Jax Reflections & Strategy

[John FL]

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays! At this time of year, it’s nice to look back. We are often reminded change is constant especially in a business such as radio.

I am not adverse to change and I do understand every business needs to reinvent itself to remain viable and competitive. My concerns revolve around the resulting product that comes out the speakers. Quality is hard to define especially if personal preferences get in the way. I also don’t expect any radio station to program specifically to me or to the baby boomer generation in general. There are, of course, exceptions depending on median age and other factors in certain markets.

My former employer transferred me to Jacksonville in the late 90’s for a job opportunity. I had heard a good number of airchecks over the years of the Big Ape from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Considering the size of the Jax market, WAPE sounded as if it broadcast from a Top 20 market. I was delighted to hear the station from a live and local perspective once I was here. Radio stations always had budgets, competition, goals, and other metrics. However, something is missing today. Therein lies a good deal of discussion on these boards where some wish to stay the course while others see different roads to success. I've always maintained there is more than one way to be a winner.

Jacksonville has an interesting and respected radio history. I came upon a WAPE Morning Zoo commercial montage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wL-47Xsm45A.

It made me smile, laugh and feel good. Among my thoughts was these guys are having a ball. Sure, they worked very hard on the air but they made you feel like you were a part of something very special. Radio sounded like you were tuning into something fun and entertaining. There was part of the quality coming out those speakers. Honestly, I was extremely happy to make Jacksonville my home. As a radio junkie for most of my life, I really thought I hit the jackpot. I was very impressed with a good number of stations and the professionalism and quality of the broadcasts and broadcasters.

I walk a fine line. Whenever posters such as myself talk about “the good old days” with respect to radio, we run the risk of appearing to want to return radio to a past model. In my case, it’s not what I am saying at all. I know things do change. I’m motivated by other factors. Besides quality, I am a firm believer in commitment and teamwork and winning. Those with proven skills and abilities should have the opportunity to make a difference. In Jacksonville, I feel there has been a move away from listener-centric decisions. Good ratings and listener preferences have not always ensured support and longevity. There is what I perceive as deliberate manipulation to create a target format environment. While I fully understand the importance of growing revenue, some things have been taken to an extreme. Perhaps certain metric goals have been unrealistic. I also believe a clusters’ sales team must be exceptional in their abilities to close the deal. For a market such as Jacksonville, I see local direct billing as a critical life line. So much rides on driving revenue.

I would be remiss if I didn’t pay tribute to Cool 96.9 (WKQL). It was 10 years ago, Christmas Day, Jacksonville lost an incredibly great station. A lot has been said over the years about Cool 96.9 and virtually all of it has been very positive. I won’t rehash all that. But, I will say in my knowledge and expertise in both oldies and today’s Greatest Hits formats, Jacksonville was very well served. I honestly believe Cool 96.9, especially during Pat Garrett’s tenure as PD, was one of the best programmed oldies stations in the country. So many ingredients came together flawlessly to create outstanding local radio. I don’t make these comments lightly.

It’s a shame Jacksonville never experienced the transformation of Cool 96.9 to Jacksonville’s Greatest Hits. Given the incredible success of contemporary hit music on WAPE for decades and the popularity of Cool 96.9, a natural order was very much interrupted. There are those who say this market is different and what works elsewhere doesn’t necessarily work here. There is truth to that statement. However, in the case of hit, popular music; history and performance have said something else. Some may point to the success of Cool’s replacement. However, I believe that success came at a terribly high price. More to follow.

 

[John FL]

Strategy plays an extremely important role in radio. Stations in a cluster have many jobs. They have to be a strong link in that chain competing against the company across town and not stations in that cluster. Over the years, some decisions did baffle a number of posters, including me. However, we probably did not look at the entire picture or fully understand the revenue expectations of companies such as Cox Media.

In 2004, Cool 96.9 had a sister station known as 102.9 The Point (WMXQ). The Point was an 80’s based station with some 90’s and very late 70’s in the mix. There was virtually no music overlap between the stations. Like Cool 96.9, 102.9 was a popular station and had an air-team and appealed to those in their 30s and probably 40’s too. However, that changed with Cool’s successor format, 96.9 The Eagle. A number of posters, including myself questioned the logic of what occurred.

