Boston... Only Top 10 Market with No Full-Power Minority FMs

[Gregg]

Among the Top 10 markets, Boston is unique. Unless you count Hip-Hop Jammin' 94.5, it really has no full-power FM signal aimed at minority listeners.

In fact, it seems to be moving even whiter! WAAF took over low-power WILD-FM, replacing Urban for Active Rock. WBOS just switched from an Adult Alternative Rock format, to a younger Adult Alternative Rock format. (And let's remember that once upon a time, WBOS was a DISCO station.) "Mike-FM" even replaced a rhythmic-leaning AC format with an Adult Hits format that is VERY white.

So if you like rock, you've got WBOS, WBCN, WZLX, WAAF, WFNX and WROR... plus several suburban rock stations, including WXRV. But don't try to hear Urban, Urban AC, Smooth Jazz, Tropical, Spanish Hits, Romatica or Regional Mexican on the Boston FM dial.

Is it just that the Boston metro is still so white, aiming a full-power FM station at a minority audience makes no sense? WBOS, which has been getting less than a 2.0 share most of the time, will still make more money chasing a thin slice of rock listeners than making it a variation of Urban or Spanish?

Even though Boston has several Spanish TV stations, Latino radio listeners are limited to the AM dial. (Is that because all Spanish speakers watch the same TV shows but have different tastes in music if they come from the Carribean or from Mexico/Central America?)

The African-American population in and around Boston has not reached a level to support an Urban or Urban AC station? And Boston had two Smooth Jazz stations for a while (on 96.9 and also on 99.1 from Plymouth) but now cannot support one? (Smooth Jazz is a format that often has 50% white listeners and 50% black and Hispanic listeners.)

Massachusettes has an African-American governor but not much to offer minority listeners on the FM dial.






Gregg
[email protected]

 

[Retro]

According to Arbritron, the market only has a 10% population. Now I would like to see an R&B station debut here, however it is not likely any time soon though. Radio One gave up with a partial signal fairly recently.

 

[ZRXOA 5248]

WGARA?

 

[Garrett]

Among the Top 10 markets, Boston is unique. Unless you count Hip-Hop Jammin' 94.5, it really has no full-power FM signal aimed at minority listeners.

In fact, it seems to be moving even whiter! WAAF took over low-power WILD-FM, replacing Urban for Active Rock. WBOS just switched from an Adult Alternative Rock format, to a younger Adult Alternative Rock format. (And let's remember that once upon a time, WBOS was a DISCO station.) "Mike-FM" even replaced a rhythmic-leaning AC format with an Adult Hits format that is VERY white.

So if you like rock, you've got WBOS, WBCN, WZLX, WAAF, WFNX and WROR... plus several suburban rock stations, including WXRV. But don't try to hear Urban, Urban AC, Smooth Jazz, Tropical, Spanish Hits, Romatica or Regional Mexican on the Boston FM dial.

Is it just that the Boston metro is still so white, aiming a full-power FM station at a minority audience makes no sense? WBOS, which has been getting less than a 2.0 share most of the time, will still make more money chasing a thin slice of rock listeners than making it a variation of Urban or Spanish?

Even though Boston has several Spanish TV stations, Latino radio listeners are limited to the AM dial. (Is that because all Spanish speakers watch the same TV shows but have different tastes in music if they come from the Carribean or from Mexico/Central America?)

The African-American population in and around Boston has not reached a level to support an Urban or Urban AC station? And Boston had two Smooth Jazz stations for a while (on 96.9 and also on 99.1 from Plymouth) but now cannot support one? (Smooth Jazz is a format that often has 50% white listeners and 50% black and Hispanic listeners.)

Massachusettes has an African-American governor but not much to offer minority listeners on the FM dial.






Gregg
[email protected]

David Eduardo, can you jump in here?

 

[promixcuous]

Maybe this is good...who needs cultural division.

 

[JustinT]

So if you like rock, you've got WBOS, WBCN, WZLX, WAAF, WFNX and WROR... plus several suburban rock stations, including WXRV. But don't try to hear Urban, Urban AC, Smooth Jazz, Tropical, Spanish Hits, Romatica or Regional Mexican on the Boston FM dial.

