New Year's Predictions & Suggestions

[smedge2006]

Doesn't WAQI have a median listener age of death-plus, as Uncle Neil would say?? Muerto y un poco mas?

WINZ-AM tried all-news at various times between 1975 and 1997, never to any great success. Weather
is never an issue except for hurricanes, which mostly arrive during the summer book. Half of the audience
in Miami would find all-news on any band inaccessible because of the language barrier. Too bad, because Haitians as well as Cubans are very conditioned to strong news coverage on the radio, with practically every
meaningful radio station in Haiti boasting a death-squad-defying reporter wielding a pencil-thin microphone connected to a cassette deck.

A hot-talk format would work on 94.9 IF it were conditioned to South Florida, targeted to English-dominant Hispanics in their 20s and 30s who grew up on Neil Rogers and Howard Stern. Piped-in Man Talk a la WMEN would flop.
The big reason talk has been an underperformer in modern times in So Fla is because it needs a customized approach because of its unique demographics. WQAM probably comes closest to "getting" SoFla in recent times. What's odd to me is how the sports stations around the country try to add more local content, as the political news-talkers are cutting back on it...

 

[bat manny]

well about the FM talk :-\
Times have changed. FM and AM isnt the only medium to listen to, you have TV sets and the live news coverage, word of mouth ala- cell phones and their own internet service, friends and family, and also radio staions via the internet. You can listen to any station online and get breaking news instantly. Many people listen to radio staions via internet at work. and besides if there was anyhting serious on the news id rather do my work and wait to hear about it wen i get home ( gotta pay the bills many people may get fired for radio and work combinations ) and also if there was a storm or anything threatenin s.fl last place id be is anywhere in a building..

just my 02. cents

Leave FM for good ol' stereo music, its a beutifull thing. We have HD now, IMHO i think were better of with a 90's hits station, a dance music station, a movin station etc... there many more good formats to pick out of the hat

 

[The-Major]

Times have changed. FM and AM isnt the only medium to listen to, you have TV sets and the live news coverage, word of mouth ala- cell phones and their own internet service, friends and family, and also radio staions via the internet. You can listen to any station online and get breaking news instantly. Many people listen to radio staions via internet at work. Leave FM for good ol' stereo music, its a beutifull thing. We have HD now, IMHO i think were better of with a 90's hits station, a dance music station, a movin station etc... there many more good formats to pick out of the hat

Well you can listen to '90s hits, dance hits, rhythmic hits, and all other kinds of hits on all of those same medium that you identfied - TV (satellite), Radio (satellite), The Internet, etc. Pretty soon standard cell phones will be able to pick-up satellite radio stations as well.

I'm not trying to take anything from your argument away from you. I would absolutely adore a 90s hit station, a dance music station, and a 'MOVIN' station on my local radio. The 1990s are my all-time favourite decade of hit music. I love to dance to the techno and the trance like I'm a Belgian. I love to 'MOVE like I moved in 1992 ! Since all of these various formats probably won't occur aqui en el Sur de Florida anytime soon I basically need an XM Satellite Radio at work and in my car to go along with the one that I already have aqui a mi casa. But then I wouldn't get any work done, so I'll take News-Talk for 94.9 FM Alex !

THE MAJOR

 

[CapeFish]

Anyone who thinks a hot talk format can work in South Florida is ignoring the fact that it really doesn't seem to work. Neil Rogers works because he uses his personal take on an issue to create a show which engages the listener. Nothing like Neil reading a rag out loud on-air to get blood boiling and callers on is coming from these Hot Talkers.

HOWARD STERN-STYLE TALK DOESN'T WORK IN SOUTH FLORIDA! You need substance, not always just poking fun. Heck, even Phil Hendrie had a field day with taking "made up" issues and letting the callers have at it.

Caller interaction is the thing that determines a winner on talk in Miami. South Florida has one thing: plenty of opinions and motormouths to share them.

I think people would be surprised how many young people (12-24) watch/listen to newscasts, weathercasts, and sportscasts. The problem is nobody engages them. WSVN engages them and can do so crossing the language barrier! Everybody knows they are an exception, but the reality is no matter what language you speak, WSVN appeals because they have a superior graphical presentation which helps us see what the story is instead of having the verbalize it.

As for a newsradio on 94.9 FM.....it can work if done right. The morning, noon, and afternoon drives have to be newsheavy. But those times people are in the office or driving to/from the meeting can be filled with shows that engage listeners enough to make them callers. They can be local, they can be syndicated...they just have to be good!

 

[Wazzie]

If we're still on the predictions page my feeling is that you'll see very little change at any of the Clear Channel outlets. They're still in the downsizing mode and the 2007 focus will be on the HD channels.

I agree with an earlier poster. There is room for a 24/7 news station in the area. Notice I didn't say news/talk. I don't need or want to hear Rush/Sean/Glenn or anything of that ilk in crystal clear stereo.

The over-programming of hip-hop/rap will play itself out. Someone will blink and flip before July. You can only split that pie so many times.

 

[djeddy]

changes i'd like to see for 2007.

94.9 flips from hurban to solely dance. a rebirth of the power 96 of the late 80's/early 90's. with dj mix weekends. containing a wide variety of dance music new and old and even some crossing into their former format. but still...its pure dance/party style done the right way. not the same 10 songs. and who better than bringing back bill tanner as full-time PD. call letters go back to WINZ-FM and it will be called I-95

99.1 will continue riding the crest of hip-hop as it evolves into something new (and hopefully better) they are the only station that's in-tune with the african-americans 18-35.

96.5 will continue riding the hip-hop wave as well, only they'll wipeout in the 1's.

100.7 flips to real radio. although that'll be HIGHLY unlikely since there is NO market in miami for a talk format in FM..be it news or 'man talk' both english or spanish. Clear Channel are still trying to wipe their faces clean from that pie MEGA threw at them this year. flipping any of their stations to talk is commiting radio suicide. unless of course..CC is planning on selling one of their stations off. given that..y-100 stays the same. and will stay the same as long as crappy pop music rules the industry.

101.5 nothing will happen to LYF. they have been a constant #2..and i think they are very comfortable with that...especially since the demographics of miami and broward has grown more young hispanic and african american. there are hardly any older white folks left listening to terrestial radio (many obviously went satellite..or have ipods)...but they still manage to be #2/#3 every book??? that's pretty kick ass in my opinion.

102.7 oldies are shifting as decades go on and on. expect majic playing C+C music factory by the end of the year.

97.3 could go 'movin' but i dont think it will...the ratings need to tank first and stay in the tank for a long long while before Cox thinks of changing anything.

93.1 is proof of that. that said..Cox is gonna make it classical.


in the end, latin radio will rule the books in 2007. with nicaragua electing a former dictator as president. chavez still 'president' and castro 'still' not dead. there will be even MORE latin people in the miami-dade/broward market. and that will reflect in the numbers. 2007 will be a good year for Univision Radio. 107.5 and 98.3 will take over as the top two stations in miami. 105.1 had a good run.


but coming back to reality....

i dont see any changes happening in 2007.



...nothing...