Is hip hop radio really making a comeback?

[bucwhyl]

First, Clear Channel put "Wild 103.9" in Lexington, Ky., now Clear Channel has launched "104.1 The Beat" in Birmingham. Thoughts?

 

[ShawtyBlack_ATL]

First, Clear Channel put "Wild 103.9" in Lexington, Ky., now Clear Channel has launched "104.1 The Beat" in Birmingham. Thoughts?

Clear Channel is TRYING to get some Urban dollars in Birmingham. Firt they brought back the urban Gospel FM, now a 2nd attempt at Hip-Hop and R&B. Anniston, AL and Montgomery, AL also launced new FM Urban stations this year.

 

[hiphopRadio]

i check the website seem t-roy will be voice tracking there

 

[BJordan]

CC needs to bring back 92.3 The Beat but I love KMEL 106 in San Fransico , WUSL Power 99 in Philly and WWPR Power 105.1 in New York and 99.1 KGGI though. Maybe bringing 92.3 The Beat will change my thoughts about CC.

 

[only1moore]

CC needs to bring back 92.3 The Beat but I love KMEL 106 in San Fransico , WUSL Power 99 in Philly and WWPR Power 105.1 in New York and 99.1 KGGI though. Maybe bringing 92.3 The Beat will change my thoughts about CC.

You might want to reconsider that statement, given that Clear Channel won't flip KHHT anytime soon.

 

[mr.ric]

I sure hope so. The way The Box is sounding these days, we sure could use another 2nd urban choice in Houston.

 

[kilamanjero]

I figured it was only a matter of time before somebody attempted to challenge 95.7 Jamz. Watch them all of a sudden attempt sound like well programmed because of the fear of competition. I put money on it that Cox will start trying to add new music to 95.7 at more timely manner now... : However, CC shouldn't be so damn cheap and place it on a full-powered signal that can be hear throughout the entire market not just in the immediate core of the Birmingham urban area.

 

[ShawtyBlack_ATL]

Clear Channel Birmingham wont' hurt Cox since both the Gospel and Urban are on translators and more thank likley VT. Kila, damn how many Urban station yall got out there now???? Gotta be atleast 10.

 

[kilamanjero]

Clear Channel Birmingham wont' hurt Cox since both the Gospel and Urban are on translators and more thank likley VT. Kila, damn how many Urban station yall got out there now???? Gotta be atleast 10.

Well, considering I live in Georgia nowadays, so I only know of 95.7, 107.7, 98.7, and those 3 on the AM. The others are stations aside from those are either irrelevant or doesn't make any waves. Demographically, Birmingham is very similar to Atlanta (30%), it has a large black population (28.1%) in proportion to its size. Anyways, Birmingham is in dire need of true competition for contemporary hip-hop & R&B listening audience because 95.7 Jamz sucks and has always sucked since its inception. Meanwhile, 107.7 misses the 25-34 male demo altogether with its all R&B format.

 

[bucwhyl]

I sure hope so. The way The Box is sounding these days, we sure could use another 2nd urban choice in Houston.

Ric, I was thinking the same thing. Clear Channel need to bless Houston with a competitor to The Box. As a matter of fact, they need to program it the same way they did The Box when they owned it.

 

[BJordan]

CC needs to bring back 92.3 The Beat but I love KMEL 106 in San Fransico , WUSL Power 99 in Philly and WWPR Power 105.1 in New York and 99.1 KGGI though. Maybe bringing 92.3 The Beat will change my thoughts about CC.

You might want to reconsider that statement, given that Clear Channel won't flip KHHT anytime soon.

I know because Hot 92.3 is doing good for a since Rick Dees is on there. If CC won't bring back 92.3 The Beat they should at lease flip it to Urban Contemporary and put it competition with KJLH. FYI Hot 92.3 did play Neo Soul during their first 2 years.

 

[Nate Wesley]

I figured it was only a matter of time before somebody attempted to challenge 95.7 Jamz. Watch them all of a sudden attempt sound like well programmed because of the fear of competition. I put money on it that Cox will start trying to add new music to 95.7 at more timely manner now... : However, CC shouldn't be so damn cheap and place it on a full-powered signal that can be hear throughout the entire market not just in the immediate core of the Birmingham urban area.

You mean like a severe rimshotter that couldn't cover the immediate core of its most likely listeners? CC isn't dropping its sucessful news/talk, country, CHR, or AC stations, so what other realistic options are you talking about, really?

Easily, the entire point of using heard-in-the-city translators was to get a touch of urban radio ratings and ad dollars cheaply. Hallelujah and The Beat individually will never bring real ratings woes to Kiss, Jamz or Hot. But they aren't there to win, they're there to place. And by merely doing that, the two packaged together could make for an easy spot buy for national marketers, local businesses, and event promoters. And it won't take nearly as much listening-plus-advertising to keep these on the air as it did Jammin' Oldies/V/Power/Hallelujah 105.9[.5] as a standalone audience entrant.

