Around The Treasure Coast

[John FL]

Some more ramblings about what amounts to favorite radio stations. If there's one thing I especially like about good old-fashioned radio, it's that a listener can stream stations from virtually anywhere in the world. For many years when I lived in Jacksonville, I streamed stations mainly from Miami. I listened way more to streaming than listening to an actual radio. Outside of news/talk stations that I enjoyed at the time, there was nothing musically that interested me there. That wasn't always the case.

Earlier, we talked about radio markets being better than others. That's certainly true. I've seen a communications company in one market be far more on the ball than a sister company elsewhere. No doubt, there's lots of reasons for that.

I listen to other music platforms and have done so for a long time. But even there, with a lot more latitude and huge playlists, it's like there's fewer and fewer wow moments. My actual radio listening is nothing like it used to be either. Still, I'm quite happy living in what I consider the Treasure Coast AND West Palm radio market.

I like to put things in perspective. For me, there's no perfect radio station. If you want perfection, it's when you play whatever music you like on your own. Radio is about appealing to certainly more than one person.

As far as some of the classic hits formats go in the market. I don't listen to them for hours at a time as I would have done in the past. A couple times a week I'm in Port St. Lucie and almost every week, I visit the Palm Beaches. I especially enjoy WEAT on those trips. Here's an important consideration. Given the strict parameters of radio, I find WEAT enjoyable given the time I listen. A perfect station, it's not. But compared to what I know of all other stations doing the classic hits format, I believe Hubbard has created something quite good.

WQOL is what it is. It's a station in a small market owned by a big company. It's a company that has streamlined operations that for the most part has ended local aspects of the station. It still exists there to a limited degree which is better than nothing. Heath West hosts middays and he also jocks on their sister country station. They've added the well-known in these parts, the Mo and Sally Show. A great morning show IMO.

It's radio today. Again, no station is perfect. But in all my travels, I dreamed of having a station like WQOL where I used to live. Now I do. I hear the station in many places. WQOL has been a popular station for a long time. To me, there will always be a special place for WQOL.

One of the great things about Radio Discussions is that we can learn a great deal. There were some good, informative discussions here. To this day, I occasionally listen to other stations via streaming. It's more to see what's going on than anything else. I've got WPLM bookmarked. It's worth listening to. It's not a conventional radio station. It's like they've taken the Outback slogan "No rules, just right" and they've run with it.

Just how successful this radio station is, I don't know. But from the little I read about the station, it would appear they are doing their own thing for quite some time. If it works, their unique formatting will continue. There's lots of really great music out there for just about every taste. I have no idea how many people stream radio from elsewhere but at least it's an option for the listener.

 

[ScottBurns]

Well said, Scott.

I have long been an advocate of specialty programing, especially in nostalgia-based formats. The best example of that happened in New York City when WCBS-FM became a classic hits station after its time being Jack FM. There was a core playlist but each day had a special feature. It was only one or two songs an hour but with proper rotations and attention to the playlist, the format never got stale under his leadership.

Today, about the most variety-based classic hits stations do is a decades type weekend such as the 80s with an occasional wow song thrown in. I've tended to blame listeners more than radio management. Despite what some listeners say about repetition, they keep listening. A few years after Jacksonville's Eagle launched (WJGL) I was amused reading listening reviews. They went something like this: "They play a lot of the same songs over and over but I like the music they play."

It's like that "everybody in radio may hate that 300 song playlist" but they understand the merits and benefits of those tight playlists.

As I have been listening to WPLM, I must say it's like specialty programing on steroids. There are so many songs I have forgotten. I think it was yesterday but I caught "New York Mining Disaster" song. It was so long ago that I heard it, for a moment I thought that was the Beatles. But it was the Bee Gees. The masses have no idea the Bee Gees were not just Saturday Night Fever. Turns out this was part of a Lost 45 syndicated show. It was quite informative. But, would the masses enjoy it as much as I did? I doubt it.

As I listened to the station, I saw opportunity for WOSN here on the T.C. to enhance their Soft AC playlist. WPLM also did a 70s and 80s weekend feature. Too many wow songs to list but I especially liked how the station doesn't shun the early 70s. Personal taste but the very early 70s is the best part of the decade as far as I'm concerned.

I have mellowed my positions about playlists over the years. The reason is that this forum is not the best place to express views that are contrary to all the rules of radio. But I do maintain that many radio stations get very stale and repetitive. There's also the "C" word that's almost taboo. If one talks about "C"reative playlists, it can follow with a lecture from someone that points to music tests and no deviation. It all get old and boring as some radio station do.

So to sum it up. I get the importance core playlists. But there's always room for that occasional wow song and elements of surprise. Song rotations should be updated more frequently too. It helps keeps things interesting. Many PDs and MDs have very little control. I also think fear has paralyzed a lot of the industry.

Thanks, John. You captured the conundrum perfectly. Many of us complain about tight playlists and repetition, but the listeners keep coming back. I realize I am an outlier. Due to the constant repetition and small playlists, there are stations to which I just won't listen. Outside of the KVJ Show, WRMF in West Palm Beach is a good example.

Thank you for your opinion on WPLM. It sounds like you caught some of their weekend specialty programming. The Sunday night program is completely local, while the Saturday night show ("Found Cuts on Demand") is syndicated, but originates from WPLM. WPLM does a "'70s and '80s" weekend every weekend, and their jocks - who are live all weekend - take listener requests and put listeners on the air. Their weekday programming is the same. Their afternoon driver is constantly on the phones.

I find that WPLM plays a "Wow" song at least 1-2 times an hour. But about 5-6 times an hour, they play songs that make me think, "Why aren't the big corporate stations playing this one?" Very few songs are off limits. They play Soft AC, AC, Hot AC, Classic Hits, and even Classic Rock. During weekday programming, they even play songs from the 2010s probably once an hour. For example, I have heard Adele and Ed Sheeran, among others. During their weeknight decade hours, which run from the '60s through the '90s, they play several "Wow" songs an hour.

I am not privy to the numbers, but David Eduardo noted on a post on the Boston board that WPLM is doing well and its revenue has increased over the past 5 years. They also pay three live, full-time jocks and have at least three other part timers on the weekends.

In short, I am in love with WPLM and wish South Florida had something similar. Easy 93.1 in Miami is a good station, and it has a decent variety. But the variety is nothing compared to WPLM.

I also enjoy WQOL, and I appreciate that they have some local jocks, like Heath West, tracking shifts. I just don't like how I can hear the exact music and same presentation in Sarasota and Fort Myers, among other places.

I often wonder if we'd be better off with smaller, independent owners. Yes, ad revenue is way down. But, small operators are not saddled with the kind of debt that iHeart and others have.

A couple of years ago, I listened to a Howard Stern Show discussion of the state of radio, believe it or not. I know that he is not everyone's cup of tea, but I think he knows a great deal about radio. He talked about how radio needs to be compelling in order to draw listeners and how imitating streaming services doesn't give the listener a reason to listen to radio over a different form of media. He's absolutely right, in my opinion. Give us a reason to turn on the radio. Stale sameness does not cut it. WPLM gives me a reason to stream their station. WQOL, for all of its good qualities, does not. I can hear the same programming elsewhere.

