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Buffalo 94.5 The Source comes to Buffalo

ckg279 said:
Let me add in my two cents:

1. I know of at least one other station in this state(WXXY-FM in Houghton, NY) that airs classical music with the exception of the 3 NPR shows already mentioned.
2. To Buddy's point: Yes, Canadian listeners will probably got for this in a major way, but it should be added that they also have the CBC on 99.1. And yes, WBEN should be absolutely TERRIFIED about going up against a more normal news/talk format.
3. As for a new format for Buddy's other stations: Maybe yacht rock?
Click to expand...

Good point regarding 99.1.

I will tell you, Yacht Rock is doing GREAT in Key West. I am really glad I did that, and the new owner is as well. Take out the word “yacht” and it’s still a great format chock full of incredible songs. Sirius actually has a new channel called “ Yacht Country”. It’s really cool. Would not put that in Buffalo, but I do like to hear it on Sirius.

`
 
Buddy Shula said:
So, the major question in all of this, is what should we do with WUSW 1270AM, 95.1FM, and 93.3FM. Has a Viking music format ever been done?
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I would seriously consider leasing WUSW and the two translators to Bill Yuhnke. It would be a nice steady income for you, and with no more worries about programming it. Also, Bill can finally bring WEBR to Buffalo.
 
Buddy Shula said:
Tom and his staff are pros. I like the name, and I like this direction. Local. I think Canadian listenership will be a big part of this, but I certainly like the content they are talking about. Local sports is a no-brainer. Local news from both sides of the aisle is smart.

I do want to prefence that I had this exact idea for WUSW, but you need a huge staff and resources to do this right. BPTM has a massive state of the art building, they can afford focus groups for everything, they have financial support from many different areas. This is not most broadcast companies could do, correctly, so this would be tough for even publicly traded companies, let alone, independent broadcasters. Plus, it does not hurt to have TV stations, Radio Stations, mammoth signals, etc. So, the money helps! However, it does need someone to tie the whole thing together, and that’s where Tom and his staff come in. It’s a good vision

This is absolutely a threat to WBEN, that is not credible at all. Everything, including ratings are collapsing at WBEN, and the college -like sound is killing its long departed trusted programming. I can’t wait to see this station eat WBEN for lunch, after what they did to me when they found out about The Patriot. I’ll just say , Anti-Trust exists. Of course, I would never say I’ve experienced it, but I will say it exists.

So, the major question in all of this, is what should we do with WUSW 1270AM, 95.1FM, and 93.3FM. Has a Viking music format ever been done?
Click to expand...
When’s that local programing starting on WUSW?
 
Serious question: When 94.5 the Source debuts, how should we describe its format?

My opinion(and it's only that)is...it should be called full service. Here's why I say it:

1. It'll have news content as well as local talk shows, along with shows heard on NPR stations that are NOT Morning Edition or All Things Considered.
2. It will probably have The Bridge on during the night time.
3. High school sports were mentioned as being in the mix.
 
Buddy Shula said:
So, the major question in all of this, is what should we do with WUSW 1270AM, 95.1FM, and 93.3FM. Has a Viking music format ever been done?
Click to expand...
I have been hoping you'd do "Yacht Rock" for WUSW. I remember when you did this in the Keys. I love that format. That said, I also miss the "we play what we want" Jack FM format from years back-- maybe a format that's eclectic like the Canadian radio stations, where you mix Queen Latifah with Doobie Brothers with Tina Turner with Taylor Swift with En Vogue with Elvis with The Carpenters with Depeche Mode? I cannot easily find a radio station in Buffalo to listen to in the car so I go with Boom 97.3 or 101.1 More FM out of Canada for variety.
 
BfloRadio said:
I have been hoping you'd do "Yacht Rock" for WUSW. I remember when you did this in the Keys. I love that format. That said, I also miss the "we play what we want" Jack FM format from years back-- maybe a format that's eclectic like the Canadian radio stations, where you mix Queen Latifah with Doobie Brothers with Tina Turner with Taylor Swift with En Vogue with Elvis with The Carpenters with Depeche Mode? I cannot easily find a radio station in Buffalo to listen to in the car so I go with Boom 97.3 or 101.1 More FM out of Canada for variety.
Click to expand...
Boom and More are, for better or worse, the same mold of radio station: using established well known vets(in Boom's case, you have Stu Jeffries, Maie Pauts and KJ; for More, you have Brett Ness, Jack Peets and Rob White(Brett does double duty, handing PM drive for 105.1 the River)), liners that are relatively funny, as well as a good mix of music. (And, just like American radio stations, both stations ID themselves at the top of the hour.) One area that More outdoes Boom: they do news in AM and PM drive.
 
Likewise, BTPM Classical is doing top of hour announcements touting the change. Despite how I titled this thread, it'll be known on air as BTPM The Source.
 
Question to all: How do you think BTPM The Source is going to do going up against WBEN?

My guesses(and that is all they are, so keep that in mind): It's going to take the better part of a year, if not more, to judge. You're going to be blowing the audiences for BOTH WBFO(BTPM NPR)and WNED-FM(BTPM Classical)and it's going to take a while for the dust to settle. Also, how BTPM The Source is scheduled is critical. I would not be surprised to find out that AM & PM drive are going to be news-intensive with middays turned over to talk shows. Nights, of course, will simulcast with BTPM The Bridge...and in season, you'll have high school sports.
 
TheBigA said:
They're two different audiences.
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Duly noted. That said, you HAVE to presume that there are some listeners who WANT news and information, but are either fed up with WBEN or haven't tried something like The Source and aren't willing to tune into 99.1 out of Toronto.
 
ckg279 said:
Duly noted. That said, you HAVE to presume that there are some listeners who WANT news and information, but are either fed up with WBEN or haven't tried something like The Source and aren't willing to tune into 99.1 out of Toronto.
Click to expand...

The question is will they go out of their comfort zone and sample something new on a frequency they may not have visited before.

That's really the challenge here. If all they want is NPR, it's where it's always been.
 
It may be a referendum on the non-NPR programming that BTPM has been presenting on 88.7. It will be interesting to see how dependent BTPM's ratings and fundraising depended on NPR content. They should have some idea based on daypart ratings and donations, but their other content will have to stand on its own without the support of the NPR programs. It will also be interesting to see if 88.7 interrupts their classic music with more NPR content over time.
 


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