Country Coming to Cape May County?

[simonbarrsinister]

[/quote]

WWFG pulls almost a 2.0 in Cape May County sometimes, good enough for an occasional 0.4 or 0.6 in the Atlantic City book, so one could assume country on 106.7 would pull something in that range (or exactly what it's doing now).

What do you do with the smallest commercial FM signal in the state? WCMC is very popular in Cape May County - dare I suggest standards or a "lounge" format?

Correct me if I wrong, BUT I thought that the Atlantic/ Cape May book was a combined book since the early 90's. And WCMC I thought was considered adult standards already. They used to be called nostalgia/adult standards when it was bought by Equity. They carried Sid Marks "Sinatra" every friday night and played mostly adult standards, plus phillies.

 

[Rockin Rob]

Or, just get Coastal to purchase WCMC and simulcast the format on both AM and FM. Then, you can eventually move the music to the FM exclusively and blow up the AM for something to run on the cheap (*cough*foxsportsradio*cough*)

 

[ccuphl]

Correct me if I wrong, BUT I thought that the Atlantic/ Cape May book was a combined book since the early 90's.

It is, but you can break counties and parts of counties out of a market's book.

 

[HarveyBrowning]

What makes you think Fox Sports Radio would be able to
1) Bill Anything
or
2) compete vs. ESPN Radio in Atlantic County at all.

To do any sort of billing on a sports-talk AM station, you need a little local presence.

 

[Rockin Rob]

What makes you think Fox Sports Radio would be able to
1) Bill Anything
or
2) compete vs. ESPN Radio in Atlantic County at all.

To do any sort of billing on a sports-talk AM station, you need a little local presence.

1) WCMC already has the Phillies
2) Coastal holds the local (Cape May Co) rights to the Sixers and Flyers (oh, can't forget the Soul).
3) Coastal also do extensive high school football and basketball during the appropriate months.
4) 98.7 the Coast is listed as a Penn State affiliate.

 

[htowler]

My bet would be on Country though. So add that to the long list of Country in the area...."WPUR", WXJN (Cat Country in Lewes), Froggy 99.9, WDSD(Wilmington), 100.9 in Hurlock, MD. Wow, just what the area needs, another Country format. Interesting none the less.

Is 106.7 going from the 4th CHR (with Philadelphia Soul football?) in the area to the 4th country station in the area on Labor Day? Wherever you can get 106.7, you can get three other country stations: WPUR in Atlantic City, 105.9 WXJN from right across the bay, and the 50kw flamethrower of 99.9 WWFG/Ocean City, MD. WWFG pulls almost a 2.0 in Cape May County sometimes, good enough for an occasional 0.4 or 0.6 in the Atlantic City book, so one could assume country on 106.7 would pull something in that range (or exactly what it's doing now).

What do you do with the smallest commercial FM signal in the state? WCMC is very popular in Cape May County - dare I suggest standards or a "lounge" format?

The WKOE calls haven't been used on the air (as a name or positioner) since 1998. Interesting move on Coastal's part. WKOE was only blundered once an hour from 1998 until 106.3 moved.

I was able to hear 106.7 in Egg Harbor City.

And this morning in Mays Landing, 106.7 was WLTW/New York. And this afternoon it was splatter from 106.5/Bass River.

Of course, all of this speculation could be funny if it turns out Coastal grabbed WKOE simply because WSJQ was too close to the WSNQ call sign on 105.5.

ALL makes sense why Equity put the WSNQ on the 105.5 signal now.

 

[Up_N_Down_The_Dial]

Let's have it at this.... there's gonna be a country station down there... if Coastal doesn't jump, Equity is going to.... just wait for it.... (Coastal better get in gear if that's their plan).

 

[Xpatriate]

2) Coastal holds the local (Cape May Co) rights to the Sixers and Flyers (oh, can't forget the Soul).

