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BRAINSTORM SESSION: 98.7 THE PEAK

I

IreneCaraFan

Not too much going on with the Boards, so how about a few quick Brainstorming Sessions. Here are the ground rules. Let's say we here at Radio-Info were hired to give some of our favorite Valley Stations our tips on what they can do to improve, especially in a PPM world. What three to five things do we suggestion. Let's also give a few positives they should keep doing. We'll start with 98.7 The Peak, and go from there...

Of course, we will all have different opinions. That's the beauty of brainstorming. Lots of differing ideas and thoughts.

98.7 THE PEAK

This station has always been pretty "middle of the road" regarding it's on-air presentation and even in the ratings. They just never have done that well... what do they need to do to improve? What should they continue doing?

Song selection, promotions, jocks, it's all fair game...

Hey, if this goes well, next week, we'll do another station!
 
...hey, if you get more than our response by next week we'll be surprised :eek:

Sometime ago Nurse Jeff and I invited TMISU to think outside the Peak and put sports-talk on 98~Seven. Figuring out the right 450 songs to play for an audience that has too many alternatives to terrestrial radio is beyond futile. However Phoenix is a jock town and Doug & Wolf along with Gambo & Ash would draw even better on FM where there's more available audience. Sports Parkinglot 6~Twenty can be kept in simulcast with 98~Seven with the top tier play by play broadcasts on FM and the rest on AM. TMISU would also benefit by cross promoting between 92~Three and 98~Seven while puttng KFWhyEye further in a corner as the only talker not on FM.

Now of course 98~Seven would have to get a new handle as you can't have KT'R-FM and KT'R-FM2. But this is where they could have a little fun and come up with a name like ...................
 
Well if we're brainstorming for the PPM era, I'm gonna throw out a few things that probably won't work...incidentally, they're also things that the Peak is doing!

1. The station is called "the Peak." What does that mean? Why does every city that has mountains in the vicinity need a station named "the Peak" or some other reference to the geography? Are you bringing music down from the mountaintop or something?

2. The call letters reflect the name. I'm not completely sure how PPM works, but I'm pretty sure the call letters, and quite possibly the frequency, are now irrelevant. Having call letters that spell out your name is doubly irrelevant.

3. Slogans. In an era where people have an electronic device to record their listening habits, a slogan means about as much as a clever name that matches the call letters...nothing.

If PPM measures actual listening habits as opposed to recall (under the current system), then a lot of radio stations are in deep trouble.

The Peak has good music, but the stuff that goes in-between the songs is not all that entertaining. The jocks are relegated to "that was, this is" status, and the imaging is still focused on making people recall the slogan/call letters/name in a diary.

The trick now will be to get people to listen to your station long enough for the little electronic device to register. How you gonna do that, Mr. Peakerman?
 
A Peak type station is very difficult to think about when it comes to how to run it and what things shall be done to improve because what I may like or dislike, others may not feel the same. One example is that they have a great variety, but there still seem to be too many of those songs I don't care for that pop in every now and then that make me want to go to MIX 96.9, where there is less variety. At the same time, those (70's) songs I don't care for may be what others love to hear and appreciate since pretty much no one else is considering to add those songs.

I love Peak music, and I believe I'd like it even more if the station evolved, but carried the same formatting at this time 5 years from now.

Now that I REALLY think about it (getting slightly off topic and into some deeper thinking...but not deep as in metaphysics or the future of space travel), I think the best times and years for radio in a person's life would be ages 30 - 50, because that's the time when you can REALLY appreciate not only the ones playing current hits, but also your oldies and back in the day and variety stations. When you're younger, you're usually more closed to the oldies you don't know (that alienate you), and when you get older, your favorite stations tend to drift away from the music of your younger years (or have probably changed formats by then).

But getting back to the Peak, I don't mind that name. K-Lite now sounds a bit old school and played out. I can't really make a suggestion because what I would like for the Peak to do would go more against than with what other people would desire, especially for that type of format. I'd like just sticking to the 80's 90's and today, but there are those who love the 70's. I'd like more of a Sirius 90's and today style mixed up with the Peak's original formatting, but would that work in ratings? What about a Super Peak (like super Wal-Mart) where you get a mixture of MOViN hits and Mix 96.9 along with The Peak? That would probably be doing too much.. and

HOW ABOUT MIXSHOWS?

That would be unique, as no other station of that format (that I know of) is doing this on a regular basis.
Well, those are my thoughts and opinions for now. I really have no complaints for a station like The Peak. When I get tired of all the "chaos" on the dial, that's where I turn for something different for a change.
 
Ford said:
Well if we're brainstorming for the PPM era, I'm gonna throw out a few things that probably won't work...incidentally, they're also things that the Peak is doing!

1. The station is called "the Peak." What does that mean? Why does every city that has mountains in the vicinity need a station named "the Peak" or some other reference to the geography? Are you bringing music down from the mountaintop or something?

2. The call letters reflect the name. I'm not completely sure how PPM works, but I'm pretty sure the call letters, and quite possibly the frequency, are now irrelevant. Having call letters that spell out your name is doubly irrelevant.

3. Slogans. In an era where people have an electronic device to record their listening habits, a slogan means about as much as a clever name that matches the call letters...nothing.
Click to expand...

The PPM is cume driven, and requires people to tune in to become cumers. To get tune in, a station must say where it is, who it is and what it does to set an appointment.

That means the frequency, the name and the imaging are even more important than ever.
 
First, I listen to 98.7 more than any other station around. Yes it really does have variety, and if not that at least songs that no one else touches, (including other markets). Truly I think 98.7 music wise represents what a 'real' mix station should be about. As 7000 said, there are times when there will be songs that come on that make you search out 96.9 or 94.5, but then I'm usually back at 98.7 for the intro into the next cut. If you want to do something musically different, how about including album cuts/B sides. There are many out there that never got single status or airplay but would fit well, and with the library they have for the Peak HD-2 channel I don't think it would take them that long to find those songs.

Regarding personality, outside of Steve Douglas I don't hear it. Monica Nelson is good, but I haven't heard her in a while on 98.7. One of the stations hidden gems are their weekend personalities. The are loud, personable and make listening fun and engaging. They also aren't afraid to talk community or events they've been to around town, espically Kramer,(and not just station ones). Some of these guys deserve a shot at full time slots.

Imaging is a good topic, and as good as the music is, I really think they need to segue away from those sitcom like liners. They all sound the same. Here is a thought, how about incorporating some of the old JAM 80s CHR jingles into the presentation. You have a lot of people listening that remember when many of Peak's songs where in the top 40 and that coincides with the time frame of stations using those jingles. Might help listeners with the,"Oh, wow. Remember the first time this played on KZZP?" factor.

Bottom line, musically the Peak is one of the best, if not best, options for real pop/hot AC variety on the teristeral dail. What it needs is imaging that better mixes in with the music and more jocks not afraid to add personality or community in world where most radio is minus those essentials.
 
Monica Nelson is now doing mornings on the Peak, in response to the previous post... don't know if it's temporary or permanant. Well, on second thought, isn't it always temporary?
 
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