102.9 The Point suffered terribly in the ratings upon Eagle’s entry into market. There was considerable overlap of 80’s songs that were almost exclusively the trademark of The Point. In time, it became clear “The Point” brand was meeting the same fate as oldies. One by one, Point formats went away. Here’s a case where one format was the apparent Golden Child and the other was expendable. In the case of Cool 96.9 and 102.9 The Point, popularity, ratings, loyal listeners and perhaps even local sponsors didn’t matter. Greener pastures were to be conquered.

There were probably a number of format options on the table to replace 102.9 The Point. For a long time, we heard of Cox’s intent to compete in the Urban arena. That was yet to come. If we’ve learned anything about Cox as a company it’s that they wait for that right moment to flip a format. When they do it is executed flawlessly and promoted very effectively. They often beat a heritage competitor in short order.

The decision to go New Rock Alternative at 102.9 was very aggressive to say the least. Interestingly, X102.9 was all about pumping out the music. The competitor Planet 107.3 was “stuck” in my view carrying the Lex & Terry gab fest. L&T were released from Rock 105 earlier and it just makes you wonder what really guided that decision. Planet 107.3 didn’t put up much of a fight. I could only assume, X102.9 makes more money than 102.9 The Point did and that probably explain a lot. Still, there was lots of listener disruption and really that means little in the scheme of things.

The board also had many questions and concerns regarding the business decisions at Rock 105. I can’t really speak to them because I wasn't a regular listener. Still, I think it’s a downright shame Jacksonville lost something so heritage. It didn’t have to happen. My two cents worth had always been if 96.9 The Eagle was more like a WCBS-FM (Greatest Hits) there would have been less overlap. With 96.9 being a hybrid classic rock station, over time, they became an indirect competitor to Rock 105. Eagle was an easier pill to swallow in the workplace and it appealed to the adult rock fans. If Eagle went the Greatest Hits route, the Rock 105 “rock purists” would never be caught dead listening to the Bee Gees. Still, I believe there would have been wiggle room for both stations to survive.

News/Talk WOKV was probably in the planning stage for some time to move to a full-market signal. The reasons for that too are obvious. Billing revenue would certainly be enhanced. Given the operating costs of the news department, it’s not a surprising move. Sadly, the old Rock 105 suffered because the rock audience was diced and sliced to excess. If I had to make an educated guess, I’d say when the brand changed to Rock 104.5, the clock began ticking toward rock’s retirement on that frequency.

There’s a good deal of speculation on my part. But, as we think of what Jacksonville radio was once like and what it is today, the one thing that does stand out and still holds true is decisions do have consequences. I’ve got a thing or two left but I’d like to talk about “relevance” in radio as we move to the present day in another post. Thanks.

 

[John FL]

A good deal has been said of the importance of relevance in radio. Listeners do gravitate to what is relevant to them. There’s lots of PPM data available that proves what listeners respond to and what they don’t. Still, there’s some presentation methods that are contradictory to what listeners prefer. In the end, owners and managers have the final say in content.

News/Talk is a format I feel will see a good deal of change to stay relevant among large numbers of listeners in the future. Maybe that future is now. Several months ago, I read an article about traffic reports relevance but unfortunately I didn’t bookmark it. The story went something like this. A commuter who lives in Northern NJ felt disconnected because traffic reports were almost exclusively about major roadways in New York City. Closer to home, given WOKV’s signal, there’s probably a good number of people who really don’t care about traffic reports. They may be retired or they may have a short commute to work using streets and not highways. Some live in counties outside of Duval, St. John’s and Clay and they remain local so they don’t care either.

Regarding the news end, WOKV has a tough job in being relevant to the most people. Overall, they do a great job. However, technology will probably improve this. I don’t recall if this technology is available now or if this is something for internet radio. People can customize certain homepages on their computers or tablets. The idea is they can/should be able to do the same for news radio. In other words, if a listener is only interested in hearing traffic conditions for I-95 in Duval or no traffic at all, he sets his preferences and off he goes.
Obviously, settings can be changed when circumstances change. That’s pretty neat. Perhaps that is something we will see locally someday.

On Election night, WOKV did a phenomenal job in election coverage. Here’s the deal – I didn’t listen to any of it on the radio. There was cable news but honestly to sit through hours of pundits giving their take on every little thing is a waste of time and terminally boring. I watched TV normally. But, I had WOKV’s Twitter feed open. As soon as Fox News made a call, I got that info quickly. Gene Wexler provided videos as well on key local races and other election info. I think Stephanie Brown was getting reactions from around town in feeds too. The future is now. There’s telephone apps. They have an open mic feature. It’s all great. It’s all about reaching your listeners in ways they prefer. We’ve seen a move away from listener centric decisions overall. However, giving listeners options is very listener friendly and I’d love to see more of it.

