AC & Beyond - Jax Formats

[John FL]

With the upcoming Rockville concert in Jax, I’m reminded of the radio changes that took place last year. While it was known for some time Rock 104.5/Rock 105 was “retiring,” there was a good deal of speculation as to what new offering would come to Jacksonville.

Many posters got it right in figuring news/talk WOKV would move to a full-market signal at 104.5 from 106.5.
An overwhelming majority of posters got it wrong, including me, who figured a new, AC challenger would surface. I was so very impressed with Cox Media’s Easy 93.1 (WFEZ) brand in South Florida. It seemed logical that station would serve as a prototype rolling out to other markets including Jacksonville. I looked at it as an older sister to CHR WAPE in the same way as Cox Media treats WFEZ to their CHR WFLC. Well, it didn’t happen that way.

From a dollars and sense perspective, I can understand why a full-market signal was destiny for a very large and expensive news operation. A blowtorch signal also is vital to promote their TV news operation. Given Jacksonville’s massive land area, the WOKV FM slice of the FM pie got a lot bigger and no doubt has seen increased billing $$$ as a result. On the flip side, we’ve seen across company lines a reluctance to make major investments in signals such as 106.5. Had an AC gone there, certain expenditures would have been necessary to compete adequately. In a wish from a genie in a bottle scenario, I would have loved a WFEZ on 104.5.

The lone AC, WEJZ, attempts to be something for everybody in a big 25-54 tent. There’s a formulistic approach to music scheduling where each hour features X # of songs from various decades along with a certain amount of upbeat to slower tunes etc. The downside is a sound that isn’t very consistent but obviously it works. I don’t say this as a slam but it’s the reality of the present market situation. This is not totally unique to just Jax.

I find interesting developments going on with the AC format. Mainstream AC has offered music variety from the past 25-30 years. There’s been a good deal of discussion about 90s music not testing well. I’m not so sure about that. True, it was a very fragmented radio decade. AC does tend to burn out certain tunes. It's one reason Greatest Hits formats, for example, is going through great lengths to air "non-ACish" songs. It's all about the careful selection of titles no matter the period and really no matter the format.

However, I do see challenges. AC has been dumping “Lite” and “Easy” branding big time across the country. I don’t see that as much as an issue as “oldies” because that brand tends to be too time restrictive in the minds of listeners. What we are seeing is a younger generation who aren’t interested in soft music. Around the country CHR is frequently performing better in 25-54 than 18-34. Adult woman want to hear the same music as their daughters. In the past, mom would have jumped on to AC as she aged. It's no longer a slam-dunk. I’d really love to see how those demos work out in Jax. Perhaps Cox thought a Soft AC would not earn the same type of good 25-54 numbers as seen in South Florida. Perhaps they just didn't want to take the chance. Who really knows?

Closer to home and back to WEJZ’s overall sound, I’ve found they offer what I perceive as a higher than normal amount of songs that belong on a classic hits format, especially the Greatest Hits variety. The latter format is now very 80s intensive as this is the music (P1s) 40+ enjoy. While WEJZ doesn’t face direct competition, there is a lot of indirect formats targeting parts of 25-54. Nonetheless they deserve credit for getting a lot of it right. Too many “hot” songs and upper 25-54 will get nervous and restless. Too many 80s and/or even 70’s (not sure if WEJZ even plays any 70s anymore) and the younger listeners will tune out. Get too “noisy” or hard and the office crowd will turn the radio off.

Anyway, in this moment in time, I often think what if Cox had gone the AC route. There’s a lot of music that is not heard in Jacksonville. An AC challenger would have to find a niche and/or that programming gap representing a part of 25-54 that is deemed under served.

We’ve been hearing a good deal about Classic Hip Hop and I’ll have some thoughts on that and other formats in subsequent posts.

 

[John FL]

WSOL (V-101.5) has joined the classic hip-hop bandwagon and is now branded as “Throwback Hip-Hop & R&B.” That doesn’t surprise me although I had expected this type of change a little earlier than launched.

For a good number of years, I had V101.5 on my car presets. I wasn’t exactly a regular listener because there was some song unfamiliarity and some songs were not to my taste. What really impressed me though were some of the old school tunes from the 80s and 70s because they brought me back to where I remember hearing those songs on the radio. I missed a lot of them. Despite the fact these were Top 40 hits and many crossover hits as well, I had trouble finding them anywhere on the Jax radio dial. At any rate, I enjoyed V101.5 at times for that main reason.

