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107.1 The Big Wazoo is no more!

Seems pretty simple to me. WCOL is usually Columbus' number one station these days, and they compete with Wilks's viable WHOK. So Wilks wants to hurt COL a bit. Jeff Wilks said that, in fact. Whether that reasoning makes sense or will work is another question. I personally wouldn't think it would have any noticeable impact. 107.1 is one of the few move-ins with an even weaker signal than 103.9, and a less-desirable coverage area. On the flip side, come to think of it, I'd wager that Country is even bigger on the south side of Columbus than elsewhere in the metro, and that's the area 107.1 is able to cover at least some of reasonably well. (Who could forget that country classic, "Franklin County Woman?" She DID live down on Parsons Avenue y'know.)

P.S. Thanks for digging up those stats, cincyradio72! All the more evidence that Wink will have a great AQH in Circleville (that's Average Quarts Homogonized). And, I swear, I *have* seen Elsie the Cow WINK!
 
Check out Wilks Kansas City Stations. They have a "Hawk", with a much better logo btw. Previous postings are correct. Country will create the most revenue in the shortest amount of time. Yes, the signals on both stations suck. And until that changes, nothing else will. 18 months is the goal of the sales staff to get Wilks their money and get them the hell out of town.
 
While I did enjoy the legendary WAZU, I understand why Wilks made his decision. It was money driven all the way. Hot Country undercuts the heritage WCOL and everything country will hopefully make gains like HANK FM did so in Indianapolis.

Neither station was ever built to be a major competitor.

While many still ponder the next move by WHIZ Media, I do have a feeling it may involve Wilks when the cluster is sold off in 2 years. I could be totally off on this, but it is moving into the south east tower family.

Oh well.....just my two cents.
 
boyerfm said:
Check out Wilks Kansas City Stations.  They have a "Hawk", with a much better logo btw.  Previous postings are correct.  Country will create the most revenue in the shortest amount of time.  Yes, the signals on both stations suck.  And until that changes, nothing else will.  18 months is the goal of the sales staff to get Wilks their money and get them the hell out of town. 
Click to expand...

But then how do you explain the Kix-Country/HOK Simulcast situation 9 years ago?  Even before its upgrade, 105.7 had a signal that covered more population than 107.1 does today.  As Arrow, they were getting about a 1.5-2.3 share with no promotion.  They switched to Kix Country, (and later a K95.5 simulcast), immediately plummeted to about a 0.5, and stayed there for a year until Jacor changed it back to Classic Hits and brought the AQH back up to the 2 range.  Is this quick-revenue phenomenon you describe independent of ratings?  Or is the country dynamic different today?  Could you back up the "most revenue in the shortest amount of time" with a few examples?  Thanks.
 
kentuckymedia said:
While I did enjoy the legendary WAZU, I understand why Wilks made his decision.  It was money driven all the way.  Hot Country undercuts the heritage WCOL and everything country will hopefully make gains like HANK FM did so in Indianapolis.

Neither station was ever built to be a major competitor.
Click to expand...

I don't mean to sound like a broken record, but as my post about Kix country described, lousy-signal Hot Country didn't hurt COL at all in the past, and I doubt it will today.  The basic strategy may be viable, but -- as another poster pointed out -- you've gotta have a decent signal to make it work.

As for HOK, that might make more sense, as you described.  But what puzzles me is that -- after a brief downswing -- HOK's ratings have been well above their typical range.  Unless 12+  wasn't telling the full revenue story, they were doing well relative to their so-so signal. So why change now? Demos too old, perhaps?
 
Don't totally rule out the 107.1 signal. Given the location of their transmitter, they lay out a pretty strong signal down route 33 into Lancaster and on down toward Logan. Granted, the best they're gonna do up here is the southern half of the metro but there's still a lot of country music fans in their primary contour. I'm still rather puzzled why they would blow up WHOK though.
 
From radioandrecords.com
By Mike Boyle
Wilks Broadcasting of Columbus, Ohio, on Monday evening (Jan. 8) at 8 p.m. ET debuted two new country stations.

Longtime active rock WAZU (The Big WAZU) flipped to “Wink 107.1 – New Country & Only New Country.” WAZU’s PD/MD Stash remains and will revert back to his country identity as Ric Knight. The station has dubbed its first commercial-free month as its “Wink-a-thon.” WAZU had been the Columbus home for "Rover's Morning Glory" and the "Opie & Anthony Show."

