With the recent flips in many cities to the new Gen-X format, could this format work in Buffalo? If so what station would be most likely to adopt it? Would love to hear what all of you think.
-
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
Gen X station in Buffalo?
- Thread starter majicrockstar
- Start date
A
azenergyfan
Guest
I am an outsider but lived in buffalo for 25 yrs so I still keep tabs on the market. I am thinking Jack as worn out and I personally love this type of station... well of course I do seeing that I graduated clarence high school in 1992 LOL. I would love Jack to get into the X vibe if ya know what I mean ;-)
B
Bob1370
Guest
To make any classic hits format, regardless of the core generation of its music library, really work, you should have not only the right music but good personalities to tie it together. That's why WHTT, and Legends 102.7 in Rochester, do rather well while the Jacks and the Fickles struggle (and so does an automated, tracked Gen-X music station like Rochester's Drive 100.5).
If WBUF or anyone else wants to make some real noise with a Gen-X station on a full market coverage FM signal, hire some real personalities, preferably ones familiar to the market, and let them do their thing.
One other thought--while WBUF seems an obvious candidate for a makeover, maybe Star 102.5 could benefit as much or more from a major shift...
If WBUF or anyone else wants to make some real noise with a Gen-X station on a full market coverage FM signal, hire some real personalities, preferably ones familiar to the market, and let them do their thing.
One other thought--while WBUF seems an obvious candidate for a makeover, maybe Star 102.5 could benefit as much or more from a major shift...
Normally, a thread dedicated to GenX formats wouldn't grab my attention, but just last week another radio fan asked me a similar question about the possibility of such a station in Buffalo. Alignment of the planets? (BTW, remember 101.1 The Planet?) A '92 high school graduate (I'm speculatin') is about 36 today, which indicates the format would appeal to a core of 30-42 year olds. Very likely, it would be 60/40 male to female. You have to wonder how big a share and cume a GenX or "Classic Gen X" might draw only because other stations, notably Kiss and the Edge have the demo covered very well. Would Town Square want to tangle with E'com and C'del? Additionally, WYRK attracts a good share of 30-42 year olds and WJYE seems to be working its way into the Women 35-44 demo. Word on the vine indicates Jack/WBUF is performing "just fine" in the eyes of T-Square. On face value it would appear no change is warranted. The Fall '10 ratings will shed more light on the issue, but from my (albeit limited) perspective, it's hard to consider even a foundering station switching to a Gen-X / Classic Gen-X format. It seems most format shifts don't happen in the dead of Winter. (e.g., Mix reverted to Classic Hits in August '09.) In an unrelated context, I'm curious to see the performance of the All-Christmas stations, as well as WGR and the Lake, which has held steady around 2.5, Persons 12+ for the last four books. BTW, has anybody else noticed the 12+ ratings for Buffalo have disappeared from the RI ratings page? There appears to be an Embargo.
There is supposed to be a gen x station in buffalo it's called "The Edge". I think the 'tards there forgot where thier bread was buttered...in the modern rock format. While the wedg is man oriented it wasn't always that way. It played Joan Osbourne, Mazzy Star and that weird chick from canada whose name escapes me right now. A gen x format is nothing more than an Adult Alternative format from the sound of it.
Radio's dead! This absolutly proves it to me. You can come up with a re-imaging of AA and call it gen x when gen x itself was a term those of us who grew up in that time hated. Slaker radio, I doubt it.
I think 92.9 gets brough up because people hate the fact that is it still around, and doing what it's supposed to be doing. The lake could easily transform into and AA station and boost it's ratings, but WEDG is the most in need of something. S&R are the only thing keeping the ratings afloat...take them away and WEDG is nothing more than jack fm.
Radio's dead! This absolutly proves it to me. You can come up with a re-imaging of AA and call it gen x when gen x itself was a term those of us who grew up in that time hated. Slaker radio, I doubt it.
I think 92.9 gets brough up because people hate the fact that is it still around, and doing what it's supposed to be doing. The lake could easily transform into and AA station and boost it's ratings, but WEDG is the most in need of something. S&R are the only thing keeping the ratings afloat...take them away and WEDG is nothing more than jack fm.
Well that WAS a OneDaySale...wasn't it? 
Welcome to B/NF/R board...all are welcome to express their opinions (all firearms must be relinquished at the front desk)
Um...that's all
HDBG
Welcome to B/NF/R board...all are welcome to express their opinions (all firearms must be relinquished at the front desk)
Um...that's all
HDBG
I was leaning toward WEDG myself,that is if someday shredd and ragan ever move down to 96.9!! But that would be the only way that might ever happen.. I guess another scenerio might be Star going to a 90s tilt and moving Janet and Nic to mornings, that would give the station some DJs that were playing those type hits back in the day! But Star has a loyal base and such so i dont think that will ever happen.. These are just thoughts.. but love the feedback guys!!