I'm not sure Coastal "holds the rights" to the 76ers or Flyers. I think they broadcast a handful of Sixers' games and even less Flyers' contests. Their ability to air the games they do stems from an old relationship w/former Sixers pres of marketing/Avalon resident Dave Coskey. Can a broadcast partner opt to air a limited number of games? And, if Coastal had the rights in Cape May Co wouldn't they have been all over the return of Beach Bash to Jack's? If they were I missed it and apologize for the oversight.

As for the DOX/SJQ/KOE debacle, the flip to "Q" never should have happened! Coastal acquired DOX at the urging of their Executive VP only to find the sales staff knew nothing about alt rock or how to sell it. The decision came to flip. Country was suggested as was Standards (which would have performed well on FM in Cape May Co). Ownership was at least familiar w/Country from their previous station in CMCH. Nevertheless, at the urging of the Executive VP the switch was made to SJQ. The thinking was $$ could be made from boardwalk business owners, local night clubs and beer distributors. Only problem was that the sales staff knew less about hot ac than alt rock! And what happens post-summer?

I know Mark Hunter is familiar w/KOE, but does that mean he can program country? Let's hope Jimmy J can spin a 2-step!

 

[SoulCrusher]

2) Coastal holds the local (Cape May Co) rights to the Sixers and Flyers (oh, can't forget the Soul).

I'm not sure Coastal "holds the rights" to the 76ers or Flyers. I think they broadcast a handful of Sixers' games and even less Flyers' contests. Their ability to air the games they do stems from an old relationship w/former Sixers pres of marketing/Avalon resident Dave Coskey. Can a broadcast partner opt to air a limited number of games? And, if Coastal had the rights in Cape May Co wouldn't they have been all over the return of Beach Bash to Jack's? If they were I missed it and apologize for the oversight.

As for the DOX/SJQ/KOE debacle, the flip to "Q" never should have happened! Coastal acquired DOX at the urging of their Executive VP only to find the sales staff knew nothing about alt rock or how to sell it. The decision came to flip. Country was suggested as was Standards (which would have performed well on FM in Cape May Co). Ownership was at least familiar w/Country from their previous station in CMCH. Nevertheless, at the urging of the Executive VP the switch was made to SJQ. The thinking was $$ could be made from boardwalk business owners, local night clubs and beer distributors. Only problem was that the sales staff knew less about hot ac than alt rock! And what happens post-summer?

I know Mark Hunter is familiar w/KOE, but does that mean he can program country? Let's hope Jimmy J can spin a 2-step!

Now, I know this isn't everything when it comes to radio, but I will say this: WDOX was one of the most popular stations on the Wildwood boardwalk when it was on the air. I have gone for trips to the area since the station flipped to CHR as WSJQ, and in all the times I have gone down there, I have heard the station maybe once or twice on the boardwalk tops. That is a very telling sign right there, as it indicates how the audience dropped the station in a heartbeat ever since it flipped. If anything, I'm hearing WAYV/WAIV more often since the flip happened.

I don't think a Country format would work because there are at least two very solid signals providing it to Cape May County and surrounding areas. Maybe a broader take on the format with some classic titles from the '60s through the '80s would provide a nice change of pace, but if they're just going to do the same thing as Cat Country and all the rest, I don't see the station going anywhere at all.

My advice for Coastal would be to put the station up for sale. This is a market that's got it covered pretty well with the exception of Alternative Rock (WJSE, while certainly better than what it was six months ago, is really not much of a factor in this part of the market with its weak signal), and since Coastal's sales staff didn't have what it took to help the format succeed, I honestly believe that there's nowhere else for them to go. While I would love to see WDOX rise once again, I'm not incredibly optimistic - but maybe Great Scott or Mark Scott (if the latter is still around - I'm pretty sure they were the previous owners) or another company can step in with the wherewithal to make a success out of the frequency, either with WDOX or with something else.

 

[radioguynj]

???

 

[Rockin Rob]

2) Coastal holds the local (Cape May Co) rights to the Sixers and Flyers (oh, can't forget the Soul).

