A Listener's Perspective of WXRK-FM

[whatsnew3000]

The following is an opinion of how WXRK-FM might be able to transition itself to a station that works. There are currently over 140 CHR/Pop stations in the USA today. Granted most are dance-rhythmic leaning. However, this take on the direction of the station will gather many in NY to find a place for great music:

In March 2009, WXRK (92.3 NOW) entered the New York radio world by storm to some, but not many. From my understanding of how WXRK has ran from then to now (no pun intended) was to introduce a CHR/Top 40 station to go up against WHTZ New York (Z100). However, the result of WXRK has been so-so production to go up against WHTZ. Up until February 2012, WXRK has never cracked into the top 10 (remaining in the range of #12 to #15) in the average quarter hour (AQH). On the contrary, WXRK has remained #6 in overall cume (with anywhere from 2.7 million to 3.1 million) and audiences ages 18-34.

Therefore, many wonder how can WXRK create changes to challenge their direct competitors such as WHTZ & WKTU (103.5 KTU)? The answer is fairly simple: strengthen the CHR/Top 40 format on WXRK to encourage CHR/Top 40 listeners in New York to count on WXRK as the station for CHR. How can it get done?

Of course, transitioning a radio format is no bait-and-switch method. Changes can be made in the immediate. Among one of the largest complains I get from radio listeners whether I am in SoHo, Far Rockaway, Central Park, Yonkers, or Prospect Park is the repetition of CHR today. Who wants to hear 'We Found Love (feat. Calvin Harris)' by Rihanna 110-127 times a week (there are 168 hours in all 7 days)? If a station wants to keep listeners committed, repetition of songs is by no means a method that will keep them committed. Bluntly, the more times you play a song, the less radio listener will listen. Why? Because most of the listening audience on radio today like variety and most often than not, they are listening and putting on the radio in stores, medical offices, etc. If you want to understand my point better, look no further than to a once failing station WWFS (formally WNEW) [Fresh 102.7]. Although it is a AC formatted station, listenership is committed because WWFS does not repeat songs to a point where listeners would like to change the station. At best, it is a 'at-work' radio station.

The formula followed is what I like to call the C-R-G formula (Current, Recurrent, & Gold). In a sample hour, WWFS will go as follows:

8:00pm C
8:03pm R
8:07pm G
8:11pm C
8:14pm R
8:23pm G
8:27pm C
8:31pm R
8:37pm G
8:41pm C
8:45pm R
8:50pm G
8:53pm C
8:57pm G
9:00pm C

The formula is amazing because listeners are given a variety of music to listen to and will not tired by the selection of music. In my own grounded research, Recurrents and Gold hits are well-received among radio listeners and if there was a station to incorporate more Recurrents and Gold along with Current hits rather than an average CHR station committing to Currents and 1 Recurrent and 1 Gold any other hour then this station will find a committed audience. This is why WWFS, WKTU, WLTW, and WCBS found home to many New York listeners because they understand the want (not need) for music variety that fits the format. CHR/Top 40 in the 2000s had this, but faded away in order to have a meaningless listening war among each other.

If C-R-G is added onto WXRK, the audience will significantly improve and WXRK will finally be in direct competition with WHTZ who is known for Hits, but lately plays the same group of hits every other hour and no variety. Mixing C-R-G gets the station to target more audiences who will use their iPhone or other music player or services (Pandora) to listen to their favorite music. You want people listening to radio, put down the iPhone and say committed, this formula is it.

You wonder, how about a sample hour? Sure, here's a sample:

4:00pm - ADELE - Set Fire to the Rain (C)
4:04pm - NSYNC - Girlfriend (Remix feat. Nelly) (G)
4:07pm - Pink - Raise Your Glass (R)
4:10pm - Flo Rida - Good Feeling (C)
4:14pm - Sum 41 - Fat Lip (G)
4:17pm - Selena Gomez & The Scene - Who Says (R)
***COMMERCIAL BREAK***
4:25pm - Gavin DeGraw - Not Over You (C)
4:28pm - Jay-Z - Empire State of Mind (feat. Alicia Keys) (R)
4:32pm - Blink 182 - All the Small Things (G)
4:36pm - LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem (R)
4:40pm - Jessie J - Domino (C)
4:43pm - Britney Spears - ... Baby One More Time (G)
4:46pm - Kings of Leon - Use Somebody (R)
4:50pm - Pitbull - International Love (feat. Chris Brown) (C)
4:54pm - Fountains of Wayne - Stacy's Mom (G)
4:57pm - Taylor Swift - Mine (R)
5:00pm - TOH (Top of Hour) David Guetta - Turn Me On (feat. Nicki Minaj) (C)

This sample hour in addition with a jingle package (successful CHR/Top 40 radio stations always have) perhaps coming from ReelWorld which WWFS and WHTZ uses will have a profound difference with WXRK's delivery as the station ID and image.