Presenters in music formats need to be relevant too. After morning drive, we’ve seen significantly less participation by the talent. It’s not easy to be entertaining, witty and relevant in short order but it’s done. Whether it’s good or not is up for discussion. There is a trend, however, that I don’t quite get and it mainly involves syndicated programming. John Tesh came on the scene eons ago with this kind of approach and it’s a major reason I can’t stand his show.

In Jacksonville, 102.9 The Beach carries programming from Westwood One and the Good Time Oldies format. The presenters often site a report or a study and provide a factoid and sometimes make a lame joke about it. I don’t know. To me, it perpetuates the notion of getting rid of the “DJs” and just play the music. Some of these have been downright embarrassing. Often times, I shake my head because I see zero relevance to a typical Jacksonville radio listener.

A couple of years ago when iHeartRadio temporarily carried their Premium Choice Classic Hits programming, the talent differences between that and what existed from a local level was like night and day. One would think that if you are fortunate enough to have a gig where your voice and personality are heard on dozens, if not hundreds, of radio stations across the country that there would at least be an attempt to kick that energy level up and be interesting and entertaining. What also made little sense given listeners are always turning the radio on and off or switching stations is referring to a report or study and then coming back with a conclusion or a joke about that report 10 minutes later. Maybe this is all about the dumbing down of radio.

I’ve talked of quality of what comes out the speakers. Maybe the John Tesh factoid approach does well. Still, I’ve experienced a lot of great, local talent in Jacksonville over the years who is my view were far more interesting. Voice tracking is reality. I don’t have an issue with it as long as it’s done well and there is relevance in the local market. Then again, there are some companies who still provide mainly live and local. I enjoy what comes out the speakers and apparently listeners do to when you look at the ratings of those who do.

In the end, there’s lots of contradictions. I’m thinking if local talent did some of the same things syndicated talent did sounding irrelevant at times, the PD/OM/GM would probably object and/or coach. But with syndicated programming, content and quality don’t carry the same weight. That’s radio! Stay tuned for more look back.

 

[John FL]

When there is talk of radio strategy, the Market Manager invariably has a role. There’s been a lot of bizarre events in Jacksonville over the years. Some decisions represented smart moves. Others seemed illogical and ill-planned. Radio is probably like any other business in that those in key management roles are aware of strengths and weaknesses of competitors. This is not only at the company level but at the individual level as well. It may explain why some decisions were made or why one company, in particular, appeared to have a target on their back. We’ve also seen the hiring of a MM from one local Jax company to the other. I never cared much for that practice on a number of levels.

For a long time, this board had many lively discussions about Renda Broadcasting. Specifically, the discussions revolved around the things that went wrong. It’s probably human nature to not talk too much about the things that went well. A consensus was never really reached as to whether it was the owner or local management as responsible party. I believe there is a third consideration and that is the team itself. It takes a leader, however, to motivate people and to create an environment where everyone is vested in everyone’s success. Realistically, both owner and management are responsible. But in the final analysis, it is my opinion the Market Manager and local management team are responsible for the day-to-day operations, executions of formats and quality of the product.In a number of respects, listeners were not always served well.

With regard to Renda Broadcasting picking up where the old Cool 96.9 left off, there was so very little that went right. This has been discussed to death and at this time, it no longer matter. In another string, the former PD of KOOL 100.7 talked of his lack of format experiences. He may have felt as though he was over his head but that’s when leadership is the most effective. If there were no budget dollars to hire an experienced and proven PD or consultant in the oldies format, then coaching takes place. In my own experiences, I’ve seen employees who were down on themselves but were able to turn themselves around. I’m convinced that if everyone in that building pulled together, those odds at success would have improved. There is a lot of ego and insecurity in radio. Perhaps that's what we experienced.

I don’t think any one of us will fully understand what exactly happened to Sunny 94.1 during its’ time as a Soft AC. I really thought there was considerable potential there and it really filled a programming hole quite well in those early years. KOOL 100.7 was replaced with a “Movin’” format, something at the time that had very little track. We can speculate but since that MM came from the Cox world, I often wonder if he was trying to beat his former employer to the punch in the Urban arena. In time, Sunny 94.1 became classic rock in effect socking it to Cox, once again. Perhaps the feeling or inside knowledge was Rock 105/Rock 104.5 was on borrowed time. Who really knows? Were these all listener centric decisions? Well, some listeners benefited but it was at the expense of others. Nonetheless, it’s a chapter I am happy is now closed. The biggest fear I have lately is Chesapeake-Portsmouth doing nothing with 94.1 and 100.7. I don’t want to think about that right now.

