How long before NASH show's up in the ratings?

[leethalweapon]

I'm guessing that the slight bump in PLJ numbers was because of the WFME simulcast. So, when will NASH start to show up?

 

[MoldaMania182]

When the new PPM encoders were added to the audio chain? When the contract was signed for it? You'd think that all would have been day 1 though... It was only on air for 9 days of January's book anyway.

I'm sure we'll see something in February's.

 

[xmusicmatt]

When the new PPM encoders were added to the audio chain? When the contract was signed for it? You'd think that all would have been day 1 though... It was only on air for 9 days of January's book anyway.

I'm sure we'll see something in February's.

I wonder how that hand over works with PPM..

WFME was encoding (we just didn't see the ratings in the public released #s after Arb decided to hide ratings from those who don't subscribe) ... I am guessing when the sale completed FR's encoders got removed and Cumulus installed theirs? Or do the PPM Encoders stick with the license?

 

[davideduardo]

When the new PPM encoders were added to the audio chain? When the contract was signed for it? You'd think that all would have been day 1 though... It was only on air for 9 days of January's book anyway.

I'm sure we'll see something in February's.

The last week of January showed a respectable share for WNSH... it was encoded and getting listening.

 

[benale]

It's been about a month since WNSH started playing country music. How long will it be until they add air talent? It is nice having country back in NY, but after awhile the automated jukebox gets a little stale.

 

[erwin33]

It's been about a month since WNSH started playing country music. How long will it be until they add air talent? It is nice having country back in NY, but after awhile the automated jukebox gets a little stale.

I thought they starts with DJ's these days when Nash Bash happens and promote it on air, because this concerts are also a sort of official launch of the station. Maybe after the 3 days of concerts they start with a line up.

 

[fybush]

I am guessing when the sale completed FR's encoders got removed and Cumulus installed theirs? Or do the PPM Encoders stick with the license?

The encoders belong to Arbitron, not to the station. It's up to the station to make sure they're in place and operating, and that the correct station data (callsign, format) is on file with Arbitron. Since 94.7 has been using two transmitter sites (the original WFME site and an antenna on the taller tower next door) on and off for the last few months, my guess is that there are probably PPM boxes in place at both sites, so there's always been some sort of encoding on 94.7 throughout the transition.

 

[Kevin TRC]

I don't think that Nash FM will be #1 in the market, but you'd have to think they have a good chance to be a top-10 station since country music isn't what it used to be and there's a lot of crossover. Artists like Taylor Swift and others are all great crossover singers and if they promote the station right I would think they would have a good chance for success. Hopefully they will hire local DJ's and keep the station with a NY area feel. I wish them luck.

 

[DanM]

I'm not a country music fan, but as a radio fan I've been listening to Nash FM on and off to see how it develops. I've been surprised that after all the silly secrecy, the call-sign feint and the "wheel of formats" -- all of which brought it a nice burst of publicity when it launched -- it's been so slow to do anything interesting on air. Basically it sounds like someone plugged in an iPod (with only 100 or so songs) and walked away.

And to Kevin's point--

...you'd have to think they have a good chance to be a top-10 station since country music isn't what it used to be and there's a lot of crossover...

--I was expecting to hear a music mix pitched to a wide audience, featuring a lot of crossover acts, maybe even some country-influenced rock like Sheryl Crow or Alabama Shakes. Instead I've been surprised how much of the music is unabashedly (and sometimes self-consciously) aimed at Southern and Western small-town audiences, even celebrating their non-urban-ness.

"It ain't hip to sing about tractors, trucks/Little towns and mama/Yeah that might be true/But this is country music, and we do," sings Brad Paisley. Tim McGraw sings "I like the old and out-dated way of life." Another song (not sure what it is since WNSH doesn't announce anything) speaks of a young man's shock when he discovers that there's more to the world than his tiny Kentucky town. And when I heard Rodney Atkins sing "I Fell in Love with the Farmer's Daughter," all I could think was: Seriously? This is "today's" country music? And they're playing it in New York?

Yes, Nash-FM plays the occasional Taylor Swift hit, and plenty of songs that are just about being in love or partying on Saturday night or other fairly universal themes. And I can see there's cross-over appeal to acts like Zac Brown Band or Miranda Lambert. But a lot of the music in the Nash-FM mix seems aimed at people who really, really want to hear songs about tractors, trucks, little towns and mama, as opposed to people who might cross over from Lite-FM or WPLJ.

Obviously I'm not the target audience, but I'm wondering how big it could possibly be in Metro New York.

 

[xmusicmatt]

I am guessing when the sale completed FR's encoders got removed and Cumulus installed theirs? Or do the PPM Encoders stick with the license?

