• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

97.7 WILD-What a ripoff!

R

RadioJay

Guest
It seems like Radio One just can't seem to get it right. I was thinking finally we have an FM classic soul station. I listened all day and it was all R&B from the 90's to today. I heard a positioner during the day saying hip-hop, R&B, and classic soul. Classic soul? Then adding insult to injury, they go back to current hip-hop and R&B at 4pm. I should have known this was too good to be true. Glad I can hear Kiss 104 in Atlanta on my computer. Now that's a real classic soul station, great mix of 70's and 80's R&B. If anyone wants to check out Kiss 104 just go to www.kiss1041fm.com<P ID="signature">______________
Moe: (Sees a microphone in a radio studio) Ooh, a microphonie!

Curly: Or a phoney at the mike!

Moe: Quiet numbskulls I'm broadcastin'!

From The Three Stooges episode "Micro-Phoneys"</P>
 
> It seems like Radio One just can't seem to get it right. I
> was thinking finally we have an FM classic soul station. I
> listened all day and it was all R&B from the 90's to today.
> I heard a positioner during the day saying hip-hop, R&B, and
> classic soul. Classic soul? Then adding insult to injury,
> they go back to current hip-hop and R&B at 4pm. I should
> have known this was too good to be true. Glad I can hear
> Kiss 104 in Atlanta on my computer. Now that's a real
> classic soul station, great mix of 70's and 80's R&B. If
> anyone wants to check out Kiss 104 just go to
> www.kiss1041fm.com
>
Yep, this is what I feared. Although it's nice to have some urban music on FM in Boston, the hybrid approach stinks. And, I too will miss the classic soul. In fact, I'll miss WILD almost entirely thanks to Cool 97.7.

There's nothing worse than having a good Mary J. Blige tune inturrupted by James Taylor as happened to me in our company parking lot (less than 30 minutes from Boston) this afternoon. That's a rough segue even for Mike!

I wish WOQL would go away - like to Vermont!
 
Well, today the new WILD-FM is mixing in a lot of 80's tunes, so maybe we'll get some 70's and 60's in the days to come....

I wonder what will happen to the Time Tunnel with Marc Coleman and the Caribbean Cruise with Jammin' Joe... And Rick Anderson too... :-(

> > It seems like Radio One just can't seem to get it right.
> I
> > was thinking finally we have an FM classic soul station.
> I
> > listened all day and it was all R&B from the 90's to
> today.
> > I heard a positioner during the day saying hip-hop, R&B,
> and
> > classic soul. Classic soul? Then adding insult to
> injury,
> > they go back to current hip-hop and R&B at 4pm. I should
> > have known this was too good to be true. Glad I can hear
> > Kiss 104 in Atlanta on my computer. Now that's a real
> > classic soul station, great mix of 70's and 80's R&B. If
> > anyone wants to check out Kiss 104 just go to
> > www.kiss1041fm.com
> >
> Yep, this is what I feared. Although it's nice to have some
> urban music on FM in Boston, the hybrid approach stinks.
> And, I too will miss the classic soul. In fact, I'll miss
> WILD almost entirely thanks to Cool 97.7.
>
> There's nothing worse than having a good Mary J. Blige tune
> inturrupted by James Taylor as happened to me in our company
> parking lot (less than 30 minutes from Boston) this
> afternoon. That's a rough segue even for Mike!
>
> I wish WOQL would go away - like to Vermont!
>
 
