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It looks like 106.7 has changed formats (slightly)

I guess storied Columbus calls tend to head to NY for a new life. WBZX is now in Hancock, NY.

While I was searching the following YouTube came up. It's "WBZX 99.7 The Blitz - 1992 - 2008... Thanks For The Memories." But even if Hot 105 came back too, it wouldn't be quite the same without WWHT.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzjKYmVXTh8
 
At present the music approach seems to be roughly 2-3 alternative (current and past) songs followed by 2-3 mostly-gold mainstream hits that crossed over from alternative or are reasonably compatible. Wonder if this represents a transition or instead where they're going to try to live? While Radio 106.7 was a pretty conservative alternative, it had substantially less mainstream content than what Gen-X 106.7 is playing now. I'm guessing transition, but I wouldn't be all that surprised if the plan is instead to try sticking with what we hear now.
 
Aside from a few listeners, quite a few don't seem to be happy.

http://www.facebook.com/GenXColumbus

I wonder what the plan is for Laura Lee and Zellner? I noticed the music log is still changing/improving. We'll check them out at 11am which is usually the hour everyone's listening in the office right before lunch. I'll post the 11am hour and we'll see how it matches.
 
lovejamminoldies said:
Aside from a few listeners, quite a few don't seem to be happy.

http://www.facebook.com/GenXColumbus

I wonder what the plan is for Laura Lee and Zellner? I noticed the music log is still changing/improving. We'll check them out at 11am which is usually the hour everyone's listening in the office right before lunch. I'll post the 11am hour and we'll see how it matches.
Click to expand...

hahah not as vocal as the listenership to magic was :)
 
Jack-FM should like the changes at 106.7 because it cuts down on the overlap, especially 90's.  They might also pick up a few newly-disgruntled Gen-X listeners now sampling elsewhere, especially on the older end. For that matter, even Rewind might benefit a tad, again on the older end.
 
As promised:

11am on Gen X 106-7 (as they're calling themselves now):

Green Day - Boulevard of Broken Dreams (2004)
Smashing Pumpkins - 1979 (1996)
Shinedown - If You Only Knew (2009)
Maroon 5 - Harder To Breathe (2002)
Counting Crows - Round Here (1994)
Saving Abel - Addicted (2008)
Coldplay - Talk (2005)
Sublime - Wrong Way (1997)
The Killers - Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine (2004)
Death Cab For Cutie - Soul Meets Body (2005)
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Face Down (2006)
Eagle-Eye Cherry - Save Tonight (1998)
30 Seconds To Mars - Closer To The Edge (2010)
Foo Fighters - Learn To Fly (1999)

9 from the 2000s with only 5 from the 90s. Definitely still trying to keep the 90s alive but nowhere near as much as before. It seems like a mainstream alternative mix. They're playing some Hot AC stuff, but not as much as the alternative rock. If you listen a lot, you'll notice the songs repeat a bit but they're adding more to the playlist. Kudos to Gen X.
 
I'd be curious as to the specific reason for the kudos, too.

Regardless, with that era mix maybe they should rename it Gen-XY. Or maybe not... some people would think it's for men only, especially since "gen" can also be short for genetics.
 
A few more thoughts re the changes:

-- Ironically, over the couple weeks preceding the start of the transition, I had finally been noticing a lot more radios tuned to Gen-X.  At one City BBQ, in the kitchen they kept flipping between Gen-X and Q-FM-96.  If there are more people doing that then iI guess it bodes well for Jack-FM.  Or maybe it was just a tug-of-war over who got to choose the station.  Of course, this is just anecdotal, not scientific.

--We'll see if the Gen-X brand goes away on 106.7.  But I'm wondering if CC might keep it, with part of the thought being that if the new approach doesn't work they can segue back.  As I've mentioned, I just don't think that signal's share  is ever likely to remain above the low 2's for long, regardless of format, unless maybe a huge hole opens up (e.g., Power dropping urban).
 
Personally, I don't care for rhythmic music. I couldn't figure out why they were playing hip hop and rhythmic on the old Gen-X
format. That music mix they were playing just didn't sound right/normal to me.

Still curious if the new Gen-X is work in progress.
 
Clinton70 said:
Too much newer crap for me now. Finding a new #4 preset when I get in the car later. ;)
Click to expand...

^ This. I've commented on their Facebook page, too. I hope they take notice of how many people dislike these changes. Don't get why they had to mess with the formula they had. Oh well, this gives Rewind much more airtime in my car.
 
