Markets that need a second CHR

[radiorock89xfm]

I think in my market here in Biloxi - Gulfport, Mississippi needs a second CHR station or make the one we have here at 107.1 the monkey wxyk fm upgrade or swap with a bigger signal than small 107.1 fm signal!

 

[atlantaboy]

Portland, OR (#23) should get a second CHR. The heritage CHR, the other Z100 sounds so conservative lately. They used to be a lot more rhythmic, but since CBS swapped stations with Clear Channel, they put all the rhythmic music onto 107.5.

In 2012, being "conservative" is playing rhythmic music - rhythmic pop has been around for at least 3 years now - what's "liberal" is new Alt/Pop and Alt/Rock (Gotye, Foster The People, Fun, Adele, etc.)

Posters need to stop equating Hot AC with "conservativism", because at this point, most Hot ACs are MORE liberal than most CHRs in terms of adding cutting-edge music

Try to listen to Portland radio, you wont find much rhythmic product on the radio, even old skool rhythmic. I guess you haven't been or listen to PDX radio at all.

I'm sure you're right, man - I just don't think it has anything to do with stations being "conservative" - and Z100/Portland is way up in ratings, so whatever they're doing now is what they should be doing

 

[e-dawg]

Since you are from Atlanta, Z100 sounds like the Q100 or the STAR 94 in terms of playing more modern rock, pop tracks instead of rhythmic.

 

[atlantaboy]

Since you are from Atlanta, Z100 sounds like the Q100 or the STAR 94 in terms of playing more modern rock, pop tracks instead of rhythmic.

When I looked up Z100, though, it was much more cutting-edge than Q100 in terms of adding modern rock quickly and putting pop/rhythmic tracks in higher rotation earlier

Q100 still isn't playing Fun, Gotye, Christina Perri, etc., and songs like International Love come on really infrequently - Q100 is the definition of conservative IMO

 

[RobynWattsV2.0]

As far as markets that really need a CHR, my vote goes to Florence, SC.

What happened to 93X or 103X (can't remember which one...)?

103X flipped to Hot AC in 2010. That station has had a history of altering it's CHR format, sometimes not for the better. At one point from 1994 to around 1996 or 1997, the station was airing the syndicated "John Boy and Billy" show and airing Classic Rock in the morning, then Hot AC during the day, Adult CHR during PM drive and Modern Rock at night, while airing tons of syndicated CHR shows on the weekend. Talk about a trainwreck!

It's high time that Florence gets a CHR that plays "All The Hits".

Oh, and Fayetteville, NC could use a second CHR. Q98 has had a long history of being Hot AC while pretending to be CHR.

Robyn

 

[atlantaboy]

^I think the problem with Florence SC and Fayetteville NC is they don't have a huge percentage of young listeners - I'd guess that most of the population has basically been "stuck" there for generations, and ambitious high schoolers flee the area as soon as they graduate - same with Greenville NC (who's CHR is basically a Hot AC)

I know I'm generalizing, but that's just the impression I got when visiting these places ten years ago

 

[reelyreal]

What about Hartford, CT? CC owns both CHRs. WKCI and WKSS....

WKCI is definitely out of New Haven (not Hartford)

WKCI's Hamden stick covers almost all of CT except for the extreme northeast and northwest hills. It's city-grade in Hartford but plays second fiddle to big sister WKSS, and is "kind of" a New Haven-focused station... You know, as focused as any primarily Premium Choice-programmed station can be.

Anyways, I'd say WTIC-FM is more Adult Top-40 than Hot AC, and between WKSS, WTIC-FM, WKCI, and WZMX Hartford is well-covered.

 

[atlantaboy]

What about Hartford, CT? CC owns both CHRs. WKCI and WKSS....

WKCI is definitely out of New Haven (not Hartford)

WKCI's Hamden stick covers almost all of CT except for the extreme northeast and northwest hills. It's city-grade in Hartford but plays second fiddle to big sister WKSS, and is "kind of" a New Haven-focused station... You know, as focused as any primarily Premium Choice-programmed station can be.

Arbitron ratings show it's clearly a New Haven station (that can be picked up in Hartford cause the cities are so close together) - it's also way more adult-leaning than WKSS in Hartford (since New Haven doesn't have a Hot AC like Hartford does)

 

[RollTide]

St. Louis. Clear Channel's KSLZ is terrible: One local airshift all day, stale music, slow on ads. Despite what some have said, Y98 is not CHR. No one in STL is playing the rhythmic pop to any large extent.

Sounds like the exact same situation in Huntsville, except Cumulus owned WZYP has two local air shifts a day, mornings and afternoons. No jock on in midday at all and they were doing the boring Billy Bush show in evenings until it got dropped. Stale, old music, slow to add new music, boring stale imaging. They play 80s for lunch at noon every day and all morning on Friday mornings for gosh sakes! Totally alienate what is supposed to be their core audience! They barely play any rhythmic pop, and if they do, its usually only the ones that are in the billboard top 10. WZYP is NOT CHR. More like Hot A/C. Huntsville has no REAL CHR. I've been screaming for one on the Alabama board for years to no evail.

