103.7 "The Shark"

[GlennSummers]

Is it just me, or does it seem like The Shark is playing the same things over and over again? In the office we don't get much radio reception, and we listen all day (after 10:00 AM, that is).
All this week, I've heard Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls" almost every day at about the same time. Same for "Radar Love," "Panama," "I Can't Drive 55," and "Smoke On The Water." Not to mention hearing "Don't Fear The Reaper" twice within an hour just yesterday.
Classic Rock has so much to choose from, why the same stuff ad nauseum?
Just my $.02

 

[Keith Thompson]

As a former music director, here's my $.02. It's not repeating the same songs (or a narrow playlist) that's the problem, the problem is in not making a narrow playlist sound bigger. If you're hearing the same songs at the same times, it's because the scheduling system isn't set up right or the music director isn't taking the time to make sure that the songs are spread around to different dayparts. No matter what kind of set up is used to rotate songs properly, there will always be certain songs that is easy for the computer to schedule and if the music director isn't careful, those songs will tend to get played an inordinate amount of time. Often what happens is that a station will run a 300-400 playlist, but there might be one hundred of those that play too often because they're easy to schedule while another one hundred or so of those get ignored because they're harder for the computer to schedule. When that happens you wind up having more like a 150-200 song playlist rather than the 300-400 list you're aiming to have. A good music director with the time, can find ways to manipulate the music logs to give all of the playlist more equal airtime.

I don't know about the set up at the Shark, but what I've outlined above probably isn't the music director's fault...especially if you have a music director pulling in a five hour airshift, voicetracking, doing commercial production or imaging, attending remotes and station events, etc. They likely don't have the time to comb through music logs after they've been scheduled.

 

[roofist]

Actually I think they do a fine job. You get the "Classic Rock" songs, and they still give you a nice variety "60's at six", "fm underground flashback", "breakfast with the Beatles," "Block Party Sunday"
Actual jocks on weekends who are not just kids out of college, and a solid midday and afternoon guy during the week. I think it's a pretty good station.
I do understand your point about mixing up the songs a little bit, but I think that can be easily fixed.

 

[SoulCrusher]

Is it just me, or does it seem like The Shark is playing the same things over and over again? In the office we don't get much radio reception, and we listen all day (after 10:00 AM, that is).
All this week, I've heard Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls" almost every day at about the same time. Same for "Radar Love," "Panama," "I Can't Drive 55," and "Smoke On The Water." Not to mention hearing "Don't Fear The Reaper" twice within an hour just yesterday.
Classic Rock has so much to choose from, why the same stuff ad nauseum?
Just my $.02

That's just the Classic Rock business model - play the same old hits until everyone is sick of them, and then play them some more. People stay tuned to these stations because they're like comfort food, they know what to expect and they like it that way. Classic Rock seems to be the format that has evolved the least over the years. They seemed to catch on to the '80s stuff pretty quickly (maybe because it was more traditional sounding), but they have yet to embrace the '90s - so it seems as if this format has remained the same for pretty much the last 10 years. Unless you have a high Burn resistance factor, you're likely to get bored with the repetition of a Classic Rock format - it's almost as bad as your token CHR or "soft rock" station in that department.

My two cents: This is something that Access1 may want to consider. The Shark has been in a steady decline, but the sky is the limit for The Ace. There's a lot of people that want to hear the edgier, more eclectic rock of WJSE in the market and in points North and West, but can't due to 102.7's crummy signal. Since the outer areas have plenty of other places to hear Classic Rock, why not try a frequency switch and place The Shark (WMGM) on 102.7 and The Ace (WJSE) on 103.7? WMGM should continue to post at least the same numbers in market, while WJSE will improve dramatically and register in other markets where a station like it does not exist. Access1 should give it some serious thought.

 

[eatspaste]

All this week, I've heard Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls" almost every day at about the same time. Same for "Radar Love," "Panama," "I Can't Drive 55," and "Smoke On The Water." Not to mention hearing "Don't Fear The Reaper" twice within an hour just yesterday.

Did you, by chance, hear "Don't Fear The Reaper" more than normal because it was Halloween?

 

[GlennSummers]

It wasn't Halloween...But "Blinded By The Light" just finished up and that's been on all week as well...

