Mix 97.1 becomes The Fan 97.1

[ohgary]

As an outsider to the industry, put talk radio back on AM where it belongs.

 

[Chuck Douglas]

When did Fox news start broadcasting news? Seriously there is a Georgetown study that people who watches Fox News are bout 60% misinformed.

I hear they also have terrible grammer skills!

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

When did Fox news start broadcasting news? Seriously there is a Georgetown study that people who watches Fox News are bout 60% misinformed.

I hear they also have terrible grammer skills!

Hmmm...could that be cuz most of them womens who watches Fox News becomes grammers before they turns 30?

 

[SeanMGilbow]

When did Fox news start broadcasting news? Seriously there is a Georgetown study that people who watches Fox News are bout 60% misinformed.

I hear they also have terrible grammer skills!

Hmmm...could that be cuz most of them womens who watches Fox News becomes grammers before they turns 30?

Like Sarah Palin?

Sorry, couldn't resist. ;D

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

As an outsider to the industry, put talk radio back on AM where it belongs.

Why? If the listeners are on FM, why shouldn't talk radio be there?

We've had traditional talk radio on the FM dial since the mid-1980's here, and it's been very, very successful.

What music formats do you think are being "squeezed out" because talk/spoken word stations have started showing up on FM? Do those music formats appeal to you, specifically as one listener, or would they have a shot at commercial viability?

 

[SeanMGilbow]

As an outsider to the industry, put talk radio back on AM where it belongs.

Why? If the listeners are on FM, why shouldn't talk radio be there?

We've had traditional talk radio on the FM dial since the mid-1980's here, and it's been very, very successful.

What music formats do you think are being "squeezed out" because talk/spoken word stations have started showing up on FM? Do those music formats appeal to you, specifically as one listener, or would they have a shot at commercial viability?

OMW is referring to Akron's WNIR, which has been #1 in the market for some time and a talk station since 1981. And locally owned.

 

[xiradiodotcom]

I hear they also have terrible grammer skills!

I hope you purposely misspelled grammAr.

 

[ohgary]

Why? If the listeners are on FM, why shouldn't talk radio be there?

Talk doesnt need the fidelity that FM provides, AM is very well suited for talk

We've had traditional talk radio on the FM dial since the mid-1980's here, and it's been very, very successful.

Doesnt have any relevance to my comment.

What music formats do you think are being "squeezed out" because talk/spoken word stations have started showing up on FM? Do those music formats appeal to you, specifically as one listener, or would they have a shot at commercial viability?

Hmm, Lets see, Jazz is going away, no bluegrass, no gospel, No Rock, No hip hop, no oldies. Radio stations were suppose to serve the community no milk it for whatever cash they can.

[/quote]

 

[pbf1]

Why? If the listeners are on FM, why shouldn't talk radio be there?

Talk doesnt need the fidelity that FM provides, AM is very well suited for talk


Irrelevant. The talk stations that have already migrated to FM do MUCH better P25-54, who aren't nearly as willing, as a whole, to listen to AM radio, regardless of content.

The listeners - and therefore, the money - are MUCH higher in numbers on FM than AM.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Talk doesnt need the fidelity that FM provides, AM is very well suited for talk

I'm curious why talk radio stations on FM bother you. Do you have one of those special radios that forces the tuning to stay on the talk station? Does your radio not have buttons, dials or knobs to move past the talk station?

Doesnt have any relevance to my comment.

It certainly does here. Here, talk radio has been on the FM dial since the 1980s (see Mr. Gilbow's message), and it doesn't seem to bother the listeners of the FM music stations surrounding that very popular station.

Hmm, Lets see, Jazz is going away, no bluegrass, no gospel, No Rock, No hip hop, no oldies. Radio stations were suppose to serve the community no milk it for whatever cash they can.

As someone who's been listening to that FM talk station here since before it went fully into talk (the midday host has been doing a talk show since 1974!)...I think that station has done a decent job of "serving the community". The station is usually at the top or near the top of the local ratings, and has been for nearly 30 years, so listeners must think it's "serving the community".

And yes, they make some money over there.

And unlike the FM talker in Columbus, the station here runs nearly all local programming, 5 AM to 11 PM weekdays, 6 AM to 7 PM Saturdays with NO SYNDICATION in those hours.

This station is not WTDA.

What does "fidelity" have anything to do with it? Talk sounds great on FM, too. Is there some sort of law in your head that a station that isn't running a music format should endure static or AM fidelity?

Here's your list:

Jazz is going away, no bluegrass, no gospel, No Rock, No hip hop, no oldies.

If you mean smooth jazz, it sure is. (The traditional stuff went away with WBBY, I think ) Is there some sort of requirement to have smooth jazz on the radio? For now, it's still on 103.5.

Bluegrass is not a mass appeal format. It belongs on a non-comm.

Gospel is generally on AM stations, though I actually wouldn't be surprised if more FMs pick that up...particularly on some of these rimshot signals.

