January ratings

[TonySantiago]

How does CC sell advertisers on a station that's slugging it out with WERS?

Same way WFNX did. Niche format, narrow focus, but loyal and active listeners who likely go out, buy electronics, travel, and are attuned to euro chic culture. Likely easier to sell "Evolution" than "the Harbor", which didn't really create any raving fans.

It'll be really interesting to see how Kiss 108 / Jam'n / AMP & Hot play out in the next few months. Looks like the new competition is chipping away at both Kiss & Jam'n, but AMP so far isn't doing as well as WODS did.

Amazing to see Greater Media in 1st, 3rd, and 4th place.

Could not have said it better. Thank you Signpost.

Though I think, IMHO "Evolution" needs to broaden their music and not just solely keep it "EDM" in that sense.

 

[trock]

How does CC sell advertisers on a station that's slugging it out with WERS?

Same way WFNX did. Niche format, narrow focus, but loyal and active listeners who likely go out, buy electronics, travel, and are attuned to euro chic culture. Likely easier to sell "Evolution" than "the Harbor", which didn't really create any raving fans.

It'll be really interesting to see how Kiss 108 / Jam'n / AMP & Hot play out in the next few months. Looks like the new competition is chipping away at both Kiss & Jam'n, but AMP so far isn't doing as well as WODS did.

Amazing to see Greater Media in 1st, 3rd, and 4th place.

Could not have said it better. Thank you Signpost.

Though I think, IMHO "Evolution" needs to broaden their music and not just solely keep it "EDM" in that sense.

I think they need to get a little more local. Maybe add an local afternoon or mid-day host. Put on some edm mixers from the area to compliment the big guns they play every night. They will keep it soley "EDM" as to not step on Kiss or Jamn.

 

[CTListener]

Note no impact at all from "Evolution." Not a great signal, and music completely unfamiliar to 95+ percent of the potential audience, a sub-1.0 rating was predictable. How does Clear Channel build an audience for this station if people aren't hearing it anywhere but on the Web and in clubs, and specialized clubs at that? How does CC sell advertisers on a station that's slugging it out with WERS?

The formats for WERS and Evolution are completely different. Not even remotely similar. Give Evolution time. It will never be a huge ratings success but will make money. The signal, by the way, is quite good for a class A. I can listen easily 35+ miles northwest of Boston.

I am fully aware of the difference in formats, thank you. My point is that a commercial station owned by mega-media-monolith Clear Channel is doing a sub-1.0 in a top 10 market, about the same as a college station. Both serve a musical niche, but WERS is a training ground for future radio pros, WEDX is supposed to make money for Clear Channel.

 

[TonySantiago]

I think they need to get a little more local. Maybe add an local afternoon or mid-day host. Put on some edm mixers from the area to compliment the big guns they play every night. They will keep it soley "EDM" as to not step on Kiss or Jamn.

The local part I totally agree with 100%.

I guess for Boston's purposes leaving Evolution alone makes semi-sense. But the numbers aren't going to improve if they stay totally stuck with all EDM in that sense. Best example on that was KDHT in Denver that was very niche with EDM...TOO niche actually (you remember that discussion ).

Mixers can certainly help but there still has to be that grab for potential fans that may find Evolution, as it is, overwhelming and could probably accept it with some aspect of CHR. Not to the point of Jamn, Kiss or Amp but a little bit of it.

 

[WNTIRadio]

The problem is they're targeting a demographic that has given up on and doesn't use radio.

College kids don't use radio like they used to. WEDX is falling on deaf ears.

To address Tony, I don't hate dance music. I can respect it, and can see where/when it would be enjoyable. I've even listened to some of WEDX. Not my first choice, but I can see where people get in to it.

That said, you're delusional as to how popular it is. Go ask 50 people on the street to name 3-5 EDM artists. They'll probably name hip-hop, pop-dance people and possibly Deadmau5, because most people remember the mouse mask, not the actual music.

Ask anyone to name 3-5 rock stars, heavy metal bands, rappers or country artists and they will be able to.

It's a niche. Be proud of your niche. But stop with this is the format that's going to take over the world. It isn't. Especially here in the USA. Sample Top-40 these days, the CHR music is swinging back towards rock/acoustic. The Lumineers, Mumford and Sons, Phillip Phillips, Of Monsters and Men, Fun., Taylor Swift, Imagine Dragons... none of those have a remotely EDM sound to them.

I don't care how many coalitions you have, the reality is that it is not a broad appeal format. I understand and appreciate your passion, but sometime that passion blinds reality. It won't be a top 10 station in Boston. It will be lucky to get to a 1.5. If someone can effectively sell that niche audience, great. Going with some local talent would certainly help the station develop a more Boston flavor... Bostonians aren't exactly known for their acceptance of things that aren't Boston. But is CC willing to put the money in it? I bet no. The idea from the start was to put something cheap and easy on the frequency. I really think CC bought it just so nobody else could.

To address another post, the only commonality with WERS and WEDX is WERS' "Revolutions" show on Saturday from midnight to 3. During the weekdays, WERS is targeting 35-54 with a AAA/somewhat Alt hybrid. Also, the reason you can listen 35 miles NW of Boston is that the signal is directional towards that area. It's not happening 25 miles south of the city.

 

[Lightning]

I think that plenty of young people still listen to the radio. If they weren't listening to the radio, then why would we have 4 top 40 stations here in Boston? Is it just to please the 25-40 crowd? I don't think so.

The EDM format is a niche, but it has been a mainstream format all over the world for the past 10 years. United States and its demographics are changing. The country is no longer a bunch of white people. Also the days where people found new music through FM are over. Young kids are using YouTube, Pandora and everything else out there to discover new artists, and EDM is a huge part of that.

