Format/call suggestions for WBIX

[raccoonradio]

OK, you're Alex Langer or a GM/PD working for him. This is just a kind of
conjecture here--what would you choose for call letters, if available, and
what format for WBIX?

Calls--tough to say. If WHUB were available (the HUB)...I'm sure the calls
might reflect whatever format is put into place.

Format-

--another Boston talker as has been suggested: Clapprood and Whitley? Gene
Burns? Syndies like Glenn Beck or Phil Hendrie? Or run the progressive talk
hosts that aren't on WKOXKS (there are some). How about Tai w/talk?

--country or classic country. Yeah, wouldn't work but I'd listen. (Pun alert):
(Dolly) Parton is such sweet sorrow By the way, I was in Nashville briefly
a couple weeks back and enjoyed the Country Hall of Fame. The city where you're sure to hear BOTH kinds of music, as they said in the Blues Brothers:
Country AND Western

--smooth jazz? or am I wasting my time with music-based format?

--espanol? Asian?

--good Lord, not ANOTHER sports station? We can probably rule THAT out!

--oldies? Maybe not with True Oldies Channel already on 830 in WISS-tah

--biz news, staying the course?

--anything else?

 

[parklane]

I would call it "The JERRY Format" in tribute to the Dean, Jerry Williams. The alternative would be to call it "DEAN Radio".
WJERY or WDEAN.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

> OK, you're Alex Langer or a GM/PD working for him. This is
> just a kind of
> conjecture here--what would you choose for call letters, if
> available, and
> what format for WBIX?
>
> Calls--tough to say. If WHUB were available (the HUB)...I'm
> sure the calls
> might reflect whatever format is put into place.
>
> Format-
>
> --another Boston talker as has been suggested: Clapprood and
> Whitley? Gene
> Burns? Syndies like Glenn Beck or Phil Hendrie? Or run the
> progressive talk
> hosts that aren't on WKOXKS (there are some). How about Tai
> w/talk?
>
> --country or classic country. Yeah, wouldn't work but I'd
> listen. (Pun alert):
> (Dolly) Parton is such sweet sorrow By the way, I was in
> Nashville briefly
> a couple weeks back and enjoyed the Country Hall of Fame.
> The city where you're sure to hear BOTH kinds of music, as
> they said in the Blues Brothers:
> Country AND Western
>
> --smooth jazz? or am I wasting my time with music-based
> format?
>
> --espanol? Asian?
>
> --good Lord, not ANOTHER sports station? We can probably
> rule THAT out!
>
> --oldies? Maybe not with True Oldies Channel already on 830
> in WISS-tah
>
> --biz news, staying the course?
>
> --anything else?
>

 

[HHH]

> OK, you're Alex Langer or a GM/PD working for him. This is
> just a kind of
> conjecture here--what would you choose for call letters, if
> available, and
> what format for WBIX?


This sounds like a good spot for the full-time Spanish station that many people are promoting.

The day signal gets over greater Boston pretty well, and -- I believe -- gets into the Hispanic areas of the Merimack Valley, Worcester and Brockton.

The night signal cuts back a lot, but still gets into the city of Boston.

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

I would think WBIX-1060's future will probably be as a leased-ethnic outlet, perhaps in Spanish, given that any day now, WAMG-890/WLLH-1400 will drop that format.

The only problem with a flip to Spanish would be if a Boston-area FM station were to flip to Spanish-language programming. While I feel that the time has come for a Spanish-language FM station in the Boston area, I don't know if any area FM station would have the "guts" to "pull the trigger" and make such a move. I think a Spanish-language FM station in Boston would be successful, but it may be a year or two or more until Boston gets a Spanish-langauge FM station.

Were WBIX to flip to Spanish, only to be followed in short order by an FM station flipping to Spanish-language programming, WBIX might not be profitable as a Spanish-language station, since a Spanish-language FM station would dominate Spanish-language radio in this market. But were WBIX to flip to Spanish, and no FM station were to follow for at least two or three years, WBIX would be successful---until a Spanish-language FM station appears on the Boston dial.

