Audacy to Change a Station in the Northeast to Spanish?

[TheBigA]

So that means Audacy sacrificed its #8 classic hits station to go Latin Contemporary.

Not much of a sacrifice, perhaps. In most markets, classic hits is a Top 5 format. Looking at the Audacy cluster, they own 3 AM & 3 FMs. Two of the three FMs are doing very well. The third just flipped. So which is the growth format? Classic hits or La Mega?

 

[Kelly A]

So which is the growth format? Classic hits or La Mega?

I say......La Mega.

 

[Kent]

Not much of a sacrifice, perhaps. In most markets, classic hits is a Top 5 format.

The previous comment would seem to have described the problem 102.3 had. The market had two classic hits stations splitting the total listening to the format roughly in half. It probably had one more classic hits station than it needed, and the free market solved the problem.

 

[AceBiscuits]

The previous comment would seem to have described the problem 102.3 had. The market had two classic hits stations splitting the total listening to the format roughly in half. It probably had one more classic hits station than it needed, and the free market solved the problem.

The two classic hits stations had pretty different leans. A quick look at the Gem playlist shows that it leans older but still has sprinkles of late 80s/mid 90s; still a predominantly 70s/80s playlist. They’re even airing a Frank Sinatra/standards program as of writing. On the other hand, WMQX was more 80s centric, and was closer to a classic rock station, in which there’s still a much more dominant station in the form of WEZX.

In essence, WMQX was splitting audience indirectly with two stations. Audacy can now tap into this growing Hispanic population with La Mega, and the station already has a decent listener base moving over from the former signals.

 

[TheBigA]

I say......La Mega.

I was asking a rhetorical question. No emoji for that.

 

[Kelly A]

I was asking a rhetorical question. No emoji for that.

I have the feeling that some didn't think it was rhetorical, so I chimed in with a vote.