CALL THE NEW FORMAT - 97.5 MONDAY 9am

[DToTheJ]

regional mexican is a possibility.

Well, "Viva" does start with a V...

Then again, we all know what a rousing, knock-it-out-the-park success Rumba was on FM...

 

[philadelphiawx]

AAA...'XPN's too hip for the room. And while you're at it, add a sense of humor...AAA needs to lighten up a little.

Mainstream AAA would not be a bad niche format here. GM has run AAA before (WBOS in Boston) and done ok with it. MGK could swing a bit harder in classic rock with the more AAA-ish songs (Fleetwood Mac, Police) bouncing over to the AAA station while MMR could drop more of the classics in their rotation and go more 80's hair/90's/current. Pierre Robert would be a good anchor for a AAA format, IMO but he's so glued to the MMR brand I can't see him being shifted over.

Such a move would allow XPN to experiment more musically, something I think they would be good at...in a Current 89.3 in Minneapolis sort of way.

With that said, my money is on either Hot AC (yawn), Rhythmic-leaning AC (another yawn), or perhaps country to counter 'XTU (meh).

 

[Rockin Rob]

If they do an AC-ish sound, they simply program around these same 15 songs, making Monday not so spectacular (as in, the stunt IS the new format, right there under everyone's nose). I'm still of the school of thought saying the 15 song loop is a smokescreen and the final product has nothing to do with these songs (i.e.: FM talk or country).

Smooth AC would be suicide. True oldies? Why didn't they just stick with that on 950? Sports? Not now, not unless they a major team to slide up to 950 (at first). It seems the only two logical choices would be FM talk, country, or a Mainstream AC to try and punk out B101. One wonders if JJZ's new signal can reach into the office buildings that MGK can? If not, switch the classic rock to 97.5 and rebrand your Mainstream AC on 102.9 as "Magic". As far as CHR, let the Q/Wired battle continue to play out.

 

[wprt949]

if 97.5 goes ac

i bet in november it goes all x-mas ahhhhhh crap i had to go there

 

[Interstate 78]

my format call: talk.

take advantage of this huge election coming up. probably use all syndicated crap talk hosts and maybe one or two local hosts. probably a very similar format to lesser media's 96.9 in boston. that's my call.

 

[Big Jay]

Punk Country on 97.5

Punk Country

Or...

Local TALK! Oh wait...it's Greater Media...that can't happen...it COSTS too much.

Actually it'll likely be some form of AC. Talk is an OUTSIDE chance, but who can DO talk to younger people without it becoming T*$#@-talk like the former WYSP incarnation? Hmmm....any guesses?

BE BIG!
www.bigjayandanita.com

 

[eyg2181]

If they do an AC-ish sound, they simply program around these same 15 songs, making Monday not so spectacular (as in, the stunt IS the new format, right there under everyone's nose). I'm still of the school of thought saying the 15 song loop is a smokescreen and the final product has nothing to do with these songs (i.e.: FM talk or country).
One wonders if JJZ's new signal can reach into the office buildings that MGK can? If not, switch the classic rock to 97.5 and rebrand your Mainstream AC on 102.9 as "Magic". As far as CHR, let the Q/Wired battle continue to play out.

MGK will not give up their 102.9 signal. why would they want a stick that goes 30 miles less in 2 or more directions. 97.5 went further when it was in trenton, because then it at least covered all of philly and north jersey, now, go west of reading and the river bleeds right through it, it did it when 97 was in trenton too, but at least then it made it real far north.

 

[wprt949]

its gonna be


disco rock and punk

 

[jaypea]

I'm with Sam Lit and Fenessey on this (but then again I'm about as old as they as well). whatever it is, it'll be some safe crapola-go-round driven by a consultant with an office as far away from philly as possible. (btw, "consultant" is a contraction of the words "condescending insultant" don'tcha know). if it is AC, it might be a "fresh" style station--stupid choice, but safe and they still have the "magic" handle copyrighted so the word "fresh" wouldn't matter. I think it's too early for "virgin radio". they'll wait to see how it does up in the great white north before taking a chance on it here.

