End Near For Evolution On 101.7?

[DToTheJ]

Based solely on the fact that CC is flipping AM 1200 from a niche format, relegating it to an HD2 channel, could the same fate be far behind for the electronic music format on 101.7?

Think about it: both comedy and this "Evolution" format are niche formats destined for HD subchannel clearance. I'm sure this will be the fate for "Evolution," with the main channel on 101.7 evolving into something else - but what?

 

[MR. JAROME_CALVIN]

Who knows?? It could be anything. I hope it's anything but (Rock and Roll)

 

[DavidZ]

Boston needs another great Rock Station ;D to counter all of the Hip-Hop, R&B, and hits stations.

 

[raccoonradio]

Yes.
Now, Evolution has only been on since Dec 20, and Harbor was only on from the previous July. Would they pull the plug so quickly--so, this is just a promo for an upcoming HD signal?

"Rock" is a broad term that could include pop-oldies, hard rock, alternative, etc. Could make money,
and at least I'd think WZLX and WAAF do. IF this were to happen:

--Country? to challenge WKLB? The signal is rather city-based though
--Classic hit-oldies a la WROR or the former WODS? Older audience though
--Return to the WFNX type format?
--Spanish? We thought maybe but...
--Fox Sports? Only to clear the Fox Sports shows, as this would be a fifth station to do sports
in town. If CC had money they could hire Ordway...but we know CC's situation.

Speaking of which they pay $14.5 mil for the signal...what to do with it?

--Prog or conserv talk--older audience, can cost $ for talent unless they go the syndie route.
Could you picture Hannity, Steph Miller, Beck, Schultz, Savage, or Hartmann on 101.7? Doubt
it but if so, RKO would have to pull those "only talk station in town" bits.

What else is there? The EDM format does target the young but is it a very small niche part of
the population? And whatever they do they have to be careful not to cannibalize the audience
for sister stations Jam'n and Kiss.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

I see no basis in that "Matt's Comedy" is going to an HD2 in signaling that "Evolution" also will.

 

[Lightning]

Can't imagine them pulling Evolution off the air yet. The station has only been online for 2 months. Billboards are finally going up. I never saw a billboard for the Harbor.

Flipping to rock doesn't make much sense. How are the other stations doing ratings wise? With their signal, I can't imagine rock pulling anything better than what Evolution is pulling now.

 

[CTListener]

Speaking of which they pay $14.5 mil for the signal...what to do with it?

That is the real puzzler. It's almost as if CC had no idea what it wanted to do with the signal, it just wanted to keep it out of the hands of ... who? And why? If CC thought that some other entity would snap up 101.7 and put some killer format on it and rocket up the ratings with it, why didn't CC just put that format on 101.7 after it bought it? Strange...

 

[raccoonradio]

Yes maybe they wanted to keep it out of another company's hands and would see what they could do with it, but that was a hefty price tag. Wanted to stop someone else from putting on a station
to rival Kiss or Jam'n? I don't know what they'd do with it given its limited signal but maybe it could
work out for them somehow.

Speaking of grabbing signals even though they may not know what to do with them, in one case
Entercom lucked out:

>>In late 1998, Entercom announced plans to acquire WEEI, along with WAAF, WRKO, WWTM (now WVEI) and WEGQ (now WEEI-FM), from CBS for $140 million
(Wiki for WEEI-FM)

Lucky for them because even if they were throwing on Eagle, Star, and Mike...eventually it would
be needed to become the new home of WEEI. Where else would it had gone had it not been
for that deal (and note WAAF and later WKAF also gave them an FM presence). Maybe they
could have gotten 99.5

Wiki for WCRB:
>>Speculation arose that Greater Media would sell off 99.5 WKLB-FM, as its Andover transmitter location provided poor overall coverage of the Boston market, in contrast to the company's other stations.

So in July of '06, GM sells WKLB's physical property and WCRB's intellectual property to Nassau
and a few months later, they switch frequencies "thus saving classical". Three years later
WGBH picks up WCRB etc.
So what if GM sold 99.5 to Entercom and that became the new home of WEEI eventually?
(There WAS talk of Nassau doing a sports network, maybe even with D&C, with 99.5 as
flagship)

Instead that former Curt Gowdy property at 93.7 winds up helping WEEI to land on FM. Had
that deal not been done... So you never know. Maybe CC will eventually make 101.7 work
for them (...with what though?)

--
And btw I remember the little hoax the Weekly Dig had: "Entercom to buy 101.7 and put Mike
on there, then move WEEI to 93.7!" It was def. a joke. Only the WD had it. Ironically enough
WEEI did wind up on 93.7 and for a time a "Mike"-like format wound up on 101.7...

 

[johnster]

I don't know why folks keep saying 14 million was a hefty price? I realize it's just a class C but a full Class B's in this market like one on the Pru or FM128 would probably fetch 60 Million to 100 million looking at other major sales so I would think 14 million for a downtown Class C would be about right or cheap?

