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K98.5 Billboards?

K

KC2GVX1

Guest
Driving south on Route 9 today in Toms River, I saw an interesting billboard. It read, "There's a new Kid in town" with a stylish oversized "K" in kid. You could tell it was the kind of a K a radio station would use. K's are usually country stations, right? I just can't imagine Press going against WPUR. I can't imagine them doing AC to hurt The Breeze, and what else could a K mean? There are K-Rocks, but I think we are saturated with rock at this point too. This particular billboard has traditionally advertised Press stations. I have seen The Breeze and G Rock, over the past few months.
 
I really think this area needs an Active Rock station - one that clearly targets Men under the age of 50. This station needs to play the more aggressive music that other stations around here ignore (including WRAT - have they ever played Slipknot or Sevendust?), mixing it up with some mainstream rock and a few classic rock acts for good measure - I think they should go for a sound similar to WZBH (93.5 The Beach) in Delaware or 101.1 WJRR in the Orlando market.

Basically, we have Country covered - 98.5 and Cat Country 107.1 overlap much of the market, and 98.5 doesn't reach far enough into Monmouth County to draw significant ratings with that format. We have the '60s & '70s covered (although an Oldies station that plays '50s and '60s wouldn't be a bad idea, especially in this market). A Smooth Jazz station with a big signal failed, but maybe it would work on a smaller scale. I'd listen to an Urban station, but I don't know if it would work in a predominantly Caucasian area like Ocean County. We've got enough Hot ACs and Classic Rockers in the area, that's for sure. CHR was attempted with less than stellar ratings, and WAYV is fairly close to that sound anyway (during the week at least). AC would potentially take ratings away from The Breeze. A station that's too Alternative sounding would hurt G Rock Radio. Then again, G Rock's lighter take on Alternative may lose the interest of listeners seeking edgier sounds that are often heard on other stations with the format. This is why an Active Rock station would work in the market - with G Rock being too soft for some listeners and WRAT being too soft / too classic for others (and not reaching Ocean County all that well), there's a whole audience here that is served by no one. It's a great opportunity, and someone needs to take advantage.

Either Oldies or edgier Active Rock would be a fantastic format for 98.5. But I don't expect either - I think we're far more likely to get another Country station or Classic Rocker.
 
KC2GVX1 said:
I just can't imagine Press going against WPUR.
Click to expand...

Would it really be considered going against them? I'm sorry but I hardly consider WPUR to be a local station to a large chunk of the area served by 98.5 (of course, I'm thinking Toms River, Seaside, Lacey, etc - the area targeted back in the days of B985). Up here coverage has lots of static, especially during summer months. And commercials are for things such as car dealerships on the Black Horse in EHT.


K as in Kid? As in Billy the Kid? As in old west? As in country? I'm probably way off base.

Search Google for K98.5 and the first result is K98.5 FM - Continuous Country Favorites (KOEL Cedar Falls, Iowa)
 
The point is, just a few years ago, 100.1 WJRZ attempted a Country music format and failed with it.

What makes Press think that the outcome will be any different if they were to attempt the same thing?

I say give the area something it's never had before - Adult Standards (there's been a void since WRDR left the airwaves), Active Rock (something for the crowd that finds G Rock and WRAT too soft, and for those who can't get WRAT), or Urban. There's a lot of senior citizens and a lot of younger families here - one of these formats is what the market needs
 
dkocw said:
commercials are for things such as car dealerships on the Black Horse in EHT.
Click to expand...

Many, many people in the Ocean County towns of Tuckerton, Manahawkin, Barnegat & Lacey *do* shop at places in EHT, Mays Landing, Absecon, etc.

I see more cars in Manahawkin with stickers or plate frames from "CHAPMAN FORD" or "SPORT HYUNDAI" or "ATLANTIC VOLKSWAGEN" than I do with stickers from "WORLD VOLKSWAGEN" or "DOWNS FORD" or "TOYOTA WORLD".

It's a much easier & faster drive from Manahawkin or Tuckerton or Barnegat to EHT than it is to Brick or Pt. Pleasant or Lakewood.

WPUR also has a fair number of advertisers from Northern Ocean County.

I think County would work great on a Monmouth County FM, but on an Ocean County FM it will fail, just like it did on WJRZ.
 
SoulCrusher said:
The point is, just a few years ago, 100.1 WJRZ attempted a Country music format and failed with it.

What makes Press think that the outcome will be any different if they were to attempt the same thing?
Click to expand...

I think the country scene was a lot different back then... I believe I can remember listening to Jersey Shore Country on the bus home from 7th grade, so that puts it around 1998... that's 8 years ago. There was no Toby Keith, Dixie Chicks (well them to a lesser extent now...), Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, etc. Country today is a lot more "mainstream", and arguably the whole country and radio landscape, is a lot different than it was 8 years ago when Jersey Shore Country and Y-100 launched.

If K winds up being country and it succeeds, it'll do well. If the market doesn't want it, Press will try something else. It's not like they'll stick with a station that isn't making money and pulling in listeners, but if they want to burn some money and give it a try, who not. It at least gives us something to talk about on here.
 
Toby Keith and the Dixie Chicks were definitely around - I believe the latter's Wide Open Spaces was released in '97 or '98 if I recall.

Keith Urban is basically as much of an Adult Contemporary artist as he is Country - most of his songs fit in on that format just fine.

Basically, I think the main reason why 98.5 is not a good spot for a Country format is because it doesn't do an adequate job of covering Monmouth County, where Cat Country doesn't reach. ;D Of course, I think the simulcast-happy Press Communications will find a way around that problem ;D .

I personally think they should consider other formats that don't cover Ocean County at all. Adult Standards (with the senior citizen population), Active Rock (WRAT covers Ocean County poorly), Urban or Smooth Jazz would all do well here.
 
Can anyone give me an update on the K98.5? Are they playing anything on it? or is it dead air? I am not in the area, but B98.5 ment alot to me, so I am wondering.

??? ??? :eek: ??? ??? what is press thinking?
 
mmiller - b98.5 has been dead for well over a year now. it's been (and still is as of this morning) simulcasting GRock
 
No, I know as of 2/18/05 Press made "G Rock" and its been on 98.5 and their baby 106.3. But now they made "G Rock" 106.3 & 106.5... whats going on with the 98.5 signal? Is it going country, or are they going to please the people between TR and Tuckerton by making it a good station....
 
MMiller said:
No, I know as of 2/18/05 Press made "G Rock" and its been on 98.5 and their baby 106.3. But now they made "G Rock" 106.3 & 106.5... whats going on with the 98.5 signal? Is it going country, or are they going to please the people between TR and Tuckerton by making it a good station....
Click to expand...

we'll find out in a few weeks when K launches... as we've been discussing
 
Hey, maybe this time they'll make a logo using a font that *doesn't* come from Microsoft Office.

Aaah, who'm I kidding...
 
dkocw said:
MMiller said:
No, I know as of 2/18/05 Press made "G Rock" and its been on 98.5 and their baby 106.3. But now they made "G Rock" 106.3 & 106.5... whats going on with the 98.5 signal? Is it going country, or are they going to please the people between TR and Tuckerton by making it a good station....
Click to expand...

we'll find out in a few weeks when K launches... as we've been discussing
Click to expand...

Oh I am sorry... I don't read this all the time to see what is going on with stations, cause quite frankly I dont really care, I just heard that 98.5 is changing again, and I was wondering to what and when there is no reason to reply in the manner that you did. and if it wasnt snotty it sure looked like it to me... so forgive me.
 
I finally saw the billboard driving up Route 9 the other day. The 'K' in the phrase "A New Kid In Town" had a rather edgy look to it, as if it belonged to a Rock station.

Let's hope Press gets it right and instead of giving the Ocean County area a format that it already has, it goes for a good, edgier take on Active Rock - a station that's just as comfortable playing Slipknot and Sevendust as they are playing Nirvana and Metallica. With WRAT only putting a fair signal into much of Ocean County, and no station at at all playing most of these bands, this is a can't-miss proposition right here. This station can thrive alongside G Rock Radio as long as they differentiate it enough, and play the edgier music that's missing from its sister station.

Well, I'd like to see it happen, but it's probably just a pipe dream. The odds are it will be another Hot AC, Country, or Classic Rock station. I hope to be proven wrong when this station signs on.
 
I can see it now - Kountry with a K! K 98.5!

Why doesn't Press Communications just rename The Breeze stations while they're at it - It could turn into The W!, or maybe The Y!, or even still, The B! Who needs Sesame Street when we have Press around to teach us the alphabet!
 
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