This question comes up after I heard yesterday from this site that WLTE, the only AC in the Twin Cities area will flip to country, this coming only several months after KUDL in Kansas City flipped, although I'm not sure whether to call that a hot AC or an AC, it's right on the fine line. I'm not to concerned about Detroit, even though they've lost an AC, because Greater Media owns another AC, so losing one isn't going to hurt that market. Thoughts?
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is AC starting to disappear?
- Thread starter bobdavcav
- Start date
Interesting question. I don't think the format is as viable as it has been. Actually, it's unknown if WMGC (Detroit's only AC) will return to the format after Christmas. It's just going by "Christmas 105.1" and the morning host is out.
Greenville, SC used to have 2 AC's, but WMYI, which used to be the format leader in this market, transitioned to more of a "fresh AC" format in the summer...essentially, it sounds like Hot AC but fewer current spins and more emphasis on 90s/early 2000s music than HAC. Just down the road, WTCB in Columbia, SC is almost on a flip watch. There is speculation on the Orlando board that WMGF could be abandoning the format.
It's also interesting that 93.9 WLIT in Chicago looks to be struggling badly. I wonder if they could go "fresh" in the coming year (like WNIC and WMYI)? KVIL 103.7 in Dallas is hurting also, and we see what is happening to their sister station in the Twin Cities.
With the way more Hot AC's are sounding like CHR's (especially those owned by CBS), I think we're going to see more mainline AC's adopt the "fresh AC" sound with more emphasis on new and 2000s/90s music in order to survive. We saw this with B-98.5 in Atlanta about 6 months ago, as well. Interesting times.
Greenville, SC used to have 2 AC's, but WMYI, which used to be the format leader in this market, transitioned to more of a "fresh AC" format in the summer...essentially, it sounds like Hot AC but fewer current spins and more emphasis on 90s/early 2000s music than HAC. Just down the road, WTCB in Columbia, SC is almost on a flip watch. There is speculation on the Orlando board that WMGF could be abandoning the format.
It's also interesting that 93.9 WLIT in Chicago looks to be struggling badly. I wonder if they could go "fresh" in the coming year (like WNIC and WMYI)? KVIL 103.7 in Dallas is hurting also, and we see what is happening to their sister station in the Twin Cities.
With the way more Hot AC's are sounding like CHR's (especially those owned by CBS), I think we're going to see more mainline AC's adopt the "fresh AC" sound with more emphasis on new and 2000s/90s music in order to survive. We saw this with B-98.5 in Atlanta about 6 months ago, as well. Interesting times.
Interesting. In my opinion 102.9 Lite fm was a pretty good AC, but for some reason it's never caught on with me, same with WIAD in D.C. Maybe WMGF could put some life back into themselves. I remember listening almost a year ago during middays when they're automated. I listened for 4 songs and didn't hear a single ID, and even the legal ID at the top of the hour was boring. Some months later I came back to them for a day and listened for about a half an hour and didn't hear the station voice at all. KVIL hasn't sounded good since about 2000. I have an aircheck from them from New Years Day that year and it sounds great. Where are the ACs that sound like that today?
Albany's WYJB is rumored to be tweaking to Hot AC after Christmas, not sure if it's true or not (they're co-owned with a CHR, WFLY 92.3 so it could cause too much overlap)... even before they went Xmas, they started sounding more Hot ACish, I remember...
WRVE is more of an 80s-based Hot AC format (although even they have been skewing newer as well, perhaps due to Premium Choice), which has been gaining and recently passed WYJB in ratings... an Adult CHR direction would be great for B95 but there's the issue of FLY 92 in the way...
WRVE is more of an 80s-based Hot AC format (although even they have been skewing newer as well, perhaps due to Premium Choice), which has been gaining and recently passed WYJB in ratings... an Adult CHR direction would be great for B95 but there's the issue of FLY 92 in the way...