Finally, there is the former Clear Channel. There was once a female MM/OP team. I wonder if because of their gender, they became a target especially in the bold challenge to Planet Radio move. It’s something to think about. But more importantly, I believe the reputation that company has locally is they won’t put up much of a fight. Maybe it’s a little knowledge that plays well with a competitor. One of the most interesting comments on this board regarding Planet Radio came from someone who once worked there. This was not a typical bitch session against a former employer but simply we heard the MM was not that gung-ho over Planet. Imagine that! If that was common knowledge, it may have helped Cox make their move.

From a strategy standpoint, iHeartRadio jumping on the Classic Hip Hop bandwagon will probably prove a good move over time giving a B-12 shot to V101.5. For other things, little made sense. I will never understand why the company spent a good deal of money on new imaging, branding and tweaking of the music at the former Greatest Hits Magic 107.3 only to throw it all down the drain just a few months later. Equally, 107.3 is a great signal and they could perform so much better with a format that has some life to it. But, I have a feeling the bean counters are happy with what is there satisfying all those ratios. It doesn’t matter whether the format is popular or not. And that’s radio!

 

[John FL]

I conclude with some random thoughts.

It was around this time last year, this board went away. In some respects, I felt like I lost a friend. In the non-radio world, I’ve found no one is really interested in radio to the same level as me. Obviously, the board has come back but somewhere along the line, participation has significantly been reduced. On some of the boards, there’s some life but there’s also been lots of heated exchanges where things tend to get out of control and personal between avid listeners and radio pros. I don’t want any part of that.

There’s been a good number of news-worthy events this past year for Jacksonville. Many have gone without mention. In the past we probably would have seen multiple pages of virtually any subject. I miss the interactions. Easier said than done sometimes, I tried to keep an open mind about things. Sometimes, my views did change. Anyway, I really do miss many in the cast of characters. Over the years, I learned a lot about the business of radio.

My fascination with radio has diminished significantly over the last few years. The Big Ape TV commercial montage brought back lots of memories for me. I travelled a lot for work around that time (late 90’s) to 2004. My journeys took me to big and small markets and I sampled a lot of local radio. I was always happy to return home. Jacksonville radio, in my view, was a cut-above most. Today, I travel a good deal for leisure and sometimes for family care giving. In a twist, I find radio elsewhere does the trick. I’m grateful for streaming and other alternatives! I don't see any evidence that anything will change here anytime soon.

Merry Christmas and best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year!

 

[frankberry]

Merry Christmas, JohnJax!

 

[Unregistered]

I was transferred to Jax from Tampa. There's some family here and I've been to Jax many, many times for a long time. I followed some of what was said here. At work in Tampa, they always had The Dove on and I really got into that station. I'm in my early 40s and so is my wife. We live in NW St. John's County and have not found anything like The Dove here.

A few years ago we were in Jax and we liked Magic. It was like Q105 and we listened to that too. When we got here we tuned to 107.3 and there was something else on we didn't like. There was too much new stuff. I remember 107.3 because in Tampa there's an Eagle station on 107.3. It's OK but Q105 is way better because they play lots of different music and oldies too. Radio is weird here but I have lots of CDs. I think people probably listen to their own music a lot more now.

 

[John FL]

I was premature in using the word “conclude.” With a new year comes new strategies and I’ve been made aware of a few.

This may be old news now but 92.1 WJXR MacClenny/Jacksonville has been sold to Norsan Media flipping to Spanish Tropical. That’s fine. They have a family of stations in the Southeast and so this will serve the growing Hispanic community in our area. Apparently, there is a “Bargain Channel” shopping program that has or will move from 92.1 to (Oldies) 102.3 The Beach. Oh brother!

The owner is taking a Tama approach of sometimes offering music and sometimes non-music programming. Anyone can see where that strategy got Tama in their oldies format. Listeners can’t be expected to keep a programming schedule to hear music. From the info I read, Bargain Channel will air from 7-9am and 4-6pm weekdays. In drive time, there's so many music listeners dialing around on their way to or from work. They will gone in micro-seconds probably never to return. For those who like shopping programming, will enough stick around for the oldies? It’s not a smart way to do business ushering listeners in and out. Whatever listener impressions were yet to be made to the music, I believe are now lost.

