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Nine Coverage

> I don't look at suburban signals as losers in the city
> proper's metro, rather, I believe it's an untapped potential
> to deliver a successfully proven format on the most frugal
> of means to show how proper spent finances can take you from
> zero to hero.
>

Ding! Well said. Just because a signal is small, doesn't necessarily doom it from the start. Program it smart, spend carefully, and know who (and where) your audience is. I don't think the format necessarily has to be "successfully proven" to survive with smaller coverage - new, exciting and innovative can work too - so long as it stays that way and doesn't wear off like a fad.

Before I personally heard the Jack/variety hits format, the idea seemed crazy to me - unfocused, no musical direction. It really bucks a trend in radio programming where formats seem to be coming narrower and narrower all the time. When I first heard Nine, then Jack, I eased my opposition a bit - thinking, hey, this isn't so bad. It's been about a year now, and the novelty wore off for me quite a while ago. Personally, I can listen to each station for a couple of songs (sometimes three) till I hear something that forces me to tune to something else, and wish they'd play more 80's. I like hearing Frankie Hollywood on Nine, and I find the Jack voice guy amusing (I realize I'm likely in the minority where that's concerned), but all of the other stuff does nothing for me.
 
Re: Question

> No, I'm referring to WTKC-FM, as in a station that former
> B96 mixmaster Too Kool Kris wanted to start with an infusion
> of cash from local car dealers. Although he contacted many
> people in the market to program and take out the garbage,
> the station never came to fruition.
>

LOL, I've wondered for the longest time how in the world he'd ever manage to come up with that kind of cash for a radio station. I don't know that I'd ever trust 8 figures (or 7 or 6) with that guy. Maybe he'd just be better off running a record label. Oh wait, he's already done that.
 
I'm glad you agree!

> > I don't look at suburban signals as losers in the city
> > proper's metro, rather, I believe it's an untapped
> potential
> > to deliver a successfully proven format on the most frugal
>
> > of means to show how proper spent finances can take you
> from
> > zero to hero.
> >
>
> Ding! Well said. Just because a signal is small, doesn't
> necessarily doom it from the start. Program it smart, spend
> carefully, and know who (and where) your audience is. I
> don't think the format necessarily has to be "successfully
> proven" to survive with smaller coverage - new, exciting and
> innovative can work too - so long as it stays that way and
> doesn't wear off like a fad.
>
> Before I personally heard the Jack/variety hits format, the
> idea seemed crazy to me - unfocused, no musical direction.
> It really bucks a trend in radio programming where formats
> seem to be coming narrower and narrower all the time. When
> I first heard Nine, then Jack, I eased my opposition a bit -
> thinking, hey, this isn't so bad. It's been about a year
> now, and the novelty wore off for me quite a while ago.
> Personally, I can listen to each station for a couple of
> songs (sometimes three) till I hear something that forces me
> to tune to something else, and wish they'd play more 80's.
> I like hearing Frankie Hollywood on Nine, and I find the
> Jack voice guy amusing (I realize I'm likely in the minority
> where that's concerned), but all of the other stuff does
> nothing for me.
<P ID="signature">______________
Rob Austin
Vice President
JamTraxx Media Inc.
http://www.jamtraxxmedia.com
"Major Market Solutions for Your Radio Station's Needs!"</P>
 
Yes, I am familiar with the IIRC. Thanks for the update! I'm glad that they at least exist in some form to honor the hard work of Doc Danna!

> > Another perfect example of great programming is WLUW-FM,
> > Chicago's ORIGINAL Energy, which back in the 90s was
> CUMING
> > 100,000+ on a single 100 watt tower situated on top of 11
> > story campus residence hall in Roger's Park. It was a
> > perfect hybrid Rhythmic CHR playing Dance Hits, Original
> Top
> > 40 releases with an occasional remix if it was hot, and
> yes,
> > hip hop! Program Directors that established the format
> that
> > lead to its vast popularity amongst the 18-34 demographic
> > include Jeff Andrews, Rob Creighton, and Jammin' Down JD.
>
> > David, I wonder how much money we could have billed there
> if
> > we were a commercial station! I'm sure Loyola could have
> > used the extra income! This way, they wouldn't have to
> rely
> > on the money they now receive from NPR to stay afloat!
>
> IIRC, the reason Loyola gradually killed Energy on WLUW was
> that the administration made a complete 180 from the
> decision in the early 80s to make the station a professional
> lab that made Energy possible (and its CHR predecessors
> MetroSound and HitLine) and said that the station had to
> become a "community resource." When that decision was made,
> Energy lost hours on the weekdays and particularly on
> Saturdays and eventually disappeared.
>
> I realize that there were a lot of other matters involved,
> but it is fair to point out that WLUW is doing OK these
> days--they've shown up in the last few Radio Research
> Consortium breakouts of non-com stations from Arbitron.
> Even if they're not getting the cume of Energy's days, their
> indie rock and lefty political shows have gotten them a
> loyal audience and the LMA to WBEZ (not NPR) has given them
> some business stability and more sophisticated fund-raising.
> Their name's on a helluva lot of indie rock shows and
> they've got their audience. It may not be "ready for
> commercial radio," but they are doing OK.
>
<P ID="signature">______________
Rob Austin
Vice President
JamTraxx Media Inc.
http://www.jamtraxxmedia.com
"Major Market Solutions for Your Radio Station's Needs!"</P>
 
> Yes, I am familiar with the IIRC. Thanks for the update!
> I'm glad that they at least exist in some form to honor the
> hard work of Doc Danna!

