New 97.1 The River still new??? It sounds dead!

[sman02]

As a former fan of 97.1, I loved the station when it first came on the air. Then, the playlist got really predictable. And on top of that, here we are years later with a "New" station. How new is it? Still the same station to me. Sister station 95.5 The Beat in Atlanta is also billed "Atlanta's New #1 for hip-hop", but that station has been on for many years now, so it appears that Cox just has no idea what new is. I'm sure the executives at Cox spend every day doing the same thing, and on weekends, they visit the same restaurants and eat the same food, calling it "new" because it's a different day. Why doesn't Dave or Project or The Bull call themselves new? They're newer in comparison to The Beat! I don't really understand any Cox reasoning for continuing the use of the word "new" many years later.

I'm truly a fan of Rock 100.5, and I love their music format and the morning show - TRG! I also love the fact that I have very seldom heard them use the term "New" after six months. 97.1 has just lost touch with what people want to hear out of this old station.

 

[Goodtimesandgreatoldies]

I agree! Just listen to an hour of the river. It is SO boring. The music is always the same ones that you have heard on there before. It is not anywhere as exciting or good as True Oldies 106.7!

 

[OutOfTheBiz]

Then, listen to True Oldies 106.7 and hear the difference. It is SINFUL how Cox radio killed Fox 97-WFOX. The 97 song playlist over and over again killed the ratings and the station.

Ummm... The River has better ratings today than Fox 97 ever did in it's entire history. SINFUL how Cox took a bottom-tier station and drove it straight into the Top 8!!

 

[wooder]

Then, listen to True Oldies 106.7 and hear the difference. It is SINFUL how Cox radio killed Fox 97-WFOX. The 97 song playlist over and over again killed the ratings and the station.

Ummm... The River has better ratings today than Fox 97 ever did in it's entire history. SINFUL how Cox took a bottom-tier station and drove it straight into the Top 8!!

Very true. It's hard to argue with River's success. However, I believe the party will be over for that station inside a year. Remember, when they signed on there were no other stations in town playing oldies/classic rock. Now there are two....and they both do it much better.

 

[NightFlyer]

Well, put it this way. This collective group of people critiques radio a lot more than the average River listener. This station works well as background and casual listening music. If I happen to be flipping around the dial in the car and I land on River playing something I like, I'll listen for awhile. This format doesn't really stand in the foreground for most people. For me, I'll listen until I hear and notice a song repeat, which is usually inside an hour or two. The playlist needs to be widened to retain people for longer periods of time.

 

[Dixie Jock]

Cox is taking more money out of the market than any other operator in town. If one of their stations needs fixing or adjusting, they'll do it.
Whine all you want, or change your dial.

 

[TheRealOtherNeil]

Well, put it this way. This collective group of people critiques radio a lot more than the average River listener. This station works well as background and casual listening music. If I happen to be flipping around the dial in the car and I land on River playing something I like, I'll listen for awhile. This format doesn't really stand in the foreground for most people. For me, I'll listen until I hear and notice a song repeat, which is usually inside an hour or two. The playlist needs to be widened to retain people for longer periods of time.

Salient post of the week.

The River is definitely background music. That's why Lexie was fired; she was too much in the foreground. How dare she talk mote than 25 seconds an hour. She needed to be more like Kate McCarthy or Jordan Graye, two of the best female jocks in the ATL.

As for expanding the playlist to get people to listen longer; that is the age-old question of cume vs. TSL. We will tackle it one day.

 

[Goodtimesandgreatoldies]

Cox Radio is stupid for having such a small playlist and d.j.`s who only talk 25 seconds an hour. Didn`t they learn anything by their mistakes when they ran Fox 97? They bought it in 2000 from AMFM inc. in 2000 and almost a year after they bought it, ratings had sharply declined because they had such a small playlist and had fired great jocks like JJ Jackson. People will listen alot longer if you have a larger playlist. I have seen it proved over and over again!

 

[jabba17]

Cox Radio is stupid for having such a small playlist and d.j.`s who only talk 25 seconds an hour. Didn`t they learn anything by their mistakes when they ran Fox 97? They bought it in 2000 from AMFM inc. in 2000 and almost a year after they bought it, ratings had sharply declined because they had such a small playlist and had fired great jocks like JJ Jackson. People will listen alot longer if you have a larger playlist. I have seen it proved over and over again!

I thought that the previous owner of Fox was Shamrock...or did Shamrock get absorbed into AMFM before AMFM got taken over by CC?

Fox was already heading to the "good times and eight oldies" format before Shamrock unloaded them. You'd have to go back to the early 90s to find a decent playlist of theirs. That's why I listened to Lake 102 (RIP) and then Sunny 100 (RIP again) for oldies. Fox died a long time before Cox bought them. CC didn't learn the lesson with Cool and they also made the same mistake with Max--"decades" formats are really susceptible to burn. Say what you want about True Oldies, they never seem to have a problem with burn.

River is going to take a mega-hit from Rock 100.5 on one end and True Oldies on the other. They had a big market all to themselves before those two stations came on. Now they're going to have to work for listeners.

 

[Uriah]

Cox is taking more money out of the market than any other operator in town. If one of their stations needs fixing or adjusting, they'll do it.
Whine all you want, or change your dial.

Salient post of the YEAR. The whine-bulance has been called.

 

[RoddyFreeman]

Cox is taking more money out of the market than any other operator in town. If one of their stations needs fixing or adjusting, they'll do it.
Whine all you want, or change your dial.

That is absolutely correct. The River might not be a great station from a programming standpoint, but it's been getting ratings and billings, and with the little investment in programming, the profit margin must be pretty nice.