One of the other posters said it best when he said syndicated programming such as WW1’s Good Time Oldies often get a bad rap. It takes the right owners/managers to build and improve on the product. And so it goes.

The likely explanation is probably revenue. This is their strategy. The talk shows such as the motorcycle one and that fishing show (Dear God) may have sponsorship and they keep all the gravy for that hour. In my view, it is very short-sighted. There is so much they could be doing that relate to the music on that format such as specialty features or even additional syndicated programming but it’s a lost cause. As that wise poster said, it seems they are just doing what they are doing to keep from going dark.

As is usually the case, the New Year sees format tweaks and Jax is no exception. In another post, I’ll speak to that. This does relate to strategy, at least in the case of one station. To end on a positive note, there are some definite bright spots. One is close to home in Ocala and the others are in other parts of Florida. Certain strategy came into play. It's also an area of deficiency for Jacksonville in my view.

I'm beginning to think Jacksonville may see a few changes. More to come. Happy 2015 all!

 

[John FL]

This past year, I visited The Villages in North Central Florida to visit friends who moved there. It’s an interesting area. I heard Gold 99 FM (99.7 Ocala/The Villages and 99.5 in Gainesville), an Adult Standards format, a number of times. I’ve listened to the station via streaming but as is often the case, it sounds so much more true-to-life when heard on an actual radio.

Westwood One's "America's Best Music" format is broadcast on both stations. Even though I knew that while listening, Gold 99 FM just sounded local. I heard it in a number of businesses. The same was true when we were in the Ocala/Silver Springs area as well. It’s hard putting this into words but the technical parts seemed to go without a hitch. I didn’t experience any signal issues for starters. Simply, you can tell professionalism was at play in the overall sound of the station.

It reminded me of the importance of quality. That’s what draws listeners to your station. People will listen to what they perceive as something good and what suits their taste. Credibility also helps seal the deal with advertisers. It’s a good music mix. My friends regularly listen as well. I think this entire experience reminded me that you don’t have to have the biggest signal or the biggest budget or even be in a large market. Fill a hole in the market, work smartly and diligently, be devoted to quality, focus on your listeners and many of the pieces fall into play. The odds at success are greatly improved. Those who are running Gold 99 FM have a winning strategy IMO. It’s one of those occasions that lifted my radio spirits up.

For the many listeners who I know enjoy Gold 99 FM, my hope is the owner and all the major decision makers are in it for the long run and don’t make hasty decisions or are driven by unrealistic expectations. I have a strong feeling they are in it to win over time. Kudos.

More reflections and strategy to come.

 

[John FL]

We continue despite everything.

Over New Year’s, I caught The Twilight Zone marathon. There was a time network execs had tremendous power and influence, especially before the explosion of increased programming from cable/satellite. Twilight Zone was never a ratings bonanza in its original airing and there was also difficulty in landing a sponsor. One season, there was no sponsor and the show went on hiatus. While these TV execs were human and they made their share of mistakes, they were also visionaries. They looked past the safe choices as in the case of Twilight Zone. They apparently had the skills to recognize quality and perhaps anticipate pubic taste and preferences for the future. This is leadership at its best.

Radio also has a history of visionaries as well. We saw a good deal of that, especially in the 1960’s. There are radio visionaries today but I see more of that at the corporate level and not necessarily the local level. Still, some MMs and PDs make the news today for making bold moves and/or being big ratings winners and leaders in their markets.

Orlando is not that far away from Jacksonville in miles. But, in many respects we are a world apart. I understand market differences. However, if one looks at CBS Radio’s Classic Hits station, 105.9 Sunny FM and all the changes that have taken place over the years, it proved to me visionaries were at work. They saw the payoff well in advance and resisted the temptation to tear it down when the format wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire.

I've seen the same in South Florida. Magic 102.7 had a number of very difficult years. They also saw their share of not the best PDs. Today, they are really rocking and found that sweet spot. Talk about evolving - it wasn't that long ago the girl group from the early 60's were featured. Today, they brought back legendary S. Fla DJ Gnarly Charlie for an awesome 80's show just chock filled with personality and energy. Listeners there should count their blessings - no one gave up on the station!