Star's slipping, and the Kiss demos are creeping upward. Sooner or later, there's going to have to be some tweaking done there. 97 Rock is creeping toward geezer demos, and The Edge seems a little lost to me. Once again, some tweaking is going to be necessary there - especially if Norton goes South for good.
Jack is cheap to run, and has such a "nothing" image that they could tilt the music in any direction without causing much of a stir. My guess is that any or all of the above will skew music newer in order to serve the people entering their target audience better. If they don't they'll just keep aging with their current audience.
Jack is cheap to run, and has such a "nothing" image that they could tilt the music in any direction without causing much of a stir. My guess is that any or all of the above will skew music newer in order to serve the people entering their target audience better. If they don't they'll just keep aging with their current audience.
B
Bob1370
Guest
"Jack is cheap to run, and has such a "nothing" image that they could tilt the music in any direction without causing much of a stir."
And that's its weakness. Whatever it may do, it's a machine, and no one's going to pay much attention. You need the value-added of live personality to really matter to your target audience. I'm not necessarily going to predict that blowing up Jack in Buffalo and replacing it with a high energy personality classic hits station will take it to #1, like a similar move did in New York when Jack was detonated to make way for the WCBS-FM that New Yorkers know and love today. But it would probably make a big difference--and we know if they do nothing they'll continue to be a station not too many listeners, or advertisers, notice. Too bad Townsquare is strapped for cash, because putting a little money in that signal might pay off handsomely.
And that's its weakness. Whatever it may do, it's a machine, and no one's going to pay much attention. You need the value-added of live personality to really matter to your target audience. I'm not necessarily going to predict that blowing up Jack in Buffalo and replacing it with a high energy personality classic hits station will take it to #1, like a similar move did in New York when Jack was detonated to make way for the WCBS-FM that New Yorkers know and love today. But it would probably make a big difference--and we know if they do nothing they'll continue to be a station not too many listeners, or advertisers, notice. Too bad Townsquare is strapped for cash, because putting a little money in that signal might pay off handsomely.
Bob1370 said:
I think it helped that there was a 30-year track record for CBS-FM before it was hi-"Jack"-ed in 2004. (Sorry I'll never do it again) But after Dan Mason replaced Joel Hollander as president of CBS Radio, a lot of once-legendary stations that had been switched to Jack or Man formats under Mr. Hollander were switched back to their previous formats.
What I wonder - in general - about the rise of "Gen X" formats, is that many Alternative stations still live in that world. It's kinda like the way many Oldies stations basked in the Beatles/Motown era for so long that when they finally had to evolve it was a shock to their core. But it's going on 19 years since Nirvana and the Seattle crowd saved Rock & Roll from hair band hell. In 2011, pulling out "Heart-Shaped Box" or "In Bloom" should be the occasional lunar "oh wow" record in my opinion.
Adding to this dilemma is the fact that most young guys have long ago figured out that radio isn't going to play their kind of music - hardcore and its offshoots - the music I dare say would be the true Alternative music of this generation. (Then again there always was the question of whether such a format could attract enough listeners.)
So where does the Modern Rock format go? Do they count on the hole created by Top 40's current reliance on more dance and rhythmic product? What happens if Mainstream Top 40 goes back to adding more rock-based titles as part of evolving into a more extreme cycle? (Considering what I've heard on Kiss/'PXY over the last dozen years when traveling thru WNY, maybe this isn't an issue for Buffalo/Rochester) Or does it really matter anymore if Modern Rock exists as the "alternative" station.
I certainly see the value in a Gen-X format. There have to be enough thirty and forty-somethings left cold by Kings Of Leon or what Linkin Park's doing now to support it.
Want to read about a real format flip? The Cleveland Board offers 10+ pages of posts speculating about a format flip as stunting continues on one of the Clear Channel FMs. Looks like another "Mix" may bite the dust and the Lake moniker may be coming to Cleveland's FM band (surf fx optional) as CC has claimed "1065TheLake." Then again, it could be a whole lot of smoke. Coincidentally, Cleveland also has stations on 98.5, 103.3, 104.1 and 106.5.
Heh, I do kinda wish the Lake in Buffalo would sound like the Lake in Cleveland, but if that were so, I'm guessing it wouldn't be called the Lake, it would instead be known as Fickle 107.7! lol
Re: Cleveland - There was a lot of speculation that CC would put a GenX format on 106.5, but "The Lake" turned out to be an adult/variety hits/Jack FM clone.
Note that there was a concerted effort out of CC's building to put out the "GenX" story as an elaborate smokescreen.
I heard "GenX" rumors from everyone but the janitor there, and the rumors were flooding the market, but no one would CONFIRM it to me...so I started talking about the apparently organized misinformation campaign on the Sunday before the flip to "The Lake".
Note that there was a concerted effort out of CC's building to put out the "GenX" story as an elaborate smokescreen.
I heard "GenX" rumors from everyone but the janitor there, and the rumors were flooding the market, but no one would CONFIRM it to me...so I started talking about the apparently organized misinformation campaign on the Sunday before the flip to "The Lake".
- Status