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New year predictions for the Tri-Cities market-

P

Pratte4Life

When I was writing about how WQUT went AOR in the 90s and the explosion of rap, grunge, and country allowed WXBQ to become No. 1, it got me to thinking-

What's really that new in the Tri-Cities market?

I mean, what has really changed in the last 20 years?

WXBQ is doing the same things they did in 1992 and nobody wants to challenge them. Same with WTFM and WQUT. John Boy and Billy has been their morning show for HOW LONG NOW? 18 years?

Go over to talk, and WJCW is still playing off Rush Limbaugh for all he's worth. Locally, Bill Meade is doing the same show he did 20 years ago. John Quaintance comes off as the intellectual who really doesn't know what's going on around him.

Aside from Bobby Rader, who could be found on another frequency 20 years ago and really doesn't give any different insight than Meade's takes, what's new there?

WXIS is still trying to sell urban to a market that couldn't possibly care less. WKPT wants to be a sports station but never is willing to make the full commitment.

I'm trying hard to think. I think one of the reasons WVEK has done well is because it is something new- it is something different.

It seems the local programming mindset is so set in their ways that even when there is a failing entity- such as WKOS- nobody can figure out what to do with it.

If the history of this market is to be considered, I don't think any of what I am going to suggest is going to happen.

But just for sh1ts and giggles-

A- Return to live and local for a WQUT morning show. John Boy and Billy have become a painful, predictable listen. I realize the feel of the show is rural, but there's a reason why they aren't in a Top 20 market. Get more involved in the market and the listeners will come!

B- Somebody, ANYBODY go after WXBQ. I can't stress this enough- IT'S THERE FOR THE TAKING! We had some people discuss what would happen if WQUT changed formats to country and went after them about a year or two ago. I was against it because I like classic rock, but what if WQUT went that way and then 104.9 picked up the classic rock format? Now we're talkin'!

C- Somebody hire a news reader that can read the news without losing his copy. I swear only half the news guys in this market can do that.

D- An FM talker- be it news, sports, or whatever- with some promotion. Forget syndication for a minute- go with local talent that is younger, hipper, and a programmer that is not afraid to let the host talk about a subject that will offend the local fundamentalist church. You'll find hundreds of resume tapes coming in from all over the country- ready to work for minimum wage (not that I wish to encourage that) with such a format! Why must every talk show host in town be on the second half of his career?
 
Good one there pratte. Wait till the Citadel-Cumulus merger settles. Bobby Rader changes his name to Bobby Dickey. They'll bring in Howard Stern for mornings and he'll do his show from the Mouses Ear,insult your mother and the baptist preacher down the road. Happy New Year Markie Billsonl
 
Someone needs to challenge WXBQ, same ole junk over and over again. Throw away the liner cards and get some personality back into the mix. I would program the old WGOC format on WKOS, it would have a bigger audience than it does now. Someone needs to put local news on the air, what is being offered now is a joke. As for WXSM, same 10 callers everyday, Bill Meade is stale, morning show needs a female co-host. John Boy and Billy need to go, they were funny 20 years ago, they are well past their prime. WVEK is a good example of how to run a radio station in 2011. I would get the crap off WTFM and go after WXBQ with some personalities, a better mix of today's hits with classic country. Of course I think local radio will gone in a few years. It will be more profitable to run a music only station like WVEK. Local production for advertising really sucks.
 
Thanks for the validation, Control.

On the old WGOC format- would it make enough money? The reason it was dropped back when was because, I was told, the demographics were so old.

However, are the salesmen at the various stations really any younger?

Your discussion of a female co-host at WXSM is intriguing, but I'm not sure fits the format. Sports Talk radio is GUY radio. There have only been two female sports talk show hosts anywhere that have really made any kind of an impact- one is Anita Marks- who was a former female football QB and posed for Playboy.

The other is The Fabulous Sports Babe, who really only made it because she had this "insult the audience" shock schtick in Seattle and the programmers stuck by her. Then, ESPN, thinking about diversity, decided to syndicate her. Her sports knowledge and personality really lacked, and in the wake of Tony Kornheiser and Colin Cowherd hasn't been missed.

There's a way to do the "insult the audience" schtick. She really didn't do it well.

She left for another network, thinking her star was much brighter than it was, and has been forgotten the last 10 years, currently living off memories in Tampa.

Point is, saying a sports station needs a woman is a lot like saying an urban station needs a white guy.

That said, if we were to go into the distant past I do know of one woman who I think would be very good- Ginny Alverson. She's living in Boston now but I'm sure would come down if there was a co-hosting gig involved.

If she's anything like she was a generation ago down here, she is edgy, well prepared, and enthusiastic. And while I'm sure she would have to come up to speed on local sports issues, she certainly would know enough historic stuff that she could fit in well as she got up to speed.

One thing about local talk- news/sports/etc.- none of it is edgy.


As for local radio going extinct, if it does it will be more because of this area's unwillingness to change with the times than it will be any great national trend. Sort of like WKPT letting go of its newscast a decade ago.
 