Is it just that the Boston metro is still so white, aiming a full-power FM station at a minority audience makes no sense? WBOS, which has been getting less than a 2.0 share most of the time, will still make more money chasing a thin slice of rock listeners than making it a variation of Urban or Spanish?

While I completely agree with everything that's said here, there's no way that Greater Media would have ever considered flipping WBOS to urban AC or another minority-friendly format. All of Greater Media's stations, including Charlotte that came on board yesterday, are workplace friendly formats for the A25-54 demo. This is going to screw the company long-term as America becomes more diversified, but for now they're okay - it helps that they don't operate in the most ethnic markets.

Even though Boston has several Spanish TV stations, Latino radio listeners are limited to the AM dial. (Is that because all Spanish speakers watch the same TV shows but have different tastes in music if they come from the Carribean or from Mexico/Central America?)

WUNI (Ch. 27) is the heritage Spanish TV station in the market. WUTF (Ch. 66) came into the puzzle as part of a group deal that gave Univision second O&O stations in some big Hispanic markets including Miami, Dallas, and Chicago that allowed for the formation of Telefutura. And WTMU (Ch. 60), despite being a Telemundo O&O, is really a New Hampshire station that has no chance of getting off-air viewers in Brockton or Boston (though for Lowell/Lawrence it's decent).

It's not fair to say that there's only one true Spanish TV station in the market, but I'm sure it's the way that the chips fell that created these three (and four if you could the LPTV with Azteca America) Spanish TV outlets.

 

[ciao99]

So if you like rock, you've got WBOS, WBCN, WZLX, WAAF, WFNX and WROR... plus several suburban rock stations, including WXRV. But don't try to hear Urban, Urban AC, Smooth Jazz, Tropical, Spanish Hits, Romatica or Regional Mexican on the Boston FM dial.

Is it just that the Boston metro is still so white, aiming a full-power FM station at a minority audience makes no sense? WBOS, which has been getting less than a 2.0 share most of the time, will still make more money chasing a thin slice of rock listeners than making it a variation of Urban or Spanish?

While I completely agree with everything that's said here, there's no way that Greater Media would have ever considered flipping WBOS to urban AC or another minority-friendly format. All of Greater Media's stations, including Charlotte that came on board yesterday, are workplace friendly formats for the A25-54 demo. This is going to screw the company long-term as America becomes more diversified, but for now they're okay - it helps that they don't operate in the most ethnic markets.

Even though Boston has several Spanish TV stations, Latino radio listeners are limited to the AM dial. (Is that because all Spanish speakers watch the same TV shows but have different tastes in music if they come from the Carribean or from Mexico/Central America?)

WUNI (Ch. 27) is the heritage Spanish TV station in the market. WUTF (Ch. 66) came into the puzzle as part of a group deal that gave Univision second O&O stations in some big Hispanic markets including Miami, Dallas, and Chicago that allowed for the formation of Telefutura. And WTMU (Ch. 60), despite being a Telemundo O&O, is really a New Hampshire station that has no chance of getting off-air viewers in Brockton or Boston (though for Lowell/Lawrence it's decent).

It's not fair to say that there's only one true Spanish TV station in the market, but I'm sure it's the way that the chips fell that created these three (and four if you could the LPTV with Azteca America) Spanish TV outlets.

I find your claim that Greater Media's "workplace friendly formats for the A25-54 demo" as the reason they can't have an urban or spanish format to be silly. Urban AC, Spanish-AC, those are formats that are solidly workplace friendly and for adults 25-54. Go into offices in New York, NJ, Philly, Florida, DC, that's what you will hear. And not just the minorities, you better believe lots of white women 25-54 are listening to Kiss-FM and Amor 93.1 in New York.

 

[ciao99]

Among the Top 10 markets, Boston is unique. Unless you count Hip-Hop Jammin' 94.5, it really has no full-power FM signal aimed at minority listeners.

In fact, it seems to be moving even whiter! WAAF took over low-power WILD-FM, replacing Urban for Active Rock. WBOS just switched from an Adult Alternative Rock format, to a younger Adult Alternative Rock format. (And let's remember that once upon a time, WBOS was a DISCO station.) "Mike-FM" even replaced a rhythmic-leaning AC format with an Adult Hits format that is VERY white.

