Is there any common radio formats missing in the Atlanta market
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Missing formats
- Thread starter CassChopper96
- Start date
Are there ...
Plenty.
1) Soft AC (B98.5 has this on an HD subchannel but it's not streamed or translated). Went away with Peach/Lite 94.9 flipping to The Bull.
2) Mainstream AC (this is debatable depending on what you call Star and B98.5--mainstream or hot)
3) Adult/variety hits (also debatable, since you can get WXKT 103.7 Chuck FM and WBCX 89.1, the Brenau college station in the NE suburbs)
4) Various flavors of alternative including AAA since Dave FM flipped to sports talk (we still have TOSOTR and [email protected], plus noncom Album 88 and WREK)
5) Smooth jazz (this died nationwide with the advent of the PPM)
6) BM/EZ or MOR (not that common anymore; Peach was the last BM/EZ station standing and they were completely out of the format by the end of the 80s)
7) Other oldies formats such as 50s/60s oldies or 70s AM gold; I think the last players there were the True Oldies Channel/Atlanta's Greatest Hits and Lake 102.3
8) Nostalgia (also not that common anymore, although there are still some diehard MOYL affiliates around). The last Atlanta player was WJYF Joy FM 104.1, a MOYL affiliate, and it went away when it started simulcasting Y106
9) Classic Country (went away with Legend 96.7)
10) Commercial classical, since WGKA threw in the towel on that, what, a couple decades ago; even noncom WABE doesn't do as much as they used to
11) Progressive talk (besides WSB's ill-fated attempt, the last try was WMLB 1690 being an Air America affiliate, although some bit player on the AM dial might be doing it today)
12) Americana, since 1170 out of Cumming went off the air when 1160 upped their power
1) Soft AC (B98.5 has this on an HD subchannel but it's not streamed or translated). Went away with Peach/Lite 94.9 flipping to The Bull.
2) Mainstream AC (this is debatable depending on what you call Star and B98.5--mainstream or hot)
3) Adult/variety hits (also debatable, since you can get WXKT 103.7 Chuck FM and WBCX 89.1, the Brenau college station in the NE suburbs)
4) Various flavors of alternative including AAA since Dave FM flipped to sports talk (we still have TOSOTR and [email protected], plus noncom Album 88 and WREK)
5) Smooth jazz (this died nationwide with the advent of the PPM)
6) BM/EZ or MOR (not that common anymore; Peach was the last BM/EZ station standing and they were completely out of the format by the end of the 80s)
7) Other oldies formats such as 50s/60s oldies or 70s AM gold; I think the last players there were the True Oldies Channel/Atlanta's Greatest Hits and Lake 102.3
8) Nostalgia (also not that common anymore, although there are still some diehard MOYL affiliates around). The last Atlanta player was WJYF Joy FM 104.1, a MOYL affiliate, and it went away when it started simulcasting Y106
9) Classic Country (went away with Legend 96.7)
10) Commercial classical, since WGKA threw in the towel on that, what, a couple decades ago; even noncom WABE doesn't do as much as they used to
11) Progressive talk (besides WSB's ill-fated attempt, the last try was WMLB 1690 being an Air America affiliate, although some bit player on the AM dial might be doing it today)
12) Americana, since 1170 out of Cumming went off the air when 1160 upped their power
Also WUBL-HD2. Just because your radio doesn't get it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
If any of this was commercially viable or would make more money then whats already being done then one of the players in atlanta would do it.... just because theres a format hole, doesnt mean you need to fill it.
What could happen is some HD fed translator, rimshot or station way out of the metro could do one of these formats, then people on here would complain you cant hear it.
Radio geeks are never pleased
Also just decades only formats. Like all 80s or all 90s. Even all 2000s. Similar to Sirius/XM. Anyone remember Journey 97.9? Only on for one year. “Totally 80s and 90s.” Played classic Weekly Top 40s from the 90s on Sunday mornings and nights 8-12 (am/pm). And Daily Dees every afternoon 3pm-6pm.
I think that the decades only formats work when you can jump between them... 60's and 70's or maybe 70's and 80's. But they are too narrow for terrestrial because one owner is not going to have an FM for the 60's, another for the 70's and so on.
The other issue is that the decades don't define music trends. 1955 to 1964 was one set, not 50's separate from 60's. And early 50's was Patty Page, not the early rock 'n roll era. And 1964 to 1972 or maybe 1973 was another era. There was a pause before we got 74's "Rock the Boat" which took us to 1980 and "Funkytown!"
So decades don't define music; that is an artificial set of bookends.
The problem is that a lot of songs from each era are ones that most listeners don't ever, ever, want to hear again.
Example: I really liked the Carpenters back when the songs were current and I was doing AC. I really don't want to hear those songs again, though. Same goes for Tom Jones or Neil Diamond or Mr. Humperwhatever...
Not saying those holes need to be filled...about 3/4 of those formats would not be viable (e.g., BM/EZ).
I'd say all but one -- classic country -- wouldn't be viable, and there must be some reason why the format was abandoned in the first place. Maybe too focused on too-old country with not enough '90s/'00s music? A third AC doesn't sound like a good idea, even if the existing two lean "hot."
Maybe I'm missing something, but everything on your list aims old. Even alternative (especially AAA) is aiming old now.
People complain that young people don't listen to FM, but why would they if there's nothing for them?
What newer/younger formats do you see missing? The OP had a question and I just started throwing out a list.
I don't see the future of radio in focusing on genres of music. If the interest is in genres of music, they do that on other devices.
When we talk about formats, we talk in terms of reaching audiences.
Yes!!
Even two decades ago this was apparent. In one large market, I did a format search, trying out about 20 industry-defined styles of music in the classic appeal / does any station do it / how well / would you listen to a new station type of research.
We found three kinds of music, each known as being a separate format in perhaps a hundred or so markets, were liked by the same people identically.
We went back and did another test of the genres... and several "blinder" genres... together, and in sets of two. The three came back as more powerful together than each one alone.
A new format was born, and over the years adopted all over the US, Mexico and Central America. All was based on what you highlight... reaching audiences rather than classifying "kinds" of music.
Yet when it started on the air in LA, folks at other stations called it by the name of a famous Mexican soup that is "a little bit of everything"... in this sense, a derogatory description that meant there was no format or focus.
Same thing goes for "decades" too...
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So what this means is that you start hearing certain rhythmic elements that one might associate with hiphop in other genres, such as alternative or country. There's a blending of elements happening from genre to genre, and yes it's been going on for a long time. An entire generation has grown up with this. So you have a country star such as Kane Brown doing a duet with a hiphopper named Marshmello, and both audiences get it. Traditional country fans won't, but the artist sees it as broadening his base.
This blending of genres make traditional formats obsolete, because your target demo doesn't listen to music based on genre.
I have a feeling David is referring to the Hispanic CHR format that has largely erased geographical and ethnic borders. It features a lot of reggaeton-based music but, as he's posted before, its popularity is not limited to the Caribbean basin and the East Coast of the US. For decades, "tropical" formats didn't work in Albuquerque and "regional Mexican" formats didn't work in Miami. The current mix of Spanish-language CHR appeals to all.
Yes but it has applications to other traditional genres. And my view is it's not accidental.
Don't forget about Smooth Jazz 101 & Smooth Jazz 100/101.1 FM-100.1 FM/1310 AM WJZA-AM/W266BW-FM/WNSY-FM.
http://www.smoothjazzatl.com/
1160 and 1170 AM did this as well, Wikipedia said these frequencies used the format in 2003.
I still do.
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