I enjoy CHR as well. I loved road trips to Tampa when I was in my late teenage years. It meant that I could hear the Power Pig and Bubba the Love Sponge at night. That was a compelling station to which to listen. Today, there's no difference whatsoever between listening to WFLZ, XL 106-7, or Wild 95.5. These stations even share some of the same tracked jocks.

I know that the glory days of radio are long over. But there are still some bright spots. We just have to search for them.

 

[Alex Browne]

I have been hearing an interesting (localized) spot on TuneIn Radio. It's for "Planet Vero" a block of programs that air weekends on WCZR-101.7, Vero Beach. As best as I understand it, this is an opportunity for local residents to buy time on the station to host their own shows -- I am assuming these are all talk/conversation/interview shows, not music shows.

John, you may know a lot more about this, and I'm interested to hear it! Although WCZR is an iHeart station, EverGreen Media, a streaming video service, appears to be running the station on the weekends (maybe they lease it out?). And I think the shows actually originate as taped or streamed VIDEO shows on EverGreen Media's website (or other platforms) and then are repeated on the WCZR schedule on the weekends.

Of course, many commercial stations lease out parts of their schedule for extended-length programs, but this seems unusual to me: basically enabling anyone in the community to have their own show (for a price, I assume).

As a kid growing up in the New York area, I recall that WHBI (FM) in Newark, NJ had a similar approach to its programming schedule, leasing out its -entire- broadcast schedule. The owners of the station, Cosmopolitan Broadcasting Company, were eventually denied renewal of their license when it turned out that "Cosmopolitan had operated its broadcast facility so as virtually to relinquish all interest and control over the station's programming.... As a result of its abdication of licensee responsibility, numerous violations of Commission Rules occurred, including (but not limited to) the promotion of a lottery, false and misleading advertising, improper logging, failure to meet filing requirements, and inadequate record keeping."

I am sure WCZR is acting responsibly and doing nothing of the sort (and FCC rules are not as strict as they once were). In fact, EverGreen Media promotes the service on their website in a very positive way: "Community Conscious Radio."

 

[John FL]

I have been hearing an interesting (localized) spot on TuneIn Radio. It's for "Planet Vero" a block of programs that air weekends on WCZR-101.7, Vero Beach. As best as I understand it, this is an opportunity for local residents to buy time on the station to host their own shows -- I am assuming these are all talk/conversation/interview shows, not music shows.

John, you may know a lot more about this, and I'm interested to hear it! Although WCZR is an iHeart station, EverGreen Media, a streaming video service, appears to be running the station on the weekends (maybe they lease it out?). And I think the shows actually originate as taped or streamed VIDEO shows on EverGreen Media's website (or other platforms) and then are repeated on the WCZR schedule on the weekends.

I am sure WCZR is acting responsibly and doing nothing of the sort (and FCC rules are not as strict as they once were). In fact, EverGreen Media promotes the service on their website in a very positive way: "Community Conscious Radio."

Alex, very interesting. Thank you for this addition to our Treasure Coast Radio discussion. I am not familiar with the arrangements or even WCZR. I did some online research but there's not much there.

So, I emailed the station requesting information. I also provided them with a link to this string to validate my questioning. We'll see what happens. Whatever I learn, should the station respond, I will pass it along!

 

[John FL]

Regarding WCZR and the prior two posts, I was able to learn more about "Planet Vero."

Arita Koehn, who goes by the title "Boss Lady" on her email signature, graciously and quickly provided a good overview. First off, she acknowledged you Alex for having the arrangement spot-on.

EverGreen Media is a full service advertising agency, which owns a production studio referred to as "Planet Vero." They purchase blocks of time (2p-12a Saturdays and Sundays) from the iHeart station WCZR, 101.7, which is a good fit as it is a talk radio format. (Hot Talk). Currently there are 21 local show hosts on the roster.

They rent the studio out to these hosts and they arrange their own topics, guests and interviews. Content usually gravitates towards local news, events & entertainment. Hence the "Community Conscious Programming" designation.

The show hosts can choose to LiveStream their content to Vimeo's global network (link below) as well as social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, etc. The Shows are "podcasted" through Planet Vero's Spreaker account (link below) and all programs can also be viewed and/or heard on the Planet Vero app which can be downloaded in the apple and play stores.

Planet Vero TV- Planetvero.com

PlanetVero Podcast Radio TV

So there you have it! There's always something going on and something to learn when it's radio!

 

[John FL]

As was reported recently on this board, Kim Guthrie, will become the new Florida Division President replacing the retiring Linda Byrd. Ms. Guthrie had an extensive career with CMG and she brings with her a lot of experience.

In one of the articles I read about this selection I couldn't help but notice that The Treasure Coast was MIA. "The iHeartMedia stations in Florida are comprised of properties in Miami-Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Melbourne-Titusville-Cocoa, Orlando, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fort Myers-Naples, Sarasota-Bradenton, Jacksonville, Panama City Beach and Tallahassee." This was from "After Two Years, Kim Guthrie Resurfaces as Byrd's Successor." https://www.rbr.com/kim-guthrie-iheart-267813-2/

There may have been an assumption The Treasure Coast is part of the West Palm Beach radio market but then again I believe West Palm's iHeartMedia's management does manage the T.C. properties to a large extent. So, not such a big deal.

It got me thinking, who are we? Do we have an identity? We are sandwiched between West Palm and Orlando. Perhaps we can add Melbourne too. Obviously the T.C. is not a major player in iHeart's eyes. In the latest round of layoffs, both the T.C. and West Palm appeared spared. It's probably as lean and mean as it can be around here.

I've experienced many senior management changes in my time in Corporate America. Some proved great moves, others not so much. Perhaps cynical on my part but Kim will probably have a video conference call with the MMs and GMs etc. She'll be delighted and excited to work with everyone. She heard lots of great things about the teams. She'll have an open door policy. Then remind everyone to keep their eye on the ball. There's lots of challenges ahead and on and on it goes.

As discussed earlier, there are markets that are simply better than others. So it would be logical that Kim's attention will go the markets that are recognized as under-performing. I get the feeling the T.C. radio stations, perhaps West Palm too, won't see much in change but who knows really?

One of the observations, some can regard it as a complaint, is that radio has this homogenized sound where most markets sound the same. A noticeable exception is the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale radio market. The formats there show a uniqueness. Even with standard formats such as CHR, AC, and Classic Hits, there are noticeable differences in playlists, especially along rhythmic lines.

Perhaps the formats offered on the T.C. reflect the market. I really don't know. But what I do know is many new residents are arriving every day. Who are they and what kind of formats did they enjoy in their former town that may not be offered here? Anyway, there's lots to think about. I wouldn't be surprised if analysis is done on every market and the new Florida Division President will be influential in her role on recommendations.

 

[ScottBurns]

As was reported recently on this board, Kim Guthrie, will become the new Florida Division President replacing the retiring Linda Byrd. Ms. Guthrie had an extensive career with CMG and she brings with her a lot of experience.