Thus, it would not surprise me if WBIX flipped to ethnic programming (likely leased-time) in languages other than Spanish. Alex Langer might have longer-term success than with a Spanish-language format whose success could end the day Spanish-language programming comes to Boston's FM dial, which could be a short period of time after his own WBIX "goes Espanol".

The bottom line: Would Langer make a flip to a format which would make his station successful, but perhaps only for a short period of time??

Were Langer to decide not to flip WBIX to Spanish (perhaps thinking that a Spanish-language FM station would arrive in the Boston area sooner rather than later) or another ethnic format, there are two viable English-language options available.

If WODS-103.3 drops it's oldies format in the next few weeks or few months (I wouldn't be too surprised if WODS gets "Jack"-ed come Labor Day or shortly thereafter), I could see WBIX picking-up the "True Oldies Channel" format, maybe even with local drive-time shows.

A long-shot option would be standards, again a satellite service (maybe "Music Of Your Life"), again with an outside chance of local drive-time shows.

 

[maximumradio]

> I would think WBIX-1060's future will probably be as a
> leased-ethnic outlet, perhaps in Spanish, given that any day
> now, WAMG-890/WLLH-1400 will drop that format.
>
> The only problem with a flip to Spanish would be if a
> Boston-area FM station were to flip to Spanish-language
> programming. While I feel that the time has come for a
> Spanish-language FM station in the Boston area, I don't know
> if any area FM station would have the "guts" to "pull the
> trigger" and make such a move. I think a Spanish-language FM
> station in Boston would be successful, but it may be a year
> or two or more until Boston gets a Spanish-langauge FM
> station.
>
> Were WBIX to flip to Spanish, only to be followed in short
> order by an FM station flipping to Spanish-language
> programming, WBIX might not be profitable as a
> Spanish-language station, since a Spanish-language FM
> station would dominate Spanish-language radio in this
> market. But were WBIX to flip to Spanish, and no FM station
> were to follow for at least two or three years, WBIX would
> be successful---until a Spanish-language FM station appears
> on the Boston dial.
>
> Thus, it would not surprise me if WBIX flipped to ethnic
> programming (likely leased-time) in languages other than
> Spanish. Alex Langer might have longer-term success than
> with a Spanish-language format whose success could end the
> day Spanish-language programming comes to Boston's FM dial,
> which could be a short period of time after his own WBIX
> "goes Espanol".
>
> The bottom line: Would Langer make a flip to a format which
> would make his station successful, but perhaps only for a
> short period of time??
>
> Were Langer to decide not to flip WBIX to Spanish (perhaps
> thinking that a Spanish-language FM station would arrive in
> the Boston area sooner rather than later) or another ethnic
> format, there are two viable English-language options
> available.
>
> If WODS-103.3 drops it's oldies format in the next few weeks
> or few months (I wouldn't be too surprised if WODS gets
> "Jack"-ed come Labor Day or shortly thereafter), I could see
> WBIX picking-up the "True Oldies Channel" format, maybe even
> with local drive-time shows.
>
> A long-shot option would be standards, again a satellite
> service (maybe "Music Of Your Life"), again with an outside
> chance of local drive-time shows.

I would like to qualify something: Spanish is a language and not a format. Spanish language formats are as very varied as are English language formats. WBIX could go to a Spanish CHR format and CBS could flip 103.3 to Hurban and the audiences served would be at least 50% different. WBIX could do several Spanish language formats from talk to Contemorary Christian and not have any competition. It is only a matter of time until Boston has an FM station flip to a Spanish language format but the flip to which format is what would determine the rise or fall of whatever might be on WBIX..Typical of English radio it is a no brainer to assume that if an FM was to become competitive with WBIX that a shift to another Spanish format for WBIX would always be possible rather than a wholesale bailout to a non Spanish format. Just as an aside I would think that a Hurban format would be the most interesting direction for a Boston area station. ---a totally unserved potential audience awaits including not only Hispanics but also just generally people who like the sound of the station. I was at a Walmart in a market where "La Kalle" just rolled out ( ona Univision owned FM) and as quickly as someone would change stations on the demo radios at automotive or electronics someone else would turn it back on. A large number of these people were not Hispanic but clearly Caucasian and English speaking. If it were executed live and personality driven and with a lot of promotion and remotes it would pull an audience, numbers, and hopefully income.
>

