Can B-96 be saved

[TheBigA]

But it is even easier now than it was years ago.

'
The problem is that people end up living in their own cocoon and don't venture into new areas and hear songs outside their comfort zone. I used to go to concerts by artists I didn't know just to hear something new. I watch TV shows where new artists perform and wait to hear something I don't know. And of course CHR radio plays mainly currents. That's the only way one's music taste will grow and expand. Perhaps this is also hurting CHR radio: That potential listeners are too wedded to their own personal playlist and can't accept something outside of it. I think that's a bad place to be if you love music.

 

[JeremyAndrews]

I want to think it's my age, I'm in my mid 30s, but modern CHR music is terrible. It started really getting bad around 2015 when Apple Music launched. It was already pretty bad. I remember when I first got Apple Music. Everything new being released was utter crap. I had all of this music at my disposal, but most of it was junk. Used to listen to Beats 1, just awful. The years leading up to that were not as bad. It never improved. Spotify was already around, but the whole streaming thing was just getting started. I think they make lower quality music because they don't need to make hits for radio anymore. They also don't get paid as much as they did when people were buying albums

 

[TheBigA]

I think they make lower quality music because they don't need to make hits for radio anymore. They also don't get paid as much as they did when people were buying albums

I agree with the first part for sure. That lack of pressure of making the radio hit is evident. They just throw a bunch of songs out, and whatever happens, happens. As far as the money thing, I think that's a also function of the radio hit. The radio royalty is huge for writers, but not as many pop artists also write, or their songs are co-written with a lot of people, so the money gets split. The digital royalty also gets split a bunch of different ways. It really puts more emphasis on having LOTS of hits to get people to attend the shows. That's where the real money is made.

 

[101tm]

I want to think it's my age, I'm in my mid 30s, but modern CHR music is terrible. It started really getting bad around 2015 when Apple Music launched. It was already pretty bad. I remember when I first got Apple Music. Everything new being released was utter crap. I had all of this music at my disposal, but most of it was junk. Used to listen to Beats 1, just awful. The years leading up to that were not as bad. It never improved. Spotify was already around, but the whole streaming thing was just getting started. I think they make lower quality music because they don't need to make hits for radio anymore. They also don't get paid as much as they did when people were buying albums

I’m 31 and have enjoyed some recent hits in the past few years - but I do agree that the music has become more disposable, and radio seems to “forget” or move on from more and more of them than they did in the past, while hanging on to the smash hits longer. TikTok has been a massive force in music as well. I know I’ve quit listening to CHR other than the gold heavy ones. I know CHR doesn’t exactly target 31 year old males, so I’m probably not what they’re going after.

I still listen to FM and stream stations a lot. But for me, it’s gold heavy CHR, AC/Hot AC, alternative, or classic rock/classic hits/adult hits. My new favorite station is WHQC in Charlotte - absolutely perfect sweet spot for my musical tastes.

 

[gr8oldies]

WCHI used to be below the basement so at least being in the basement is an improvement for them.

Crap I keep thinking Chillicothe, Ohio

 

[JJSPC]

One of the differences in pop/contemporary music now is we have more "performers" and computer generation than we have true musicians.
And it's not a good thing.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

And we venture further into the get-off-my-lawn, everything new is crud, which has been the age-old lament of generations as they age since the days of the caveman.

Generations change with regard to what matters to them. Technological innovations drive content changes. Me getting old is a me issue, not with what younger audiences consume and what they enjoy.

 

[TheBigA]

One of the differences in pop/contemporary music now is we have more "performers" and computer generation than we have true musicians. And it's not a good thing.

I think that's the reason you're seeing so many country artists in the pop charts: Because they are authentic, they can write, and they can sing. There's something about the way they work in Nashville that is just plain different, and it's connecting with people. It's not an accident that people are responding to them, from Morgan to Luke to Taylor. Even Mylie Cyrus comes from that world. Her godmother is Dolly Parton. Some of the real pop artists recognize that, and it's why you see Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran, and many more wanting to work in Nashville.

 

[JeremyAndrews]

One of the differences in pop/contemporary music now is we have more "performers" and computer generation than we have true musicians.
And it's not a good thing.

Vocals by legacy artists don't even sound the same. They use excessive autotune or processing on the mics these days. They don't sound right.

Mid 2010s they started using vocal chopping in the music. Guitars were pretty much gone from Top-40 by around 2016, I think there were a couple of exceptions. It sounded too computerized to me even back then.

Christian music always would try to mimic the modern sound. It was never perfect. There was a period of time when I thought Christian CHR was sounding as good if not better than Mainstream CHR. Figure around 2019. That format is now mostly Hip-Hop if you can find it.

 

[RadioJ55]

It looks like they are leaning towards a more traditional CHR format again after a record low month of ratings. I don't really take the holiday book too serious , but at a 1.4 I guess Molly finally realizes her job may be on the line if things aren't cleaned up . I think they will keep this format tough . It still bills well and if they can keep it at a 2 share which Todd was doing it will be fine.

 

[CTListener]

I think that's the reason you're seeing so many country artists in the pop charts: Because they are authentic, they can write, and they can sing. There's something about the way they work in Nashville that is just plain different, and it's connecting with people. It's not an accident that people are responding to them, from Morgan to Luke to Taylor. Even Mylie Cyrus comes from that world. Her godmother is Dolly Parton. Some of the real pop artists recognize that, and it's why you see Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran, and many more wanting to work in Nashville.

