With so much rock competition in Chicago, it makes sense that a rock leaning Classic Hits station isn't doing as well as other stations in the format. However, since the rock lean they moved towards in 2018 is what made them a big success for a few years, I'm not sure the typical pop/pop rock sound of Classic Hits is the answer. They started off slow in 2021 but saw their numbers grow better later in the year. I think their best option is to just stay the course, and maybe they'll go back up later in the year.
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Latest Chicago Ratings 2-22-22 Release
- Thread starter Dr Wayne
- Start date
Exactly. There's no logic to putting WLS-AM on an FM frequency.
The only other option is to move NORTH like they intended to in the 1970s. The problem is that without fancy footwork, it would have to be DA unless conductivity studies were done or adjustments in other facilities to accommodate it Non-DA. This is possible, but not easy. But as David has said, 15 mV/m is now needed for generally listenable service according to various research and recommendations, and this doesn't reach beyond the inner tier of Northern suburbs. This is the assessment of some of the best consulting engineers in the business, not just my assessment.
Actually, there is a LOT of insider chatter about both WJR and WWJ simulcasting with struggling co owned FMs. And WJR has a better full market signal and better ratings than WLS. Three suburb tiers out, WJR has a 20-30 mV/m signal that I have personally measured with a Potomac FIM-41 Field Strength Meter. My estimate is that is about double WLS in the Northern suburbs.
The insider in Detroit that talks to EVERYBODY in the business, says the consensus is not IF, but WHEN simulcasting will begin.
The insider in Detroit that talks to EVERYBODY in the business, says the consensus is not IF, but WHEN simulcasting will begin.
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I agree that they have signal problems in the northern suburbs. However, I don't think the expense of moving their transmitter further
north can be justified with their current ratings. I could be wrong, but I don't see this happening with a low rated AM, even a 50KW one.
It's not about the ratings now. It is about what ownership thinks an improved signal could achieve.
And I don't think they'll be able to get better ratings without a better signal.
People have been speculating about what you could get for the land in Tinley Park/Mokena border. And about diplexing possibilities. WBBM sacrificed its AM signal somewhat to sell their land and diplex with WSCR, but that may have been a bad idea without the WCFS simulcast.
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There is also the option of letting 890 ride off into the sunset.
In fairness, I thought WGN was headed to the trash heap when Nexstar acquired Tribune. But it has had a respectable resurgence.
In Canada, they moved a Class A on 1580 from Chicoutimi, QC to Oshawa, ON. And they moved CBEF from 540 to 1550 Class A in Windsor. Canada is moving to FM, and they still found those high frequency Class As worth preserving. There are new AMs and silent frequencies coming back on the air near Toronto. If Chicago and Cumulus eschews the Class A 890, I'm sure it looks like way up to many other AMs in Chicago and around the Midwest where it might fit.
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I don’t know about currently, but 100.3 has served as a flanker for WTMX forever. Rarely had much in the way of great ratings. They’d always (to this day still do) make subtle tweaks to the format but would never shift TOO far from AC. It’s an easy slide back to AC by adding some currents if they feel they need to. It’s also acting as market clearence for the morning show which is syndicated nationally and originates from Hubbard’s CHR in Seattle.
How much are they billing between the 3 stations in Chicago? Couldn’t have been much in 2020. Not sure about 2021.
94.7 shifted to a more Rock lean when Wade Linder began programming it after they had to sign off The Loop. For anybody who grew up in Chicago in the 80s, it might remind them of the WLS-FM of the time, which was also very rock leaning at times. I think that might also be some of the reason. The Drive seems like their direct competition these days. The Drive has actually shifted older (adding some 60s and 70s back in) within the last year. Most Classic Rock stations have gone well into the 90s to an extent.
101.1 added a syndicated show to the 6-11PM time slot. It’s not a bad show, but it seems like syndication has a bad track record with that format. I don’t know if this has anything to do with their ratings. They obviously seem to be trying to save money since WLS-FM is also now syndicated at night. 101.1’s numbers seem to dip in the fall and winter and improve in the spring and summer. At least that’s what happened last year. They seem to do better in the 18-34s than they do 6+. Not sure what the target is, but if it was 18-34, then that would make sense.
WLS back in the day was known to add newer songs late, with people sometimes labelling them as the World's Last Station. And if I'm not mistaken, WLS leaned towards rock and played less R&B and Disco.
Indeed WGN has recovered. Can WLS, not sure about that.
The Rick Sklar influence from WABC.
Yes they do, but if the logs are any indication, WLS-FM does not seem to be strongly focused on these singers, and the three aforementioned artists are practically the majority of non-classic rock music on the station.
Agreed, it’s definitely a rock lean, but I consider it rock leaning classic hits. Same for Cumulus’s WJJK down in Indy.
IMO WJMK had a better playlist than WLS-FM, but apparently the market and Audacy/CBS disagreed.
That is correct on the rock lean. There's a 1981 aircheck where the only thing even approaching R&B was "Being With You" by Smokey Robinson. John Landecker's book indicates that after the disco backlash, the sight of the WLS van brought boos and middle fingers. They re-branded the station vehicle as the Animal Stories Mobile Unit and that made things much better.
WLS did put the talk format on FM in the 90s (when it was a much better talk format), but at that time the FM was struggling in the Format of the Month club (including Hell 94.7). They even spun off the FM for a younger talk format, which was short-lived. Doing it now......no.
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