CAN POWER 96.1 AND WILD 105.7 / 96.7 COEXIST AND SUCCEED?
WELL, many will be quick to assume the answer is no, but... I have somewhat of a different theory based on past experiences that recently unfolded right here within the same market... and I will answer this question in the form of a question and statement;
The highest rating I ever recall at the 105.7 signal since 2008 was a 3.7 rating. There have only been two times I can remember 105.7 ever reaching a 3.7 rating.
1st time: Shortly after the flip from Rhythmic AC Groove to Rhythmic WiLD, when WiLD started off as a hip hop intensive rhythmic format (pretty much the same way they are once again sounding NOW) before someone or something came in and majorly messed everything up. Ratings dropped BIG time after the huge screw up.
2nd time: When many months later the station was fixed up then slowly started shifting towards a mainstream chr, which eventually earned them their second shot(s) at achieving a 3.7 rating.
So, in other words, the hip hop intensive rhythmic format earned a 3.7 on their little signals. Then the mainstream approach earned a 3.7 on their little signals.
Now we have hip hop intensive WiLD on 105.7 and mainstream CHR on 96.1....
SO, with that being said, I once again ask, do you think WiLD 105.7 / 96.7 AND Power 96.1 coexist and be successful? Well, the evidence is there that they could.
HOWEVER:
The difference now is that it's no longer just one of those format sounds being tried independently before the next one is also tried independently on one station. They now BOTH COEXIST! BUT, this time one is on a major signal. So, could it work? Or will there be too much fragmentation? Will WiLD listeners that switch between WiLD and the Urban stations be interested in Power 96? Will Power 96 steal anymore WiLD listeners than Q100 did? Maybe they will once they become a more well rounded chr, but who will suffer most? WiLD, which is going to be pretty different from Power? Or Q100, which is similar to, but more boring than Power? And will the combination of WiLD and Power with Star also making an impact bring Q100 down to the point that something must change at Q100? Or will Q100 start musically reacting to Power the same way Star once musically reacted to Q100?
The CHR war is about to get interesting, and it's interesting how WiLD still fills a void between urban and chr all by themselves.
WELL, many will be quick to assume the answer is no, but... I have somewhat of a different theory based on past experiences that recently unfolded right here within the same market... and I will answer this question in the form of a question and statement;
The highest rating I ever recall at the 105.7 signal since 2008 was a 3.7 rating. There have only been two times I can remember 105.7 ever reaching a 3.7 rating.
1st time: Shortly after the flip from Rhythmic AC Groove to Rhythmic WiLD, when WiLD started off as a hip hop intensive rhythmic format (pretty much the same way they are once again sounding NOW) before someone or something came in and majorly messed everything up. Ratings dropped BIG time after the huge screw up.
2nd time: When many months later the station was fixed up then slowly started shifting towards a mainstream chr, which eventually earned them their second shot(s) at achieving a 3.7 rating.
So, in other words, the hip hop intensive rhythmic format earned a 3.7 on their little signals. Then the mainstream approach earned a 3.7 on their little signals.
Now we have hip hop intensive WiLD on 105.7 and mainstream CHR on 96.1....
SO, with that being said, I once again ask, do you think WiLD 105.7 / 96.7 AND Power 96.1 coexist and be successful? Well, the evidence is there that they could.
HOWEVER:
The difference now is that it's no longer just one of those format sounds being tried independently before the next one is also tried independently on one station. They now BOTH COEXIST! BUT, this time one is on a major signal. So, could it work? Or will there be too much fragmentation? Will WiLD listeners that switch between WiLD and the Urban stations be interested in Power 96? Will Power 96 steal anymore WiLD listeners than Q100 did? Maybe they will once they become a more well rounded chr, but who will suffer most? WiLD, which is going to be pretty different from Power? Or Q100, which is similar to, but more boring than Power? And will the combination of WiLD and Power with Star also making an impact bring Q100 down to the point that something must change at Q100? Or will Q100 start musically reacting to Power the same way Star once musically reacted to Q100?
The CHR war is about to get interesting, and it's interesting how WiLD still fills a void between urban and chr all by themselves.