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Can you believe it?

passtheword

passtheword

Checking out the Bham arbitrends released today, WZGX in Bessemer moves ahead of WAPI. Yes...WAPI. :eek:. It wasn't by much, but I don't ever remember this station (as WSMQ or WZGX) ever beating out one of the 50 kw AM's in Birmingham. WAPI's been slip-sliding away since at least Winter '06. Is Citadel ready to "pull the plug" on 'API's talk format? After all, does Birmingham really need 4 talk stations? ::)

I'd post the actual #'s on here, but not sure about whether I'd be able to because of the copyright restrictions, but here's the link to R&R to see the breakdown.


http://www.radioandrecords.com/radiomonitor/ratings/index.jsp



____________________________________
Christmas only comes around once a year.
Or...does it?
www.PassTheWord.net
 
It's interesting to compare numbers from a year ago (yes, I know, you only have the first two fall trends to compare with last year, but...)

LOSERS: WDJC, WMJJ, WRAX (pre format switch), WAPI
WINNERS: WQEN, WUHT, WZGX, WATV (going back to urban oldies seems to be working)
TO BE DETERMINED: WAGG (will they pick up WENN's old audience?); WJOX (will the switch to FM work? who will replace Herb Winches as the shill for all things concerning the Tide?)

Any other thoughts?
 
Small stations are actually making some noise! Which leads me to my next thought. About a year ago, they started rating Low Power stations in Arbitron. Are any showing up on reports across the state? There are actually a few good ones around in north alabama.
 
Birmingham is gonna get what Citidel wants. It's amazing the way the big faceless guys affect the radio market, and then try to promo listeners into liking it. I still miss the days of 1am, 1fm,1tv per market
 
Woo, go WATV!

As someone who didn't live in the 1 AM 1 FM 1 TV era of the market, I can say I would hate that! There were parts of Wyoming and Texas that I drove through that had one 1 or 2 stations total and nothing on TV.. Cue Homer Simpson, "Boring!"

WZGX is Spanish. When Spanish beats your 50 kW station, I think you have a problem. :)

With a loss of the "Breakfast for Your Head" show, or whatever it was called, I wonder if they'll keep falling... Laura Ingraham, Neal Boortz and that Savage fellow seem to do well in many markets - why not here?
 
Re: Woo, go WATV!

Zach said:
WZGX is Spanish. When Spanish beats your 50 kW station, I think you have a problem.
Click to expand...

That's just not the case. Spanish is a growing, viable format. Any company in a Southern market with a growing Hispanic population would be crazy not to give a Spanish format a try. I work for a rock station in Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill and our Spanish station is a license to print money.

When I was at Cox in Birmingham I always thought we should try a Spanish format on 97.3. And don't tell me that it failed on 610. There is a major difference between Spanish on FM and on AM.
 
Re: Woo, go WATV!

That's just not the case. Spanish is a growing, viable format. Any company in a Southern market with a growing Hispanic population would be crazy not to give a Spanish format a try. I work for a rock station in Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill and our Spanish station is a license to print money.

When I was at Cox in Birmingham I always thought we should try a Spanish format on 97.3. And don't tell me that it failed on 610. There is a major difference between Spanish on FM and on AM.
Click to expand...

610 hasn't ever programmed spanish. Do you mean 1320?

The Hispanic population might be growing, but the Hispanic population is in the minority, at least in the Birmingham area. If there's a spanish programmed station (one which has significantly less power and coverage area) drawing higher ratings than a 50kw AM in a primarily non-Hispanic market, something is amiss.


________________________________
Radio stations come and go.
Does anything last forever?
www.PassTheWord.net
 
I think there are several reasons why WAPI has been unsuccessful:

1) WERC went to news/talk in '82; WAPI in '96....a 14 year head start never hurts
2) Any competitiveness that WAPI might have had against WERC was wiped out when Crawford launched WYDE in '99, bringing Russ and Dee (who had been on 'ERC) to host mornings. Say what you want about Russ and Dee, they did give WYDE instant credibility in the marketplace.
3) I can't remember the last time I saw any promotion for WAPI. Only dedicated AM channel surfers know the station still exists.
4) Having no relevant sports programming on 'API doesn't help matters. Most successful news/talk stations have at least some sports programming. 'ERC (at least for now) has Finebaum. WYDE has UAB (well, they used to be relevant). WAPI has...Troy State football and Auburn basketball (yawn).

More is the pity that Citadel is allowing Alabama's first radio station to wallow in anonymity and mediocrity. Why don't they do something to save it?
 
my point exactly

passtheword: Thank you--that's what I was inferring.

I do think Spanish on fm would work well in Birmingham!

WAPI has some decent programs-just no promotion as Charles1 just said. :)

<posted on my pda-sorry 4 being short!>
 
Re: my point exactly

I do think Spanish on fm would work well in Birmingham!
Click to expand...


Sounds as though it would. Someone posted a good idea on this board a few months back about WHPH in Jemison and WKLD in Oneonta (both on 97.7) ought to simulcast some type of spanish programming- WHPH covering the southern areas of Birmingham, with WKLD covering the northern end. There would still be some gaps where neither signal could be heard, but both those areas (Chilton county and St. Clair county) have a fairly sizeable Hispanic population. Although WHPH should be given credit for offering something different than what the other Bham FM's are doing, they aren't making much headway with that oldies format they started several months ago.

Y'all have a Merry Christmas!!



________________________
Radio stations come and go.
Does anything last forever?
www.PassTheWord.net
 
I see them becoming an AC/Current Oldies station, within the next year. Their playlist is very dull and predictable and I live at the southern end of their coverage area.

WHPH does have a excellent sound quality and I'm impressed with it. 

R.D.P. <><
 
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