Other than this, a presentation of a weekly countdown from a nationally recognized personality and dumping the rhythmic feel will help the station out. At some point, stations in NY have to realize they're not equals. HOT 97 (WQHT), WWPR (Power 105.1)? There is too much of the same. Be different and playable at people's place of business and restaurants. KMVN (99.7 NOW) as you know is Rhythmic AC/Top 40 in San Francisco. If you do not know what I mean check out: www.997now.com. The station works because it identifies with an audience that needed a station which it did not have before. With WKTU sounding more like KMVN, you cannot expect the Now in San Francisco to be the same as NOW in New York; it is going on now and failing terribly. Getting the DJs who resemble Micki Gomez (doing afternoon shifts at WXRK) helps as well. Remember professionalism. Ms. Gomez comes on not shouting on the mic as she intros a song and/or talks before it, but transitions greatly. If you do not know what I mean, check her out this afternoon (3pm-7pm).

In my most humble opinion, CBS Radio acquiring Rick Dees on all platforms (morning show and countdown included) will help WXRK strengthen respect just as WHTZ has with Elvis Duran and Ryan Seacrest. Even looking at DJs on Sirius-XM's pop channels like Rich Davis who does mornings (and worked many years doing nights at WHTZ) brings favorability and you can reach a new audience that will make more money and commitment to WXRK. Of course, getting such talent is difficult at best, but worth a look into. If you want to play in the big leagues, you need big league players. Elvis Duran and Ryan Seacrest are your Derek Jeter and Alex Rodiguez up against WXRK metaphorically speaking. How will WXRK compete in the big leagues of Market 1, New York against the competition? Acquiring suggested talent previously could help bridge the gap wide open for WXRK.

The 92.3 frequency as is 102.7 are iconic to New York Radio. Down the line just with WWFS, changing the call letters and name to resemble a proven new identity with the station will help. 92.3 HITS-FM? B92? WWNW? WWNU? WTFY (Top-40? Like WHTZ which stands for HiTZ)?

Any comments to these suggestion? Am I right or wrong? Should CBS Radio take this direction on?

 

[DToTheJ]

That wasn't just an opinion... that was analysis! Nice read.

As for call letters, WNUW were used on a now-defunct Philadelphia station that called itself "Now."

 

[whatsnew3000]

Thank you DToTheJ! I really love CHR/Top 40 and thought something needed to be said that wasn't on this ongoing issue. WNUW can definitely work, as stated in the analysis, nothing can just as long as it is a huge change like day and night we can hear. Great website by the way you run.

 

[Morpheux]

Right before Tictak exited 92.3 he did a segment where he would play plenty of gold from the 90's and 00's. Song that you would not expect to hear on 92.3 and it was wildly popular.

 

[whatsnew3000]

Exactly, Morpheux, but more formalized. Like I said before and I'll say it again, New York is the big leagues (as are the Top 10 markets). If you want to be competitive, you have to put fire with fire, not fire with water because who do you think is going to win if metaphorically speaking WHTZ was fire and WXRK was water? It would be a no-brainer WHTZ with the force it has. It's quite a simply analysis to understand above anything else.

 

[hubcity]

The only quibble I have is to wonder whether the pop/punk in the gold category has run its course. It doesn't seem to be relevant, relative to what's on the charts at the moment. I'd probably throw in more relevant gold - maybe Kylie Minogue or even throw way back to Dee-lite (which would be a bit more compatible?)

I'm not necessarily against the pop/punk, but just wondering if it's not this format's doo-wop.

 

[whatsnew3000]

Hubcity, this was simply a sample hour of what the station can sound like. It might sound pop/punk in the sample hour, but it is an example. Of course, I agree you can add more relevant Gold hits such as Kylie Minologue as you said. Thank you for the input.

 

[WNTIRadio]

In my most humble opinion, CBS Radio acquiring Rick Dees on all platforms (morning show and countdown included) will help WXRK strengthen respect just as WHTZ has with Elvis Duran and Ryan Seacrest.

If it were 1981 I would agree with you. Dees is yesterday's Top-40 jock and host. The guy is almost 62 now. Dees is more appropriate on CBS-FM at this point in his career.

Add to that his show doesn't start until 9am NYC time. Plus the fact that he is mostly known on the west coast, and was never a radio factor in NYC.

Instead of going to the same tired old well of either someone who is 3 times the age of the target audience, or a celebrity that has never done radio, how about going to the farm system and trying something new in the morning? Their main competitor, Z-100 did just that with Elvis Druan. That's why the show is still successful.

Radio needs to grow talent again from the ground up that understands the medium.