In one of the articles I read about this selection I couldn't help but notice that The Treasure Coast was MIA. "The iHeartMedia stations in Florida are comprised of properties in Miami-Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Melbourne-Titusville-Cocoa, Orlando, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fort Myers-Naples, Sarasota-Bradenton, Jacksonville, Panama City Beach and Tallahassee." This was from "After Two Years, Kim Guthrie Resurfaces as Byrd's Successor." https://www.rbr.com/kim-guthrie-iheart-267813-2/

There may have been an assumption The Treasure Coast is part of the West Palm Beach radio market but then again I believe West Palm's iHeartMedia's management does manage the T.C. properties to a large extent. So, not such a big deal.

It got me thinking, who are we? Do we have an identity? We are sandwiched between West Palm and Orlando. Perhaps we can add Melbourne too. Obviously the T.C. is not a major player in iHeart's eyes. In the latest round of layoffs, both the T.C. and West Palm appeared spared. It's probably as lean and mean as it can be around here.

I've experienced many senior management changes in my time in Corporate America. Some proved great moves, others not so much. Perhaps cynical on my part but Kim will probably have a video conference call with the MMs and GMs etc. She'll be delighted and excited to work with everyone. She heard lots of great things about the teams. She'll have an open door policy. Then remind everyone to keep their eye on the ball. There's lots of challenges ahead and on and on it goes.

As discussed earlier, there are markets that are simply better than others. So it would be logical that Kim's attention will go the markets that are recognized as under-performing. I get the feeling the T.C. radio stations, perhaps West Palm too, won't see much in change but who knows really?

One of the observations, some can regard it as a complaint, is that radio has this homogenized sound where most markets sound the same. A noticeable exception is the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale radio market. The formats there show a uniqueness. Even with standard formats such as CHR, AC, and Classic Hits, there are noticeable differences in playlists, especially along rhythmic lines.

Perhaps the formats offered on the T.C. reflect the market. I really don't know. But what I do know is many new residents are arriving every day. Who are they and what kind of formats did they enjoy in their former town that may not be offered here? Anyway, there's lots to think about. I wouldn't be surprised if analysis is done on every market and the new Florida Division President will be influential in her role on recommendations.

The problem is that even larger markets than the TC, like West Palm Beach, have already been stripped down to bare bones. Outside of mornings, Wild 95.5 is voicetracked from other markets. Kool 105.5 even runs Premium Choice jocks. If West Palm doesn’t get local attention, TC won’t get any. And that’s largely because there’s even less potential ad revenue in the TC, where the population is lower and there are fewer ad dollars to chase.

The iHeart Melbourne stations are largely covered by the people in Orlando.

This is why my wish has been for more local/non-corporate behemoth ownership to come into more markets.

For what it’s worth, I find a lot of Miami stations to be cookie cutter. There’s nothing different about Y-100, another iHeart station. Lite is pretty cookie cutter too.

 

[John FL]

The previous poster, Scott Burns, wrote: "This is why my wish has been for more local/non-corporate behemoth ownership to come into more markets."

This is a good discussion item, and I had every intention of adding my two cents. But this little thing called Covid got in the way. It hit me hard for nearly 3 weeks. This is the first day I’m feeling close to normal. I’ve been vaxed twice and boosted once. I’m perplexed as many are. Perhaps I’d be dead now if not vaccinated.

Age and preexisting conditions didn’t help in my case. Since this is a Treasure Coast discussion, I will add that this strain has spread rapidly here. A week or two ago I saw data that said Indian River County had the 10th most cases in the state. We were just behind Orlando. Considering the huge differences in population, the T.C. certainly has been affected in a big way.

My feelings about small radio ownership is mixed. When my company transferred me from Ft. Lauderdale to Jacksonville in the 90’s, I had an opportunity to listen to small ownership radio. It was quite good. In fact, I liked a lot of what I heard. Jacksonville was once a decent radio market especially during “The Big Ape’s” AM heyday.

From what history tells us, there were small operators who saw a killing in unloading their radio properties to the mega corporations. Others had lots of financial problems and were happy to get out from under.

Like you, I thought very highly of the small operators because I genuinely felt there was more love of radio there. But you also must have business acumen. There are several reality TV shows that deal with restaurant and even bar rescues. With no exception, there’s well-intentioned folks who just don’t have a clue. I suspect radio its share of those too.

In Jacksonville, there was a small operator in Renda Broadcasting. They proved to be a big disappointment to me. Simply, they were a small company that weren’t much different from how a big company operates. They was once a four-station cluster. Today it’s two. What happened to the two stations that were sold came down to lack of support. In my view, they forfeited a lot of potential.

I was fortunate to have had a career where my office was virtual. And so, I took full advantage of that often working out of my parent’s’ home in Broward. I was most familiar with Jefferson-Pilot and then Lincoln Financial who owned AC WLYF and Oldies, then Classic Hits WMXJ.

When you say Miami is mostly cutter-cutter, I don’t disagree. But there’s still lots of formats unique to the area. That’s a better than nothing kind of thing. Rob Sidney was the genius behind WLYF and what a difference he made! As he himself has often said, he was grateful the companies allowed him to do his thing. It is perhaps a benefit in working with a smaller company. He saw the handwriting on the wall when Audacy came along. I miss his contributions to S. Fla radio.

Across the hall, WMXJ (Magic 102.7) wasn’t as lucky in the P.D. department. I liked the last guy they had (forgot his name) before the station rebranded. By then it was too late. I can look back now and be objective. I believe larger ownership would have recognized the need to update the overall sound AND do a better job in attracting Hispanics into the fold.

While I spent time lying down in the den as I isolated, I got to listen to a lot of WPLM that we discussed earlier. I heard a lot of really great "underplayed" songs. Now, here’s a case where a small company makes a difference and does a lot of good. It’s the kind of station that sounds even better the longer you listen. Perhaps they are about “TSL” as their strategy.

So, the bottom line is there are some good small companies and mediocre ones too. It’s the luck of the drawer what you get.

I’d like to talk about fail safe systems upcoming as I’ve heard some snafus with songs on a T.C station.

 

[ScottBurns]

The previous poster, Scott Burns, wrote: "This is why my wish has been for more local/non-corporate behemoth ownership to come into more markets."

This is a good discussion item, and I had every intention of adding my two cents. But this little thing called Covid got in the way. It hit me hard for nearly 3 weeks. This is the first day I’m feeling close to normal. I’ve been vaxed twice and boosted once. I’m perplexed as many are. Perhaps I’d be dead now if not vaccinated.

Age and preexisting conditions didn’t help in my case. Since this is a Treasure Coast discussion, I will add that this strain has spread rapidly here. A week or two ago I saw data that said Indian River County had the 10th most cases in the state. We were just behind Orlando. Considering the huge differences in population, the T.C. certainly has been affected in a big way.

My feelings about small radio ownership is mixed. When my company transferred me from Ft. Lauderdale to Jacksonville in the 90’s, I had an opportunity to listen to small ownership radio. It was quite good. In fact, I liked a lot of what I heard. Jacksonville was once a decent radio market especially during “The Big Ape’s” AM heyday.

From what history tells us, there were small operators who saw a killing in unloading their radio properties to the mega corporations. Others had lots of financial problems and were happy to get out from under.