I remember Renda Broadcasting dropped AC KBEZ/Tulsa in June 2010. KBEZ was similar to their sister AC KMGL/Oklahoma City at that time. Somehow KBEZ was still different from KMGL and they were more mainstream at that time before they flipped to Bob FM.
Cox Radio's KRAV/Tulsa is a AC leaning Hot AC station which is one of the station that probably killed KBEZ. Someone said Renda planned to flip KBEZ back in December 2009 after Christmas because they registered the Bob FM website back in Dec, but they delayed KBEZ's flip to give them another chance since their competitor Clear Channel's Classic Hits KQLL just passed away, but it didn't work so they flipped KBEZ to Bob FM in June 2010 leaving AC and Classic Hits holes in the Tulsa market. It's pretty strange to see how an AC and a Classic Hits failed in one market about the same time. Maybe soft and old music isn't demanding in Tulsa? While their neighbor OKC has an AC KMGL and a Classic Hits KOMA that actually took off even both of them are owned by Renda. I'm pretty sure the demographics in Oklahoma City, OK and Tulsa, OK are about the same. (I should discussed this in the Oklahoma Forum as well.)
After KBEZ/Tulsa passed away Renda's is now down to three AC stations, one AC in the midwest KMGL/Oklahoma City and two other AC stations in the east coast WEJZ/Jacksonville and WSHH/Pittsburgh. Renda AC's are really good, but it was sad to see KBEZ passed away, I wished KBEZ could have taken off like their sister KMGL in the neighboring market.
Cox Radio's KRAV/Tulsa is a AC leaning Hot AC station which is one of the station that probably killed KBEZ. Someone said Renda planned to flip KBEZ back in December 2009 after Christmas because they registered the Bob FM website back in Dec, but they delayed KBEZ's flip to give them another chance since their competitor Clear Channel's Classic Hits KQLL just passed away, but it didn't work so they flipped KBEZ to Bob FM in June 2010 leaving AC and Classic Hits holes in the Tulsa market. It's pretty strange to see how an AC and a Classic Hits failed in one market about the same time. Maybe soft and old music isn't demanding in Tulsa? While their neighbor OKC has an AC KMGL and a Classic Hits KOMA that actually took off even both of them are owned by Renda. I'm pretty sure the demographics in Oklahoma City, OK and Tulsa, OK are about the same. (I should discussed this in the Oklahoma Forum as well.)
After KBEZ/Tulsa passed away Renda's is now down to three AC stations, one AC in the midwest KMGL/Oklahoma City and two other AC stations in the east coast WEJZ/Jacksonville and WSHH/Pittsburgh. Renda AC's are really good, but it was sad to see KBEZ passed away, I wished KBEZ could have taken off like their sister KMGL in the neighboring market.
I forget to mentioned that Renda's gold-based Soft AC WSOS-FM/Jacksonville was dropped for Classic Rock earlier this year. Previously Renda had two AC's in the Jacksonville market. They had AC WEJZ and gold-based Soft AC WSOS-FM. WEJZ was doing really well, but WSOS-FM was doing terrible and it had too many currents to have it classified as gold when I discovered it back in Fall 2010.
M
MsMusicRadio
Guest
Tampa currently has four AC's of sorts.
WDUV playing AC oldies that lean to softer 70's and 80's
WWRM is mainstream
WMTX is a Hot AC with some mainstream and 80 oldies
WSJT is a very hot AC on a poor signal
All are doing well on PPM's except CBS's WSJT
WDUV is automated 20 hour a day. WMTX has 3 local people and two VT'ed. WWRM has 4 locals plus Delilah for 8 hours a night
WSJT is supposedly live 18 hours a day
WDUV playing AC oldies that lean to softer 70's and 80's
WWRM is mainstream
WMTX is a Hot AC with some mainstream and 80 oldies
WSJT is a very hot AC on a poor signal
All are doing well on PPM's except CBS's WSJT
WDUV is automated 20 hour a day. WMTX has 3 local people and two VT'ed. WWRM has 4 locals plus Delilah for 8 hours a night
WSJT is supposedly live 18 hours a day
bobdavcav said:
KUDL was AC not Hot AC. Newstalk KMBZ took over KUDL 98.1 freq. and from what I hear the ratings havent improved. Its replacement Hot AC KZPT 99.7 The Point is performing decent rating wise but still a void in the market. KUDL playlist was dull. I rather see KCKC Star 102.1 return
wdb2003 said:
If you remember from the "Could Lady Gaga finally have big AC success?" topic. I discussed about KMGL.
