First Thoughts on The Harbor

[Jimmy128]

My first thoughts.....Fingernails scratching on a chalkboard.

Who is going to listen to this for a sustained period of time?

 

[raccoonradio]

Maybe not us but if it's anything like Mike it may do OK in the ratings. There are people who WANT such a
narrow focused station like that (remember Mike was making money at very low cost and they were
hestitant to pull it). Though as for "sustained period of time" maybe they're button pushers that will go to different stations. However they're going after a nice demo and if people want a junkfood station like
that, they may well go for it.
Drawback though: signal not as wide reaching as 101.7. But the stick is right in downtown so they may do OK,
even if we aren't quite into it.

--
WKRP in Cincinnatti:
Les--But there are already a lot of rock and roll stations in town
Andy--Well why do you think that is, Les?
Les--Well, I think it's a plot of some sort.
Andy--(chuckles) No, Les, rock and roll is where the money is.

And that is where CC went. Where the money is. The folks who will have their boomboxes blaring at the beach or at their cookout, or in their car, or at work. As much as we pooh-pooh it...

Start at 1:20 "CC Explains The Format Change"
"But I love money. All money."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sor9GzivGbk
"There is nothing quite as wonderful as money
There is nothing quite as beautiful as cash..
Money money money makes the world..go...round!"

 

[beantownradio25]

My only real criticism of The Harbor is that the imaging doesn't sound local enough. I haven't heard them say Harbor in a Boston accent yet, the imaging just sounds a bit generic and out of market to me.

 

[Jimmy128]

My only real criticism of The Harbor is that the imaging doesn't sound local enough. I haven't heard them say Harbor in a Boston accent yet, the imaging just sounds a bit generic and out of market to me.

It's about the music. (bad).

 

[WNTIRadio]

Pretty boring if you ask me. Same lame songs, too many hair bands. Boston is not a hair band town. This isn't Harrisburg, PA (home of Brett Michaels)... THAT is a hairband town.

No, nothing local about it yet. Someone needs to say "The HAAABAAAH" at least once an hour. Of course, why not have actual people on the air, but I know that's some kind of wild idea.

I like the liner today that said something to the effect of "Hey, the next song doesn't go well with this one because you like it that way, this isn't some highly researched station. We play anything blah blah". B frickin S, it isn't highly researched!!!! Like CC would put a new station on without a researched playlist.

It should be called "Politician 101.7" because they have the same habit of saying one thing and doing another.

 

[reelyreal]

My only real criticism of The Harbor is that the imaging doesn't sound local enough. I haven't heard them say Harbor in a Boston accent yet, the imaging just sounds a bit generic and out of market to me.

I think people would be hammering them for being patronizing if they did imaging in a fake boston accent.

 

[NHRadio]

-Other times, have some (Two Hour) Urban AC Syndicated Shows, and some Smooth Jazz shows
It'd be a lot better than what it is now.

Guess I spoke too soon. I knew it wouldn't last.

 

[Ciao9999]

-Other times, have some (Two Hour) Urban AC Syndicated Shows, and some Smooth Jazz shows
It'd be a lot better than what it is now.

Guess I spoke too soon. I knew it wouldn't last.

Not for nothing, but if you are from NH, I wouldn't expect you to know much about Urban Adult Contemporary formats or its audience.

 

[NHRadio]

I admit I'm not an expert on Urban formats, but I'd like to think I know a thing or 2 about Radio and what has a chance of success and what doesn't. And you're better than that kind of lame insult.

 

[Retro]

FWIW, Clear Channel is airing promos for WHBA on WXKS-FM. I heard it earlier at a store and thought that they switched to the Harbor. They hadn't, it was still on Kiss 108.

 

[WNTIRadio]

How about using a REAL Boston accent then?? There are plenty of them around here to do a "Man on the Street" type of liner.

Of course, there is no staff whatsoever for this station. The salespeople for the others in the cluster are handling 101.7.

 

[Jimmy128]

"Hey heah we ahh at the Hahbah, now we ahh going to play everything you don't like especially '80s hair bands."

Would that help? Meawhile WFNX on line never sounded better.

 

[scripps]

Expect a few surprises along the way but long term, nothing special. The current group of Clear Channel programming VP's is a predictable bunch that concentrate mainly on keeping their jobs, mandated internet focus, and radio station terrestrial content. (in that order)

 

[NHRadio]

After listening for a few hours I think the slogan should be "We play everything...that you've already heard 75,000 times".

 

[PaulRAnderson]

The people who have pointed out that this is not a Boston format have explained what I could not earlier. It's not just that we've all heard these songs so many times before. It's the complete lack of knowledge that, in the 1980s, we didn't have just WHTT--we had WBCN and WFNX. These stations played more adventurous music which people still remember today. These songs are totally missing from WHBA. I'm sure this is some sort of national playlist with no customizing for what Boston listeners in the 1980s actually heard.

I know they're not going to play the Neats or November Group or the Fools, but has anyone heard the Cars or J. Geils yet? (And I don't mean just "My Best Friend's Girl".)

And yes, I realize that not everyone in the market lived here in the 1980s.

And please, no fake Boston accents.

 

[DToTheJ]

The music selection is very white.

Why does it matter? You know, if I said the music selection on one of those illegal pirate stations was "very black", I would be labeled racist. It must be bad to have a "very white" music selection in a market that is still "very white"...

"Huey Lewis and the News. Great stuff! I just bought it on my way here. You heard it?"
"Never. I mean I don't really like singers."
"Not a big music fan, huh?"
"No, I like music. Just they're... Huey's too black sounding for me."
"To each his own..."

 

[Uncle Kaimbridge]

Maybe not us but if it's anything like Mike it may do OK in the ratings.
<snip>
Drawback though: signal not as wide reaching as 101.7. But the stick is right in downtown so they may do OK, even if we aren't quite into it.

I take it you meant “signal not as wide reaching as 93.7”? :

 

[Retro]

Maybe not us but if it's anything like Mike it may do OK in the ratings.
<snip>
Drawback though: signal not as wide reaching as 101.7. But the stick is right in downtown so they may do OK, even if we aren't quite into it.

I take it you meant “signal not as wide reaching as 93.7”? :

Yeah, that confused me too.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

I know they're not going to play the Neats or November Group or the Fools, but has anyone heard the Cars or J. Geils yet? (And I don't mean just "My Best Friend's Girl".)

Believe it or not, I heard it play both groups, The Cars and The J. Geils Band, back to back on Friday morning. I don't remember which two songs, but of course two of their big hits.

 

[raccoonradio]

I meant not as wide reaching as 93.7, oops!