A Translator has an effect on a 100k watts station!!!!

[younglee981]

Cox in Jacksonville launched Power 106.1 2 months ago and is kicking a$$ in Duval.. and 225 watt translator has knocked 93.3 the beat from it s number one spot!!! In fact power is number 1 in the 18-34 demographic with an 11.9..they are tied with WAPE in the market!

http://insideradio.com/Article.asp?id=2631937&spid=32061

 

[Poledo]

There is a very reasonable explanation for this anomaly. All the oldsters listening to "The Dove's" stunting simply forgot to turn off their radios... they just turned down the volume on their radios and didn't know about the format change. Add those numbers to the Hip Hoppers and the Power listeners get high ... ratings that is.


Seriously. Wow! Power needs to get moved to a full power signal first thing Monday morning. The #1 station in the market has earned it's own set of call letters... not some W420OW type translator call sign.

 

[younglee981]

There is a very reasonable explanation for this anomaly. All the oldsters listening to "The Dove's" stunting simply forgot to turn off their radios... they just turned down the volume on their radios and didn't know about the format change. Add those numbers to the Hip Hoppers and the Power listeners get high ... ratings that is.


Seriously. Wow! Power needs to get moved to a full power signal first thing Monday morning. The #1 station in the market has earned it's own set of call letters... not some W420OW type translator call sign.

very very clever..but stay tuned...things are going to work themselves out..

 

[Rob]

Here's another example, There's a station in Miami that plays all dance music that's a translator but it seems to be doing well in the ratings.

-Rob

 

[Poledo]

very very clever..but stay tuned...things are going to work themselves out..

Are you suggesting that Clear Channel could just stop being complacent with the programming they Beat into the ears of the Urban audience? All CC has to do is read a little between the lines in order to freshen up their Beat in order to bring the Power hungry Hip Hopsters back to the flaming hot 100kw signal? Could it be as easy as the Dove's music library?

I'm assuming Power's presentation isn't as advertiser friendly as the Beat's. I mean what easier way to make an impact on the radio dial than presenting an edgy product? But in my mind the most important asset of Urban radio is the audience. What's the new and old demo breakdown for Beat and Power? If Power's got a bunch of 15 year old Hipity Hoppers listening while the Beat is still thumping with folks holding more than a dollar, these ratings could all be smoke and mirrors. If everyone's looking to a higher Power, then Clear Channel just has to heat that flame throwing 100kw's up and make the audience Beat their way right back a REAL HOT Hip Hopping deal.

 

[younglee981]

very very clever..but stay tuned...things are going to work themselves out..

Are you suggesting that Clear Channel could just stop being complacent with the programming they Beat into the ears of the Urban audience? All CC has to do is read a little between the lines in order to freshen up their Beat in order to bring the Power hungry Hip Hopsters back to the flaming hot 100kw signal? Could it be as easy as the Dove's music library?

I'm assuming Power's presentation isn't as advertiser friendly as the Beat's. I mean what easier way to make an impact on the radio dial than presenting an edgy product? But in my mind the most important asset of Urban radio is the audience. What's the new and old demo breakdown for Beat and Power? If Power's got a bunch of 15 year old Hipity Hoppers listening while the Beat is still thumping with folks holding more than a dollar, these ratings could all be smoke and mirrors. If everyone's looking to a higher Power, then Clear Channel just has to heat that flame throwing 100kw's up and make the audience Beat their way right back a REAL HOT Hip Hopping deal.

i would comment on this...but it may throw my job in jeopardy...but im looking for a real hip hop battle here soon..

 

[Poledo]

I forced that second post too much. The first one was natural. What I meant to say in the second post is the best assett of typical southern Urban stations is the size of their audience. Unless Power is only siphoning off the kids then freshening up the Beat should be the only thing CC needs to do. If the Power translator is pulling all age groups from the Beat then yeah, I think it deserves more watts.

It's very cool that Cox has just shown us what a translator is capable of. Previously the most impressive translator showing I had heard of was when a translator in Montgomery simulcasting a small local urban station from Greenville, AL pulled numbers against CC's 100kw Hot 105.7. That translator was pulling older listeners.

 

[Rob]

It also helps to put the translator in a populated area, not in the middle of nowhere.

-Rob

 

[Groove1670]

It's very cool that Cox has just shown us what a translator is capable of.

Keep in mind, we look at it as a translator. The listener looks at it as a station. If it covers a populated area, and the format works. You have a winner.

I have seen (heard) several 100KW failures too. ;D

 

[ThatGuyOnTheRadio]

It's very cool that Cox has just shown us what a translator is capable of.

Keep in mind, we look at it as a translator. The listener looks at it as a station. If it covers a populated area, and the format works. You have a winner.

I have seen (heard) several 100KW failures too. ;D

Well said. I'm excited to see what the future holds!

 

[jmtillery]

It also helps to put the translator in a populated area, not in the middle of nowhere.