I spent one year in Tri-Cities radio market biz ( coming from 15 years of radio in larger markets and multiple formats) here is my prediction. Once Cumulus closes the Citadel deal there will be big changes. QUT will get rid of John Boy & BIlly show, second they will flip a station to go after XBQ ( I'm betting KOS, its a revenue bottomfeeder with a good signal) and will ruin XBQ's world. Here is why radio is so stale in TC, agency biz buys the same stations XBQ,TFM & QUT(agencies consider the market dinky and just buy the same thing every year just to move on to buying bigger markets) and local businesses that actually spend some money buy from the same AE's they have bought from for years. Its a good ole boy market. XBQ & TFM are owned by Dinosaurs without a clue(I'm sure they are nice guys) and both groups management are nearing retirement so they are not going to rock the boat. What is amazing is that Citadel never considered a 'flanker" station to protect cash cow QUT and VEK cut into ratings ( even though VEK is making no impact regarding revenue but is a good "flanker" for TFM.) Trust me Cumulus will do well in the market, QUT stays classic, KOS goes Country and Cumulus will probably flip another dog station to combat VEK and flank QUT to protect it. The other two groups in town will not know what hit them.
 
What dog station would Cumulus use to combat VEK?

I'm aware of five stations Citadel owns in the market- and the only two FMs are WQUT and WKOS.

Are you theorizing they might buy a station in the market not currently owned by Citadel?
 
I don't know- but wouldn't Holston have the rights to the frequency?

Just askin'. I suppose Cumulus could buy it, but I would be surprised as the big conglomorates seem to be divesting themselves of markets like the Tri-Cities, not investing.
 
I just registered on this site. I got started in the Tri Cities in the early 80's. I've got some things I'd like to add about predictions for 2011, but don't have the time right now. Just wanted to say hello for now.
 
First off, can ANYBODY please explain to my why a radio station in Erwin, TN would wanna use an URBAN FORMAT? Sheesh! ::)

As far as Tri Cities predictions, it would greatly surprise me that ANY station would adopt a country format and try to butt heads with the Rabbit. From 91 til 93, I did overnights at FM-94 in Marion and we tried, but XBQ is so entrenched in people's minds and Hagy and Company has driven it in people's minds that the Rabbit is the be all-end all for country radio. A 25 share is pretty incredible, but when you take in mind that they are basically the only country kool-aid to drink in the Tri Cities, it shows in the book. But realistically, a 25 share in the Tri-Cities is equal to about a 7 or 8 share in other markets.

I doubt another station will try to butt heads with XBQ...but if HVBC ever decided to, it would have to be a formula that has some personality jocks. The XBQ Morning Air Show is not beatable, but is solid. Reggie Neel is an icon in middays, and Trags is smokin...don't know about the guy that does nights. Homestly, WMEV can't compete, cause it just sounds too hokey. But if HVBC would clean it up, it might do better.

I'm intrigued at the thought of Citadel taking WKOS and turning it country. I don't know much about that station since I haven't worked in that market since 1993. Does KOS have enough power to cover all of east Tennessee and southwest Virginia? Cause that is what it would take.

I would really like to see WGOC take the classic country route, but again, you'd have to have some air talent that listeners could relate to. Just throwing it on there without some names and faces people can get to know is worthless.

I think it would benefit QUT to get rid of John Boy & Billy. Its run its course. My heart says bring Steve Mann back on mornings at QUT, but honestly, I think it would benefit QUT better if they brought in someone totally new and build a good morning show there.

You other guys that are more familiar with the Tri Cities, would any of this be possible?
 
Citadel/Cumulus only needs to take a 10 share of XBQ's 25 share to make a impact. KOS is not the 75,000W station XBQ is but in the mountains tower position is more important than watts. Say Cumulus goes KOS Country commercial free(like 25 in a row) and delivers all new country without on-air ( like VEK ) it would make that impact on XBQ. In programming wars you dont need to beat the Heritage station you only have to hurt them. Say Cumulus relocates the tower or adds transmitter boasts ( sorry I'm not an engineer) you can cover more area for your signal. I seen that with a 6,000W station before. 95.9 the Hog is a low watt station however covers a large geographic area due to its tower location. Regarding buying a signal, well money talks bs walks.
 
Brian, one thing about WMEV is it is licensed to Marion. And while I do know a lot of people who actually prefer it to WXBQ, it simply isn't going to show up in the ratings. Plus, their promotion in the Tri-Cities is kind of limited to billboards across from BMS.

What I found most telling about your post is that you say you haven't been in the market for 15 years yet YOUR POST IS STILL LARGELY CONTEMPORARY!

In other words, just about NOTHING has changed in 15 years!

Disturbing. Very disturbing.

And proof positive why I think the market is ripe for the picking.
 
Pratte, you are exactly right in one statement you made. Absolutely NOTHING has changed in the Tri_Cities in 15 years, maybe more. Its basically a stagnant market, which is sad, cause it COULD be so much more. Guess they think "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".....but it would be so much fun, maybe even make me wanna go back to market, if somebody would shake things up and make people take notice!

I think that the only reason 94 advertises across from the track is basically because they're the only station in the market that broadcasts NASCAR. IF they had a stronger presence in Kingsport, Hawkins COunty, Johnson City, Jonesboro and Erwin, and HVBC cleaned it and make it not so hokey sounding, and get rid of Jim Mabe in the mornings, it might contend.
 
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" doesn't apply here.

You mentioned a ton of things yourself. John Boy and Billy, WXIS, WKOS, etc.
 
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