> Well, today the new WILD-FM is mixing in a lot of 80's
> tunes, so maybe we'll get some 70's and 60's in the days to
> come....
>
> I wonder what will happen to the Time Tunnel with Marc
> Coleman and the Caribbean Cruise with Jammin' Joe... And
> Rick Anderson too... :-(
>
> > > It seems like Radio One just can't seem to get it right.
>
> > I
> > > was thinking finally we have an FM classic soul station.
>
> > I
> > > listened all day and it was all R&B from the 90's to
> > today.
> > > I heard a positioner during the day saying hip-hop, R&B,
>
> > and
> > > classic soul. Classic soul? Then adding insult to
> > injury,
> > > they go back to current hip-hop and R&B at 4pm. I
> should
> > > have known this was too good to be true. Glad I can
> hear
> > > Kiss 104 in Atlanta on my computer. Now that's a real
> > > classic soul station, great mix of 70's and 80's R&B.
> If
> > > anyone wants to check out Kiss 104 just go to
> > > www.kiss1041fm.com
> > >
> > Yep, this is what I feared. Although it's nice to have
> some
> > urban music on FM in Boston, the hybrid approach stinks.
> > And, I too will miss the classic soul. In fact, I'll miss
>
> > WILD almost entirely thanks to Cool 97.7.
> >
> > There's nothing worse than having a good Mary J. Blige
> tune
> > inturrupted by James Taylor as happened to me in our
> company
> > parking lot (less than 30 minutes from Boston) this
> > afternoon. That's a rough segue even for Mike!
> >
> > I wish WOQL would go away - like to Vermont!
> >
>
*AHEM*

I actually said it would happen on this very board a few weeks ago if they didnt get a good book they were going to get flushed and Classic Soul would replace Hot 97.7................I guess Jamn Isn't as "lame" as some here think, they ran Hot out of town. Interesting developments all around.
 
> Well, today the new WILD-FM is mixing in a lot of 80's
> tunes, so maybe we'll get some 70's and 60's in the days to
> come....
>
> I wonder what will happen to the Time Tunnel with Marc
> Coleman and the Caribbean Cruise with Jammin' Joe... And
> Rick Anderson too... :-(
>
> > > It seems like Radio One just can't seem to get it right.
>
> > I
> > > was thinking finally we have an FM classic soul station.
>
> > I
> > > listened all day and it was all R&B from the 90's to
> > today.
> > > I heard a positioner during the day saying hip-hop, R&B,
>
> > and
> > > classic soul. Classic soul? Then adding insult to
> > injury,
> > > they go back to current hip-hop and R&B at 4pm. I
> should
> > > have known this was too good to be true. Glad I can
> hear
> > > Kiss 104 in Atlanta on my computer. Now that's a real
> > > classic soul station, great mix of 70's and 80's R&B.
> If
> > > anyone wants to check out Kiss 104 just go to
> > > www.kiss1041fm.com
> > >
> > Yep, this is what I feared. Although it's nice to have
> some
> > urban music on FM in Boston, the hybrid approach stinks.
> > And, I too will miss the classic soul. In fact, I'll miss
>
> > WILD almost entirely thanks to Cool 97.7.
> >
> > There's nothing worse than having a good Mary J. Blige
> tune
> > inturrupted by James Taylor as happened to me in our
> company
> > parking lot (less than 30 minutes from Boston) this
> > afternoon. That's a rough segue even for Mike!
> >
> > I wish WOQL would go away - like to Vermont!
> >
>
*AHEM*

I actually said it would happen on this very board a few weeks ago if they didnt get a good book they were going to get flushed and Classic Soul would replace Hot 97.7................I guess Jamn Isn't as "lame" as some here think, they ran Hot out of town. Interesting developments all around.
 
You know I pretty much agree with you all around re: Jam'n and Hot. However, let's not overlook the fact that they're still playing essentially the same format as was on Hot from 4PM to 10PM on the new WILD-FM... Stupid in my opinion, but they are. They really should give up trying to compete with Jam'n at all though. It's just plain stupid...

