Well, there are a few format holes that should be filled in Albany, here are some to note:
* Modern Rock - WEQX is only a rimshot station (it's more Glens Falls and southern Vermont than Albany to me) and WQBK is Active Rock... maybe 104.9 should bring back "Z104.9"? That'd be nice unless 100.9 decides to go in the WKBE simulcast route...
* CHR/Rock - Not a format per se (yet), but the ailing 102.3 Kiss FM should start leaning more rock (think MCR, Orianthi, Paramore, etc.) with the "Channel 102-3" branding (found on other Clear Channel CHRs) and stop going after Jamz with a failed Rhythmic-leaning format
* Modern AC - Can be solved easily by dumping The Collapsed Bridge for a WKBE simulcast on 100.9 (even if Cat Country were on 100.9, it wouldn't get more than a 2.0 rating probably...)
* Classic Country - Won't see this on a regular signal in the Albany market anytime soon... WGNA-HD2 perhaps?
* Urban AC or Smooth Jazz - No go for either... Smooth Jazz is declining nationwide (but WRVE's HD2 has a smooth jazz channel), while Urban AC didn't work when it was tried on 104.9
* I might be missing some other format holes, but that's all I could think of off the top of my head
Of course, both a WKBE simulcast and Z104.9 might overlap too much... which raises another question: should Cat Country move to (or simulcast Froggy instead on) 100.9 and Z104.9 relaunch? or would it better to take a strong Glens Falls market station and simulcast it on 100.9 Albany and put Magic/leave Cat Country/simulcast Froggy on 104.9? or even maybe putting Magic back on 100.9 and simulcasting WKBE on 104.9? Nothing'll change at Pamal's Big Three of course (WFLY 92.3, WYJB 95.5, WAJZ 96.3)
* Modern Rock - WEQX is only a rimshot station (it's more Glens Falls and southern Vermont than Albany to me) and WQBK is Active Rock... maybe 104.9 should bring back "Z104.9"? That'd be nice unless 100.9 decides to go in the WKBE simulcast route...
* CHR/Rock - Not a format per se (yet), but the ailing 102.3 Kiss FM should start leaning more rock (think MCR, Orianthi, Paramore, etc.) with the "Channel 102-3" branding (found on other Clear Channel CHRs) and stop going after Jamz with a failed Rhythmic-leaning format
* Modern AC - Can be solved easily by dumping The Collapsed Bridge for a WKBE simulcast on 100.9 (even if Cat Country were on 100.9, it wouldn't get more than a 2.0 rating probably...)
* Classic Country - Won't see this on a regular signal in the Albany market anytime soon... WGNA-HD2 perhaps?
* Urban AC or Smooth Jazz - No go for either... Smooth Jazz is declining nationwide (but WRVE's HD2 has a smooth jazz channel), while Urban AC didn't work when it was tried on 104.9
* I might be missing some other format holes, but that's all I could think of off the top of my head
Of course, both a WKBE simulcast and Z104.9 might overlap too much... which raises another question: should Cat Country move to (or simulcast Froggy instead on) 100.9 and Z104.9 relaunch? or would it better to take a strong Glens Falls market station and simulcast it on 100.9 Albany and put Magic/leave Cat Country/simulcast Froggy on 104.9? or even maybe putting Magic back on 100.9 and simulcasting WKBE on 104.9? Nothing'll change at Pamal's Big Three of course (WFLY 92.3, WYJB 95.5, WAJZ 96.3)