Like you, I thought very highly of the small operators because I genuinely felt there was more love of radio there. But you also must have business acumen. There are several reality TV shows that deal with restaurant and even bar rescues. With no exception, there’s well-intentioned folks who just don’t have a clue. I suspect radio its share of those too.

In Jacksonville, there was a small operator in Renda Broadcasting. They proved to be a big disappointment to me. Simply, they were a small company that weren’t much different from how a big company operates. They was once a four-station cluster. Today it’s two. What happened to the two stations that were sold came down to lack of support. In my view, they forfeited a lot of potential.

I was fortunate to have had a career where my office was virtual. And so, I took full advantage of that often working out of my parent’s’ home in Broward. I was most familiar with Jefferson-Pilot and then Lincoln Financial who owned AC WLYF and Oldies, then Classic Hits WMXJ.

When you say Miami is mostly cutter-cutter, I don’t disagree. But there’s still lots of formats unique to the area. That’s a better than nothing kind of thing. Rob Sidney was the genius behind WLYF and what a difference he made! As he himself has often said, he was grateful the companies allowed him to do his thing. It is perhaps a benefit in working with a smaller company. He saw the handwriting on the wall when Audacy came along. I miss his contributions to S. Fla radio.

Across the hall, WMXJ (Magic 102.7) wasn’t as lucky in the P.D. department. I liked the last guy they had (forgot his name) before the station rebranded. By then it was too late. I can look back now and be objective. I believe larger ownership would have recognized the need to update the overall sound AND do a better job in attracting Hispanics into the fold.

While I spent time lying down in the den as I isolated, I got to listen to a lot of WPLM that we discussed earlier. I heard a lot of really great "underplayed" songs. Now, here’s a case where a small company makes a difference and does a lot of good. It’s the kind of station that sounds even better the longer you listen. Perhaps they are about “TSL” as their strategy.

So, the bottom line is there are some good small companies and mediocre ones too. It’s the luck of the drawer what you get.

I’d like to talk about fail safe systems upcoming as I’ve heard some snafus with songs on a T.C station.

I’m sorry that you had COVID, John, and hope you feel better every day!

You definitely gave us a lot of food for thought. I’ll actually be in Jacksonville for a few days next week, so I look forward to catching up on the radio scene there.

In random order, I want to address some of what you discussed.
1. You’re right that Miami has some unique formats. I like WFLC, for example. I think WFEZ’s playlist is wider than most Soft AC/AC stations’. But Y100, Lite, Power, Big, and the Beach are all cookie-cutter and have playlists that can be heard in cities all over the country. The one that really upsets me is Power. WPOW was perhaps the most unique station in the country during the late 1980s to mid 1990s. It defined the Miami sound. Now, Power could be programmed for Omaha or somewhere that’s about as different than Miami as possible.
2. I think you’re right about smaller ownership being a mixed bag. I’ll put it a different way: Smaller ownership is more likely to give us a better product than the corporate giants. And WPLM is my shining example of that. I’ve been streaming that station for five or so years and I still constantly hear songs that make me say “Wow! I haven’t heard that song in years!” But Renda is a good example to the contrary.
3. I totally agree about Rob Sidney. How could they run him out of town when he had such a track record of success? He probably made too much money.
4. By the way, according to David Eduardo, WPLM doesn’t subscribe to any ratings services. With that said, he claims that their revenue has increased over the last decade.
5. You’re probably right that larger ownership has the resources to do more research, such as how to reach more Hispanic audiences. But larger ownership, in my experience, is a creativity destroyer. It’s hard to find a station owned by a corporate giant that doesn’t have a tight, repetitive playlist, for example. I know that strategy works and makes them money, but it’s a total bore for many of us.

 

[John FL]

Appreciate the kind words and comments, Scott Burns. We’re pretty much in agreement as we have similar thought processes when it comes to radio.

Since this subject is about Treasure Coast Radio, I’d like to circle back to explain a few things. First off, when I moved to this area, I realized this was not a big market. And so, my expectations were set reasonably. My wants were simple. Provide formats I’ll enjoy and I’m a happy camper. That happened!

I did have familiarity with the T.C. before moving here. As time moved along, all I can say is I love where I live. For a Top 100 radio market as well, my expectations are met which is a lot better than where I once lived. Yes, there’s always room for improvement. I have been quite impressed streaming WPLM. If there is one T.C. station that I believe could benefit from updating their playlist with a few dozen songs found on WPLM, it’s WOSN (97.1 Ocean FM), a Soft AC. The owner is a small company. We’re fortunate to have such a station as true Soft AC is harder to find.

As I thought about why I enjoy radio on the T.C., one reason may surprise. It’s because I’m not privy to what’s going on. I’m just a radio listener like everyone else. I no longer consider myself an avid listener but just an occasional listener. Despite other platforms and my own personal music collection, I still find terrestrial radio appealing.

Where I previously called home, I was once very active on the radio boards. I also got to know radio folks from all the major players in town. They’d share behind the scenes stuff. It’s not a good place to be as it soured my taste for radio. Perhaps it’s human nature to only share bad news and poor decisions. Today, I have never set foot in any radio facility here on the T.C. or in West Palm. I’m better off.

I still believe there is a lot of good quality radio around. Small operators can’t always afford to stream and what a pity. Who knows how many gems are just local secrets?

It’s just my perception that an iHeart Media, for example, is run decently in these parts. In my years of traveling through the area including West Palm, I never noticed any of their stations I’d listen to exhibit radical changes. Yet, I experienced that where I used to live. It’s true that some markets are simply better than others. Even the same company is more on the ball in some markets than others.

We also can’t forget that no cluster or individual station can be better than the G.M. or top local management position. We mentioned Rob Sidney earlier. Now, he’s a perfect example of a leader. Perhaps 2 or 3 years ago, I corresponded with him about the Treasure Coast. Let’s just say he’s open minded. There comes a time there’s nothing else to prove and money is not the big motivator.

Smaller ponds do attract big fish at times. So, who knows?

 

[ScottBurns]

Appreciate the kind words and comments, Scott Burns. We’re pretty much in agreement as we have similar thought processes when it comes to radio.

Since this subject is about Treasure Coast Radio, I’d like to circle back to explain a few things. First off, when I moved to this area, I realized this was not a big market. And so, my expectations were set reasonably. My wants were simple. Provide formats I’ll enjoy and I’m a happy camper. That happened!

I did have familiarity with the T.C. before moving here. As time moved along, all I can say is I love where I live. For a Top 100 radio market as well, my expectations are met which is a lot better than where I once lived. Yes, there’s always room for improvement. I have been quite impressed streaming WPLM. If there is one T.C. station that I believe could benefit from updating their playlist with a few dozen songs found on WPLM, it’s WOSN (97.1 Ocean FM), a Soft AC. The owner is a small company. We’re fortunate to have such a station as true Soft AC is harder to find.

As I thought about why I enjoy radio on the T.C., one reason may surprise. It’s because I’m not privy to what’s going on. I’m just a radio listener like everyone else. I no longer consider myself an avid listener but just an occasional listener. Despite other platforms and my own personal music collection, I still find terrestrial radio appealing.

Where I previously called home, I was once very active on the radio boards. I also got to know radio folks from all the major players in town. They’d share behind the scenes stuff. It’s not a good place to be as it soured my taste for radio. Perhaps it’s human nature to only share bad news and poor decisions. Today, I have never set foot in any radio facility here on the T.C. or in West Palm. I’m better off.