> > Well, today the new WILD-FM is mixing in a lot of 80's
> > tunes, so maybe we'll get some 70's and 60's in the days
> to
> > come....
> >
> > I wonder what will happen to the Time Tunnel with Marc
> > Coleman and the Caribbean Cruise with Jammin' Joe... And
> > Rick Anderson too... :-(
> >
> > > > It seems like Radio One just can't seem to get it
> right.
> >
> > > I
> > > > was thinking finally we have an FM classic soul
> station.
> >
> > > I
> > > > listened all day and it was all R&B from the 90's to
> > > today.
> > > > I heard a positioner during the day saying hip-hop,
> R&B,
> >
> > > and
> > > > classic soul. Classic soul? Then adding insult to
> > > injury,
> > > > they go back to current hip-hop and R&B at 4pm. I
> > should
> > > > have known this was too good to be true. Glad I can
> > hear
> > > > Kiss 104 in Atlanta on my computer. Now that's a real
>
> > > > classic soul station, great mix of 70's and 80's R&B.
>
> > If
> > > > anyone wants to check out Kiss 104 just go to
> > > > www.kiss1041fm.com
> > > >
> > > Yep, this is what I feared. Although it's nice to have
> > some
> > > urban music on FM in Boston, the hybrid approach stinks.
>
> > > And, I too will miss the classic soul. In fact, I'll
> miss
> >
> > > WILD almost entirely thanks to Cool 97.7.
> > >
> > > There's nothing worse than having a good Mary J. Blige
> > tune
> > > inturrupted by James Taylor as happened to me in our
> > company
> > > parking lot (less than 30 minutes from Boston) this
> > > afternoon. That's a rough segue even for Mike!
> > >
> > > I wish WOQL would go away - like to Vermont!
> > >
> >
> *AHEM*
>
> I actually said it would happen on this very board a few
> weeks ago if they didnt get a good book they were going to
> get flushed and Classic Soul would replace Hot
> 97.7................I guess Jamn Isn't as "lame" as some
> here think, they ran Hot out of town. Interesting
> developments all around.
>
 
> *AHEM*
>
> I actually said it would happen on this very board a few
> weeks ago if they didnt get a good book they were going to
> get flushed and Classic Soul would replace Hot 97.7

So far, the soul on 97.7 is not very "Classic", it's mostly contemporary.

The difference is that it's adult soul/R&B instead of hip-hop (though still hip-hop 4 - 10 PM).
 
> Well, today the new WILD-FM is mixing in a lot of 80's
> tunes, so maybe we'll get some 70's and 60's in the days to
> come....
>
> I wonder what will happen to the Time Tunnel with Marc
> Coleman and the Caribbean Cruise with Jammin' Joe... And
> Rick Anderson too... :-(

I hope their specialty shows such as Time Tunnel and Caribbean Cruise reappear on 97.7 this weekend. We'll know about Time Tunnel in another seven hours. That's a great show, I hope it stays.
 
> You know I pretty much agree with you all around re: Jam'n
> and Hot. However, let's not overlook the fact that they're
> still playing essentially the same format as was on Hot from
> 4PM to 10PM on the new WILD-FM... Stupid in my opinion, but
> they are. They really should give up trying to compete with
> Jam'n at all though. It's just plain stupid...
>
They will NEVER top Jam'n. Hot 97.7 not only had a small signal, but also only catered to African-Americans. Most of 94.5's audience is in white suburbia and they cater to them. This whole idea of having a half and half of R&B and hip-hop IS stupid. It took forever for Radio One to even give Hot 97.7 and 1090 WILD web sites. Now with the new WILD FM we'll probably have to wait another few months before IT gets it's own website. As far as this new format, IT SUCKS. For years we've waited for WILD to go on FM and now that Radio One gets the chance they blow it. The positioner they use for this new station is "hip-hop, today's R&B, and classic soul" They should just dump the hip-hop and go with today's R&B and classic soul playing music from the 70's to today. They also should broaden the demographic they serve from mainly African-Americans to everyone. <P ID="signature">______________
Moe: (Sees a microphone in a radio studio) Ooh, a microphonie!

Curly: Or a phoney at the mike!

Moe: Quiet numbskulls I'm broadcastin'!

