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Best guesses for 107.3

V

vjm

Now that it's confirmed Rubber City Radio will (eventually) get their hands on WNWV, what do y'all think will wind up happening to it?

My guess(es)...

It will remain a full market station, as RCR will expand into Cleveland. They could simulcast WAKR 1590 and bring oldies (50s/60s stuff WMJI has gone away from) back to the CLE airwaves (obviously, Tribe/Browns/Buckeyes games would have to stay AM only)...or...they could bring WONE's rock format in to battle WNCX and simulcast WAKR on 97.5.
 
I don't think the moving of any formats from Akron to Cleveland is in the cards.

Now, 107.3 COULD go with a Hot AC or Adult Top 40 format to go after WDOK and Q104, not to mention make like for WKDD miserable (HOW many former WKDD staffers are at RCRG again?). Or it could go as a straight-up alternative station.

Even though WGAR could get serious heartburn with a country challenge, country on 107.3 isn't possible IMO. RCRG probably intends to give 107.3 some visibility into Akron as well as Cleveland, and it would be foolish to cannibalize WQMX just for that.

What is only known is that 1) RCRG is slated to take control of 107.3 by the end of the year, and 2) 107.3 has to move out of downtown Elyria into parts unknown.
 
If I remember correctly WONE did used to stream a secondary alt rock station on their website....I did a quick search and didn't see it anywhere on the current site, but its not as if alt rock is a foreign notion to the people at Rubber City.
 
They could move the studios to West Market, the are within 25 miles if I am not mistaken.

Don't be too surprised to see WNWV stick to the Rock format, just keeping clear of WONE.

*Country would potentially hurt WQMX (top biller for the cluster).
*Classic Rock would be simply stupid
*Alt Rock makes little to no money
*AAA is great, but it hasn't done the kind of jumps ELB needed it to.
*Adult Contemporary to go after WMJI/WDOK makes the most sense.
*Rock could make an appearance and easily billed together with WONE for certain Akron clients.

My guess, although out there...

ROCK 107.3, EVERYTHING THAT ROCKS

or

MIX 107.3, OHIO'S BEST MIX
 
Not that a Mix or Rock format is bad....but honestly we already have those in this market. It'd be a snooze for me if they flip it to compete straight up with 106.5 or WDOK or WNCX or WMMS. I'd hope that they either stay with Triple A, go Alt Rock, or make it a Classic Alternative station.
 
There's a reason there's very, very few stations running alternative (or variations of current younger-targeted rock): the format(s) attracts mainly young men who have little disposable income and that demo has very limited advertising categories.

Why try to compete with existing formats?

But...what will happen? Is there a format "hole" that can also be viable from an ad revenue standpoint? Who knows.

Should be interesting for us all to find out...probably some time in about 3 months, I'd guess.
 
SixOnTheFloor said:
Not that a Mix or Rock format is bad....but honestly we already have those in this market. It'd be a snooze for me if they flip it to compete straight up with 106.5 or WDOK or WNCX or WMMS. I'd hope that they either stay with Triple A, go Alt Rock, or make it a Classic Alternative station.
Click to expand...

Although you'd have to wonder why WOULDN'T Sue Wilson program a soft AC station on 107.3 to go up against WDOK?

Technically, the "Wave" named could be revived for a soft AC format. The original "Wave," KTWV-Los Angeles, has effectively abandoned smooth jazz for Soft AC.
 
Nathan Obral said:
SixOnTheFloor said:
Not that a Mix or Rock format is bad....but honestly we already have those in this market. It'd be a snooze for me if they flip it to compete straight up with 106.5 or WDOK or WNCX or WMMS. I'd hope that they either stay with Triple A, go Alt Rock, or make it a Classic Alternative station.
Click to expand...

Although you'd have to wonder why WOULDN'T Sue Wilson program a soft AC station on 107.3 to go up against WDOK?

Technically, the "Wave" named could be revived for a soft AC format. The original "Wave," KTWV-Los Angeles, has effectively abandoned smooth jazz for Soft AC.
Click to expand...

A soft rock station under the "Wave" banner with Sue Wilson at the helm?

Hmmm...

...(in best Arte Johnson voice) Verrry Inter-est-ing.
 
However the radio landscape changes in Cleveland in the next 6 months or so....you'd have to assume any moves that will happen will be well thought out & researched to target the format(s) that have the best chance to be successful from a revenue standpoint.

Cleveland is an "older" market. Should be interesting.
 
vjm said:
Nathan Obral said:
SixOnTheFloor said:
Not that a Mix or Rock format is bad....but honestly we already have those in this market. It'd be a snooze for me if they flip it to compete straight up with 106.5 or WDOK or WNCX or WMMS. I'd hope that they either stay with Triple A, go Alt Rock, or make it a Classic Alternative station.
Click to expand...

