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105.1
- Thread starter umfan
- Start date
I remember them registering domains relating to sports back when they tried to pick up the UM play by play rights, but after they failed, the talk calmed down. What happened to ESPN 1090?
They're saying something might happen as early as this afternoon.....
The Detroit Sports Rag site supports this:
http://detroitsportsrag.net/the-105-1-sports-rumor-that-wont-go-away/
http://detroitsportsrag.net/the-105-1-sports-rumor-that-wont-go-away/
J
jt1120
Guest
If 105.1 does flip, it will be their mistake. Take a good long look at ESPN: they talk a TON of football, and not usually anything about the Lions; they don't talk baseball much until the All Star game, and then it's usually to blow smoke about the Yankees; they talk lots of basketball, but if the Pistons continue to suck, it'll be all Lakers and Heat; and they seldom if ever talk about hockey, so you can forget any possible Red Wings talk. End result? Lots of blather and none of it about any Detroit teams. PASS. I'd rather listen to Magic 105.1.
I thought 105.1 was holding it's own. Why would Greater Media want to flip it to a format that will have lower ratings? Granted, sports talk is a pretty good biller from what I've heard. Still, it confuses me.
WMGC has one of the oldest audiences of any FM station in Detroit. Even older than WOMC in terms of median listener age but minus WOMC's heritage & much larger audience. Gold-based AdCon in some markets appeals to a narrower audience than it once did, and Sports is programmed correctly can bill tremendously well.
Greater Media arguably cannot compete for ad dollars effectively when it comes to women. They have one station that targets females, many of whom are over the age of 50. Cumulus has WDVD and Doug-FM (and WDVD's ratings are far stronger in F25-54 than WMGC). Clear Channel has WNIC (median listener age is almost 10 years younger than WMGC despite similar format) and WKQI. CBS has WYCD, WOMC and WDZH.
Add to that the fact that 97-1 The Ticket is likely making money hand over fist and possibly affecting ad rates at 101.1 & 94.7, and you have a reasonably strong case to flip 105.1.
Greater Media arguably cannot compete for ad dollars effectively when it comes to women. They have one station that targets females, many of whom are over the age of 50. Cumulus has WDVD and Doug-FM (and WDVD's ratings are far stronger in F25-54 than WMGC). Clear Channel has WNIC (median listener age is almost 10 years younger than WMGC despite similar format) and WKQI. CBS has WYCD, WOMC and WDZH.
Add to that the fact that 97-1 The Ticket is likely making money hand over fist and possibly affecting ad rates at 101.1 & 94.7, and you have a reasonably strong case to flip 105.1.
First off, great to have found this forum again. Second off, I think what will hurt 105.1 if they flip to Sports is there isn't a lot of Sports hosts out there to help fill their schedule out. To compete with 97.1, you're going to have to be local as much as possible. They seem to have Drew Lane penciled into afternoons, there's rumors of Sean Baligian hosting a midday show(but he works for a Clear Channel station that has the ESPN affiliation). Would he be available immediately? Also, if you wanted to take talent from 97.1, who would you go after? Caputo? At this stage, he fits their station perfectly or should slide to WJR. Eric Thomas? I like him, but where would he fit? Jamie and Wojo made more sense a few years ago, and that's about it. Regardless, 105.1 has to be programmed correctly, more effort has to be put into it than there was at WDFN(excluding 2003-04) for them to push 97.1.
I think it would be Mike & Mike and Cowherd for Mornings and Middays.
I don't know if they'd go local in those Dayparts. Baligan might get an evening show, or they might put Matt Dery in someplace.
They'll peel off some listeners from The Ticket just by airing the ESPN national feed in the morning and mid dayparts, and Drew will be a big draw in afternoons. They'll beat the Ticket there, however, unless they get some actual local sporting events to broadcast, the station will be 2nd banana to 97.1.
I don't think they are trying to beat The Ticket. I think they just figure by positioning as the #2 sports station in a sports crazy market like Detroit, they'll command improved ad rates over the AC format. Plus, they get the national games that ESPN has rights to.
I don't know if they'd go local in those Dayparts. Baligan might get an evening show, or they might put Matt Dery in someplace.
They'll peel off some listeners from The Ticket just by airing the ESPN national feed in the morning and mid dayparts, and Drew will be a big draw in afternoons. They'll beat the Ticket there, however, unless they get some actual local sporting events to broadcast, the station will be 2nd banana to 97.1.
I don't think they are trying to beat The Ticket. I think they just figure by positioning as the #2 sports station in a sports crazy market like Detroit, they'll command improved ad rates over the AC format. Plus, they get the national games that ESPN has rights to.
umfan, I see your idea. On 1090, it was Mike and Mike, and The Herd 6am-1pm, then local programming 1pm-10pm. That's not a bad blueprint, but unlike 1090, they will need to add some weekend programming. 105.1 may be trying to improve ad rates over the current format, but there are people who have been turned off by 97.1, and if 105.1's hypothetical sports station is properly run, they may get more than better ad rates. Clear Channel doesn't really care, but this is another missed opportunity. It's not likely, but I think if they wanted, they could have gone; ESPN on 106.7, and FSR ON 1130 AM. You keep your FSR clearance, and try something new on 106.7.
umfan said:105.1 has hired a new PD with a background in programming a Sports format.