From The Three Stooges episode "Micro-Phoneys"</P>
 
> *AHEM*
>
> I actually said it would happen on this very board a few
> weeks ago if they didnt get a good book they were going to
> get flushed and Classic Soul would replace Hot
> 97.7................I guess Jamn Isn't as "lame" as some
> here think, they ran Hot out of town. Interesting
> developments all around.
>

Yeah, you were right but for the wrong reason. Hot actually gained a bit in the ratings since their move to Blue Hill - but Radio One wanted to take their one FM and one AM property in a different direction. Right now, R1 is rolling out gospel in most of their markets - usually on their weakest signal. And, WILD (which always did great for a daytimer) was facing it's winter short broadcast day. So, R1 figured that they would serve *their* constituency with a hybrid of WILD and WBOT on their only FM in the market. They are also committed to getting Tom Joyner on in all of their major markets. He doesn't fit well into the format of the "old" Hot 97.7.

This doesn't change the fact that JAMN is dull as CHR/R's go. It is. Travel elsewhere as I do and listen to what is on elsewhere. You'll hear a lot more new music and better imaging than JAMN offers. Close to home is Hot 93.7 in Hartford, which is far tighter and a better listen than JAMN. Personally, I really like the mix on Power 104 down there too and I think that Wendy Williams really hurts their numbers (but that's off topic).

Not to mention that WBOT could have been the best programmed Hip Hop station in the world and they would STILL be second to JAMN. It's that crappy signal. It is simply too weak to compete with the big Class C FM signals like 94.5. Had Hot been on a bigger stick like 105.7 - and I'm certain that we would be having an entirely different conversation.

I'm just waiting for someone else to take on JAMN here in the market. Then, you would see big changes at JAMN as they sharpen up. Right now, they have the entire genre to themselves...and they always have. Hot was never a real competitor.
 
> They will NEVER top Jam'n. Hot 97.7 not only had a small
> signal, but also only catered to African-Americans. Most of
> 94.5's audience is in white suburbia and they cater to them.

And to boot, 94.5 has locked up the Hispanic numbers as well. And without a Spanish-targetted station in Boston, Jam'n, and to some extent Kiss 108, will get the Hispanic audience by default.

> It took forever for Radio One to even
> give Hot 97.7 and 1090 WILD web sites. Now with the new
> WILD FM we'll probably have to wait another few months
> before IT gets it's own website.

At least in the Philadelphia (Y-100/103.9 The Beat/107.9 WRNB) and Detroit (102.7 Kiss FM/Hot 102.7) switcheroos, Radio One would at least put up an "Under Construction" page.

> As far as this new format,
> IT SUCKS. For years we've waited for WILD to go on FM and
> now that Radio One gets the chance they blow it. The
> positioner they use for this new station is "hip-hop,
> today's R&B, and classic soul" They should just dump the
> hip-hop and go with today's R&B and classic soul playing
> music from the 70's to today.

Agreed. 97.7 WILD-FM is not the Urban Oldies station that 1090 WILD was, and it's not even the Urban AC that it should be. The hip-hop block makes no sense, but the rest of the station seems OK. Essentially, the WILD call letters are in place only because they are a heritage part of Boston radio, but they do not mirror what Radio One was doing with 1090 AM. Perhaps they could have the "Old School Lunch Hour" or something like that to keep former WILD listeners happy.

> They also should broaden the
> demographic they serve from mainly African-Americans to
> everyone.

I don't really know how they'd do that with the blend of music, but you're entirely right regarding Radio One.

From what I've seen and heard, Radio One appears to be, essentially, a family affair. Just check out <a target="_blank" href=http://www.clevescene.com/issues/2002-08-28/news/feature.html>http://www.clevescene.com/issues/2002-08-28/news/feature.html story online, about how Radio One ended up firing the founder of a Gospel station that Radio One purchased because he refused to play a ridiculous amount of Jeff Majors, who just happens to be Cathy Hughes boyfriend and has his own show on Urban AC "Majic 102.3" in Washington and his own show on TV One. The CEO of Radio One appears more to be a suck-up to his mother.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with minorities in the marketplace; Nash Communications, the former owner of WILD, was a class act. But there's something wrong with Radio One. Perhaps Radio One turned WILD to gospel just to get some more Jeff Majors on the Boston airwaves....
 
