A FM talk station in this market may have worked once upon a time. Neil Rogers once said he lobbied his bosses at Gannett to make Zeta 4 all talk when he was doing mornings there in the late 80s. It might have been big but would likely unworkable with the current ethnic makeup of the market.
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Another Audacy Flip in Miami?
- Thread starter AceBiscuits
- Start date
Except for the Latin seniors who would turn to AM to listen to news, talk and passionate debate on Radio Mambi (WAQI AM 710) or Actualidad (WURN AM 1040).
Not "Latin" seniors... Cuban seniors. The Mambí experience is very much focused on Cuba, Cubans and Cuban-related issues. Actualized is a bit less, but still very Cuban leaning.
Oh yes. Thanks for clarifying it.
My point was kinda that ratings on an FM talk station in Miami might not ever be great, but more commercials could air. So, in the long run, more money could possibly be made. As far as costs to operate- syndicate most shows, go local during potentially peak times and don't bother with a news department. Likely no different costs than on a music based station.
Something tells me a 1.4 on an FM talk station would bring in more revenue than a 1.4 on an alternative station, just by the number of commercials you could air.
Something tells me a 1.4 on an FM talk station would bring in more revenue than a 1.4 on an alternative station, just by the number of commercials you could air.
The market is so different that local would have to be the formula to get any broader audience. That means not a bunch of white Anglos from the Northeast and Midwest on the air talking a bout s---t that has no bearing in Miami.
Not Miami. The economy, particularly retail and service, is Hispanic controlled. There is not going to be much interest in an English language talk station in a market that is mostly Hispanic.
It would only work if very local and targeting second generation Hispanics as much as the assimilated non-Hispanic "white folks" who actually get what Miami is about.
I respectfully disagree. WIOD, even with low ratings, seems to do fine financially. I think Audacy could do at least as good on an FM. WIOD only has two local shows. Morning and late morning. I'd be curious to see if they are the reason why 610 gets any ratings at all or if it's the syndicated stuff. Rush is dead, so that time slot is no longer a solid ratings grabber for anyone.
And counter program, just like a music station. Put a local show on PM drive and see what happens.
It's around 17th in billing and slowly dropping. In 2019 it was about 20% the 2013 level. With inflation, that would be around a 30% loss in real dollars.
They would not increase revenue, and they would lose the potential of a full FM.
They are averaging around 20th in mornings, middays and afternoon, but about 13th in evenings. Nothing stands out in the daytime. In fact, the three dayparts in the daytime are about 24th in 25-54. They are around 26th in cume.
There just are not enough angry old white guys for this to work in the Republic of Miami.
Do you live in Miami?
Yes, I used to live in Broward.
You'll never prove to me that 104.3 is doing better with revenue now than they would with an FM talk. Remember, you'd have MORE commercial inventory on the talk station. Costs to run would even be lower than WIOD because you'd give up local news.
And, if you got the right local guy, I think you could also pull some angry Hispanic guys who speak English into that mix. NYC has Spanish music stations that seem to have hosts speak more English than Spanish sometimes.
Worst case? Try it for a year or two. If it's a bust, change format.
The better question: why would Audacy waste an FM in Miami on a declining format when they could flip from Alt to something more competitive and easier for the cluster sales team to work with?
Talk does not do much agency business. And the local economy, from banks to auto dealers, is run predominantly by Hispanics. It's the only metro where Hispanic household income is higher than non-Hispanic white. The clients won't buy English language talk radio.
... such as? I definitely don't see any format holes in Miami.
There doesn't need to be a format hole to launch a competitor. I initially speculated that Audacy could bring the Classic Hip Hop format recently launched in NYC to Miami as well, as the demographics for that format would be much more fitting for the market, and could be a good flanker to Power 96.
It is definitely not a format hole, but it could probably create some nice competition if programmed/marketed well.
The problem is that in Miami any Hip Hop format depends on Hispanic as well as Black and general market listeners. With the very significant rise in reggaetón and its derivatives among Hispanics, we have seen Urban and rhythmic CHRs in markets with large Hispanic populations decline significantly.
At issue is whether there is a large enough audience base today for that format.
You're right, but wrong.
The problem isn't angry white men. The problem is local programming.
If WIOD's on-air hosts talked about things happening in the city, focused on local organizations doing things to help grow the community, county improvements and hyper-focused on Miami/FTL and dropped the political BS....they would jump.
People, no matter what race....no matter what language....love to hear what's going on in their community.
And if they opened the phone lines to callers in the city to talk about stuff going on, that would drive them up even higher. WIOD today is like CNN for radio, with a big of local sprinkled in. Now a station like WAFC....even if it's music....that morning show is a prime example of what it should be.
One day, God will let me prove this. I'm just waiting....
Didn't WIOD have someone local before they began piping in Brian Mudd from West Palm 10-12p? Forgot his name.
My own opinion on callers is every time a host goes to Joe from Miramar who's driving 60 with windows down while talking on a Bluetooth it brings the entire show to a screeching halt. Hard pass on callers, stick to tweets and emails.
On the station I work for...we have a ticked off Tuesday. 2 Hours of calls. Literally we barely get in our 4 stopsets that are full of sponsors because it's the most popular program in town. Phone lines constantly lit and sponsors vying to get a piece of it.
That's what makes talk radio work. Having a talent just read people's responses is extremely dull. Only someone like Rush could pull it off and he's gone.
Yes they've had a few local guys, and they have a local morning guy too...problem isn't the talent, it's the direction of the show. It sounds like a TV News program and not a local radio show. Everyone's thinking so big they forget the beauty of radio is it can be small and make a big splash.
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