I do find it interesting that neither the liners nor the website even mention music. so perhaps it will be talk or sports. as an aside, either FM talk or Triple-A might steal enough from either WHYY or WXPN respectively to allow WRTI to call themselves the top pub station in the market again.

is it really just a loop of 15 songs? (I confess, I haven't listened yet). if so, maybe there's a clue in the titles? nah, Greedy Media's not that smart.

left-field ideas? well, they haven't hired either BigJay or Sam Lit, so their versions of "AC a la WKXW" are out (a shame really--both were fun). it would be great to have an oldies station that was staged like a 70's style top 40 (WFIL-FM anyone? but that's too geeky--couldn't call it WIFI either; people'd be trying to pick it up on their wireless laptops). it would also be nice if they could bring back 24-hour classical (nah, they ruined that the first time).

but the question remains, "does it really matter?" I say no. radio's problems go back to the mid-70's when stations decided programming was no longer king. there was a day when the PD was the most important person in the place. go to john rook's (johnrook.com) website and read some of the stories there. sure there's probably a little embellishment here and there, but the message remains. THAT was radio. if programming was successful, everybody in the place was successful.

but all of a sudden, personalities were too expensive. liner readers were cheaper. PD's became glorified administrators, who also were less expensive. aaaahhhhh! automation is even cheaper than that!

today programming is no longer an asset, it's a liability. the programming dept does not bring in moola, it spends it. sales brings in money. they're the heroes now. betcha most stations have more people in their sales departments than in programming now. down book? don't spend resources to let programming find out why and fix it. just fire everyone and flip to something else. let it run jockless as long as possible to save even more dough.

ok I'll stop now. sorry for the rant. I do though really wish owners realized that if you chase success, you'll never have to worry about money. but if you chase money, you'll never have the time to be successful because you'll always be chasing money...

 

[DG02816]

Gotta agree with jaypea. Rather than being SHOW business, as it was in the past, radio is just a flat-out BUSINESS now, where more than ever, the bean-counting mentality rules, and little else matters. Sad.

 

[Rockin Rob]

I'm with Sam Lit and Fenessey on this (but then again I'm about as old as they as well). whatever it is, it'll be some safe crapola-go-round driven by a consultant with an office as far away from philly as possible. (btw, "consultant" is a contraction of the words "condescending insultant" don'tcha know). if it is AC, it might be a "fresh" style station--stupid choice, but safe and they still have the "magic" handle copyrighted so the word "fresh" wouldn't matter. I think it's too early for "virgin radio". they'll wait to see how it does up in the great white north before taking a chance on it here.

I do find it interesting that neither the liners nor the website even mention music. so perhaps it will be talk or sports. as an aside, either FM talk or Triple-A might steal enough from either WHYY or WXPN respectively to allow WRTI to call themselves the top pub station in the market again.

is it really just a loop of 15 songs? (I confess, I haven't listened yet). if so, maybe there's a clue in the titles? nah, Greedy Media's not that smart.

left-field ideas? well, they haven't hired either BigJay or Sam Lit, so their versions of "AC a la WKXW" are out (a shame really--both were fun). it would be great to have an oldies station that was staged like a 70's style top 40 (WFIL-FM anyone? but that's too geeky--couldn't call it WIFI either; people'd be trying to pick it up on their wireless laptops). it would also be nice if they could bring back 24-hour classical (nah, they ruined that the first time).

but the question remains, "does it really matter?" I say no. radio's problems go back to the mid-70's when stations decided programming was no longer king. there was a day when the PD was the most important person in the place. go to john rook's (johnrook.com) website and read some of the stories there. sure there's probably a little embellishment here and there, but the message remains. THAT was radio. if programming was successful, everybody in the place was successful.

but all of a sudden, personalities were too expensive. liner readers were cheaper. PD's became glorified administrators, who also were less expensive. aaaahhhhh! automation is even cheaper than that!

today programming is no longer an asset, it's a liability. the programming dept does not bring in moola, it spends it. sales brings in money. they're the heroes now. betcha most stations have more people in their sales departments than in programming now. down book? don't spend resources to let programming find out why and fix it. just fire everyone and flip to something else. let it run jockless as long as possible to save even more dough.

ok I'll stop now. sorry for the rant. I do though really wish owners realized that if you chase success, you'll never have to worry about money. but if you chase money, you'll never have the time to be successful because you'll always be chasing money...

THAT'S IT!!! Folks, let look at the FIRST THREE letters of CONsultant...