I've read that the changeover date may be August 30th.
I think it could be sooner then that
You could be right. ESPN is without an outlet in Detroit right now and I'm sure that has some impact on their national ad rates. Beyond that, the WMGC employees know what's coming down so management probably doesn't want to prolong this. A lot of good people will be displaced because of this and I'm sorry for that.
I'm going to get flamed here but so be it, I hope they keep the local shows to the minimum required. Hearing Mike&Mike, Cowherd, et al on a good frequency is something I look forward to. Drew Lane having afternoon drive is a given, and Matt Dery may be placed on that show. I'm certain Sean Baligian will be hired, but already I think that's too much. ESPN has a good lineup. Give it a chance on a good frequency.
I hope Chris Edmonds and Mitzi Miles find other work in town quickly. I like them both and they do fine work.
I'm going to get flamed here but so be it, I hope they keep the local shows to the minimum required. Hearing Mike&Mike, Cowherd, et al on a good frequency is something I look forward to. Drew Lane having afternoon drive is a given, and Matt Dery may be placed on that show. I'm certain Sean Baligian will be hired, but already I think that's too much. ESPN has a good lineup. Give it a chance on a good frequency.
I hope Chris Edmonds and Mitzi Miles find other work in town quickly. I like them both and they do fine work.
jt1120 said:If 105.1 does flip, it will be their mistake. Take a good long look at ESPN: they talk a TON of football, and not usually anything about the Lions; they don't talk baseball much until the All Star game, and then it's usually to blow smoke about the Yankees; they talk lots of basketball, but if the Pistons continue to suck, it'll be all Lakers and Heat; and they seldom if ever talk about hockey, so you can forget any possible Red Wings talk. End result? Lots of blather and none of it about any Detroit teams. PASS. I'd rather listen to Magic 105.1.
EXACTLY------network sports station talking about non-local teams, and what will now be the 4th sports talker in town....I'll also PASS....Magic would be better.
Simply putting a Sports format on an FM station is no easy road to success. In fact, Greater Media's WPEN-FM in Philadelphia is the lowest rated full power FM station in that city. They don't have the Phillies. They don't have the Eagles. And in Detroit, 105.1 won't have the Tigers or Lions.
Sports, done right, is also expensive. First, what network they affiliate with will be irrelevent, ESPN, NBC, Fox. In Market #11, nearly all dayparts except overnights and some weekend hours will have to be local. Are there enough good Sports Talk hosts out there to fill up a schedule? In most cases, you need two hosts because if you're not generating calls, they need each other to talk to. You need call screeners/board ops/producers. You need to have reporters covering the Tigers and Lions every day during their seasons. You need sportscasters to do the updates every 20 minutes. The payroll will have to increase from a few DJs and support staff for a music station to over 30 for a Sports station.
On the other hand, the rewards can be great. Men are valued by advertisers but not as easy to get as women, who might listen to a music station all day. Because it is a Talk format, you can run more spots each hour than a music format without turning off the audience. And it isn't a background format, so the spots are more effective.
Also Sports is the #1 format for African-American men over 35. So that's a plus in Detroit. I wonder how secondary FM Sports stations do in ad revenue? As I said, Greater Media's WPEN-FM has so-so ratings next to CBS's WIP-FM but I suppose it's making money. They sound like they have plenty of spots. They're not running PSAs to fill up the time.
So maybe it's better to be a Sports station with modest ratings than an AC station with modest ratings.
Sports, done right, is also expensive. First, what network they affiliate with will be irrelevent, ESPN, NBC, Fox. In Market #11, nearly all dayparts except overnights and some weekend hours will have to be local. Are there enough good Sports Talk hosts out there to fill up a schedule? In most cases, you need two hosts because if you're not generating calls, they need each other to talk to. You need call screeners/board ops/producers. You need to have reporters covering the Tigers and Lions every day during their seasons. You need sportscasters to do the updates every 20 minutes. The payroll will have to increase from a few DJs and support staff for a music station to over 30 for a Sports station.
On the other hand, the rewards can be great. Men are valued by advertisers but not as easy to get as women, who might listen to a music station all day. Because it is a Talk format, you can run more spots each hour than a music format without turning off the audience. And it isn't a background format, so the spots are more effective.
Also Sports is the #1 format for African-American men over 35. So that's a plus in Detroit. I wonder how secondary FM Sports stations do in ad revenue? As I said, Greater Media's WPEN-FM has so-so ratings next to CBS's WIP-FM but I suppose it's making money. They sound like they have plenty of spots. They're not running PSAs to fill up the time.
So maybe it's better to be a Sports station with modest ratings than an AC station with modest ratings.
It's happening Monday
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