> > *AHEM*
> >
> > I actually said it would happen on this very board a few
> > weeks ago if they didnt get a good book they were going to
>
> > get flushed and Classic Soul would replace Hot
> > 97.7................I guess Jamn Isn't as "lame" as some
> > here think, they ran Hot out of town. Interesting
> > developments all around.
> >
>
> Yeah, you were right but for the wrong reason. Hot actually
> gained a bit in the ratings since their move to Blue Hill -
> but Radio One wanted to take their one FM and one AM
> property in a different direction. Right now, R1 is rolling
> out gospel in most of their markets - usually on their
> weakest signal. And, WILD (which always did great for a
> daytimer) was facing it's winter short broadcast day. So,
> R1 figured that they would serve *their* constituency with a
> hybrid of WILD and WBOT on their only FM in the market.
> They are also committed to getting Tom Joyner on in all of
> their major markets. He doesn't fit well into the format of
> the "old" Hot 97.7.
>
> This doesn't change the fact that JAMN is dull as CHR/R's
> go. It is. Travel elsewhere as I do and listen to what is
> on elsewhere. You'll hear a lot more new music and better
> imaging than JAMN offers. Close to home is Hot 93.7 in
> Hartford, which is far tighter and a better listen than
> JAMN. Personally, I really like the mix on Power 104 down
> there too and I think that Wendy Williams really hurts their
> numbers (but that's off topic).

I dont think you get it buddy you can say thy are this or that but the numbers do not lie and they are staggering. They're doing what is right for Boston according to their research etc and you cant argue that because they have huge ratings, end of story.
>
> Not to mention that WBOT could have been the best programmed
> Hip Hop station in the world and they would STILL be second
> to JAMN. It's that crappy signal. It is simply too weak to
> compete with the big Class C FM signals like 94.5. Had Hot
> been on a bigger stick like 105.7 - and I'm certain that we
> would be having an entirely different conversation.

Signal limited them yes but they were never a match for Jamn ever. They sounded sloppy and messy and not very tight at all, they sounded like the firrerence between Radio One pouring no money into them and Clear Channel spending to make Jamn consistantly number one.
>
> I'm just waiting for someone else to take on JAMN here in
> the market. Then, you would see big changes at JAMN as they
> sharpen up. Right now, they have the entire genre to
> themselves...and they always have. Hot was never a real

That will never happen just as no other CHR will come into town to challange Kiss. They are both entrenched and that doesnt happen by accident that is great programming
> competitor.
>
 
> I dont think you get it buddy you can say thy are this or
> that but the numbers do not lie and they are staggering.
> They're doing what is right for Boston according to their
> research etc and you cant argue that because they have huge
> ratings, end of story.
> >
You are the one who doesn't get it. I will provide an example. In Colorado Springs, CO, Citadel's Magic 98.9 (KKMG) had the entire CHR market to itself. They programmed "safe" hip hop with a few other hits sprinkled in. But they were classified as CHR/Rhythmic. And, they scored huge numbers - a frequent number one over a period of 10+ years. It wasn't great programming, it was the lack of a direct competitor. Colo Springs had KVUU, which was a Hot AC and a bunch of country outlets. Magic was tops for years.

Then Clear Channel primiered KIBT (96.1 The Beat). The Beat is a more straight-on CHR/Rhythmic and finally provided Colorado Springs with a tightly programmed station in the genre. Guess what happened? The Beat knocked Magic out of the top 5 IN ONE BOOK. They lost 66% of their audience in that book. And, Magic actually has the better signal. It has taken over a year for KKMG to claw its way back up - and KIBT is still on top.