The encoders belong to Arbitron, not to the station. It's up to the station to make sure they're in place and operating, and that the correct station data (callsign, format) is on file with Arbitron. Since 94.7 has been using two transmitter sites (the original WFME site and an antenna on the taller tower next door) on and off for the last few months, my guess is that there are probably PPM boxes in place at both sites, so there's always been some sort of encoding on 94.7 throughout the transition.

Thanks Scott. I was wondering 100% how that worked.. I know WFME encoded because prior to the non subs being removed from the public PPM numbers WFME showed up usually with around a 1.0-1.2 share.

 

[BRH]

I'm not a country music fan, but as a radio fan I've been listening to Nash FM on and off to see how it develops. I've been surprised that after all the silly secrecy, the call-sign feint and the "wheel of formats" -- all of which brought it a nice burst of publicity when it launched -- it's been so slow to do anything interesting on air. Basically it sounds like someone plugged in an iPod (with only 100 or so songs) and walked away.

And to Kevin's point--

...you'd have to think they have a good chance to be a top-10 station since country music isn't what it used to be and there's a lot of crossover...

--I was expecting to hear a music mix pitched to a wide audience, featuring a lot of crossover acts, maybe even some country-influenced rock like Sheryl Crow or Alabama Shakes. Instead I've been surprised how much of the music is unabashedly (and sometimes self-consciously) aimed at Southern and Western small-town audiences, even celebrating their non-urban-ness.

"It ain't hip to sing about tractors, trucks/Little towns and mama/Yeah that might be true/But this is country music, and we do," sings Brad Paisley. Tim McGraw sings "I like the old and out-dated way of life." Another song (not sure what it is since WNSH doesn't announce anything) speaks of a young man's shock when he discovers that there's more to the world than his tiny Kentucky town. And when I heard Rodney Atkins sing "I Fell in Love with the Farmer's Daughter," all I could think was: Seriously? This is "today's" country music? And they're playing it in New York?

Yes, Nash-FM plays the occasional Taylor Swift hit, and plenty of songs that are just about being in love or partying on Saturday night or other fairly universal themes. And I can see there's cross-over appeal to acts like Zac Brown Band or Miranda Lambert. But a lot of the music in the Nash-FM mix seems aimed at people who really, really want to hear songs about tractors, trucks, little towns and mama, as opposed to people who might cross over from Lite-FM or WPLJ.

Obviously I'm not the target audience, but I'm wondering how big it could possibly be in Metro New York.

I think one thing to remember is that music doesn't always mirror one's own personal life. There are probably plenty of people who have never set foot on a farm or in a small Southern town who find the idea of such as kind of romantic or a fantasy life. The same reverse argument could be made for rural people in the South listening to hip hop. Often, they're about as far away from "the hood" as one could get, but the music is just as popular there as in the inner cities.

 

[UncleBozzle]

Amazing that people can't get beyond the rural factor of Country music. I'm guessing some of the folks on this board never hopped in the car and headed west through the Lincoln or Holland Tunnel. Be it out I-78 or I-80....this rural life exists a mere 35 miles or so west of the city. Where I grew up in Somerset County there were, and are, plenty of farms, tractors, farmers, people who hunt deer and fish, heck they even like NASCAR. I hate to burst anybody's ego, but NYC is not the "Center of the Universe". People in NY/NJ and CT get what the music means and what it's about, and frankly if you don't grasp the concept behind it I doubt you are who the station intends on reaching.

 

[surfdude]

Well said Bob Rogers. Not everybody in New York City is from New York City. And people who are might yearn for a simpler life.
New Yorkers aren't stupid, they know there's another way of life in the USA.

There's almost as many hit Country songs about beaches and the Caribbean as there are about tractors and farms (Chesney, Zak Brown, Blake Shelton,)

You can best believe Cumulus, a company that started as a radio research company (Stratford), has been testing music on people in the city and the suburbs. (Not a fan of how Cumulus runs their smaller market stations, though - on a shoestring).

The format is what it is. You can only tweak it a little for NYC. I'd guess a 2.5 share 6+ in the long run. Maybe that's good enough, maybe not.

 

[OC3]

Not just their smaller market stations!

 

[DanM]

True, BRH, you don't have to "be" country to like the music, just like you don't have to be Jamaican to enjoy reggae. And yes, Bob_Rogers, I live in NJ and know it has farms and forests and Pine Barrens -- and coverage from existing country radio stations in South Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania. And yes, surfdude, some may like to listen to songs about another way of life.

And no, I was not trying to disparage the music or its fans -- just pointing out that WNSH does not seem to be trying to draw in a broader audience by playing a lot of music with cross-over appeal. Which makes me wonder if Cumulus intends to make WNSH more of a New York station or more of a link in a national chain with a uniform format and music mix.

Meanwhile - This evening for the first time I heard a promo introducing two DJs who will start Monday, in midday and PM drive. Oddly, there was no mention of morning drive.

