CHR in the "Outer Cities"

[jmmt59]

Well I can say that I am very exciting that there are finally some changes in the radio dial in Central Indiana. However, I am interested to see what will happen in some of those outer cities with CHR. The Indianapolis radio market has a few stations that are powerful enough they can reach the likes of Bloomington, Lafayette, Kokomo, Muncie, and Columbus. If you add up the population of these towns you are actually reaching quite a large market. I realize that the Indy stations don't worry AT ALL about those smaller cities however for people that live there this affects their radio dials. Lafayette and Bloomington have their own CHR stations but now listeners in Kokomo, Muncie, and Columbus are just out of reach. Is it possible that Z92.5 in Kokomo, WLBC in Muncie or Qmix in Columbus might lean a little more towards CHR just to fill that gap that 93.1 leaves out. 100.9 doesn't give a quality signal in any of these cities. Comments? Predictions?

 

[Flying-Dutchman]

When I was a kid, all these cities had CHR stations. I am sure the station owners have
all looked into it recently. But many of them are afraid to do it!

I grew up with black friends in Ohio and I refuse to air the N word even if the rapper is black.
I will not air anything that degrades women by calling them the B word or ho. And, I don't
want songs of anger and despair.

Maybe, you think I'm getting too old and need to get out of the way. Someday, I will.

 

[Timewarp]

Conservatives say their values are under attack by the pop culture of today. But
liberal values are being destroyed as well.

I see white kids in small towns bumping to the N and the B word everyday.
Civil rights have been turned back by 50 years. Hate to see and hear it.

 

[BobOnTheJob]

When I was a kid, all these cities had CHR stations. I am sure the station owners have
all looked into it recently. But many of them are afraid to do it!

I grew up with black friends in Ohio and I refuse to air the N word even if the rapper is black.
I will not air anything that degrades women by calling them the B word or ho. And, I don't
want songs of anger and despair.

Maybe, you think I'm getting too old and need to get out of the way. Someday, I will.

I admire those values Dutch. I have preached that gospel for a very long time & have turned at least one young man away from Rap as a result. Glad I'm not fighting this battle alone!

 

[ten_four]

. Is it possible that Z92.5 in Kokomo, WLBC in Muncie or Qmix in Columbus might lean a little more towards CHR just to fill that gap that 93.1 leaves out. 100.9 doesn't give a quality signal in any of these cities. Comments? Predictions?

Emmis just gave up on the top 40 format in the largest market in Indiana because they couldn't make money with the format even with fairly good ratings. The smaller markets have even more trouble selling (advertiser quotes) "the kids station." Economics will dictate to the "outer cities."

A friend of mine who listens told me Z 92.5 has been playing more current music the last couple of months.

 

[kentuckymedia]

Take the market Marion-Muncie. CHR has done extremely well in the market, it is your typical mid-west white bread market that enjoys the beats of some Rhythmic tunes thrown in for fun.

In this market you have Citadel who owns WMDH-AM/WMDH-FM and WWKI-FM in nearby Kokomo. The interesting thing is they dont want these stations. They are not at the level of performance that Citadel wants their small market stations to be at, so most likely they will be exiting in the next couple of years.

Citadel will probably sell them as a Combo and Mid-America while wealthy and stealthy as they may be, probably wont buy them as a combo. However, you could see a possible deal giving WWKI Kokomo to Mid America in exchange for WXXC-FM/WMRI-A Marion. Could the person who does purchase the stations try to snag another FM from Mid-America, say WCJC and turn that to Adult Top 40 forcing WLBC into its strikingly odd AC hodge podge format?

 

[iluvri07]

However, you could see a possible deal giving WWKI Kokomo to Mid America in exchange for WXXC-FM/WMRI-A Marion.

HUH? If Citadel doesn't want Kokomo, why the h*ll would they want a combo in a dump like Marion?

 

[kentuckymedia]

Citadel wont just sell Kokomo, they will be selling both Kokomo and Muncie as a combo. Then there could be some swap shopping afterwards

 

[iluvri07]

Citadel wont just sell Kokomo, they will be selling both Kokomo and Muncie as a combo. Then there could be some swap shopping afterwards

Which didn't answer my question. If they don't want those underperforming markets, why would they want Marion?

 

[kentuckymedia]

I did answer your question.

CITADEL doesnt want the smaller markets like Muncie and Kokomo. Now, you get an operator in town that does want those stations, someone that will actually give a damn in competing with Backyard...

Mid America wants the big ole tower that WWKI sits on and the signal too if anyone were willing to give it to em. However they would have to sell a signal that is somewhere near Marion. So...say someone purchased those stations and said...here Mid America, we have your WWKI that you want. How about we swap it for WXXC and call it a day.

So then the new owner only has one studio in Muncie and more consolidation on his properties.

 

[iluvri07]

I did answer your question.

CITADEL doesnt want the smaller markets like Muncie and Kokomo. Now, you get an operator in town that does want those stations, someone that will actually give a damn in competing with Backyard...

Mid America wants the big ole tower that WWKI sits on and the signal too if anyone were willing to give it to em. However they would have to sell a signal that is somewhere near Marion. So...say someone purchased those stations and said...here Mid America, we have your WWKI that you want. How about we swap it for WXXC and call it a day.

So then the new owner only has one studio in Muncie and more consolidation on his properties.

Last try. If Citadel doesn't want underperforming stations in Kokomo and Muncie, then why would Citadel want to swap for a station in worse than underperforming Marion? Or are you suggesting that a third party buy the Citadel stations, and then swap KI for Marion?

 

[kentuckymedia]

I was suggesting a third party buy those stations.

 

[iluvri07]

I was suggesting a third party buy those stations.

Thanks for making that clear.

 

[ten_four]

I can see the possibility of Mid America wanting to buy WWKI, but why would they give up their market control of all the radio stations in Marion? They just bought the competition in Logansport.