Around The Treasure Coast

[davideduardo]

WMIA has never stuck to an identity in the decade and a half since it flipped from Smooth Jazz. They tried to be WKTU at one point. They went all-90s. They have had several incarnations of Hot AC. I like what I hear now, especially because of the commitment to a wider playlist.

And there has been no 25-54 movement from an average of 20th in the market since this time last year. They have been as low as 23red and as high as 19th. It's not moving at all.

I am getting raked over the coals on that thread about iHeart markets with no local talent!

Because in most cases, a very strong national or regional talent wins almost every time. In the Internet era, "local" has become a far less relevant term and may not even have positive meaning to many.

Example: to me "shopping local" means higher prices, less selection and having to drive somewhere while buying online just means getting what I want in the size or color or whatever-it-is I want; local is not good.

Some of my best friends are in places like Texas and New Jersey and Argentina and Italy and Puerto Rico and Ecuador and... well, you can see that they no longer have to be "in the hood" to be friends. Another case where "local" is irrelevant and even limiting.

 

[ScottBurns]

And there has been no 25-54 movement from an average of 20th in the market since this time last year. They have been as low as 23red and as high as 19th. It's not moving at all.

Because in most cases, a very strong national or regional talent wins almost every time. In the Internet era, "local" has become a far less relevant term and may not even have positive meaning to many.

Example: to me "shopping local" means higher prices, less selection and having to drive somewhere while buying online just means getting what I want in the size or color or whatever-it-is I want; local is not good.

Some of my best friends are in places like Texas and New Jersey and Argentina and Italy and Puerto Rico and Ecuador and... well, you can see that they no longer have to be "in the hood" to be friends. Another case where "local" is irrelevant and even limiting.

I understand the reasons, but, as we have established on the other thread, it's not my personal preference.

I'd also note, David, that there are some big market iHeart CHRs that have recently expanded their playlists to include much more gold. I was streaming Boston's Kiss 108 a couple of weeks ago and heard a Nelly song from 2002. WIOQ has a broader playlist than others as well. Why would these stations be doing this if the tightest possible playlists are the way to go, at least according to all the experts?

 

[davideduardo]

I understand the reasons, but, as we have established on the other thread, it's not my personal preference.

I'd also note, David, that there are some big market iHeart CHRs that have recently expanded their playlists to include much more gold. I was streaming Boston's Kiss 108 a couple of weeks ago and heard a Nelly song from 2002. WIOQ has a broader playlist than others as well. Why would these stations be doing this if the tightest possible playlists are the way to go, at least according to all the experts?

The trades have been full of comments on the weakness of CHR in recent years, exacerbated by the pandemic. With less strong currents, stations lean on recurrents and very recent gold.

This has always been a practice of CHR and Top 40: during certain time of the year there are fewer releases and little available to refresh the playlist... so many Top 40's would lighten rotations or cut the number of currents per category, keeping older songs in hotter rotations until more releases came out.

Today, the problem is endemic so we see it all the time.

In fact, you are wrong in saying "experts want tight playlists". Experts don't want playlists that include songs that are not positive among many listeners. The deciding factor is finding all the good songs you can and not playing negative ones. In each format, there is going to be a different number of songs. In the 50's and much of the 60's, Top 40 was just 40 songs, and many of those stations got big double digit scores.

In was looking at a Dallas Pulse survey presented in the 1961 congressional ratings hearings. One Top 40 got nearly 20 shares and the other got nearly 40 shares. That is over half of all Dallas listening, and both stations were playing no more than 35 to 40 songs.

On the other hand, when I did the most listened to classic rock station ever, we had trouble getting over 500 songs. So we played what passed our tests and did not artificially expand on the list. And we did an on-air music test that got back over 60,000 scorecards from a 6-hour hook session over the air.

 

[ScottBurns]

The trades have been full of comments on the weakness of CHR in recent years, exacerbated by the pandemic. With less strong currents, stations lean on recurrents and very recent gold.

This has always been a practice of CHR and Top 40: during certain time of the year there are fewer releases and little available to refresh the playlist... so many Top 40's would lighten rotations or cut the number of currents per category, keeping older songs in hotter rotations until more releases came out.

Today, the problem is endemic so we see it all the time.

In fact, you are wrong in saying "experts want tight playlists". Experts don't want playlists that include songs that are not positive among many listeners. The deciding factor is finding all the good songs you can and not playing negative ones. In each format, there is going to be a different number of songs. In the 50's and much of the 60's, Top 40 was just 40 songs, and many of those stations got big double digit scores.