 

[kilamanjero]

I figured it was only a matter of time before somebody attempted to challenge 95.7 Jamz. Watch them all of a sudden attempt sound like well programmed because of the fear of competition. I put money on it that Cox will start trying to add new music to 95.7 at more timely manner now... : However, CC shouldn't be so damn cheap and place it on a full-powered signal that can be hear throughout the entire market not just in the immediate core of the Birmingham urban area.

You mean like a severe rimshotter that couldn't cover the immediate core of its most likely listeners? CC isn't dropping its sucessful news/talk, country, CHR, or AC stations, so what other realistic options are you talking about, really?

Easily, the entire point of using heard-in-the-city translators was to get a touch of urban radio ratings and ad dollars cheaply. Hallelujah and The Beat individually will never bring real ratings woes to Kiss, Jamz or Hot. But they aren't there to win, they're there to place. And by merely doing that, the two packaged together could make for an easy spot buy for national marketers, local businesses, and event promoters. And it won't take nearly as much listening-plus-advertising to keep these on the air as it did Jammin' Oldies/V/Power/Hallelujah 105.9[.5] as a standalone audience entrant.

Anyone with knowledge of CC's history in Birmingham knows why urban failed on 105.9, it was poorly programmed and a crap signal.

 

[Wildstyle K]

IS HIP HOP (radio) REALLY MAKING A COME BACK?
WELL, HERE'S A SOMEWHAT INDIRECT ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION:

I believe one of the main reasons for Power's recent increase in ratings is the resurgence of new (quality) hip hop and r&b (which some urban/rhythmic hip hop fanatics are discussing in the chr/rhythmic/hip-hop section http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=193179.0) in addition to some other pop musical evolution factors.

I'm not sure how long this resurgence and new wave of hip hop / rap is going to last, but right now it's apparent that dedicated hip hop and r&b artists are trying to get serious and make a change instead of just continuing to talk about how bad things have gotten without putting in any effort to change it.

I believe another thing that is somewhat contributing to this resurgence of hip hop & r&b is the fact that some rhythmic artists have gone so far pop and electro (example; Lady Gaga doing things like "edge of glory", etc.) that certain rhythmics had to decide whether they want to go that direction with their sound or drop certain artists and stick with their hip hop lean. Many have chosen to fully drop Lady Gaga and similar things (even their recurrents) and take advantage of / fill those slots with the new crossover r&b hip hop hits and drop the heavy hip hop recurrents play a bit. I'm here in L.A. and see that some of the talk that I've seen in the chr/rhythmic/hip-hop section is true; Power 106 has dropped Lady Gaga and other similar things from main playlist and started to (slightly) focus more on the new hip hop sound. I've noticed that Power 98.3 Phoenix has pretty much done the same thing.

With the resurgence in mainstream hip hop and r&b hits, I believe Power 98.3 will benefit and have longer and better success than previously predicted because they are pretty much the only ones fulfilling a dedication specifically towards that sound. I guess 101.5 JamZ could shift back to a more urban lean, but... in some ways, testing that sound wouldn't exactly make much sense, due to the fact that they (already know that they) are doing well with the format style they have NOW. The best bet is to keep things the way they currently are, with KZZP, KZON, and KKFR sticking to their current sounds since it is all working for them at the moment and they are all fulfilling a purpose.

As long as people continue to release new hits like this:

Dj Khaled - I'm on one
YC - Racks
Trey Songz - unusual
Lupe Fiasco - My Head
Chris Brown - She ain't you
Big Sean - My last
Wiz Khalifa - Roll up
Chris Brown - Look at me now
Tyga - far away
Jeremih - down on me
Nicki Minaj - Super bass
Lil Wayne - How to love
Waka Flocka Flame - No hands
Kreayshawn - Gucci gucci
Lupe Fiasco - Show goes on
Bad Meets Evil - Lighters

And other "back up quality material" mixed with "urban influenced rhythmic melodic hits" that people will love:

Frank Ocean - Novacane
LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem
Kelly Rowland - Motivation
Pitbull, Ne-yo - Give me everything
T-Pain & Chris Brown - Best love song
Kanye West - All of the lights

stations with the KPWR / KKFR / to even the WQHT.. etc. type formats will most likely continue to successfully keep their place in a (major) market. In addition to all that, it's possible that some rhythmics and non chr pop leaner rhythmic stations that once fell in ratings due to a new trend sound are now somewhat being helped as people "look for a temporary escape" from the current, heavily played chr sound.

 

[DIRTYSOUTHRADIO]

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[bchristi]

I wish somebody would bring a real hip-hop station to Charlotte. Power 98 is way too R&B heavy and Channel 96.1 is now almost entirely electropop.