 

[whatsnew3000]

WNTIRadio, I would agree with you on Rick Dees, but Elvis is reaching near his 50's at this point. The reason I mentioned Rick Dees was simply because he breaths professionalism. Unfortunately, WXRK's CHR did not develop during the period of developing radio talent the same as WHTZ did with Elvis Duran. Radio today is all about voice tracking and well I agree with you that they should develop. I mention Rick Dees who has a proven track record to deliver what WXRK needs right now which is professionalism. I'm sure he would be best suited for WCBS-FM, but he has more connections and relationships with more movie stars and music artists than Ryan Seacrest. It is a up for grabs, but if there can be a level playing field between professionalism and new talent (hard to find), I think we can meet half-way and say, it is possible for WXRK to make it out there in CHR.

 

[WNTIRadio]

I would like to see them try someone out who is a radio person. Just going to the well for Rick Dees and doing the same old same old isn't going to work, especially taking an LA show and putting it on in NYC.

This is similar to my comments on the country thread... try something new (or in this case, something that hasn't been done in ages) radio. All I read in the trades is bitching about radio losing listeners, but the industry isn't doing anything about it, other than throwing this or that "celebrity" on the air and having it go down the toilet.

Radio is like Mitt Romney right now... both need to find their balls and use them.

 

[whatsnew3000]

"I would like to see them try someone out who is a radio person." Who would you suggest as a someone who is a radio person? Is there such thing as a radio person? What's your definition? What is a radio person? What do they need to embody? If not just going to the well for Rick Dees and doing the same old same old isn't going to work, especially taking an LA show and putting it on in NYC, what will?

Frequently, radio uses its balls with useless talent; this is why they have decided to go the 'celebrity' to see if an audience will be found. Please, I am open to suggestions on your end. I am not knocking your comments; thank you for posting, but what will work? More prospective would be welcomed.

 

[WNTIRadio]

To differentiate itself from an iPod, satellite radio and internet radio, terrestrial radio needs to:

- Be live. As much as possible. In a market the size of NYC, there is no excuse not to have a live body behind the mic 24/7. Is the union scale salary of a jock on the overnight really breaking the station and/or company? If it is, then something is seriously wrong with the business model that the lowest paid talent will drag your station down when it bills millions a year.

- Be local. Neither satellite nor most internet stations care about your city!! Whether you're in Chicago or Bergenfield, you're not going to hear about it on either platform. Local radio can provide that, and the ratings for the local all-news stations and sports stations prove it again and again. Businesses are built on customer service. Look at retail. There could be two stores selling the same items, but if one has better people and better service, that store will succeed. Radio needs to get back to customer service and not customer abuse, especially now that there are other options that didn't exist only 10 years ago.

- Farm system. Even if it's one or two shifts that are live on a small market station, that could be the next (fill in the blank). Howard Stern wasn't Howard right out of the gate. He started on a little station in Westchester for a few years, then went to Hartford etc.

- Don't sign unproven talent to multi-year contracts. That goes for celebrities too! How much money does a company waste when it has to pay off David Lee Roth the remainder of his contract when he worked what, 3 months? How much money does that waste that could have been put into bullet point #1, a live jock in the studio??

- Personality. Develop them. Encourage them. Mentor them. Entertainment value will keep people listening to the radio. If every jock sounds the same and is wallpaper, then on to the iPod they go. That doesn't mean go off the wall all the time, but find entertaining ways to relate to your target demo and pass along relevant information or make a quick funny before the break. Get in, get out and entertain. A lesson on that can be learned by listening to all of the great jocks and personalities. Again, that's why talk and sports radio retain audiences.

- Tell me what I HEARD. Stop with this nonsense that some consultant back in 1982 came up with about "can't back announce songs, always need to move forward". Bullshit. Tell me what I heard, especially if it's a NEW song. What does that take? 5 seconds? Probably less, to say "there's Flo-Rida with Good Feeling..." Is that 5 seconds going to cause mass exodus of listeners?

- Don't scream, yell or puke into the microphone. TALK to me. TALK to your audience.

- Take a risk! A brand new song comes out and it's destined to be a huge hit. The airstaff loves it. So.... how about the jock comes out of it and says "that song is <insert formatically correct lingo for good>, how about we... listen to it again! It's THAT good". The biggest reason people stayed tuned in to Howard Stern is that they wanted to see what he said next. He kept the audience hanging by doing the unexpected. Why can't music radio do some of that too? Why is it only for talk radio? Throw a curve ball every once in awhile. Don't need to do it all the time, then it's just as predictable as the rest of your format.