So if you like rock, you've got WBOS, WBCN, WZLX, WAAF, WFNX and WROR... plus several suburban rock stations, including WXRV. But don't try to hear Urban, Urban AC, Smooth Jazz, Tropical, Spanish Hits, Romatica or Regional Mexican on the Boston FM dial.

Is it just that the Boston metro is still so white, aiming a full-power FM station at a minority audience makes no sense? WBOS, which has been getting less than a 2.0 share most of the time, will still make more money chasing a thin slice of rock listeners than making it a variation of Urban or Spanish?

Even though Boston has several Spanish TV stations, Latino radio listeners are limited to the AM dial. (Is that because all Spanish speakers watch the same TV shows but have different tastes in music if they come from the Carribean or from Mexico/Central America?)

The African-American population in and around Boston has not reached a level to support an Urban or Urban AC station? And Boston had two Smooth Jazz stations for a while (on 96.9 and also on 99.1 from Plymouth) but now cannot support one? (Smooth Jazz is a format that often has 50% white listeners and 50% black and Hispanic listeners.)

Massachusettes has an African-American governor but not much to offer minority listeners on the FM dial.






Gregg
[email protected]

First off , I totally agree with you. It is totally lame that Boston does not have FM stations with Urban AC, Jazz, or Latin formats. Not even an Urban AC with a full time AM signal.

I'm attaching an academic article I came across yesterday:

http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Sociology/faculty/hsilver/immigneng_04/papers/jackson.pdf

It's rather long winded, but makes an excellent point: Boston's black community is not homogenous, it's heavily influenced by immigration. This isn't Baltimore or Charlotte, with a homogenous African American community that companies like Radio One are used to targeting. Boston rather has lots of Caribbean immigrants, and the paper makes the case that Haitians have settled in Boston more as immigrants than blacks, and black solidarity in the city has suffered from that. That's why we have all these pirates playing soca and reggae. While WILD's switch was a loss, the urban community has moved on.

I don't advocate pirate radio, but perhaps low powered stations are the answer, since a full powered FM station will be grabbed by corporate types that chose to ignore the city's black communities.

 

[Neanderpaul]

A couple of things always bother me when discussing this topic;

1. The concept of pigment-based programming.

I think any targeting/tailoring of any product to anyone based upon their skin color continues to foster racism in America.

And before you tell me it's not about skin pigment, I will retort with...you're lying. Because the assumption that people from the Dominican Republic/Cambodia/Ukraine/Insert "not from here region here people" aren't enjoying the stations currently broadcasting, is racist by it's very nature.

and.

2. The fact that people simply continue to forget that radio is a business, and costs lots of money to run. And that programming to any "minority" audience...and by minority I mean an audience too small to justify the expense/not large enough to turn a profit, is just a stupid business move. I'd personally enjoy hearing that often-mentioned "Classic Alternative," or A station based upon Hair Bands...but there's no reason to have these stations because the audience isn't there. There's no money in it. And that's the bottom line. There has to be one. Money is the lifeblood of society. And businesses are in it for nothing else.

Were there a sound business reason for it to exist, there would be a "minority targeted" station.

But you're not talking about a salsa station. Nor are you talking about gregorian chants, or internationally-flavored programming. You're absolutely talking about black, and hispanic. Not African tribal music, or contemporary Samba. You're talking about race-based programming. Which continues to foster segregation, and assumes that "off-whites" don't listen to any of the formats currently on the air.

And further perpetuates the racist nature of Boston.

WAAF does very well in Lowell. And You can often hear WBCN on Melnea Cass Blvd. Just like you hear WJMN in Newton.

Music knows no color. Unfortunately, we can't be so blind.

 

[ciao99]

A couple of things always bother me when discussing this topic;

1. The concept of pigment-based programming.

I think any targeting/tailoring of any product to anyone based upon their skin color continues to foster racism in America.

And before you tell me it's not about skin pigment, I will retort with...you're lying. Because the assumption that people from the Dominican Republic/Cambodia/Ukraine/Insert "not from here region here people" aren't enjoying the stations currently broadcasting, is racist by it's very nature.

and.

