MIX 106.5 Stunting

[1sttimecaller]

Who's Les Levine? The sports talk on the board is a bit over the top considering how little people actually listen to sports talk in CLE.

A strong rumor is that Mornings on 106.5 will be Scott Miller and Rebecca Wilde.

 

[sfradio]

My guess is a jack fm type station

 

[unpwn]

Wilde would never. I'm sure she still has some sort of non compete, anyways.
GenX is probably the way it'll flip. CC just flipped a couple other Mix stations to that "format".

 

[Rusty Muck]

http://radioinsight.com/2010/mix-106-5-wmvx-cleveland-stunting/
Any guesses as to their new format?

Probably Gen-X

GenX would canabalize WAKS. Another thought. Is Jennifer Wilde REALLY travelling the world?

It depends on how both stations are approached. In Columbus, Gen-X is paired with CHR/Hot AC WNCI-FM, and that combo seems to be working.

Plus, if WAKS stripped most of their pre-2005 titles, it would be negligible.

 

[vjm]

I kind of think 106.5 may be headed to either a news/talk or sports/talk format.

I don't think they'd do Gen-X because they'd be stepping on Kiss 96.5's toes.

Majic can do the 80's stuff that 106.5 used to run.

If it goes news/talk, they should call it WTFM, and it doesn't have to be a straight simulcast of WTAM.

There are plenty of shows which don't have clearance in Cleveland that can fill the schedule:

6 - 9am -- Quinn and Rose
9am - noon -- Laura Ingraham
noon - 3pm -- Dennis Miller
3 - 6pm -- Sean Hannity
6 - 9pm -- Savage Nation
9pm - 1am -- Rusty Humphries
1 - 4am -- Phil Hendrie

If it goes all sports, they could call it WTAM-FM and snag Fox Sports Radio from WWGK.

Rizzo kinda let it slip that the "Really Big Show" would soon be expanding (from 8am - noon perhaps?) so 850/1540 could easily simulcast Mike and Mike from 6 - 8a, then be on 1540 exclusively from 8-10 am, and fill whatever FSR time with ESPN shows.

WTAM-FM could do local sports talk from noon - 3pm (with Andre Knott) to put a dent in Jim Rome's ratings.

And they can simulcast Indians and Cavs games, as well as provide a full time home for Notre Dame football, which 1100 runs (unless there's a Tribe or Cavs game at the same time, than ND's outta luck).

 

[Rusty Muck]

Gen-X is an all-automated format. Which would make sense, given that the entire airstaff was dismissed. When WNIC/Detroit flipped to "Fresh 100.3" on Monday, they made little, if any, changes in personnel.

 

[only1moore]

Another possibility is urban AC like CC is doing in Detroit (on 106.7).

If you are talking about WDTW/Detroit, that station is a Rhythmic Top 40, not Urban AC.

 

[wprt949]

106.5 the beat your new #1 for hip-hop and R&B

or RUSH RADIO 106.5

 

[1sttimecaller]

For vjm-
outside of Hannity that schedule would T-A-N-K and Hannity would be a question in a metro like Cleveland.
Quinn is Pittsburgh based, no love in cleveland for anything Pittsburgh.
Dennis Miller has no respectable numbers in any market. Robert Whul will absorb miller stations when Dennis finally tires of the show.

Rusty Humphries is moving to 12-3pm because of his move to WGST.

If Rizzo will be expanding it will be to other Karmazin sports stations.


106.5 ain't gonna be talk, or sports.

http://www.genxcolumbus.com/main.html

 

[Tim]

It is my educated guess that WMVX could be switching to WTAM-FM....with some simulcasting (mornings & Triv)...and filling in with Premier talk network programming middays and overnights. I think such a WTAM-FM would also help 1100 when Indians and Cavs schedules overlap/conflicts.

The idea is...talk is moving in many markets to FM. Since about 80% of radio listnership is already on FM, talk formats are simply going where most of the available listeners already are.

In the last year, many high-powered AM talk (or heavily talk) stations are now simulcasting on FM. The idea is...if an AM is going to lose audience, better to lose to "yourself" (your FM) rather than a competitor.

That might not be happenning at WMVX...it might be another music format...but, my hunch is...it's talk.

Side note about high-powered AM stations and their claimed coverage area: Contrary to many on-air hosts who simply don't know any better...50,000-watt non-directional AM stations do not cover 38-states and half of Canada 24 hours a day. Signals are enhanced at night...but, it's usually up to about 150-miles or so daytime, and 750-1000 miles at night...great for sure, but not 38 states. The way the air personalities talk...it sounds like these stations are heard in 38 states on the radio 24 hours a day always...that simply is not true.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

I'm still betting on GenX, with a small side bet on a straight simulcast of 'TAM. Fairly small, at this point.