-Rob

In the case of W291CI, it is located in the center of downtown Jacksonville operating with 225 watts high atop a 909 foot tower. The signal has close to a class "A" FM coverage as can be seen as follows:

http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=W291CI&service=FX&status=L&hours=U

Compared to Cox owned WOKV-FM's class "A" coverage as follows:

http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WOKV&service=FM&status=L&hours=U

 

[Rob]

My point.. if the station was licensed to a suburb, they don't listen to hip hop, It's like our example here, why have a full powered 100KW station and a 4KW station down the dial airing the same damn thing.. is Cumulus in the business of WASTING money? or did they want to see who listens and notices..

Congrats to the owner of this LPFM, this proves we can have decent stations (hip hop, yuck) and not just the holy church of the rich man gobbling up the airwaves. If I ever head to town, I'll have to do a bandscan and post it on youtube. My friend lives south of Jacksonville.

Radio is something I rarely listen to and it's boring out here.

Rob

 

[jmtillery]

is Cumulus in the business of WASTING money?

Rob

The answer is NO. Cumulus Media, along with other media companies, has found another use for the translators which attracts a select target demo and generates ad revenue.

 

[Poledo]

is Cumulus in the business of WASTING money?

Rob

The answer is NO. Cumulus Media, along with other media companies, has found another use for the translators which attracts a select target demo and generates ad revenue.

I'm sure Rob was referring to the duplication of WDLT and WRRX signals in Pensacola. Cumulus may be in a pickle in Pensacola/Mobile due to all the signals they own with overlapping coverage. Cumulus is trying to distinguish these signals into the separate Mobile and Pensacola DMAs to keep from going over the ownership cap. We must assume that WRRX is pulling enough advertising revenue from Pensacola to keep the Urban AC format alive even though it isn't really needed by listeners that would probably be satisfied listening to Mobile's WDLT. This could all crash for Cumulus when WRNE gets the 106.9 translator online and provides a truly local Pensacola Urban AC on FM.

I didn't see this coming. When Cumulus launched 100kw talk on 100.7 I was certain they were targeting the Mobile audience. This hasn't turned out to be the case. The way things are playing out on 100.7 it's a bit confusing why they aren't using 106.1 for Pensacola news talk and trying to Rock again with the big 100.7 signal.

 

[Groove1670]

When Cumulus launched 100kw talk on 100.7 I was certain they were targeting the Mobile audience. This hasn't turned out to be the case.

Keep in mind, most of the daytime programming is national. If 100.7 is pulling down numbers on the competition (could be a station(s) that go after the same demo), it is working.

Example: 100.7 could impact FM talk, NTM, and the Rocket. The listener doesn't care it Huckabee or Savage is out of Mobile or Pensacola.

 

[Poledo]

Would you say Cumulus is purposely ignoring Mobile news and traffic on 100.7 in order to defend it as a Pensacola DMA station that shouldn't count against ownership limits in Mobile? on the same train of thought, could WRRX be duplicating WDLT's format to keep WDLT from being significant in the Pensacola DMA?

The FCC's different interpretations of DMAs and Coverage areas really screws over the Mobile and Pensacola markets. It makes me wish we didn't have any 100kw stations in Baldwin county forcing Mobile and Pensacola to deal with 50kw and smaller stations specific to each town.

 

[Groove1670]

Would you say Cumulus is purposely ignoring Mobile news and traffic on 100.7 in order to defend it as a Pensacola DMA station that shouldn't count against ownership limits in Mobile?

The FCC does not care about programming. Cumulus changed the COL of WABD, to satisfy ownership caps.

The average listener probably doesn't notice the duplication of DLT/RRX.
(RRX doesn't reach Pensacola anyway).

CC did the same thing for 104.9 by moving the COL to Moss Point from Mobile.

In all cases format is never a issue. In many cases when a station has changed format, a group has petitioned the FCC, the FCC has denied the request.

If WRNE erodes revenue or rating from WRRX, you might see some adjustments. Only time will tell. If not, you will hear three Urban stations in Pensacola.

FTR: I think RNE carried Michael Baisden at the same time DLT awhile back, until RRX took it from them. (Baisden was syndicated by Cumulus).

You will see some programming changes on April 1 since Baisden left the show.

 

[jpm3002]

Does this mean that Power stays on 106.1 or will there be a frequency swap sometime soon?

 

[Poledo]

104.9 has always been licensed to Moss Point. CC just moved the station from Mobile to Biloxi. They did this after a frequency swap of 104.1 for 104.9 with Cumulus to keep CC under the ownership caps when they bought 107.3. I've never understood the 104.9 move to Biloxi, it just wasn't necessary... unless Casino advertising revenue is just that good.

Also, both WRRX and WDLT city grade Pensacola. WRRX's tower is in Pensacola and WDLT is co-located with WCOA 100.7... Same height, same watts.

 

[Groove1670]

104.9 has always been licensed to Moss Point. CC just moved the station from Mobile to Biloxi. They did this after a frequency swap of 104.1 for 104.9 with Cumulus to keep CC under the ownership caps when they bought 107.3.

Correct. My error. A minor modification was filed with the FCC to satisfy the cap.

Also, both WRRX and WDLT city grade Pensacola. WRRX's tower is in Pensacola and WDLT is co-located with WCOA 100.7... Same height, same watts.

Also correct. As I said WRRX is not a factor in Mobile.