2. The fact that people simply continue to forget that radio is a business, and costs lots of money to run. And that programming to any "minority" audience...and by minority I mean an audience too small to justify the expense/not large enough to turn a profit, is just a stupid business move. I'd personally enjoy hearing that often-mentioned "Classic Alternative," or A station based upon Hair Bands...but there's no reason to have these stations because the audience isn't there. There's no money in it. And that's the bottom line. There has to be one. Money is the lifeblood of society. And businesses are in it for nothing else.

Were there a sound business reason for it to exist, there would be a "minority targeted" station.

But you're not talking about a salsa station. Nor are you talking about gregorian chants, or internationally-flavored programming. You're absolutely talking about black, and hispanic. Not African tribal music, or contemporary Samba. You're talking about race-based programming. Which continues to foster segregation, and assumes that "off-whites" don't listen to any of the formats currently on the air.

And further perpetuates the racist nature of Boston.

WAAF does very well in Lowell. And You can often hear WBCN on Melnea Cass Blvd. Just like you hear WJMN in Newton.

Music knows no color. Unfortunately, we can't be so blind.

"And before you tell me it's not about skin pigment, I will retort with...you're lying. Because the assumption that people from the Dominican Republic/Cambodia/Ukraine/Insert "not from here region here people" aren't enjoying the stations currently broadcasting, is racist by it's very nature."

I agree, just like the corporate lackies who assume that white folks don't listen to Urban AC or Latin programming.

 

[Neanderpaul]

I agree, just like the corporate lackies who assume that white folks don't listen to Urban AC or Latin programming.

A valid counterpoint. Except that perceptual studies are done by every company in the city. And they ask what people want to hear on the radio. And they obviously don't want Latin, or Urban AC.

Otherwise there'd be stations broadcasting those formats.

Notice I never mentioned skin pigment. Because it's not relevant.

There's no market in Boston for the formats you're advocating.

 

[ciao99]

I agree, just like the corporate lackies who assume that white folks don't listen to Urban AC or Latin programming.

A valid counterpoint. Except that perceptual studies are done by every company in the city. And they ask what people want to hear on the radio. And they obviously don't want Latin, or Urban AC.

Otherwise there'd be stations broadcasting those formats.

Notice I never mentioned skin pigment. Because it's not relevant.

There's no market in Boston for the formats you're advocating. It's got nothing to do with minority anything.

Well I actually live in Boston, and yes there is a demand for Urban, Urban AC, Latin and Reggae. And yes, people listen to WBCN in the inner city....to hear the Patriots. it's not to hear the hourly Red Hot Chili Peppers rotation. The answer is low powered radio stations in Boston that actually serve the people who live in Boston.

 

[mistermicrophone]

WAAF took over low-power WILD-FM, replacing Urban for Active Rock. WBOS just switched from an Adult Alternative Rock format, to a younger Adult Alternative Rock format. (And let's remember that once upon a time, WBOS was a DISCO station.) "Mike-FM" even replaced a rhythmic-leaning AC format with an Adult Hits format that is VERY white.

And why is WAAF on 97.7? Why is STAR now MIKE? Why did WBOS switch from disco? If those formats were successful for these stations, they'd still be what they were (except disco, of course), right?

There is a reason these formats didn't last on these signals; it's because the companies who owened them couldn't get a return on investment. That's the same reason why the aforementioned formats aren't given a chance. It's a lot easier to say "flip to said format" when it's not YOUR money running the operation.

 

[Blackroc]

I find it funny that the race of the Governor would be used to point out that a need for a format, isn't being fulfilled.
I'm sure a number of stations would love to try to program smooth jazzif they had even an inkling that it would be reasonably successful: they don't.

 

[Neanderpaul]

Well I actually live in Boston, and yes there is a demand for Urban, Urban AC, Latin and Reggae. And yes, people listen to WBCN in the inner city....to hear the Patriots. it's not to hear the hourly Red Hot Chili Peppers rotation. The answer is low powered radio stations in Boston that actually serve the people who live in Boston.

Arbitron says different.

