Music Based Vs Personality For Morning Drive...

[leethalweapon]

The Hot AC station in our market just recently dumped there breakfast show (the weekend before the start of the first book period). They are now searching for a replacement. However, in the meantime they are playing around 10 tracks an hour and doing time/temp & traffic. Those of us at work, including myself, think that what they are on the right track with the more music policy, as no-one else does it. I kind of hope they at least see this through until the end of the survey (in around 4 weeks), to see if it picked up listeners. Considering it isn't targeted at me, I find myself listening alot, because if I wanted talk, I would listen to the station I work for.

My question is, does the more music appoach work? What are the pro's and con's?

 

[KMRichards]

> My question is, does the more music appoach work? What are
> the pro's and con's?

Most "Jack" stations do this. The upside is that you get listeners who want music, provided most of the other stations in the market that target them have "chatty" morning shows. The downside is that it doesn't work as well when there are a lot of music-intensive morning shows in a market.

A "no-host" morning show also doesn't do well against established personalities with strong numbers, generally speaking. And it is less effective on current-based formats.<P ID="signature">______________


</P>

 

[TheRover]

> > My question is, does the more music appoach work? What
> are
> > the pro's and con's?
>
> Most "Jack" stations do this. The upside is that you get
> listeners who want music, provided most of the other
> stations in the market that target them have "chatty"
> morning shows. The downside is that it doesn't work as well
> when there are a lot of music-intensive morning shows in a
> market.
>
> A "no-host" morning show also doesn't do well against
> established personalities with strong numbers, generally
> speaking. And it is less effective on current-based
> formats.
>
I know here to to turn when I want good talk radio.
Unfortunately, I do --not-- have anywhere to turn when I want good Rock radio.
Realizing that Classic Rock Radio offers nothing but dissapointment, every time.
Fact, I hear better "music" played on intro to talk and sports shows than I do on the so-called "Rock" music stations. Very Sad... for a Music Lover that loves Radio......

<P ID="signature">______________
1968-1978 -- THE "GOLDEN AGE" OF ALBUM ROCK MUSIC . . .
In spite of Disco and Top 40 in that period,
it yielded the "Motherload" of Great Album Rock Releases
--Enough for a Lifetime-- </P>

 

[whyhellothere]

It's a great question.

Many people will say they enjoy more music in the morning, yet most of the successful morning shows are talk-driven. Bob and Tom, Bob and Sheri, Big D and Bubba, Mancow, Stern, etc...

That's not just syndicated talent. Even some of the best local shows that are established and successful are mostly talk-driven.

That's not to say that you can't have a successful music-driven morning show. But by and large the most successful shows are talk-driven.


> The Hot AC station in our market just recently dumped there
> breakfast show (the weekend before the start of the first
> book period). They are now searching for a replacement.
> However, in the meantime they are playing around 10 tracks
> an hour and doing time/temp & traffic. Those of us at work,
> including myself, think that what they are on the right
> track with the more music policy, as no-one else does it. I
> kind of hope they at least see this through until the end of
> the survey (in around 4 weeks), to see if it picked up
> listeners. Considering it isn't targeted at me, I find
> myself listening alot, because if I wanted talk, I would
> listen to the station I work for.
>
> My question is, does the more music appoach work? What are
> the pro's and con's?
>
<P ID="signature">______________
The power is yours!</P>

 

[rockchick]

> The Hot AC station in our market just recently dumped there
> breakfast show (the weekend before the start of the first
> book period). They are now searching for a replacement.
> However, in the meantime they are playing around 10 tracks
> an hour and doing time/temp & traffic. Those of us at work,
> including myself, think that what they are on the right
> track with the more music policy, as no-one else does it. I
> kind of hope they at least see this through until the end of
> the survey (in around 4 weeks), to see if it picked up
> listeners. Considering it isn't targeted at me, I find
> myself listening alot, because if I wanted talk, I would
> listen to the station I work for.
>
> My question is, does the more music appoach work? What are
> the pro's and con's?
>

Music in the mornings is a losing position. However, depending on your competitive situation, it may be your best losing position. Music in the morning is a counter-programming strategy; that is, instead of trying to beat your competition by outperforming them, you are trying to pick up as many listeners as you can by doing exactly the opposite of them. If you are going up against a very well established morning show that dominates (say, for example, Howard Stern), then this may be a good strategy. Howard is (was) the King of All Media, and in most markets, local morning shows didn't have a prayer against him. So the strategy is to play music and try to pick up 100% of the people who don't like talk in the morning. In other words, if you can't make a better burger than McDonald's, sell pizza.