Not that all country artists are above sweetening their vocals or using drum loops instead of actual percussion. Sam Hunt says hi, lol.

 

[CassChopper96]

Audacy should just promote the station more in my opinion. I would argue that HOT AC is a stronger format than Top 40 CHR nowdays. In Boston Mix 104.1 recently beated Kiss 108

 

[JeremyAndrews]

Audacy should just promote the station more in my opinion. I would argue that HOT AC is a stronger format than Top 40 CHR nowdays. In Boston Mix 104.1 recently beated Kiss 108

Format is not Hot AC though. Chicago really does not have a regular Hot AC station. WTMX is the one most would think of as Hot AC, but it always was slightly different. Modern AC (Softer side of Alternative) for most of the 90s and Early 2000s. More new music intensive than the average Hot AC. They were playing Eminem in 2002 when such a thing was unheard of on a Hot AC station. The song was charting on both CHR and Alternative at the time.

 

[MVB13]

WCHI used to be below the basement so at least being in the basement is an improvement for them.

That's the sub cellar.

 

[101tm]

96.3’s ratings dropped again in the last PPM. I believe they’re around a 1.5 6+ and not high in any demos. My opinion is Kiss has won this and there’s no comeback for B. Audacy could continue B for a while, if the station is still making money, but they can only rely on heritage for so long.

They could just be keeping B as a placeholder on 96.3 until they feel 670 needs or has to move to FM. Why not keep two revenue streams going as long as possible?

 

[RadioJ55]

96.3’s ratings dropped again in the last PPM. I believe they’re around a 1.5 6+ and not high in any demos. My opinion is Kiss has won this and there’s no comeback for B. Audacy could continue B for a while, if the station is still making money, but they can only rely on heritage for so long.

They could just be keeping B as a placeholder on 96.3 until they feel 670 needs or has to move to FM. Why not keep two revenue streams going as long as possible?

Highly doubt that will happen but we will see. Audacy is getting ready to go into bankruptcy. I could see them selling off valuable assets like The Score. They already have switched B back to mainstream CHR, I doubt they get rid of it they can track all of the shifts if they needed to , can't do that with Sports and while it bills high it costs a lot of overhead. B bills high and the overhead is low and can go even lower if they needed it to.

 

[JeremyAndrews]

B96 did not change back to CHR. It's still the same gold heavy format. Overnights they play more new music

 

[101tm]

Highly doubt that will happen but we will see. Audacy is getting ready to go into bankruptcy. I could see them selling off valuable assets like The Score. They already have switched B back to mainstream CHR, I doubt they get rid of it they can track all of the shifts if they needed to , can't do that with Sports and while it bills high it costs a lot of overhead. B bills high and the overhead is low and can go even lower if they needed it to.

I agree that they’ll keep B96 on for a while. But eventually the clock will run out like we’re starting to see with KROQ in LA. The brand goes a decent way with buyers, but eventually if the ratings have been down to a certain point for so long it’ll start to bite them with advertisers becoming leery.

I don’t think Audacy will unload individual properties in markets where they’re established and doing well. WBMX has done especially well lately, WBBM (780) does and bills well, XRT is a powerhouse, US99 has the country audience. Very very highly doubt they’ll sell Score. It costs a lot to run but also bills well, which is the same for most of Audacy’s other sports stations. They’d be smart to monetize B96 as long as they can, once the numbers finally reflect in the billing, they have The Score as a cheap backup solution for 96.3 instead of having to build a new format and a new brand.

Unless they try hot AC, Audacy has tried pretty much everything to save B96 so far. Maybe a hot AC direction could take a tiny amount of wind out of TMX and Lite’s sails. It is literally the lowest rated commercial station in Chicago proper. It’s tied with suburban signals. WLS is (barely, 6+) beating it now. This can’t go on forever.

 

[storm2k]

I want to think it's my age, I'm in my mid 30s, but modern CHR music is terrible. It started really getting bad around 2015 when Apple Music launched. It was already pretty bad. I remember when I first got Apple Music. Everything new being released was utter crap. I had all of this music at my disposal, but most of it was junk. Used to listen to Beats 1, just awful. The years leading up to that were not as bad. It never improved. Spotify was already around, but the whole streaming thing was just getting started. I think they make lower quality music because they don't need to make hits for radio anymore. They also don't get paid as much as they did when people were buying albums

I'm pretty sure our parents likely thought the same of the music that was out when they were in their mid 30s as well. The fact is that most of us develop our tastes in music during our formative pre-teen and teen years, and end up sticking very close to that sound. Sometimes things break through when you're older, but oftentimes you just want to hear what you like, which is more along the lines of what you grew up with.

 

[davideduardo]

Highly doubt that will happen but we will see. Audacy is getting ready to go into bankruptcy. I could see them selling off valuable assets like The Score.

Where did the idea that a profitable operation would be split up come from?

Audacy is in trouble due to debt service. Most of the clusters are very profitable and won't be sold or split. Audacy's issue is it got into debt that operating profits can't cover, but its biggest asset today is the cash flow of the solid clusters.