The 70's was the decade that rock music ruled. They were at the top of the stack with a clear lead over everybody else, bar none. This was the era that rock music came together and is probability why it is hard for some stations to let go of that decade even if it doesn't sound right for them or even if the music format isn't quit right. Another thing to remember is that what fits one person doesn't fit another all the time, example (country fromat) alot of young people think that the newest country music should be played and nothing else but as they get older then they want a country mix of new songs and older country currents, then as they age on they want very little new country and more classic country with a few current country mix songs. I would guess that this is the same for most music formats and people.
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BREAKING: MY 102.5 FLIPS
- Thread starter carolinaradio
- Start date
carolinaradio said:
Agreed. There just isn't much to like in this market. My wife has Sirius because she's got a 45 minute commute in the morning. I've resisted going that route because I wasn't in my car that often (and listened to something else via the Internet at work), but now I do spend quite a bit more time in the car taking my kids to school, one of which is a magnet 20 miles away from our house.
This morning I hear so many older songs and I found myself flipping more than I had since they made the "switch". It sounds to me as if they're backtracking. I flip to 93.7 and 98.9 usually and am finding that the "fresh" 102.5 is starting to sound very close to 98.9. What's the point of flipping if you're going to regress and end up sounding like the station you're in direct competition with? I wish I could hear the meetings going on inside 102.5. I think they're scared and don't know which way to go. If they would just have done a real "flip" to more straight Hot AC approach and stuck with it, I think they would have had a chance to succeed. Now, it's just frustrating.
If my wife sticks with this new job and we can afford it, I can see going to Sirius myself. There are plenty of markets our size or even smaller that have a better radio market IMO.
BTW, just for some idea on how much I already sacrifice in what type of music I listen to, when I'm at work I listen to alternative rock on Radio 104.5 out of Philly (my original home town). I know that we'll never get a station like that here in the Upstate (only time we came even close was the old 103X over a decade ago). But I can live with more of the mainstream pop/rock. Can't stand the urban influence that's now a good portion of the Top 40.
Anyway, just rambling on...so I'll stop.
GSP is a very conservative market in the south. Country and gospel rule the roost here. Most of the other stations are programmed conservatively, as well. It's unlikely for anybody to ever step out of a comfort zone here in the near future.awp69 said:
I took a trip to Florida the other week, and liked what I heard in Columbia, Savannah, Jacksonville, and Orlando - Savannah is a pretty impressive market, given its size. I listen to the iHeartRadio app a lot.
The people that programmed 102.5 as AC couldn't do it right, so this really shouldn't be surprising. They aren't modern enough to get people that want "fresh" new music but they aren't old enough to get more of a traditional AC or oldies audience like before. They aren't pleasing enough to either group IMO. I know it probably isn't that important, but for months, My 102.5 and Magic 98.9 had around the same amount of fans on Facebook - since My changed, Magic has gained a lot of fans and is past 2000, while My is still around 1400-1500, which is the amount of fans both had around the time of the change.
carolinaradio said:
I can understand that, yes, GSP has a very conservative base. Yet I think radio programmers underestimate the desires of some of the Generation X crowd that lives in the area. Almost everyone I know in the mid-30s to mid-40s thinks radio in this area pretty much sucks. If you don't like country, gospel or even urban (as conservative as the market is, PDs in this area do recognize that there's an urban market), you're SOL.
Greenville may have its Bob Jones / ultra conservative crowd, but almost all of the growth in the area has come from Northerners who are accustomed to a different radio market. I think there's plenty of room for someone to take advantage of that.
Even B93.7, which claims to play "all the hits", is very slow to add songs that aren't by the Lady Gagas and Katy Perrys of the world. I mean Foster the People has been on the charts for almost 20 weeks and I think I may have heard "Pumped Up Kicks" once or twice at night. The Planet plays what I like to call redneck "new" rock. If it isn't quasi-metal, guitar driven drivel among the likes of Slipknot, it won't be heard on The Planet even if they do claim to play "new rock".
I think the market has matured a lot since I originally came to the area 15 years ago. PDs are underestmating their growing audience by ignoring anything that's even slightly cutting edge.
Totally agree on all points. The Planet (when it plays 'new rock') is awful - morning show is an embarrassment to market #60(?). Rock 101 should be called "redneck classic rock" these days - can't stand to listen to them. It's a shame, because from everything I've heard of them from the 1980s/90s, they were pretty good. I've heard stories before about a lot of residents being appalled when Rock 101 signed on in the early 1980s, calling it wicked. lol.awp69 said:
96.7 The Buzzard was a much better rock station, and so much better than that crap on there now that nobody listens to.
B-93.7 is fast to add and heavily rotate anything rhythmic/hip hop, I agree, but it can take them forever to start giving a lot of pop/rock'ish stuff any attention. When they do, they are usually in light rotation forever (like FTP) until they become really big hits, if they do.
Magic 98.9 would not even play "Breakeven" by The Script, even though it was a huge AC hit - the only reason for that, that I can think of, is because of the phrase in the song about God not existing. These stations really need to open their eyes that while this is still probably an extremely conservative area, that influence doesn't have such a stronghold anymore and isn't much to be scared of. I totally agree...if you don't like country, gospel, or Urban, you're screwed. If Hot AC can't be done, an adult leaning top 40 would be pretty good. I wouldn't mind classic hits, either.
