Any new information about 94.7's format, sale, etc?
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94.7 Updates
- Thread starter XCountry285
- Start date
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MarcR
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XCountry285 said:
Our beloved dentist just posted on his board that Country is headed to 94.7.
It's long overdue. New York can support a Country station.
But a Country station in New York can't sound like a small town station in the middle of West Vrginia. Just like the former WHN, WKHK & WYNY catered to a New York audience playing more MOR/AC Country acts like Olivia Newton-JOhn, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Anne Murray, the Eagles and their like.
Thanks,
Kevin L. Sealy
But a Country station in New York can't sound like a small town station in the middle of West Vrginia. Just like the former WHN, WKHK & WYNY catered to a New York audience playing more MOR/AC Country acts like Olivia Newton-JOhn, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Anne Murray, the Eagles and their like.
Thanks,
Kevin L. Sealy
Of course, that's what WLTW was in the beginning, a country station WKHK converted into a soft AC after many years as a jazz station. With all the talk of needing a country station that doesn't sound like "West Virginia", very few contemporary country stations sound any different than the local AC (like WXTU Philadelphia) or Hot AC (like WCTO Allentown-Easton). The successful country stations in Philadelphia, Hartford, Boston, Albany, Providence area, etc. all sound as big city and contemporary as any other format on the dial, and many of the personalities have worked other formats in the market - there's no reason a country station can't be imaged the same as every other station. A NYC country station will sound somewhere between WLTW & WPLJ if they follow the area market models.
It'll be the only game in town, certainly. And even where the tower is now, that's 8-10,000,000 listener coverage. We'll see how well they accept this 'radical' non-sequitor. If the showings in recent years by fringe stations are an indication ..... WKMK, WJVC, WWYZ, WCTO ...... the 107 quadcast ..... then this prime NYC signal could be revealing.
With the amount of recent crossover songs they're apt to play, though (to WPLJ, WLTW, WWFS, etc), it might need a tad more of a twang image than originally envisioned. And in being a primarily female-response format in a market saturated to the belfry with female-oriented stations, the programmers also might want to slant it a *bit* more male, too, to be on the safe side.
With the amount of recent crossover songs they're apt to play, though (to WPLJ, WLTW, WWFS, etc), it might need a tad more of a twang image than originally envisioned. And in being a primarily female-response format in a market saturated to the belfry with female-oriented stations, the programmers also might want to slant it a *bit* more male, too, to be on the safe side.
If somebody was going to do Country in the NY market, 94.7 is the signal to do it on.
Cumulus paid nearly half as much for the license as it would have paid for an ESB signal, so the numbers needed to be profitable are that much less.
And being the only Country sound in town, real Country Music fans on Long Island or other edges of the market will make special efforts to listen where the West Orange signal isn't quite up to ESB coverage. Those folks might not make the same efforts to hear the signal if the format we just another AC.
Let's hope the rumors prove to be true, and I don't think Allan Sniffen would have said a word if they weren't.
So, it might soon be time to pop the Champagne bottles, or, more appropriately, a good can of Coor's for all the Country Music fans who have waited so long. Yee Ha !!!
Cumulus paid nearly half as much for the license as it would have paid for an ESB signal, so the numbers needed to be profitable are that much less.
And being the only Country sound in town, real Country Music fans on Long Island or other edges of the market will make special efforts to listen where the West Orange signal isn't quite up to ESB coverage. Those folks might not make the same efforts to hear the signal if the format we just another AC.
Let's hope the rumors prove to be true, and I don't think Allan Sniffen would have said a word if they weren't.
So, it might soon be time to pop the Champagne bottles, or, more appropriately, a good can of Coor's for all the Country Music fans who have waited so long. Yee Ha !!!
I guess we'll see how knowledgable all those "experts" are who swear Country can never work in NYC. I still look at other urban markets, especially Detroit where WYCD has been a market leader for years, and say yes it can. Especially now that the line between country and pop has been blurred to the point where there's not even any twang to half the artists any more.
Theater of My Mind said:
I was listening to Thunder 106 earlier this evening and they played some song that I had never heard of, but it actually sounded more like a rock song than a country song. If someone had just randomly tuned to the station they wouldn't even have known it was a "country" station.
I'm not sure where Allan Sniffen heard this rumour but I am curious as to why Cumulus would go with country, a niche format in New York. Not to mention it wouldn't bill well and would be lucky to pull in a 2.0.
If it's a national brand that would change the scenario and cost of running the station but it wouldn't be a big money maker regardless.
Seems odd when there are other format holes that are more New York centric.
Stay tuned........
If it's a national brand that would change the scenario and cost of running the station but it wouldn't be a big money maker regardless.
Seems odd when there are other format holes that are more New York centric.
Stay tuned........
Theater of My Mind said:
It won't really matter. IF Cumulus' goal is really this network bit, 94.7 will simply be a checkbox to clear NY. The question around country and NY was one of perception, not one of ratings. The people who say Country can't work in NY on ad $$ aren't talking out of their rear, those controlling the dollars have said so, I've heard it directly myself on more than one occasion. Cumulus' rumored plan sidesteps the issue by trying to de-emphasize NY$ for a NY station. It's a smart plan but they will have a lot of work to do to get there as 94.7 is on no one's radar and the station will have to be a tricky Goldilocks on the music if it REALLY wants to succeed. And by that I mean Cumulus will have to 'succeed' with it one way or another because there isn't much else they can realistically do with it that will be drastically more valuable.
People view country like it was 15 years ago. Listen to it now, it is not the same. It's pop with a twang, and there are a boatload of crossover artists.
I see it being more than a niche format. Remember that the market is more than NYC... that's how WPLJ keeps billing well. I see 3.0 on this format, maybe even a little higher if done correctly. Correctly means keeping the hokey "Amurica, spitoons, tractors and chewin tabackee" off the playlist.
I see it being more than a niche format. Remember that the market is more than NYC... that's how WPLJ keeps billing well. I see 3.0 on this format, maybe even a little higher if done correctly. Correctly means keeping the hokey "Amurica, spitoons, tractors and chewin tabackee" off the playlist.
WNTIRadio said:
It does make logical sense to fill the format hole and go with country. Why wouldn't someone try to fill the hole when country is so main stream all around the US? In theory I would agree but demographics in New York don't support it. Yes...the New York metro is not only made up of the 5 boroughs but the suburbs of New York are more ethnic today than certain parts of the city itself. Given today's demographics in market no. 1, country would probably get a 1.5 or 2.0 if they were very lucky and forget billing.
WPLJ bills well. It's geared towards women and is after the same demographic as country would be...another reason I'd be surprised if Cumulus put country on 94.7, they'd be competing with themselves. Furthermore WPLJ sounds more rhythmic today than ever. Look at the play list. It's much different than the AC playlist they had 5 years ago. Another sign of changing demographics...?
The argument against country in NY is even stronger today than it was before country was so mainstream because of the ever increasing ethnic demographic of New York and those who have little or no identity with the format.
Country music has about as much in common with New York as it does London.
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