andrewduong77 said:
And then, you said that KMGL is one of the best and original Soft Rock stations in the midwest since KUDL and KCKC back home bit the dust.
wdb2003 said:
But wait, did you forget to mentioned that KMGL's sister KBEZ in Tulsa bit the dust too along with KUDL and KCKC in Kansas City.
It looks like most AC is under performing in the Midwest and most AC failures took place in the Midwest.
KBEZ passed away leaving an AC hole in the Tulsa market. KRAV-FM is an AC leaning Hot AC, but it's not really AC.
KUDL and KCKC both AC passed away in Kansas City leaving an AC hole in the market for the rest of 2011, whilst the market had two AC's back in 2010.
KEZK-FM had done terrible in St. Louis to where they lost their callsign brand "KEZK 102.5 Soft Rock" to the new "Fresh 102.5" brand, but they retained their AC format unlike other CBS's Fresh stations and KEZK ratings went up a little bit, but it went down and now it's low again.
WLTE is doing terrible in the Twin Cities and it's flipping to Country after this Christmas leaving an AC hole in the Twin Cities market for 2012.
WLIT is doing terrible in Chicago as well.
KVIL is doing terrible in Dallas. KVIL had been the longest running AC, but they didn't do well since 2000 so they had to rebrand the "103.7 KVIL" callsign brand they had for a long time to the new "103.7 Lite FM" brand in December 2005 after Christmas.
KMGL is doing well in the Oklahoma City market, but they kinda went down a little bit over the Summer 2011 ratings.
KODA is doing really, really well in the Houston market.
It seems like that KMGL and KODA is the only two stations in the Midwest that's doing well.
With the Adult Contemporary format more current-based and upbeat than ever, I question on whether there's a place for it in many markets- in a market like Dallas, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Detroit, etc., you've got Jack-FM, classic hits/oldies, classic rock, Hot AC - AC seems to gather the weakest songs from each of those formats and mix them all together Perhaps the listeners prefer the more customized formats that don't draw from such different kinds of music. Perhaps, since AC isn't really "lite" anymore (adult hits, classic hits, and Hot AC all play songs just as "lite", or lighter), there's no true reason for a lot of listeners to tune in, if they like classic hits or classic rock...and of course, adult hits has more variety. Just a thought.
In a lot of southern markets where AC does well, there tend to be more Urban and country stations, and fewer of the Hot AC's, Adult Hits, Classic Hits, etc.-type formats that would compete for the AC audience (well, I guess country and AC overlap) - I know until recently, in the market I'm in (Greenville/Spartanburg), the only format to hear older music was AC. Everything else was Urban, Country, Rock, Top 40, etc. Down the road in Columbia, where there's a "soft AC", Adult Hits, and Classic Hits, the AC station doesn't do well at all and there is frequent discussion of a format flip there. Perhaps with the AC format's sound evolving, there is less and less need for it, as the songs the format typically features can be found on more specialized stations/formats, such as classic hits or Hot AC. It no longer has a true niche, which was previously 'soft' music. It's just become a hodge-podge of music found on 4 or 5 different formats. JMO.
In a lot of southern markets where AC does well, there tend to be more Urban and country stations, and fewer of the Hot AC's, Adult Hits, Classic Hits, etc.-type formats that would compete for the AC audience (well, I guess country and AC overlap) - I know until recently, in the market I'm in (Greenville/Spartanburg), the only format to hear older music was AC. Everything else was Urban, Country, Rock, Top 40, etc. Down the road in Columbia, where there's a "soft AC", Adult Hits, and Classic Hits, the AC station doesn't do well at all and there is frequent discussion of a format flip there. Perhaps with the AC format's sound evolving, there is less and less need for it, as the songs the format typically features can be found on more specialized stations/formats, such as classic hits or Hot AC. It no longer has a true niche, which was previously 'soft' music. It's just become a hodge-podge of music found on 4 or 5 different formats. JMO.