I'm not understanding the posters who can't understand why Cox doesn't realize the station's flaws. Cox realizes the station is making good money, which is what Cox is in business to do.

 

[Goodtimesandgreatoldies]

Yes, you are correct Roddy in that the station is making money-NOW. But, how about the long term? Don`t you think that people will get tired of the same 97 songs over and over again? It is a proven fact that listeners will listen alot longer if there is a wide playlist. Cox is not smart about the long-term success of The River 97.1 in the long term, in my opinion. They are going to burn and stereotype the station as being boring and having a very small playlist. Wouldn`t it be smarter to run the station in the best interest of success long term. I hope that this helps you in understandin this Roddy. Stations should always put their best effort and resources into making themselves successful in the longterm!

 

[littlejohn]

In today's economic climate, stations - like every other corporate business - is basing results on an 18 month maximum payout. They are making their stiockholders money. At the instant that a better money maker is identified, they will take that course of programming. Remember, the entire market comes into the strategy of amultistation owner. Also remember, the person in charge didn't get to the position he occupies by being stupid, or by losing money.

 

[RTibbs]

Watch out Roddy see he is trying to at least match you post for post.

Here are my thoughts. This station just might have the highest profit % of any station in town. Good billings and no major costs. Was Lexi there only live jock? I don't really listen just flip through and catch a half song now and then. I think they do realize the competition though is heating up and they are not staying pat. that is wt Lexi is gone. They could have easily kept her on the cheap is my guess. They might be going for a little more personality in the morning. TRG I am sure made somewhat of a dent and S & V are down the hall. I predict a morning team, like a Kelly and alpha, light on banter, plenty of music. Their start date will coincide with an updated playlist. They rode this pony as far as they could without investing in it. Now is time to invest in it if they want to maintain the revenue stream.

 

[Mr_Place]

It is a proven fact that listeners will listen alot longer if there is a wide playlist.

Proof, please?

 

[jabba17]

Cox did a good move with River when they first went on. I might be off on the dates, but Z93 (classic rock) was already gone, Fox/Cool (moldin' oldies) was gone, and 96 Rock (AOR) was about to go (and didn't present much competition before they did go). So, all Cox had to do was program a low-budget, inoffensive station that didn't burn Freebird or Hotel California or Stairway or any other AOR cliche, and they had the AOR/classic rock/oldies market all to themselves. The only other tough thing was to trick the playlist so as to not cannibalize B98.5.

Now, we have Rock 100.5 giving serious competition from the AOR end and True Oldies from the oldies end. River can't keep getting ratings by default. I hope no one at Cox thought that River's AOR monopoly would last.

 

[whit979]

Atlanta/Re: New 97.1 The River still new??? It sounds dead!

The River is almost identical to The Eagle in Birmingham -- small playlist, "new" name after 3+ years, little talk. And The Eagle is HUGE over here. The River/Eagle are programmed with a super tight playlist because they know that they can grab listeners if they play the true classic *hits* in a manner that will grab attention and hold it for a period of time. In practice it is much like a CHR. The idea being to play a small rotation of mega hits that will get a listener's attention when they are scanning around or playing with their presets, process the station hard like a CHR so that it has a really big and enjoyable sound, then the listener tunes out after hearing 1 or 2 songs that they really like. Radio gurus complain about their tiny playlist while Cox laughs all the way to the bank. It's a proven formula for them, even if it seems redundant to us.

River is probably not gonna be anybody's #1 station of choice, but as far as Cox Radio is concerned, it doesn't have to be. Cox already has their TSL kings in Atlanta: 98.5 and 104.1. As far as "long-term planning" goes, hey, they'll fall off that bridge when they come to it!

 

[MCMagicCracker]

I have six presets. After I got over 97.1 the River being New, it became my P6, where it rightfully belongs. I can still tune to the River and hear a good song again.

 

[rho01]

The River may have only 325 songs on the playlist and only switches 60 or 70 songs every eight months or so. But it obviously works based on the ratings. From a reporter's standpoint and from a programmer's standpoint, it's boring. But boring makes gobs of money for Cox so they have zero reason to complain. They've far exceeded their own expectations and have managed to maintain strong ratings over 2.5 years. Sure, there is a point where this may not be the case, especially with Rock 100.5 going after them. But even then, Cox isn't going to suddenly start playing 600 songs on the River. Perhaps they'll do research more often and swap out songs every four to six months instead if they need to.

Most of the River's listeners are not radio people or people who even care that much about radio per se. Their listeners are not the types who seek new music or even buy much old music. Their listeners know a few hundred classic hits and not much more. They don't like a lot of talk and appreciate the fact the station only runs eight spots an hour vs. 10 or more at most others.

Cox knows many of their listeners only listen for certain parts of the day. So they mix the music brilliantly. That means "Dream On" by Aerosmith, for instance, is not heard during the 7 a.m. hour more than once every, say, 24 days. So for the guy who listens at that hour every weekday, they might not hear the song more than once a month or so. That would hardly be burnout for him. And even so-called P1 listeners are probably only half listening anyway. It's wallpaper background to them while they work or juggle the kids or think about what they need to buy at Publix. It's familiar and safe and won't interrupt their train of thought by being new or disturbing or different. That's my theory on why stations such as B98.5 and the River work so well.

 

[Goodtimesandgreatoldies]

Interesting point! So, 97.1 is really for brain dead dunb asses who really don`t know much about music and they tune in only while they are on the way to the grocery store. If this is the case, look at all of the other listeners that they are missing by not having a much larger playlist! It just doesn`t make any sense to me.