In was looking at a Dallas Pulse survey presented in the 1961 congressional ratings hearings. One Top 40 got nearly 20 shares and the other got nearly 40 shares. That is over half of all Dallas listening, and both stations were playing no more than 35 to 40 songs.

On the other hand, when I did the most listened to classic rock station ever, we had trouble getting over 500 songs. So we played what passed our tests and did not artificially expand on the list. And we did an on-air music test that got back over 60,000 scorecards from a 6-hour hook session over the air.

Respectfully, I think you're nit picking. I just spent an entire thread getting bashed about wanting larger playlists. Every expert, including you, extolled the virtues of tight playlists. You even told the story of the station that had 1500 songs in its playlist and you cut it down to 300, making the station more successful.

 

[John FL]

Another great reply, John. Thank you.

For better or worse, I just don't see the Treasure Coast growing much more, especially relative to West Palm Beach or even Melbourne. The problem is that its population centers aren't clustered around one city. There's Stuart, PSL, Vero, and others. All are relatively small cities.

And speaking of the Miami market, I really miss Miami's talk radio tradition. Miami had unique local talent. He was controversial, but there's no one I enjoyed listening to more than Neil Rogers. There's no one like him on the dial today - no one with a fraction of his talent.

Much appreciated, Scott. I tend to be an eternal optimist. But deep down inside,I realize the Treasure Coast's local presence that does exist, on iHeart stations for example, will one day succumb to the inevitability of 100% syndication. It is what it is.

Yes, "Uncle Neil" was quite the phenomenon. Not only highly talented, but all his "inside radio" commentary, especially when the ratings came out, was priceless. I think it was when he was on WINZ-AM that he lifted the station to incredible heights. His show was #2 in the entire market just behind AC WLYF in midday. Imagine that! I guess that was in the 80s. After a while, the past is getting blurrier.

I'm happy to say I met him on numerous occasions. My late parents were racing fans. When I lived there and in all my visits we went to the old Pompano Park Racetrack's clubhouse. And there was Neil. We had some interesting conversations. Anyway, I digress but I have many wonderful radio memories of all my times in South Florida. Yes, there was a time S. Florida was home to excellent news/talk stations and they were LOCAL not syndicated.

I'd like to add a few thoughts about playlists. It's easy for all of us to blame radio management for what we perceive as deficiencies. But we also have to take into account the general public. First off, increasing numbers of people tend to have the attention span of a flea. They want instant gratification. The expansive specialty programming events we were treated to in the past, such as A-Z countdowns where thousands of songs were featured that took about a week to get through are probably in the more risk than reward category to do.

Over the years, I've spoken at length about one of my radio heroes. That would be Brian Thomas when he was at the helm of Classic Hits WCBS-FM in NYC. Each day, there was a feature. Most times it was just one song an hour that was highlighted that fit the theme. They were talked up with a factoid perhaps. But the circumstances for even something like that has changed.

I recall all these daily features were voice-imaged. That alone would be a financial difficulty for most stations to achieve. Countdown specials are difficult with voice tracking and syndicated programing in the mix. What I have noticed is there's that song that seems to pop out of nowhere and given a spin. These are the songs that the public likes enough but not to the point of hearing the song in a power rotation. It's better than nothing I suppose. Classic Hits WQOL engages in this. I've heard this type of thing in other Premium Choice formats as well.

Another thing we have to remember is skill sets. There are those who can take the company-ordained playlist and make something of it. Others falter. Some develop a true top down vested in success team. Others create dysfunction. Playlists are just one part of the many spokes in the wheel of success.

 

[ScottBurns]

Much appreciated, Scott. I tend to be an eternal optimist. But deep down inside,I realize the Treasure Coast's local presence that does exist, on iHeart stations for example, will one day succumb to the inevitability of 100% syndication. It is what it is.

Thank you, John. I think the best hope for the Treasure Coast is the smaller operators. The iHeart stations will likely have no local presence. Perhaps the smaller owners still will.

Yes, "Uncle Neil" was quite the phenomenon. Not only highly talented, but all his "inside radio" commentary, especially when the ratings came out, was priceless. I think it was when he was on WINZ-AM that he lifted the station to incredible heights. His show was #2 in the entire market just behind AC WLYF in midday. Imagine that! I guess that was in the 80s. After a while, the past is getting blurrier.