When I heard the term “classic hip-hop” for the first time, I realized rap/hip-hop has been a genre of music that’s been going on for quite a while. Way back when, many of us didn’t think about labels. When Blondie’s “Rapture” first played on the radio in the early 80’s, the best part of the song to me was the “rap” at the end. It was so cool because it was so different (at that time). There were a number of rap songs that made it to Top 40 radio. Ones that stand out are The SugarHill Gang’s “Rappers Delight” which was totally fun. Tone Loc’s Wild Thing’s beat and lyrics that by today’s standards are rather lame but told a good relationship story.

Eventually, radio grew even more fragmented and I grew a little older. Tastes and preference do change. Today, I still like a good number of R&B crossover hits from the 70s and 80s. It’s good to see V101.5 still features R&B but it’s a lot different from the V101.5 I remember. Change is constant.

In the last post, I talked of AC and in this case we have an Urban AC having to deal with new competition. They’ve re-branded and there appears to be very little overlap between the stations. This is typically what happens when you are no longer the only game in town. Given what I’ve been reading about the format, I suspect V101.5 will do well in 25-54 at the younger end. I looked through the playlist of Adult R&B (Hot 106.5) and recognized a lot more tunes. Perhaps 25-30% of those songs are or were heard on certain classic hits stations today and also a few years ago. I would suspect Hot 106.5 skews a lot older. There’s choices for sure for the urban adult audience.

In radio, new formats sometimes become overnight sensations as is the case for classic hip-hop. However, there is no substitute for hard work, creativity and a team (owners, managers & associates) all pulling together and not working against each other. We’ve already seen some ratings slippage for the format in some markets. You can’t just set it and forget it and if there are two in the market doing virtually the same thing, the novelty wears off pretty quickly. We see that type of thing play out over and over. In radio, It’s called a strategy. I call it stupidity. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen in Jax.

In the case of V101.5, I really do wish them a lot of success. I have this “thing” for heritage radio stations. More Jax area format banter to come but I have no idea which one yet. Better yet, you're welcome to add your two-cents worth to formats already discussed or even a new one.

 

[John FL]

Continuing our format wheel discussion.

Over the past 3-5 years, I’ve seen consultants and analysts etc. offer their take on the Classic Rock format. There’s a lot of contradiction and differences of opinion. It’s hard figuring it all out. For a while it seemed it was almost 50/50 where some believed the format had gotten too old and stale. Others swore by it as still viable. It seemed that in many markets and you can include Jax, we saw Company A give up on the format with Company B in the same market bringing it back even if was eventually.

To this day, I’m not exactly sure what happened at Classic Rock WSOS FM or even how long the station was up for sale. Unfortunately, we didn’t even see beauty contest numbers so almost of us had assumptions. I do recall seeing comments on I believe the online version of the Times Union where listeners were disgusted to see another station playing AC/DC and the same old, burned out songs and artists. I have a feeling Jacksonville rock fans prefer to hear more modern rock but I could be wrong. At any rate, I get the impression classic rock was some kind of interim format.

I've heard speculation about a classic rock format return. Perhaps it can wind up on a translator such as 106.9 with Planet moving to the better signal at 107.3. Who knows really? My feeling is if a format can be run on the cheap and if there is potential revenue can be increased from what currently exists, then no idea is far-fetched. With the Rockville concert down the road, I would think the biggest impacts to any rock launch or station switch scenario would occur at that time. Just sayin' Who knows really anyway about these things? It's what the company wants in the end.

Since this is all about formats in Jax, it’s appropriate to bring up Christian AC “The Promise” since that format became the victor over classic rock. I know virtually nothing about the format. I tuned in a few times just to hear what it was all about and it wasn’t for me. I attended what I thought was a promotion for another radio station but it was really all about “The Promise.” I saw a wide spectrum of listeners from all ages but I noticed a good number of young couples with kids from K to maybe 5th grade or so. It would appear there is an audience that is viable. I have no idea how many listeners there are but I would suspect they are a loyal audience who support Christian products, merchants etc.

I would also think if Christian AC programming represented negative impacts to AC WEJZ, that sale would not have happened. That at least seems logical to me but then it’s not always logic that is at the heart of radio decisions. Perhaps someone in the know will join the conversation.

More to come I’m sure.

 

[John FL]

There’s other pieces to formats that don’t get the kind of attention they should on these boards. Without skilled, proven sales folks who have that knack to close the deal or the effective promotions that help bring about improved, targeted ratings then virtually any format can find itself lagging behind expectations and perhaps this can even lead to replacing what truly had potential to be a solid performer for the cluster.

Speaking of promotions, I noticed Amadeus is back at Renda Broadcasting as a Promotions Director and I couldn’t be happier for him. I always liked him and really felt bad when he was dismissed from Renda a few years (or more) ago. In my view, a Promotions Director has to be engaged with people and be fun to be around. While I never met him, he just gives me the impression he’s the kind of guy you’d want to hang around with at leisure. I believe it's a very important job in the health of a format. At any rate, best of luck sir!

As far as dynamic sales go, I believe WOKV has very effective spots about the advantages of advertising on that station. By far, Lester Jackson of Safe Touch Security, has a very recognizable voice in the North Florida area and his endorsement of the station as a place for business to advertise is totally effective. The whole thing comes off as true and without hype. If I were a business owner, I would probably be motivated to at least get in touch with the station to find out how that advertising would help me and my business.

News/Talk formats such as WOKV have a lot of challenges and I think things will get even more difficult as time goes on. We’ve seen ratings drop across the country. Rush & Sean have lost some really great, heritage affiliates. There’s a lot more that could be said but that probably earns a separate string. But the point is, if the clients are happy with results, a WOKV has a good prognosis even with the probability of bumps in the road ahead.

I've witnessed a number of really good promotions in Jacksonville over the years. Among the best was when the former Cool 96.9 did that Santa Christmas grab bag. Basically, it was a game of chance and I remember like it was yesterday how those "water cooler" conversations talked about that contest. That one was a gem! The times have changed in that listeners will take part in something that is realistic and of interest to them. One size fits all doesn't work because audience is so fragmented nowadays that sometimes more harm than good can result if you don't get it right.

Next. Lessons learned in promotions and sales.

 

[John FL]

More on promotions & sales.

I’ve long had a fascination for promotions, especially the creative ones. It appears there is a connection between effective promotions and the sales folks. Let’s face it, if a promotion is very successful resulting in a bump in the ratings, sales teams have even more ammo when making their pitch.

Regarding the subject of formats, promoting any station goes beyond normal contests. Over the last few years, iHeartMedia has diverted virtually all advertising dollars to their iHeartRadio platform. Obviously, there are exceptions especially in large markets.
In Jacksonville, we’ve seen some iHeartMedia’s stations face new competition and challenges and yet the company doesn’t appear to do much via advertising in defending themselves or even in acquainting listeners with new formats. We’ve seen the incredible operating losses every year and I suppose that’s part of the explanation. Still, iHeartRadio seems to get all of the attention. How about a little balance?

As far as sales go, we often hear some formats are easier to sell than others. Nothing new there but then that’s an excuse. I’m of the opinion anyone at any age can be sold but it has to be the right product and/or the right service. Happily, I see what great sales people bring to the cluster and the various formats. I’ve also seen how mediocrity at any level negatively impacts formats too. Also, I don’t think sales associates are any different from most employees in that they take cues from their management.

Despite all we hear of the importance of growing revenue, especially for a company such as the former Clear Channel given their debt etc., I remain very perplexed about a number of things. I nixed the idea of going into detail about sales opportunities lost and a promotion I found very bizarre. The point is really moot as it recalls a station that no longer even exists.

Then there's the subject of national contests. I think the average person doesn't care much for them figuring they are too hard and a waste of time. Promoting events that have little to do with the format seems counter productive too. Yet, we see it. And so it goes.

I wrestled a lot with this particular post changing my mind about things a dozen times. I hope I’ve made sense. At any rate, I consider Promotions Directors and sales teams as extremely important spokes in that wheel, In fact all the spokes have to be strong and all working together.

 

[John FL]

Formats seem to be getting more and more blurred. Song overlap has always existed but it goes beyond that. It’s as if almost everyone is following a master play book in how everything rolls out including the spots, their length and time scheduled. Even stations’ FB page have a uniform approach. Have you noticed how many sites run with the same stories whether serious or funny? Most of you I’m sure get what I am saying.

Here's a few thoughts concerning the Adult Hits/Variety Hits format. N.E. Florida seems to have caught the bug. There was the short-lived Mix on 105.3 that I actually thought was better than most. There’s 107.3 Jack FM and I even caught the format on St. Augustine’s 105.5 on a trip downstate a couple months ago. As in most formats, there are differences.

Taglines for the format are they “play everything and/or everything” or they “play whatever they want” with the latter being the most truthful. Music variety is in the ear of the beholder but I find Adult Hits as lacking at many levels, especially in the area of personality. I find it amusing how often format labels don’t really paint the full picture of what they are all about.

With the music sweet spot in the 80’s, 90’s and beyond, it’s reasonable to say the format targets mid 25-54. In Jax, for anyone in his/her 30’s as an example, there’s a lot of competition. There’s country music on WQIK and WGNE. There’s rock via X102.9 and Planet 106.9 and 96.9 The Eagle. For some there’s even AC WEJZ and 3 CHRs in which to listen.

Still, I’m thinking Adult/Variety Hits is the darlin’ of owners and managers. Truly, as with any format there are advantages and disadvantages and it also depends on who you ask. To certain listeners, the format is boring with that whole Jack voice attitude thing. To the management, it’s a cheaper way to operate. The music may be appreciated by some but disliked by others, especially the true nostalgia fans. And so on and and so on.

Lastly, there’s a lot of blurriness over the classic hits format. For a long time, I really believed there should have been separate marketing designations for those classic hits stations that leaned more rock vs. those that are variety-based. But, where do you draw the line? Traditional AC differs by market too. In the case of format designations, what currently exists works and so it goes.

I’ve got a story or two to share to help tie a lot of this string together upcoming.

 

[John FL]

The rise and fall of formats are nothing new. However, today we are witnessing outcomes that are not always determined by the public.

In discussing the Classic Hip-Hop jump on the bandwagon earlier, I recall an incident that happened I believe in Louisville a few months back. There was a Soft AC that flipped to Classic Hits. Within just a few months, they flipped again but this time to Classic Hip-Hop.
The GM/and or MM released a marketing statement where he sounded like he was wetting himself in his excitement. It was all about that lucrative audience that was going to be delivered and how billing was expected to go through the roof. No format is a cure-all. However, some think of nothing but starting and stopping a format at the drop of a hat. The pressure to get great ratings and revenue renders some illogical and impulsive.

Does anyone care about the listeners who perhaps thought they had a station to call their own? Perhaps they set a car preset. When I saw this story, I thought we’ve seen this type situation play out a number of times in Jax. If Classic Hip-Hop was so awesome and was delivering all those great results over the past year, then why didn’t they flip to this format in the first place?

In Hartford Ct, there was a very heritage hybrid oldies station known as DRC-FM. I listened to them via streaming. In fact, I was so impressed with them that I wanted our own Magic 107.3 to incorporate a number of things they were doing. There were similarities to what Gainesville’s WOW FM is doing today.

DRC FM was #1 in the June 2013 ratings. Yes, beauty contest numbers but still the brand was well known and they had a lot of listeners. Over time, subtle and careful tweaking and advancing of the music could have kept them a winner. They didn't do that.

By July 2013, they introduced a lot of late 80s and a couple of 90’s songs each hour. The changes came too fast. Listeners got uncomfortable and disgusted and abandoned the station in droves. Eventually, pop was replaced with rock. No one was happy. In time, every one of the original on-air team was fired and the market lost a radio legend. Today, it’s classic rock. Management & owners sited changing public taste. No one ever blames themselves, do they? It’s a scenario we’ve seen play out in Jacksonville too.

These are just two examples that came to mind as we consider the formats in Jacksonville. Ultimately, it comes down to something I’ve said on these boards dozens of times – decisions do have consequences. On the flipside, when all the elements that make up a radio station work in harmony and are truly driven to succeed, it’s a joy. In fairness, Jacksonville has shown that too. When the owner expects nothing less, it’s amazing how that can help drive success. I wish that type expectation had happened more in Jacksonville.

More to come. I'd like to revisit sales and promotions and I'd like to talk about the music and just how much of it Jacksonville does not hear.

 

[John FL]

Earlier I mentioned a promotion that I found bizarre but believed the point was moot since it involved a station no longer in existence. Well, call it a poster’s prerogative but I’m a firm believer in lessons learned and I want to share that.

I was a contest winner of a former Magic 107.3 promotion that was about summer, gear, flip flops etc. Listeners were given a gift certificate to use at Black Creek Outfitters. The apparel and the vibe of the store seemed a bit too young for a Greatest Hits format but then I understand the need to attract as many “youngins” as possible.

I realized the business had another radio station playing rather loudly in the background. I was shocked. After all, Magic was promoting the hell out of this place and they were listening to another station! When I talked to the employees, they indicated the manager wanted that station on. I notified the Promotions Director. She never got back to me.

It wasn’t until a few months later that I ran into the Promotions Director again and she basically laughed it off saying that even as the deal was going down in the store that other station was playing in the background.

I take the business of radio very seriously. If I were that Promo Director I would have insisted Magic air instead. If that didn’t work, I would have bubbled it up to my manager. In all my years of taking part in radio promotions involving a sponsor, I never experienced anything like this. I really thought of the ramifications.

Let’s assume a few thousand people visit that store weekly. Let’s also assume the clientele is at the younger end of 25-54. It’s not improbable that a person or two on the PPM panel shopped there or hung out with an employee there. You have to consider overall listener impressions too – all lost. Here’s a promotion that could have had more bang for the buck if that business clearly identified themselves with Magic. That was not money well spent.

And that’s just it – money. We hear so much about the financial mess the former Clear Channel finds itself that one would think, quality, commitment and the desire to win would be at the center. One would also think people would simply do their jobs well. Also, in the sales arena, I often wondered why the various features of Magic’s morning show didn’t have a sponsor. Here was a show I suspect most people didn't even really know too much about. As mentioned earlier, the lions' share of advertising dollars went to the iHeartRadio platform. A little local advertising could have raised more awareness and curiosity to tune in. The overall sound of the station would have, over time, translated into new, loyal listeners but they had to know the station existed.

Maybe no one really gave a rat’s arse. Perhaps the Promotions Director saw greener pastures elsewhere. Maybe, she thought her supervisors didn’t care one way or the other so why bother. Maybe the sales folks concentrated on what they believed were easy pickins. Who knows? While this may sound like ancient history, I still maintain it's not a smart way to do business.

Stepping outside Jax for a moment to make a point, South Florida’s Magic (same format as Jax’s Magic) has a morning show that is chock filled with spots. Every feature they have has a sponsor. The station is big on the gaming industry as they run those spots. If you’ve ever visited any of the many casinos in South Florida, you’ll see seniors/boomers/upper 25-54 galore. After all, many of them have the time and the money to head to the casino.

The station has promoted events there, held concerts, had remote broadcasts with the various casinos to even include Native American facilities. What I especially value is all the effort that has gone on to sell to their older audience instead of making changes to see them all go away. In a market such as Jacksonville, I see as mentioned earlier, the kind of effort WOKV puts forth to basically sell to everybody. South Florida's Magic recently had a promo involving a local burger joint. I heard the station on in the background in 2 of their locations. Brilliant.

It reinforces what I have always believed and this applies to all formats. If all the station players are truly dedicated, and professional and aim to exceed expectations, that can make such a positive difference and that’s what helps contribute to that bottom line and certainly format longevity!

 

[John FL]

Regarding formats featuring music, the amount and types of music available and not offered as well depends on the market. Geography plays critically into the mix too. Unfortunately, Jax is too far north to get rimshot signals from Orlando where some listeners could perhaps find a format and music to their liking that is not available in Jax.

For a long time, I believed a market the size and land area of the Jacksonville area needed at least 1-2 more good signal/non-translator type stations to be more representative of the community. Today, that situation has even worsened with the loss of two commercial signals to Christian music programming.

Whatever music deficiencies exist in the opinion of listeners, that situation really changes when listeners themselves take steps to remedy that. Some simply turn the radio off and listen to their own music stash or hear alternatives such as Sirius XM, Pandora, or streaming from near and far. Some may be listening but not really actively or with passion, especially if they couldn’t tell you the last few songs they heard. Is this healthy behavior in the long run for the radio community?

I read through a recent article that talked of in car radio’s demise. There’s mega writings about radio’s demise around. Radio has a history of inventing itself and being relevant to listeners. However, today people are fascinated by technology. Give them an alternative in hearing music in their car and is radio in Jax engaging and interesting enough to keep most tuned in locally? No one really knows the answer to that question yet.

Greater Media Chairman/CEO PETER H. SMYTH dismissed that article, stating “What this latest prediction totally fails to take into consideration is the core value proposition for local radio. It's our connection to the listeners through our live and local on-air personalities across the country. It's the human touch, coupled with radio's ability to evolve and adapt that will insure our vibrancy and relevance no matter what the technological channel of delivery.”

I couldn’t have said that better myself except it’s been my viewpoint for a good number of years and one I’ve shared countless times on these boards. There are a lot of unknown variables. Still, it makes little economic sense to me to sell off stations for pennies on the dollar as we saw recently. Both stations did not invest in people and so how much local appeal could there have been? But then, the owner himself may have felt market value would have tumbled even further. Would making investments in talent who were actually given latitude to say something and offering innovative programming that addressed under-served listeners seen the value for those radio properties increase? We will never know but the market as a whole would be a helluva lot better for sure.

What is obvious is there were a number of decisions over the years that saw an increase in automation and/or syndication abandoning live and local. There are some formats that do depend on personality and interaction with listeners. Music associated with those type formats is for the most part MIA in Jax. The relatively few stations left can’t possibly cover all music bases in their genre. Some genres are represented well such as contemporary hit music and urban for both modern and old school. That's about it. There’s certainly programming holes and deficient format variety.

 

[John FL]

Recently, it was reported Bob DeBlois, sales manager for WOKV is now sales manager for the entire Cox Media Jacksonville cluster. I’m not surprised. It’s timely in this string did recognize WOKV in their sales efforts.

Theirs is a great signal with the AM 690 and 104.5 simulcast. I picked up 690 in St. Lucie County recently which technically is South Florida. That’s amazing as we’re talking over 200 miles away! Yes, there was static but still quite a reach. There are bragging rights in making a sales pitch with such a fab signal.

For news/talk operations such as WOKV or sports or any non-music format, probably lend themselves better to running spots because the listener is expecting the sound of a human voice and not a tune.

Music formats, on the other hand, and Jax is not excluded, have devoted an incredible amount of time promoting how much music they feature. Then the stopsets go on for what listeners perceive as an eternity. There’s a definite contradiction.

An advertising throwback is talent presentation and endorsement. There was a lot more of that years ago. Today, but not to the degree of the past, that familiar, friendly, and credible radio station voice does a spot. I dine at an Italian restaurant at least twice a month and have been doing that for the last 15 years. I tried the place on the recommendation of one of the old Cool 96.9 jocks. That station aired recorded spots for the place but it was the mouth-watering review I heard that really "sold” me.

I often wonder how many people can actually recall even a few of the sponsors by name when 10 or more 30 second spots run in a row. However, that sort of thing has been a radio M.O. for quite some time so it must have merit. Perhaps my view is a bit skewed because I recall a time in radio when the “DJs” even made the commercials entertaining. But seriously, I still think there is a certain amount of “selling” certain Jacksonville personalities, especially the very well-known in the radio community, i.e. AM drive talent.

Even beyond the sales team, it’s all about the right people. That got me to think about something else regarding formats in Jax…..

 

[John FL]

There’s a good deal of commentary out there about the future of radio. I take the position that no one can really predict the future. However, I do believe history and trends can paint a pretty good picture of what is to come.

For Jacksonville, we have witnessed the replacement of formats that were once supported by talent to ones that have been automated. I believe the future will undoubtedly continue mean and lean. There is a domino effect with more automation and syndication, some music simply doesn’t survive the target environment. But let’s be real, that doesn’t matter to radio management.

For a format discussion to be really relevant, a lot more information is needed. I used to really get into radio ratings but I don't really bother even giving a look anymore. Beauty contest numbers often don’t tell the full story. I’ll never forget a discussion about what we perceived as bad ratings at the old Rock 105 until someone pointed out that at that time they had the #1 morning show with men 25-54. You never really know.

Billing/revenue is everything. I spent a good deal of time talking about the sales end of radio in this string. A highly skilled and successful sales team is the life blood to the format and cluster. What we see as surviving formats in Jacksonville reflects super serving the younger and mid-range of 25-54. That’s been going on for quite some time even though upper end 25-54 and beyond do listen to the radio.

For music formats, I would suspect heritage stations naturally attract these older listeners despite the programming. It’s listener loyalty. Some may like that well-known morning host and they listen out of habit. For all we know, a big name or two in the market may be on borrowed time.

In the end, most of us are in the dark about formats and even the mindset and the intentions of the people behind the scenes. What may seem illogical or perhaps a tactical error to you and me may make good business sense to the owners and management. Sometimes miracles do happen when we’re all on the same wavelength. You just never know with radio.

Hope you enjoyed this subject.

 

[RadioJT1]

All I know is it's been a long time and I hope you're well John... we're having a lot of fun with our new station in St Augustine!

-jt

 

[John FL]

You're a sight for sore eyes J.T. Yep, it's been a while - 3 years & a month since Magic is gone. I saw you at a station promo shortly after Kix was launched. Don't even remember when that was. I didn't know you guys were involved with 105.5. I'll be on the road heading down state once again so I'll check it out. Gees, a move from Flagler to St. John's. How 'bout Duval next? My God, the "magic" is certainly gone in radio Jax. Anyway, I'll drop you a line. Looks like all is well with you - hope it stays that way.

 

[austingrace]

I enjoyed 105.5 the beach while I was going through St. Augustine last weekend on the way to TN and back. Now if someone could just throw that on a 107.3 up there that would be cool. Plus st. aug has 1170 and 99.5 for oldies as well. If you like the oldies then st. aug is your place. ahhaha

 

[John FL]

The previous poster got me thinking about some other things regarding formats. For a long time, I compared and contrasted radio operations in Jacksonville to other markets. Usually, it was stations in a Top 20 market. I realize Jacksonville doesn’t have the kind of revenue streams and operating budgets in big markets but it went beyond that. It was about quality, commitment, creativity, and a burning desire to win.

To Jacksonville’s south, Flagler Broadcasting has demonstrated a small company can make big impacts. Theirs is quite an interesting operation with news/talk, country, adult hits and easy oldies. There’s practically something for everyone. Now, they own 105.5 serving St. Augustine in St. John’s County. I don’t get into the prediction end of things but I feel confident in saying stability has found a home at 105.5 with their "Beach" brand.

I heard the station both coming and going to South Florida recently. It doesn’t come in good enough to listen to where I live as I’m on the fringe I guess. A huge positive is live and local in the morning with the very capable “J.T.” at the helm. I heard a local morning newscast. There’s a weather feature and of course, a traffic report. Wow. You can be a small operator but you don’t have to sound like one.

I’d put the format in the “Adult Hits” category but there is certainly a classic hits lean. There’s an emphasis on rock-oriented music with some softer rock cuts and some pop in the mix. It’s not a Greatest Hits format as there are still lots of genres or even the older classics not represented. Still, I recognize quality programming when I hear it. It also served to remind me that a format marketing designation is just that. A tagline is “expect the unexpected” or something along those lines and Beach 105.5 does deliver on that.

There was every intention to put this subject string to rest but as often is the case with me, one discussion seems to lead to another. I’m not quite done. Right now, I have more questions than answers as it applies to radio in Jacksonville.

 

[John FL]

A follow-up to the last post.

It’s common for friends, co-workers, and relatives etc. to make recommendations about radio stations. “Hey, have you heard XXXX?” “They play this and that.” “Cool station!”

There are listener expectations when they sample a music station. They want to hear songs they know and love. They don’t want it to be a clone of something else in the market whether in the present or in the past. They expect an occasional "wow" moment. They won’t tolerate dead air, poor signal, and sloppiness such as jingles playing in the middle of a song or cutting a portion of the song to make room for news or a commercial. This goes beyond my own opinion but this is a summary of what many radio pros have cited.

I believe you have one shot at long term success. I heard no glitches on Beach 105.5 and that includes listening from several months ago too. Everything sounded like one would expect a normal radio station to sound like. Competition is tough enough and I have no idea why some shoot themselves in the foot.

Previously I talked of having more questions than answers. One can look at what I consider a creative approach to Adult Hits at Beach 105.5. There were certainly opportunities to do something similarly in Jacksonville. More on lost opportunity later.

I’m all about logic and what makes sense. To this day, I will never get what happened at 94.1 WSOS FM over the years to site one specific example. Why couldn’t they do something creative like developing an Adult Hits format similar to Beach 105.5? I wouldn’t see that as negatively affecting their AC. The programming could have been entirely different. Instead they meandered for years.

That uniqueness and creative playlist in my view would have shown a desire to win and provide the listener with a music alternative. Instead we got a reincarnation of both AC WEJZ from the past and Classic Rock 105 from years ago. To me, this represented little to no effort. A shame when you really think about it. I suppose that's ancient history now but I'm all about lessons learned.

I have a few more thoughts floating in my head regarding the Adults Hits format in the Jax area. It’s a format that has failed in a number of places. Many markets don’t even offer this format. Why here? Beyond the obvious, I think there’s something else at play. More to follow.

 

[John FL]

There are obvious business benefits for Adult Hits/Variety Hits formats. Many are “jockless” being just an automated jukebox = cheaper way to operate. A portion of the playlist offers titles from the 90s and beyond. This results (usually) in improved 25-54 and of course billing can be enhanced as a result. It’s an attractive proposition owners and management (in some markets) can’t resist.

Flipping to an Adult Hits/Variety Hits format is one thing, remaining on the air is another. For Jacksonville, I will admit to being surprised Jack FM is still around, or at least still on a full-market signal. While I see other formats having the potential for greater impacts and larger market share, it’s becoming clear automation weighs very heavy in format decision making.

The reasons why a format such as Adult Hits is chosen is fairly easy to figure. Staying on the air is another matter. Market preferences and median age come into the equation. But, I believe a big factor in whether the format remains on air depends on the caliber of the competition and more specifically, the personality level of that market.

Earlier I talked of things I just don’t know where I have more questions than answers. Every commercial radio station has spots. I have no idea how much $ is made yearly by the various stations nor do I have a clue what typical salaries are for “jocks” in Jax especially outside of long-term morning folks. There’s also voice tracking which is considerably less expensive but how much of an investment is required?

Gainesville has Greatest Hits WOW-FM and despite the market size, they are doing something different and they have talent on the air. Somehow they have allocated budget dollars for an on-air team including weekends. Corporate core values and profit expectations must vary considerably among companies. It’s obvious too, the right company can make all the difference. That has proven itself countless times.

The reality is personality radio isn’t as big in Jax as in a number of other places. For older adults, think about their choices. Think about the nature of the competition, the quality and innovation or lack thereof of creative, exciting programming and presentation. I’ll dive more into those issues in my next post.

Finally, with regard to talent, I’d like to share this story. Several months ago on my way back from South Florida, a market that thrills me beyond belief because radio is so alive there, I sampled 105.5 probably for the first time. It was a Friday and late afternoon. There was a lot of mellow rock in the set and it got a point that I had enough.

I switched to Orlando’s 105.9 Sunny FM. I heard Foreigner’s “Cold as Ice” immediately segued to Kool & The Gang’s “Celebration.” The jock talked up the song with an incredible high energy level that even included some banter with a listener on the phone. I rocked on and played the station loud and proud until it faded. I reached for some Earth, Wind & Fire to hear the rest of the way home. It was like I needed that fix after hearing a set that was so "vanilla" on 105.5. Again, they focus on rock & pop and nothing rhythmic from what I can tell.

Later that night, I listened to South Florida’s Magic 102.7 because they do a Friday night 80s feature that is so incredibly phenomenal. The songs could be the soundtrack of a Jack FM. What puts it over the top is the jock. Gnarly Charlie is Mr. 80s – what a fantastic and exciting presentation it is and one I have recommended you check out.

Jack FM may do an 80s feature with many identical songs but it’s not the same. It’s lifeless and that tends to get boring after a while because there is no interaction and on-air excitement. Listeners should have choices. For anyone dialing around, another Jacksonville nostalgia music station was airing a motorcycle show at the same time I was listening to the 80’s special on Magic Miami. Dear Lord, is the Jax market beyond the point of no return?

 

[John FL]

To wrap this up unless discussion comes along offering more, I’d like to address a few things. I’ve seen a radio industry change and that in itself is not a bad thing. All business must reinvent themselves to remain relevant and viable. Still, I believe quality, creativity and focus on your customer, and in the case of radio, it is the listener should never be compromised. This is a key area for which I am at odds with radio in Jacksonville.

I continue to question decisions and even motives. Continuing with my quest for answers, some decisions have made so little sense to me over the years. I have probably said a thousand times, decisions do have consequences. Take a look around you. More importantly, take a look at radio elsewhere. It doesn’t have to be a big market. Look at Gainesville. Look at what Flagler Broadcasting is presenting. Is Jacksonville the kind of radio market that makes you proud?

It’s not all doom and gloom. There are certainly bright spots. WOKV’s news department is one. Cox Media demonstrated a few years ago that even a translator station can have big ripple effects shaking up the market when you get it right from the start. Some of us may not have appreciated the stunt they pulled prior to the launch. I hope we never see anything like that again. I’ve always felt radio to be an honorable business and those making a livelihood in it to be professional. There’s no place for pissing off listeners intentionally.

Dysfunction has no place in radio either. I will never understand a number of events and decisions that took place for the former Magic 107.3. Surely, the handwriting was on the wall that Greatest Hits formats were evolving in both time musically and in overall presentation. The decision to re-brand as oldies boxed the station in and made absolutely no sense. The format was moving well into the 80s and even beyond. Oldies is a brand virtually everyone is abandoning.

Today, one can look at a Jack FM and note that probably 75% or more of the 80s songs featured are currently heard on Greatest Hits formats across the country. There was so much that could have been done had everyone been on the same page. It’s a shame the powers that be didn’t see the potential in the people who were on the air at Magic. This market lost quite a lot when the music and personality radio died at Magic.

Then there’s Jacksonville’s Beach 102.3 - Good Time Oldies. One would think I would be happy with that format. 2 months ago, I removed the station from my car presets. Life is too short for bad radio. Poor signal, and the music just doesn’t have that full of life FM sound. While I understand, it’s an oldies format and not Greatest Hits, I find the frequency of 60s songs each hour too excessive to be competitive. That may be OK to the owner. Who really knows anyway?

I find some of DJ banter goofy and irrelevant. I’ve noticed way too many production goofs like talking over the vocals. There’s probably some indifference among Jax listeners hearing The Florida News Network. They don’t care what’s happening in Ft. Myers or West Palm unless it affects them. It’s just clutter and detracts from the real star – the music. It’s a shame they can’t have the same mindset like Gainesville WOW FM who presents Bob Shannon’s “America’s Greatest Hits” (Outstanding program) on Saturday morning. Jacksonville gets treated to a shopping program. I can’t make this stuff up!

Some time ago, I heard 96.9 while at a store. They were playing two in a row from the same artist because it was Tuesday as in Two Fer Tuesday. Yawn. Classic rock formats did that sort of thing 25 years ago. I’m sure it’s a popular feature but duh…what the hell else is there? Some of my friends have labelled that station the Bon Jovi/Aerosmith station. Even their commercials feature those two artists. There’s so much more music and we’re missing out on so much of it too.

After writing so many words for so very long, I’m still not quite sure if the majority of people are getting my message. Seriously, where is the creativity and on-air excitement that once existed in Jax? Yes, this isn't a big market but even with economies of scale, we should experience more quality and not just among a handful of stations but across the board. Perhaps new blood is the answer. Even with that there’s still the possibility of business as usual. For the size and diversity of Jacksonville, I truly believe we can do so much better.