I still believe there is a lot of good quality radio around. Small operators can’t always afford to stream and what a pity. Who knows how many gems are just local secrets?

It’s just my perception that an iHeart Media, for example, is run decently in these parts. In my years of traveling through the area including West Palm, I never noticed any of their stations I’d listen to exhibit radical changes. Yet, I experienced that where I used to live. It’s true that some markets are simply better than others. Even the same company is more on the ball in some markets than others.

We also can’t forget that no cluster or individual station can be better than the G.M. or top local management position. We mentioned Rob Sidney earlier. Now, he’s a perfect example of a leader. Perhaps 2 or 3 years ago, I corresponded with him about the Treasure Coast. Let’s just say he’s open minded. There comes a time there’s nothing else to prove and money is not the big motivator.

Smaller ponds do attract big fish at times. So, who knows?

You’re very welcome, John. There’s so much with which I agree. WOSN has the most potential, I think, to be a great station. It needs a bigger playlist. Perhaps some more energy would be good too.

I think I’ve soured a little more on the iHeart stations than you have, especially in my home market of West Palm Beach. Too many of their stations have been cut down to little more than a hard drive. Wild 95.5, which covers the TC nicely, has only a local morning show. Ditto for Kool 105.5. The Gater doesn’t have anyone local, although Jodi Stewart, I believe, is based at iHeart’s Miami cluster.

With that said, iHeart does a better job with Classic Hits than Audacy or some of the other owners. That’s evident with Kool or WQOL.

I still listen just as much as I always did. And that’s probably why I complain so often about tight, repetitive playlists that dominate so many stations.

 

[John FL]

You definitely gave us a lot of food for thought. I’ll actually be in Jacksonville for a few days next week, so I look forward to catching up on the radio scene there.

If you would like to comment, I'm sure there are those who would enjoy your analysis of Jacksonville Radio, especially in comparison to radio here in West Palm and The Treasure Coast.

 

[ScottBurns]

If you would like to comment, I'm sure there are those who would enjoy your analysis of Jacksonville Radio, especially in comparison to radio here in West Palm and The Treasure Coast.

Thanks, John. I just got back home yesterday, and I was planning on posting.

I hate to be overwhelmingly negative, but nearly every station on the FM dial was cookie-cutter. There was a good exception, however. I loved Jax Country 94.1 (WSOS-FM). The signal was a little spotty, and they have a translator at 100.3. But I was hooked. I loved the mix of 90s country with songs from the 70s and 80s sprinkled in. I looked up the station, and they have a small owner (Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting Corporation). I know next to nothing about this group.

Some other connects:
*96.9 The Eagle is programmed very similarly to Tampa’s 107.3 The Eagle; both are Cox stations that lean more Classic Rock than Classic Hits. The lack of variety is stifling.
*iHeart’s CHR station, 97.9 Kiss-FM, was unbearable. Never mind the extremely repetitive playlist, even by CHR standards, but only one jock was local (their afternoon driver). A market as large as Jacksonville deserves better.
*I always looked forward to listening to 95.1 WAPE. It sounded better and more fresh than Kiss, but its playlist was nearly identical and far too small and repetitive.
*The other two country stations on the dial, at 99.1 and 99.9, are very cookie cutter.
*WOKV sounds a little better than most conservative talk stations, only because they have a commitment to local news and weather, despite all the syndicated programming.

 

[John FL]

Thanks, John. I just got back home yesterday, and I was planning on posting.

I hate to be overwhelmingly negative, but nearly every station on the FM dial was cookie-cutter. There was a good exception, however. I loved Jax Country 94.1 (WSOS-FM). The signal was a little spotty, and they have a translator at 100.3. But I was hooked. I loved the mix of 90s country with songs from the 70s and 80s sprinkled in. I looked up the station, and they have a small owner (Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting Corporation). I know next to nothing about this group.

Some other connects:
*96.9 The Eagle is programmed very similarly to Tampa’s 107.3 The Eagle; both are Cox stations that lean more Classic Rock than Classic Hits. The lack of variety is stifling.
*iHeart’s CHR station, 97.9 Kiss-FM, was unbearable. Never mind the extremely repetitive playlist, even by CHR standards, but only one jock was local (their afternoon driver). A market as large as Jacksonville deserves better.
*I always looked forward to listening to 95.1 WAPE. It sounded better and more fresh than Kiss, but its playlist was nearly identical and far too small and repetitive.
*The other two country stations on the dial, at 99.1 and 99.9, are very cookie cutter.
*WOKV sounds a little better than most conservative talk stations, only because they have a commitment to local news and weather, despite all the syndicated programming.

Much appreciated, Scott. While I don't want to put words in your mouth, I'll say it instead. Overall, Jacksonville and North Florida is a mediocre radio market at best. It's been that way for quite some time too. Seriously, I could write a book about how and why it got that way. But what I will do instead for this subject string is draw some comparisons to radio both here on the Treasure Coast and West Palm while looking at high-level history of Jax.

If there is a bright spot in Jacksonville Radio, it's news/talk WOKV. One of the reasons the station shines above the rest of the pack in most Florida markets doing the format is there is an obvious, sizeable budget. "You get what you pay for." Their Jacksonville Morning News is extremely well-produced. One of the other strong-suits is having exceptionally talented people behind the scenes and on the air over the years. There is nothing, in my view, on The Treasure Coast or even West Palm that is in the league of WOKV.

96.9 The Eagle is more classic rock/rock pop hits than anything else. Yes, it's been a hugely successful station but in virtually its entire run, it has had little in the way of direct competition. For a market as diverse as Jacksonville is, it's amazing that a variety-based classic hits station has not found a place there yet. I will have more to say on this later including the pitfall of rumors.

Here on The Treasure Coast there's iHeartMedia's WQOL and in West Palm there's Hubbard's WEAT. Both stations are more representative of what a true classic hits should be IMO. Perfect they are not. WQOL, with the exception of a local midday host and perhaps you can say the same for morning drive now with a WPB well-known couple, there's no local programing. But, as I mentioned earlier, I'm still grateful the station exists. Premium Choice programming is better than it once was.

iHeart’s CHR station, 97.9 Kiss-FM per your words "was unbearable." Yes. I have longed questioned the logic of two CHR's stations in a market where one would suffice. To the best of my knowledge the #1 market in the country has just one CHR. The Top 50 market has two. Then again, given the demos CHR delivers, it's all about billing and they probably come out ahead with little effort which is a Jacksonville tradition. 97.9 Kiss FM played into rumors some time last year involving change. I'll go into that more later.

Here on The Treasure Coast, we have at least two CHR formats as well although one is marketed for West Palm and the other the TC. There's other format duplication but West Palm and The Treasure Coast are two separate markets. Due to proximity to each other, some signals are bound to be heard in each respectfully. Sometimes that's a very good thing.

Jacksonville is a different situation. Their sheer land size offers challenges especially to signals that are not full market. Also, to the chagrin of many of us posters who complained of Radio Jacksonville, it was the location of the city that was a huge problem. Don't like some stations on the T.C., there's a good chance you can pick a station from elsewhere and in parts of Palm Beach County, Miami stations come in like a local.