I'm happy to say I met him on numerous occasions. My late parents were racing fans. When I lived there and in all my visits we went to the old Pompano Park Racetrack's clubhouse. And there was Neil. We had some interesting conversations. Anyway, I digress but I have many wonderful radio memories of all my times in South Florida. Yes, there was a time S. Florida was home to excellent news/talk stations and they were LOCAL not syndicated.

I am jealous that you met him! His show was a must, and I still listen to the Neil Rogers YouTube channel. It is fascinating. He was the best I have ever heard when it comes to talk radio. And he was so brilliant that his shows all seemed like they were completely stream of consciousness performances. He really did love talking about the entire media. Can you imagine what he'd be saying about the "cheapness" of today's owners?

I'd like to add a few thoughts about playlists. It's easy for all of us to blame radio management for what we perceive as deficiencies. But we also have to take into account the general public. First off, increasing numbers of people tend to have the attention span of a flea. They want instant gratification. The expansive specialty programming events we were treated to in the past, such as A-Z countdowns where thousands of songs were featured that took about a week to get through are probably in the more risk than reward category to do.

You are right. Since my perspective is the opposite one, I always think of this: What is the most common complaint about FM radio today? I often hear about the repetition. Yet I guess people who complain about it are in the minority.

Over the years, I've spoken at length about one of my radio heroes. That would be Brian Thomas when he was at the helm of Classic Hits WCBS-FM in NYC. Each day, there was a feature. Most times it was just one song an hour that was highlighted that fit the theme. They were talked up with a factoid perhaps. But the circumstances for even something like that has changed.

I recall all these daily features were voice-imaged. That alone would be a financial difficulty for most stations to achieve. Countdown specials are difficult with voice tracking and syndicated programing in the mix. What I have noticed is there's that song that seems to pop out of nowhere and given a spin. These are the songs that the public likes enough but not to the point of hearing the song in a power rotation. It's better than nothing I suppose. Classic Hits WQOL engages in this. I've heard this type of thing in other Premium Choice formats as well.

Another thing we have to remember is skill sets. There are those who can take the company-ordained playlist and make something of it. Others falter. Some develop a true top down vested in success team. Others create dysfunction. Playlists are just one part of the many spokes in the wheel of success.

Very true. I just hope that radio can somehow grow again and become more profitable. That would lead to better outcomes for all.

 

[davideduardo]

Respectfully, I think you're nit picking. I just spent an entire thread getting bashed about wanting larger playlists. Every expert, including you, extolled the virtues of tight playlists. You even told the story of the station that had 1500 songs in its playlist and you cut it down to 300, making the station more successful.

This is not about total playlist size. It is about how many strong current hits there are. And in the last three years at least there have not been enough good songs to feed the beast in a format where the high number of spins burns currents in a short period of time.

 

[John FL]

As is the case all over the country, the sounds of the season are alive and well on The Treasure Coast and The Palm Beaches.

Some observations. I continue to be impressed with Hubbard Radio in West Palm Beach. Their Classic Hits station (WEAT-FM Sunny 107.9) flipped to holiday favorites in mid November. But they just didn't "pull the switch." Via social media they did a highly effective job in building anticipation for the event. This included the decorating of the facilities and a little tour of the studio.

Their airteam is highly engaged in social media and when added to a really good Classic Hits brand, it's no wonder the station has been top tier for quite some time. For those of you who are not familiar with the station, WEAT FM, it had a long history as a traditional AC with an equally long reputation as playing the Christmas hits.

South Florida has a history of being sporadic at best in offering specialty holiday programing. Perhaps because of the tropical winter weather, songs about snow and cold have a tougher sell. But interestingly enough, when I lived in northern Broward County (Pompano area) I was amazed at just how many businesses would switch from say AC WLYF to WEAT. So, when they use the word "official" in their holiday branding, it's not hype.

As is usually the case, iHeart's AC WOLL KOOL 105.5 is also playing the Yule tunes. But, their social media pages didn't do as decent a job promoting the event. Perhaps it's a case where a large company that has a team far away that handles most of the social media posting leaves a detached feeling. WOLL bills itself as "The Palm Beaches Christmas Station." The word "official" is missing. I never cared much for multiple stations talking about how official they are. So, perhaps a good thing here. Both stations will do well with the holiday format but my money is on WEAT-FM to have the edge.

