Last week 102.1 The Ville flipped from urban oldies to urban ac now positioned as Nashville's Classic Soul and Today's R&B. Now competing directly with 92Q. Today they made the announcement that they are adding the Rickey Smiley Morning Show and I hear they intend to fill other slots as well. They could pull some nice ratings with a small signal. Looking forward to seeing how they grow.
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102.1 The Ville
- Thread starter Ktownradioman
- Start date
I listened online today. It doesn't quite make it to Murfreesboro. Musically...I thought it sounded good.
I came into town last week (from Knoxville) and I noticed interference around the Donaldson and Hermitage area. Once you get into Lebanon it's almost completely taken over by a country station. It sounds great musically. If they add some locals during the day and maybe Keith Sweat at night, plus another translator, they could pull some decent ratings from 92Q. I think Nashville has needed another choice for a while. Urban oldies is still on 1470 WVOL. Wouldn't hurt them to have their own translator as well. If they could find a space in this crowded market.
Notice the ratings (released today) show a decline in 92Q. The revamped Ville may take some from 92Q. The signal is not county-wide, but spot-on for the audience.
The big talk today is that Hot106 beat The River in 12+ after 14 years. The signal upgrade certainly helped. The River is in extreme trouble.
Another issue is The Buzz has topped WKDF. That is the absolute damn dumbest move in Nashville radio history. The higher ups at Cumulus should take notice. They quit looking and listening a decade ago. Pathetic. NO excuse at this point.
The big talk today is that Hot106 beat The River in 12+ after 14 years. The signal upgrade certainly helped. The River is in extreme trouble.
Another issue is The Buzz has topped WKDF. That is the absolute damn dumbest move in Nashville radio history. The higher ups at Cumulus should take notice. They quit looking and listening a decade ago. Pathetic. NO excuse at this point.
What would you do with WKDF? Taken it Classic Rock? Some sort of AC?
Hey Tibbs! The problem is bigger than The River. CHR is in trouble. When you build a format around currents, and the currents dry up, then what? What you build a format around 18-34, and the younger half of that audience doesn't own a radio, then what? Take a look around the country to the legendary CHRs: KIIS and Z-100 are no longer at the top of the ratings.
Take a look at the Top 10. Lots of old music. Classic rock, classic hits, classic country. Back from when radio & records worked together to build brands and careers. That relationship is broken.
BigA, we have discussed this for how long here? A decade plus? Look how the evolution has come so far. It’s hard to guess what CHR may come up with, but I have always said that “tried and true” wins the long term race. Just this week, we saw NYC have improved numbers with Q and even saw CBS-FM as “vulnerable.” (Not sold on that after one book, but...I bet you see Q go a bit harder on a weekly basis.)
Nashville is a place where this heritage station would change the entire dynamic of the market with the proper version of KDF. I think everything now has a questionable shelf life on the FM dial. So, it is tough to be specific on a market by market overall strategy. But in Nashville, they broke something that by comparison was not really broken and actually should have been pretty unbreakable. It has been pathetic since 4/1/1999. Its been a virtual throw away loser with at least 500 nameless and forgotten jocks come and go. Few in this city care about the station everyone used to care the most about. WBUZ beat KDF and their signal is dismal.
Look at KZ-106 in Chattanooga and stations in Bowling Green that rock. That’s the missing link in market #40.
I understand you will say that agencies...this and that.... I contend that agency logic has been worse for our industry than it has benefited with all the demographic manure. The audience for CHR is getting much more razor thin than the “old people” that for a host of reasons can’t be reached. I bet you start seeing a lot of sudden changes in that logic since the “hot” formats are now in trouble. Agencies have shot themselves and radio in the foot. I bet the PR companies are working overtime to help “shift” radio to who is actually listening to radio to keep lining these agencies pockets. Suddenly, the obvious will matter. My concern is this change will be so slow that it will be too late. The age group still listening is going to get pushed razor thin on both sides. And the product on the air will do ourselves no favors, unless we take the corporate approach out and get out into the real world. Definitely going to be a tough three years, minimum. A lot of disjointed topics thrown together. And no, you can’t bring back 50’s and 60’s oldies and expect an audience (as seems to be the on-going theme on the CBS-FM threads.)
Nashville is a place where this heritage station would change the entire dynamic of the market with the proper version of KDF. I think everything now has a questionable shelf life on the FM dial. So, it is tough to be specific on a market by market overall strategy. But in Nashville, they broke something that by comparison was not really broken and actually should have been pretty unbreakable. It has been pathetic since 4/1/1999. Its been a virtual throw away loser with at least 500 nameless and forgotten jocks come and go. Few in this city care about the station everyone used to care the most about. WBUZ beat KDF and their signal is dismal.
Look at KZ-106 in Chattanooga and stations in Bowling Green that rock. That’s the missing link in market #40.
