I thought something was going to happen. WBUG/WBGK went to christmas music before Thanksgiving. It was a buffer to a change in format. They have dropped real country for a format they are imaging as "Today's Best Country", and in doing so have shot themselves in the foot, or should I say committed "radio suicide". This format sounds too much like the higher powered WFRG (Big Frog 104 in Utica and WGNA in Albany, both Regent stations. When there are 2 stations in the same market with similar formats, the larger station usually wins, especially when most of the larger station's personalities are local and can talk about local events. Satellite jocked formats just don't compete with local jocks. Bug country may keep their local jock for a couple of hour a day during the week, but that just won't cut it. When you are satellite, you must have a format that separates you from a locally produced format. Don't look for this to last too long.
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BUG COUNTRY DROPS REAL COUNTRY
- Thread starter THE_KNICKMAN
- Start date
I took a listen Sunday night and thought the format sounds pretty good. Whatever service they're using is going out of it's way to make it sound local. The same jock doing the breaks also did the weather which I thought was a step in the right direction. The imaging as a whole is lacking a little bit though. I give them credit for trying this new direction but I'm wondering if they're alienating their long time listeners down in the Valley.
I listened again yesterday at lunch and noticed that they're still playing the classics during the request hour, which indicates that if that's what the listeners are requesting then the format is out of step with their listeners. It was weird to hear the same lunch time request show with the same songs under the old format on the new format.
And does anyone know why the top of the hour says "Newport Village" instead of just "Newport"?
I listened again yesterday at lunch and noticed that they're still playing the classics during the request hour, which indicates that if that's what the listeners are requesting then the format is out of step with their listeners. It was weird to hear the same lunch time request show with the same songs under the old format on the new format.
And does anyone know why the top of the hour says "Newport Village" instead of just "Newport"?
They should have known by the requests they get during the 2 hour local program thats what their listeners want. When you are smaller, it is hard to go against the more powerful stations that are well established. Real country was a niche format. Hopefully someday they will realize their mistake.
Tough to live in a niche. The idea is obviously to bring in new listeners because there weren't enough listeners with the old format.
Give it a little time. If they're still getting a preponderance of "Classic Country" requests in 6 months, it may be time to re-evaluate the move.
Give it a little time. If they're still getting a preponderance of "Classic Country" requests in 6 months, it may be time to re-evaluate the move.
bpmnrg said:
Because that's how the Community of License is listed on their FCC license. Legal IDs *must* use it the way it's listed on the license. I suppose it's easier to say in legal IDs than "Village of Newport" and they clearly aren't using the Town of Newport as their COL, although they could have done so.
C
CNYRadio.com
Guest
bpmnrg said:
According to Dave Silvers, the station is using Dial Global's True Country format. He says the network offers 2 customized, live breaks each hour for their affiliates. Guessing they must have a pretty small number of affiliates in order to make that happen. Even with satellite receivers that can download and fire localized liners (which aren't really "live" but still better than generic), I'd imagine there could be a significant lead time to get liners recorded if there are lots of affiliates and everyone's taking advantage of the option.
http://www.dial-global.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=28
The website says affiliates are also sent an imaging package and a portable hard drive with music pre-loaded.
More from CNYRadio: http://www.cnyradio.com/2009/12/25/bug-country-shifts-spotlight-to-todays-new-country/
Think that it might be Dial Global's "Country Today". Which is a format for which the DG jocks cut the voice tracks for each station and download to their system. http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=159222.0
"True Country" is a satellite format and they don't record daily liners. Infact the True Country Satellite format is also 100% voice tracked. They NEVER give a phone number to call in for anything.
"True Country" is a satellite format and they don't record daily liners. Infact the True Country Satellite format is also 100% voice tracked. They NEVER give a phone number to call in for anything.
Plus, "True Country" plays older songs - at least back to the 80s.
Following the November 12 announcements at Citadel, I predict they'll lose over 100 affiliates. Timeless, which is being shut down, has upwards of 50 affiliates, probably closer to 75. Just from what I've gathered here on R-I, they've lost at least ten others running formats other than Timeless.
Following the November 12 announcements at Citadel, I predict they'll lose over 100 affiliates. Timeless, which is being shut down, has upwards of 50 affiliates, probably closer to 75. Just from what I've gathered here on R-I, they've lost at least ten others running formats other than Timeless.
I listened to the station for most of the day yesterday and I have to admit that it sounds pretty good, though the imaging is still a little sparse. One interesting thing I noted is that 99.7 and 101.1 were not in sync last night around 10:30. They were playing the same song but about 45 seconds apart which makes me wonder how this is being delivered to the station. I believe it was during an optional local stop step, which makes me think that the localized jock drop and subsequent song are being played off a computer while the rest of the programming is satellite fed.
Even though the imaging is sparse, I find it easier to listen to than Big Frog's horribly outdated Kermit impersonations and cricket noises in the weather. I love new country music and Big Frog's imaging is one of the reasons that I prefer to listen to the Hawk out of Binghamton through an internet stream instead of listening to Big Frog's HD stream because I feel like Big Frog's imaging/branding/etc is insulting my intelligence. Just because I like country music doesn't mean that I'm a dumb hick.
Listening to The Bug yesterday during the day I still found the lunch hour request show to be out of sync with the rest of the station and that made me fire up The Hawk on the internet again.
Even though the imaging is sparse, I find it easier to listen to than Big Frog's horribly outdated Kermit impersonations and cricket noises in the weather. I love new country music and Big Frog's imaging is one of the reasons that I prefer to listen to the Hawk out of Binghamton through an internet stream instead of listening to Big Frog's HD stream because I feel like Big Frog's imaging/branding/etc is insulting my intelligence. Just because I like country music doesn't mean that I'm a dumb hick.
Listening to The Bug yesterday during the day I still found the lunch hour request show to be out of sync with the rest of the station and that made me fire up The Hawk on the internet again.
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