On The Treasure Coast, iHeart's Classic Hits, WQOL and it's Oldies (N. Treasure Coast only) WZTA Oldies 107.9 (same frequency as WEAT) are both doing a slow rotation of Christmas hits mixed in with the regular format. Last year, their oldies brand was all Christmas.

Soft AC, WOSN (97.1 Ocean FM) flipped to the holiday tunes on Thanksgiving Day. Little fanfare and perhaps the norm for a very small company ownership. Just a Thanksgiving Publix salt and pepper shaker with the announcement that the holiday tunes began.

With the Christmas format, there's the usual speculation as to what could be coming next. I've noticed their holiday playlist is more "contemporary" for lack of a better word than it was last year. Perhaps, their regular programing after the holidays will be updated. Still, I believe offering a holiday format provides advantages to making tweaks once regular programing resumes. Listener impressions change a bit not hearing regular formatting for 4 weeks. We'll have to see but I think advancing the chronological music "sweet spot" is overdo.

 

[ScottBurns]

As is the case all over the country, the sounds of the season are alive and well on The Treasure Coast and The Palm Beaches.

Some observations. I continue to be impressed with Hubbard Radio in West Palm Beach. Their Classic Hits station (WEAT-FM Sunny 107.9) flipped to holiday favorites in mid November. But they just didn't "pull the switch." Via social media they did a highly effective job in building anticipation for the event. This included the decorating of the facilities and a little tour of the studio.

Hey John. I hope that you had a good Thanksgiving!

I think Hubbard presents a better product than iHeart, Audacy, or Cumulus. But that is, sadly, a pretty low bar. What impresses me most about Hubbard is their commitment to a highly-paid morning team (KVJ) at WRMF. Yes, that show brings in a lot of revenue. But Hubbard has demonstrated a real desire to keep them in place for the long run. On the other hand, Hubbard is not immune to some of the more obscene cost-cutting in which the others engage. I find it tacky to run Jennifer and Bill simultaneously on two stations with different formats. Their show on WEAT-FM is clearly voice tracked. Moreover, WEAT-FM's midday and afternoon jock has an 8-hour voice tracked shift. It's just too long. I guess we are lucky to have any jock at all during middays and afternoons.

Their airteam is highly engaged in social media and when added to a really good Classic Hits brand, it's no wonder the station has been top tier for quite some time. For those of you who are not familiar with the station, WEAT FM, it had a long history as a traditional AC with an equally long reputation as playing the Christmas hits.

South Florida has a history of being sporadic at best in offering specialty holiday programing. Perhaps because of the tropical winter weather, songs about snow and cold have a tougher sell. But interestingly enough, when I lived in northern Broward County (Pompano area) I was amazed at just how many businesses would switch from say AC WLYF to WEAT. So, when they use the word "official" in their holiday branding, it's not hype.

As is usually the case, iHeart's AC WOLL KOOL 105.5 is also playing the Yule tunes. But, their social media pages didn't do as decent a job promoting the event. Perhaps it's a case where a large company that has a team far away that handles most of the social media posting leaves a detached feeling. WOLL bills itself as "The Palm Beaches Christmas Station." The word "official" is missing. I never cared much for multiple stations talking about how official they are. So, perhaps a good thing here. Both stations will do well with the holiday format but my money is on WEAT-FM to have the edge.

On The Treasure Coast, iHeart's Classic Hits, WQOL and it's Oldies (N. Treasure Coast only) WZTA Oldies 107.9 (same frequency as WEAT) are both doing a slow rotation of Christmas hits mixed in with the regular format. Last year, their oldies brand was all Christmas.

Soft AC, WOSN (97.1 Ocean FM) flipped to the holiday tunes on Thanksgiving Day. Little fanfare and perhaps the norm for a very small company ownership. Just a Thanksgiving Publix salt and pepper shaker with the announcement that the holiday tunes began.

With the Christmas format, there's the usual speculation as to what could be coming next. I've noticed their holiday playlist is more "contemporary" for lack of a better word than it was last year. Perhaps, their regular programing after the holidays will be updated. Still, I believe offering a holiday format provides advantages to making tweaks once regular programing resumes. Listener impressions change a bit not hearing regular formatting for 4 weeks. We'll have to see but I think advancing the chronological music "sweet spot" is overdo.

 

[John FL]

Hey John. I hope that you had a good Thanksgiving!

