NOW or Never: Can CBS continue their NOW experiment?
Given the continued ups and downs of WNOW (formerly WXRK), can CBS Radio continue their experiment with their CHR station in Market #1? People have mentioned that this market is too saturated with CHR which is true, but is it more about loyalty or the music or listener preference? I believe it's a mix of all three. If I had an opportunity to speak with WNOW, here's what I would say:
Dear WNOW,
Congratulations for continuing to move a small group of New Yorkers to your format. I would like for you to realize how small your station actually is considering the market you're in. The following is the year over year DROP in NOW's ratings:
· Teens - down -64.3%
· P18-34 - down -41.5%
· W18-34 - down -35.6%
· P18-49 - down -27.5%
· W18-49 - down -19.6%
Are you really in the NOW? You're the lowest commercial station in the market (2.1 AQH, 2.4 million listeners PPM).
The following is from an article written by http://www.radioinfo.com/2012/11/15/big-stakes-top-40-tale-of-two-cities/"]Radio-Info about NOW[/URL]:
"Among the most interested parties tracking all of this, of course, was cross-town Clear Channel, New York president/market manager Joe Puglise. “What we have seen from WXRK is that it has had almost a negligible impact on ‘Z100′ in terms of ratings or revenue,” he evaluates. “‘Z100′ has been ranked in the top three among adults 18-34 every single month for the last two years, while WXRK has not even cracked the top five, adults 18-34, this entire year. They program their entire product for 18-34s, yet have not even made the top five in the demo since November 2011. What has always been a wide gap between the two stations continues to grow. In the last year, ‘Z100′ is actually up 20% in 18-34 audience, while WXRK is down 25% of what were already very modest numbers at this time last year. Now FM,” however, does not seem to have mustered much of a threat to “Z100″ at all and Puglise volunteers, “There are a number of reasons for that. Two of the biggest have been their lack of any consistency in product, brand, or image over the past several years, contrasted against Z100′s ultimate strength-of-brand and consistency. Additionally, ‘Z100′ is not out alone on an island. It is well-insulated, and flanked by some incredibly strong radio brands like our WWPR ['Power 105.1'], and even [Emmis rhythmic CHR WQHT] ‘Hot 97.’ WXRK can’t get within a stone’s throw of ‘Z100′ because it has to get through those other brands first. That it is a bit of a Herculean task, and so far, WXRK has not been able to do it. The highest (6+) ranking CBS Radio’s WXRK (“Now-FM”) has had in the past 36 PPM monthlies is #9 – and it happened in successive months (April 2012 and May 2012)." For more information, check out this chart.
In 2013, WHTZ will celebrate 30 years on the air. Yes, yes that's old. However, for some unique way, call it corporate motives or whatever you like, but it has continued to be loved by New Yorkers for all these years even after its hiccups with alternative and then settled on CHR for almost 16 years with the over 50 year old Elvis Duran. Have you ever considered that if you want to compete with the competition, you gotta BE it. What I mean is, be a Z-100. Be a station people can love and listen to without having to turn the dial after a song or hear any of your unprofessional DJs. Understand that Z-100 is a brand like Pepsi or Apple. Your station acts like you're a mom/pop brand from the 99 cent store who can compete against the best brand and the reality is, you can't. You sound, act, and image crap. Crap morning drive straight throughout the day. Z-100 is part of people's music lives from your average mid-20s listener to Lady GaGa. Z-100 has an annual show that they'll nationally promote on Fuse TV called "Jingle Ball." Mayor Michael Bloomberg even calls the event "Z-100 Jingle Ball Day" in the city when the day of the concert occurs every year. This year, it'll be on December 7th. Listeners love a clear and direct way the most is presented on the radio. Take a listen to your stations in Los Angeles and Boston. Those AMP stations sound amazing and clearly in tune with what the radio listener wants: the music and all about the music. Also, the DJs are amazingly smooth and professional during translations of songs. Note: Boston doesn't have DJs yet, but Los Angeles is pretty good. It competes quite well with Z-100's sister KIIS-FM. However, what may work in Los Angeles may not work in New York, but realize the competition and decide what you wanna do about it. How many stations play the top songs in the nation? Roughly, 90%. What's your unique good CHR image? Your owner CBS has the resources and strategic team members to brand you as a true CHR in New York. However, something's gotta give. When ESPN Radio is doing better than you, it's time to change and for the better. My advice? Copy the playlist of your competition and stop being rhythmic. HOT 97 and Power 105.1 are rhythmic and ah yes, brands. You're not a brand yet, when you are, maybe you can try it.
Here's a sample hour at your competition, Z-100:
Some Nights - Fun.
Let Me Love You - Ne-yo
Die Young - Ke$ha
Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye
Little Things - One Direction
Don't You Worry Child - Swedish House Mafia
Good Time - Owl City / Carly Rae Jepsen
Feel Again - Onerepublic
Locked Out Of Heaven - Bruno Mars
See the nice mix of hits and isn't all rhythmic.
Here's your sample hour, NOW:
Girl On Fire - Alicia Keys
Thrift Shop - Macklemore
DIAMONDS - RIHANNA
I Found You - The Wanted
Va Va Voom - Nicki Minaj
Sexy Can I - Yung Berg, Ray J
Let Me Love You - Ne-Yo
Don't You Worry Child - Swedish House Mafia
Always Be My Baby - Mariah Carey
What is this?! How is this CHR/Pop? How do you want someone who listens to Z-100 to choose your station over yours? Where's the diversity? Play songs at a normal rate than playing it fast to fit as much music as possible in a hour.
You need to look at the outlook for your station. What the heck are you CHR/Pop like Z-100 or CHR/RhythmicPop like Hot97Power105.1Z100KTU? I meant this because it's a bunch of different things.
Case in point, Z-100 is a brand. That's why people love it and I'll continue to love it for as long as it's a station. It has a likable song playlist, DJs who don't annoy you, less talking more play, and have an annual concert like Jingle Ball is show everyone how amazing they are.
What are you? Will you ever have a concert? Kringle Jingle like your sister 98.7 AMP Radio? Holiday Bash? A morning show host that's nationally syndicated?
What will you do? Act now (no pun intended). It's a New Year in 31 days. To know how to create a real CHR, see http://www.radioinfo.com/2012/11/16/hot-rocking-flame-throwing-memories/"]how Z-100 did it and continues to[/URL].
Your owner, CBS Radio spent $75 million to acquire a FM station that clearly could have replaced you with what they program that station with: sports radio.
Here's a New Year's resolution:
- Go jock-less and try to be all about the music for 3 months, see how it works.
- Play with your name: Now 92.3 instead of 92.3 NOW. Integrate new music with NOW Playing.
- Commercial-free hours. You've done this before, but uniquely integrate commercial-free music throughout most of the mornings.
- Slogan: More music every hour. Be all about the music.
- Logo: Create a nice, clean logo. Something attractive not something a undergrad freshmen at a graphic design school would draw.
- Jingle package: Use your sister stations AMP Radio jingle package.
- Music, music, music: Play the music the way it's meant to be played. Play the songs Z-100 and/or AMP Radio Boston does or simply copy their playlist. Study their styles. Know what kind of songs they like to play and when. Be ahead of the game and truly be in the NOW. Play songs hot on iTunes that haven't hit radio, but you're the first to play them.
Strike something. It's NOW or never.
Sincerely,
NY Radio Listener