What kind of rock do you think should be on the dial in Columbus?

Oldies is still hanging in there in 2009 as "classic hits", though it needs to aim for younger listeners. 104.3, for the moment.

Why do you think that there should be a requirement to put underrepresented music formats on the commercial FM dial? There's a reason it's called "commercial". Owners sell time to advertisers, and hope to make money in almost all cases.

And if listeners are drawn to WBNS-FM's new sports format...well, too bad. That's what it's all about...getting listeners and selling advertisers on reaching them.

 

[xmusicmatt]

No gospel

No gospel? what kinda format do you think 106.3 is?

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

OhioMedia, one pertinent fact you're overlooking is that even before BNS-FM flipped, Columbus had fewer BIG-SIGNAL music choices than any other market its size. Now that dubious distinction is even more acute. That makes the flip a negative for music listeners, especially when there is already significant format overlap among the relatively-limited big signals, e.g. SNY and LZT.

That's a fact, and it is relevant for Central Ohio, whereas it would be far less relevant for NE Ohio where there's a plethora of well-programmed music stations with strong signals permeating the airwaves. Whether it means Dispatch made a bad decision, either from a business standpoint or even (net-net) a listener standpoint is up for debate. Time will tell. Regardless, that's not one debate I care to get into in depth.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

OhioMedia, one pertinent fact you're overlooking is that even before BNS-FM flipped, Columbus had fewer BIG-SIGNAL music choices than any other market its size. Now that dubious distinction is even more acute. That makes the flip a negative for music listeners, especially when there is already significant format overlap among the relatively-limited big signals, e.g. SNY and LZT.

You know what? I'll buy the signal issues down there. There have been precious few full-market signals lighting up despite growth in the area (what, was WLZT bascially the last?). Columbus is riddled with rimshots, and I can see how a smooth jazz fan up north is now fuming that only 103.5 remains. Or a "Mix" P1 now saddled with 107.9 vs. 97.1.

But we're making some assumptions here, even if I'm willing to concede that market-specific point.

For whatever reason, Dispatch felt they could make more money by simulcasting the sports format on 97.1. (Not to mention, save money by dumping the original "Mix" staff!)

It's actually a great move for them, IMHO. Columbus is painted in Scarlet and Gray, and anything attached to THE Ohio State University's sports teams is likely an audience draw. Yeah, I know they had the Buckeyes' football games on 97.1 in the old format, but they can now make money with the surrounding programming and the rest of station as well. If 97.1 is successful as the FM "Fan", they can make more money off of it than they can make off of a modest AM signal with severe night signal issues.

I'm surprised they didn't do it earlier - I brought it up as a "good possible move" two years ago - but apparently Mix was successful enough to stave that off until now.

So, let's take the "there are few full-signal music choices" statement - which I agree with! - out of the equation.

In the eyes of the commercial station owners, there's no guarantee that even switching to a DIFFERENT music format on 97.1, especially in these economic times, would be successful. Period.

If "The Fan" went away from FM, if "Talk FM" dumped talk (which may yet happen), does that automatically mean that unserved music niche audiences would find happiness on those frequencies? Would one or both of the stations flip to AAA, or some form of rock not on the radio now in Central Ohio, and become a viable, long-term station?

Look, just about everything in Columbus FM radio that isn't WSNY or WCOL has these issues.

I guess I just have a problem with the phrase "talk belongs on AM", because it's usually motivated by someone who isn't getting their own, personal music preferences served on the FM dial...and is ignoring the realities I listed above.

For various reasons, talk, sports and other spoken word formats are moving to FM. Deal with it.

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

Actually, I agree with 75% percent of what you said.  In general, talk and sportstalk are showing good success nationally.  And it very possibly will here, too.  I even said in a previous post that the 97.1 actually makes a lot of sense in the respect that the mix of play-by-play and Hot AC was an awkward combination.

And that "awkward combination" (i.e, bad programming) observation is an  example of the flaw in your assertion that "just about everything in Columbus FM radio that isn't WSNY or WCOL has these issues" (i.e., why not try sportstalk if nothing else is working?).  First, you forgot about LVQ & NCI.  (Which, pathetically, means we've already covered over half of Columbus' truly-full commercial signals.)  The fact that the other big signals are struggling with music could (and probably does) mean they are not doing music formats the right way.  WLZT, for example, has evolved a little, but years after its debut as Columbus' first full-power signal in forty years it remains doggedly hunched up against SNY.   When stations just won't change (even 99.7's eternal refusal to be anything other than some shade of Rock is another good example), one cannot justify a, "well, all the music approaches have been tried and have failed" position.  That's illogical.  For instance, Classic Hits, Adult Hits, Smooth Jazz, Alternative, AAA, and mutiple distinctly different shadings of AC and Hot AC have NEVER been tried on big signals here.  And the formats that HAVE/ARE being done haven't come remotely close to exhausting all the possible approaches to execution.