I try to listen to a nice hot AC station that plays as many songs from the 90s as they do from the last 10 years.
Theres somewhat of a good choice here in Gaffney, 97.3 WKBC, though weak, plays alot of variety, that's the key word here.
Most stations around here lack variety and stay in their 40 song playlist for the most part and rarely go out of it.
I'd like to see a station like Star 104.3 from Asheville in the Upstate, they seem to have alot of varitey, even as a CHR.
Maybe Star could swap with MY 102.5, I think it'd really make alot of people happy. Any thoughts?
Theres somewhat of a good choice here in Gaffney, 97.3 WKBC, though weak, plays alot of variety, that's the key word here.
Most stations around here lack variety and stay in their 40 song playlist for the most part and rarely go out of it.
I'd like to see a station like Star 104.3 from Asheville in the Upstate, they seem to have alot of varitey, even as a CHR.
Maybe Star could swap with MY 102.5, I think it'd really make alot of people happy. Any thoughts?
August? I'm not surprised. Most stations that flip (or in 102.5's case, adjust) formats see a bump for the first book or so. It takes a few books to determine success or failure.freqdev said:
S
Scooter Lesley
Guest
Well,...as reported by the last Poster, MY is ahead with their new sound. It really shouldn't surprise anyone. As I said, two years ago...the complacency is both thick, and old. With the exception of the two Countrys, all the other stations in the market are staggered with stailness!
It really didn't matter which one made the bold move...a hero was instantly born. I sample, from time to time, but I'm a guy, and MY's new sound targets female 18-34, with anything above to age 54...is just gravy! I see it being a good light in January, when the agencies place their annual buys.
The only thing that could derail their momentum is if they foolishly go all Christmas on 11/15.
It really didn't matter which one made the bold move...a hero was instantly born. I sample, from time to time, but I'm a guy, and MY's new sound targets female 18-34, with anything above to age 54...is just gravy! I see it being a good light in January, when the agencies place their annual buys.
The only thing that could derail their momentum is if they foolishly go all Christmas on 11/15.
I'd think they target 25-54 females more than 18-34. I certainly wouldn't declare them (or any station) a success after one month, and not even a full book. They've definitely said they are going all-Christmas....if it didn't do well for them as a regular AC, it won't now.
freqdev said:
Although I too agree that the first month isn't much to go by, at least there's a small glimmer of hope. But as I've said, I think the past few weeks they've regressed further back towards mixing in more traditional, slow AC.
If they really do go all Christmas again, that will really hurt the station's chances for long term success. And if MY is truely going after a female 18-34 crowd, the majority of that group wasn't alive in the 1970s let alone want to listen to music from what really would be their parents' AC.
The bad thing is, though, if they do well, they won't change anything, and I guess they don't have any reason do. The old, slow songs will remain and nothing new will be added.awp69 said:
I highly doubt their target is females 18-34...if it was, they would be extremely modern Hot AC or top 40. A typical Hot AC is a 25-54 format, I believe.
+1 for the new Maroon 5 add. Another new add: "Someone Like You" by Adele. They're making progress, I won't give up hope yet.
It would be so much better if they'd drop those 70s songs. K-104.7 in Charlotte has gone in a "fresh"-like direction and has dropped all of the 70s. 107.9 The Link in Charlotte has a similar format and doesn't play 70s. I love that era of music, I agree that it was great, but it just doesn't fit.
It would be so much better if they'd drop those 70s songs. K-104.7 in Charlotte has gone in a "fresh"-like direction and has dropped all of the 70s. 107.9 The Link in Charlotte has a similar format and doesn't play 70s. I love that era of music, I agree that it was great, but it just doesn't fit.
Of course, I agree on the 70s stuff. I understand playlists, demographics and stuff, but I'm not myself in the radio business so I don't know how planned out the promos are in relation to the songs. Still, I think it can't be that difficult to make sure your "fresh" promos aren't put in front of ancient AC standards. It just makes me laugh everytime I hear that combo. And strangely, it happens way more often than not.
If MY plans to go all-Christmas in November, there could be an upside. That's often a tactic to "cleanse the palate" before a significant change. Maybe when it comes back on after the holidays, the old slow stuff will get left behind.
It's not what I'd do, because I'm a fan of dramatic, high-contrast flips when formats change. But waiting to make a change that potentially flushes away older listeners until the less-critical, less competitive winter book, and get a running start on March, could have some merit.
It's not what I'd do, because I'm a fan of dramatic, high-contrast flips when formats change. But waiting to make a change that potentially flushes away older listeners until the less-critical, less competitive winter book, and get a running start on March, could have some merit.
Yeah....the promo scheduling is laziness, just like most every other station in the market.awp69 said:
I'm surprised they haven't added "Good Life" by OneRepublic, since that's a big Hot AC/AC hit right now...
Paul Warren: I hope you're right.
OK, I said I'd try not to get worked up over them, which I'm not, but I just had to post this...
"Maybe I'm Amazed" right in to "Moves Like Jagger." Three letters that can sum that up...lol.
"Maybe I'm Amazed" right in to "Moves Like Jagger." Three letters that can sum that up...lol.
Have they dropped the 70s music on weekends?carolinaradio said:
Yeah, I agree, it doesn't fit. WOLT needs to go 24/7.
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