I think Hubbard presents a better product than iHeart, Audacy, or Cumulus. But that is, sadly, a pretty low bar. What impresses me most about Hubbard is their commitment to a highly-paid morning team (KVJ) at WRMF. Yes, that show brings in a lot of revenue. But Hubbard has demonstrated a real desire to keep them in place for the long run. On the other hand, Hubbard is not immune to some of the more obscene cost-cutting in which the others engage. I find it tacky to run Jennifer and Bill simultaneously on two stations with different formats. Their show on WEAT-FM is clearly voice tracked. Moreover, WEAT-FM's midday and afternoon jock has an 8-hour voice tracked shift. It's just too long. I guess we are lucky to have any jock at all during middays and afternoons.

Thanks, Scott. Yes, a great Thanksgiving. I was the cook and we survived! Seriously I love to cook. Hope your holiday season is a blast!

When it comes to radio, I take a holistic approach. I prefer to look at what the company does especially well as a whole. My preference is for shorter airshifts, but does the average listener care? Perhaps a red flag is raised if that listener hears the jock repeat things. I wouldn't think that's the case at Hubbard. They've got some really good people there.

In iHeart's oldies format, just in casual listening, I've heard lots of examples of saying the same thing. It is what it is. I've also grown tired of their talk back feature because it's obvious that not talking directly to the listener. It's mostly sound affects and aha.

Still, as you say, we're lucky to have jocks as well as some of the formats. Nothing's perfect but compared to where I once lived, radio is not bad at all.

 

[ScottBurns]

Thanks, Scott. Yes, a great Thanksgiving. I was the cook and we survived! Seriously I love to cook. Hope your holiday season is a blast!

When it comes to radio, I take a holistic approach. I prefer to look at what the company does especially well as a whole. My preference is for shorter airshifts, but does the average listener care? Perhaps a red flag is raised if that listener hears the jock repeat things. I wouldn't think that's the case at Hubbard. They've got some really good people there.

In iHeart's oldies format, just in casual listening, I've heard lots of examples of saying the same thing. It is what it is. I've also grown tired of their talk back feature because it's obvious that not talking directly to the listener. It's mostly sound affects and aha.

Still, as you say, we're lucky to have jocks as well as some of the formats. Nothing's perfect but compared to where I once lived, radio is not bad at all.

Well said, my friend. I have to constantly remind myself that guys like you and me aren’t the average listener. Still, I hear a lot of the same complaints about radio that I’ve posted on here - repetitive playlists, lack of music variety, and boring jocks. But perhaps even the non-radio enthusiasts I know are not representative of the whole.

I know you’re an East Coast guy like I am, but did you ever hear the Power Pig in its heyday? That was the best “personality radio” I’ve ever heard. I long for stations like that. But they are gone forever.

One of the things I miss most about the “old days” - heck, the 90s - is the regional variation among stations. Growing up in West Palm, we had two CHR stations we could hear - the then-WOVV and Y-100. The stations had a radically different sound. Today, the stations share an owner and have nearly identical playlists. It used to be exciting to go somewhere different. It meant hearing unique radio stations. Now, I can go virtually anywhere in the country - say, Omaha - and hear the exact same songs, same jocks, same voiceovers - that I hear at home.

You’re right though. We need to appreciate the good owners who are still trying to bring us good radio. It’s out there. We just have to know where to find it.

 

[John FL]

I know you’re an East Coast guy like I am, but did you ever hear the Power Pig in its heyday? That was the best “personality radio” I’ve ever heard. I long for stations like that. But they are gone forever.

You’re right though. We need to appreciate the good owners who are still trying to bring us good radio. It’s out there. We just have to know where to find it.

If you are referring to Power Pig that's Tampa, I just heard about that station but never really listened to it. I've often commented about this but Tampa is simply a market I just don't get. My job brought me there a few times. Outside of St. Pete and the beach communities to the south, especially into Sarasota, I don't care much for Tampa at all.

Via streaming, I would occasionally listen to WDUV (105.5 The Dove) It's a long time ago now but my goodness, what a great station that used to be. They played incredible music but that didn't translate well with the advertisers so it's what it is today. And that's how it goes.

I spent a lot of time in the West Palm area over the weekend and got a chance to listen a lot to Sunny. The more I listened, the more I realized why they do well. It's a very entertaining station. Just my opinion but it's one of many reasons the West Palm radio market is far better than Tampa.

 

[ScottBurns]

If you are referring to Power Pig that's Tampa, I just heard about that station but never really listened to it. I've often commented about this but Tampa is simply a market I just don't get. My job brought me there a few times. Outside of St. Pete and the beach communities to the south, especially into Sarasota, I don't care much for Tampa at all.

