Perhaps the title “The Big Show” will arouse curiosity. Simply, state-specific boards have difficulty getting noticed. Covid, politics, and cable news are formidable competition. Major market boards have long enjoyed great popularity as well.

I figured the above topics would mostly bomb. Certainly, my feelings didn’t mirror what became reality. Overall, my track record regarding what works and what doesn’t in radio has been pretty good. Still, one of the pitfalls in making decisions is personal bias.

I’m burned-out over-all subjects of Covid and politics so I figured most thought like me. I regard R.D. as an escape from all the news. It got me thinking that every business to include radio makes decisions. Many prove to be the right course of action. Those decisions that prove to be wrong ones can be catastrophic for both format and livelihood.

In the “Politics On Radio and Television” forum, there is a string that originated in 2019. It’s called “Cable News: Who Cares?” I figured there would be a wise guy comment or two who agreed with the title and that would be the end of it. The last time I looked, there’s 61 pages and over 1000 posts. Virtually every day someone keeps the comments going.

I couldn’t help but think of the late comic, George Carlin. No matter your politics, Mr. Carlin would make the powerful the butt of his jokes if they were hypocrites or just plain stupid. Had he lived, he would have been a riot during these crazy times.

He was also known for his hysterical facial expressions. He would show bewilderment, shock, or outrage that made you think as well as laugh. You can just see him screaming out that string name and saying it’s got over 60 (expletive) pages! The reality is national subjects attract a wider audience and the subjects have staying power. R.D. made the right decisions. These boards are all about getting people to chat. And with certain subjects, they do.

Earlier this year, I was very saddened to see Bill Tanner pass away. Many like him who were visionaries creating incredible radio brands are certainly missed. While it’s probably presumptuous on my part, I would have loved to have gotten to know Bill personally. I only met him once and even that was a stretch. I won a prize for being the correct caller when “Maneater” played back in 1982. Each time I hear that Hall & Oates song, I think of that radio station visit and seeing Bill there. Now, that’s almost 40 years ago.

For those of you who are not familiar with Bill Tanner, he led the legendary team that made Miami’s Y-100 (WHYI) one of America’s most successful FM Top 40 stations in the 1970s and early 80s. Other successes in Miami followed. In the 1990’s Bill became one of the nation’s most respected Hispanic radio programming executives. What a pivot! He consulted with many radio businesses over the years. This is certainly the Cliffs Notes version of his success.

Probably his biggest error was leaving Miami for D.C. As I said earlier, there’s good and bad decisions and we all make them both in personal life and in our career.

I don’t believe Mr. Tanner ever programmed a Classic Hits format. Whenever I created music specialties (countdowns etc.) that I posted for almost 2 decades, I tried to imagine what Bill would have done. The ultimate rush would have been a critique from him. That will never be but I don’t regret dreaming big!

Next, we’ll journey back to 1993 with tie-ins to this post and more.

 

[John FL]

If there is one aspect of radio that I have long found fascinating, it would be under the umbrella of programing. Specifically, the song selection process has captivated me to the nth degree. One of the greatest pleasures I ever had as a participant on R.D. was posting all those music specials countdowns. The way I did them required an extraordinary amount of work and research. The rewards were priceless.

As with doing anything, there is a learning curve. I believe I got better doing them as time moved along. I also appreciated When CBS Radio was around, their countdowns and programing of classic hits was a model for others to follow as far as I was concerned.

Listeners were familiar with specialty programing before classic hits came along. “Million Dollar Weekends” or “Class Reunion Weekends” are two themed offerings that come to mind. Recently, I found a Top 500 audio countdown. If you’ve got 30 minutes or so to spare and you dig the oldies, you may want to give this a listen.

AMAZING Montage of The Top 500 Songs on Majic 102.7 '90

I recall this event happened in 1993 as opposed to what the poster states. WMXJ in Miami (Magic 102.7) was back then an oldies format. Eventually it morphed into classic hits.

There are dozens of songs in this countdown that you haven’t heard on the radio in quite some time. Joe Johnson, who had a 25+ year career at the station, put this audio snippet together. This was in an actual broadcast before the #1 song played. There was a paper list that went along with this countdown, but I couldn’t find it to share.

It’s easy to look back and critique. But it’s obvious that picking the right songs is key. As I think about the eventual problems most oldies stations found themselves in as the years went by, I believe there were opportunities blown. WMXJ was certainly one prime case.

Listening to this Top 500 countdown reminded me how tastes change. There’s a few instrumentals. Some in that genre were big hits that earned significant airplay in the past. They are taboo today. The Stylistics and other early 70s soul artists, surprisingly to me, became shunned over time rather quickly.

There's some songs you wouldn't expect to make this survey from that time. There's also some bizarre ranking. Our opinions are in the ear of the beholder I guess. To say Miami and South Florida is a unique radio market is an understatement. What the Bill Tanner’s of the world would have done over time, especially when the station evolved to classic hits, is speculation. But so often I’ve seen radio ignore obvious market specificity.

