I won't lie, I was expecting this to be a sign that WNYL was going under but it just seems like it was poor decision making by the hosts (trying to cover up the profanity that went over the air is not the best idea). Although, it is indicative of the inner turmoil around not just the station, but Kaplan's failing national Alt strategy. Also telling that Kaplan or potentially other Audacy leadership tipping their hand that 1010 WINS could be coming to 92.3 soon.
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Alt 92.3 Music Changes
- Thread starter MVB13
- Start date
Or, the WINS reference may have been to keep gossip going. Audacy placing 1010 WINS on 92.3 wouldn’t affect WINS but it would be the beginning of the end for 880 WCBS with listeners having fewer reasons to switch the dial to AM (I’m sure 98.7 and 101.9 have already done a good job with that for many listeners). Or, maybe the plan is to let WCBS 880 slowly go the way of KFWB in LA where all of the resources gradually went to KNX, and look at it now.
I don’t think Audacy is ready to make an AM to FM move in NYC yet. It involves two stations, and would take two FM’s to blow up unless they decided to let one of them slowly die on the vine by moving more listeners to FM with 660 a decade ago and then a news station. Right now, 94.7 just launched its new format and they’re invested in it. I would expect them to flip some of their other “Alt” stations before WNYL.
I don’t think Audacy is ready to make an AM to FM move in NYC yet. It involves two stations, and would take two FM’s to blow up unless they decided to let one of them slowly die on the vine by moving more listeners to FM with 660 a decade ago and then a news station. Right now, 94.7 just launched its new format and they’re invested in it. I would expect them to flip some of their other “Alt” stations before WNYL.
I really can't give format suggestions or ideas for NYC as I am under an agreement that affects that market.
I would hope that they fire Mike Kaplan and replace him with someone better. I listened to the podcast they were saying what many agree with the music sucked. I can see Alt going to Rock.
For what it is worth, Dan Bongino has claimed to not be a an actual Cumulus employee.
But he claimed he was taking up the cause for the employees who opposed the company vaccine mandate.
I can’t. As lame as this station sounds, it’s probably the best chance any sort of commercial Modern Rock format has of success in NYC. I can see Alt becoming a simulcast of WINS.
I think they raised a good point in saying that the signal is strong in Jersey and they could pick up way more Jersey listeners by going rock.
I don’t think Alt has to be abandoned but they have to make it a Modern/Active Rock lean if they don’t flip the format entirely. It might help the ratings a tad - might.
I do wonder how much audience they really share. Listeners who already prefer 880 to 1010 for programming reasons aren't going to automatically love WINS all of the sudden just because it is now on FM. This seems to be more of a play of putting your big and profitable brands where the listeners are (especially younger listeners) and looking into the future of the tsunami of electric vehicles that are not AM friendly.
Your overall point of all the popular people moving out of the AM neighborhood is a good one though.
That sounds like the old K-Rock on 92.3 of years past. It generally had mediocre ratings outside of Howard Stern's morning show.
Mediocre would be better than WNYL’s ratings now mind you but yeah I am not sure how much leaning Active would help WNYL. I don’t think going full Active will work at all either.
The number of stations playing music in New York has been decreasing over time. Just in the last few weeks we learned of two more that will be dropping it: Spanish A/C WQBU, and Urban A/C WNBM.
And yet it seems to be difficult to come up with successful music formats for some of the remaining ones.
And yet it seems to be difficult to come up with successful music formats for some of the remaining ones.
Yeah, it just seems like if WINS went to FM, what’s left on AM only? The powerhouses, ratings aside, without an FM would be 710, 770, and 880. iHeart will NEVER blow up a NYC FM for 710 - it clears their shows in market #1, and it wouldn’t gain much additional audience on FM. Same with 770 if they even had an FM. It’s more of a pet project and would not benefit from an FM.
WCBS would by far be the most valuable brand still left on AM, and how many potential or even regular listeners would keep switching bands to hear WCBS?
Pulled up an interesting sample hour from an Alt out there. Just curious if you all think this would get better results than the current WNYL playlist.
There are two songs missing from my screenshot, “Unbelievers” by Vampire Weekend and “Panic Switch” by Silversun Pickups.
There are two songs missing from my screenshot, “Unbelievers” by Vampire Weekend and “Panic Switch” by Silversun Pickups.
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W already know Alt 92.3 doesn't lean very much toward rock, declines to play the latest from the Foo Fighters, etc. But the first song on that playlist you posted is Billie Eilish, and Alt 92.3 doesn't play her either. So wtf? They want to be pure pop alternative but don't play the biggest star in that segment because...she's female I guess? In fact they hardly play female artists, it's all Gin Blossoms, Goo Goo Dolls, RHCP, 21 Pilots, that kind of stuff. I don't mind some of those songs, but put them altogether in a really tight rotation and it's sheer mediocrity.
WNYL until very recently spun Eilish almost every hour - I think the male-dominated lineup right now is a desperation measure.
Interesting comment, so I looked at the Mediabase reporting on WNYL, and I see they are playing Billie's song Everything I Wanted. They are playing several other women. But the main thing that I noticed is they don't play a lot of currents. And so they're not playing her current charted song.
Part of it is that her current single, Happier Than Ever, has not been serviced to Alternative and the format hasn’t yet decided to pick it up on their own. Right now Alt is flirting with GAYLE’s “angrier” remix of her burgeoning pop hit “abcdefu”.
Look at the past 24 hours, they didn't play her once.
A few. I'll bet if you count the spins less than 20 percent are women. Maybe even less than 10 percent.
Maybe that's new then. And maybe that's why people here have been saying the sound has changed. Not that it's more rock-leaning, but more familiar sounding.
Most of the golds they’re playing right now were big on Z100 in the 90’s and 00’s, with the exception of the Active/Alternative crossovers like “Second Chance”, “It’s Been Awhile”, and “Never Too Late” which WNYL is still ignoring. I can see the logic behind the strategy but playing Z100’s past alternative hit choices probably has a ceiling and certainly doesn’t do much for the Zoomer set.
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