WLLH & WAMG flipped because there was no audience. WNNW doesn't rank.

You...are the minority.

Shout it from the rooftops. But, nobody's listening.

 

[JustinT]

I find your claim that Greater Media's "workplace friendly formats for the A25-54 demo" as the reason they can't have an urban or spanish format to be silly. Urban AC, Spanish-AC, those are formats that are solidly workplace friendly and for adults 25-54. Go into offices in New York, NJ, Philly, Florida, DC, that's what you will hear. And not just the minorities, you better believe lots of white women 25-54 are listening to Kiss-FM and Amor 93.1 in New York.

Maybe that wasn't said right. Yes, urban AC and Spanish AC are workplace friendly formats, but I don't think Greater Media would have the slightest idea where to get started with launching one of these formats. The people in-house know what they're doing with AC and rock, and that's what makes it on the air. And as I said, I don't think that's a necessarily good business plan.

Yes, a fair amount of English-speaking Caucasian women probably listen to WRKS in New York. But if they have control of the radio dial, I have reason to doubt that they're listening in huge numbers to WPAT-FM. Now, if WPAT-FM were playing Spanish-language music with English-speaking announcers like Univision's "La Kalle" stations, it could be a different story (as personally speaking, I speak little Spanish but enjoy a lot of the music. In many non-English speaking European countries that enjoy American music, same situation occurs). But given the choice, would you voluntarily listen to something that you could not understand at all?

 

[ReggieBeas]

I think everybody is right! And everybody is wrong! Boy, did I cover my bases

Yes, it is the business of radio. It is for-profit. If a company can get an audience playing church hymns and charge top dollar for spots, they will do so. So the formats that can make the most money get on-air. But with consolidation, it's not just about making money. You have to keep making more money than you made the previous year just to keep the stock price up. Before consolidation, a private owner can make a small or medium profit and be fine. Now, when your stockholders see you only made a small or medium profit, they are screaming because they are not getting a return on their investment.

What is the definition of successful? Nash Communications was not losing money with WILD-AM. But once Radio One came along, it was nearly impossible to make even a small profit when an AM daytimer is going against a FM signal, no matter how bad that signal was. Radio One was not losing money with Hot 97.7. They just were not making the type of money Jam'n or Kiss made. With losing close to $300 million dollars in value on their property in Los Angeles, Radio One had to make moves, and Entercom came in with a sweetheart deal. $30 million for the frequency and stick when they paid 10 originally? That's a no-brainer. But Radio One could have continued to make money in Boston doing Urban radio, just not goo-gobs of money.

(BTW, what did that $30 million get Entercom? WAAF has declined EVERY book since they bought 97.7 and are at their lowest ratings in recent memory.)

Urban radio does have a place, and can be successful in Boston. But none of the major players in Boston can make the type of return on their investment to keep the stock prices going up, even if they do turn a profit. Plus the top companies here either don't have a strong track record in Urban programming (Greater Media, Entercom) or they don't have an underperforming station that could benefit, with the correct business plan, to successfully bring a profitable Urban station to the market that bills more than they are now (Clear Channel, CBS).

And it's very interesting that Neanderpaul says that there is no place for "race-based" programming. Every station has demographic-based programming, and race is just one part of it. "Urban" is just a label that makes it easier for sales people to define their station to their clients, just like "Oldies," "Country," "Soft Rock," and the like. And for those that don't know, in the early 80s there was a move away from the term "Black" to "Urban" precisely because stations playing R&B, funk, soul and disco wanted advertisers to understand that more than black people listened to their stations (to little effect, unfortunately). But Urban radio was, and good stations continue to be, in that middle ground between music-based programming and language-based programming. Traditional Urban radio has been about being involved in, being a part of, and reflecting the community to which it broadcasts, which most language-based programming does. This doesn't mean it is excluding other people from listening, but those other people are not the focus of the station.

