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K-104.7 Cleans House!

I doubt that Mr. Fontana is interested in buying anything - especially another AM dog. WDYT has to be bleeding money. There has been little to no local business on the station from day one, outside of his own Triune Capital Advisors and the company that does his IT work (probably a trade-out).

It's unfortunate that he was unwilling to listen to those who cautioned him against the purchase of the station in the first place. I'm guessing he's learned a hard lesson.
 
In Tom Taylor's newsletter today, Tom states that newsman Frank Lasiter is also gone. He's been a fixture of Charlotte radio news for a longtime. What a shame for everyone invloved in CBS's actions.
 
Yea I could have told Danny Fontana that WDYT wasn't going to work. Too many signal problems and I have never seen a case where a start up AM station has been successful ratings wise. Usually there is just one established AM maybe two that do anything.

A good friend of mine pointed out that radio is constantly changing with each new technology and new generation, like it or not. Frank had a long run at WSOC that's more than many get.

Since talk was always kept to a minimum, I wonder how many casual listeners to K-104.7 have noticed a difference?
 
Butting in from Buffalo and readily admitting that I'm not much more than an observer of trends, especially as they relate to a market like Charlotte. It could be that K-104.7 won't go through a format change, but instead will "limp along" staff-less on voice tracks, sweepers and bumpers.

Sports may be an option, as it is relatively cheap to do and there is a multitude of syndicated sports talk shows from which to choose. The downside is, especially in markets as large as Charlotte, any really good sports station MUST have a major sports franchise and franchise rights ain't cheap.

The upside is NASCAR, which is a progressive entity and always looking for the next hottest medium to which they can attach their very successful trailer. As I said, I'm just an observer (a guy who paints houses and puts up drywall, fer cryin' out loud) and it's more than likely NASCAR is solidly embedded in a very successful radio group.

Overall, it's easier to run a music format, especially on an FM in a successful cluster owned by the likes of CBS: Three hudred seventy two well-tested titles loaded into a server and running hands free, 24-7. It's a solution I'm not particularly fond of, given that I feel live, local jocks always perform better than Otto Mation. Still, the question is, what format?

Thanks for reading. Now I'm going out to shovel some snow. Yeah, I'm kidding. ;)
 
The top rated station 12+ in Tampa runs AC music completely jockless 20 hours a day. But Tampa must be an older demo and it's owned by Cox who loves this concept. Maybe 104.7 could flip to country as the "Bull" and hand CC the AC market like CC did for Cox in Atlanta. Other than "Jack" in NYC, does CBS ever run a station jockless long term?
 
MsMusicRadio said:
Maybe 104.7 could flip to country as the "Bull" and hand CC the AC market like CC did for Cox in Atlanta.
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CBS already owns country WSOC, yes? (#1 in the latest Arb, if I'm not mistaken, too.) Yes, in years past, CBS had somewhat of a market "monopoly" on country in Tampa by running two stations, WQYK and WYUU (now Spanish) until CC flipped floundering classic rocker Thunder to US 103.5. It was at that point WYUU flipped to Spanish.

For CBS to flip to a third country station in the market, let alone a sister to one of their own, would really cut off their thumbs to spite their arms. But since it is a southern market, it could fly.
 
I would presume CBS is giving up on AC in Charlotte. Running an AC jockless has not been their history. I am not being facitious when I say I would expect some form of country. Possibly "classic country" or a classic rock/country hybrid. If Bubba was not working for Cox,I'd expect him on the new station. Having lived in North Carolina, I would think that the area could support at least 4 country based formats as long as they were tweaked differently. I remember that WEZC flipped to hot AC as WMXC (at 104.7) and then seemed to lose the audience after 102.9 assumed the WEZC calls and flipped to AC from B/EZ. The same thing happened in Richmond when WEZS flipped to WMXB, but nobody got the WEZS calls and Richmond had no AC until Lite 98 in the Nineties. Richmond has never had two really competeing AC stations and I would expect that Charlotte would be the same. I also thing that you could run NASCAR on multiple stations at the same time in both cities with success. Tampa does have 2 successful AC stations, but you have a much older population ( I presume) and Cox owns them both and run them on the cheap.
 
OldSchoolWoman said:
I would presume CBS is giving up on AC in Charlotte.
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But I can't for the life of me understand why (other than, as many say, it's just corporate radio being corporate radio). Their ratings on on par with Lite's, and I would guess (but I cannot say with certainty) that their billing and 25-54 #'s are decent. Can anyone back that up (or refute it)?