Via streaming, I would occasionally listen to WDUV (105.5 The Dove) It's a long time ago now but my goodness, what a great station that used to be. They played incredible music but that didn't translate well with the advertisers so it's what it is today. And that's how it goes.

I spent a lot of time in the West Palm area over the weekend and got a chance to listen a lot to Sunny. The more I listened, the more I realized why they do well. It's a very entertaining station. Just my opinion but it's one of many reasons the West Palm radio market is far better than Tampa.

Good morning, John! I didn't know that you weren't a fan of Tampa. I am not sure why; it's a place I've always loved. From Ybor City to the beach communities, and from Bayshore Boulevard to watching sports on Dale Mabry, I have always enjoyed it.

I agree about the Dove. Now it sounds like nearly every other AC out there.

The thing I loved about the Power Pig were the personalities. I understand that raunchy isn't everyone's style - and the Power Pig was as raunchy as I have ever heard an FM station - but I loved how each jock was really putting on a show. The personalities were more important than the music. I know those days are long gone. When I was in college in Gainesville, I remember playing with my boombox antenna until I was able to listen to the Power Pig. Somewhere, I have a tape of Bubba's last night there.

Maybe I am biased because West Palm is my home market, but I don't love Sunny. The music variety isn't there, the jocks are too boring and voice-tracked (the station doesn't even have a real morning show, as its two hosts, Jennifer Ross and Bill Adams, voice track mornings and host a conservative talk show on the cluster's AM station). Some of the voice tracked shifts are ridiculously long (up to 8 hours). But I notice these things only because I am a radio nerd. In terms of Classic Hits, I think 102.7 The Beach, out of the Miami market, is doing it better than Sunny.

 

[Mikey Radio]

.

One early weekday morning this week, I happened to be driving in the area of the Space Coast, decided to scan the dial to hear what was on, and one of the first stations the radio stopped at was 105.9 Sunny FM out of Orlando. It was the Rick Stacey morning show with Jill and Smokestack. I found it entertaining. It was bit of a throwback to the "morning zoo" type format where there was almost no music, lots of banter and laughter among the hosts, zany sound effects and a decent amount of produced elements like song parodies, fake commercials, etc. I was enjoying listening to it, until they returned from one particular commercial break and started talking about the exchange that happened to free WNBA star Brittney Griner in exchange for Russia getting one of theirs back. Suddenly that fun and lighthearted morning show became political to the point where it almost became Tucker Carlson-like...And they weren't just mentioning a news story and then giving their thoughts about it or having a general discussion; They started saying things like "Folks, we know what other stations are saying, but we're not afraid to give it to you straight and tell it like it is" and they went so far as to play older clips of interviews with Paul Whelan when tring to drive home their (obviously politically slanted) viewpoints to the audience. Once that started, I was no longer "entertained", the show was no longer "fun" to listen to and I hit the button to move along.

Next station I listened to as I drove a bit south was NewsTalk 92.7. Again, not a bad morning program and the hosts had some decent banter, talking about a recent lawsuit that made headlines and each giving their opinion about it, which was fine... But then the male host launched into a diatribe about how colleges everywhere need fixing, because one person on one campus at one particular college somewhere happened to claim she thought maybe just possibly Jesus Christ might have been transgender. I rolled my eyes while driving (probably not safe) while the others on that program let out a big sigh of disbelief and acted like it was the most shocking thing they'd heard in weeks. They promised more after the break. I switched to Christmas programming.

 

[CentralFL]

One early weekday morning this week, I happened to be driving in the area of tW

I really agree with you about WOCL "Sunny FM". That morning show does not belong on that station. They are chasing away a lot of listeners who don't want to hear that.

 

[John FL]

Good morning, John! I didn't know that you weren't a fan of Tampa. I am not sure why; it's a place I've always loved. From Ybor City to the beach communities, and from Bayshore Boulevard to watching sports on Dale Mabry, I have always enjoyed it.

I agree about the Dove. Now it sounds like nearly every other AC out there.

The thing I loved about the Power Pig were the personalities. I understand that raunchy isn't everyone's style - and the Power Pig was as raunchy as I have ever heard an FM station - but I loved how each jock was really putting on a show. The personalities were more important than the music. I know those days are long gone. When I was in college in Gainesville, I remember playing with my boombox antenna until I was able to listen to the Power Pig. Somewhere, I have a tape of Bubba's last night there.