ROTFLMAO! No, Rocketman....

IIRC = If I Remember Correctly.
LRC = Loyola Radio Conference. (I don't know if that tradition has been kept anymore. Perhaps someone could confirm.)

IMHO, it looks like you need to brush up on your Internet acronyms ASAP. LOL.

JK. CUL8R. <P ID="signature">______________
radioinfosignature.gif
</P>
 
I'll try not to stray way off topic too much. From my experience, Loyola's mass communications program was lagging too far behind with a lot of outdated equipment. In the streamlining of Loyola's budget in the 90s, the broadcasting-related classes took the axe.

I will admit that when I was involved at WLUW, I was clinging to the ideals of the past and wanted to keep the radio station as the professional learning laboratory as I knew it and loved. I enjoyed teaching interns and students the semantics of professional live music broadcasting from writing news copy (taking AP and local news feeds and condensing it for air) to music editing (on reel-to-reel!) to tight boardwork and music programming. I wanted to keep WLUW in the pro-industry model because Energy 88.7 was what drew me to Loyola in the first place.

However, the writing was on the wall and I was stubborn to read it. Fortunately for both me and the Communications department, I was hired by Cyber Radio in 1997-- clearing the way for the department to finally implement the community/independent radio concept that they envisioned for WLUW. Believe me, I only wish them the best.

Now to tie it back to the original subject. Rob had a good point. Poor signal coverage is not much of an excuse for poor ratings. Energy 88.7's 100-watt signal from Rogers Park didn't cover much area, but it generated VERY impressive numbers with the dance/CHR format. It was fun throwing dance parties and live remotes at bars and clubs around town and seeing massive fan turnouts!

Theoretically, the trimulcast of WKIE/WDEK/WRZA should be able to do much better with its greater signal coverage than even the old trimulcast of WKIE/WKIF/WDEK. In no way do I point blame at Matt and the fantastic staff at NINE-FM-- they were fun and awesome to work with during the Hurricane Katrina relief week. If the pay was good, then I might seriously consider working at NINE-FM. The studios are only a few minutes away from me.

I believe that NINE-FM is suffering low ratings because listeners have already learned to tune out and not even bother to try to sample the station again. The first few months of any new radio station is super critical-- if you can't hook them at that time, then you've lost them for good. The first few months of NINE-FM was a major technical mess, and IMHO, a programming mess. Significant musical and technical improvements have happened with Matt as PD, but NINE-FM will continue to have trouble finding listeners to convert and report them in their diaries. They need to continually work really hard to convince people to give them a listen.

Admittingly, if I was in the GM's shoes, I probably would have thrown the towel a long time ago and tried something new. I'm just not a patient guy, and I'm stuck in the 'corporate' mode of maximizing ratings and potential earnings. Perhaps they see more potential growth with NINE, or maybe they are just really happy with what they got. They could be happy just like the folks at non-com WLUW, providing something different on the dial without any concern on ratings. In any case, they are VERY lucky to have a wealthy guy in Eychaner to support them instead of a board of trustees. From what I hear, it feels like a family environment at NINE. And that's pretty rare.


radioinfosignature.gif
 
I'm out of the demo. What can I say?<P ID="signature">______________
Rob Austin
Vice President
JamTraxx Media Inc.
http://www.jamtraxxmedia.com
"Major Market Solutions for Your Radio Station's Needs!"</P>
 
I can see $10M billing on this station.<P ID="signature">______________
Rob Austin
Vice President
JamTraxx Media Inc.
http://www.jamtraxxmedia.com
"Major Market Solutions for Your Radio Station's Needs!"</P>
 
Matt K. said:
The tri-cast (which did not include 99.9 at the time) did quite alright as dance when it was Energy. No numbers that were startling, but respectable for a limited signal - and they made money. That's the bottom line, of course.The corporate parent closed their doors, sold the station(s) and it was flipped to spanish. Being suburban and rural in coverage, it virtually disappeared from the books for two years. Then it was sold again and made the change to Nine.Really, with coverage like they have now (and that includes 99.9 in Kankakee now), there's not a lot you can do with it other than try to offer programming not being duplicated on a bigger city-grade signal. The only differences that I can perceive between Nine and Jack right now is that Nine is live with air talent, and they make an attempt to offer some different programming on the weekends.Personally, I think the station would do better if they went all-80's or dance, were it programmed properly. Just my 2 cents though.
Click to expand...
I think that the station would be a HELLUVA LOT BETTER OFF if they would go back to being a Dance station, like they were in the early part of this decade with Energy!Chicago is in DIRE NEED of a Dance station, and one that is like what WBMX used to be, or like what Energy used to be.Or BETTER STILL, how about a Dance format combining the Classic Dance/House music of WBMX with the Current Dance Hits/House Music format of Energy?That way, they could play new Dance and Classic Dance!!What would you all think of such a Dance station there?DeanSB
 
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