 

[jsu5381m]

St. Louis. Clear Channel's KSLZ is terrible: One local airshift all day, stale music, slow on ads. Despite what some have said, Y98 is not CHR. No one in STL is playing the rhythmic pop to any large extent.

Sounds like the exact same situation in Huntsville, except Cumulus owned WZYP has two local air shifts a day, mornings and afternoons. No jock on in midday at all and they were doing the boring Billy Bush show in evenings until it got dropped. Stale, old music, slow to add new music, boring stale imaging. They play 80s for lunch at noon every day and all morning on Friday mornings for gosh sakes! Totally alienate what is supposed to be their core audience! They barely play any rhythmic pop, and if they do, its usually only the ones that are in the billboard top 10. WZYP is NOT CHR. More like Hot A/C. Huntsville has no REAL CHR. I've been screaming for one on the Alabama board for years to no evail.

Surely WZYP can afford a midday jock. I miss WZYP having an evening jock. There was a time when WZYP only had Mojo in the morning and the rest of the day was voicetracked.

 

[the golden boy]

^I think the problem with Florence SC and Fayetteville NC is they don't have a huge percentage of young listeners - I'd guess that most of the population has basically been "stuck" there for generations, and ambitious high schoolers flee the area as soon as they graduate - same with Greenville NC (who's CHR is basically a Hot AC)

I know I'm generalizing, but that's just the impression I got when visiting these places ten years ago

Wouldn't there be a lot of young people in Greenville with East Carolina being located there?

 

[RadioPhillyFan]

Philadelphia!! Q102 does talk in the mornings, American Top 40 w/ Ryan Seacrest from 10-1, it's mostly out of market shows, then when it does play music it's usually songs from 2011 that get overplayed on Hot AC's! No Rock/Pop/Hiphop variety in the playlist like Hot 93.5 Harrisburg.

Wired 96.5 is too rap

WPST only covers Northeast Philadelphia!

Three CHR's and they all pull under 4.0?

 

[CHRles]

Philly has always been a bit of a tough market for CHR/Pop. Even the amazing 98 WCAU back in the 80s wasn't usually the market's top performing station.
Eagle 106 got close to the top around 1988-89...till Q-102 showed up on the scene with a Top 40/Dance format.

Overall, Q-102 is a great CHR/Pop station for the Philly market.
Hot 93.5 is a pretty decent sounding CHR for Harrisburg - even though it's owned by Cumulus it plays some great Rhythmic Recurrents (or was last time I was listening), but I prefer rival 99.3 Kiss FM Harrisburg.

 

[RadioPhillyFan]

I'd have to disagree with Q102 being great (Just, lack of local and 50% of it's day is talk otherwise it's got great airstaff, a great signal, and a great site) Also strongly completely agree with you on Harrisburg's CHR's. I'm envious of that market, it's got amazing stations (The River, Hot 93, Kiss 99, Wink 104, The new country variety on 106.7, 105.7 the X). All I stream weekly.


Oh, as for markets with a need for a CHR - Dover. I don't think any CHR's come in, I think Q102 has a fringe signal. WSTW comes in, but it's not CHR. Maybe something WDSD could look at in the future (although they seem to be more concerned with the listeners in Wilmington and try to bill for South Wilmington / New Castle along with Dover)

 

[Marv-L.A.]

WBBM-FM was moved to the Mediabase top 40 panel last Friday.

 

[Marv-L.A.]

The issue with Columbus is indeed signals; WNCI has been the #1 CHR/Pop station in the Midwest for at least 20 years, and I also agree that 4 country stations is absurd, although country WCOL-FM tied WNCI for #1 in the current book with an astonishing 9.4 share.

Country's been the most-listened to music format in the nation for 20 years, and has been tops in listeners among all formats for all but 18 months of those past 20 years, when it was replaced by News-Talk in the spring of 2008, but returned to the top in the fall of 2010.

 

[only1moore]

WBBM-FM was moved to the Mediabase top 40 panel last Friday.

But still reports to BDS' Rhythmic Top 40 panel.

 

[Jay F]

The issue with Columbus is indeed signals; WNCI has been the #1 CHR/Pop station in the Midwest for at least 20 years, and I also agree that 4 country stations is absurd, although country WCOL-FM tied WNCI for #1 in the current book with an astonishing 9.4 share.

Country's been the most-listened to music format in the nation for 20 years, and has been tops in listeners among all formats for all but 18 months of those past 20 years, when it was replaced by News-Talk in the spring of 2008, but returned to the top in the fall of 2010.

That's why Columbus is one of the most boring radio markets to follow. If you have one of the good signals you will do good if you have a bad signal you will do bad. That's all there is to it.

 

[the marv]

Not to mention Clear Channel owns the 2 strongest signals in town just like they do in Grand Rapids Michigan. All the other owners have 1 good signal and the rest rimshots.