- Stop letting 65 year old guys program for 24 year old people. Or old dudes for young women, or old women for young men. Sure, if they have a track record they can definitely contribute, but check the idea with some people in your demo!! Not only focus groups and auditorium testing, but good old informal feedback. Ask someone on staff, "hey, what do you think of this idea?" Edison didn't work alone, contrary to legend. There were lots of people coming up with ideas at the same time, and refining them along the way. He didn't claim to know everything about everything. FM-NEWS, Mk I, guy who has no idea what 30 year old women really want tries to program a news station to them. Result, .5.

If the same old same old keeps getting done, then it's time to throw in the towel and coast into irrelevance. Instead of complaining, radio needs to bring in new blood and try something new. The first couple of celebrities were hired and it DIDN'T work. So WHY do it 20 more times? Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Wake up, radio, before it's too late. And too late is lurking right around the corner if action isn't taken soon.

 

[nd2023]

Speaking of a farm system, that really is the most important for finding talent. It should start with college stations, then small market stations, then medium market stations, and finally major markets and syndication. Instead we have college stations that sell themselves out instead of staying with the true spirit of college radio: to allow college students to develop their talent as a radio personality and to expose music from new, independent artists. And we have major market stations hire celebrities with no radio experience (remember how long Whoopi Goldberg lasted). Radio celebrities develop because of their radio talents, you can't hire a Hollywood celebrity and instantly expect them to become a radio celebrity.

 

[whatsnew3000]

I admire all the comments regarding this view. However, will New Yorkers be comfortable with talent that is not well-known in today's radio temperature? I find that some people actually connect with listening to a guy who is not local at all in Ryan Seacrest for the mid-days at WHTZ and would it matter if a local talent work the same way he would.

Thoughts about any local talent that can attract CHR/Top-40 in Market #1? Are there any here that can throw out names that would work?

 

[reelyreal]

Speaking of a farm system, that really is the most important for finding talent. It should start with college stations, then small market stations, then medium market stations, and finally major markets and syndication. Instead we have college stations that sell themselves out instead of staying with the true spirit of college radio: to allow college students to develop their talent as a radio personality and to expose music from new, independent artists. And we have major market stations hire celebrities with no radio experience (remember how long Whoopi Goldberg lasted). Radio celebrities develop because of their radio talents, you can't hire a Hollywood celebrity and instantly expect them to become a radio celebrity.

The farm system doesn't work anymore. If there were interest at the college level, kids would be getting involved in their stations. I'm 15 minutes from two colleges, and I went to both of them. You can't GIVE away air time to students anymore. That's why colleges are unloading the stations in favor of spending the money on educations that'll deliver, you know, careers.

Imagine being a 21 year old trying to break into radio today. You've got thousands of out of work talents that have plenty of experience, all battling you for afternoons in some low-hundreds market. Then, if you're lucky enough to get the job, you'll work 50 hours a week for 25,000 a year.

Job security? Future of the industry? Marketable skills in another field?

I've been working on the air full time for six years. I started out in the woods on an unrated station, and I made it into a top 50 market. I'm telling you, it's scary out there and there's no sign of things getting better. I hate it, I absolutely love working in radio, but I see the writing on the wall. I couldn't in good faith encourage anyone to embark on a career in radio, programming OR sales.

 

[whatsnew3000]

Reelyreal,

I agree with your comments. This is why I developed this perspective because the scope of radio has changed. I would like to know if anyone from CBS Radio pays any attention to this board because this is all favorable information to know about what people are thinking.

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

A big echo here at WNTI's comments. Fine reading. Those are proactive suggestions, some of which radio can start doing tomorrow morning.

If I can add a few to that thunderous indictment .....

Radio's eroding listenership began long before iPods, MyTube, YourFace , wifi, and even Prodigy. The indifference (which just piles up every quarter-hour) began with the younger crowd and it has continued. And even THOSE days were nothing to brag about, either, not when a CHR station was crowing about 'market dominance' with a 6 share.

So I'd put a lot of the blame, as well, on the music industry. It too is barnacled with middle-aged men using everything but substance in attempts to reach people age 20. Music radio can be only as good as the music it's been provided. The music industry needs a good transfusion of its own.

What radio and music had, for the longest while, were extremes on the dial. Pop formats succeeded for decades between those extremes. There is little contrast now; therefore, there's little of the instinctive youthful rebellion. No wonder Lady Gaga (whose stuff I like, btw) has to exist in such exaggerated ostentation : Younger people's mothers grew up via Madonna.

That detours into a whole new musical can of snakes -- that of the rock tempo and image itself. It has been around for over 50 years. And when your parents like something, how cool can it be?

 

[whatsnew3000]

Steve Green NEPA,

Thanks for comments. I guess radio is nothing more a work in progress of course but as the 3rd yr anniversary of this format nears, to lose a format that can have a shot in the market with fresh professional talent (I stress professional) and strong CHR standard, WXRK can be amazing.