I am in that demo and I hope that they haven't given up on me. Many of my friends are avid radio listeners (not geeks).

 

[WNTIRadio]

So on one hand you're telling me that college kids still listen to the radio and the other that they use Youtube, Pandora and everything else to listen to EDM and new music.

Which is it? I think the "music heads" of most genres have given up on radio. A niche format like EDM isn't going to get them back, they've been elsewhere for way too long.

The Top-40 stations play music that is widely known by the demo, and even outside the demo. They're selling bread, milk and eggs all over the country.

An EDM station is a gluten-free, free range health food store that makes Whole Foods look like Stop n Shop.

 

[Cap-n Spackle]

WTKK-FM 2.8 2.3 1.8 1.8 Rhythmic AC Greater Boston Radio Inc.
;D
I guess the audience for kiddies' thumping noises isn't as big as they'd hoped.

 

[itsthesong]

In the case of WTKK, they just purged their demo and are starting fresh. That said, a cume of 369k this early is nothing to sneeze at.

 

[TonySantiago]

Breaking it down.....

To address Tony, I don't hate dance music. I can respect it, and can see where/when it would be enjoyable. I've even listened to some of WEDX. Not my first choice, but I can see where people get in to it.

And that's fine. I'm not saying people that aren't fans have to love this music. But at least respect.

That said, you're delusional as to how popular it is. Go ask 50 people on the street to name 3-5 EDM artists. They'll probably name hip-hop, pop-dance people and possibly Deadmau5, because most people remember the mouse mask, not the actual music.

Depends on the 50 I ask. If I ask someone that's around our age demographics (I'm 46), they're not going to know. I only know because I am an extreme case of a dance/EDM music fan (I can admit that so I'm not THAT delusional, lol). MAYBE Swedish House Mafia at best. But if I ask a bunch of teens and twenty somethings, they can tell me Deadmau5, Avicii, Skrillex, Nero, Laidback Luke. You'd be very surprised.

Ask anyone to name 3-5 rock stars, heavy metal bands, rappers or country artists and they will be able to.

Of course, because radio floods that. Let's add R&B into this too for that matter. And when heavy metal was huge, sure of course. But in that case, I don't think twenty-somethings could name 3-5 heavy metal bands. MAYBE Metallica at best? Heavy metal is their parents music.

It's a niche. Be proud of your niche. But stop with this is the format that's going to take over the world. It isn't. Especially here in the USA. Sample Top-40 these days, the CHR music is swinging back towards rock/acoustic. The Lumineers, Mumford and Sons, Phillip Phillips, Of Monsters and Men, Fun., Taylor Swift, Imagine Dragons... none of those have a remotely EDM sound to them.

Find a quote anywhere on Radio Discussions where I've said that dance/EDM is going to take over the world. First off, if we are going to include the world into this, dance is HUGE. Dance IS pop. Regarding the U.S., the surge of the music has started taking off around 2009. The DJ culture has never been THIS HUGE in the U.S. There was even a recent picture of Taylor Swift (that you've mentioned above) behind "the decks" . For the big cities where dance music has a strong following (New York, Boston, Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Washington D.C.), those would be the places for such stations. Heck, even the Hudson Valley region of New York State with Drive FX has a good following. EDM has been on the growth.

I don't care how many coalitions you have, the reality is that it is not a broad appeal format. I understand and appreciate your passion, but sometime that passion blinds reality. It won't be a top 10 station in Boston. It will be lucky to get to a 1.5. If someone can effectively sell that niche audience, great. Going with some local talent would certainly help the station develop a more Boston flavor... Bostonians aren't exactly known for their acceptance of things that aren't Boston. But is CC willing to put the money in it? I bet no. The idea from the start was to put something cheap and easy on the frequency. I really think CC bought it just so nobody else could.

Passion....guilty as charged. It's very well known, perhaps to a "fault", in the dance music community. Not apologetic about it.

But if you want me to prove that I CAN be realistic...here we go. I KNOW this station is not going to be in the top 10, at least if they stick to what the format is now. And I'll give it to you with "niche" because if Evolution 101.7 just goes solely on the EDM aspect of dance music and not on others that have broad appeal potential, just because "EDM" is considered big, then it's going to fail, just like KDHT in Denver did not too long ago. That's where being "too niche" killed things.

I also know that there are more "casual" listeners out there than core fans of the music and we need them. And to throw Skrillex, Afrojack and Deadmau5 in their face up front without something that they're already used to (which is that "electro pop" aspect such as Calvin Harris/Florence Welch, Ne-Yo, Pitbull, Chris Brown, Rihanna) would not attract them to a station like Evolution 101.7.

As much as dance music fans may cringe on that last sentence, truth of the matter is that we NEED that aspect, but not play it to the extent that CHR radio does so that our brand of dance (which also INCLUDES vocals such as Kim Sozzi, Nadia Ali, etc.) can get in. Definitely throw in the recurrents of dance from the past 10 years in there on occasion to keep that familiarity aspect. And yeah, EDM too but not to the extent that Evolution does it.

Local presence? ABSOLUTELY! Give them locality. Make the station "Boston". Agree infinity on that one Pandora, YouTube, internet branded streams that have no terrestrial presence cannot duplicate or be "local". That is the one thing terrestrial radio CAN do...be local.

I don't know if my thoughts get lost in the passion that I have on most folks but dance/EDM can be broad appeal. So as long as you don't lean the sound in one direction since you have so many genres out there.

I think I've satisfied the reality part here. ;D