CUNNING STUNTING

[NoMoreLurking]

So the 96.9 FM Greater Media station in Boston is apparently stunting with a new format every day, hoping to generate buzz.

Result?

It's like All Access' 99th top headline of the day.

(yawn)

Next.

That begs the question -----

When the time comes, how could the new 94.7 "stunt" to generate enough attention in the New York market to get it over a 1.0 share within two years?

Discuss!

 

[davideduardo]

When the time comes, how could the new 94.7 "stunt" to generate enough attention in the New York market to get it over a 1.0 share within two years?

Stunting is so 60's and 70's.

Stunting was intended to "catch" people tuning across the dial when changing from one station to another.

Today, most people don't tune across the dial... many radios don't even have tuning knobs.

Stunting is a colossal waste of time.

 

[tvradiogeek]

well its the more exciting thing to happen in here in Boston in a long time,I'm sure you guys can relate

 

[TheBigA]

When the time comes, how could the new 94.7 "stunt" to generate enough attention in the New York market to get it over a 1.0 share within two years?

A few years ago, I asked a question: When was the last time a new format change led to an improvement in ratings?

It wasn't Jack. One might say the return of CBS, but that was a retreat. NewsFM? NOW92? Blink? WRXP? ESPN?

If your point is that stunting doesn't work, I agree. Radio stations are a function of habit. Radios today are built around pre-sets, not tuning dials. People don't hit SCAN and seek out new stations, because typically there really isn't much change on the dial. So people have their favorites, and they go there, regardless of the logic or the stunts.

Cumulus will have to do something pretty drastic to get people to find their new station at 94.7. Especially if it's sports talk. But even if it's a music station, people have already made their choice, and 94.7 is a frequency that has been off the public's radar. In fact, it's probably never been ON their radar.

 

[BruceS8852]

Stunting is done to drive out the old audience. Back in 1983 when Z-100 went from worst to first the new format was mostly discovered through word of mouth. When 94.7 does change format Cumulus will likely do nothing at first until the new stations makes some tweaks. At that point there will likely be ad advertising campaign via TV, billboards, etc.

Bruce

 

[TheBigA]

When 94.7 does change format Cumulus will likely do nothing at first until the new stations makes some tweaks. At that point there will likely be ad advertising campaign via TV, billboards, etc.

Sounds familiar...that's what Merlin did. How'd that work?

 

[Morpheux]

If Cumulus is looking for an older demo then spreading the word through the old media makes sense. If they're looking a younger demo then social media is the only way to go. That means also putting a younger skewing format on.

 

[MORE RADIO TRUTH]

As WWDJ changed in 2008, it offered up Frank 97 AM. I called a Sinatra fan and told him he just had to give "the new station" a listen. (My Way and New York, New York played hourly). Soon enough, it became 970 WNYM and he stopped listening to the station.

 

[NJMark]

Stunting is done to drive out the old audience.

But it's completely unnecessary. A new format will do that just as efficiently as some interim format-before-the-format.

Besides, does it really matter if anyone in the old audience wants to listen to the new format? Why deliberately drive anyone away?

 

[luperm]

Seems like a waste of time to stunt. Just get on with the new format.

 

[geesmith]

Even though Boston is a top ten market, it is very much a small towne.
In Boston--politicians, tv newscasters and radio personalities are considered
celebrities. Therefore, an old and tired trick like this stunting on 96.9 is
likely to attract some press (the olde fashioned kind and the new social media
type).

Plus, stunting probably gives the engineers time to clean the dust out of the
sound board, because nobody's in the studio for a while. tee hee.

 

[CTListener]

Stunting is done to drive out the old audience.

But it's completely unnecessary. A new format will do that just as efficiently as some interim format-before-the-format.

Besides, does it really matter if anyone in the old audience wants to listen to the new format? Why deliberately drive anyone away?

In the Boston station's case, it's probably to make the 55+ crowd never wants to listen to that station again, just forget it exists because the advertisers want them 100 percent gone.

 

[NJMark]

In the Boston station's case, it's probably to make the 55+ crowd never wants to listen to that station again,

But that just begs the question!

What does the time-waste of stunting do that going straight to the new format wouldn't do?

advertisers want them 100 percent gone.

Again, so what? If you're selling ads based on 25-54 or 18-49 ratings, does it really matter if anyone 55+ also happens to be listening? Just don't show the advertisers those numbers!

 

[johndavis]

In the Boston station's case, it's probably to make the 55+ crowd never wants to listen to that station again,

But that just begs the question!

What does the time-waste of stunting do that going straight to the new format wouldn't do?

Precisely. When Cox blew up a Rhythmic Top 40 rimshot in Houston for Classic Country 10 years ago, it faded out "Back That Azz Up" at noon, played the ID, and then rolled into David Allen Coe. If the rhythmic audience wasn't gone by the time he finished saying "it was all I could do to keep from crying" then maybe they'd stick around for Johnny Cash later in the hour.

It's not like you're breaking the habit of writing down what you're listening to. If the new station isn't for you, the first song will make you punch out all on its own.

 

[marconis gallbladder]

In the Boston station's case, it's probably to make the 55+ crowd never wants to listen to that station again...

It's going Rhythmic. Flipping the switch pretty much ensures that.

...because the advertisers want them 100 percent gone.

The advertisers don't care. They want the maximum number of ears in the demo they're trying to attract, yes...but if the spots also reach the older folks, that's gravy.

What's far more likely is that the pieces weren't all in place for the flip, but the talent contracts were expiring and they need to kill some time. The media attention it grabbed was a nice side benefit.

 

[badjef]

It was done to confuse the other stations from "jumping the gun".

My feeling is that is piques the interest of the curious (read as: reporters), but in any case, it is only temporary and fades just as quickly forgotten.

Z-100 never stunted when they came on the air. Quite the opposite. WPLJ tried to get the jump on them and it backfired.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[hubcity]

...because the advertisers want them 100 percent gone.

The advertisers don't care. They want the maximum number of ears in the demo they're trying to attract, yes...but if the spots also reach the older folks, that's gravy.

Agreed. I never met an advertiser that didn't want to advertise to another set of ears/eyes.

 

[Ai4i]

I have long fantacized about gaining control of a radio station just long enough to play one song that would totally blow the listeners away:
Country to hip hop or hip hop to country
Metal on any station with EZ in their callsign
A war protest song before or after "Okie from Miskogee (sp?)"
The original "My Sweet Lord" on a CCM or gospel station.
You get the point.
The RadioDiscussions topic about it would be called STUNNING CU...NG

 

[badjef]

I have long fantacized about gaining control of a radio station just long enough to play one song that would totally blow the listeners away:
Country to hip hop or hip hop to country
Metal on any station with EZ in their callsign
A war protest song before or after "Okie from Miskogee (sp?)"
The original "My Sweet Lord" on a CCM or gospel station.
You get the point.
The RadioDiscussions topic about it would be called STUNNING CU...NG

I don't think people would notice anymore.

In the 60's you would have had the equivalent: "Dead Man's Curve" followed by "D.O.A." I'm sure that happened on some radio station.

How many people noticed in the 80's when ABC did "When Smokey Sings" into a Smokey Robinson song?

How about "Roll Over Beethoven" or "Fifth of Beethoven" on a Classical Station, today?

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[only1moore]

Well it appears that WTKK/Boston has made Rhythmic Hot AC their official format today (January 8, 2013)...

http://hot969boston.com/