Are there instances where a station can't shed its "old" image?

[tall_guy1]

This is where a station rebrands or shifts formats/focus, but listeners still "perceive" it a different way. For example, I remember on one forum here a while back where a user said he worked for a station around 2002 where he shifted away from Mainstream CHR to Rhythmic CHR and only played songs like DHT's Listen to Your Heart during dayparts instead of all the time (10 am-3 pm). A lot of the general public doesn't seem to be as attuned to every radio station making changes as board members here are (like the outcry over KRTH playlist), so I am wondering if for example people still associate that Rhythmic (formerly Mainstream) still playing those more melodic songs? On the TV side, I know for years Spike TV had a certain image even after a rebrand and the Max streaming service is still referred to online as "HBO".

 

[TexasTom]

In 2012, KDMX Dallas/Fort Worth shifted from calling themselves "Mix 102.9" to "102.9 Now", and modified their Hot AC format somewhat. Last year, they shifted back to "Mix 102.9", and when they did so they pretty much admitted that listeners had never quit calling the station that. I'm not surprised -- "102.9 Now" was just an awkward name.

 

[seattlesarchiebunker]

WRXL Richmond, VA. Long time AOR known as “XL-102”. Flipped to alternative in 2002 as “102.1 the X”

Everyone still referred to the station as “XL-102”. About 8 years later, iHM flipped it back to XL-102 with the same alternative format. Stuck with the name until Audacy bought them and had them conform with the nationwide “Alt” branding.

 

[AlligatorClipz]

WRXL Richmond, VA. Long time AOR known as “XL-102”. Flipped to alternative in 2002 as “102.1 the X”

Everyone still referred to the station as “XL-102”. About 8 years later, iHM flipped it back to XL-102 with the same alternative format. Stuck with the name until Audacy bought them and had them conform with the nationwide “Alt” branding.

Stupid Audacy. X107.5 in las vegas was flipped to Alt, but with the soft ass music choices made, there was no one who mistook it for the old X. As soon as they gave KXTE to Beasley, they flipped the branding back to Xtreme radio. It still isn't the same, but at least people recognize it.

 

[RadioGuy1864]

In Buffalo, the "New 96.1" is still referred to as Joy 96 by many. It hasn't been Joy since 1995.

 

[AMRadioGuy]

In Pittsburgh, 93.7 is now the Fan. It's been that for probably a decade now. At one point, it was a big top-40 station. My mom still calls it "B94." She's not the only one - I've heard it called that several times by different people over the past few years.

Doubt she's ever tuned in to the sports format, though😂.

 

[secondchoice]

92.9 in Atlanta was Z93 until they went with Dave FM. Just about time the longtime Atlanta folks caught on to "Dave" they flip to 92.9 the game. IMHO the game caught on a lot faster.

 

[fybush]

In Pittsburgh, 93.7 is now the Fan. It's been that for probably a decade now. At one point, it was a big top-40 station. My mom still calls it "B94." She's not the only one - I've heard it called that several times by different people over the past few years.

Doubt she's ever tuned in to the sports format, though😂.

And... so what?

Your mom isn't the target demographic for 93.7's current format. Audacy is doing just fine reaching the audience it IS looking for - mostly male and relatively younger. If a few outliers remember what used to be on the frequency more than a decade ago, that's irrelevant to what Audacy is doing now.

 

[atthestars]

Two in Philly:

When B101 re-imaged as "101.1 More FM" to shed their "Michael Bolton-playing" image, people still called them B101, to the point when Audacy purchased them, they flipped back to the B101 name.

Also, 98.1 hasn't been "Oldies 98" since 2005. They've gone through two names since (98.1 WOGL, and now Big 98.1), but I know plenty of people who still call them "Oldies 98"

 

[AMRadioGuy]

And... so what?

Your mom isn't the target demographic for 93.7's current format. Audacy is doing just fine reaching the audience it IS looking for - mostly male and relatively younger. If a few outliers remember what used to be on the frequency more than a decade ago, that's irrelevant to what Audacy is doing now.

All I was saying is that a lot of Pittsburghers still think of the station as "B94."

I did not say nor was I implying that they are not successful with their current format. I also highly doubt only "a few outliers" remember what was on the frequency. As I said, I've heard it referred to as "B94" quite a few times in the past few years.

The line at the end about my mom not listening to the sports format was meant to be light-hearted humor, hence the "😂." Of course sports talk radio is not something she would listen to nor is she in the demo they are looking for.

 

[Gregg.]

The top station in New York, WLTW, tried to stop using its longtime "Lite-FM" moniker, sometime around 2000. The music wasn't that light anymore, playing P!nk, Bonjovi and Rickie Martin. It became "New York's 106-point-7." Needless to say, after several months, it returned to "Lite-FM." Maybe the station wasn't very soft but that's how folks identified it.

If you put newyorks1067.com into your browser, the WLTW website still comes up.