Obviously Cumulus can’t be the other %, right?
they would put them almost at Audacy and they have 3 stations, two of which don’t even rate that impressive. What makes up the remaining 30%?
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Rumor Mill Reports Big Changes This Week
- Thread starter Schroedingers Cat
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they would put them almost at Audacy and they have 3 stations, two of which don’t even rate that impressive. What makes up the remaining 30%?
Cumulus, WGN, and a few others.
Yes. The PD for both b96 and 104.3 is now gone. That doesn’t always point to “format change”. But very interesting timing. After 33 Years, Todd Cavanah Departs Audacy Chicago - RadioInsight
Sounds like he quit or didn't agree with something corporate wants. Probably offered him a crap contract renewal.
Especially when you consider what is being rumored, not surprising.
It reminds me of the situation last year with Mike Kaplan. When you have someone in charge of something, and his main area of expertise is having significant ratings trouble, a resignation or worse usually follows. They need fresh blood to take a look at the situation, and make a presentation for the next course of action, meaning format changes or realignment in some way.
www.insideradio.com
The future won't look like the past.
Audacy Chicago’s Todd Cavanah Announces Resignation.
Todd Cavanah, synonymous with top 40 radio in Chicago for more than three decades, announces his departure from Audacy Chicago, where he has been serving as VP of Programming for
The future won't look like the past.
It reminds me of the situation last year with Mike Kaplan. When you have someone in charge of something, and his main area of expertise is having significant ratings trouble, a resignation or worse usually follows. They need fresh blood to take a look at the situation, and make a presentation for the next course of action, meaning format changes or realignment in some way.
Audacy Chicago’s Todd Cavanah Announces Resignation.
Todd Cavanah, synonymous with top 40 radio in Chicago for more than three decades, announces his departure from Audacy Chicago, where he has been serving as VP of Programming for
The future won't look like the past.
Musically as far as Top-40 goes, B96 has been fine. But the presentation has been pretty bland. It's not going to get any better under Audacy, Their sister in Milwaukee, which was a well respected CHR station for awhile is terrible now aside from the morning show. It's lifeless. This is a station that used to have people out in the community promoting themselves, taking calls and texts from listeners. The morning show is all they have left. The local PDs can only do so much these days. They are talented people, but the company has different ideas and a very low budget. They'll probably change the music, but the music is not the problem as much as the presentation and the fact that they have competition that presents themselves better.
Right now there is nothing edgy or unique about B96. It has had a decent Top-40 playlist, but there is nothing else there. 103.5 has a more uptempo airstaff that is local. They have brighter processing. B96 is just sitting there playing music with voice tracks from other markets. This is Market #3 and they have the same jocks as Milwaukee. All coming from other cities. That is not how you do major market radio.
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Unless you're iHeart.
This is a station that's had problems for a while regardless of where the air staff was based.
Bingo.
The issues at B96 aren’t new. This is a brand that has been really a shell of itself for some time.
Some may even argue that we are at the point in Chicago where there’s not enough room for 2 CHR stations, when you have Kiss and then a strong Hot AC station in Mix.
I guarantee they will still not change the format it bills well. Even if they did change the format , Audacy is just going to use a format they already have (so they can import jocks from other markets) like Alternative. Audacy is not going to give WBBM a local original format . Why would they start from scratch when they're already making money. Even if they flip B96 it would just be different music and jocks from new cities. B96 isn't terrible but they definitely need to have a local afternoon show. Although she used to live in Chicago . She should do at least the first two hours of the show live and give her a 1800 phone line so listeners can call so they can properly execute contests etc. Let's face it we've gotten to the point in radio where every time slot can't be live and local unless your the #1-5 rated station which can't be everyone .But they can do a better job at making it sound local . The station is making money so they're probably not going to flip it . They need some fast cash so I honestly think they will end up selling 670 as sure it bills well but there are a lot of salaries to pay doing a local sports format . If they sell the score they get instant cash and cut a whole bunch of salaries . If they keep B96 they keep that cash and only have to pay a morning show which they make money from which is syndicated and the midday host . I think there going to keep the low overhead cash cow option.
iHeart actually does a pretty good job with their Chicago stations unlike other markets. They are generally local, and well programmed. WLIT being #1 in the ratings didn't just happen randomly.
As far as B96, it's caught up in a bad time for CHR. The format is struggling in a lot of markets. Right now 103.5 is where B96 was a few years ago, B96 had an average 2.5 in early 2020 before the coronavirus. 103.5 about 1 share higher. Now look at the numbers for both.
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Only if the only thing the second station does is play music. But if B96 rebuilds itself into a station with characters that listeners want to hear, then it won't matter what music they play.
You could say the same about most of the Audacy stations in Chicago. The company has invested heavily in WBBM, WXRT, and WSCR. My view is that both companies carefully pick where and how they spend their money.
As far as B96, it's caught up in a bad time for CHR. The format is struggling in a lot of markets. Right now 103.5 is where B96 was a few years ago, B96 had an average 2.5 in early 2020 before the coronavirus. 103.5 about 1 share higher. Now look at the numbers for both.
In 2019 they were getting 3s and 4s
In 2019 they were getting 3s and 4s
No, trying to reinvent the wheel locally in ever market is what is wrong with American radio. In most of the rest of the world... particularly Europe... radio formats and stations are national with one "program" on dozens... hundreds... of transmitters nationally. That works for television in the US, but nobody has done it well in radio in the last 70 years.
While some talk format approaches may require local and unique content, just as sports does, nearly every other format works better nationally or, at least, regionally. But in the US, only K-Love has proven that while nearly everyone else just dismisses them.
I've spent time listening to the national networks in France over the years. I believe all of the signals, or at least some have a few local hours. The national networks seem to work out fine in Europe in particular. Smaller countries where you're not traveling as large of a distance. They still have local stations in the surrounding areas competing.
Christian radio is different. People will listen to it regardless, because it's the only option in many cities. Funding is different. They don't need ratings. Christian radio thrives in a non commercial environment in most cases. Salem has been the big exception, but even they couldn't compete very well with WZFS in Chicago. They handed it off to Univision and let K-LOVE and WONU run promos before they changed. EMF has the resources to offer Christian music in areas where another nonprofit or commercial operator might not. Commercial stations aside from Salem rarely offer Christian music. There are a few.
If we get to a point to where the only option in most areas for a format is a national network, people will probably listen to it if they want that format.
So today, the person running that station in Milwaukee has been picked to run B 96.
https://news.****************/cgi-bin/rol.exe/headline_id=n43481
The advantage of national music formats is that the top talent and access points for artists and newsmakers is all generally centered in one location. For stations in Cleveland or Memphis or Houston down to Fargo and El Paso and Macon, it's not so easy to get interesting guests.. as late night TV has proven with either New York City or LA points of origination.
TV figured that out in the 50's. Radio, due to the lack of true national networks after traditional network radio collapsed, never moved that direction. And because of that, they lost the ability to do national sales on "in every market" formats.
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