I know that Boston is (of course) a bigger market. But, my point remains that JAMN is not doing so well because it is some well-programmed station - it's due to a lack of competition. If you like that sort of music, you have to listen to JAMN. Same goes for CHR with Kiss. No competition. I didn't propose a a direct competitor for Kiss because there isn't room. But, JAMN could fall if faced with decent competition.

> Signal limited them yes but they were never a match for
> Jamn ever. They sounded sloppy and messy and not very tight
> at all, they sounded like the firrerence between Radio One
> pouring no money into them and Clear Channel spending to
> make Jamn consistantly number one.

Yes, Hot was sloppy. But don't underestimate the lack of signal. No one in the NW 1/4 of the market could even listen to Hot if they wanted to.

> >
> > I'm just waiting for someone else to take on JAMN here in
> > the market. Then, you would see big changes at JAMN as
> they
> > sharpen up. Right now, they have the entire genre to
> > themselves...and they always have. Hot was never a real
>
> That will never happen just as no other CHR will come into
> town to challange Kiss. They are both entrenched and that
> doesnt happen by accident that is great programming
> > competitor.
> >

They are entrenched in part due to a lack of available signals in the market. That's one way that you get entrenched. And, this is a very stable market for that reason. WILD-FM not withstanding, there are very few format changes on FM here because there are few opportunities for change. The worst rated signals remain the same due to stubborn ownership and/or oddities within the market (i.e. WFNX, WXRV, WBOS). These stations wouldn't last in other big markets.
 
Re: BRNout

<font color=3333ff>BRNout, I'm done with the attitude of Wizard. He HAS to work for Jamn, since it seems that everything about him is "Jamn is #1" and he is NOT open to ANY true discussion. He blasts more than discusses and I like to have good convos on the board, not flames and arguements.

Level-headed, un-biased folks like us really know the deal. I'd love to see a true Urban or Rhythmic get into town and make Jamn slide down.

Guess I was in town just the right time; I got segments of regular daily programing airchecked before they flipped. RIP Hot, welcome Tom Joyner. The real question is what station will Radio One buy and how long will that be? Hmmmm
</font>
 
Re: BRNout

> BRNout, I'm done with the attitude of Wizard. He HAS to
> work for Jamn, since it seems that everything about him is
> "Jamn is #1" and he is NOT open to ANY true discussion. He
> blasts more than discusses and I like to have good convos on
> the board, not flames and arguements.
>
> Level-headed, un-biased folks like us really know the deal.
> I'd love to see a true Urban or Rhythmic get into town and
> make Jamn slide down.
>
> Guess I was in town just the right time; I got segments of
> regular daily programing airchecked before they flipped.
> RIP Hot, welcome Tom Joyner. The real question is what
> station will Radio One buy and how long will that be? Hmmmm
>
Thanks TJ!
 
A WILD alternative: Sirius Satellite Radio

Here's one word for those looking for an alternative to the new WILD: SIRIUS. (Or XM, although I'm a Sirius fan myself.) :)

Reading the WILD threads a few days ago inspired me to briefly tune into the Sirius streams "Heart and Soul" (51)and "Soul Town" (53), and if you liked the old WILD, you might love these. Lots of variety, offhand. And if you're a discomaniac, you'll probably like "The Strobe" (37). Come to think of it, fans of the old Star 93.7 might also like Sirius as well. Besides "The Strobe," you might also listen to "The Beat" (36) for current dance hits.

Just offhand, it sounds to me as though Radio One was looking for an outlet for Tom Joyner, which is why it is switching the WILD calls over to FM, but this has resulted in a blend, or muddle if you prefer, of styles. So, is WILD still classic R&B, or is it urban AC? Not to mention that it retains a current lean after 4 PM. (Truth in advertising as it were: I'm just relying on the reports I've read where WILD is concerned, as I haven't listened to the station since the changeover. You might say I've been too busy listening to Sirius.) ;-)

I've long thought, though, that the WILD calls were good ones and I feel it makes sense (in that way, at least) for Radio One to transfer them over to FM.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom