ALBANY AREA ARBITRON PHASE II ARBITRENDS: WINTER DEC-JAN-FEB 2011

[pjc1961]

http://www.radio-info.com/markets/albany-schenectady-troy

This report is for the period Dec. 2010-Jan. 2011-Feb. 2011 (12/9/10-2/2/11).
The next report is the Winter 2011 Quarterly (Jan-Feb-Mar 2011: 1/6/11-3/30/11) which is due out on Wed. 4/27/11.

 

[Channel Surf]

Thanks for posting the dates of the surveys! That in itself answers some questions that I had about the results!

 

[danikayser84]

Nice how Magic 590 is at 3.4, pretty good for a music format on AM if you ask me

 

[ChuckRoast]

While the Bridge keeps sinking down.

 

[Time Traveler]

It will be interesting to see the impact of Legends 96.7 on both WROW and WTRY in particular during the coming months...

Nice how Magic 590 is at 3.4, pretty good for a music format on AM if you ask me

 

[BoomerBuzz]

Of course, nobody really pays much attention to the 12+ rankings although some smart advertisers realize that 55-64 yr old Baby Boomers aren't quite ready to give up their youth & have some $$$ to spend. It's my understanding that the 25-54 rankings for Phase II look like this:

WGNA
WRVE
WPYX
WFLY
WYJB
WGY
WTRY
WAJZ

So, it looks like a lot of GY's 8.6 share still comes from the 55+ demo.

 

[danikayser84]

How about maybe Bridge go Classic Rock and go head-to-head against PYX? Both WGNA and PYX could use some competition (in GNA's case, it already has 104.9 the Cat), but remember they are both heritage stations.

 

[klutch00]

It will be interesting to see the impact of Legends 96.7 on both WROW and WTRY in particular during the coming months...

Nice how Magic 590 is at 3.4, pretty good for a music format on AM if you ask me

It seems like the new WPTR has a more aggressive approach than does WROW. IMNSHO WROW is better off not only pursuing a traditional MOR approach which they seem to be doing most of the time now; but also adding album cuts by artists that the audience can relate to. They may also want to add music by modern-day crooners/croonnettes and maybe even feature some big band jazz on a special program. Methinks that WTRY may feel more of an impact; time will tell. As far as the Bridge is concerned, they might be better off going Urban or Urban AC.

 

[danikayser84]

Why would 100.9 go Urban? They already have a Rhythmic CHR, Jamz 96.3 WAJZ (too much overlap). Unless you mean moving Jamz to 100.9, which I doubt will happen either...

 

[klutch00]

Why would 100.9 go Urban? They already have a Rhythmic CHR, Jamz 96.3 WAJZ (too much overlap). Unless you mean moving Jamz to 100.9, which I doubt will happen either...

Perhaps mainstream Urban isn't an option, but I was thinking Urban AC might be viable.

 

[danikayser84]

You're right, it's been one year and it's time to fix the Bridge... but with what format, though?

Urban AC? Perhaps... that can be done pretty much off-the-bird/automated with live afternoon drive (with Tom Joyner mornings and Keith Sweat evenings)... put smooth jazz on Sunday nights and old-school hip-hop on Saturday nights?

Classic Rock? PYX could use some real competition but they're a heritage... then again, PYX is barely listenable anymore, at least to me... it'd be nice to have an alternative to PYX

WKBE or WNYQ simulcast? It'd be cheap to do... and WKBE provides a format not found on the Albany dial (Modern AC/AAA like KLCK-FM in Seattle)

But, I doubt we will see any changes on 100.9 under Chuck Benfer... but I'd like to congratulate him for launching a new country station, 104.9 The Cat, and finally taking on WGNA, albeit on a paltry signal (and country isn't really my cup of tea anyway).

 

[BoomerBuzz]

The Albany/Schenectady/Troy metro consists of 6 counties and only one of those counties, Albany, has a significant black population. African-Americans account for only 6.6% of the entire metro which isn't enough to qualify the market for HDBA weighting so it's difficult to be successful in this market with an Urban format unless it's really targeted at suburban white kids.

 

[danikayser84]

OK, so Urban AC might not be an option either (remember Love FM? That was what, an urban AC/smooth jazz hybrid? Failed miserably and went to a 107.1 simulcast)... Classic Rock might be the best bet for a format on 100.9, and might chip quite a bit away from (but probably not kill) PYX. PYX has been starving for competition since the Bone went to K-Love four years ago... just get Jason Keller on board and you could maybe steal listeners away from PYX

Or they could simulcast WKBE or WNYQ on 100.9 to save some money... (which reminds me, how does WQBJ 103.5 get the 103.9 signal? Do they have a tuner out to pick up WQBK's signal from the transmitter site, like when WZMR simulcasted WFFG?)

 

[klutch00]

You're right, it's been one year and it's time to fix the Bridge... but with what format, though?

Urban AC? Perhaps... that can be done pretty much off-the-bird/automated with live afternoon drive (with Tom Joyner mornings and Keith Sweat evenings)... put smooth jazz on Sunday nights and old-school hip-hop on Saturday nights?

Classic Rock? PYX could use some real competition but they're a heritage... then again, PYX is barely listenable anymore, at least to me... it'd be nice to have an alternative to PYX

Interesting Idea! What may be worth a consideration is maybe offering solid classic rock (i.e. mostly if not entirely hard or harder-leaning rock 'n' roll from the old days - definitely put some emphasis on '80s and early '90s). Of course if 'PYX is already offering this it wouldn't be worth it.

WKBE or WNYQ simulcast? It'd be cheap to do... and WKBE provides a format not found on the Albany dial (Modern AC/AAA like KLCK-FM in Seattle)

But, I doubt we will see any changes on 100.9 under Chuck Benfer... but I'd like to congratulate him for launching a new country station, 104.9 The Cat, and finally taking on WGNA, albeit on a paltry signal (and country isn't really my cup of tea anyway).

I for one like this idea even better, but I'm being biased. Ever since EOR WGRX went away in 1986 in the Baltimore area, I've missed them. I WKBE is anything like they were, it could be an asset, but that's me.

 

[DToTheJ]

Classic Rock? PYX could use some real competition but they're a heritage... then again, PYX is barely listenable anymore, at least to me... it'd be nice to have an alternative to PYX...

How much of PYX's broadcast day uses Premium Choice? I know for a fact that at least in the overnights, they're using it because I once pulled up the playlist on Yes.com and their overnight playlist was identical to Q104.3 in New York City. So it looks like both stations air the Doc Reno show. "Don't forget to check out my page right here on the station site." Yeah, OK.

 

[Voice Track]

They use Premium Choice all night and just about the entire weekend too. Evenings are the syndicated Nikki Sixx show that they inherited from the former WHRL. It didn't sound good on WHRL and sounds completely out of place on PYX. They offer little local programming anymore! They definitely need competition!

 

[danikayser84]

So, yea... it wouldn't be very hard to sound better than PYX at all, if they mainly use Premium Choice. How about grabbing the dumped WHRL calls while we're at it (maybe branding as "101 WHRL")? WKLI calls wouldn't really fit a classic rock format

Also go with a harder/newer direction (more 80s than 60s, but still plenty of 70s), maybe with classic alternative thrown in on weekends? Go deeper into the vaults too, doesn't PYX play pretty much the same 100 or 200 songs all the time?

 

[Time Traveler]

100.9 did have a brief AOR format back in 1978/1979, over a year before PYX started up. It was essentially AOR/Classic Rock. Walt Adams did mid-days. At the time they were in competition with the established and much more progressive Q-104 WQBK-FM. That format only lasted for a very short time, due to management having a knee jerk reaction and flipping it to all Disco later in 1979.
They IDed as WWOM (Albany) New York's Best Rock. Flipping it to a similar format now seems like kind of a no brainer....