 

[Jeffrey]

True, BRH, you don't have to "be" country to like the music, just like you don't have to be Jamaican to enjoy reggae. And yes, Bob_Rogers, I live in NJ and know it has farms and forests and Pine Barrens -- and coverage from existing country radio stations in South Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania. And yes, surfdude, some may like to listen to songs about another way of life.

And no, I was not trying to disparage the music or its fans -- just pointing out that WNSH does not seem to be trying to draw in a broader audience by playing a lot of music with cross-over appeal. Which makes me wonder if Cumulus intends to make WNSH more of a New York station or more of a link in a national chain with a uniform format and music mix.

Meanwhile - This evening for the first time I heard a promo introducing two DJs who will start Monday, in midday and PM drive. Oddly, there was no mention of morning drive.

There are alot of country fans on this board. Obviously they understand and feel the music so it's logical they would get defensive but I tend to agree with you Dan about the music. I thought a country station in New York might feel a bit more urban and with alot more crossovers. I realize they're targeting primarily the NJ suburbs so it's likely that a song with a line, "I'd like to check you for ticks" won't shock any listeners but as far as a city audience, aside from the occassional small town boy who moved to the big city for a job, I don't think it'll have mass appeal on Madison Avenue or take the city by storm.
As we know however, WNSH was born as an anchor to the NASH brand that will be nation wide on all Cumulus country stations. A one size fits all senario. Cumulus is much more concerned about having the brand in market number 1 to sell on a national level than it is about programming a playlist suitable for New Yorkers. It's likely even a 2.0 will earn money for them however given the brand will be sold on a national level.
It's really not about local radio at all.

 

[jh]

There are alot of country fans on this board. Obviously they understand and feel the music so it's logical they would get defensive but I tend to agree with you Dan about the music. I thought a country station in New York might feel a bit more urban and with alot more crossovers. I realize they're targeting primarily the NJ suburbs so it's likely that a song with a line, "I'd like to check you for ticks" won't shock any listeners but as far as a city audience, aside from the occassional small town boy who moved to the big city for a job, I don't think it'll have mass appeal on Madison Avenue or take the city by storm.

There have been numerous attempts over the years to do country "differently"... such as adding AC crossovers, classic rock oldies, etc... and they usually fail. (I think they always fail, but there's probably an exception someplace.)

Unless you like county music, you won't listen to a country station despite them playing an occasional crossover song. And with crossover, non-county songs the station runs the risk of turning off the base.

It will probably be somewhat of a niche format in NYC. But in combination with WPLJ, it could sell well.

Whether you have to be "country" to listen... I don't think so.

 

[Jeffrey]

There are alot of country fans on this board. Obviously they understand and feel the music so it's logical they would get defensive but I tend to agree with you Dan about the music. I thought a country station in New York might feel a bit more urban and with alot more crossovers. I realize they're targeting primarily the NJ suburbs so it's likely that a song with a line, "I'd like to check you for ticks" won't shock any listeners but as far as a city audience, aside from the occassional small town boy who moved to the big city for a job, I don't think it'll have mass appeal on Madison Avenue or take the city by storm.

There have been numerous attempts over the years to do country "differently"... such as adding AC crossovers, classic rock oldies, etc... and they usually fail. (I think they always fail, but there's probably an exception someplace.)

Unless you like county music, you won't listen to a country station despite them playing an occasional crossover song. And with crossover, non-county songs the station runs the risk of turning off the base.

It will probably be somewhat of a niche format in NYC. But in combination with WPLJ, it could sell well.

Whether you have to be "country" to listen... I don't think so.

WHN had alot of cross over and wasn't merely a country station, hence it's success in the market years ago. Country music however has evolved and is very different today than the days of WHN so you're probably right in that true country fans would be turned off by alot of crossover. Without the crossover though they're unlikely to gain the LITE FM listener who scrolls the dial and stops on a catchy tune thus gaining a potential new country fan and listener....but again, that's not the main purpose of the station. It's the anchor to the NASH brand.

It's really quite genious how they sought to develop a national country brand with a NYC anchor. Since country is a niche format in NYC it was the only way to bring the format to this market and with national advertising, a mere presence in this city regardless of stellar or not stellar ratings is huge on a national level for the country music industry and Cumulus.

We don't know if it will work or make money yet but my guess is that since the execution so far has been excellent, that it will.

 

[ansky212]

I really don't get what you guys are talking about. I constantly hear Nash playing crossover artists...Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum, Keith Urban, etc. Maybe you're just not listening enough, but how much more crossover could they possibly do? You can't have such a tight playlist....and I already hear too much repetition of many of these artists. And what's the point of having a country station if you're just going to repeat the same mainstream songs other stations are playing. As a true country fan (that has never lived in the country a day in my life) I think they sound great.