WEQX could only exist in Vermont, which is where I am. Our biggest city has less than 50,000 residents, our state capital less than 15,000. The major radio corporations aren't represented here, only small regional chains and independent owners. Even our country stations are more adventurous than their counterparts in major markets. They can afford to be because their listeners have never been exposed to major market radio and the advertisers don't care whether the stations are or aren't playing a given artist or song. They buy advertising because potential customers listen to those stations just the way they are.
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Alt 92.3 to Become WINS Simulcast
- Thread starter atthestars
- Start date
What exactly is the country "lifestyle presence" in Philadelphia, Detroit and Boston, all of which support country stations that are widely listened to and bill well?
I have seen this said before here and when I see that it make me wonder why by now there is not a new format named something other than "Country". Maybe something like "Suburbia". Then you would not have such a disparity between lifestyle of the format and the listener.
Country is way to feminized these days. When I think today's country, I think blondes, Soccer Moms and a pretty boy in a ten gallon hat driving an over priced and oversized new pickup (a truck never used for what it is intended).
The paradox with alt is you can get good 6+ numbers by playing a lot of old stuff, which is what they did. But most of that audience is in the upper range of the demo. They were already getting that age group with WCBS-FM. So they tried to bring down the age by playing more new stuff, and it hurt the 6+. Very common problem with the format.
My understanding is that a large portion of Country radio listeners are in rather young, and are at least middle class. Is that not correct? Were their no major demos where WNSH-New York's Country did significantly better that #15?
Is its replacement, The Block, with its lower ratings, doing better in key demos?
That was a problem a year ago. Country programmers were reacting to negative publicity about "bro country" and lack of females. So the music got mushy. After that, the music toughened up with several alternative acts who found success with country. Among them, the very popular alternative singer Jelly Roll. So now the male demos have improved, and its helped the format nationally. Chicago's WUSN is getting its best numbers in ten years. But alternative rock's loss has become country's gain.
The problem in NY wasn't the demos. The problem was the old traditional former CBS sales people couldn't sell it. It was strictly a sales problem. Most companies would solve that problem by hiring a country sales specialist. Entercom solved it by dropping the format,
There is plenty of country "lifestyle presence" in portions of Metro Detroit, CTListener. I've lived in Metro Detroit for a couple decades.
It is a rust belt market that is home to plenty of blue collar workers. A few of our suburbs have nicknames where "-Tucky" is used as a suffix. Country is very popular in Macomb County and western and southern Wayne County.
94.7 Nash FM billed exceptionally poorly after Audacy assumed ownership and was lackluster (albeit better) when Cumulus owned it.
Country does not deserve a major Manhattan-based analog FM stick.
I think it could be a viable format for a northern Jersey signal.
It is a rust belt market that is home to plenty of blue collar workers. A few of our suburbs have nicknames where "-Tucky" is used as a suffix. Country is very popular in Macomb County and western and southern Wayne County.
94.7 Nash FM billed exceptionally poorly after Audacy assumed ownership and was lackluster (albeit better) when Cumulus owned it.
Country does not deserve a major Manhattan-based analog FM stick.
I think it could be a viable format for a northern Jersey signal.
I agree. Kid Rock and his protege Uncle Kracker are from Detroit, and they're as redneck as they come.
The problem with northern Jersey is it's overwhelmed by New York City. Driving around parts of Hudson County is very similar to upper Manhattan. So you have to go out west or down to Ocean county to escape it. There are small local country stations there.
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Much of WXRK’s original success was a mirage, with the station essentially being carried by Stern. Had WXRK not had Stern, who knows if it would have lasted as long as it originally did. WXRK V2 from 2007-2009 was another flop, and now we have Alt 92.3 which flopped with the format for the third time on 92.3. It was also tried twice on 101.9. The second flip on 101.9 was more related to Merlin’s issues, but this is a format that has died FIVE times in the market in the past 20 years!
This was inevitable. Had Alt been doing well, maybe it would have had a couple more years as I initially thought. But nothing was going to be able to justify allowing WINS to die on AM. Audacy isn’t blowing up NEW or CBS-FM. I don’t feel 94.7 was a sufficient enough signal for Audacy to put one of their most valuable brands on.
No other station will pick up alternative in NYC unless it’s some kind of suburban signal or rimshot. Just like country. Who would? Audacy isn’t going to. iHeart certainly isn’t blowing up one of their FM’s. Good Karma isn’t. SBS? Emmis? LOL. I’m just genuinely curious who those that think alternative or country will come back think will do it.
This was inevitable. Had Alt been doing well, maybe it would have had a couple more years as I initially thought. But nothing was going to be able to justify allowing WINS to die on AM. Audacy isn’t blowing up NEW or CBS-FM. I don’t feel 94.7 was a sufficient enough signal for Audacy to put one of their most valuable brands on.
No other station will pick up alternative in NYC unless it’s some kind of suburban signal or rimshot. Just like country. Who would? Audacy isn’t going to. iHeart certainly isn’t blowing up one of their FM’s. Good Karma isn’t. SBS? Emmis? LOL. I’m just genuinely curious who those that think alternative or country will come back think will do it.
Will someone try country on 92.3 again
I'm not saying that Nash billed well. But it is still a mystery to me why Country, a format with decent demos, couldn't have done better.
I think WMTR 1250 AM in the Morristown area would be a good place for Country to land. Yes it's on AM, but it reaches an area where Country music is popular, and doesn't have a good signal from any Country FM stations.
NYRadioFan22
Banned
What if iHeart Radio decided to buy 92.3 and make their own alternative station? How long do you think it would last under them? After all, they have top 40 (Z100), classic rock (Q104.3), and soft rock (106.7 Lite FM)! Why not add alternative rock to the franchise?
There simply aren't enough stations in NYC to allow for a loss leader. There are several AM/FM simulcasts and a half dozen non-coms in the commercial band. They eat up potential frequencies. So without some kind of regulatory change, there is simply no room for rock or country in NY.
Huh? Have you not been following this thread?
Wouldn't that require 92.3 to be sold? Not happening.
All those markets have a much lower percentage of first generation immigrants, and are much smaller and surrounded by some relatively rural areas where country tends to thrive.
iHeart cannot buy any more FMs in the market and Audacy certainly isn't selling, and the station wouldn't be any more successful as it was under Audacy under your hypothetical.
They can't have more than 5 stations on one band according to FCC rules. They have Z, KTU, Power, Q, and Lite FM.
Can Audacy buy any more FM’s in the Market
It did not have "decent demos" and in the last half-decade was way out of the top 10 in any of the sales demos. Irrespective of format, if you are 18th, you don't get on buys.
Country listeners will stream before they listen to music on AM.
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