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Does Dallas Need Two Classic Hip Hop Stations?

G

Gregg.

Radio One, after ending it's All-News station in Houston, switched it to Classic Hip Hop a few weeks ago. That has had a ripple effect across the country, with underperforming stations, mostly Urban AC, switching to Classic Hip Hop. Radio One quickly flipped other stations in Philadelphia and Dallas to Classic Hip Hop, including Boom 94.5 KSOC Gainsville TX.

Now Cumulus has also switched its underperforming Top 40 station, 93.3 KLIF-FM Haltom City TX to Classic Hip Hop. That's crazy on two counts... It leaves Dallas as the largest market in the U.S. with only one Top 40 station, and one that happens to be #1 in every major demo, 18-34, 18-49, 25-54, KHKS Kiss 106.1. And it starts a battle for Classic Hip Hop in a format that is still unproven, only a few weeks old.

Radio One says its station in Houston, KROI, scored well in its first monthly ratings. But that still included the All-News format, as well as several days of stunting of non-stop Beyonce songs. It still has no air staff. And I'd imagine almost no commercials, since the All-News clients would not likely be aimed at the same audience as Classic Hip Hop.

Both KSOC and KLIF-FM have some signal issues. KSOC is 100,000 watts but from a tower well north of Dallas, near its city of license of Gainsville, and wedged between 94.1 KLNO Fort Worth and 94.9 KLTY Arlington, which each have towers in the center of the market. KLIF-FM only runs 50,000 watts on a tower about 400 feet above average terrain. So even though that tower is between Dallas and Fort Worth, it's not covering the fringes of the sprawling DFW Metroplex.

It will be interesting if both stations made the right move on a format that really hasn't been tested.
 
I'm not convinced Hot 93.3 has permanently changed formats. Cumulus usually doesn't step out of the box with something new and untested. Seems possible to me that they're doing this for the promotion and buzz because nothing else has worked to get people to notice 93.3 against 106.1.
 
But why would you switch formats temporarily? I can understand the switch to Christmas music during the holidays. But to Classic Hip Hop?

I heard the slogan is "Hip Hop for the Holidays" so I can see they don't want to commit fully. I think they want to try this format, while giving themselves the out that if it doesn't work, it was "just for the holidays." If it gets traction, great, they'll stay with it. If not, they'll switch to something else. But meanwhile you've driven away everyone who has 93.3 as their second car radio button for Top 40 music when Kiss is in a commercial break. What a bad way to run a radio station.
 
I agree with Kent. I think that's exactly what 93.3 is doing. I would'nt be surprised when it's all said and done, 93.3 keeps the throwbacks, add some currents, and head in a rhythmic direction like Hot 104.5 in San Antonio.
 
Gregg. said:
But why would you switch formats temporarily? I can understand the switch to Christmas music during the holidays. But to Classic Hip Hop?
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Simply put, top-40 still has a vested interest in reaching those who were listening to hip-hop in the 90's and early 2000's. If you were born in 1980, you almost certainly listened to that music when it was new, and you're now 34. While that, of course, puts someone born in 1980 at the very tail end of the 18-34 demo, tell KHKS the 25-54 age group doesn't matter to a CHR, and they'd laugh in your face. Classic hip-hop might be a good way to generate some interest among that audience, and, if you think it's a flash-in-the-pan, those people will have to go somewhere when the format dies off. It might-as-well be you.

I heard the slogan is "Hip Hop for the Holidays" so I can see they don't want to commit fully. I think they want to try this format, while giving themselves the out that if it doesn't work, it was "just for the holidays." If it gets traction, great, they'll stay with it. If not, they'll switch to something else. But meanwhile you've driven away everyone who has 93.3 as their second car radio button for Top 40 music when Kiss is in a commercial break. What a bad way to run a radio station.
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There have been a few times the stunt has become a real format, and, if this is a stunt that becomes popular, it could happen again. However, I wouldn't drop my chips on it.
 
I agree. KLIF looks like a candidate for a Rhythmic flip. I'm also surprised that Mediabase wasted no time at all in moving both KSOC and KLIF to the Rhythmic panel, even if the two aren't playing a lot of currents.
 
Apparently not. 933 went to full on urban today at 6p... Why would they want to slice that pie any more than it already is? Also they are alienating listeners by changing so many times in such a short period. There was a buzz around 93.3 with classic hip hop, with most in the target demo saying it was better than 94.5. Well.... Now what ?
 
gettinbyagain said:
Apparently not. 933 went to full on urban today at 6p... Why would they want to slice that pie any more than it already is? Also they are alienating listeners by changing so many times in such a short period. There was a buzz around 93.3 with classic hip hop, with most in the target demo saying it was better than 94.5. Well.... Now what ?
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Now they get to go head on against two entrenched stations (B97.9, K104) that have much better signals than 93.3 does. To me, it looks like they're setting themselves up for an even worse slaughter than when they went up against Kiss-FM, so I'd imagine we'll be having another discussion next year about whatever the "new" format on 93.3 will be next.
 
A whole lotta money has been wasted on this stick. Now that I think about it, they could have went Urban AC with a focus on mid to up tempo music. Maybe put Joyner in mornings. Reach and Cumulus work together on DL Hughley. Maybe him or Banks in the PM drive.
 
That's exactly what I had said Salem.
 
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