I realize no two companies operate in the same manner. There are different core values. There are different strategies. However, I’ve observed what really does work over time. Earlier, I talked of today’s presenters who cite a report or a finding, offer a factoid and perhaps a punchline. Rick Stacy, the PD and AM drive host of Orlando's 105.3 Sunny FM has taken that same approach but he’s taken it to an incredibly entertaining and even relevant level. He is given sufficient time to execute whatever it is he is doing. His 4 minute rap often sounds more like 40 seconds. There is that latitude and empowerment. Each jock brings his own personality on air. The station sounds like the market it serves. No cookie-cutter. It’s just great, fun radio and friends we have nothing like that here in Jacksonville.

I see our market as a place where results are expected. This is normal. However, I don’t see that consistent effort, hard work and commitment to not only achieve those expectations but to also turn things around. There is a focus on today and making budget this month. From what I can tell, there is a rush to greener pastures. Who knows how much real opportunity has been blown like in giving up on what would be a hit TV show.

We’ve seen an extraordinary number of format flips over the last 10 years, especially with the former Tama. I have no idea how many different formats have been at 105.3. Is any of this logical? What kind of business sense did any of this make? There were some good formats that had potential but they threw it down the drain.

Back to TV to make a point. If you watch nostalgia TV, you’ll find that often, especially among long-term sitcoms, that the first couple of seasons are not always the best. It takes time for the actors to develop the characters and even for the writers to be running on all cylinders. Luckily, these classic shows didn’t get axed early on. Someone influential believed in them.

That’s been another fundamental problem about Jacksonville. Not everyone has been on board in support of a number of formats. We’ve seen a good number of formats not supported sufficiently only to succumb to a premature and probably unjustified death. We’ll never know what could have been.

I ask you to consider where we are as a market today and how we rank against others in other major Florida cities. We have a relatively small number of mainstream music stations now that two have flipped to Christian programming. Some stations have a monopoly with no direct competition. There’s even less choice today than there was yesterday. It’s simply a shame.

Before all the madness of yesterday, I had something else planned for today’s segment. I’ll get to that later. Still, I'm just so frustrated. I don't even know where to begin....

 

[gamefreak]

Similar thing happened in Tampa (and other markets)

Cox launched 107.3 The Eagle in Tampa back in early 2004, prior to that it was 107.3 The Bay. Which was a Softer Rock/ AAA format playing a diverse variety of music from the 60's- 2000's, with personalities to boot. Cox also had WDUV 105.5 The Dove (which still played some standards at the time, very soft AC), WWRM Magic 94.9 (just transformed from Soft to Mainstream AC) and WPOI 101.5 The Point (same 80's format as in Jacksonville, launched in late 2001.)

All stations had a unique playlist catering to a specific group of people, with little to no overlap between the 4 stations. All stations (except The Dove) had some level of personality. Cox then launched "The Eagle" going after the same 50-50 "30-something" demo as "The Point". Quite a few of the same songs were also played between both stations. "The Eagle" and "Magic" would soon get the lion share of advertising/promotions (a.k.a- 30-second TV spots) within the cluster, while "The Point" got little promotion, seeing a slow death over a number of years. "The Point" had a broader mix of pop, rock and some alternative early on in the stations history. Number of songs on the playlist/ genre diversity would get greatly reduced after "The Eagle launched. Did the wrong demographic kill the station, or was the station uninspiring to listeners giving way to a drop in revenue.

My observation with Cox Media Group is that "The Eagle" is the brand they love the most. If Cox launches "The Eagle" in the same market as an Oldies/ "Point" 80's station the former format would cease to exist, either from a direct format flip (like Cool 96.9), or allowing both stations to exist for a while. In hope that the listeners of the former format would find the new station, leading to a decrease of ratings of the former. Little to no promotion/ money would get put into the existing format in the meantime. Once the decrease in ratings is enough they can axe the format. It helps if Cox already has in mind a good way to execute a new format. Like what time of year, what the market conditions are like, ect, ect.

Possible reasons Cox loves "The Eagle".
1) It could be duplicated in many markets, as well as be easily tuned to market needs
2) one size fits all for the demo that likes both classic rock and greatest hits
3) greatest hits and 80's formats run the risk of playing songs that don't test well, to some people anyways Top 40 rock from the 70's and 80's sounds better in 2015 than ABBA and the Bee Gees.