[EDIT--Post truncated to remove full article.]
 
phatdaddy said:
Don't totally rule out the 107.1 signal. Given the location of their transmitter, they lay out a pretty strong signal down route 33 into Lancaster and on down toward Logan. Granted, the best they're gonna do up here is the southern half of the metro but there's still a lot of country music fans in their primary contour. I'm still rather puzzled why they would blow up WHOK though.
Click to expand...

Only problem is there are so many country stations in that part of the state, if you go down 33 you can get 92.3 WCOL, 94.3 WKKJ, 95.5 WHOK, 97.7 WCJO, 98.3 WLGN, 100.3 WCLT, 105.5 WCHO 107.7 WSEO. I Think thats all of them. it would seem that the format is covered.
 
boyerfm said:
The station has dubbed its first commercial-free month as its “Wink-a-thon.”
Click to expand...

You have GOT to be kidding me. I guess I can't blame the PD for trying to do SOMETHING with the moniker Wilks pushed on them but... wink-a-thon? omg.
 
Man, it must suck to be The Big Wazoo. This is the second time Active Rock under the WAZU calls has been dumped. I remember when WAZU was on the 102.9 signal here in Springfield(Now Radio One's Not-So-Hot 102.9)and then-owners Great Trails Broadcasting had bought the signal from Osbourn. On March 20, 1993, WAZU flipped from Active Rock to WZEP-All Led Zeppelin, All the Time. Of course, the calls reverted back to WAZU and the station kept adding Classic Rock artists alongside Zeppelin, such as Pink Floyd. Eventually, the station became Classic Rock 102.9 WAZU. The WAZU calls stuck for two more years, until GTB decided to switch to the heritage calls WING in May, 1995. Funny, I also remember when WAZU was AC before Osborn Communications bought it from Bob Yontz's Champion Broadcasting in January 1989. The early days of the original "Big WAZU" featured most of the jocks playing album sides, and later "24 songs in a row". Some of the original staff at the WAZU was Brian and Joe(Mornings), Sean Roberts, and Allen Rantz. Anyone else remember any others?
 
alans613 said:
Man, it must suck to be The Big Wazoo. This is the second time Active Rock under the WAZU calls has been dumped.
Click to expand...

OTOH, didn't the WAZU keep its format longer than any of the other bottom-tier "Columbus" signals? If you're a fan (and can receive 107.1) the flip obviously sucks, but be glad it didn't flip years ago. Glass half full, my man.
 
steelwidow said:
The country cult is taking over our city!

http://swdesignshosting.com/wazu.html

Tell these sum' bitches what you think about their new "twink" radio station...

SUCKS! :-[
Click to expand...

OMG! OMG! I just realized something: When CC/Columbus finally moves Marion to Dublin, the format will probably stay COUNTRY due to Wilks' moves! It's been shown over and over that CC/Columbus management is hellbent on protecting its top franchises, with a major dollop of vindictiveness thrown in. Wilks move to squeeze COL is absolutely tailor-made for an in-kind defense by CC/Columbus. Believe me, they couldn't give a flying ^&%$ that Columbus is probably the most over-Countrified market right now. I hope I'm wrong, but I bet I'm right. Yikes! The only other possible move I could see would be trying to attack Wilks' money-maker LVQ by pairing the Brew with an upper demo rocker of some variety. (Note that I always referred to CC as CC/Columbus here. I'm predicting strictly the kind of decision *local* CC management would make. In other markets they don't consistently operate by the same automatic knee-jerk, "get 'em...and damn all other considerations" reaction.)
 
Nu_Roo_2 said:
OMG! OMG! I just realized something: When CC/Columbus finally moves Marion to Dublin, the format will probably stay COUNTRY due to Wilks' moves! It's been shown over and over that CC/Columbus management is hellbent on protecting its top franchises, with a major dollop of vindictiveness thrown in. Wilks move to squeeze COL is absolutely tailor-made for an in-kind defense by CC/Columbus.
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Oh my don't give the CC/Columbus suits reading this forum any ideas! They could keep country on 106.7 and go with a older country "think everything country" to target 95.5 while WCOL stays currents and takes on WAZU.
 
xiradiodotcom said:
Then 102.5 will move in and stay AC to fight with Sunny and Lite. Noooooooooooo!
Click to expand...

Calm down, xiradiodotcom! Take two of those little orange pills, breathe deeply and throw all your radios out the window. It didn't work for me, but maybe it will for you.
 
Johnboy Crenshaw said:
Wonderful ideas, folks!

JbC
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Oh, we were just kidding, Mr C :D ;D You don't want to pay attention to any of those silly 'ole ideas!

(Unless perhaps it's the one about the upper-demo rocker. )
 
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