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1.7 MILLION PEOPLE, 4 BIG-SIGNAL MUSIC CHOICES

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Nu_Roo_2

Turns out WSNY has evolved to true Mainstream AC (instead of its traditional Soft pretending to be Mainstream). Meanwhile, WLZT has been Premium Choiced away from its Super-Soft+Oldies approach to a true Mainstream AC. Musically the stations are now almost clones with some minor differences.

So counting those two as one, and adding in WBNS-FM's flip to talk, and that means there are 4 - count 'em, 4 - big-signal commercial music formats in a metro nearing 2 million people: WCOL-FM, WLZT/WSNY, WLVQ and WRKZ. Even if you add in some of the others that cover Franklin County very well (e.g., WBWR and the Radio Ones), it isn't a pretty picture.
 
Re: 1.7 MILLION PEOPLE, 5 BIG-SIGNAL MUSIC CHOICES

I know, I just came back to edit, hoping I could do so before anyone noticed! Very embarrassing. I modified the subject here, but I know the incorrect subject will live on in the thread listing.

Anyway, five isn't much better than four.
 
Unfortunately, I kind of predicted this scenario would eventually play out: That if technology kept evolving, if Telecom 96 were still in force, and if the radio industry kept shooting itself in the foot, which could be counted on if history is any indication, then most markets the size of Columbus would be left with about six stations that mattered.
 
That depends on your definition of "stations that matter".

Stations that can garner about a 2 1/2 share or above 12 plus can matter to advertisers in the Columbus market, and get on buys if the spot rate is correct. (That 2.5 share can be a 5 in demo which can place the station in the top 10 or better.) So, that would mean that at least 10 plus stations "matter".

And I'm sure there are still a bunch of listeners who would argue that CD-101 matters to them, even though the station barely carries a 1 share these days...
 
Yea, it's the same five people, who along with the staff, vote CD101 as the best station in Columbus Monthly. Seriously, I'm glad they're local and committed to their format. To bad it's such a small niche. The rule is that when you have a small signal, you do something that no one else is doing but you also need to do something that people want to listen to. Don't be different because you can. Be different because it's good!
 
I completely agree.

I remember when, somehow, WCOL-FM broke CD-101's reign in Columbus Monthly doing oldies back in the 90's. That shocked a bunch of people on the south side of town for a few months! (perhaps made them buy a few more copies of the magazine..you're welcome, Columbus Monthly!)

Just for the record, I respect what CD has tried to do, and I pick on them with a smile on my face. But, they could be so much more, and accomplish more of their design if they would focus their programming better, though somewhat eclectic they could certainly be. (read: be different because it's good.)

And yes, doing something that no one else is doing sure worked for us at Star 107.9 from 1998-2001. Not that we did everything perfectly (we made more mistakes than I could count), but we had a product that was, for its' time, unique and different and something some people wanted to listen to then. Despite the very thin signal, for the most part, it was a financial success, if not always a big winner in the ratings.
 
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