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Dave is A-Z, will they go classic hits after WYAY Flips?

Here's the question I have - would the current 92.9 and its AAA format (with its small, but supposedly wealthy audience) or a classic hits format (with a much larger audience of listeners mostly in their 40s, some wealthy, some not so much) make more money for CBS?

Unless 92.9 is billing massively, I don't see why they keep Dave on the air...besides, isn't that more of an adult hits brand anyway?
 
I'm told there was a time when Dave Fm had low numbers but still billed well because of the type of audience they drew. From what I hear now, though, those days are over and advertisers have fled in droves (or are fleeing). Perhaps Roddy has more insight to that, though.
 
Guys, WYAY's ratings weren't that much better than Dave's ratings - and there were times, like last December, that Dave was ahead of WYAY

Classic hits would be a better choice for 92.9 if The River wasn't already broadcasting that format - but if Dave flips to Classic Hits, they can expect a boost of about 0.3-0.4 share (judging from what WYAY had over Dave, on average), along with a huge drop in advertising appeal

The only obvious format hole in the ATL market is full-service Alternative, so that's really the only other direction I can see CBS taking 92.9 in - unless they want to try a youth-leaning CHR and go directly up against Wild, but I feel like that's a pretty big risk
 
atlantaboy said:
Guys, WYAY's ratings weren't that much better than Dave's ratings - and there were times, like last December, that Dave was ahead of WYAY

Classic hits would be a better choice for 92.9 if The River wasn't already broadcasting that format - but if Dave flips to Classic Hits, they can expect a boost of about 0.3-0.4 share (judging from what WYAY had over Dave, on average), along with a huge drop in advertising appeal

The only obvious format hole in the ATL market is full-service Alternative, so that's really the only other direction I can see CBS taking 92.9 in - unless they want to try a youth-leaning CHR and go directly up against Wild, but I feel like that's a pretty big risk
River and AGH have very little overlap in their playlists. River is essentially shallow-cut classic AOR (but they will go deep with some artists like Boston), while AGH is Top 40 oldies. The only commonality is the time period they draw from.

They are as different as Z-93 and 96 Rock were 30-35 years ago.

Where AGH has overlap is with little sister Journey. Journey should get a boost if nobody else does oldies classic top 40.

I do agree that somebody will move into the alt space, either CBS with 92.9 or Cumulus with 100.5.
 
Answering my on question here.

2 Alternative and 1 Alternative Rock.

The alternative rock is essentially an active/alternative hybrid.

Looking at the two alternative stations playlist, I do see them dig a little deeper than 99x currently does which does look a little more attractive.

I also reviewed CBS's classic "HITS" stations and they lean pop vs rock. In otherwords, they are equal to the pop leaning WYAY vs the more rock oriented sound of the river.

Now, is CBS like all the other big stations and use a certain playlist for each format regardless of the city or do they allow each city do individually build the playlist? I'm assuming they are like the Cloud and CC since the AAA station in Chicago looks identical to the AAA station in Atlanta.

I'm having trouble believing DAVE is changing formats but one thing is for certain, the station has awesome DJ's and I would hate to see them go.
 
One more thing then I'm done...

My personal bias leans me in the alternative direction BUT to be fair, considering 99x met it's demise, I would think Alternative would NOT be a good route. See, alternative music fans are small but are also passionate. You can relate alternative fans to Ron Paul fans. May not be many but boy are they faithful. Classic Hits? God I hope not. They would simply be adding 106.7 playlist onto 92.9. I'd go for a deeper cuts classic rock stations than hits.

Best Idea? A TRUE CHR station. If they want to lean rhythmic, I think they will succeed because 105.7 has an awful signal. SOOO.... Classic hits is out of the question. Alternative??? Ehhh... I think the best bet would be a true CHR station and the cloud can then push 99x over to 100.5 to take care of the alternative folks that listen to Dave. If this happens, the only hole would be in Classic Rock but if you look at ratings from other major markets, classic rock stations are not doing so well compared to classic hits. Considering The River leans rock, I think it will suffice for the classic rockers. The dig deeper on the weekends anyway.
 
WNEW-FM in New York, which had a very wide music library, did "The History Of Rock And Roll from A To Z" back in the spring of 1993. They wouldn't flip formats until 6 1/2 years later...

jabba17 said:
As 96 Rock used to say back when Z93 was classic rock, "Rock & Roll from A to Y, because nothing good starts with Z!"

Classic. Golly, every Top 10 market deserves a good radio war just like old times.
 
acheron82 said:
Answering my on question here.

2 Alternative and 1 Alternative Rock.

The alternative rock is essentially an active/alternative hybrid.

Looking at the two alternative stations playlist, I do see them dig a little deeper than 99x currently does which does look a little more attractive.

I also reviewed CBS's classic "HITS" stations and they lean pop vs rock. In otherwords, they are equal to the pop leaning WYAY vs the more rock oriented sound of the river.

Now, is CBS like all the other big stations and use a certain playlist for each format regardless of the city or do they allow each city do individually build the playlist? I'm assuming they are like the Cloud and CC since the AAA station in Chicago looks identical to the AAA station in Atlanta.

I'm having trouble believing DAVE is changing formats but one thing is for certain, the station has awesome DJ's and I would hate to see them go.
CBS's classic hits stations are far from cookie cutter. Each one is different - not only in playlist, but each one has its own unique "sound." That's what, IMO, sets them apart from those owned by Cumulus, Clear Channel, etc. If any corporation could make classic hits work in Atlanta, it's CBS.

97.1 is classic ROCK way more than classic hits. I think that name is a misrepresentation of their format....it must help in the billing department?

AGH finally got on track last summer and was getting around a 3 share, after adding more 80s and playing a lot of 70s. After the Cumulus takeover, they wrecked it by cutting back on the 80s but keeping some weird stuff from the late 80s (Cher's "If I Could Turn Back Time, for example) and re-adding 60s pop like Herman's Hermits and The Grass Roots. Doesn't work that way. The music was all over the place. A properly-programmed classic hits station could pull a mid 3-4. That's why I say if any company can make it work, it's CBS. I can't believe the format couldn't succeed in a market like ATL.
 
crguy said:
CBS's classic hits stations are far from cookie cutter. Each one is different - not only in playlist, but each one has its own unique "sound." That's what, IMO, sets them apart from those owned by Cumulus, Clear Channel, etc. If any corporation could make classic hits work in Atlanta, it's CBS.

97.1 is classic ROCK way more than classic hits. I think that name is a misrepresentation of their format....it must help in the billing department?

CBS does Classic Hits with variety as well as great imaging and personalities where 97.1 is Rock Hits on auto-pilot most of the time.

I think the Monday numbers will be interesting and I hope Rodney can post the top 10 adult stations.

But to me and my friends it seems just playing A-Z is an easy and quick way to program a week of music while allowing time to work on something else.
 
OMG I JUST HEARD THE AFTERNOON GUY ON THE RIVER SAY HE JUST PLAYED SCORPIONS AFTER HE JUST PLAYED PINK FLOYD. :D
 
And without even looking at the last songs played list, I can tell you that it was Rock you like a Hurricane by Scorpions and Comfortably Numb or Money by Pink Floyd.
 
Ive been told I was wrong before, but 97-1 The River is, and always has been, classic rock. Not classic hits- where is the pop, and a 1980s focus. This is why Rock100 fails.
 
wpb1999 said:
Ive been told I was wrong before, but 97-1 The River is, and always has been, classic rock. Not classic hits- where is the pop, and a 1980s focus. This is why Rock100 fails.
When they first flipped from Jamz, they were classic HITS. Stevie Wonder, anyone?

Agreed that there's not enough listenership for both River and Rock 100.5.
 
I have a friend that is a manager at a small radio station down in south Ga. They get their music from Jones and he explained to me that there are two types of classic hits; The first type leans pop and the second type leans rock. The term "oldies" is going away and is being replaced with the classic hits (pop) leaning.

He explained the difference between classic hits (rock leaning) and classic rock SHOULD be the playlist. Classic hits will only play the top hits from an artist. This is why the river seems to only recognize Tom Sawyer as a hit from Rush considering that is all they play. Classic rock will dig a little deeper and it will also tap into the early 90 grunge. So you may hear Alice in Chains on a classic rock station.

Our classic rock station in Atlanta (100.5) is horrible because while they may play a few more songs than the river, they still stick with the top of the top hits. They also stay away from the progressive rock which is sad.

The definitions above is what I've been told and I went to Jones website and it seems pretty accurate.

http://www.dial-global.com/index.php/classic-hits
 
crguy said:
But to me and my friends it seems just playing A-Z is an easy and quick way to program a week of music while allowing time to work on something else.

Or a way of testing out audience reactions to all different types of songs, to decide on a new musical direction...
 
EJM said:
In addition to the artists mentioned above, The River has played Jimmy Buffett (yes, "Margaritaville"), Blondie, David Essex (yes, "Rock On"), the Doobie Brothers, Stealers Wheel (yes, "Stuck in the Middle with You"), and Pat Benatar within the past several hours. It certainly looks like Rock-leaning Classic Hits.

This is all "rockier", so to speak, than WYAY's Marvin Gaye, Maxine Nighingale, A-Ha, and the Four Seasons.

Top 5 "Hits" from TuneGenie: http://wyay.tunegenie.com/tophits/

1. Teach Your Children/Crosby......Stills....and the others
2. Love the One Your With/ Stephen Stills
3. I just want to be Your Everything/Andy Gibb
4. Kodachrome/ Paul Simon
5. Sister Golden Hair/ America

97-1 The River plays NONE of those, IIRC.
 
Dont mess with 92.9 Dave FM I like that station that they are playing I am not from Atlanta but when I go to Bryson City NC sometimes I like to listren to 92.9 Dave FM.
 
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