 

[TheBigA]

Wow...all this negativity in what should be a fun thread! The reality is that in the old days, there were only a handful of radio stations, with little or no music on TV or in other media. So radio had an exclusive. That's not the case any more, and content is now omni-present. So as I said, a radio station that is built around music, and by that I mean pretty much any format, can't expect a big improvement from what this station was getting with smooth jazz.

Which is why I believe the trend now is towards more traditional AM formats on FM, which means talk, news or sports. Those are formats that stations can own on multiple platforms, which is where radio needs to be now. Talk and news formats allow for more commercials than music stations. Greater Media has a lot of experience in this area, so I'm voting for talk.

 

[mcmannors]

THAT'S IT!!! Folks, let look at the FIRST THREE letters of CONsultant...

There was actually one consultant who I didn't mind when he arrived in Philadelphia, especially the first time around in 1981.

Can somebody say "97 Now"? ;D

 

[Wil]

if 97.5 goes ac

i bet in november it goes all x-mas ahhhhhh crap i had to go there

I was thinking the same thing when I began reading this thread Friday night, but I wasn't brave enough to be the first one to mention christmas music! If they do flip to AC I would look for a 24/7 holiday music much sooner this year than last year. Hell, Boscov's already has Christmas trees and decorations up in the seasonal section.


I also find it very interesting that this format flip is getting more attention and posts on this board than YSP's format...I mean slogan... flip did.

 

[Rockin Rob]

If they do flip to AC I would look for a 24/7 holiday music much sooner this year than last year. Hell, Boscov's already has Christmas trees and decorations up in the seasonal section.

OK, we're barely one week out of Labor Day. CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS IN BOSCOVS??????

That is just plain SICK!!!

 

[rdcuffpa1]

97.5 went further when it was in trenton, because then it at least covered all of philly and north jersey, now, go west of reading and the river bleeds right through it, it did it when 97 was in trenton too, but at least then it made it real far north.

Depends on what "north" means... if you go due north from Philly you reach Allentown...and the relocated 97.5 transmitter reaches better here than when 97.5 was WPST out of Trenton.

Richard in Allentown

 

[jaypea]

There was actually one consultant who I didn't mind when he arrived in Philadelphia, especially the first time around in 1981.

Can somebody say "97 Now"? ;D

yeah, ol' mike josephs did good with WCAU-FM "98 Now/Hot Hits", just like he did with WFIL "Famous 56" in '66. but he failed miserably '86 with the ill-fated WTRK "Electric 106."

 

[DStroyer]

Puh-LEEEEEASE let them get the WMWX call letters back from the station in Miamitown, OH....

95.7 Ben-FM - 70's and 80's

aaaaaand..............

MIX 97.5 - The 90's & Now

Yeeeeaaaahhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;D

This board was never more fun than when 95.7 was "Mix/Max/Mex/Mox/Mux".

Runner-up format guess: 97.5 The Point - The Best 25 Safe, Bland Pop/Rock Songs Of The 80's.

but he failed miserably '86 with the ill-fated WTRK "Electric 106."

"Ninety-Seven-Five... (Da-na-na-na-NA!) Weather mix!!!"

 

[DToTheJ]

Re: Punk Country on 97.5

Actually it'll likely be some form of AC. Talk is an OUTSIDE chance, but who can DO talk to younger people without it becoming T*$#@-talk like the former WYSP incarnation? Hmmm....any guesses?

Most of the folks on this board already know who I'm going to nominate, so I'll just move on...

If they do flip to AC I would look for a 24/7 holiday music much sooner this year than last year. Hell, Boscov's already has Christmas trees and decorations up in the seasonal section.

OK, we're barely one week out of Labor Day. CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS IN BOSCOVS??????

That is just plain SICK!!!

Hey, you never know when The Cockroach might break out some holiday hits this fall - stay tuned...

 

[Rockin Rob]

My final format call, now being 30 minutes from launch (as I type this):


After much thought I'll go with Hot AC to try and take on B and My. It'll make the stunt the actual format, generate a huge yawn from Jerry Lee and Clear Channel, it will get squashed and we'll be speculating on the next 97.5 format T minus 1.5 years. And yes, they will force B to flip Christmas before Thanksgiving.