Although you'd have to wonder why WOULDN'T Sue Wilson program a soft AC station on 107.3 to go up against WDOK?

Technically, the "Wave" named could be revived for a soft AC format. The original "Wave," KTWV-Los Angeles, has effectively abandoned smooth jazz for Soft AC.
Click to expand...

A soft rock station under the "Wave" banner with Sue Wilson at the helm?

Hmmm...

...(in best Arte Johnson voice) Verrry Inter-est-ing.
Click to expand...

Well, the "Wave" name is still being used for 107.3's HD-2 channel via a lease with CBS Radio (the owner of KTWV)...

...so why not?
 
Did I understand this right?: you're saying WNWV pays a fee (lease) to CBS for using the words "the Wave", even though it's only a juke box version of the NAC/SJ format on HD? CBS owns those words and offers them to radio stations and their HD's for fees?

If that's what you mean, that's news to me. But, who knows.
 
And ELB got into trouble with the same company for Boom????
 
Tim said:
Did I understand this right?: you're saying WNWV pays a fee (lease) to CBS for using the words "the Wave", even though it's only a juke box version of the NAC/SJ format on HD? CBS owns those words and offers them to radio stations and their HD's for fees?

If that's what you mean, that's news to me. But, who knows.
Click to expand...

Said lease dates back to 1987, when Metromedia - yes, THAT Metromedia! - franchised the "Wave" name following the sudden success of KTWV (it was created from the demise of KMET that Valentine's Day). 107.3's first logo had a small "(c)1987 Metromedia" tag at the bottom of it.

You'll notice that there was a time WNWV WASN'T called "The Wave" way back in the early 90s (i.e., there was no lease of the "Wave" name). But KTWV was sold off by Metromedia, and ultimately over to Infinity/CBS...
 
Tim said:
...you're saying WNWV pays a fee (lease) to CBS for using the words "the Wave", even though it's only a juke box version of the NAC/SJ format on HD? CBS owns those words and offers them to radio stations and their HD's for fees? If that's what you mean, that's news to me...
Click to expand...

CBS owns the trademark to the trademark "Fresh." They also registered the trademark for the phrase "The Rock You Grew Up With," which was used for the now-defunct WYSP in Philadelphia. Of course, CBS has paid Canada-based Sparknet for the right to use the "Jack" name for their many "Jack FM" stations; I believe the only "Jack" CBS has left is in Los Angeles.
 
Saga has servicemarks on "Everything That Rocks" and on "AWOL - At Work Oldies Listener" which WMJI used early 00's.

Yes, Sparknet licenses JACK. Imaging handled by Benztown Branding out of Los Angeles.
 
I think WNWV could go with any of the possible formats available:

Alternative Rock
AAA (not like the current incarnation)
Modern AC
Rhythmic AC and/or CHR
'90s Hits
'80s Hits
Soft AC (softer than WDOK)
Mainstream AC (edgier than WDOK)
'50s/'60s Hits
Jammin' Oldies
Christian Rock/CHR

What are your thoughts? Which is likely to flip to? (My pick is either Alternative Rock or Modern AC)
 
Older market, a format that's not already covered, and might be desirable to advertisers from a disposable income point of view.

Find the format hole. The new board game from Parker Brothers.
 
CleveFan said:
I think WNWV could go with any of the possible formats available:

Alternative Rock
AAA (not like the current incarnation)
Modern AC
Rhythmic AC and/or CHR
'90s Hits
'80s Hits
Soft AC (softer than WDOK)
Mainstream AC (edgier than WDOK)
'50s/'60s Hits
Jammin' Oldies
Christian Rock/CHR

What are your thoughts? Which is likely to flip to? (My pick is either Alternative Rock or Modern AC)
Click to expand...

1. Alt-rock is a niche format, if RCR had other stations in a Cleveland cluster, then maybe. But since 107.3 is their only station in Cleveland, they'll want it to have broad appeal.

2. An AAA tweak is very possible.

3. A modern AC station to battle with Q 104? 50/50 at best.

4. Don't see it.

5. All 90's all the time...like alt-rock, a niche appeal that would be better in a cluster than on a single station.

6. See above

7. A mellow sounding station that WDOK was about 15 years ago?...longshot at best.

8. Again, trying to get some Q or Lake ears...maybe

9. Possible, if they want to do a WAKR simulcast.

10. Been there, done that, and it bombed.

11. Not really RCR's M.O.
 
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