Connecticut's Classic Rock, I-RockPLWhaleFoxWolf

[Jacko]

Does anyone else think it's funny that Connecticut, within a certain number of square miles probably has the most classic rock stations? Does anyone else think this can last?

One prediction I have is that with co-owned 102.9 WDRC now a cookie-cutter classic rocker that 99.1 WPLR may shift itself toward a more mainstream rock, or even active rock direction. Perhaps this was Connoisseur's strategy all along, to evolve a long-standing oldies station to classic hits, then classic rock in order to get 'PLR's older demos, then have 'PLR shift more mainstream or active (probably not outright active?)

There is a big pop-oriented classic hits hole. Maybe this is iHeart's change to shift 105.9 the River to classic hits, similar to B101 in Providence?

Jacko

 

[CTListener]

Does anyone else think it's funny that Connecticut, within a certain number of square miles probably has the most classic rock stations? Does anyone else think this can last?

One prediction I have is that with co-owned 102.9 WDRC now a cookie-cutter classic rocker that 99.1 WPLR may shift itself toward a more mainstream rock, or even active rock direction. Perhaps this was Connoisseur's strategy all along, to evolve a long-standing oldies station to classic hits, then classic rock in order to get 'PLR's older demos, then have 'PLR shift more mainstream or active (probably not outright active?)

There is a big pop-oriented classic hits hole. Maybe this is iHeart's change to shift 105.9 the River to classic hits, similar to B101 in Providence?

Jacko

If mainstream/active rock was doing huge business elsewhere, that might make sense. Unfortunately, rap, EDM and other non-melodic, pure rhythmic genres have hooked the demos that used to listen to current rock to such an extent that old music is the only rock that works anymore.

 

[reelyreal]

The thing is that most of these stations are in different markets, and there's very little listener overlap between the markets. For whatever reason, even though you can hear New Haven and Springfield stations loud and clear in the greater Hartford area, the numbers clearly show that there's very little listening of those out-of-market stations in the area. PLR and DRC do not share listeners. I-95 is alone in Danbury. The real Rock 102 in Springfield is alone. The new Rock 102 translator in New Haven is essentially cost-less to run. The fox is alone in Fairfield County. The Wolf is alone in New London county.

 

[CTListener]

The thing is that most of these stations are in different markets, and there's very little listener overlap between the markets. For whatever reason, even though you can hear New Haven and Springfield stations loud and clear in the greater Hartford area, the numbers clearly show that there's very little listening of those out-of-market stations in the area. PLR and DRC do not share listeners. I-95 is alone in Danbury. The real Rock 102 in Springfield is alone. The new Rock 102 translator in New Haven is essentially cost-less to run. The fox is alone in Fairfield County. The Wolf is alone in New London county.

Which market are Meriden listeners like myself considered to be in: Hartford-New Britain or New Haven? Hartford is closer by a couple of miles, but Meriden is in New Haven County. I'd imagine that there's a lot of cross-market listening here, as opposed to other cities and towns in either market. I wonder if the same is true of listeners in, say, Somers or Suffield, between Hartford and Springfield.

 

[Jacko]

True, active rock according to the national chart would not work in the northeast, but a current rock station that pulls from both active and modern rock may. WMMR in Philly is a good example of a rocker that balances the old and new nicely, and its current rotation seems to be cherry picked from the active, alternative, and at times, even triple-A charts. Of course, local tastes play a major factor, especially for the rock format.

And yes, I realize each rock station in Connecticut covers a different market, but there is so much overlap, especially with WPLR and WDRC. Sure, the cities of Hartford and New Haven may be about 40 miles from each other, but their towers are what, 15 miles from each other?

Jacko

 

[CTListener]

True, active rock according to the national chart would not work in the northeast, but a current rock station that pulls from both active and modern rock may. WMMR in Philly is a good example of a rocker that balances the old and new nicely, and its current rotation seems to be cherry picked from the active, alternative, and at times, even triple-A charts. Of course, local tastes play a major factor, especially for the rock format.

And yes, I realize each rock station in Connecticut covers a different market, but there is so much overlap, especially with WPLR and WDRC. Sure, the cities of Hartford and New Haven may be about 40 miles from each other, but their towers are what, 15 miles from each other?

Jacko

It wouldn't matter if the towers were on either side of the boundary between the two markets, separated by 100 yards. For whatever reason, few people in the Hartford market listen to New Haven stations, and vice versa. DRC-FM sounds a lot like PLR, but they are non-factors in each other's markets, so that only matters to the relatively few people who listen to out-of-market radio, which includes most if not all of the posters here.

 

[uncle todd]

I think if there was someone who was willing to take a chance on programming a mixed rock format, like the old AOR, it just might work. I might be in the minority. but I always enjoy hearing a mix of new and old rock music on the same station.

 

[Don CT]

It wouldn't matter if the towers were on either side of the boundary between the two markets, separated by 100 yards. For whatever reason, few people in the Hartford market listen to New Haven stations, and vice versa. DRC-FM sounds a lot like PLR, but they are non-factors in each other's markets, so that only matters to the relatively few people who listen to out-of-market radio, which includes most if not all of the posters here.

How is this decided on? Being in Hartford I listen to PLR exclusively. Is it just the way the ratings are polled? People will listen to what comes into their radio strongest. Plus PLR markets themselves as Connecticut's rock. Not New Haven.

 

[CTListener]

How is this decided on? Being in Hartford I listen to PLR exclusively. Is it just the way the ratings are polled? People will listen to what comes into their radio strongest. Plus PLR markets themselves as Connecticut's rock. Not New Haven.

It's not "polling" anymore. It's done with "people meters," which detect what stations people are listening to. And the numbers generated by those meters show listening to WPLR in the Hartford market as insignificant. There are probably more WPLR listeners in Hartford's southern suburbs, but don't forget that places like Manchester, Avon and Windsor Locks are part of the Hartford market, too, and there, WPLR does not "come into their radio strongest."

 

[Don CT]

It's not "polling" anymore. It's done with "people meters," which detect what stations people are listening to. And the numbers generated by those meters show listening to WPLR in the Hartford market as insignificant. There are probably more WPLR listeners in Hartford's southern suburbs, but don't forget that places like Manchester, Avon and Windsor Locks are part of the Hartford market, too, and there, WPLR does not "come into their radio strongest."

I get PLR strong in Manchester, the only place it starts to fade is when you get into Hebron. The channel I could never get a strong signal from was WPOP and I was only 15 miles from the transmitter.

 

[Gregg.]

Let's remember that these days, we don't see ratings for out-of-market stations, unless those stations pay extra for subscribing to those out-of-market ratings. Yes, a station is usually strongest within its own market, even when those various markets are only 30 miles apart. But in the past, there was plenty of listening to out-of-market stations in Connecticut when all stations were listed. KC101 and WPLR always had decent numbers in the Hartford ratings. WTIC-AM and FM, WRCH, WHCN and other Hartford stations got good ratings in Springfield. And WAQY, WMAS and WHYN-FM from Springfield made the Hartford ratings as well. If you go back far enough, when 560 WHYN-AM was a Top 40 station, it was often in the top 10 in the Hartford ratings.

I suppose when some listening is on a small clock radio or in a basement apartment, the nearest stations are the only ones that can be received well. So that gives local stations a ratings advantage. But when you're in a car or are listening to a better radio, you can switch to a station from 30 or 40 miles away if you don't like your local station or it's in a commercial break, and there's no loss in sound quality.