Perfect example: I am an African-American male. I listened to WBCN in the 90s because I liked the personalities. But it was clear that the station was formated for young white males, from the programming to the personalities to the types of commercials that were on the air. I would hear rock music, and the personalities would talk about Fanueil Hall and Newbury Street, Mama Kin's and Great Woods, Roger Clemens, Drew Bledsoe, Larry Bird and Cam Neely, and I appreciated their takes (that includes Nik Carter, an African-American DJ on BCN who understood who his target audience was… and was not). But when I wanted to hear about Mattapan Square and Washington Park, The Paramount and Wally's, Mo Vaughn, Willie McGinest, Robert Parish and Anson Carter, plus listen to some good R&B and Hip-Hop, I went to WILD-AM.

This has nothing to do with racism! It has everything to do with knowing what to expect when you turn to a radio station. It's like going to Burger King and asking for a Big Mac. Burger King caters to people who like flame-broiled burgers. Urban stations cater to people who like R&B and Hip-Hop. Every station has a target demographic that its programming, personalities and promotions caters to. Show me a station that is all things to all people, and I'll show you a failed station that is nothing to nobody!

Now after writing all of this… LOL maybe the choice of words was wrong. Would it be more palatable if, instead of saying "Boston... Only Top 10 Market with No Full-Power Minority FMs," it reads instead "Boston... Only Top 10 Market with No Full-Power FMs that cater to people who want to listen to a wider range of R&B, Hip-Hop and Dancehall Reggae music than Jam'n 94.5 provides?"

 

[ciao99]

Well I actually live in Boston, and yes there is a demand for Urban, Urban AC, Latin and Reggae. And yes, people listen to WBCN in the inner city....to hear the Patriots. it's not to hear the hourly Red Hot Chili Peppers rotation. The answer is low powered radio stations in Boston that actually serve the people who live in Boston.

Arbitron says different.

WLLH & WAMG flipped because there was no audience. WNNW doesn't rank.

You...are the minority.

Shout it from the rooftops. But, nobody's listening.

TOTALLY WRONG! WAMG and WLLH had a audience. At the time their audience was bigger than some of the lackluster FMs (WBOS, WXRV, WFNX). And ESPN Radio has never managed to gain as many listeners as Mega did.

And you better believe WNNW has an audience. The book before last it pulled better numbers than WFNX.

 

[Neanderpaul]

TOTALLY WRONG! WAMG and WLLH had a audience. At the time their audience was bigger than some of the lackluster FMs (WBOS, WXRV, WFNX).

If you can provide actual real cume numbers or any data to this effect, I'll be happy to concede the point. Until then, I can only go by the data available. And it doesn't support your assertion.

And ESPN Radio has never managed to gain as many listeners as Mega did.
And you better believe WNNW has an audience. The book before last it pulled better numbers than WFNX.

According to you, It pulled more than a 0.8 12+ and now it's less than a 1. Not really a ringing endorsement for the alleged big audience.

I understand that Boston doesn't have a station that caters to certain non-Boston-born cultures. But that's simply because there's not enough money in it. Nothing you type, or opine will change that. If it made business sense, it'd exist.

It doesn't.

 

[ciao99]

TOTALLY WRONG! WAMG and WLLH had a audience. At the time their audience was bigger than some of the lackluster FMs (WBOS, WXRV, WFNX).

If you can provide actual real cume numbers or any data to this effect, I'll be happy to concede the point. Until then, I can only go by the data available. And it doesn't support your assertion.

Well then you need to check again. The point stands: ESPN never pulled a bigger audience than Mega. Period.

And ESPN Radio has never managed to gain as many listeners as Mega did.
And you better believe WNNW has an audience. The book before last it pulled better numbers than WFNX.

According to you, It pulled more than a 0.8 12+ and now it's less than a 1. Not really a ringing endorsement for the alleged big audience.

No, the numbers were larger than that. And when an AM station broadcasting in Spanish on a weak signal from Lawrence without a free publication standing on boxes in all corners of the city pulls larger numbers than WFNX, yes indeed, that is a ringing endorsement.

I understand that Boston doesn't have a station that caters to certain non-Boston-born cultures. But that's simply because there's not enough money in it. Nothing you type, or opine will change that. If it made business sense, it'd exist.

It doesn't.

What is "Boston born"? We have a generation of black and Hispanic youth in our city was born here, not abroad. You can add Cambridge, Brockton, Lawrence, and Worcester and others to that list.