The con, of course, is that most listeners like great morning shows. (And even those that don't may not like the music you play, or just not the song you're playing at any given moment.) Morning music lovers will always be outnumbered by Stern fans, but they may also outnumber the fans of any local hosts you can afford.

Music in the morning loses to a great morning show, but it may be better than a horrendous morning show (see also: David Lee Roth).

 

[Oldbones]

> Morning music lovers will always be
> outnumbered by Stern fans, but they may also outnumber the
> fans of any local hosts you can afford.
>

Huh? Maybe if you're a rock station, but Stern's appeal extends little beyond 18-34 men. If you're not target this group Stern wasn't really a factor.

 

[rockchick]

> > Morning music lovers will always be
> > outnumbered by Stern fans, but they may also outnumber the
>
> > fans of any local hosts you can afford.
> >
>
> Huh? Maybe if you're a rock station, but Stern's appeal
> extends little beyond 18-34 men. If you're not target this
> group Stern wasn't really a factor.
>

Granted (tho Howard also dominates Men 25-54). I was merely looking for an example of a huge morning show that everybody would know and it was the first thing that came to mind.

It doesn't change the basic argument.

 

[RussAllen]

> The Hot AC station in our market just recently dumped there
> breakfast show (the weekend before the start of the first
> book period). They are now searching for a replacement.
> However, in the meantime they are playing around 10 tracks
> an hour and doing time/temp & traffic. Those of us at work,
> including myself, think that what they are on the right
> track with the more music policy, as no-one else does it. I
> kind of hope they at least see this through until the end of
> the survey (in around 4 weeks), to see if it picked up
> listeners. Considering it isn't targeted at me, I find
> myself listening alot, because if I wanted talk, I would
> listen to the station I work for.
>
> My question is, does the more music appoach work? What are
> the pro's and con's?

Our CHR/RHY station has been on the air since June 2003 and has never had a morning show. No voice tracking (except for a contest where we announced the triple play of the day), no syndication, just music, sweepers and an occasional promo.

In one book we tied our competition 18-34 adults and they had three people in studio, a producer, and a stunt guy in the streets.

In less than two years our competition became a weak imitation of Jack-FM.

Since we won without an AM show they'll probably never let me hire one LOL<P ID="signature">______________
Free Lil Kim
April 29, 2005 5pm What a glorious day it was
</P>

 

[tibbs]

> > My question is, does the more music appoach work? What
> are
> > the pro's and con's?
>
> Most "Jack" stations do this. The upside is that you get
> listeners who want music, provided most of the other
> stations in the market that target them have "chatty"
> morning shows. The downside is that it doesn't work as well
> when there are a lot of music-intensive morning shows in a
> market.
>
> A "no-host" morning show also doesn't do well against
> established personalities with strong numbers, generally
> speaking. And it is less effective on current-based
> formats.
>

Nashville's Jack is #1 AM Drive without any weather, traffic
or live morning show (25-54, #1) up against well established
morning hosts, shows, etc. I agree that it's success would
be diminished by more music in the morning stations, but that's
NOT happening in many markets.

I think people are 1.) to busy and in to much of a hurry to
listen to long winded talk-a-thon humor/stories (hence, not meaning
News/Talk here.) and 2.) listeners feel a disconnect from morning
radio these days. Research here has proven music is what most
listeners would prefer. They have been blasted by AM (morning) hype to
long. That being said, NPR and New/Talk programming is not
included in these comments. Those people want to connect and
listen for longer periods, instead of scanning ---