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New neo-soul station for Birmingham, "101.9 WENN"

N

Nate Wesley

Cox Radio has made a surprising adjustment to one of its Birmingham stations: 1320 WENN has apparently dropped its urban-talk format for one that features neo-soul and urban/alternative acts. Paired with the W270BW 101.9 (Haleyville, AL) translator moving (or moved?) into the heart of the metro, the new "101.9 WENN" debuts:

http://1320wenn.com/splashpage/index.html
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=331153969814&ref=nf
http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphoto...0396677491_100000805924211_5170_1902693_n.jpg

I notice the new station will be an affiliate for The Rickey Smiley Morning Show, a long distance homecoming of sorts: Both Smiley and co-host Ebony Steele are Birmingham natives who worked at Cox's WBHJ "95-7 Jamz" previously.

I'm streaming them online and find the mix pretty interesting so far. Thoughts?
 
Wow, interesting. Birmingham is one of the deeper urban radio markets with Gospel, Blues, and Urban Oldies already on AM and now Neo-Soul!
 
I have always thought would Neo-Soul be a viable format 24/7. Can Cox Radio sell it in B-Ham. What's the target demo? If they have success, can it be viable in other markets.
 
salemjedi54 said:
I have always thought would Neo-Soul be a viable format 24/7. Can Cox Radio sell it in B-Ham. What's the target demo? If they have success, can it be viable in other markets.
Click to expand...

I like the music, but I'm not as enthused by the effort after about two hours of listening. I'm pretty sure I heard a Ne-Yo song in there somewhere ???, along with other songs that aren't quite as 'organic' to some of the urban/alternative sound (some folks hate the term 'neo-soul').

In any event, this is easily a flanker to protect Cox's WBHK 98.7 "Kiss FM". Citadel's WUHT "Hot 107.7" has been the most successful challenger to Cox's duo of Kiss and hip-hop "Jamz" WBHJ 95.7. Cox claimed the WENN calls (long associated with Black radio in Birmingham) not soon after Clear Channel stopped using them.

Citadel may have thought about a tweak on 107.7 that included the WENN calls had they ever became available, but they've done well without them. If I had to pinpoint Hot 107.7's success:
  • focus on the women who like Jamz--more modern R&B than the Quiet Storm 70s/80s dusties Kiss specialized in
  • a great midday talent (Tasha Simone)
  • great on-the-street promotions like the $10 Concert series
  • heavy promotion of the surging success that The Steve Harvey Morning Show became
(no, I don't work for Citadel Birmingham--I don't even live in the Magic City anymore!)

Kiss FM has to be reeling a bit in its target audience, I think. A better use of the 101.9 translator might have been to simulcast their successful urban gospel, WAGG "Heaven 610"--or giving their previous urban talk format on 1320 one more fighting chance.
 
Once again, I see Cox is trying to 'circle the wagons' on WUHT, that's cute. Well, all I can say is WUHT better expand their audience base while keeping the 24-40 female demo happy because Cox has more cash to take them and Citadel down. I've always been an advocate of them replicating what WVEE dayparting strategy is doing in Atlanta although they are syndicated with Harvey in the morning to beat Cox at their own game of monopolizing the market. The real numbers will be exposed when PPM comes to Birmingham and displays who really is doing their job of serving the audience.

Anyways, I don't live in Birmingham anymore, and loving the freedom of listening to a balanced urban like WVEE on my radio...
 
Finally, Rickey Smiley Morning Show has a home in Birmingham on 101.9 WENN. Im sure he will be #1 in his hometown pretty soon. Ok, now its way too much R&B in B'ham and not enough Hip-Hop. I guess this maybe a sign that 95.7 JAMZ will go more Hip-Hop and less R&B.
 
Listening to the station online now. Sounds ok. The question now is do you go deep cuts or just play the hits. But is Neo-soul a format for hits. There are other webcasts that go deeper and have more appeal.

www.neosoulcafe.com

www.liquidsoulelements.com

Those 2 sites play the hits as well get to the deep cuts and obscure artists.

Time will tell if this can be a viable format. I hope they can mix the two to become successful and maybe bring it to D/FW....
 
Re: New neo-soul station for Birmingham, "101.9 WENN"

God! What I wouldn't give to have a neo-soul station here in Dallas/Ft. Worth. I love the music!
 
Re: New neo-soul station for Birmingham, "101.9 WENN"

bucwhyl said:
God! What I wouldn't give to have a neo-soul station here in Dallas/Ft. Worth. I love the music!
Click to expand...


NeoSoulCafe.com is operated here in the Metroplex. I know the wife of the music director...
 
ShawtyBlack_ATL said:
Finally, Rickey Smiley Morning Show has a home in Birmingham on 101.9 WENN. Im sure he will be #1 in his hometown pretty soon.
Click to expand...

101.9 is a translator, dude--simulcasting a class D AM. Let's not jump ahead of ourselves... :D
 
ShawtyBlack_ATL said:
Finally, Rickey Smiley Morning Show has a home in Birmingham on 101.9 WENN. Im sure he will be #1 in his hometown pretty soon. Ok, now its way too much R&B in B'ham and not enough Hip-Hop. I guess this maybe a sign that 95.7 JAMZ will go more Hip-Hop and less R&B.
Click to expand...

I would say that if 95.7 Jamz were to add new songs in a more timely manner outside of their Saturday night mixing, but they don't so I will disagree. Cox is sucks at trying to implement Urban stations that target the younger demographic because stations in Montgomery and Huntsville will add a song faster than Jamz by nearly a month on average.
 
I don't listen to Rickey Smiley, but if his show is more geared to Urban formats, how is it going to work on WENN. Has the research shown that most neo soul listeners like mainstream urban....
 
salemjedi54 said:
I don't listen to Rickey Smiley, but if his show is more geared to Urban formats, how is it going to work on WENN. Has the research shown that most neo soul listeners like mainstream urban....
Click to expand...

I was also wondering the same thing since Rickey Smiley's show is Hip-Hop. I've always heard he wanted his show on in his hometown of Birmingham, but never had an outlet. He has one of the fastest growing Urban syndicated show on radio now. I guess Cox wants a piece of that pie too.
 
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