It's interesting to see a station apparently segueing back to a format that they were getting lower shares in when they dumped it, at least 6+.  Maybe one theory is that PPM will be more kind to this kind of approach than the diary was.
 
Already in the trends we see Jack starting to erode their base as GENX. While Jack didn't have any desire to eat away at GenX, it just happened that way.

Jack is after 25-54 Adults (focused only on dollars)
GenX was a Clear Channel experiment that had really weak bases (no focused on dollars)
Rewind is only a success because they are targeting the 35-44 adults and can segue into Classic Hits at anytime.

R1 saw what Jack was doing in other markets and saw the cash flow.
Clear Channel has lost money since going to GenX (Great format, bad cash flow).

Moving 106.7 to an Adult Alternative gives some breathing room for Jack and allows them to put more effort into 105.7 to compete. A lot of talk has been about simulcasting WTVN-AM on FM and putting it on 105.7.....not sure, 105.7 is doing pretty well in the dollars. 106.7 would make more sense.

In addition, Travatto was at Mix in San Antonio, great station...VERY ADULT CHR. Radio One would be smart to slide Power back into a Mainstream Rhythmic right about now!
 
I said kudos because CC is trying something new because they're noticing how bad that format is doing on 106.7. I happen to like the new sound of Gen X, but I did like the old sound as well because I do enjoy rhythmic music.

To Eric:

We'll see what happens with WNCI and Power. I'm not expecting any major changes. Different market than San Antonio.
 
I suspected this would happen. I think a couple of us were talking about them likely headed towards a AAA/ModernAC/Alternative hybrid even before the 98.9 change. They would have five or six of those types of songs playing before a 90s rhythmic track months ago anyways. I think the Jack switch solidified their justification to transition.

With WNCI hardly playing any modern AC or contemporary pop-rock these days, it makes sense to let 106.7 pick that up until CHR's dance-pop trend fades. I imagine if NCI picks back up stuff similar to Daughtry, Shinedown, Nickelback again (like they blasted a few years ago), you'll see Gen X become a full on alternative station of some variant.

Someone alluded to this already... yea, the high school kid in me would go for the return of the "Channel Z" brand (as this sounds a bit like a modern day version of it, especially incorporating the pop rock), but I'm not sure how much equity there is in switching to that compared to staying Gen X. I think it's more likely they'll add/switch a positioning tag: Columbus' Modern Music, Columbus' New Modern Music, Columbus' Modern Music Alternative (borrowing from the Click formats).

Personally, I say drop the mid & late 2000s post-grunge stuff like Puddle of Mudd, Shinedown, Sick Puppies, and add more of the current alternative soul sound: James Morrison, Adele, Duffy, Fitz and the Tantrums, Cee Lo, & Amy Winehouse. I think that stuff blends better amidst Maroon 5, Train, The Script, and One Republic as well as the gold alternative from the 90s.

But I imagine the idea is "play the hits" and then see where it goes. I'll be listening regardless.
 
Interesting thoughts, Dave. Not sure where you discern the AAA part, though (either before or now). Sure doesn't sound anything like, say, KBCO Denver or WXRT Chicago -- especially the parts that give the latter stations their AAA credentials. Not sure about Modern AC either, though that can be a really nebulous term like "Classic Hits." Wilks' KCKC Kansas City calls itself Modern AC, but it sounds more AAA to me (U2, The Police, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Bob Marley & the Wailers, Sheryl Crow, Tom Petty, Coldplay...even John Lennon).
 
You're correct on AAA, especially in the traditional, classic rock meets adult alternative sense. I was just referring to the discussion from months back where we talked about where they could take the signal based on format holes in the market and the demos they could to target.

Right now, they're doing what all of the Click stations did in their launch phases: Only blasting gold and hit recurrents. Granted, those stations weren't playing the CHR/rock hits like Shinedown, Saving Abel, ToaDM, etc. That said, every song they are playing is likely a researched "winner". I have yet to hear (or see, via yes) current hits from the same or similar artists: Foster's "Pumped Up Kicks", Coldplay's "Every Teardrop" or "Paradise", Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain" or "Someone Like You", for example.

So the question is, what chart(s) will influence their currents? Modern Rock seems likely but it also seems like this time around, they are positioning to be more mainstream (probably to differentiate from indie-friendly WWCD). A complete modern AC still risks competing with NCI from time to time and will definitely do so once the inevitable burnout of dance pop begins. So what's a down the middle "niche" that separates from 102 but doesn't compete with NCI? I'd say the AAA top 10, which also consists of a lot of Modern AC's top artists.

That's still my guess but watch them drop it all for 610 on FM or something... heh.
 
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