Maybe I am biased because West Palm is my home market, but I don't love Sunny. The music variety isn't there, the jocks are too boring and voice-tracked (the station doesn't even have a real morning show, as its two hosts, Jennifer Ross and Bill Adams, voice track mornings and host a conservative talk show on the cluster's AM station). Some of the voice tracked shifts are ridiculously long (up to 8 hours). But I notice these things only because I am a radio nerd. In terms of Classic Hits, I think 102.7 The Beach, out of the Miami market, is doing it better than Sunny.

My job brought me to Tampa several times. For whatever reason, I just didn't care for the place. Perhaps if I went there for leisure, I may have felt differently. Radio there is like the same situation. Tampa is a Top 20 market yet I put them on almost the same league as Jacksonville which is a dreadful radio market. It wasn't always that way there. At least Tampa has a Classic Hits station like WRBQ. That gives the market a notch over Jax IMO.

As far as Sunny goes and West Palm in general, I'll say this. As much as I enjoy radio on the Treasure Coast, I realize this market has limitations due to its size and advertising revenue. Specifically, when I heard Sunny and some of the banter along with the holiday tunes, it was better than the T.C's "Ocean FM" as that station is automated/jockless most of the time. Even the imaging was far better on Sunny than Ocean FM. It does make a difference.

I'm hearing a lot of TV commercials for Christmas music on WOLL (KOOL 105.5). So, that shows some effort. There's never TV commercials that I've noticed for T.C. stations and no doubt that's an expense that's not justified. While West Palm is a Top 50 market, it sounds like a Top 20 market to me because operating budgets have differences.

The fact that you have issues with your home market is not unusual. I see comments like that all over these boards. We can stream stations from just about everywhere and when we find something really good and to our liking, we wonder why our home market doesn't offer the same.

 

[John FL]

One early weekday morning this week, I happened to be driving in the area of the Space Coast, decided to scan the dial to hear what was on, and one of the first stations the radio stopped at was 105.9 Sunny FM out of Orlando. It was the Rick Stacey morning show with Jill and Smokestack. I found it entertaining. It was bit of a throwback to the "morning zoo" type format where there was almost no music, lots of banter and laughter among the hosts, zany sound effects and a decent amount of produced elements like song parodies, fake commercials, etc. I was enjoying listening to it, until they returned from one particular commercial break and started talking about the exchange that happened to free WNBA star Brittney Griner in exchange for Russia getting one of theirs back. Suddenly that fun and lighthearted morning show became political to the point where it almost became Tucker Carlson-like...

Quite frankly, I don't get it. Rick Stacey is a very smart radio guy and knows the Orlando market very well. There may very well be things I don't understand. I'm sure Audacy would have had to sign off on a morning show that resembled what the Seinfeld! show does. I prefer to hear music and not political stuff no matter the side. Still, Rick would have had to make the case doing this. It would be interesting to know the justification and reasoning.

Like you, I enjoyed some of "morning zoo" shows of the past. When I lived in Jacksonville, I listened to WAPE's morning show in the late 90s and considered it the stuff of a much larger market. It was very entertaining. Eventually, CMG came in and some of those morning jocks didn't want to work for a big company and left. It was no longer the same. I stopped listening and I haven't heard anything like that kind of morning show since.

 

[ScottBurns]

My job brought me to Tampa several times. For whatever reason, I just didn't care for the place. Perhaps if I went there for leisure, I may have felt differently. Radio there is like the same situation. Tampa is a Top 20 market yet I put them on almost the same league as Jacksonville which is a dreadful radio market. It wasn't always that way there. At least Tampa has a Classic Hits station like WRBQ. That gives the market a notch over Jax IMO.

As far as Sunny goes and West Palm in general, I'll say this. As much as I enjoy radio on the Treasure Coast, I realize this market has limitations due to its size and advertising revenue. Specifically, when I heard Sunny and some of the banter along with the holiday tunes, it was better than the T.C's "Ocean FM" as that station is automated/jockless most of the time. Even the imaging was far better on Sunny than Ocean FM. It does make a difference.

I'm hearing a lot of TV commercials for Christmas music on WOLL (KOOL 105.5). So, that shows some effort. There's never TV commercials that I've noticed for T.C. stations and no doubt that's an expense that's not justified. While West Palm is a Top 50 market, it sounds like a Top 20 market to me because operating budgets have differences.

