atlantaboy said:
I know you guys are probably sick of my saying this, but...
It's probably because in the Hudson Valley people have to drive significant distances on an everyday basis, so everyone of every demographic listens to the radio
It makes total sense. I agree.
There are people that work in NYC (50-80 miles away) and either drive or take mass transit such as Metro-North or Coach USA buses to get there. They also do the PM rush as well. Within the Hudson Valley, the local mass transit options are limited (Dutchess County being the most "progressive" - if you even want to call it that although the county LOOP buses now end at midnight (when I went to Marist, the last bus was 6PM....just as it is with the City of Poughkeepsie buses now. Both DO NOT run on Sundays.I know there's a county system in Ulster County as well as a City of Kingston bus system but that's VERY limited. I don't even know about Orange County outside of those commuter buses) so in that sense, people HAVE to drive to get things (the main routes being the Taconic Pkwy, Rt. 9, Rt. 9W, Rt. 17, I-84, Thruway, etc.).
The demos are different too. Having rural and suburban areas, country would do well. You also have many colleges in the region whereas CHR's (K-104, 96.1 Kiss) and Drive FX can get to them. There are more people up there open to rock ('PDH) and alternative ('RRV) then there is down here. You also have an older population that loves their oldies (Oldies 97) as well as the Lite stations.
The stations I think have an easier time doing promotions since there fewer "main" areas to get at the listeners (such as Dutchess Stadium, the malls such as Poughkeepsie Galleria, Newburgh Mall and Crystal Run in Middletown) than NYC....with the region being spread out to cover Long Island and NJ...so in that way, the "loyalty" is there.
I'm not sick of hearing this

. I know.