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NASH-FM

Nash FM

I have been following the frequency in NYC 94.7 that Cumulus bought for $40 million. Yesterday the new format was revealed: Nash FM. According to several sources, this is the beginning of a nationwide roll out of the Nash FM brand on all Cumulus country stations. Here is what AllAccess.com had to say today siting a Wall Street Journal report:

http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/a...ork-s-nash-fm-just-the-beginning-of-a-nationw

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL reports, "the switch is part of an effort by CUMULUS, the second-biggest radio broadcaster by stations after CLEAR CHANNEL COMMUNICATIONS INC., to begin converting all of its now 83 country stations across the nation to the newly created NASH brand starting on TUESDAY."
Click to expand...

Kicks 101.5 is an long established and successful brand. Are they going to blow up that brand for Nash FM?

The question that is flying around the boards is whether there will be a satellite feed. In a larger market, that will not matter because the station will be local, but what will this mean for the smaller markets?
 
Re: Nash FM

I was writing this thread as you posted yours. Please look at the posting times. It was posted three minutes after yours. I have asked the mods to combine the two as I am unable to delete a thread.
 
fussbudget said:
All Access reports Cumulus will rebrand every single one of its country stations as "NASH-FM" whether it's WSM-AM in Nashville,
Click to expand...

I think you are talking about WSM FM, WSM AM is owned by Gaylord.
 
Re: Nash FM

Just curious, will 101.5 lose it's local programming. They do not have a "large" lead on 94.9 only .4 (6+). A brand swap could open the door for CC's Bull.
 
Re: Nash FM

I don't think they will lose local programming. This seems to be more of a national brand. Cumulus wants to expand into television, radio, and magazine with this brand.
 
I don't think they'll rebrand every single one. What about the markets like Nashville and Dallas where they own two country signals in each market. Unless the second station is flipped, I don't see both being branded as. Nash. Also, I really question whether they will do this at market leading stations that have years of heritage.
 
With Cumulus, it's hard-to-say. However, it seems to me like it would be easier to simply cross-promote "Nash" with some of the heritage stations they have than to throw away the entire heritage of the stations and attempt to replace it. As I mentioned on another board, they could easily do something like "Kicks 101.5 and Nash Country present..." when it comes to concerts or the possible cable channel they'll be launching. Kicks could also easily promote the social media site and the Nash Country magazine. There would also be no reason they couldn't link Kicks 101.5 to Nash FM's website as a partner or something of the like.

That makes more sense to me than a total change, but Cumulus never asked for my advice!
 
So does this,looking forward, that at some point ALL NASH Stations will be fed satellite from one studio?

Could see that happening ::)
 
HippieGuy said:
So does this,looking forward, that at some point ALL NASH Stations will be fed satellite from one studio?
Click to expand...

No. It's branding, not syndication. Two different things.

Instead of a bunch of different brands, like Kicks, Wolf, Bull, Froggy, Coyote, Bear, or Bear, they're using one name that they own: Nash.
 
TheBigA said:
HippieGuy said:
So does this,looking forward, that at some point ALL NASH Stations will be fed satellite from one studio?
Click to expand...

No. It's branding, not syndication. Two different things.

Instead of a bunch of different brands, like Kicks, Wolf, Bull, Froggy, Coyote, Bear, or Bear, they're using one name that they own: Nash.
Click to expand...

The one studio comes later. (sorry could not help myself) Really if they could get some interviews with the country artists in Nashville they might have an advantage over a stand alone in the same market.
 
secondchoice said:
Really if they could get some interviews with the country artists in Nashville they might have an advantage over a stand alone in the same market.
Click to expand...

Not really. If the stand-alone is a chart reporter, they get interviews with all the big stars. Access to artists isn't as hard as it once was. The country stars want airplay, so they talk to radio. It happens every day.
 
So they would take a HERITAGE station that does well in ratings and change the name so they can cut jobs and become a cookie cutter station? Good luck with that, Cumulus!
 
I would hope that Cumulus wouldn't do that to WSM-FM...although how much do they use that branding today? Probably a question for the Nashville board. I could see Cumulus keep the calls and use the NASH branding.

Kicks has been the branding for 101.5 since about 1981. Before that they were WBIE-FM, "Georgia's Country Giant", since 1968, making country on 101.5 the oldest commercial format + dial position in ATL. Definitely one of the older monikers in town (my guess is that they are second on the commercial dial only to V-103 from 1977), although "Kicks" is rather generic for a country station.

The WKHX calls are out-aged only by WSB-FM (late 1940s), WZGC (early 70s, before that they were WGKA-FM), and WVEE (1977, before that they were WPLO-FM) on the FM commercial dial.

Again, I could see Cumulus keep the calls and ditch the moniker, or cobrand it somehow "NASH-FM on Kicks 101.5"
 
People jumped on me when I suggested this was the next step in corporate radio over a year ago. While this is probably just a major step in that direction, and I don't think it will happen overnight, but you can see EXACTLY what's coming.

Cumulus, CBS, Clear Channel and other major radio companies will begin to program single "super stations" for each of their primary formats (CHR, country, AC, classic rock, etc...) and put each format under one generic brand. My example was calling all the CHRs "KISS-FM". They'll take their best jocks and put them in one location and program a single station for each format and feed that programming directly to all their affiliate stations.

We're not talking voice-tracking or syndication but full 24-hour programming, similar to how the TV networks work during prime time, with more focus on selling national radio spots. Then automated local top of the hour IDs and local commercial breaks. They may only have somebody local to do local news, weather and traffic during drive time, but that may be it.

And then the local stations could opt-out of certain dayparts and just have their own local morning show if they so choose. Otherwise the stations are identical.

You can see it coming. At least that's what I believe is coming. It's the only way these radio companies can further reduce overhead and keep quality talent on the air.

It won't effect every station. A few stations can still be profitable and run locally, but there's no way for a market, even as big as Atlanta, to support 20+ locally programmed radio stations with local talent.
 
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