Sometimes, the reason a station doesn't have an in-format/in-market competitor is because they do a pretty good job of convincing potential competitors that there's a better chance of getting numbers with some other format. It's not really a "chicken or the egg" sort of thing--a well-programmed station intimidates the competition...making them think more seriously about flipping to something else, say, Hot AC, AAA, Oldies, etc.
Besides, as others have pointed out, there's a number of other country radio choices if you dial around a bit. And--something radio people sometimes forget--people can get "their" music from other sources...XM, ipod, CD, old 8-tracks, whistling, etc.
> RE: QDR/Curtis team post success post
> OK,I'm not arguing with your explaination.But how long has
> 'QDR been country? I believe going back to the early
> eighties.I know that they probably had ratings highs
> before,long before Lisa's entrance.I don't argue that 'QDR
> competes with non-country stations.But,looking at the
> numbers now,it's obvious that the country loyalists had
> nowhere else to go.A lot of those numbers indeed were
> probably earned by the 'QDR staff,but the rest are what I
> call "default numbers".Now,I will say one thing,that the
> country audience,being an older demo,is a lot harder to lure
> away from thier stations than say,a CHR or an Urban,which
> goes after the younger demos.Older demos tend to be "brand
> loyal",whereas younger demos will switch brands,this is true
> in radio,hair spray,beer,bread,tires,and on and on.But,it's
> the old adage,if you build it,they will come.What will be
> the final determining factor is what kind of "product" will
> the new station set up.Will thier
> personalities,promotions,and music selection be something
> that might lure some audience away from 'QDR.It can
> happen.Look at WSM in Nashville.They were the market joke in
> a 3 way country battle for years,now they're way up in thier
> numbers in only a few books at the expense of one of their
> competitors.But on the other hand,you take another heritage
> station like WPOC in Baltimore.They've been able to turn
> away competition in the past,and as far as I know are the
> only country station in Baltimore.Will Capitol want to
> "topple" WQDR,or does it just want a "piece of the pie".I
> don't know Capitol's intention.(Maybe there is a Capitol
> person who can come forward and shed some light on the
> subject).But I do believe this new station WILL cost 'QDR
> some numbers,how big or small is anybody's guess.But if the
> losses are large,like I said in the beginning,this will be
> the "limus test" for Lisa on how she will handle a direct
> competitor for the first time since she left her last
> competitive situation in Richmond, and a "litmus test" and
> everybody else in charge at 'QDR.Chuck Berry said it best
> "--you never can tell".(And by the way dude,check your
> typos,it's "you don't KNOW radio".And yes I do.I've had ny
> nose in it for 28 years.I don't know if I would want to
> Program against Lisa,just because being a PD is not my cup
> of tea,but I think even she would agree that some of the
> facts I've put forward here are solid)
>