 

[John FL]

Gamefreak, thanks for dropping by and validating a lot of what I said. It’s been quite a while since we’ve chatted on the board. You have long been a “Point” format fan and I remember many interesting posts from you. Like you, I thought The Point was a great station. It had a good music mix and personality. There is no doubt, manipulation took place. The Point could have and should lasted a lot longer. It’s a shame formats couldn’t run their course and evolve and even fail naturally without assistance. There were numerous instances of that in Jax.

I’d like to take this time to also thank you for the kind words about Magic 107.3. I believe competition makes radio better and even stronger. It’s a shame the fun, energy and personality that was Magic is not on the scene competing and giving listeners a choice here in Jax. Over the last couple days, I’ve been thinking if there was ever a great time for Magic to return, it would be now.

As far as 70’s music such as The Bee Gees and ABBA go, don’t get hung up over testing. A true, variety based Greatest Hits format attracts a different audience than those who would tune in Eagle. Most doing Greatest Hits have reduced the rotation frequency of disco & R&B classics anyway. Often, they are heard on Saturday nights, weekends & specialty programs. The right programmer knows that perfect time to play certain songs especially doing the week. BTW, Magic 107.3 did an outstanding job in scheduling Motown/Soul/Disco titles.

Since you love the 80’s you might be interested in this. It’s Magic 102.7 Greatest Hits from Miami. http://www.magicmiami.com/ Click on "more songs just played." In particular, take a look at Friday from 5PM to midnight. (January 2). You’ll see an incredible mix of 80’s music. It’s a new feature. If you have time, look through the others days programming as well. They still play some 60’s as well as 70’s and 80’s. If you listen online, you’ll hear great jocks, jingles and radio that makes you feel good. Let me know what you think.

 

[gamefreak]

BTW, hey Johnjax. Have always beeen a huge fan of your posts.

I love the Bee Gees and Abba BTW, I'm glad Hits 106 (Spring Hill Greatest Hits station) plays both of those artists and other great 60's, 70's and 80's music. Station runs WW1's Gold Time Oldies.

I have kind feelings for Magic 107.3 because that was the only station my grandmother listened to in Jacksonville, she loved the countdown shows BTW. She passed away a week after Jack FM lauched in 2012. What do older people have to listen to now? The closest Jacksonville came to a greatest hits station since was the 106.1 The Dove stunt (which was piss poor of Cox BTW to tease listeners like that), which lasted a mere few weeks. She wouldn't touch a station such as the Eagle, too much heavier rock, small playlist and lack of personality.

Was 105.9 Sunny FM in Orlando a runaway success, not in a longshot. Sunny FM got to were it is today over a good 2 or 3 years, the ball really got rolling when Rick Stacy took over as PD in 2010. Magic 107.3 should have had time to mature its format, not cut it after a year and a half.

Listening to Tom Kent right now on Magic 102.7, great station BTW, Classic Top 40 radio the way it should be.

 

[gamefreak]

OK did forget about 102.3 The Beach, but at the same time it seems the owners haven't really done a good job with the audio. Constant signal dropouts even were the signal was strong out in Baymeadows and Eastern Jacksonville. Forget about the signal out towards West and North Jacksonville. I believe it was in mono as well.

 

[austingrace]

I loved the point as well. That was all I listened to when I went to school at FSDB in St. Augustine and in 2009-10 when I lived in Brandon near Tampa.

 

[John FL]

Thanks to the previous posters for their comments. Gamefreak, I'm sorry for your loss.

Over the past 10 years, Jacksonville radio has seen a lot of change. It’s the nature of the beast to see formats come and go. However, a bitter taste remains in my mouth given the methods used to affect those changes. In any business and of course that includes radio, decisions are made all the time to keep that business viable, competitive and perhaps even relevant. What should never be lost is focus on the consumer and reduced options.

For example, automated 24/7 customer service has significantly reduced payroll and is a convenience to customers. However, there is an opt-out function for those who want to speak to someone, especially for those unusual situations. It’s all about choices or at least it should be but the client should be in the center of the decision making.

I’ve frequently brought up other stations in other markets to make points. There are alternative roads to success. Through hard work, commitment, and creative, quality programming, I’ve seen how those “best practices” can better the odds at success giving a win/win to both the corporation and to the listeners. You might as well throw the sponsors in that mix as well because they are negatively affected with so many flips.

Perhaps I was naive into thinking success stories from other places could change the course here in Jacksonville. No regrets. My intentions were honorable. A long time ago, I saw the direction we were heading where it was virtually all about the company and the management. Look at where Jacksonville is today. It really didn’t have to be this way.We have lost quite a few really good formats. We've seen many in radio with proven track records exiled to the beach. One would think their expertise and skills would be sought.