If Jacksonville were only 50 miles further south, listeners would have so much more format availability. The reality is they are stuck. It was my main reason switching to SiriusXM many years ago. Like you, I don't want to be negative. Regarding the music station you really liked, I'll provide some background on that and more. Hopefully the readers find this is an interesting twist to our T.C discussion.

 

[ScottBurns]

Much appreciated, Scott. While I don't want to put words in your mouth, I'll say it instead. Overall, Jacksonville and North Florida is a mediocre radio market at best. It's been that way for quite some time too. Seriously, I could write a book about how and why it got that way. But what I will do instead for this subject string is draw some comparisons to radio both here on the Treasure Coast and West Palm while looking at high-level history of Jax.

If there is a bright spot in Jacksonville Radio, it's news/talk WOKV. One of the reasons the station shines above the rest of the pack in most Florida markets doing the format is there is an obvious, sizeable budget. "You get what you pay for." Their Jacksonville Morning News is extremely well-produced. One of the other strong-suits is having exceptionally talented people behind the scenes and on the air over the years. There is nothing, in my view, on The Treasure Coast or even West Palm that is in the league of WOKV.

96.9 The Eagle is more classic rock/rock pop hits than anything else. Yes, it's been a hugely successful station but in virtually its entire run, it has had little in the way of direct competition. For a market as diverse as Jacksonville is, it's amazing that a variety-based classic hits station has not found a place there yet. I will have more to say on this later including the pitfall of rumors.

Here on The Treasure Coast there's iHeartMedia's WQOL and in West Palm there's Hubbard's WEAT. Both stations are more representative of what a true classic hits should be IMO. Perfect they are not. WQOL, with the exception of a local midday host and perhaps you can say the same for morning drive now with a WPB well-known couple, there's no local programing. But, as I mentioned earlier, I'm still grateful the station exists. Premium Choice programming is better than it once was.

iHeart’s CHR station, 97.9 Kiss-FM per your words "was unbearable." Yes. I have longed questioned the logic of two CHR's stations in a market where one would suffice. To the best of my knowledge the #1 market in the country has just one CHR. The Top 50 market has two. Then again, given the demos CHR delivers, it's all about billing and they probably come out ahead with little effort which is a Jacksonville tradition. 97.9 Kiss FM played into rumors some time last year involving change. I'll go into that more later.

Here on The Treasure Coast, we have at least two CHR formats as well although one is marketed for West Palm and the other the TC. There's other format duplication but West Palm and The Treasure Coast are two separate markets. Due to proximity to each other, some signals are bound to be heard in each respectfully. Sometimes that's a very good thing.

Jacksonville is a different situation. Their sheer land size offers challenges especially to signals that are not full market. Also, to the chagrin of many of us posters who complained of Radio Jacksonville, it was the location of the city that was a huge problem. Don't like some stations on the T.C., there's a good chance you can pick a station from elsewhere and in parts of Palm Beach County, Miami stations come in like a local.

If Jacksonville were only 50 miles further south, listeners would have so much more format availability. The reality is they are stuck. It was my main reason switching to SiriusXM many years ago. Like you, I don't want to be negative. Regarding the music station you really liked, I'll provide some background on that and more. Hopefully the readers find this is an interesting twist to our T.C discussion.

Excellent analysis, John. I agree with everything that you said. You are right about Jacksonville radio and North Florida radio in general. I guess I should appreciate being able to pick up Miami radio. As much as Miami has a bunch of cookie cutter stations, there are also some unique stations, such as Cox’s Hits 97.3.

I agree with your assessment of WOKV. When Cox still had WDBO on 96.5 in Orlando, the two stations shared a bunch of staff and resources. While I don’t care for some of the syndicated talkers on WOKV, their commitment to local news is admirable, and better than bigger market stations like WIOD/Miami.

You mentioned the Variety Hits format. Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t 107.3 in Jacksonville a Variety Hits outlet at one point? 96.9 The Eagle is like a completely different station than WMXJ or WEAT. The latter two stations play far less Classic Rock and far more pop hits (WEAT, for example, plays Whitney Houston songs). It is amazing how many different types of stations fit the Classic Hits definition.

I’m sure you’re right about Kiss’s demos. iHeart can also sell it with The Beat, even if Kiss’s numbers aren’t great. For the record, you’re right about NYC having only one CHR station. But sister WKTU, despite being Rhythmic AC, is very close to CHR.

Your point about the Treasure Coast and West Palm being able to hear other markets is a great point. The same is also true for the Space Coast, where Orlando stations can also be heard.

I’m sure you remember 99.9 Kiss FM, before it became Gator Country and targeted Jacksonville. That was a great station! Its home base was really Daytona, but given their gigantic signal, they had listeners from Jacksonville to Melbourne and Orlando to Gainesville. They were sort of a CHR/AC hybrid, and they had some great jocks!

I look forward to any background you have on Jax Country. Thanks, as always, for the discussion!

 

[John FL]

Excellent analysis, John. I agree with everything that you said. You are right about Jacksonville radio and North Florida radio in general. I guess I should appreciate being able to pick up Miami radio. As much as Miami has a bunch of cookie cutter stations, there are also some unique stations, such as Cox’s Hits 97.3.

I agree with your assessment of WOKV. When Cox still had WDBO on 96.5 in Orlando, the two stations shared a bunch of staff and resources. While I don’t care for some of the syndicated talkers on WOKV, their commitment to local news is admirable, and better than bigger market stations like WIOD/Miami.

You mentioned the Variety Hits format. Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t 107.3 in Jacksonville a Variety Hits outlet at one point? 96.9 The Eagle is like a completely different station than WMXJ or WEAT. The latter two stations play far less Classic Rock and far more pop hits (WEAT, for example, plays Whitney Houston songs). It is amazing how many different types of stations fit the Classic Hits definition.

I’m sure you’re right about Kiss’s demos. iHeart can also sell it with The Beat, even if Kiss’s numbers aren’t great. For the record, you’re right about NYC having only one CHR station. But sister WKTU, despite being Rhythmic AC, is very close to CHR.

Your point about the Treasure Coast and West Palm being able to hear other markets is a great point. The same is also true for the Space Coast, where Orlando stations can also be heard.

I’m sure you remember 99.9 Kiss FM, before it became Gator Country and targeted Jacksonville. That was a great station! Its home base was really Daytona, but given their gigantic signal, they had listeners from Jacksonville to Melbourne and Orlando to Gainesville. They were sort of a CHR/AC hybrid, and they had some great jocks!

I look forward to any background you have on Jax Country. Thanks, as always, for the discussion!

Much appreciated, Scott. For the benefit of the readers who are not familiar with the T.C., Jax, or perhaps radio in Florida in general, I will answer your questions and then some. But I will do it a story kind of way. Hopefully, this will make it more interesting while making comparisons between radio markets.

In this string, and there have been others, I've mentioned numerous times that there are radio markets that are simply better than others. Oh, there are so many reasons for that. What starts out as radio decisions that seem logical don't always pan out. But what we would all agree on is radio is in the business to make money. One of the key factors is the placement of the transmitter. Another is positioning the station in a bigger market.

