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107.9 Sacramento
- Thread starter Frequency1
- Start date
Can the stunting end already
Under a Month now
Under a Month now
There were equipment suppliers that provided all kinds of gear for drive-ins. That would have been the main source.
Similarly, there was a provider who mostly built gear for carrier current AM stations, such as many universities and schools used to use. You had to look for those specialized suppliers.
Their station, their decision. Likely they needed the time to build studios and set other things up as well as developing a sales strategy, etc.
Yes I know that
But, it doesn't take a month to build a studio in the iHeart Sacramento Building
There is a lot more than that. And, yes, with today's supply chain problems, there could be some equipment issues (although you'd expect that the company might have available gear somewhere). One of the longest times needed might be to do perceptual research, select a format and then test the music for that particular format. That could easily be six to eight weeks. After that, one would have to assemble the staff to execute the format , even if lots of corporate resources were used.
This is not just a physical build... it involves format choices, staffing, sales and all kinds of other issues. It's a whole new station, not a change of format.
It's not about building a studio. It's about building awareness for the new signal's existence.
If you launched the format with no build-up, nobody would know it's there and only the eventual P1's of the brand will discover it. This stunting (and as I've stated before the now tens of thousands of pageviews my reporting on the station have generated to RadioInsight) is bringing people to at least become aware 107.9 exists in Sacramento once again.
Once the new brand launches, a more targeted marketing campaign will follow, but for. now they want to be able to at least get as many of people at least sampling the station out of the box.
At least they're giving us all something to talk about on a daily basis, will anyone care about the daily minutia of it once "The All New Big Hits Country Mix Star Kiss-FM" is one the air?
A
AnyHuman
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My guess is someone probably got them to turn it off after reading this.
They're doing POP again. Interesting.
Today, it's "Pop Music", which I don't remember seeing on the list Some of the artists are Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, Latto, Ariana Grande, etc. Second time around now, this and the previous Top 40. Starting to think this is where the wheel spin lands
The formats beginning with last Sunday, have been the logical choices that we've been discussing here, 80's, 90's, 00's, Country, and now Pop. I'll go out on a limb and say the permanent format is one of the last 5 we've been hearing.
You know, once again tomorrow is Friday. Maybe this is the last spin of the wheel.
You know, once again tomorrow is Friday. Maybe this is the last spin of the wheel.
James Cridland came to a similar conclusion in his last newsletter - that, as someone not living in the Sacramento area, he cared little about what the permanent format of a station he will likely never listen to will be. But as a radio enthusiast, it lent a little interest to proceedings. I feel similarly.
If the stunt is getting free publicity on social media or in print in the Sacramento area, then there should be decent anticipation among non-geeks (the other 99 percent) built up by the time the new format launches. I can't imagine it being anything but one of the half-dozen or so formats that best hit the juicy target demo without appealing to too many out-of-demo listeners, especially on the old side. Since none of us know whether iHeart bought this full-market frequency to create a high-profile new station, a flanker, or a pest to siphon off listeners from an established market leader, the wait continues.
and as i said earlier in this thread, i think none of us will be surprised by whatever they choose.. and many of us will be quite underwhelmed with that choice
Even though I’m 58 and live in LA, I would be happy to see CHR or Hot AC. Classic Hits would be great, but I’d hate to see the good people of whom I have a great respect for at KCCL to be impacted.
I know I am only interested and following because of the stunting. I fully expect it'll be something bland that I won't like because they need return on their investment, so they'll pick something with a broad appeal (and I am willing to admit that my musical tastes are not that). Extra so because I don't live in the market, and chances are whatever they launch ALREADY exists in my market, since there is apparently only 5-10 music formats with broad appeal that are basically carbon-copied to every market in America now as it is. At least being in MN I have some interesting Public Radio options.
It's another variation. They have music logs they can pull in for virtually any format. They have several for CHR.
Hit Nation - Mainstream CHR (I believe this is the first one they used, I hear it all over the country)
Kiss - Mainstream CHR with a slight Adult lean
Power - Rhythmic-leaning CHR (This is the one they are using today)
Yesterday it was iHeart Country (Premium Choice Country)
Others so far:
iHeart 2000s
iHeart 90s. It's used on 97.9 KXBE HD2 for "B107.3" in Fort Collins, CO
iHeart 80s.
Yacht Rock.
Throwback Hip-Hop would have either been Throwbacks or Fly Nation (I'm guessing Throwbacks)
Dance Nation 90s
iHeart Country Classics was used for Classic Country. The vast majority of their Classic Country stations use that one most of the day.
Rumba is their Spanish CHR format
Smells Like The 90s is their 90s Alternative format.
Up! is their Christian AC format.
They have a Christmas log that a majority of their Christmas stations use. It's always available for when they need to get up and running with a Christmas format. Pride Radio is used on HD2 channels across the country. It's basically a Premium Choice log with music, optional voice tracks like the rest of them.
Of the ones above, all except for Smells Like The 90s, Dance Nation 90s, Yacht Rock and iHeart 2000s have been used on iHeart stations on AM, FM or Translator on at least one station. They can literally load up any of these logs and flip format every day if they wanted until they went through every generic music log they have. So this can go on as long as they want it to.
There is a terminology difference that is critical. What they have are databases of different formats and basic Selector systems. Any station can take one of those sets and adapt the database and the clocks and rules to their format structure, commercial location in the hour, total minutes of spots, service elements and local or iHeart talent.
If they have local research, they can add or pull songs or change categories. In other words, they can take the base systems and adapt them to the local market station.
Yes and no.
Most iHeart's small market stations, some medium/large market stations (and the generic streams that Jeremy listed) all use identical music logs. Those used to be called "Premium Choice" but a now considered internally as being "Format Center" stations. On those stations you'll hear voicetrackers doing generic breaks that are the same across the country as well.
For example look at 102.7 The Wolf in Fresno (Find the most recently played songs on 102.7 The Wolf), 92.9 The Big Dog Modesto (Find the most recently played songs on 92.9 The Big Dog) and Kix 99.3 Spokane since all are in same time zone (Find the most recently played songs on KIX 99.3). The songs may not line up at the exact same time, but the same logs are running.
The next level are what they consider to be "custom" stations. Those stations have playlists customized for each market, but in many cases now the actual music logs are all done by members of the national programming team, but the local PD's determine clocks and song adds. Those stations also have voicetrackers doing breaks customized for those markets in non-local dayparts.
In the three cases you gave, the stations are losing to the format competition. In some cases by a lot. The Spokane station is an AM with a translator. So these stations basically exist to clear the syndication. What they lose by using common music logs is the ability to qualify as a chart reporter. But it probably doesn't matter. So that's the decision you make as a programmer. Do you want to win, place or show. In these cases, the decision was to show. The key part is the stations don't cost a lot to operate.
So what does this mean for Sacramento? iHeart has proven itself as a company that likes to disrupt the marketplace. They don't have to win with a format. They don't even need to place. They can accomplish some part of the company's goals with a show.
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