 

[inorm99]

OK, I've heard enough of your anti rock n roll rants.
This is BOSTON, not Miami, San Juan or New York.
Boston is a rock n roll town, will always be whether you personally like it or not! Whether morons in suits decide that sports, is a better bet or not, whether we have 5 urban leaning CHR's or not! Or whether Dean Johnson thinks it is, or not!
One of them will switch to some form of rock in the not to distant future, because what we have NOW, doesn't cut it.
WAAF's music is not nearly as cutting edge as it used to be, WBOS is a crappy jukebox in a closet that has picked up a few WBCN and a Few WFNX listeners because they NOW HAVE NOTHING ELSE to9 listen to! The River is a good station, but it's signal doesn't penetrate the entire region, and WZLX is a great station, but is happy with being just classic rock. The HD subchannels are great, but it's a hassle to try to listen in the car.
You only have to look to NYC to see that every time they blow up a rock station, it leaves a giant gaping hole in the market and is filled sooner or later. Look for WRXP to reappear on what is now WFAS 103.9 when they move their transmitter to the Bronx.

C'mon 4 urban CHR's, 2 AC's? Something's got to give

Who knows?? It could be anything. I hope it's anything but (Rock and Roll)

 

[raccoonradio]

Indeed as Andy Travis told Les Nessman in the first WKRP in Cin. episode, "rock and roll is where
the money is". Agreed on your comments. The listeners are out there and "sooner or later"...

>>14 million was a hefty price?

True when comparing it to the bigger signals maybe "you get what you pay for". In some markets maybe 14 million for a signal like that would be outrageous. What I mean is do they get the billing/ratings they do and justify such an expenditure?

 

[BostonRocks]

Damn straight, Norm. I'm with ya, buddy.

Here's the thing, though; the working mom crowd is considered the most desirable demo, because they are doing the bulk of purchasing for their families. The broadest array of potential advertisers can reach this consumer demo. That's why the Plague Of Rihanna is upon us.

The male-oriented stations (sports talk) are all pushing personal needs stuff like LASIK, hair replacement, and boner pills, along with male-oriented purchases like trucks, sheds, contracting services. It's just a smaller pie. It's unlikely that there's a analog rock station that would take enough of the pie to be worth the effort.

It would be great if one of the bigger stations in town put out an HD2 with real kick-ass rock, something that would hearken back to the days of WCOZ, when WBCN was getting a bit caught up in the punk and New Wave stuff.

 

[dhoule]

Actually, in time, I think the Clear Channel may hope that Evolution 101.7 doesn't get too successful. More and more young people are enjoying electronic dance music. If it gets too successful, you could see Hot or Amp or Mix or Jamn moving more to EDM and giving them competition. And based on 101.7's signal, the other station would win. IMHO

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

When Clear Channel acquired 101.7, if they were intent on changing formats, they should have flipped it to contemporary Spanish-language music.

Despite it's signal, it would be now have become one of Boston's ten most popular radio stations in overall audience and probably the third most popular station among adults under 35, thanks to Boston's growing Hispanic population.

If "Evolution" is "blown up", CC should do what they should have done last year....and Go Espanol!

 

[CTListener]

When Clear Channel acquired 101.7, if they were intent on changing formats, they should have flipped it to contemporary Spanish-language music.

Despite it's signal, it would be now have become one of Boston's ten most popular radio stations in overall audience and probably the third most popular station among adults under 35, thanks to Boston's growing Hispanic population.

If "Evolution" is "blown up", CC should do what they should have done last year....and Go Espanol!

If nobody's trying Spanish FM in Hartford, with its much larger percentage of Hispanic listeners, then who's going to try it in Boston?

 

[Lightning]

I think this has been discussed before, however, there are so many fragments of the Hispanic population that a Spanish format will not work too well. I don't think Mexicans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans and all other immigrants share the same taste for talk/music especially on such a limited signal.

 

[SonicOverload]

I'm with Norm and the others--Boston is a rock 'n roll town and always has been. Lauro seems to have some sort of pathological hatred of rock music because the posts are like a broken record (sorry--couldn't resist)

 

[reelyreal]

When Clear Channel acquired 101.7, if they were intent on changing formats, they should have flipped it to contemporary Spanish-language music.

Despite it's signal, it would be now have become one of Boston's ten most popular radio stations in overall audience and probably the third most popular station among adults under 35, thanks to Boston's growing Hispanic population.

If "Evolution" is "blown up", CC should do what they should have done last year....and Go Espanol!

If nobody's trying Spanish FM in Hartford, with its much larger percentage of Hispanic listeners, then who's going to try it in Boston?

Fuller's Bomba network covers Hartford and well north, plus Bridgeport and in between. He's also getting major national ad dollars and a lot of local traditional ads. Try again.

 

[BoredModerator]

Quick fix ? Simulcast 94 HJY on 101.7 and or 1200 ?

 

[wcozBoston]

Bring back the Oldies 103 format. CC is spending all of this effort programming three signals that largely target younger demographic. What money do these younger listeners have to spend on advertised products, many of them don't even have jobs and are saddled with big college loads to finance. Oldies might do well there if it is kept far enough away from WROR.