WNCI Takes #1 Position

[Todd Mitchell]

Followed by WNAX and the 600 AM in Jamestown. There are a bunch of those 5 kw stations below 700 kHz in the upper Plains that are amazing. Then look at a real 50kw, CBK in Watrous, Saskatchewan, on 540.

Dirty secret: KXMR in Bismarck, built in the late 90's, beat those...until its 50kW burned up, and wasn't replaced. It's pretty good at 4kW, though.

 

[MarkW]

Did WNCI finally eliminate the 12 to 13 minute stop sets that had been airing late mornings, as first reported here a couple years ago?

 

[xmusicmatt]

WNCI is also directional. They gave up some coverage when they moved downtown. The original site was just west of the Polaris shopping area. They had 185,000 watts non-directional and a height of about 560 feet. They shared the tower with WRFD. I think they were originally WRFD-FM.

Yep, WNCI moved downtown to 1 Nationwide and WRFD-AM 880 eventually moved to a tower near the old Cooper Stadium site. Pretty sure the tower site owner made a good chunk of change selling the tower site land off East Powell Rd/Route 23 to be developed into shopping center.

 

[delgriffith]

Yep, WNCI moved downtown to 1 Nationwide and WRFD-AM 880 eventually moved to a tower near the old Cooper Stadium site. Pretty sure the tower site owner made a good chunk of change selling the tower site land off East Powell Rd/Route 23 to be developed into shopping center.

That tower site owner was Salem who got the tower and land with the acquisition of WRFD.

 

[Voicetrack of Reason]

Been ages since WNCI took the number one spot in the ratings. I don’t listen, so what tweeks did they make to reach the top?

We have to rewind all the way back to 1989, when I worked for Great Trails, and the suits decided to flip WXGT 92X to "Rock 40" and basically mopped the floor with WNCI...for a minute 😆 I remember the promos we had with WNCI playing "Let's Hear it For the Boy" by Denise Williams and 92X playing Motley Crue and Firehouse. Great times at Great Trails 👍

 

[TheUnknownDJ]

Back in the early 70's WNCI came into Springfield like a local... but then so did WCOL- FM. Both signals are much weaker to the West now..

 

[gr8oldies]

Back in the early 70's WNCI came into Springfield like a local... but then so did WCOL- FM. Both signals are much weaker to the West now..

I can remember Beavercreek being a sweet spot when one could hear most of the Cincinnati and Columbus FMs. That was before all the 80-90s.

 

[schmave]

Back in the early 70's WNCI came into Springfield like a local... but then so did WCOL- FM. Both signals are much weaker to the West now..

I was in Springfield for work on back-to-back nights a few weeks ago and 92.3 still sounded pretty good. 93.3, 96.3, 97.1 and 97.9 sounded solid too ... I didn't listen much other than gauging signal strength. Once you get east of the center of Springfield heading toward 70, all the higher-powered Columbus FMs blast in. The intersection of 70 and 40 is for all intents and purposes equidistant from both Columbus and Dayton, and the strength of FMs from both markets reflects that.

 

[TheUnknownDJ]

The terrain has more to do with FM signals around that area than power. Springfield proper is a low spot so they shoot right over. Dayton is the same - 101.9 out of Cincy (the famed Q102) shoots right over downtown Dayton and then comes in like a local in Vandalia... or at least used to.

 

[schmave]

Yes you can definitely feel yourself going uphill on 40 heading east, and the FM signals especially from Columbus do reflect that. There is a considerable improvement in a very short distance once you get east of downtown Springfield.

 

[gr8oldies]

I was in Springfield for work on back-to-back nights a few weeks ago and 92.3 still sounded pretty good. 93.3, 96.3, 97.1 and 97.9 sounded solid too ... I didn't listen much other than gauging signal strength. Once you get east of the center of Springfield heading toward 70, all the higher-powered Columbus FMs blast in. The intersection of 70 and 40 is for all intents and purposes equidistant from both Columbus and Dayton, and the strength of FMs from both markets reflects that.

Seemingly, none of the Columbus stations seem to get ratings in Springfield

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

Seemingly, none of the Columbus stations seem to get ratings in Springfield

Where do you see the Springfield ratings? I hadn't noticed -- until checking just now -- that Dayton is no longer listed in the Nielsens as "Dayton-Springfield," but instead just "Dayton." I searched and found that Clark County separated from the Dayton MSA and created its own. And that wasn't exactly a recent development -- it was back in 2005.

 

[radiofan86]

Been ages since WNCI took the number one spot in the ratings. I don’t listen, so what tweeks did they make to reach the top?

WNCI continues at #1. I can't speak to any adjustments they may or may not have made, and it could be as simple as panel changes.

But because of their longevity in the format and the fact that their playlist has traditionally leaned towards the "adult" side of Mainstream Top 40, they're sort of able to occupy the CHR AND Hot AC lanes in the market and earn the nice numbers that can come from that with longtime personalities and an audience that's grown up listening to them.
Yes, I know Mix exists. Signal alone, that's a very apples/oranges comparison.

Good to see WNCI at #1 again.

 

[vw86]

With the younger demos consuming less radio, I wonder if markets with a strong heritage CHR find more success in programming a more conservative CHR format to attract the 30-40 somethings that may have memories of growing up with the station rather than trying to program it to a demographic that just isn't listening to as much radio.

 

[TheBigA]

With the younger demos consuming less radio, I wonder if markets with a strong heritage CHR find more success in programming a more conservative CHR format to attract the 30-40 somethings that may have memories of growing up with the station rather than trying to program it to a demographic that just isn't listening to as much radio.

I think that's what Z 100 in NYC has been doing. The problem with that is it becomes more of a Hot AC, and that might conflict with co-owned stations.

The issue we're seeing with younger listeners is they tend to want to hear a lot of songs by small number of artists. CHR radio formats do the opposite, playing a small variety of hits by a broader range of artists.

 

[CTListener]

I think that's what Z 100 in NYC has been doing. The problem with that is it becomes more of a Hot AC, and that might conflict with co-owned stations.

The issue we're seeing with younger listeners is they tend to want to hear a lot of songs by small number of artists. CHR radio formats do the opposite, playing a small variety of hits by a broader range of artists.

I kind of wonder what younger listeners are listening to up here in Market 217. The closest thing to a CHR is WGXL, which is very much a Hot AC leaning more toward traditional AC -- very little hip-hop, almost no rock, lots of the female pop stars and, of course, Vermont's Noah Kahan. Otherwise, those 18-34s have another AC, an active rocker, a classic rocker and four country stations to choose from -- unless they're into classical music, sports or right-wing talk.

 

[delgriffith]

I kind of wonder what younger listeners are listening to up here in Market 217. The closest thing to a CHR is WGXL, which is very much a Hot AC leaning more toward traditional AC -- very little hip-hop, almost no rock, lots of the female pop stars and, of course, Vermont's Noah Kahan. Otherwise, those 18-34s have another AC, an active rocker, a classic rocker and four country stations to choose from -- unless they're into classical music, sports or right-wing talk.

I bet they’re digging on right wing talk.

 

[CbusRadio]

Check out this gem from 1976

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

😂 That was probably one of the last sightings of WNCI's "Love Dove."