Observatons from the Ivory Tower...
Charlie's frustration with Rob is understandable, though our Navarre pal is always good for keeping an ear on things. And, as a non-radio pro (that's correct, Rob, isn't it?) he brings the perspective of the average listener to the table--something often missing when it's just us radioheads talking.
BLX is a monster--a damn money-machine--and will be with us for many, many years. Hell, even Cumulus hasn't been able to screw them up. A great radio station.
100.7 has flipped formats about every two years on-average over the past 20 years, and "Journey" apparently had no traction and was generating no cash flow--so the first task for WCOA-FM will be helping listeners find the SOB. It hasn't been on anyone's pre-set buttons for a long time--maybe since "Arrow" days, a dozen years ago.
But kudos to Cumulus for being the first to put a spoken-word format on one of the full Class C rigs serving the real (don't tell Arbitron) marketplace: Mobile-Pensacola.
Sure, the programming on it right now is shitty--all second-choice stuff--but that will-or-can change over time.
And second-choice programming on a clearly superior signal (100.7) is quite capable of beating the living hell out of first-choice programming on clearly inferior signals: 710 and 1370. When Huckabee starts clobbering Rush, there will be all sorts of movement happening. When 100.7 destroys 1370, there will be much consternation inside the Cumulus/Pensacola building, but it will sort itself out... and the programming worth saving will eventually shift to the FM. Yes, CC is very likely to respond in-kind, most likely picking an equivalent FM stick to pair with 710 and blunt WCOA's attack. I'd bet on The Rocket, assuming that TK can soak-up the rock dollars by itself, if they're not already doing so.
HMN? What happened in the Mobile Arbitron? Wasn't it released the other day? I'll have to look. But, generally, I have a lot of faith in Clear Channel's ability to program & promote CHR. And while 107.3's signal may not be quite on-par with the quasi-reincarnation of ABB (what are the calls?), the difference may not be perceptible to the typical CHR listener.
All of which is still fun to watch... from afar.