This brings me to the subject of proactive vs. reactionary decisions. There’s lessons learned in the past. In today’s radio environment, there are strategies that make little sense to me. We’ll explore all that – next. Lots to digest in these two posts I'm sure.

 

[John FL]

The great thing about URL shorteners is that you get to see the number of clicks. To date, just 3 people clicked on the “Amazing Montage of the Top 500 Songs,” mentioned in the previous post. While I thought this montage had a lot of great songs to it, and would generate many comments, I have no way of knowing how many listened to it in its entirety. It’s not the first time that has happened. Obviously, there's not interest.

Had more people listened, someone I’m sure would have mentioned the large representation of music in the Motown/Soul vain. The oldies format, by nature, had a good percentage of this genre in the mix. But some markets went beyond typical norms. The former Magic 102.7 in Miami was one such station and it made sense given the market’s diversity.

Making the transition from an oldies format to classic hits proved to be a tough road for some, like the former Magic 102,7, while it was a great accomplishment for others. While we can sit here today saying this or that should have happened, I believe there is one main thing that holds true. Whatever decisions are made that tweak and advance a format; they can’t be done in a wishy-washy way sending mixed signals to listeners.

You would think ratings performance or lack thereof would be a motivator. But that’s not always the case. In fact, it’s probably very naïve for any of us to believe that ratings alone determine format corrections or even flips.

Today WMXJ is owned by Audacy, Inc. After many years of smaller ownership such as Jefferson-Pilot and Lincoln Financial, the former Entercom became the new owner. While previous ownership appeared to tolerate a not so good performance in 25-54, major changes, such as firing just about everyone in the airteam, were made to include rebranding to 102.7 The Beach.

These type of events are not unusual when a new owner comes along. After spending lots of $$$ purchasing a cluster, improving performance and billing is one the necessary and logical changes that happen. But we’re also seeing “benign neglect” on the rise. It's something that's totally illogical to me. There was a time there was fire in the belly. There was an intense desire to win.

For a business that is supposedly focussed on revenue, there's methods of operation that appear to contridict that. "Benign neglect" of certain stations and formats exist. I first experienced that in my time in Jacksonville which I may discuss later. In the Miami board recently, there were posters who complained that 102.7 The Beach sounds like it can be in any market. The station sounds like its going through the motions kind of comments. The same thing held true for the previous brand. You’d think someone would learn.

There’s a sister station in Philadelphia, WOGL. I’ve long believed there was synergy between the old Magic 102.7 and WOGL. For one thing, the long-time MD and APD was born and raised in Philly. As oldies formats, both stations were among the best in the country in my view. There was a lot of similarity in their sound.

WOGL, however, made the transition to Classic Hits very successfully. The owner then was CBS Radio who gave a little leeway to its PDs to include some songs on the playlist that tested well in the specific market. The 1970s music WOGL featured gave the station an identifiable sound. They were unique, mirrored the market served, and as a result, the ratings showed them king of the world for many years.

When Entercom came along, in time, the ratings began to slide as time moved along. How can this be?, I asked myself. How can a cash cow and highly successful station be allowed to drop in the ratings book after book? The answer came from some of the Philly posters and others. The growing strategy is to eek out a profit. It’s all about meeting expectation, not exceeding them. By time WOGL got around to getting more 80s intensive, it was too late. Others were already there. A terrible shame really. Now they have to work hard to rebound. It makes little sense.

My philosophy about radio success, especially for gold-based formats, is to stay consistent while making the necessary moves to advance the chronological sweet spot. In other words, keep a consistency in the overall sound and vibe of what made the station a success.

Think of it this way. Each decade has music that can fit a mix that proved successful. WOGL did it when they advanced their music way back when to a 70s focus. The 60s Motown and Soul that gave their brand a large audience was replicated by all those great soul sounds of the 70s and there were many of them. I participated in a subject in Philly some time ago, gave my critique similar to what I said above and as usual, no one responded.

For reasons I will never understand, certain 80s dance and rhythmic hits were ignored, and it was the same old 80s songs heard elsewhere that found a place instead. The kind of sound heard on the former Miami’s “The Coast” when they did their 80s themed weekends would have complemented the brand it took many years to establish. It would have been a natural and OBVIOUS evolution but that didn’t happen.

The same holds true for the former Magic 102.7. There was a universe of 80s songs that proved hugely popular in South Florida. From the old Y-100 days to what The Coast did. The station never got to that level until I believe their last PD under the Magic brand introduced 80s weekends. But it was too late.

While the old Magic 102.7 had the support of its former owners, they didn’t really do a lot of good for the station. While Magic was known for its jocks who were there for decades, PDs came and went. Some had impressive resumes, skills, a solid track record. But, as I’ve seen happen elsewhere, they simply didn’t understand the market despite their past success. Sadly, there was a winning formula when they were oldies. Advancements, earlier on, to the right music mix could have caried out that tradition.

We’ve got a ways to go as we look at the business of radio. After all this is “The Big Show.” Stay tuned!

 

[John FL]

Social media and radio. This has been a subject I’ve discussed over the years. I long believed this was a great way for talent to interact with listeners. I don’t believe radio utilized it in a way I thought would happen. Overall, I’ve noticed social media has become more formatted. Perhaps, both the Pandemic and the rise of “Woke” have brought about social media changes.

Two Florida radio stations, in my view, demonstrated excellence in creating interesting and listener-centric social media pages. These are Miami stations WLYF and WFEZ, both doing the AC format. They were chock full of memes, pics of pets, jokes, and content of national interest such as celebrities or the latest pumpkin spice concoction.

By early summer, 2020, the long-term Brand Manager of WFEZ (Easy 93.1) was released in a downsizing initiative. While the overall sound of the station remained the same, I did notice the stations’ Facebook underwent change. It became more “formatted” for lack of a better word.

For example, it was postings of promoting the jocks. National Hispanic Month was observed where notable people from the Hispanic community were highlighted. The jocks would perhaps mention favorite Spanish foods or restaurants. But it was obvious that postings generally centered around structured themes. The average listener probably never noticed the changes, nor cared.

The large communications companies also have Media departments that post mostly national stories of interest based on format. This is non-controversial content. It’s subtle but there appears to be less participation by the local talent. Perhaps this is all by design. I’m sure talent signs a clause in their contract regarding consequences of violating guidelines in social media.

In social media pages I’ve looked both in Florida and elsewhere often showed talent observing Covid restrictions such as working at home, eating snacks to excess, bonding with their pets, stuff like that. Later, it was common to see pics of jocks showing the bandage on their arm after getting the Covid shot. Radio stations have played a role in public safety and awareness. Perhaps it’s another reason music formats’ social media pages have undergone changes.

Interestingly, news talk and sports stations appear to have more listeners interactions. Perhaps it goes with music lovers want less talk and those who listen to non-music programing naturally “talk” more on those social media pages. My observations may not be scientific but it’s just the general feeling I get in how typical listeners behave.

A music format that I’ve noticed has a decent amount of listener social media participation are rock formats. There are company social media departments that post some good info on concerts and stories about various artists etc. The local jocks contribute as well but it’s all mainly limited to the music genre.

News/talk WOKV in Jacksonville, for example, has enjoyed a large interactive following. Sports talk formats have similar vocal listeners who post freely and often on the stations’ social media. How talent responds, if they respond at all, is no doubt in observance of guidelines set by the owners/management.

Social media is a great way for listeners to get involved with their favorite radio station. Talent has an opportunity to show their human side to listeners. There is responsibility for both to not spread misinformation. Then there’s freedom of speech concerns. It’s an interesting dynamic at play. Perhaps it’s why we see many radio stations leaving much of the posted content to its media departments.

More business of radio stuff to come!

 

[gr8oldies]

Thank you John. My familiarity with Miami radio is limited, really to a couple of visits to Miami in the process of getting my Second and First Class FCC license tests, and reading. I know 1980 had Y100, 96X and I think another duking it out.. I even caught Spanish language Super Q (WQBA-FM) which did a 50-50 mix of US top 40 and Spanish language music. The top 500 mix is great but seems pretty standard issue for oldies. I don't know if there were truly Miami hits in the 60s, like there were in the 80s. I can tell you I saw plenty of Y100/Burger King stickers in Ohio and Indiana.

 

[John FL]

Gr8oldies, I appreciate your comments.

In the 1960s there were several AM Top 40 stations in Miami but no one would disagree that WQAM was the king of them all. You may find this interesting. Most Top 40 stations would do a Top 100 year-end countdown, WQAM did a Top 56 to correspond with their dial position. WQAM Yearly Record Surveys

It's a shame they didn't do a Top 100 because I think you'd would find lots more examples of the kind of sounds that Miami and South Florida gravitated to and there were notable charters. The artist Johnny Rivers was hugely popular and had long staying power. It wasn't one or two songs, it was virtually all of them that were featured on Miami radio for many years.

Rick Shaw became a South Florida radio legend at WQAM. He would have a long and very successful career continuing as a jock and in management. He wound up at the aforementioned Magic 102.7 as their morning host for many years. Magic did a decent job as an oldies format recognizing the songs that were regional hits but a lot of that got lost as the station was and became Beatles intensive. You may have noticed the large number of Beatles tunes, especially in the top 1/3 of the list.

Anyway, there was a song from back in the mid 1960s that proved extremely popular in South Florida. It was so popular in fact that occasionally it got spins in the 90s, especially on Valentine's Day. It was Billy Stewart who sadly left us too soon.

Finally, Rick Shaw played Ray Peterson's "Goodnight My Love" to end his nightly show. There were many versions of that song but Rick's popularity rubbed off on that song. For many years, even on FM, that song would be the finale to Rick's show. What wonderful times. And what an incredible radio market Miami was and is.

And yes, those bumper stickers. Yes, my car had the Y-100 one. I should have saved one for posterity!

 

[gr8oldies]

Very interesting info!

 

[John FL]

In Florida and across the nation, the sounds of the holidays fill the airwaves. Christmas programming performs extremely well for stations who know what they are doing and who have established themselves as “the official holiday music station.” There have been others who try to get in on the action. Today, other competitors are more likely to offer regular programing with occasional holiday tunes in the mix rather than go wall-to-wall.

This was how many radio stations sounded like years ago. With each new week into the season, the frequency of airplay would increase. Usually there was wall-to-wall Christmas music presented starting at noon Christmas Eve through Christmas Day. It was also a way to give the live and local airteam time off as these presentations were done in jukebox style.

Oldies formats were a good bet to offer the holiday classics. Many of the songs were hits during early rock ‘n roll days and so from a positioning standpoint, the special seasonal mix sounded quite good.

Interestingly, a good number of oldies formats died after going all Christmas. They flipped to something else after the holidays. This was a new way to keep everyone, especially competitors, off guard. It was like a trojan horse. Much of that happened in the early part of this century. Today, everyone in the know realizes that low rated stations that flip to Christmas music will see a new format. No surprises!

I’m not sure if this situation happened elsewhere but in Jacksonville back in 2004, almost the entire airteam of an oldies format was fired on Christmas Day as a new format was born. I considered it one of the most inhumane things anyone could do. People get dismissed all the time. But to do something like that on Christmas Day was heartless.

Business decisions are a reality and I realize there are casualties. But for a market the size of Jacksonville, that was just a low blow. It didn’t have to happen that way. There were many underhanded things I experienced there. That was one example. To me, those who made radio a career were people of integrity and professionalism. Jacksonville changed that long-held opinion.

In the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale market, AC WLYF has once again flipped to all holiday music. That market has been sporadic offering Christmas music. I don’t consider it a market that embraces the sounds of the season in a big way. WLYF will get a nice bump but doubtful they’ll earn the kind of high double-digit shares found elsewhere.

In Orlando, iHeart’s AC WMGF will beat the ratings leader in the holiday book, Classic Hits WOCL (Sunny 105.9) and then things will go back to normal after the holidays. In West Palm, Hubbard’s Classic Hits WEAT is back, as usual, going all holiday tunes. It’s one of the few classic hits formats that does this. And they do it well. iHeart’s AC WOLL is also doing Christmas calling themselves “The Palm Beach’s Christmas Station.” Unfortunately, WOLL was on and off with the format so I believe WEAT will edge them out.

There are some seasons that I especially enjoy listening to holiday music. This is one of them. I sense that most people have had enough of Covid, edicts, division, and crime. There's a local Soft AC station here on the Treasure Coast that flipped to Christmas music on Thanksgiving Day. This is WOSN (97.1 Ocean FM) It's a shame we're not a PPM market as I'm hearing this station in almost every business I visit. They do a great job. Radio alternatives are off and I'm enjoying what they are playing.

But, in my view, Jacksonville’s AC WEJZ, a Renda Broadcasting station, is king of them all. They almost always earn incredible high double-digit shares. Jacksonville is one of those markets that seriously embraces the holiday sounds. Per ratings, it's more popular there than anywhere else in Florida. They do a good job of it too. It’s one of the few things that market does exceedingly well in a music format. But in fairness, WEJZ is a formidable competitor.


More on the way on Monday!

 

[Alex Browne]

Great stuff, as usual, John. Happy holidays! One point you made that surprised me: that it's unusual for Classic Hits stations to flip to Christmas. I have not done a nationwide survey of this, but as I look at the markets I monitor (markets where I used to live and worked in broadcasting), Classic Hits stations are often the ones that flip. I admit it's a small sample, but here are my examples: Columbus, OH market (WODC); Milwaukee (WRIT); Albany, NY (WTRY). All Classic Hits on Christmas hiatus.

 

[John FL]

Alex, thank you for the reply and Happy Holidays!

Obviously, nothing is absolute in radio. But as you say, you haven't done a national survey. There you would see that holiday formatting and AC formats dominate. Of course, there are always exceptions.

In the Columbus Ohio station you mentioned, WODC,the Classic Hits owner is iHeart. They don't have an AC in the cluster. A no doubt, small company, Franklin Communications, owns an AC in the market, WSNY and of course they are doing holiday music. I would assume WODC is a variety music type classic hits station and not the rock only type. I also noticed both station are similar in ratings both being in the 4 shares. So, it's an opportunity to bring new listeners into the fold, especially females.

What we've seen happen over the years is increasing numbers of classic hits stations have gotten more of a rock lean. Rock music stations don't lend themselves well to a flip to Christmas unless they are to bite the dust. In doing a little Florida survey of my own, the vast majority of classic hits stations are going with their regular format.

I mentioned Philly's WOGL earlier. When they were owned by CBS Radio, their tradition was to go all holiday season. Interestingly,the music offerings were among the most unique found anywhere. There was Motown/soul artists that complemented the format.

Without even looking, I would bet the AC in the cluster is doing holiday music instead. Audacy gives me the impression that they don't fully understand the value that was WOGL. CBS Radio, on the other hand, gave the format lots of support and attention.

There's a lot of strategy involved with holiday music decisions. Much is based on the market and on competition. iHeart, for example, in their Premium Choice programing, has Christmas music availability. I know they have this for their oldies brands and I would think they have the same for other formats.

Holiday music delivers, especially for those who know what they are doing. I'd love to be a fly on the wall as these programming decisions are made.

 

[davideduardo]

In the 1960s there were several AM Top 40 stations in Miami but no one would disagree that WQAM was the king of them all. You may find this interesting. Most Top 40 stations would do a Top 100 year-end countdown, WQAM did a Top 56 to correspond with their dial position. WQAM Yearly Record Surveys

In the later 60's, under PD Dick Starr, WFUN tied and beat WQAM quite a couple of times, despite an inferior signal. And from around 1965 through 1969, they were either first, second or third in the market in every book.

 

[John FL]

In the later 60's, under PD Dick Starr, WFUN tied and beat WQAM quite a couple of times, despite an inferior signal. And from around 1965 through 1969, they were either first, second or third in the market in every book.

Interesting, David. It's a reminder about the power of Urban Legends. They survive reality. It was after many years that I discovered that in New York City in the 1960s, powerhouse WABC was often beaten in the ratings in the NYC city limits by weak signal WMCA.

WABC, of course, had an incredible signal that gave the station its substantial audience in the suburbs and in places WMCA did not reach.

We don't hear much about WFUN but the old WQAM gets honorable mentions even today. Still, an interesting time for radio.

 

[davideduardo]

We don't hear much about WFUN but the old WQAM gets honorable mentions even today. Still, an interesting time for radio.

WQAM was my "model station" when I started my Top 40 in Quito. Before launching, in early 1964, I was in Miami after a trip to buy equipment and I actually visited the station. It was one of those traditional in-the-mezzanine or in-the-penthouse of a hotel stations of the older era and was rather elegant.

I got to meet Todd Storz, the owner, and he gave me several hours of his time telling an 18-year-old kid how to do Top 40. He died of a stroke just a few days later. So I have incredibly strong memories of that station at "One Biscayne Plaza".

 

[John FL]

I’m not sure if this is a national commercial or one specific to Florida, but William Shatner is a pitchman in a Medicare hotline commercial. He’s quite good. His compassionate reminder that the call is FREE with the emphasis on that word. I’ve also thought of radio. It’s F-R-E-E. My marketing mind is usually on overdrive, but I thought something like that ad could work for a radio promotion too.

Radio competition exists from satellite to apps to you name it. Yet, terrestrial radio keeps on chugging along. I often wonder what prompts someone from leaving radio all together to include those who only listen to local radio on occasion.

In Pandora, I recall seeing “channel rankings” and perhaps that explains some of the attraction to alternatives. Interestingly, the most popular music options are found on both ends of the age spectrum. What doesn’t surprise me is the popularity of channels featuring older music. For those who don’t find music they enjoy on the conventional dial will go elsewhere. Some will often settle musically or turn to non-music alternatives such as News/Talk.

Perhaps the popularity of contemporary formats to include those in the Urban category is nothing new really. For those of you who are old enough will recall the incredible exodus from AM to FM. It was the young who were the first to go in large enough numbers. By nature, they gravitate to what is trendy. Maybe it explains why many CHR formats don’t find themselves in the top tier. Maybe too some of my feelings are a part of the Urban Legend category we talked about earlier.

Last year I was quite surprised to see iHeart introduce an oldies format to the Vero Beach area. After all, the “O” word was like the “Lord Voldemort” of radio. It was taboo and never spoken. Classic Hits became the acceptable term. Perhaps oldies formats play into a strategy after all.

Maybe there’s flanking strategy at work. That’s the case in Vero. Perhaps a market’s median age dictates it. Local direct advertising is at work. Commercials I often hear on a number if stations promote doctors, medical plans, cremation services, senior living facilities along with all the lawyer, restaurant, and mom & pop businesses. It comes down to selling to your audience. The same is the situation for formats that skew young tailoring ads to them.

“Vero’s Real Oldies” is part of iHeart’s Premium Choice programming. There’s a full roster of jocks, decent imaging, national contests, and a playlist that has now included early 80s tunes. While major companies don’t always update their informational pages in a timely manner, it looks like there are several Florida markets offering the format as well as stations across the country.

Doubtful any of these stations are on a full-market signal but probably it’s a signal that covers an area with demos that will pull in the format. It’s not your dad’s oldies station nor should it be. Earlier when I posted a Top 500 oldies montage countdown, I’d estimate only around 100 songs on that list have survived the test of time, at least in iHeart’s version of today’s oldies.

I would think radio is also committed to attracting young listeners into the fold as well. What they are doing, I can’t be sure. But the national companies often have a syndicated “big name,” especially in morning drive. The other thing to remember is just because a station is down in the ratings list doesn’t mean it isn’t making target or money.

There’s probably a lot going on when it comes to strategy. And probably radio’s biggest advantage is that it’s F-R-E-E. More to come!

 

[John FL]

WQAM was my "model station" when I started my Top 40 in Quito. Before launching, in early 1964, I was in Miami after a trip to buy equipment and I actually visited the station. It was one of those traditional in-the-mezzanine or in-the-penthouse of a hotel stations of the older era and was rather elegant.

I got to meet Todd Storz, the owner, and he gave me several hours of his time telling an 18-year-old kid how to do Top 40. He died of a stroke just a few days later. So I have incredibly strong memories of that station at "One Biscayne Plaza".

Interesting and a perfect segue to what I wanted to discuss next. That address sounds very familiar to me. Who knows, I may have had a meeting there. If not there, it was nearby that I remember looking out the conference room window and saw the Port of Miami. Just an incredible place and no wonder Miami is referred to as the Magic City.

Radio history has some interesting David vs. Goliath stories and I’ve always found them fascinating. Whether we consider some of them ratings flukes or well-deserved, it’s a reminder that no one should sleep on their laurels. I never believed in “going through the motions” whether we are talking radio or any other business.

In one of the South Florida posts David Eduardo said “Miami is a $200 million dollar radio market. WPB is a $30 million market. Even a mediocre station in Miami bills much more than those in the Palm Beaches.” What a stark reality!

For anyone who has driven north from Broward County which is part of the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale market into Palm Beach County, it looks like you are still in a high population area with very little perceived differences. Obviously there are. What is true is Palm Beach County still has lots of rural, farm areas. Miami-Dade and Broward Counties are loaded high rises that make for a huge market.

A few months ago, that “Ross on Radio” guy wrote about unevenness in radio stations that have VTing in their schedule and/or syndicated/company programing. It would appear that markets that can well afford talent and programmers with exceptional resumes help deliver radio that’s far more interesting than smaller market counterparts. Then again, there are those in smaller markets who deliver despite very challenging budgets.

One area that has long been reality of large vs. smaller markets is in specialty programing. The larger markets are better known for its grand countdowns. It’s a harder reality for smaller markets with diminished live and local talent. If a major news, traffic, or weather event occurs, say in morning drive, that can put the countdown out of sync for when the VT midday comes on.

I long attributed creative playlists and themed weekends etc. to more effort. Today, I'm thinking more of it is was probably a PD who would have liked to have done more as a large market counterpart, but the budget probably made that difficult to achieve. Average listeners in these smaller markets probably don’t notice or care. Perhaps the only times they make comparisons of radio markets is when they relocated to a new one or traveled extensively in their job. They will like their home market more, like it less, or like it the same.

CMG is in Miami and Jacksonville. The “Easy” brand was introduced to Jacksonville some time ago. Beyond the name similarity, there was little else to compare. Exceptional talent costs money. The former PD in Miami’s Easy had AC experience and built an exceptional brand and team. Listeners have certainly responded.

In Jacksonville’s Easy, the former PD/host discussed the rock band “Molly Hatchet”on the air. There were other events that left things to be desired, including on-air presence. I could only shake my head realizing there are those in radio who rise to the occasion no matter their market size. To me, it’s Radio 101 to know and understand the format you manage and to relate to your listeners both musically and topic-wise. Some just don’t get it no matter how much they are paid

 

[John FL]

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater. This is the second largest market in Florida and it’s a radio market that I never embraced or understood. One clarification would be WDUV. There was a time I listened via streaming when I lived in Jacksonville. They had a unique sound featuring songs virtually no one else played. Changes were made to improve billing and I was gone.

Another aspect of my not understanding the Tampa market is regarding Hispanic listeners. According to ratings, the population of the market is 2,797,700. Black: 336,500. Hispanic: 544,600. In market analysis I’ve read, most say Tampa hovers just under 30% Hispanic. That tells me the communities around Tampa drops the overall percentage.

In looking at the ratings, it doesn’t appear the Hispanic community is well-served. But I could be totally off base. First, only Nielsen subscribing stations are reported. Secondly, Hispanics are a broad term. There are those from Latin America, Puerto Rico, Spain, Cuba, etc. With each country or region, there’s different cultures and music appreciation.

It’s also generational. The Tampa area may see 3rd generation Hispanics in large numbers not requiring specific ethnic programing. There is a huge difference in format availability between Miami and Tampa. I’ve long said diversity makes for an interesting radio market. Miami has an incredible number of unique formats like Salsa, 90s, Rhythmic AC and Rhythmic CHR, Spanish CHR, and various Spanish formats peppering the entire ratings list. Tampa is way far from that.

The market has two classic hits stations, although just one is the true one in my view. I suspect Beasley’s WRBQ would have more Hispanic listeners than Cox’s WXGL which is more classic rock than anything else. But then again, I’m making assumptions about people.

Christian CHR has long performed very well in the market. This format may benefiting from diversity but I can’t be sure. Beauty contest ratings numbers don’t provide any demo info. WYUU-FM is listed as a Spanish format (whatever that may be) and is in 15th place in the beauty contest numbers.

WLLD-FM is listed as a Rhythmic CHR and I would think that format would be a good draw for Hispanics, yet it’s not in the top tier of stations.

Maybe Tampa is just an unusual market. I’ve read accounts where Hispanics are moving from Miami to Tampa. I wonder what they think of their new radio market. Some of these moves involve an older parent(s) moving near kids and family. I would think more changes in the Tampa market are inevitable. More to come...

 

[John FL]

Our next stop is market #57 Ft. Myers-Naples-Marco Island. This is a market that doesn’t get a lot of discussion on these boards, but I believe it should. Here’s a little overview of the market via the ratings:

Nielsen Audio Ratings

In my own order of ranking Florida markets, I’ve divided PPM from non-PPM rated markets. For PPM, it’s Miami/Ft.Lauderdale on top followed by West Palm Beach, Orlando, Tampa, and of course in last place, Jacksonville. In my view, Southwest Florida with the cities described above is the very best in its class as a non-PPM market.

What I consider strongly in ranking markets is in how well it reflects the community served and in variety of formats offered. Back when I wrote about ratings all over Florida, I listened intensely to many stations in S.W. Florida and the experience left me very impressed with this market. There are some markets with a history of offering four of the same music genres. That leaves little else.

Much has apparently changed since I was last in the area and that would have been in the 1990’s. The population: 1,027,200 (Black: 77,300) (Hispanic: 228,900) The fact that the region is over a million people smashes my recall of a lot of undeveloped land and not heavily populated.

Perhaps it’s the combination of major ownership that makes a difference. There’s Sun Broadcasting that dominates, Beasley Media, Fort Myers Broadcasting Company, and Renda Broadcasting. The only major owner in the market is iHeartMedia. Some markets’ major ownership is just among the big companies. There, the uniqueness that is the market can be lost as the format brands pretty much operate the same way no matter the location with the same syndicated programing, talent, and playlists.

Southwest Florida and the formats offered show an almost long-time resident vs. new resident type mentality. When I was there last, that market was more about traditional formats such as Top 40R, rock, oldies, Country, and AC. Today, there’s two rhythmic CHRs, two Spanish Tropical, and two Hot ACs. There’s also the other formats listed where Oldies has been replaced with Classic Hits. There’s Adult Hits, several Country formats, a couple rock formats and on and on. There’s something for everybody.

For the record, I never thought Adult Hits would be a viable format. I never saw the need for it but it’s still around and it does well in many markets, Southwest Florida included. In this market it’s Renda’s WJGO branded as 102.9 Bob FM – We Play Anything. It regularly beats iHeart’s Classic Hits WOLZ-FM (Used to be oldies – O is in the calls) Today it's 95.3 The Beach 80's and more.

Just one market further north and iHeart’s Classic Hits dominates. It goes to show differences in the market. WOLZ is slowly ascending and iHeart is devoting some time and effort in the format. I believe they are doing a more intensive 80s playlist than found on other Premium Choice programmed stations.

While we can all agree that there are unique differences between markets, to include those adjacent to each other, there are differences in the same companies from one market to another. Some are run very well. In other places, that same company can be described as dysfunctional.

More on the way. After all, this is the Big Show.

 

[John FL]

The Treasure Coast, the 3 counties north of the Palm Beaches, is an interesting place. In all my trips up and down the state of Florida, I never knew much about the area including its name. From a radio perspective, whenever I heard WQOL which for many years was an oldies format, then classic hits, it almost always brought a smile to my face and a little envy too.

When I lived in Jax, I longed for a station like WQOL to listen to. A sister station existed there for a very short time. It was never given the required time to reach its potential. I’ve observed many major radio errors in all my years. The former Clear Channel’s decision to kill the format was in my view the biggest radio decision mistake I ever encountered. That was back in 2012. Given the diversity of the market, my own reseach because of my job, and other factors, it’s amazing but not surprising that the variety-based format still hasn’t found a home in Jacksonville. Cox’s rock-based Eagle has a free reign and it’s that way for years.

Like many other areas in Florida and in many parts of the country, demographics are changing, and the Treasure Coast is no exception. The Pastor at my Church has been talking about the rise in Hispanic parishioners. There are now Spanish masses in the schedule to include the need for bilingual clergy.

The news has been reporting the incredible growth in the Hispanic population on the Treasure Coast. I don’t believe this is truly represented when looking at ratings. There must be a lag in the information provided. The biggest population center is Port St. Lucie. That community is growing in leaps and bounds. Building is happening further and further west. New residents from the Northeast as well as Miami through the Palm Beaches are relocating there. The high cost of living further south has prompted relocation.

From a radio perspective, it would appear likely that we can see a few changes made to better reflect the community served. Ratings are only reported twice a year. Last Spring, it appeared that a major player on the Treasure Coast, Vero Beach Broadcasters or Treasure Coast-Space Coast Radio, opted out of Nielsen subscription.

