B-ham numbers, and other thoughts

[RollTide]

Wow WUHT Hot 107-7 jumps to number 5! Most successful book for them yet! Nice job. I'm in Huntsville, but I listen sometimes when I can pick them up. Despite all the hate people give it on other sites, I like the Steve Harvey show. I'm sure WQEN 103-7 The Q is happy landing at number 4. They are, after all, what a CHR/Top 40 should sound like, unlike WZYP here in Huntsville who claims to be CHR/Top 40, but are more like Hot A/C all during the day, and CHR/Top 40 after 6pm. Speaking of Hot A/C, WYSF "The New 94.5" numbers are dismal. It's too early to tell for them how well their new format will work tho. Oh, and I guess the WDXB reign over WZZK was very short lived. WZZK is back to almost twice the share of WDXB. Which now bring up the question, does Cox need WNCB anymore? I thought it was a rediculous idea to begin with, but now that they are back on top, is it finally time to really do something with that signal? I think so.

 

[tomservo]

WZZK being is probably do the Rick and Bubbles effect. Even though I'm not a country music fan, it always seemed liked 102.5 was the fresher and more contemporary of the two.

WNCB really didn't need to be country before and it sure doesn't now. There's got to be some little niche format they could make money with. :

 

[b5]

This sounds played out with the recent demise of The Source, but 97.3 would be a perfect signal for a Birmingham FM Talk station. They already have Rick and Bubba replaying in the afternoon. They could pick up a couple of Cox's other syndicated shows and maybe a local morning show with Don Dailey's News Department supporting them. It could actually be the #1 talk station in Birmingham with how dismal the ratings were for ERC, YDE, and API. The signal is perfect too...it gets all of Birmingham without having to worry about covering other local politics or events out of its signal area.

 

[R.D.P.]

If I were Cox, I'd program Black Gospel on 97.3. It's time for B-Ham to get a new Black Gospel station, on the FM dial.

If programmed right and had enough support, a FM Black Gospel station would be a huge success, in B-Ham.

R.D.P. <><

 

[passtheword]

If I were Cox, I'd program Black Gospel on 97.3. It's time for B-Ham to get a new Black Gospel station, on the FM dial.

If programmed right and had enough support, a FM Black Gospel station would be a huge success, in B-Ham.

R.D.P. <><

that sounds logical too, but I wouldn't be holding my breath for Cox to move WAGG (or put another black gospel station) on 97.3. If Cox were really wanting to do that, they would have probably done it by now, when Clear Channel got rid of "Hallelujah". IMO, Crawford would have fared better changing 101.1 to black gospel, considering the outcry over the WENN switch and the fact that WYDE's signal reaches into Birmingham and Huntsville, both of which have large black populations.


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[b5]

Black Gospel would be a good if you only wanted a station with good numbers. The money didn't follow the format and its ratings which is why Clear Channel dumped it so fast for Alternative Rock. The ratings are less for 105.5 currently but I would be willing to guess that the advertising revenue increased. Cox has "the" Black Gospel station in Birmingham and they are able to get away with having it on AM...why change it? I am pretty confident that there has to be an airing of the Rick and Bubba show in afternoons contracturally also, and 97.3 makes sense of where to put it. The highest ranked "news/talk" station in Bham only had a 1.9 in 12+ according www.radioandrecords.com. WYDE's gone, WERC is weak, and WAPI is floating like normal. Why not consider putting talk on 97.3 like I mentioned earlier...a show like Steve & DC in the morning from 5 - 9, Matt Murphy from 9 - 1, Clark Howard 1 -3, Rick and Bubba 3 - 7. If Cox could claim Boortz from API, put Murphy in mornings from 5 - 9, Boortz from 9 - 12, Clark Howard 12 - 3, Rick and Bubba 3 - 7, Steve & DC 7 - 11p. There are a lot of options and basically if you include Murphy you get all the advertisers on your station that were with him and everyone else at The Source. They could pull assets that are already at work in the building to do the news portion. The station would basically be ran by a PD, have one producer, one host and a good computer system. It would be very inexpensive to program, and would fill a niche that has opened up recently.

 

[tomservo]

Someone on here will no doubt chime about how they hate syndicated programming, but from a consumer standpoint b5's lineup would probably be a winner. I doubt they could lure Boortz from WAPI since his show (supposedly) does well here. Otherwise, it's a great idea and might even trump the other talkers despite having a somewhat weak lineup.

 

[passtheword]

Black Gospel would be a good if you only wanted a station with good numbers. The money didn't follow the format and its ratings which is why Clear Channel dumped it so fast for Alternative Rock.

Considering what Crawford is currently doing on 101.1, though, does anyone actually expect them to make money with what's being aired now?


_______________________
Radio stations come and go.
Does anything last forever?
www.PassTheWord.net

 

[DaleGriffin]

Cox owns Boortz, a 90 day out and that is a brilliant idea, scratch the Ace and TJ part and steal away Savage and throw Rusty Humphries on and you have a good FM talker.

 

[b5]

Thanks Dale. Savage would probably be an easy steal from WAPI also.

 

[BlueRaja]

Savage wasn't doing well in its former timeslot on WAPI, hence he was moved to the late block. I would assume that depending on how the next trends/book does would determine WAPI's willingness to get rid of Savage.

 

[genotx]

First off the "new" 94.5 only had June as part of this book. So this book is too early to get any kind of read on the station.

For 97.3, here it goes again. How about an AAA station.

Thanks.

 

[Tenn Radio Boy]

Daniels saw the tea leaves at Citadel and checked out.
Will Jimmy Vinyard at Clear Channel be the next one?

 

[b5]

For sake of argument on the AAA format I thought I would try to find a successful AAA station in a similar market. I only have access to 12+ numbers so this is not completely accurate and of course I do not have access to sales figures.

I can only find a few stations in major cities in the south that carry the format...$11 KGSR in Austin, TX (market 42); #18 WCOO 105.5 in Charleston, SC (market 82); #10 WDOD 96.5 Chattonoga, TN (market 107); #19 WRLT 100.1 Nashville, TN (market 44); #12 WZEW 92.1 (market 90) Mobile, AL.

I don't see it working on that small frequency...I don't see Rick and Bubba's afternoon replay fitting the format either.

 

[DaleGriffin]

They fit any format in Birmingham. You could put Rick and Bubba on Air America at 3 in morning and it would get listeners.

 

[b5]

Dale, your a pretty smart guy...you think AAA is going to bring ratings and revenue on 97.3 beyond what the station is currently doing? What format do you think would bring an increase to ratings and revenue on 97.3 if you don't believe that AAA is the right format?

 

[DaleGriffin]

AAA is not really a good idea, in my worthless opinion. FM Talk programmed right (not Crawford) and with a decent B-Ham signal (not WYDE) would work.

My ideal station on FM talk done right will work here.

Local
Boortz
Clark Howard
Doyle till 3
Rick and Bubba
Savage
Humprhies

You need strong local news and this would work.

 

[yo fish]

Dale-

"Local" That begs the question; Would you consider a return to "The Ham"?

 

[DaleGriffin]

Nah, I am very happy in Huntsville.

 

[b5]

Dale is at a proven station that launches people on a regular basis to bigger markets. Even though Birmingham is bigger than Huntsville...he would have to be crazy to come back because talk radio in Birmingham is in flux...there is not a "true" dominator right now. Dale will be there 2 or 3 years and then pop up in a top 20 market making 6 figures.