The proximity of the Treasure Coast to West Palm Beach has advantages. Earlier, thanks to your contributions, we learned that WLDI, iHeart's CHR Wild 95.5 is a popular station on the T.C. and WPB. The station's COL was once Ft. Pierce. Today it's Juno Beach in Palm Beach County. Despite the large number of listeners on the T.C., Wild is positioned as a West Palm station. Obviously, revenue has a much better potential in a larger market.

This all brings us to Renda Broadcasting and Jacksonville. Per your comments about WSOS-FM and its country format that was to your liking, this station was originally a St. Augustine radio station. It was a Hot AC owned by a small company. To many of the so called experts who post on the boards, Renda Broadcasting overpaid considerably to purchase the station. Under Renda's ownership, the station became a Soft AC. Despite its limited signal and difficulty to hear in a lot of Jacksonville, beauty contest ratings averaged in the low 3's. Obviously, listeners were drawn to the station.

And yes, what is now 99.9 Gator Country (WGNE) was once 99.9 KISS FM in Daytona Beach. I remember pulling in the station on my various trips up and down I-95. One clarification. Their moniker was not always Gator but it was "Froggy." After what was a considerable expense moving the station and transmitter, Froggy did not perform well in Jax at all. No doubt, that would raise lots of red flags.

But Tony Renda, the owner, was committed to the format. BINGO! Not every format/station receives that kind of top down vested in success attitude. WSOS-FM certainly didn't. Eventually, Froggy became Gator. Jacksonville eventually became a PPM market. There was a new PD. Lots of good moves to give the station a fighting chance. Again, not every station/format is afforded that. I mention PPM as well as a positive factor. Even years ago, WQIK was a heritage Country station and the thinking is there were diary mentions for WQIK that deserved to go to WGNE. Hard to prove but it shows just how important branding is to make positive impressions on listeners.

WSOS's fate as a Soft AC didn't work out as well. Again, Renda Broadcasting went through considerable time and expense relocating the stick to be more of a Jacksonville station, for enhanced revenue opportunities. TLC was not given to the station. Where there was once average shares in the 3s dropped to fractional shares.

When the move was complete, WSOS flipped to Classic Rock, a format that made absolutely no sense as the Jax market was saturated with rock formats. Renda obviously didn't want any competition to its cash cow AC WEJZ. But, unbeknownst to most of us, the station was being prepped for sale. Perhaps the thinking was Classic Rock would demonstrate decent revenue for the new owner.

WSOS's sister station 100.7 WMUV-FM was also on the chopping block. At that time it was Classic Country. Prior to that it was a rhythmic Urban kind of format. Hence the calls describing "Moving." Potential may have been there but there was little expenditure to give the format a chance. A (white) staff announcer who jocked at WEJZ and WGNE became the only jock on Urban oriented WMUV. Little made sense. That format didn't last long.

Prior to that Renda tried an early version of Classic Hits (60s, 70s) on 100.7. It was mostly a disaster despite getting what appeared half way decent beauty contest numbers for a signal that was not full market. The PD who programmed a rock oriented format branded as "Arrow" admitted to not knowing a thing about the format and never wanted that job in the first place.

It seemed there was one bad decision after the next. In the case of WSOS's sale, it sold for millions less than purchase price. I'm not sure if there was a loss with WMUV but for both stations whatever potential was there was lost. Virtually all the TLC went to WEJZ and WGNE. Renda wound up being a two station cluster in Jax down from four.

When Hubbard Broadcasting bought a cluster of stations in West Palm Beach, I marveled at how they appeared to give their stations a fighting chance. Many saw TV spots. To bring up their Classic Hits WEAT one more time, what they accomplished was not easy. While repetition can be an issue, they established an awesome brand. I suspect at Hubbard, they are vested in in the success of all their stations top down.

Simply, when owners and managers give up, you can't expect listeners to reward you with success. Apologies for being long-winded. A few thoughts about the new owner and more market comparisons to come. I've often thought, if only a company like Hubbard bought the entire Renda cluster in Jacksonville, I truly believe it would have been a great improvement for radio in Jacksonville.

 

[John FL]

We continue. When the sale of WSOS-FM and WMUV were announced with Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting Corporation, as the new owner, my heart sank. It wasn't necessarily that I had anything against the company but rather I realized it would be another case of limited resources guiding the decisions. But in particular, I was distressed that WMUV would now be a Christian music station.

While not all stations subscribe to Nielsen, Jax is loaded with religious stations so I thought, what a waste of a signal. WSOS-FM obviously flipped to the country format and from what you (Scott Burns) describe, shades of Classic Country is in the mix. But, as you appear to have high broadcasting standards, the fact that they are a bright spot is fine by me.

Just a little sidebar here, I refer to WSOS in Jax with the designation of FM because believe it or not, there's an AM WSOS in St. Augustine offered on FM via translator. For a city maybe just 25 miles away, I always thought two different stations using the same calls would be confusing. I believe WSOS-AM is some kind of hybrid oldies/classic hits forum. That's been the case for years but it's what I remember - that may have changed.

WOKV is not the only news format in Jax, besides NPR as well. WBOB (AM 600 & FM translator 101.1) is a conservative talk outlet with many of the familiar syndicated cast of characters. While they don't have anywhere near the operating budget of a WOKV, I think they do a decent job with what they got. When I lived there, I recall local talent, some from the old WAPE days gracing the airways at times, various listener promotions, and at least effort made to be a news/talk alternative.

But where I give the company kudos is they did their very best doing a hybrid oldies/classic hits format. This was on a frequency translating from iHeart's Urban AC WSOL-FM. I'm not sure if their programing was created in house or a subscribed service, but it wasn't bad at all. The only problem was the distortions and issues of being on air then not, was not only an impediment to listening but local advertisers were probably turned off by that.

Here on the T.C., iHeart offers a very well designed oldies brand on a translator signal that at times "acts up" but they have a good sales tool in place - iHeart AdBuilder that I've discussed in the past. Despite, Chesapeake-Portsmouth Broadcasting Corporation's best efforts, they had difficulties with the revenue end. Perhaps this is another case where the larger corporation has the advantage.

The format in Jax utilized on-air talent at times - those from the old WAPE days. It made a lot of sense, and I give the company credit for allowing sufficient time, but it just couldn't work out.

In your previous reply, you mentioned "Variety Hits" but what I was referring to was Jax needing a variety-based classic hits station, not Variety Hits strictly. This bring up a whole under subject so more on that later!

 

[John FL]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t 107.3 in Jacksonville a Variety Hits outlet at one point? 96.9 The Eagle is like a completely different station than WMXJ or WEAT. The latter two stations play far less Classic Rock and far more pop hits (WEAT, for example, plays Whitney Houston songs). It is amazing how many different types of stations fit the Classic Hits definition.

Yes, 107.3 in Jacksonville became "Jack FM" in the spring (As I recall) of 2012. It lasted around 6 years or so, a far longer life than afforded its predecessor, "Magic 107.3" which was Classic Hits. For the record, I never was a fan of Jack FM. Boring to me but many radio pros swear to it. So be it.

