Nov PPM's #s HERE

[kilamanjero]

Steve Harvey didn't start out at #1 either. It took him over a year to build an audience and get to #1.

I still think they need to look at the music. It may sound good, but are they going after the right people?

V-103 is programmed to target 18-49 year olds. It is a full service urban contemporary, so if it were to tilt either way, they will wind up alienating their loyal audience, a la WPGC. It's also one of the reasons why throughout the majority of the 2000s it was struggling because it tilted too mainstream urban and played too much hip-hop and too few urban throwbacks during the daytime hours.

Musically it's not going to compete with Hot or Streetz whom are too extremely hip-hop heavy and fails to pull in the money demo (25-34, 25-54). This isn't a situation like Power 98FM in Charlotte because there is no UAC sister station. V's problem is more personality-driven than musically.

 

[Black Radio QC]

V103 has struggled with numbers in middays for some time. This is not new. That's why they've gone through so many personalities in that daypart. If the jock was that much of an issue, why haven't the numbers really fluctuated? Because they're focusing on the wrong thing.

Middays are music heavy. Egypt talks for what, 20 seconds twice an hour? It doesn't make a huge difference.

I understand that V is going after both demos. But right now they're not winning both demos, they're winning one. That tells me maybe they're skewing too far to one side? Maybe they're too slow in middays, maybe the play too much hip hop, maybe they haven't kept the station current and are sounding stale? It could be a lot of things, but I'd look at the music first if I were running things.

I know that sounding stale was an issue for V101.9 here. They had updated their music in mid 2011, were sounding great and shot up to #1 overall and in the demos. They thought they had found the perfect mix of music and kept everything exactly the same except for currents. After 3 months, the numbers started to decline and they lost share and cume every month for the next year or so until Old School launched. They lost to Old School in their 2nd month.

They didn't really change anything after they were beaten at first, but started giving away money and they bounced back a little overall. The listener bribery ended and they started playing this desperate sounding imaging in December and the holiday book was their worst since 2004. January wasn't that much better. It wasn't until they started changing their music then the numbers changed. The jocks didn't change at all.

So the point is, the music has to be right because it does affect the numbers. It's not always the jocks.

 

[kilamanjero]

V103 has struggled with numbers in middays for some time. This is not new. That's why they've gone through so many personalities in that daypart. If the jock was that much of an issue, why haven't the numbers really fluctuated? Because they're focusing on the wrong thing.

Middays are music heavy. Egypt talks for what, 20 seconds twice an hour? It doesn't make a huge difference.

I understand that V is going after both demos. But right now they're not winning both demos, they're winning one. That tells me maybe they're skewing too far to one side? Maybe they're too slow in middays, maybe the play too much hip hop, maybe they haven't kept the station current and are sounding stale? It could be a lot of things, but I'd look at the music first if I were running things.

I know that sounding stale was an issue for V101.9 here. They had updated their music in mid 2011, were sounding great and shot up to #1 overall and in the demos. They thought they had found the perfect mix of music and kept everything exactly the same except for currents. After 3 months, the numbers started to decline and they lost share and cume every month for the next year or so until Old School launched. They lost to Old School in their 2nd month.

They didn't really change anything after they were beaten at first, but started giving away money and they bounced back a little overall. The listener bribery ended and they started playing this desperate sounding imaging in December and the holiday book was their worst since 2004. January wasn't that much better. It wasn't until they started changing their music then the numbers changed. The jocks didn't change at all.

So the point is, the music has to be right because it does affect the numbers. It's not always the jocks.

I think you are unfamilar with the politics that has led to so many personality changes at V-103. For starters, the station has gone through 6 personalities in the past 10 years. Part of it was due to management wanting their people in the slot here is an overview:

Majic Man late 1990s-2005
Porsche Foxx 2005-2007
Osei the Dark Secret 2006-2009
Porsche Foxx 2009-2010
Elle Duncan 2010-2011
Ramona DeBreaux 2011-February 2012
Egypt Sherrod February 2012-present

Those are all the people that have been the host of middays for V-103 over the past decade. However, the decline for middays didn't occur until Egypt wind up on the spot last year even prior to Frank & Wanda leaving the station. As matter of fact, when Ramona DeBrueaux hosted V-103 saw the highest numbers for middays since the introduction of PPM to the market. There was a poll as recent as last year of listeners that were still peeved about Ramona DeBreaux's removal from middays on AJC's Radio & TV blog.

It's not the music, I have read the demo breakdown for years for V-103 can attest that it is personality changes for V-103 these days that is hurting them. Atlanta is one of the very few markets where the 25-34 year olds outweigh the 18-24 or 35+ demographics overall. As a result, V-103 has to be contemporary with its programming (hip-hop & R&B), but heavy on the throwbacks to keep this group tuned in.

The only thing V-103 ought to do is cut back on some of the contemporary hip-hop and stop with the musical chairs of personalities for middays. Its midday competition is Kiss and Majic, where both are still trailing them. The moment both did surpass them last summer, V-103 tweaked its music and surpassed them both. V-103 isn't concerned with 18-34 in middays. If they win the 18-34 demo great, but they know that the direct competition has significant lower cume and spot ad revenue potential.

 

[ShawtyBlack_ATL]

I think you are unfamilar with the politics that has led to so many personality changes at V-103. For starters, the station has gone through 6 personalities in the past 10 years. Part of it was due to management wanting their people in the slot here is an overview:

Majic Man late 1990s-2005
Porsche Foxx 2005-2007
Osei the Dark Secret 2006-2009
Porsche Foxx 2009-2010
Elle Duncan 2010-2011
Ramona DeBreaux 2011-February 2012
Egypt Sherrod February 2012-present

Those are all the people that have been the host of middays for V-103 over the past decade. However, the decline for middays didn't occur until Egypt wind up on the spot last year even prior to Frank & Wanda leaving the station. As matter of fact, when Ramona DeBrueaux hosted V-103 saw the highest numbers for middays since the introduction of PPM to the market. There was a poll as recent as last year of listeners that were still peeved about Ramona DeBreaux's removal from middays on AJC's Radio & TV blog.

It's not the music, I have read the demo breakdown for years for V-103 can attest that it is personality changes for V-103 these days that is hurting them. Atlanta is one of the very few markets where the 25-34 year olds outweigh the 18-24 or 35+ demographics overall. As a result, V-103 has to be contemporary with its programming (hip-hop & R&B), but heavy on the throwbacks to keep this group tuned in.

The only thing V-103 ought to do is cut back on some of the contemporary hip-hop and stop with the musical chairs of personalities for middays. Its midday competition is Kiss and Majic, where both are still trailing them. The moment both did surpass them last summer, V-103 tweaked its music and surpassed them both. V-103 isn't concerned with 18-34 in middays. If they win the 18-34 demo great, but they know that the direct competition has significant lower cume and spot ad revenue potential.

Honestly, V103 doesn't sound so bad in middays. I'd say they need to cut back on some of the crunk'er hip-hop songs during middays and focaus on more current R&B and throwbacks. Example, Sage "Red Nose" at 10:20AM doesn't fit the mix of the working class that listens to V in middays. Egypt has grown on me and callers sound as if they relate to the issues and entertainment gossip she discusses. The 12 o'clock Fire Mix with DJ Jaycee now starts around 11:50am and was extended to a hour long. My only complaint in middays would be way too many commercials but it pays the bills so I guess that'll never change.

 

[radiopal]

Speaking of mid-days, how is Sasha the Diva doing on KISS since she replaced Cynthia Young?

 

[Black Radio QC]

You're right, I haven't really followed the Atlanta stations like that. I looked through some articles and numbers this morning, though, and it doesn't really matter who they've had in middays, the numbers really haven't changed.

What's happening with the ratings on one station can also be affected by what's happening at the competition. Ever think of that? Majic recently upped their signal, Kiss is still in the process. Kiss has a new midday host. Stations are always playing around with their music mix. It could be a lot of things.

Like I said, I don't live in Atlanta, so I really don't know. But I do think you're jumping to conclusions in blaming the jock when all of the different jocks over all of these different years haven't affected the ratings at all.

Every jock has a following. Outside of drive time, the following is usually very niche. Talking for 20 seconds twice an hour is not going to get you a huge following.

That small group of Ramona's followers may be upset, but like I said, they're a very small group.