• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Formats That Should Be in Northeast Ohio

C

CleveFan

Just to be creative, how about discussing formats that are sort of a "wish list" in the Northeast Ohio markets. Basically, what stations we wish were available in the areas. Here are my wishes:

For Akron - a Mainstream AC that is different from WKDD and even WDOK, and also specifically targeting the Akron area.

For Cleveland - Alternative - The city needs a station focusing on newer and older product that the other rock stations are not playing. It is badly needed.
 
We just got 100.7 the Zone back in Toledo and it didn't seem like anyone really missed it. And it sounds much better than it did the last time it was on air, so I hope it succeeds this time. If Toledo can get its alternative station back, so could Cleveland, just it will likely be on a garbage signal as I don't think any decent signals are gonna be flipping any time soon.

Another format I could see a hole for would be a less CHR-based Hot AC. Q plays far too much pop (Nicki Minaj, Selena Gomez) and I wouldn't be surprised if this move towards CHR starts to drive away its older and male listeners. I know I've taken it off my presets for whenever I'm in the area. I like the sound WKDD had about a year ago, but they seem to be driving more towards CHR too. Would a station with a setup like WKDD or more Modern AC work in Cleveland? Or does KDD get enough of a presence in the Cleveland market? (I get it in southern Lorain county)
 
Well, Q 104 has made no real bones about wanting to get some 96.5 KISS FM ears over the past few years, thus they now are more or less an Adult Top 40 outlet.

And with that, WDOK has picked up some Hot AC tunes, which has made them now a Mainstream AC outlet (a little hot, a little soft, and some in-between).

106.5 The Lake plays some Hot AC tunes as part of their "Adult Hits" hodgepodge playlist.

As far as alternative goes...it really is a niche format.

You'd have to have it as part of a cluster, and not as a stand alone station.

WMMS plays some alt-rock during their music blocks, and The Lake has some alt-rock tunes in their playlist as well.

But a pure alt-rock station just isn't really feasible in Cleveland right now.
 
Didn't CBS say that their music-only approach to the Alternative format was more successful then they thought it would be? I recall that, sad as it is to say, their ratings went up after they dropped the "DJ';s". The switch to Sports-talk could be a case of the corporation deciding they could do better since Sports-talk is one of their strong suits.

The Alternative format is indeed available to those on the West side and in Lorain county. WBWC 88.3 FM does Alt. Rock pretty much from 6am until 10pm Monday through Saturday. Other shows cover the other slots.
 
Best example of how sub-par music radio is in Cleveland - last week I heard 3 different Lynyrd Skynyrd songs playing on 3 different stations at the same time. How's that for variety?? The glory days of radio were built on new music, and now its been almost completely abandoned. And trust me its not because good new music doesn't exist.

V1073 was FAR from perfect, but at least I got turned on to some new artists because of them. If not for the college stations the only new music you will hear in Cleveland comes from Katy Perry or Taylor Swift. WMMS and The Lake are nothing close to alternative, just because every now and then they spin what could be considered an extremely mainstream alt rock track. THANK GOD for the college stations, specifically WBWC.....and for streaming services on my iPhone.
 
Two holes.... real soft AC (I still think that WNWV will eventually evolve to this position).... and a classic hits format in the style of Chicago's "The Drive."
 
As the rock-n-roll capital, it seems like we should have a station that plays a wider range of oldies with some tunes from the 50's and early 60's mixed in. WMJI used to be that station at one time, but unfortunately they no longer play anything that old.
 
I think a format similar to Denver's KJHM Jammin 101.5 would work in Cleveland. They play uptempo rhythmic-based pop, r&b, disco and freestyle from the 70's, 80's and 90's. The 25 to 50 year old females have been bombarded with songs from artists like Bon Jovi, Goo Goo Dolls and Sugar Ray here in Cleveland on several different stations. When is the last time you heard Expose, Color Me Badd or the Gap Band on the radio? This type of Rhythmic Ac would fill a void here, and would give stations like 93.1, 106.5, 98.1 and 104.1 a run for their money!
 
How about the greatest traffic reports of all time? Solid-gold weather forcasts? all 1kw tones for broadcast engineers? all-jingles? All Jay-Z. All-airchecks?

Personally, I'd love to hear a KROQ-type format. The legendary southern California alternative station sounds more to me like alternative oldies, but that's fine. Don't know if such a format would be a money-maker here, but it's huge in LA.

There's a reason there's no real rock station in Cleveland, and the one that used to be a legend (WMMS) chooses to be talk in drive times and typically runs Indians or Cavs games that can't clear on sister station WTAM. What does that tell you about what a major radio chain Clear Channel thinks about rock formats in Cleveland? If there's a penny on the ground, CC finds a way to grab it.CC must not see many rock pennies laying around.
 
