Hot 96.9; Jam'n 94.5; 97.7 The Beat

[davideduardo]

DE, you constantly describe a broken and failing system to me. The jargon, insider knowledge, and obtuseness of it all make it clear why the product is what it is. everything is very convoluted. Almost every common-sense avenue is avoided in favor of arbitrary industry standards. Little room for experimentation despite the declining value of these stations. Weird.

There is nothing "failing" about radio. It is not a growth industry, but hardly "failed".

"Insider knowledge" is the stuff that makes us know things like "95% of all in-home and at-work listening is in the 65 dbu contour or greater" and stuff like that. It is called "experience".

In your case, as an example of your lack of "insider knowledge", you are using statistics that neither the ad industry nor the radio industry use.

And "insider knowledge" is what allows us to know that in larger markets, small local businesses can't afford mass media. So radio has to focus on chain stores, consumer brands and services. Most of those use ad agencies or have in-house media departments. And radio stations have to deliver a product that those advertisers want, within the demos that they wish to buy.

 

[davideduardo]

I'm saying, I just checked Nielsen. I can only use the data available to the general population.
Nielsen Audio Ratings

And what you are looking at is the last (if ever) thing people at actual radio stations look at: 6+ or 12+ numbers. They are meaningless for the business side of radio.

Example: for many decades WFAN was the #1 or #2 biller in NYC. It was around 15th in 12+ share. But in the target, a favorite of advertisers, they were commensurate with the billing level.

 

[kp2780]

It does seem like there is probably more potential and a higher ceiling for an Urban station than the current format of 97.7 The Beat. It’s seems like risk/reward with minimal risk to try Urban.

The market seems saturated with female leaning stations targeting a similar demographic. I’ve said this on a different thread but if you are a Male born between around 1980 and 1995 and want to listen to a music station in Boston, there likely is not much appealing to you. This is a money demo that grew up on 90s grudge and hip hop as pop music. Some of them probably are stuck in the past with their music tastes and some have more current tastes. The idea that there is not room for one rock leaning alternative station (with new music and some older songs also) to target this demo is absurd. Arguments about how variations of the format failed in the past do not really apply since the stations were splitting the audience. Now it’s wide open for the taking.

 

[TheBigA]

The idea that there is not room for one rock leaning alternative station (with new music and some older songs also) to target this demo is absurd.

All I've been saying is I don't see it making money. It might be a great format for a non-com or a suburban station.

 

[R.D.P.]

At one time, most of the Urban stations in The Magic City were regulated to a few weak AM Daytime signals. Now that has changed. When one travels to B-Ham, like I do, they can hear many Urban styled stations on both AM and FM now. That market is big enough to support many Urban styled presentations. It's true that B-Ham has many translator stations too. Some do a rebroadcast of the many HD Channels that exist there. Also some do a rebroadcast of the AM signals that are still on the air. Urban is big time popular in The Magic City. Even some of the new LPFM radio stations, cater to some form of an Urban format. B-Ham is an Urban paradise. That market has enough support for all those stations they have now.

Dan <><

P.S. I know I may not get this correct but here's a list of the Urban stations, one can hear in the B-Ham area, from my own memory bank. I apologize if I miss any.

91.1 WAJH (Jazz)
92.7 WDXB HD Relay (Black Information News)
94.1 WJLD AM Relay (Blues)
94.9 WATV AM Relay (Urban)
95.1 WSYP-LP (Urban)
95.7 WBHJ (Hip-Hop)
96.9 WVBC-LP (Urban) (Located in Bessemer) (West of Birmingham)
98.7 WBHK (Urban)
100.1 WAGG AM Relay (Gospel)
104.1 WMJJ HD Relay (Hip-Hop)
105.1 WERC HD Relay (Gospel)
107.7 WUHT (Urban)
610 WAGG (Gospel)
900 WATV (Urban)
1320 WBHK FM Simulcast (Urban)
1400 WJLD (Blues)

If Boston had a sizable Urban audience, like The Magic City, that sound would be heard on more radio stations or better sounding signals. Since that audience is small, it makes perfect sense to have the format on a rimshot styled signal.

To make this long story short, sweet, simple and to the point, Urban is a top selling format in B-Ham. It sells like hotcakes because there's enough support for all these stations.



​

 

[R.D.P.]