I understand you will say that agencies...this and that.... I contend that agency logic has been worse for our industry than it has benefited with all the demographic manure. The audience for CHR is getting much more razor thin than the “old people” that for a host of reasons can’t be reached. I bet you start seeing a lot of sudden changes in that logic since the “hot” formats are now in trouble. Agencies have shot themselves and radio in the foot. I bet the PR companies are working overtime to help “shift” radio to who is actually listening to radio to keep lining these agencies pockets. Suddenly, the obvious will matter. My concern is this change will be so slow that it will be too late. The age group still listening is going to get pushed razor thin on both sides. And the product on the air will do ourselves no favors, unless we take the corporate approach out and get out into the real world. Definitely going to be a tough three years, minimum. A lot of disjointed topics thrown together. And no, you can’t bring back 50’s and 60’s oldies and expect an audience (as seems to be the on-going theme on the CBS-FM threads.)
I believe the only way WKDF will succeed will be to blow it up, gravel and apologize and rock this town with pride and take the attitude that “they took Opryland and that was the number one dumbest business move in Nashville and KDF going country was the second.” And fix it. And have 50,000 yellow window stickers ready.
AC is the second least successful format I would switch KDF too. The other would be what it is now. LOL. My guess is AC is the next format disaster in the making and you will see it return to more classic hits base after it ran off the older audience a decade or so ago.
Just my opinion which is absolutely not worth the price you are paying to read this, Jim.
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AC is the second least successful format I would switch KDF too. The other would be what it is now. LOL. My guess is AC is the next format disaster in the making and you will see it return to more classic hits base after it ran off the older audience a decade or so ago.
Just my opinion which is absolutely not worth the price you are paying to read this, Jim.
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Tibbs4, I agree with your comments but it can be put most simply in this way: the ad agencies hold the purse strings and dole it out per client mandates and their provable data that shows the client they made the right ad buying decisions per industry research. We have to change the ad agency. Radio is perfectly fine with covering the population with mass appeal formats no matter the age group if the station can generate the income to pay the bills.
While born in Nashville but never living there as an adult (but frequent visitor until my parents moved to Texas), I always wondered why KDF didn't stay with the AOR format and evolve it to classic rock. Going country seemed like the last thing they should do at that point.
Selling radio is nothing like it once was. I call on local accounts. When a business phone rings and they know it was generated by Google or they can trace sales to their website and social media, it makes it tough to build a solid case for radio because I can't show the same data but talk ratings and results with no proof of results. Compared to 30 years ago, it was like you didn't have to be a very good order taker to succeed then and get a bigger budget than today. Today you invest time in building relationships to be trusted and available locally to win half the ad dollars.
While born in Nashville but never living there as an adult (but frequent visitor until my parents moved to Texas), I always wondered why KDF didn't stay with the AOR format and evolve it to classic rock. Going country seemed like the last thing they should do at that point.
Selling radio is nothing like it once was. I call on local accounts. When a business phone rings and they know it was generated by Google or they can trace sales to their website and social media, it makes it tough to build a solid case for radio because I can't show the same data but talk ratings and results with no proof of results. Compared to 30 years ago, it was like you didn't have to be a very good order taker to succeed then and get a bigger budget than today. Today you invest time in building relationships to be trusted and available locally to win half the ad dollars.
Tibbs, I moved here (for the first time) in '92, and KDF was running on fumes even then. I remember (and still do) wondering what all the fuss was about. Their glory days had been at least 10-15 years earlier. They couldn't hold a candle to Rock 103 in Memphis. So no, don't go back and print those stickers again. I would rather that they remain the collectors' items that they are today.I believe the only way WKDF will succeed will be to blow it up, gravel and apologize and rock this town with pride and take the attitude that “they took Opryland and that was the number one dumbest business move in Nashville and KDF going country was the second.” And fix it. And have 50,000 yellow window stickers ready.
AC is the second least successful format I would switch KDF too. The other would be what it is now. LOL. My guess is AC is the next format disaster in the making and you will see it return to more classic hits base after it ran off the older audience a decade or so ago.
Just my opinion which is absolutely not worth the price you are paying to read this, Jim.
Hey Firepoint. You are correct on the version of KDF that you heard. Not great. In fact, I believe the real defining moment was when KDF began playing lighter hits in the making like “Every Breath You Take.” It drew the line in the sand. After that it was literally a decline to Lite Rock. LOL. I think KDF in the heyday years was stronger and bigger than Rock in Memphis, but all my memories are they were very close musically for years. I knew you always loved that station back in the day. Another great station with timeless bones! You should give KZ106 in Chatt a listen. I think it’s stayed true to itself musically for over four decades. Strong in the numbers still, as well.
I remember the "Velveeta Lounge." And it was every bit as cheesy as the name suggests!
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