 

[HarveyBrowning]

I give the ACE about 6 months. You can't really think that station is going to make it. The ratings have done nothing but drop over the last few years.

 

[radiolover78]

Many classic rock stations tend to have narrow playlists these days.

I get tired of listening to my 103.7 up here in North Jersey due to the narrow playlist. That's WNNJ.

 

[SoulCrusher]

I give the ACE about 6 months. You can't really think that station is going to make it. The ratings have done nothing but drop over the last few years.

Who the heck can hear The Ace? Worst signal of any commercial in-market FM in Atlantic City / Cape May! I actually lose them completely right around New Gretna! That's the problem, combined with losing Stern and somewhat unfocused programming. You knew that there was going to be an immediate effect in the ratings due to the loss of Stern, but I expect the station to remain solid, if not bounce back somewhat. The programming, on the other hand ... as much as I like the station, it is kind of weird to hear Black Sabbath into Taking Back Sunday, for instance ... or perhaps Metallica followed by The Killers. WJSE should pick one direction and stick with it, and the safe one would be focusing on the Modern end of things. The station can work as an Active/Alternative hybrid, but they would be wise to drop the Classic Rock that already can be heard quite often on sister station WMGM and WZXL.

If Access1 makes these adjustments and moves the station to 103.7, I predict a dramatic improvement in the ratings.

 

[HarveyBrowning]

Signal is not the ACE problem. Yes, its not very good. However, they have done fine with that signal in the past. Just about every station in the market has signal problems. Their problem is has you touched on, Programming. It's awful. Yes losing Stern was a huge blow, but the music is all over the place. This is a station that at one point hit a 4.8 12+. They need to get back to what they were doing back then, when there was a buzz about that station. Break the new music, take a few chances.

Put it this way, what ever they do, good numbers or bad numbers they aren't going to sell it until they get the right people in there who believe in the product. Classic rock and Olides sellers are't going to know how to sell the ACE.

 

[SoulCrusher]

Signal is not the ACE problem. Yes, its not very good. However, they have done fine with that signal in the past. Just about every station in the market has signal problems. Their problem is has you touched on, Programming. It's awful. Yes losing Stern was a huge blow, but the music is all over the place. This is a station that at one point hit a 4.8 12+. They need to get back to what they were doing back then, when there was a buzz about that station. Break the new music, take a few chances.

Put it this way, what ever they do, good numbers or bad numbers they aren't going to sell it until they get the right people in there who believe in the product. Classic rock and Olides sellers are't going to know how to sell the ACE.

It goes like this: A few months after Parinello Enterprises sold the station to Access1 Communications, they rebranded it as 102.7 The Ace - The Station That Defines Rock. That classification makes it a very eclectic station, but clearly it's too eclectic for its own good. For a few months, WJSE had been mixing in some Classic Rock acts, but they started playing a good deal more of them when the station was rebranded. When it comes to rock music, the "all things to all people" thing doesn't work - they're playing Black Sabbath, Aerosmith and AC/DC next to The Killers, Taking Back Sunday and Dashboard Confessional. If you like the former group of acts, there's a good chance that you're not a fan of the latter group, and visa versa. I'm sure that has turned off some listeners. Right now, The Ace is perhaps too classic for modern rockers and too modern for classic rockers. For instance, my brother is one of those people that can't stand any of the Classic Rock bands - he would likely lose his patience with the approach the station has taken.

WJSE is better off as an Active/Alternative hybrid that draws its playlist from the '90s and today. There's no need to play the AC/DCs and Black Sabbaths - that's what The Shark is for. Access1 felt that they needed to compensate for the loss of Stern by mixing in popular rock acts from the past - either that or their lack of expertise with the format is showing.

Looking at a sample of the playlist, it definitely seems like they are leaning toward more modern rock. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come. As much as I enjoy the station, it does baffle me as to why Access1 would have their stations overlap somewhat with the Classic Rock selections they were playing.

Just about every station in the market has signal problems.

But the stations that have posted the strongest ratings as of late have very good signals: WAYV, WPUR (Cat Country), WZBZ/WGBZ (The Buzz), WFPG, etc. I can get them all loud and clear here in Barnegat.