There would not be much problem, IMHO, tweaking both Kiss and GenX to fit together. Remember, CC doesn't necessarily stamp all the music from market to market in these name formats. If they need to move GenX a bit to protect Kiss, they'll do so.

Sports? I'd say yes if it was CBS blowing up one of their stations. CC hasn't actually done a lot of FM sports talkers, and unlike Bonneville, they wouldn't blow up 'TAM on 1100 to move it to 106.5, and put sports back on 1100. They just don't do that. 'TAM (be it on 1100 or both AM and FM) serves their sports needs and does it quite well. They have "all the balls" (as a CC sister news/talker out west used to say), and that's all they need.

gabigley? Please read that sentence again.

"There had been some speculation"

Not "We have reported".

Sigh.

BTW, there "has been some speculation" that Mix would dump hot AC going back a few years, but did not until now.

 

[MarkW]

I am thinking the new format will be one of the following:
--80's based Rock AC (similar to 105.7 in Columbus)
--Variety Hits
--Gen-X

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Oh, I forgot to note: "The Pennsylvania Polka", and "Who Stole the Kishka" are polka classics recorded by Cleveland's own Frankie Yankovic, who is finally getting some commercial radio airtime in his hometown (Well, he's not around to hear it, of course, having died in Florida in the late 1990s.)

 

[Tim]

If WMVX became WTAM-FM, and simulcasted drive times with their AM, that would not be "blowing up" WTAM 1100....it would be adding to the WTAM brand's cume audience. They'd get people who might love talk...but, don't now listen to AM stations.

Additional WTAM-FM talk listeners would likely be in the age 25-44 age group....and would greatly help WTAM "young-up" a bit.

I truly feel bad for listeners of younger music formats: alternative, light alternative, etc....but from a right-now revenue standpoint...being top 5 in adults and/or women 25-54 makes a heck of a lot more $$$$ than any younger-targeted rock format.

Sadly, radio in 2010-2011 is about billing NOW...not trying to grow an audience for success in 5 or 10 years.

Check the latest US census for northeastern Ohio: one of the oldest population bases in the USA.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

If WMVX became WTAM-FM, and simulcasted drive times with their AM, that would not be "blowing up" WTAM 1100....it would be adding to the WTAM brand's cume audience. They'd get people who might love talk...but, don't now listen to AM stations.

Oh, I agree, and you know I have the FM Talk Watch.

The "blowing up" was about the part after that, where 1100 would be taken to some other format after 106.5 becomes the solo home of WTAM...that's what Bonneville does (Phoenix, Seattle), but CC, in its recent AM-to-FM Talk Moves, has kept the AM (Albany, soon to be Syracuse).

I've always said that a WTAM move to FM, either as a simulcast or solo, would depend solely on if Oak Tree sees the demos on 1100 falling through the floor.

I don't think they're there YET, and 'TAM is still too strong, but it'll happen ONE day.

In the meantime, I think we're still talking GenX.

 

[JockFan]

Here's my guess...

Smooth AC or very gold based AC. Think about it. Who else is there to attack that won't canabalize their other properties.

 

[1sttimecaller]

You don't stunt a flip to talk with music, at least not this mix.

Also the PD hasn't been terminated. If they were changing to a simulcast of WTAM, Ray Davis would serve in that role.

If you wanted to start the death watch on an FM to flip to talk, I'm betting on 107.3.

 

[Tim]

106.5 becomming WTAM-FM and simulcasting drive times would grow the WTAM talk brand in NE Ohio by adding tens of thousands of potentially younger talk listeners....listeners who don't now listen to WTAM-AM.

It could take some 92.3 & WMMS talk listeners (especially adults age 25-34 or 35-44).

With other ways to receive talk programming galloping to your Mr. & Mrs. average American citizen (I-phone, streaming available in cars)...it's more about building the audience regardless of whether it's on AM or FM.

Other nitch music formats might be fun to listen to, but unless they can dominate in adults 25-54, it won't add much revenue to the CC cluster in Cleveland.

Besides...if WMVX becomes WTAM-FM and simulcasts 1100's local drive times shows...it'd cost Clear Channel practically nothing. They'd have potentially a lot to gain, with practically nothing at risk.

 

[sfradio]

CC dose not care at all if they cannibalize their other properties, look at other markets and they have formats that share most of the same music, Detroit, New York, Seattle, etc

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Besides...if WMVX becomes WTAM-FM and simulcasts 1100's local drive times shows...it'd cost Clear Channel practically nothing.

OK, let's bite...what do you put on both stations outside drive? I'm very curious what might work.

We'll assume Beck and Rush stay on 1100.

What do you put on "WTAM-FM 106.5"? No, I'm seriously wondering what would work.

Or, do you move Beck and Rush to 106.5, and put something else on 1100?

The math doesn't work in my head, but maybe I'm not thinking this through. I'd love to have input.

Again, I'm still at the GenX Betting Window, but I'd like to kick all this stuff around.