I would see CBS running the station with fewer jocks and longer (likely voicetracked) shifts. AC is a very safe format, and the fact that K has kept on par with Lite is quite an accomplishment, especially with Lite's longevity. I can't think of a format that would get them the wide range of listeners, good demos and good billings here in Charlotte. I don't think sports talk would do it. Country would be ridiculous, and maybe - only MAYBE - a Bright AC. But, as someone astutely pointed out, that might hurt sister WNKS down the hall.

I'll say one thing... if the station changes, it'll be strange not seeing the K-104.7 logo on the sign from I-77 a couple of miles before the 485 interchange :eek:
 
Hi all.....glad to see you are all as upset as the rest of us. We have some jocks...just not the ones you are used to. I am sure amfmradioguy is sad that I am still there doing my thing since he hates me so much. As far as I know, Christmas will still happen..but then again...I am just a jock who was spared. I am happy to still be there but the building is not the same without my colleagues. I suppose all of us are anxious to see where the chips may fall...but for now, I show up, do what I am told and am thankful I am employed. You will hear alot of Holly...that is out of my control, so don't get on here and complain that I am on too much. I am going in and doing what I can to make this transition easier for my fellow jocks and the boss man. CBS called for cuts. Well they got em.

Thanks for all your kind words about K guys. So far, we are not going anywhere. Friday night 80s is tonight!!! enjoy and email me at [email protected]
 
Holly Haze said:
Hi all.....glad to see you are all as upset as the rest of us. We have some jocks...just not the ones you are used to. I am sure amfmradioguy is sad that I am still there doing my thing since he hates me so much. As far as I know, Christmas will still happen..but then again...I am just a jock who was spared. I am happy to still be there but the building is not the same without my colleagues. I suppose all of us are anxious to see where the chips may fall...but for now, I show up, do what I am told and am thankful I am employed. You will hear alot of Holly...that is out of my control, so don't get on here and complain that I am on too much. I am going in and doing what I can to make this transition easier for my fellow jocks and the boss man. CBS called for cuts. Well they got em.

Thanks for all your kind words about K guys. So far, we are not going anywhere. Friday night 80s is tonight!!! enjoy and email me at [email protected]
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Hi, Holly,

I am glad to hear that you are still at K. At least not all of the voices have been silenced. I had a gut feeling that CBS wouldn't be done with the AC format in Charlotte (although still no one knows for sure, I guess); it didn't add up, and I hope that CBS doesn't change the format at all - at least in the near future.

I always enjoy K while I'm in Charlotte and especially at Thanksgiving when I'm down there. I know jocks aren't especially thrilled with Christmas music, but I never tire of it... especially the "Christmas K" approach and playlist (although last year, a variety of jingles was unfortunately scarce... :(). You can't find some of those classic songs on other Christmas music stations, especially the ones up here in NYC and NJ.

Best wishes for continued success at K, and enjoy Friday Night '80's! If I can spare a moment tonight, I'll try to stream it from Central New Jersey!
 
Actually as a long time student of Charlotte Radio, I think the best years were when Boozer was there and it was MIX 104.7..Never really understood why the change..Sheridan, weren't you there then? Shed some light!
 
BIG APE said:
Actually as a long time student of Charlotte Radio, I think the best years were when Boozer was there and it was MIX 104.7..Never really understood why the change..Sheridan, weren't you there then? Shed some light!
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I was in town but not there. I was at WSOC-AM followed by WBT. Mix and before that WEZC EZ-104 was home to Chuck Boozer. I also used to enjoy Becky Kent and Fred Story who came over from WBCY. Man we are talking about a long time ago!

When I first got here in '81 EZ-104 was still doing Beautiful Music!
 
Is it true that K-104 terminated the entire sales department? Know they let the air staff (or most of it) go but was told they turned the entire sales team out?
 
KQC has added a Christmas countdown on their website. So apparently the present format will remain and probably all-Christmas...then who knows. Haven't heard it in a while, but thought the music had slipped last time I did. My prediction is format flip after Christmas?
 
outtaradio said:
Didn't the "Star 104" to "K104.7" flip happen after the Christmas music torture session a couple years ago?
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Kind of, they stunted with the Christmas music. I believe the change to K came with the Christmas music not after.
 
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