That said, I should again repeat that *I* never said Talk doesn't belong on FM, or that the Fan will turn out to be a business failure choice for 97.1.  All I said was the change is much more of a negative for music listeners here than it would be in other similar-sized markets.  Now there's even less hope for a good radio music profile on stations that aren't just "let's pretend we're in Columbus" rimshots.  No need for format specifics to make that assertion.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

For instance, Classic Hits, Adult Hits, Smooth Jazz, Alternative, AAA, and mutiple distinctly different shadings of AC and Hot AC have NEVER been tried on big signals here. And the formats that HAVE/ARE being done haven't come remotely close to exhausting all the possible approaches to execution.

Well, there's one other elephant in the middle of the room...the economic state of radio (and the economy itself).

Stations are not spending time and resources on new formats right now. The only new format out of this entire change is the FSR feed on 1230, which is 100% satellite, including the Jim Rome holdover from the old format. "Mix" is new to Saga, but that's about it. I'd say the chances of Saga hiring more than a couple of the old Mix staffers is pretty remote.

The upshot? Stations are going to be safe these days. That doesn't absolve them from not trying new formats in the past But in the end, it's all about the money.

That said, I should again repeat that *I* never said Talk doesn't belong on FM, or that the Fan will turn out to be a business failure choice for 97.1. All I said was the change is much more of a negative for music listeners here than it would be in other similar-sized markets. Now there's even less hope for a good radio music profile on stations that aren't just "let's pretend we're in Columbus" rimshots. No need for format specifics to make that assertion.

I understand the specifics about the Columbus market, and the ability to make that point. Even so, there's no guarantee that if 'BNS didn't flip to FM sports talk, that they would have tried some other Music Format Columbus Definitely Needed. Or, any other flip. Is 103.9 gonna flip away from talk at some point? (Look! Bad northern rimshot signal!)

I'm just saying it's not as simple as "talk comes in, music format loses out". There are a few factors.

And my apologies for only pulling two of the "big 4" FMs out of my head. 'NCI and 'LVQ were stuck in there, somewhere...

 

[Chuck Douglas]

I hear they also have terrible grammer skills!

I hope you purposely misspelled grammAr.

I gotsta have sum kinda funnin!

 

[gabigley1]

Will THE FAN 97.1 be a success in the ratings? Time will tell but I say YES. There is a significant amount of people that just won't listen to to The Fan on AM 1460. I think the COMBINED ratings of WBNS-AM and FM
will increase by about 20%-25% in the next year or two over the single AM rating of The Fan on 1460 AM.
That is assuming that 1460 will still be simulcasting The Fan 97.1 on 1460 AM.

What is the latest on 1460 Dispatch Radio? In these tough economic times, will RadiOhio be willing to spend the
money to kick off that format on 1460 AM? If not Dispatch Radio, will they try something else on 1460 AM? There are not any AM-FM simulcasts anymore in the Top 100 radio markets in Ohio these days. There has to
be some other use for the 1460 frequency then just a simulcast effort of 97.1 FM.

 

[willcail]

There are 12 hours of Bluegrass music on WOSU AM on the weekends. Jazz is still on 103.5 FM. Oldies on one of the worst signals on the Columbus FM dial. 104.3? Really? I have to connect my C. Crane Reflective FM antenna to a splitter, connect the splitter to another coaxial cable, then connect that coaxial cable back to the RF port of my HD 100 Radio. Then I have to hang the reflective antenna ( loop shaped) somewhere in my kitchen to pick up Big Hits.

I've better chance of picking up WAIS AM and WINF 101.9 FM than 104.3FM. Yes the LPFM station out of Delaware Ohio.

Now WCBE is working on broadcasting in the Hybrid Digital radio format. Getting Jerry Springer to do a WCBE promo about donating money to buy the HD Radio equipment may backfire.

Sports on WBNS HD FM sound great. The Columbus Bluejackets still airs on 1460 AM. Talk radio in any format sounds better on the FM dial. The only way I listen to Talk radio on the AM dial if its broadcasting in HD.

There is three full time talk stations on the FM dial here in Columbus, in order.

WLZT 93.3-2 HD FM Simulcast of WTVN AM
WBNS 97.1-1 HD FM Simulcast of 1460 AM with the exception of Columbus Ohio Bluejackets
WTDA 103.9 FM Conservative Talk with two token "liberals" Phil Hendrie and Michio Kaku.

I did notice that 100.3 WCLT FM supposed to broadcast in HD and multicast their WCLT AM News-Talk station. Does the HD radio signal reaches the east side of Columbus or they don't broadcast in HD Radio anymore?

Both Michio Kaku's radio shows currently airs in Columbus Ohio. Science Fantastic syndicated by Talk Radio Network currently airs on WTDA weekends, and Explorations, produced by the Pacifica Foundation's WBAI in New York currently air on WCRS LPFM on Thursdays.