It’s a move that happens as small mom & pop operators are being squeezed monetarily. The cost of subscribing is too high to justify. All the stations in the cluster have a proven track record and I’m sure they sell that to the various listeners. So, they are selling their brands as opposed to pointing to ratings. It’s not agency billing for the most part anyway.

But what this has done is it’s showed just how much of an influence West Palm Beach plays on the Treasure Coast. I always suspected this was the case. The #1 music station, for example, is a Classic Rocker from West Palm. There’s many other stations from West Palm Beach that have proven very popular on the Treasure Coast.

West Palm and the Treasure Coast are one TV market. I often wonder if it would make any economic sense to merge the West Palm Beach and Treasure Coast radio markets. Adding the two populations, it would bring the one market to a position just a tad smaller than Orlando. I suppose these moves would have to make sense. On paper, to me, it looks like it does. There must be negatives tho.

What I do know is the various governments on The Treasure Coast have done everything they can to differentiate themselves from the counties to the south. They don’t want to have any association with them. They market to families and not the glitz and glamor of say a South Beach. There was a time, before population increases and technology, the Treasure Coast had the same area code as Miami. It was once one huge area.

NPR’s WQCS-FM is the leading station in the market. Not surprising. NPR is doing very well in many places. I listen and they do a great job. I suspect that even conservative listeners tune in. The Treasure Coast leans conservative and is represented by two Republicans in the House.

In the last Presidential election, St. Lucie County went for Trump by a razor-thin margin. That bellwether county has a history of always voting for the winner. And so, we briefly made national news with all the conspiracy theories that were flying around. Some pointed to St. Lucie County as Trump won there as proof voter fraud occured in various states. In the end, Trump won the state anyway. It's been shown Hispanics, especially in South Florida played a role in that victory.

Both politically and from a radio format perspective, it’s easy to make assumptions about people and what they prefer. I have a subscription to SiriusXM. In my vehicle, I rarely listen to it because I find radio is outstanding in this market, especially too for the stations that come in from West Palm. It’s why the Treasure Coast is a very strong runner-up to radio in the Ft. Myers area.

It’s amazing to me that some radio markets can be quite ordinary while others shine and offer listeners so many great choices.

 

[John FL]

At this time of year, some will speculate about what’s coming next. It’s tempting but I don’t have a good batting average there. For some markets in Florida, I would think changing demos would see changes in formats. If it isn’t happening already, I would also think CHR will be re-imagined in some way. Perhaps we'll see more specific decades formats like the 10s and more. There was a time format-flipping was common. Due to costs, it’s done more sparingly and usually when there’s no other option.

We’ve probably all observed format flips that were executed exceedingly well. What I’ve noticed is that when the company is fully vested in that format, top down, odds for success greatly increase. A long time ago, a seasoned radio personality, even back then, said to me “no radio station can be better than the G.M.”

At the time I didn’t understand the comment fully but eventually it’s something that I embraced. Leadership. Some were born to run radio stations. Others should have chosen another line of business. One of the oddities about radio is that mistakes tend to repeat. You’d think general “lessons learned” would apply.

There’s a very fine line when making decisions. If the focus is on the individual making the decisions and not the client or the listener, that’s where problems arise. I wore many hats. One job I had was like a Radio G.M. They run a cluster of radio stations. I ran a cluster of brick-and-mortar banks.

Just like radio, we had downsizing initiatives too. Some of my peers would cut more so their profits would rise beyond expectations. Fools. There were other metrics that were measured, and they would suffer as a result. Without getting into the weeds, I observed more than enough occasions where radio decisions were made that seemed to be more about building one's resume than anything else. Bonus pay can be like a double-edged sword.

I have often said ratings don’t always determine format demise. In the case of larger radio companies, decision making has become more centralized so perhaps there’s less opportunity for local managers to exude undue influence. I still maintain those in broadcasting are in an honorable profession. The vast majority are good people. There’s always those bad apples in the barrel in any industry. They don’t always last long either, fortunately.

Finally, I’d like to acknowledge those who post on the "DX and Reception" board. I check it out sometimes. These are folks who have a common interest in pulling in radio stations from far away places. I get the feeling some of these people correspond with each other outside of R.D. That’s good to see. Certainly, there's a lot of civility when they speak to each other. Refreshing!

Many years ago, I talked about this, but I thought it would be a good way to end this year’s holiday post. My dad was a Radio-Man in WWII. When he left the Army he was given a radio that looked like a suitcase. I discovered it in the basement when I was maybe 10 years old. The sound on that radio was amazing. Of course, this was just AM.

It lasted for a lot of years considering how much I listened to it. There were “tubes” inside and once they burned out, we couldn’t find a way to fix it. I miss that radio. It's a shame we didn't try harder to save it. In Northern New Jersey, at night and I had no idea at the time why that was, I picked up radio stations from all over the country, mainly the Midwest including Canada.

Most radio people will tell you how they got “hooked on radio.” My dad’s military service gift did it for me. I called it my “Magic Radio.” The business of radio has intrigued me for a long time. Hope you enjoyed this string. I appreciate the responses we had this time around. Enjoy a happy holiday season!