Check the stats (without giving real 12+ numbers)…
WBCN: lowest numbers since last Winter
WAAF/WKAF: ratings dropping every month since initial spike after buying 97.7
WBOS: underperforming for years (new format hasn't gained traction yet, but it's only been two months)
WFNX: cruising along at the same low altitude as always
I do understand that it is not all about the ratings, it is about how much money is taken in, but as the former 97.7 WILD-FM PD, I do find it funny that each of these stations have a lower rating than we did all 4 quarters we were on the air. Of course I would love to come back to program an Urban or Urban AC station in Boston (and I could make it work AND make money), but the real money is in taking Jam'n and Kiss down. And the perfect company to do that is CBS. WBZ is within hailing distance of Jam'n for the top spot, so taking down Jam'n would make them #1. Even though WBCN is struggling ratings-wise, they are still billing a ton. The station to flip? WBMX. CBS already has at least two Rhythmic templates in their company (WBBM-Chicago and WLLD-Tampa) that could target Jam'n.
But the brilliant move would be to copy what is happening in Houston and bring the Hot Hits concept they are building there to Boston. Boston and Houston are very similar in that both have very strong Rhythmic and CHR stations that haven't been challenged by a very focused, youthful, energetic station. Jam'n and Kiss are the only top stations to increase billing in 2007. It makes perfect sense.
So what happens with the log jam of rock stations? 'BCN isn't going anywhere billing as much as they do. 'AAF must be making some money, just not as much as they want to, so they're still in play. 'FNX must be making some money because they have had the same ratings for about as long as I've been aware of them, and they haven't flipped, so there's no reason to believe they won't continue. The obvious choice is 'BOS. They've been underperforming for years, the River is right behind them in ratings with half their signal, they got a last minute reprieve when Greater Media flipped the Smooth Jazz station to FM Talk some years ago, and they have already gotten rid of their staff. The problem is the obvious holes in the market (Rhythmic competitor to Jam'n, Top-40 competitor to Kiss, mass-appeal Urban, Urban AC or Rhythmic AC) Greater Media is ill equipped to fill them based on their history. Many people say radio is radio, right? If you can program a Top-40 station, you can program a Country, Urban or Hot AC, right? So why can't Greater Media find the right person to led them in a new direction?
WBCN: lowest numbers since last Winter
WAAF/WKAF: ratings dropping every month since initial spike after buying 97.7
WBOS: underperforming for years (new format hasn't gained traction yet, but it's only been two months)
WFNX: cruising along at the same low altitude as always
I do understand that it is not all about the ratings, it is about how much money is taken in, but as the former 97.7 WILD-FM PD, I do find it funny that each of these stations have a lower rating than we did all 4 quarters we were on the air. Of course I would love to come back to program an Urban or Urban AC station in Boston (and I could make it work AND make money), but the real money is in taking Jam'n and Kiss down. And the perfect company to do that is CBS. WBZ is within hailing distance of Jam'n for the top spot, so taking down Jam'n would make them #1. Even though WBCN is struggling ratings-wise, they are still billing a ton. The station to flip? WBMX. CBS already has at least two Rhythmic templates in their company (WBBM-Chicago and WLLD-Tampa) that could target Jam'n.
But the brilliant move would be to copy what is happening in Houston and bring the Hot Hits concept they are building there to Boston. Boston and Houston are very similar in that both have very strong Rhythmic and CHR stations that haven't been challenged by a very focused, youthful, energetic station. Jam'n and Kiss are the only top stations to increase billing in 2007. It makes perfect sense.
So what happens with the log jam of rock stations? 'BCN isn't going anywhere billing as much as they do. 'AAF must be making some money, just not as much as they want to, so they're still in play. 'FNX must be making some money because they have had the same ratings for about as long as I've been aware of them, and they haven't flipped, so there's no reason to believe they won't continue. The obvious choice is 'BOS. They've been underperforming for years, the River is right behind them in ratings with half their signal, they got a last minute reprieve when Greater Media flipped the Smooth Jazz station to FM Talk some years ago, and they have already gotten rid of their staff. The problem is the obvious holes in the market (Rhythmic competitor to Jam'n, Top-40 competitor to Kiss, mass-appeal Urban, Urban AC or Rhythmic AC) Greater Media is ill equipped to fill them based on their history. Many people say radio is radio, right? If you can program a Top-40 station, you can program a Country, Urban or Hot AC, right? So why can't Greater Media find the right person to led them in a new direction?
