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Lafayette Radio

WGLM has been around for a long time. I worked there in 1995-96.
 
You may as well say that about the entire market.


WGLM signed on in 1992 with full service A/C and flipped a few years ago to hot A/C as Mix 1067.
 
WGLM was mostly live and local (except Paul Poteet voicetracked and later from his home studio) and as i understand they now are satellite. I don't know whether or not they still have a live morning show.
 
Boiler*FM said:
Yep, they've been spinning the same tired tunes since about 1989-90, give or take a year.
Click to expand...

I agree. With the exception of WXXB you are playing a little more urban music than any other station there. WAZY, WXXB, and WGLM seem to have a very similar playlist. I feel sorry for the Lafayette listening audience. Not much of a variety for a city growing culturally diverse.
 
Read a report from a certain ratings service. It said more people in Lafayette Indiana
have turned off radio than almost any other place in the USA. Half of the people don't
use radio. Why is this?
 
Timewarp said:
Read a report from a certain ratings service. It said more people in Lafayette Indiana
have turned off radio than almost any other place in the USA. Half of the people don't
use radio. Why is this?
Click to expand...

Radio has been the #1 form of easy access entertainment since it's induction into pop culture. When it becomes less entertaining, there is no reason to have it on. The program directors in Lafayette are to blame, along with the all those who rank higher than them. I would love to see the books on that city. With Purdue and I-65 as a great audience along with the community, they should be doing well. Lafayette has always been a little behind on music since the days I called the city home. Pay-radio is probably skyrocketed in that city cause they want something new, something current. I've been working for Artistic for a few years now, and the whole scene in Lafayette radio is geared towards what people music listened to years ago. They need to stay current or they won't be current. :-[
 
Does Lafayette or West Lafayette have any urban stations?
 
ShockValue said:
Does Lafayette or West Lafayette have any urban stations?
Click to expand...

Urban??? I don't think so. Urban would never fly in a Midwestern market like Lafayette, Indiana, where Country is #1 and Oldies are #2... it just isn't going to happen. Now, I know I've said this many times, but what would fly is a station that plays Today's Best Rock. Worked before, and it'd work again.
 
I think it could see success in that market. It depends on the demographics. Plus, it's a college town. I think it would work. Evansville has seen success with KissFM, and I think their demographic is the same. The pop charts are slowing being taking over by urban music. RadioNow is a prime example.
 
If B102.9 shifted rhythmic they could technically own that demographic. However Schurz isnt too "hip" with the Rhythmic audience. So B102.9 will remain a mainstream Top 40 while AMP is preparing to detonate the rest of Lafayette cluster before they sell.
 
I agree. Is Shurz based out of Lafayette? Considering that move, they would technically takeover that demographic. Every growing city has that mix of something different in radio. Lafayette is a little behind in that aspect. I took a look at the pop charts and urban music is growing by the week. Our parent company is considering that move with one their stations in the state. I don't know which one, but I'm sure they will succeed the market. Music is a huge popularity contest these days. Give the city what's popular.
 
Urban/Rhythmic and current-based rock would both kick ass in Lafayette-West Lafayette. Trouble is, trying to sell them--that is, trying to convince local advertisers that college kids still listen to radio.

It's one of those perception/reality problems. Perception is that college kids don't listen to radio, anymore--only iPods. Reality is that radio usage in that (18-24) demo has eroded by about 3 percent... and TSL has dropped about 8 percent in the past five years.

But if you survey Purdue students, nobody will admit listening to radio--even though they do--because it isn't cool.

So you can choose between ratings success or sales success. But you can't have both!

What would work in Lafayette-West Lafayette? A locally-produced Sportstalk FM. Lots of PU, lots of Colts, lots of Pacers... some Bears/Cubs/Chisox... plenty of high school sports... an occasional reference to ISU and/or IUPUI... and a 49-week ban on mention of the Hated Hoosiers. Once for football, twice for hoops.

But it's gotta be live & local, 24/7. It would be HUGE! And a big sales success, too.
 
I think that is the solution. I didn't think that way until I read the previous post. Sales would eat that alive. Plus, ratings would be pretty stellar. If they didn't go with sports though, I think I would choose ratings over sales. Sales will come eventually. Who wouldn't want to sale to that demographic? I like how you think though. ;)
 
I would be happy with a local sports show on 1450. **wink wink, nudge nudge, Mark** ;D

However, talking about a live/local 24-7 sports station, while it would be nice, would be very expensive to operate.

The only problem with choosing ratings over sales is Lafayette is the #1 hardest to sell radio market in the country, according to Arbitron research from a couple years ago. Being a ratings success doesn't ensure that advertisers will eventually come around and buy with you. This is why WASK-F/A dropped news/talk over a decade ago, The Rocket flipped from modern rock, and probably why the two CHRs in town are softening up their rhythmic rotations and are being sold to agencies and some local businesses as hot ACs. ::) Any station with an edge or controversy has historically been a hard sell to the ultra-conservative business owners around town.
 
quackattack34, you mentioned that AMP was selling the Lafayette stations? Is this fact or speculation?

If fact, what company has what it takes to make this cluster great again?
 
What are some great resource links to read about Lafayette radio? I think someone mentioned Arbitron...
 
There's nothing specifically about Lafayette radio as far as I know except for the actual reports from Arbitron and Eastlin.

The report I mentioned was on Arbitron's website and was ranking all their rated markets in various ways...one ranking for the toughest radio market to sell. It may still be there. www.arbitron.com
 
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