The fact that you have issues with your home market is not unusual. I see comments like that all over these boards. We can stream stations from just about everywhere and when we find something really good and to our liking, we wonder why our home market doesn't offer the same.

I think iHeart's West Palm budget cuts color my opinion of the market. I wish I agreed that West Palm sounds like a top 20 market. To me, it sounds like something over market 100. Yes, the iHeart properties generally have local morning shows, but other than that, absolutely everything is either non-locally voice tracked or Premium Choice. KOOL 105.5 is mostly Premium Choice. Wild is mostly out-of-town voice tracked. And the Gater has a couple of voices piped in from Miami.

The thing that makes Tampa better than Jacksonville, at least for me, is the staying power of some of the big-name jocks. Mason Dixon (although recently laid off, but staying for weekends) and Todd Schnitt are two examples. Brian Fink has been heard on WFLZ since the Power Pig days. I never followed Jacksonville as closely. I don't think, however, that it has the kind of heritage voices that Tampa does.

You are correct that I have issues with my home market. But nearly all of the Miami market is clear from where I live, and I like it much more. 93.9 WMIA, Easy 93.1, and Hits 97.3 all offer something that can't be heard elsewhere. But then again, Y100, Wild, WFLZ, and Kiss in Jacksonville are all virtually indistinguishable.

 

[John FL]

The thing that makes Tampa better than Jacksonville, at least for me, is the staying power of some of the big-name jocks. Mason Dixon (although recently laid off, but staying for weekends) and Todd Schnitt are two examples. Brian Fink has been heard on WFLZ since the Power Pig days. I never followed Jacksonville as closely. I don't think, however, that it has the kind of heritage voices that Tampa does.

You are correct that I have issues with my home market. But nearly all of the Miami market is clear from where I live, and I like it much more. 93.9 WMIA, Easy 93.1, and Hits 97.3 all offer something that can't be heard elsewhere. But then again, Y100, Wild, WFLZ, and Kiss in Jacksonville are all virtually indistinguishable.

You make interesting points. Jacksonville has some talent longevity too. However, there isn't the notoriety that comes along with tenure. When it came to adult-based formats from oldies to classic hits, there were those with proven track records and knowledge of the market. But once gone, they were gone for good.

There are two alumni of the old WAPE from the 1970s, Tom Murphy and A.J. Davis, who have been hired and fired so many times at various stations over the years, even I can't keep up. They are probably retired by now.

If there is one music format in Jax where seniority exists and there is name-recognition, at least for the local market, it's with their country formats. Heritage station (99.1) WQIK's "The Big Show" morning show has two long tenure jocks with Robbie Rose and John Scott. Scott has been at WQIK over 30 years. Robbie Rose, probably 25 or so years at WQIK and before that he was on a competing country format that has been gone for many years - Rooster Country.

At Renda's WGNE (99.9 Gator Country, alumni from the 1990's WAPE's Morning Zoo, Amadeus and Eden Kendall are still doing their thing. Steve Sutton was for a long time a part of Gator's morning show. I have no idea what happened to him but probably downsized. As is usually the case, there was no mention of this on the North Florida board as most major news rarely gets reported there.

What I especially like about markets such as Miami is they stick with known quantities. Probably the best example of this is between WLYF and WFEZ. At one time or another, many worked at either station. Jacksonville doesn't seem to do that for whatever reason. I can think of someone like Pat Garett who did an outstanding job as PD for COOL 96.9 when it was oldies. Jacksonville attempted oldies hybrids and classic hits formats a number of times.

Each time, those formats failed. And it wasn't because of the market despite what they will tell you. They simply had the wrong people running things. They also lacked commitment for the long haul. Much opportunity has been lost over the years there.

Appreciate your comments about Tampa. I just may have to do some sampling listening again. I do have an open mind!

 

[John FL]

Per the previous post, I totally forgot to mention Arthur Crofton who has been a staple on Jacksonville's AC, WEJZ's morning show, for many, many decades. He's had many co-hosts and a long-term news guy over the years but he's survived them all. Sometimes what the public winds up embracing may not always look good on paper. Crofton is from the U.K. and yes he still has a British accent. He's got to be close to 70 years of age.

Whoever hired him many years ago deserves credit for sure. It wouldn't surprise me if not everyone was on board with the decision. The public's likes and dislikes is not always easy to figure. It's one of many reasons radio continues to amaze and fascinate.