Another great example of where an Urban paradise exists is in the Gump. Here's a list of what one can hear on that dial and yes all these stations sell like hotcakes too, because the market is big enough to support them.​

90.7 WVAS (Jazz)
94.1 WZKD AM Relay (Southern Soul/Blues/R&B)
94.5 WUMO-LP (Gospel Jazz/Talk)
96.5 WMGY AM Relay (Gospel)
97.1 WWMG (Urban)
97.9 WJWZ (Hip-Hop)
98.5 WKEM-LP (Urban/Talk)
99.3 WMRK-HD Relay (Black Information News)
100.5 WQKS HD Relay (Classic Hip-Hop)
102.7 WKXN FM Greenville Relay (Southern Soul/Blues/R&B)
104.3 WHLW (Gospel)
105.7 WZHT (Hip-Hop)
800 WMGY (Gospel)
950 WZKD (Southern Soul/Blues/R&B)
1600 WXVI (Gospel)

These stations are very popular and do very well.

In most of the Southern markets, Urban styled programming is king. Other communities within the state of Alabama and the surrounding ones, have many Urban radio stations on their dial. (Examples would include but not only limited to: Mobile Alabama, Tuscaloosa Alabama, Dothan Alabama, Huntsville Alabama, Columbus Mississippi, Columbus Georgia, Memphis Tennessee, Jackson Mississippi, Atlanta Georgia, Macon Georgia and Tallahassee Florida) My own small market has several Urban players and they perform very well.

Now if Boston were to have a big Urban audience, like we have here, there would be more of that programming on the radio dial and better sounding signals. Just saying.​

 

[R.D.P.]

And...Many of these Urban players are legendary ones too. As an example: Hot 105.7 FM Montgomery will be turning 33 years old, this July. They got started back on July 4th 1988. This Urban player is still going strong. Matter of fact, they're still the top biller in The Gump. Many more have been in the game for years now and haven't looked back. I remember a time when Urban was regulated to a few weak FM and AM signals in my area and Montgomery. That has changed over the years. Glad that audience is being served with many radio stations now. It makes perfect $ense to do this, since that market is very big.

Dan <><​

 

[davideduardo]

And...Many of these Urban players are legendary ones too. As an example: Hot 105.7 FM Montgomery will be turning 33 years old, this July. They got started back on July 4th 1988 and still going strong. Matter of fact, this station is still the top biller in The Gump. Many more have been in the game for years now and haven't looked back. I remember a time when Urban was regulated to a few weak FM and AM Daytime only signals in my area and Montgomery. That has changed over the years. Glad that audience is being served with many radio stations now. It makes perfect sense to do this, since that audience is very big.

Dan <><​

My first job began as a go-fer at WJMO and WCUY (FM) in Cleveland, Ohio. Despite being a Class IV 250 watt AM at 1490, WJMO was a significant biller in the market as it was the only fulltime r&b station.

While looking at the billing rank made WJMO seem last of the 7 fulltime AMs at the time, it was not far behind the lower tier of the ones ahead of it despite a terrible signal. But the real issue was management. From the head of United Broadcasting to the local manager, the company was miserable. Think of "miserable" as meaning we had to often bring our own cleaning supplies and toilet paper as corporate would not let us "exceed the allocations" on such items. So for the station to bill as well as it did was testimony to the market's advertiser demand for a station that reached the Black community.

It would be easy to blame racism and prejudice for the slightly lower billing levels. But the fact was, the real issues were all internal management deficiencies which had nothing to do with bias. Amazingly, despite horrible ownership, the teamwork and spirit of the staff was marvelous... and it was a lot of fun being the "token white kid" at all their activities ranging from jazz clubs to voter registration projects.

 

[nowradioguy]

And...Many of these Urban players are legendary ones too. As an example: Hot 105.7 FM Montgomery will be turning 33 years old, this July. They got started back on July 4th 1988. This Urban player is still going strong. Matter of fact, they're still the top biller in The Gump. Many more have been in the game for years now and haven't looked back. I remember a time when Urban was regulated to a few weak FM and AM signals in my area and Montgomery. That has changed over the years. Glad that audience is being served with many radio stations now. It makes perfect $ense to do this, since that market is very big.

Dan <><​

An aside, if you will:

So you fortunate to get the call letters "WPJB" for your LPFM? Those once belonged to the FM station of the Providence (RI) Journal-Bulletin, which was the sister station to AM 790 WEAN. Both were very classy radio stations back in the 1960s.

 

[R.D.P.]

I learned about that, after I signed on. Someone that was helping me build the station, suggested I use those calls. I took their advice and ran with it.

Dan <><

 

[CTListener]

I learned about that, after I signed on. Someone that was helping me build the station, suggested I use those calls. I took their advice and ran with it.

