Re: 95X vs. The Dog. Who flips first?
> Both of these stations should do something else. Which one
> will flip formats first, and why?
Assuming they're both going to flip, I think I'd have to put my money on 95X. And here's why... they're "the biggest loser" in all of this. Yes, 95X may be several ranks above The Dog when you look at the P12+ numbers... but the slide from 6.0 to 3.2 (last summer to this summer) is more dramatic than The Dog going from a 3.0 to a 1.7.
Also, consider that 95X was once more of a "key player" in the market, while The Dog is, and has always been, the "bastard stepchild" of the CC cluster since it replaced a B104.7 simulcast not too long ago. I think the expectations Citadel has for a heritage station like 95X are much higher than those CC has of The Dog.
Even though Farid himself supposedly gave the green light to dump Howard Stern earlier than expected, the higher-ups at Citadel can't ignore the fact that a station that's been around as long as 95X, and that has been as successful at 95X previously was... is now getting only a 3 share with little or no hope of getting back the numbers it enjoyed in the past.
To look at it another way, 95X got beat by BOTH K-Rock and TK99... stations that were only in the fours when 95X had 6, one year ago. Had it sunk another 2/10 of a share, 95X would have even been beat by The Friggin' Music of Your Life on WTLA!
On the other hand, The Dog has been beaten by all of these stations in all of the past five books. They're used to it, and again, if it's the "bastard stepchild" of the cluster, ClearChannel probably doesn't care.
To sum it up, in the grand scheme of things, I'd say 95X's situation seems more desparate than The Dog's... so they're more likely to flip first. But that's just based on the P12+ numbers, and I know those of you "in the know" with access to the actual books probably have a hundred reasons as to why I am wrong.