WLIT was mentioned earlier - that station has underperformed for ages. I can't believe CC keeps it around.
I agree, but at some point Classic Hits like KLUV/Dallas and Adult Hits like Jack FM KJKK/Dallas doesn't play much softer hits like Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over", Berlin's "Take My Breath Away", Cheap Trick's "The Flame", Paul Young's "Everytime You Go Away".
I think a lot of Classic Hits stations sounds a little like Classic Rock these days while a lot of Cox Radio's Classic Hits stations truly sounds like Classic Rock. Over this year CBS Classic Hits KLUV has included Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven", Golden Earring's "Radar Love", etc. Maybe Classic Hits is expanding their playlist from just contemporary 60s, 70s, and 80s rock to serious 70s and 80s rock making them sound like Classic Rock and Adult Hits.
It's something that some of us wonder besides AC stations sounding a little like Classic Rock or Adult Hits with Bon Jovi and Def Leppard these days. Maybe we have evolved into a world where music can't be "soft" anymore in 2011, that's what made AC stations declining because they can't easily decide to keep their playlist soft or embrace Classic Rock like Bon Jovi and Def Leppard and Hot AC/CHR hits like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. If they embrace Classic Rock like Bon Jovi and Def Leppard and Hot AC/CHR hits like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga they'll loose a lot of their original AC listeners, but if they kept their playlist soft they'll end up having trouble to compete with Classic Rock, Adult Hits, and even Classic Hits stations along with Hot AC and CHR stations.
I think a lot of Classic Hits stations sounds a little like Classic Rock these days while a lot of Cox Radio's Classic Hits stations truly sounds like Classic Rock. Over this year CBS Classic Hits KLUV has included Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven", Golden Earring's "Radar Love", etc. Maybe Classic Hits is expanding their playlist from just contemporary 60s, 70s, and 80s rock to serious 70s and 80s rock making them sound like Classic Rock and Adult Hits.
It's something that some of us wonder besides AC stations sounding a little like Classic Rock or Adult Hits with Bon Jovi and Def Leppard these days. Maybe we have evolved into a world where music can't be "soft" anymore in 2011, that's what made AC stations declining because they can't easily decide to keep their playlist soft or embrace Classic Rock like Bon Jovi and Def Leppard and Hot AC/CHR hits like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. If they embrace Classic Rock like Bon Jovi and Def Leppard and Hot AC/CHR hits like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga they'll loose a lot of their original AC listeners, but if they kept their playlist soft they'll end up having trouble to compete with Classic Rock, Adult Hits, and even Classic Hits stations along with Hot AC and CHR stations.
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imhomerjay
Guest
Their "original" listeners are long since irrelevant (generally speaking, for the format as a whole...not nitpicking over individual station launch dates and their specific "original" listeners).
IMO, I predict that AC stations would throw in Nirvana's "Come As Your Are" and Sublime's "Santeria" a few years from now.
I don't know if AC is "disappearing" as much as it is slowly becoming hot AC. Here in Nashville, we don't have a hot AC, but our AC is slowly becoming hot AC (except for during Christmas, of course, when they are as sappy as ever! :
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imhomerjay
Guest
The fact that today's target audience has different tastes than in years gone by should hardly be a surprise. What fits the format changes, but it's not on death watch simply because people don't want to hear what the audience of decades past listened to from the same (or similar) stations.
Oh, of course Adele's "Rolling In The Deep" or "Someone Like You" would fit AC. Sure AC throw in new serious rock or new post grunge like Shinedown's "Second Chance" and Kings Of Leon's "Use Somebody" around 2009-10 when it barely came out.
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