Dan <><

Let me take a guess at your PJB: Proclaiming Jesus' Blessings? Praise Jesus, Bama?

The Rhode Island WPJB had been owned by the Providence Journal-Bulletin.

 

[R.D.P.]

(W)e're (P)eople For (J)esus Radio (B)roadcasting [Company Of Selma, Alabama, Inc.]

Dan <><

 

[Retro]

An aside, if you will:

So you fortunate to get the call letters "WPJB" for your LPFM? Those once belonged to the FM station of the Providence (RI) Journal-Bulletin, which was the sister station to AM 790 WEAN. Both were very classy radio stations back in the 1960s.

 

[CTListener]

Woooops! Missed that, somehow! Sorry, nowradioguy!

 

[Retro]

My first job began as a go-fer at WJMO and WCUY (FM) in Cleveland, Ohio. Despite being a Class IV 250 watt AM at 1490, WJMO was a significant biller in the market as it was the only fulltime r&b station.

While looking at the billing rank made WJMO seem last of the 7 fulltime AMs at the time, it was not far behind the lower tier of the ones ahead of it despite a terrible signal. But the real issue was management. From the head of United Broadcasting to the local manager, the company was miserable. Think of "miserable" as meaning we had to often bring our own cleaning supplies and toilet paper as corporate would not let us "exceed the allocations" on such items. So for the station to bill as well as it did was testimony to the market's advertiser demand for a station that reached the Black community.

It would be easy to blame racism and prejudice for the slightly lower billing levels. But the fact was, the real issues were all internal management deficiencies which had nothing to do with bias. Amazingly, despite horrible ownership, the teamwork and spirit of the staff was marvelous... and it was a lot of fun being the "token white kid" at all their activities ranging from jazz clubs to voter registration projects.

My first job began as a go-fer at WJMO and WCUY (FM) in Cleveland, Ohio. Despite being a Class IV 250 watt AM at 1490, WJMO was a significant biller in the market as it was the only fulltime r&b station.

While looking at the billing rank made WJMO seem last of the 7 fulltime AMs at the time, it was not far behind the lower tier of the ones ahead of it despite a terrible signal. But the real issue was management. From the head of United Broadcasting to the local manager, the company was miserable. Think of "miserable" as meaning we had to often bring our own cleaning supplies and toilet paper as corporate would not let us "exceed the allocations" on such items. So for the station to bill as well as it did was testimony to the market's advertiser demand for a station that reached the Black community.

It would be easy to blame racism and prejudice for the slightly lower billing levels. But the fact was, the real issues were all internal management deficiencies which had nothing to do with bias. Amazingly, despite horrible ownership, the teamwork and spirit of the staff was marvelous... and it was a lot of fun being the "token white kid" at all their activities ranging from jazz clubs to voter registration projects.

Now isn't that what ultimately ker-plunked (WWZN) "1510 The Zone" as well? Just saying...

 

[Retro]

The one thing that I continue to think about in the back of my head, is that there is surely a market for a full time R&B station here, if executed properly. Back in the day when Nash Communications still owned WILD, they beaten by then (WNFT) "1150 The Touch", which was a temporary holder format as the station was in a trust at the time.

I do not that the areas demographics have changed so much that such a station couldn't be a success at all. It would be all about how such a station would be programmed instead.

 

[TheBigA]

The one thing that I continue to think about in the back of my head, is that there is surely a market for a full time R&B station here, if executed properly.

Once again, the question isn't whether or not there's a market. The question is would local advertisers support it?

 

[CTListener]

Once again, the question isn't whether or not there's a market. The question is would local advertisers support it?

It would seem that Boston advertisers are happy with the African American reach of WJMN and WXKS and aren't interested in a pure urban play.

 

[TheBigA]

It would seem that Boston advertisers are happy with the African American reach of WJMN and WXKS and aren't interested in a pure urban play.

I guess. I keep waiting for someone to demonstrate otherwise. Despite bad 6+ numbers, JMN does well in the demo.

 

[musiklover]

It's a lot of discussion but reality is the original WKAF as Urban AC/R&B took this radio market by storm with upward success in a format that wasn't suppose to survive on FM. The station then dusted WJMN and was fun to hear level itself against HOT 96.9 on 2,000 watts!

Wonder what's being said behind closed doors at iHeart...a potential money maker (cluster stabilizer at best), if it were given any sort of attention (WKAF/R&B) or now a load of under sold Rhythmics with lots of heritage and a changing radio demographic...