As far as syndicated Jack FM programing goes, I have to wonder if there are different musical lean options. When Jack FM launched, there was a definite pop rhythmic lean with 90s songs such as "I wanna Sex You Up," "Rhythm is a Dancer," "Good Vibrations," (Monty Mark & The Funky Bunch, not the Beach Boys, haha) Y'all get the point. Then over time it got more rock-oriented and stayed that way. By time the format was called "The River" it was like they threw in the towel and it was more the rock-only (No Whitney Houston) Classic Hits type with significant song overlap with 96.9 The Eagle.

No matter, 96.9 The Eagle continued to chug along being the ratings juggernaut it has long been. If there's one thing we can all probably agree on, it's Eagle has never really deviated from its formula for success. Tight playlist, minimal jock banter, and a decluttered sound when non-music programing took over. But what's interesting is no one at iHeart in Jax, ever learned. Tweaking music is one thing but constant abrupt changes and focus is one of the main reasons its predecessor format Classic Hits Magic 107.3 had such a hard time.

There were many other factors. When senior management has bias against any format, its odds at success diminish. There's much we'll never understand in behind the scenes things. But, in Magic's short time, maybe 18 months, there was just one time "Eagle" dropped out of the Top 5 most listened to stations in the market. Eagle rebounded quickly but still, it showed Magic's potential. "Jack" never did that, nor came close. Unfortunately, it was at one of those times iHeart was on a downsizing initiative in 2012. So, a dedicated PD, morning & afternoon drive live and local talent, were too expensive a commodity. No one was willing to wait a little longer for a turnaround.

Treasure Coast connection wise, I never understood why Magic couldn't duplicate WQOL's playlist. It's long been a solid station with a uniform and consistent sound. A must for any format. In Magic's opening months, the music was picked and scheduled by the M.D at WOLL, the Palm Beach connection. Talent is talent. Whoever the individual was that did this deserves kudos. Magic was a top 5 station in 25-54 in its opening months. Unfortunately, music decisions and more fell into the hands of others. Whatever Radio 101 basics were out there, were thrown away with the bathwater.

As we know, the Treasure Coast has a "Jack FM." (WJKD 99.7) owned by mom & pop operators Treasure & Space Coast Radio. In that case, without sounding hypocritical, I can see why the company picked the format given the others in its cluster and the popularity of Classic Hits WQOL.

But seriously, the takeaway to all of this is I find radio on the T.C. and the Palm Beaches far less volatile than what I experienced on Florida's "First Coast." It may explain why iHeart in these parts earns more favorable comments from me than the company elsewhere. Lots to digest. More to come.

 

[John FL]

You may have seen a string in the New York City board discussing Classic Hits WCBS-FM being #1 in 18-34. That's quite an accomplishment in the #1 market in the country. Honestly, I wasn't surprised. In fact, not to sound like I'm bragging because I'm not that way, but I talked about the potential of Classic Hits performing exceeding well with young people. This was in my time in Jacksonville and my attempts to get the format there. As usual, I was confronted with differing opinions and skepticism.

You see, there is power in the music. Of course, it involves careful music selection, rotations, and interpreting research not only correctly but in going even beyond research. It's knowing your market, your competition, lots of things. Then the logical question to ask is whether creativity and dynamic programing a thing for the big markets only where those especially talented programmers can be well compensated?

It would seem so. But in markets the size of The Treasure Coast and even West Palm, it appears to be more about staying the course and presenting formats that don't deviate much from established norms of what has worked elsewhere. Is there a place for people who see radio and formats in a different way? Well, the powers at WCBS-FM have demonstrated that but certainly we don't hear enough success stories like that.

There is something else at work and it involves seeing the potential in a format. If you notice, whenever a station flips formats, there's the usual press release banter that sounds like all those involved are the most brilliant people on the planet. They are all happy campers delighted in working together. Then we hear about that format's potential. A year or two later, it can be all over. People involved get fired. They move onto another market and the process starts all over again.

It's why I spent considerable time discussing the pitfalls of narrow-minded thinking in markets such as Jacksonville. Way back when during the time WCBS-FM flipped to Adult Hits Jack FM, the G.M. of Renda Broadcasting in Jax was beside himself. It was all justification for his decision to kill the 60's/70s format they had. But, he was nowhere to be found when the PPM showed the popularity and yes the "potential" of classic hits.

In my view, stations/formats that exceed expectations require exceptional skill sets of those involved, effective leadership and teamwork, and an intense desire to win. One of the jocks from Jax's now defunct classic hits Magic 107.3 said when he was released "We put in some effort." That says a lot and it explains the kind of thinking that exists in many radio markets, not just Jacksonville. No, it doesn't require SOME effort, it requires EXTRAORDINARY effort.

Anyway, many of us see things differently. Lucky are those who can work somewhere in radio where they are given some freedom and latitude to take a different course. Thanks for listening. I believe T.C. ratings will be out soon. Perhaps we'll use this string to comment if there are some surprises.

 

[John FL]

As we await T.C. radio ratings, there are some things I noticed about West Palm's latest numbers. Outside of WLRN-FM (PBS) there are no other Miami/Ft. Lauderdale stations that make a showing. Really, that's usually the case. But years ago, there were noticeable station mentions from the market to the south. The two ACs - WFEZ and WLYF. CHR WHYI. Rhythmic CHR WPOW and Classic Hits WMXJ to name a few. Interestingly, WMXJ (When it was Magic 102.7) appeared to do quite well in the Palm Beach book almost having the same shares.

I have to wonder if the beauty contest published numbers have just filtered out these stations. Both are PPM markets and I'd think especially for those living in the southern part of Palm Beach County that there would be more active out-of-market listening. This is just my recollection but there's PBS WXEL-FM. I didn't notice that appearing in the ratings. Maybe the station doesn't subscribe. Perhaps the station is no longer PBS. Again, I'm just remembering the calls. But WLRN is certainly dominant.

The elevator statement one can make about Palm Beach County ratings is that it's a market that rarely surprises. I've talked about the ratings there many times but what more can you say? The dominant stations are where they usually are. The same can be said about the middle of the pack and the bottom tier. There's lots of heritage stations that have been in their specific formats for decades.

Actually, it shows stability in the market. That's not a bad thing given some markets always seem in a state of flux. What actually impresses me the most are those top tier stations that continue to perform exceedingly well. I'd mention the top 5 but in this case I think a Top 6 will do even better. Establishing a great brand and keeping it on top for many, many years is not easy but still wonderful to see.

FMs WRMF, WOLL, WEAT, WMBX, WKGR, and WIRK are consistent winners. iHeart's Classic Rock WKGR comes in great even in the northern T.C. Occasionally I hear the station in businesses on the T.C. A few years ago when my complex was still building houses, the construction workers in the area were tuned to the station. Again, as mentioned earlier, it's a good listener experience to be able to pick up stations from other markets as that provides more choice.

Palm Beach County as is true with the Treasure Coast is experiencing incredible growth and people movement. Whether the formats in place are enough to reflect the people living in them is the question. But from what I can tell about both markets is they don't make a lot of erratic changes. A more cautious approach is taken. Perhaps in what I described earlier in a market to the north flipping formats like crazy is more the thing of the past. Still, it's always interesting when well thought out flips are executed.