I'm not sure Coastal "holds the rights" to the 76ers or Flyers. I think they broadcast a handful of Sixers' games and even less Flyers' contests. Their ability to air the games they do stems from an old relationship w/former Sixers pres of marketing/Avalon resident Dave Coskey. Can a broadcast partner opt to air a limited number of games? And, if Coastal had the rights in Cape May Co wouldn't they have been all over the return of Beach Bash to Jack's? If they were I missed it and apologize for the oversight.

As for the DOX/SJQ/KOE debacle, the flip to "Q" never should have happened! Coastal acquired DOX at the urging of their Executive VP only to find the sales staff knew nothing about alt rock or how to sell it. The decision came to flip. Country was suggested as was Standards (which would have performed well on FM in Cape May Co). Ownership was at least familiar w/Country from their previous station in CMCH. Nevertheless, at the urging of the Executive VP the switch was made to SJQ. The thinking was $$ could be made from boardwalk business owners, local night clubs and beer distributors. Only problem was that the sales staff knew less about hot ac than alt rock! And what happens post-summer?

I know Mark Hunter is familiar w/KOE, but does that mean he can program country? Let's hope Jimmy J can spin a 2-step!

Now, I know this isn't everything when it comes to radio, but I will say this: WDOX was one of the most popular stations on the Wildwood boardwalk when it was on the air. I have gone for trips to the area since the station flipped to CHR as WSJQ, and in all the times I have gone down there, I have heard the station maybe once or twice on the boardwalk tops. That is a very telling sign right there, as it indicates how the audience dropped the station in a heartbeat ever since it flipped. If anything, I'm hearing WAYV/WAIV more often since the flip happened.

I don't think a Country format would work because there are at least two very solid signals providing it to Cape May County and surrounding areas. Maybe a broader take on the format with some classic titles from the '60s through the '80s would provide a nice change of pace, but if they're just going to do the same thing as Cat Country and all the rest, I don't see the station going anywhere at all.

My advice for Coastal would be to put the station up for sale. This is a market that's got it covered pretty well with the exception of Alternative Rock (WJSE, while certainly better than what it was six months ago, is really not much of a factor in this part of the market with its weak signal), and since Coastal's sales staff didn't have what it took to help the format succeed, I honestly believe that there's nowhere else for them to go. While I would love to see WDOX rise once again, I'm not incredibly optimistic - but maybe Great Scott or Mark Scott (if the latter is still around - I'm pretty sure they were the previous owners) or another company can step in with the wherewithal to make a success out of the frequency, either with WDOX or with something else.

The is a new satellite-delivered national network called "The Source". It was created by a former WDRE weekender, Dan Binder, which encapsulates classic alternative (from its roots to "Rock of the 80's", to grunge and some of the more popular stuff of the mid to late 90's, even some 2000's thrown in). It would be a great way to bring back the DOX sound, perhaps with or without the classic DOX calls.

I am not knocking Country and I am sure Coastal will do with it what they can (mostly sat-driven, but with some local shifts). BUT... thinking needs to be out of the box. Since CMC has ABC's "Timeless", 106.7 (or someone else) could pick up Jones/Wiatt's "Music Of Your Life" and make it a dogfight. There are other alternatives (pardon the pun) to Country which would either fill a hole or provide that niche format to draw in listeners and revenue.

 

[radioguynj]

In a word... yes.

 

[ccuphl]

I like how Q107 still lists the George Carlin show at the House of Blues on their concerts page.

Someone should update that.

 

[Rockin Rob]

Once again, my hectic work/personal life has precluded me from making more sojourns to North Wildwood this year. Is WSJQ still CHR as Q107?

 

[UncleBozzle]

They seem to be stunting as of this afternoon. The call letters "WKOE FM" are highlighted and they are using the song from South Park "A little bit of country and a little bit of rock n roll". Of course they are using "Oh no, they killed...Q-107...you bastards...lol. It's pretty good and it can lead you to think the format could be anything really. My bet is on country.

 

[K-Tel]

And country it is - Coast Country.

 

[radioguynj]

And country it is - Coast Country.

We'll see if they can sell it...