 

[JustinT]

> I would like to qualify something: Spanish is a language and
> not a format. Spanish language formats are as very varied as
> are English language formats. WBIX could go to a Spanish CHR
> format and CBS could flip 103.3 to Hurban and the audiences
> served would be at least 50% different. WBIX could do
> several Spanish language formats from talk to Contemorary
> Christian and not have any competition. It is only a matter
> of time until Boston has an FM station flip to a Spanish
> language format but the flip to which format is what would
> determine the rise or fall of whatever might be on
> WBIX..Typical of English radio it is a no brainer to assume
> that if an FM was to become competitive with WBIX that a
> shift to another Spanish format for WBIX would always be
> possible rather than a wholesale bailout to a non Spanish
> format. Just as an aside I would think that a Hurban format
> would be the most interesting direction for a Boston area
> station. ---a totally unserved potential audience awaits
> including not only Hispanics but also just generally people
> who like the sound of the station. I was at a Walmart in a
> market where "La Kalle" just rolled out ( ona Univision
> owned FM) and as quickly as someone would change stations on
> the demo radios at automotive or electronics someone else
> would turn it back on. A large number of these people were
> not Hispanic but clearly Caucasian and English speaking. If
> it were executed live and personality driven and with a lot
> of promotion and remotes it would pull an audience, numbers,
> and hopefully income.

At the moment, I'm thinking that the first Spanish FM station will be a Hurban as well. A Hurban would not only capture the former Mega 890/1400 audience, but could also steal Hispanic listeners from Jam'n. Not sure if many Hispanics listen to Hot 97-7, but they'd get listeners from there too.

As for the owner: I'm thinking Univision. Infinity's not happy with the performance of WLZL/Washington, a Spanish Tropical, and doesn't have any stations in dire need of a change. Clear Channel would probably love to do a Hurban, but they don't have a signal to do it on, unless they wanted to use 93.3 as a rimshotter. (even so, 93.3 would miss Hispanic areas like Lowell and Lawrence). Univision has two local affiliates already (27 and 66), and although they are owned by Entravision, wouldn't they be able to cross-promote an FM Hurban station? Univision's got the money to do it too, they just need a frequency. Will it be La Kalle 92.5? 101.7? 92.5 y 95.9 (I hope not)? 104.9 (signal wouldn't work)? or Mega 93.3?

FM Spanish, or at least a replacement for Mega, cannot be too far in the future...

And on the other format, CCM, I think that K-Love might work around here on small translators. I'm not suggesting it, but I definately don't think that "92.5 The Fish" is around the corner either. K-Love now has a station in Massachusetts, WKMY in Winchendon. I have no idea whether they could fit a few translators in the Boston area or not, but it would bring something different to the dial... and it's far better than any of the syndicated Christian talk. Maybe EMF would be interested in leasing an AM station (WBIX) for K-Love? I don't really know much about the other CCM-based networks (Air1, WAY-FM, etc.).

 

[raccoonradio]

> I would call it "The JERRY Format" in tribute to the Dean,
> Jerry Williams. The alternative would be to call it "DEAN
> Radio".
> WJERY or WDEAN.

We've had Jack, Frank, Mike, why not Jerry? Calling it WDEAN (or some kind of four-letter call sign that implies it, though) would instead conjure up images of a certain DemoNationalComm chair. Yearrrrrgggh!!!! Love ya, Howard!!