There were many discussions on this board regarding the success of WFEZ when Cox Media brought that Soft AC to the South Florida market. It started out as a hybrid Easy Oldies format and the effects were devastating to both Magic 102.7 (WMXJ) mentioned in the previous posts and sister AC WLYF. Cool heads prevailed. They stayed the course. Surely here in Jax, Magic would have probably been killed almost immediately. Again, as we’ve seen so many times, the market loses so much when we always tear down.

What happened was an already strong talent line-up at both stations became even stronger. The music was tweaked. The PD at WLYF had the latitude to hire and they got name recognition talent. They weren't exiled to a life on the beach. They were utilized. There wasn’t name calling, putting down the other station and its listeners. No guerrilla tactics there.

Today, both WLYF and sister WMXJ have got their mojo back. Last Friday, I must have listened to 6 hours of Magic's 80’s Friday night special. It was THAT good. Whether this feature sticks around or not will be up to the listeners. That’s the way it should be but I still give the owner and management lots of credit. They didn’t give up. There was determination and commitment. The listeners have won as well. They have choices. There are two great ACs and there are differences between the two. There’s also a very high energy and fun Retro Top 40. The high road was taken. If only Jacksonville….

Yes, it’s all about the results. However, can we really be proud of where we are and how we got here? I’m all about winning too but what about professionalism and being a little more human? I don’t think it gets any lower than what we experienced on Christmas Day 2004 when a number of folks on the air team were fired because of a format flip. In 2005, that market manager who was a part of all that received an award for best mid-market manager. I don’t know but to me something is wrong with a business that rewards this type behavior. As a previous poster mentioned as well, that “Dove” stunt was simply classless. Stunts can be a lot of fun and even very creative. It showed a contempt and arrogance toward (certain) listeners. But then again, we’ve seen format manipulation and even benign neglect where a number of stations/formats have literally withered on the vine despite listener popularity.

It's no secret. For a very long time, I wanted companies such as the old Jefferson Pilot and eventually Lincoln Financial to come to Jacksonville. One time I actually spoke to the GM at JP to consider coming to Jax. Pie in the sky perhaps but imagine if that happened. There would have been a company in major ownership who actually believed in people! Talent on the air and way more respectful to listeners. Oh well.

So, what’s next for Jacksonville? I’m not in the business of making predictions because I’m usually dead wrong. I remain convinced a catastrophic mistake was made in killing Magic 107.3 very prematurely. Given the current format environment and in particular the AC format getting even hotter, there is far more wiggle room and opportunity in upper end 25-54. Some of this should have been anticipated. Today, older adult leaning stations are in effect in a monopoly position. While that may be great for the stations involved, their ownership, and management, I see a market that offers diminished choice and that’s not a win for listeners for sure.

Really, as I see it, the ball is in iHeartRadio’s court. Given where the Jax market is, there is incredible opportunity for them to do something big with 107.3. Obviously, one option is they do very little and that won't get them or this market anywhere. Still, with that great signal, it’s a shame there is no sign of life. I’m convinced they can do so much better and so can listeners! Thanks so very much for all the support!

 

[BostonRandy]

JohnJax - I've been out of the Jacksonville market for nearly 15 years. I appreciate your opinions and insight and it's a pleasure to read your missives.

Wishing a happy and successful 2015 and beyond to you and your family.

r

 

[gamefreak]

Thanks JohnJax for your condolences. As much as you and I, as well as many others hate the situation in Jacksonville it is what it is. As long as all the companies are making easy money (without taking any risk, or running a formats that require a lot of time and money.) they are not going to change. Lower ratings on a Jack FM type station isn't that bad, being that those type of stations are just run off a computer hard drive with no DJ's. For the most part anymore I've been listening to Sirus XM, anything from the Decade channels to First Wave (80's New Wave/ Alternative) to Classic Jazz. Loving the variety and the fact that the decade channels have personality. Such as Cousin Brucie hosts 60's on 6, or that the 70's and 80's channel use JAM jingles. Having a Sunny FM in Jacksonville will be awesome, however at this part there would have to be an ownership shakeup. Such as companies swapping out for stations in other cities.

Because of BTLS there is a possibility that Q105 in Tampa may lose its format, very slim possibility though. I just hope the Beasley isn't bold-headed enough to get rid of a heritage Top 40 turned Greatest Hits.