Tim said:
How about the greatest traffic reports of all time? Solid-gold weather forcasts? all 1kw tones for broadcast engineers? all-jingles? All Jay-Z. All-airchecks?

Personally, I'd love to hear a KROQ-type format. The legendary southern California alternative station sounds more to me like alternative oldies, but that's fine. Don't know if such a format would be a money-maker here, but it's huge in LA.

There's a reason there's no real rock station in Cleveland, and the one that used to be a legend (WMMS) chooses to be talk in drive times and typically runs Indians or Cavs games that can't clear on sister station WTAM. What does that tell you about what a major radio chain Clear Channel thinks about rock formats in Cleveland? If there's a penny on the ground, CC finds a way to grab it.CC must not see many rock pennies laying around.
Click to expand...

The only "real" rock station in Cleveland is WNCX. It's all 60s/70s/80s classic rock, but it counts, and outside of the post-Stern morning merry-go-round, has been quite stable.

CC turning WMMS into a rock/talk/sports "mancave" station has turned it around and made it a top 10 station again after years in the abyss.
 
@chrocket87 100.7 The Zone/Toledo is on a translator. Hardly counts. If Cumulus were serious it would be on a full FM. And when it was at 106.5 it was not very good that's why it was flipped in favor of The Ticket (WLQR-AM) simulcast. FM sports is more popular, and more importantly, makes more money.
 
Of course The Ticket makes more money, but the fact they're putting it on a translator shows they have at least some faith in the format. I'm surprised alternative isn't even on a translator in Cleveland, considering the current Zone format doesn't really match the Toledo market (Cumulus would be better served putting active rock in this market), yet Cumulus has some faith in it's viability.
 
Formats needed:
Hot AC...the only real one left in NEO is 94.1 in Canton
Alternative/AAA...but 107.3 and 92.3's recent ratings troubles don't likely mean either will return any time soon.
Espanol...it's not a format, but surprised no down in the dumps AM operator hasn't tried to go Spanish to serve the Lorain County market, the west side of Cleveland, and other pockets of Spanish speaking listeners.
All News...perfect option for a second tier AM station.
Formats we have too much of:
CHR...do we really need 92.5, 96.5, 98.1, 101.1 and 104.1 all going after the same audience?
Classic Rock/Hits...same with 97.5, 98.5, 102.9 and 105.7
 
Lets see Q92.5 is in Alliance so they go after the Canton audience. 98.1WKDD and 97.5WONE goes for the Akron audience. And Hot101.1 and Y102.9 goes for the Youngstown audience. So really the Cleveland audience has for CHR 96.5 KISSFM and Q104 and Majic 105.7 and 98.5WNCX for Classic Rock. You probably live in a part of northeastern Ohio were you recieve all those signals you mention. Imagine living in Columbus which has no other big city nearby. For country 92.3,95.5, 100.3,107.1. For classic rock 96.3, 101.7, 103.9, and 105.7. But here's what you would like for new rock 99.7 and Alternative the format you wish would return to your area we have 102.5 and 106.7. Cd102.5 and X106.7 are both available online. We in Columbus would love to have an alternate Chr to longtime WNCI which has the same owners as 96.5 and 98.1. But instead of getting a new chr we either get a new country station or another oldies station.
 
wffm78 said:
Formats needed:
Hot AC...the only real one left in NEO is 94.1 in Canton
Alternative/AAA...but 107.3 and 92.3's recent ratings troubles don't likely mean either will return any time soon.
Espanol...it's not a format, but surprised no down in the dumps AM operator hasn't tried to go Spanish to serve the Lorain County market, the west side of Cleveland, and other pockets of Spanish speaking listeners.
All News...perfect option for a second tier AM station.
Click to expand...

Hot AC: Mix 94.1 actually sounds really good most of the time. I wish it came in better in southern Lorain county.
Alternative: I've already said my opinion on this. I'm surprised no one has even put this on a translator. The demand is there.
AAA: No. AAA only works where there is a "hip" (is this the right word) perception, see Portland, SF, or Ann Arbor, where the format does very well. Cleveland is too conservative of a radio market for AAA.
Espanol: I am surprised this is nowhere on the dial, even AM.
All News: News radio costs too much to run and is there enough money in this market to make it worth the investment?
 
the marv said:
Cd102.5 and X106.7 are both available online. We in Columbus would love to have an alternate Chr to longtime WNCI which has the same owners as 96.5 and 98.1. But instead of getting a new chr we either get a new country station or another oldies station.
Click to expand...

I thought CD dumped it's webstream a year ago? I agree on the CHR front: WNCI sounds pretty good, but a market like Columbus can fit two CHRs, even though Mix 107 is starting to lean heavily CHR.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom