mightynine said:
1. Why would they flip it? As said before, this is a legal move to keep the station within the CC family, and the format's doing fine ratings-wise, and it's certainly not costing much to put it on the air.
People were expecting to flip it only because of it's weak showing possibly but most of all move usually means format blow out.. not hard to connect the dots after seeing it so many times in so many markets. The difference here is the transmitter doesn't move one inch, as mighty nine said, it was a way to bring it back into the clear channel fold, however many thought it would be sold due to it's reception issues on portables in Baton Rouge and New Orleans
2. Calling it "The Rock of New Orleans" hasn't hurt in Baton Rouge...why would it start now? So what if it's in a different Arbitron market?
Actually, that comment started out as a joke by me, because in a world where the FCC actually policed their rulings, they would have to follow the move and have your ads and such focusing on the Baton Rouge metro area instead of New Orleans, but technically in a few weeks, you will have a station licensed to one metro area (non Arbitron, but Edison Media has done a few books in Houma/Thibodaux), aimed at one Arbitron metro area , with just enough mention of the Arbitron metro area you are assigned to satisfy the FCC .. In other words be prepared for a few more BR commercials , However I'm not certain if the weather alerts move to Baton Rouge (due to Arbitron) or stay with COL of Houma (which is New Orleans weather alerts)
3. If it is a problem, just change the slogan to "The Rock of South Louisiana" - or, just drop the slogan altogether and call it 104.1. I would think the station's identity is well enough known now that dropping that (and changing the web address) wouldn't hurt much, if at all.
The slogan was originally just a way to satisfy some purists for loosing WRNO , however it didn't do anything for it.. I'm surprised 104.1 doesn't change up and go more head to head with 104 the X with a new non geographical slogan
4. Just flip the legal ID around to include BR first, and then list New Orleans. (I doubt they'd still mention Houma. There's no need, right?) After all, Kiss FM did just that - and even had remotes in BR, back in the day.
Actually, you don't have to mention anyone in the legal ID except Houma which they have to as it's the city it's licensed to and takes a application to move it to another city and a justification on why (my guess is you'll see a few people try and block Clear Channel even if they tried).
How it's said doesn't really matter
In the end, we're all overanalyzing something that probably will end up being a change in the legal ID mention and a slogan change - after that, I'm with everyone else who says this will be a blip on a legal radar and no more.
I'm the one who brought it up as I said more as a joke than anything, as you have a station targeting one area and serving another (and it must be the 1990s KISS, cause during the Annette Wade era it didn't seem like anything existed past the St. John parish line. Big no no when half your listeners (from Baton Rouge) hear your DJ go, So where is Prairieville?)
Actually I see no changes, other than a way to get the station back in the clear channel fold... But I do agree with Johnny Marchese.. this one would basically lock out about 4 stations out of the saints radio network, as many major league teams are buying their home stations.
