PD's Take Note of WBLS & Learn From Them

[RadioRayWedeman]

In this day and age of super-corporations owning radio stations, it’s nice to see that one still not only knows how to do it right, they do it live and local to a descent degree. WBLS has not forgotten that local name hosts attract listeners, and the revenue is just one hint they are doing things right. Locals like Jeff Foxx in the afternoon and Shaila and Déjà vu are valuable commodities that keep local listeners entertained and take musical preference cues from those listeners when they play music, instead of the “corporate PD” and “corporate music director” philosophies so prevalent in radio today. While WBLS does run a syndicated show in the morning with Steve Harvey, the show resonates with their local listeners and doesn’t disrupt the “morning flow” (are you listening NASH)? Maybe the only thing truly missing is quality traffic and better weather in their drive time dayparts. After listening to your “#1 Source for R&B” I was forced to switch radio stations numerous times to WPLJ and WKTU which both have what I consider to be above-average traffic and weather on the FM dial and seem to understand the importance of local elements within their big-name morning and afternoon shows using people who know traffic and weather. Outside of what radio people call “the elements” you have to agree that WBLS has discovered a great formula for success despite having a position on the radio dial at the extreme end and a signal that isn’t as strong as some others like Z-100. If you need proof, which I will provide, annual revenue year over year for WBLS is up an astronomical 76%. If you think that’s a lot, it is, since radio station revenue in NYC on average was up year-over-year by just 6 percent! Their high ratings not only in the NYC Arbitron but also the Middlesex PPM’s show they can resonate in both the city and suburbia. NY PD’s and corporate PD’s, take note of WBLS and learn from them!

 

[davideduardo]

Outside of what radio people call “the elements” you have to agree that WBLS has discovered a great formula for success despite having a position on the radio dial at the extreme end and a signal that isn’t as strong as some others like Z-100. If you need proof, which I will provide, annual revenue year over year for WBLS is up an astronomical 76%. If you think that’s a lot, it is, since radio station revenue in NYC on average was up year-over-year by just 6 percent! Their high ratings not only in the NYC Arbitron but also the Middlesex PPM’s show they can resonate in both the city and suburbia. NY PD’s and corporate PD’s, take note of WBLS and learn from them!

While I have always thought that WBLS was a good station, the fact is that WBLS' recent increases in ratings and revenues have come almost entirely as a result of the removal from the market of the station's direct competitor.

In New York, if your ratings increase by 60%, you'd expect a proportional revenue increase. And since WBLS benefits from being the only station for certain targeted buys, it further benefits from being the only significant operation in its demo.

WBLS also benefited by being acquired by the growing Yucaipa group out of LA, relieving the station of the pressures of being owned by a company in conflict and bankruptcy which really limited the ability of the station to compete.

I've never seen any evidence that being at any particular place on the FM dial has any benefit or defecit; the WBLS signal, while slightly less powerful than the other full B's on the ESB, still puts a usable signal over about 95% of the same population that the other FMs do.

 

[WNTIRadio]

CBS-FM take note and copy their audio processing... please.

 

[dcowboy7]

I cant buy it cause (a)they have no real competition + (b)106.7 is a high dial # too & they do good.

 

[Mediafrog+]

I've never seen any evidence that being at any particular place on the FM dial has any benefit or defecit

Decades ago, in the age of analog mechanical tuners, stations at the extreme ends of the dial might have been at a very slight disadvantage due to listeners who would "turn around" too soon when tuning up and down the band. However, with today's digital readouts and "seek and scan" functionality where the radio simply jumps to the other end of the band when a limit is reached, those frequency extremes are irrelevant.

 

[JerseyDude]

WBLS is a backwards mess with no competition. Enough with the ghetto air personalities like Dejavu and Lamonda. Enough songs from 1973/74 (Jackson 5). Stop playing Eric Benet and Charlie Wilson 7,176 times a week (must be payola). Where is the Neo Soul and House music outside of the Mix Shows?

Where is Frankie Blue when you need him? White PDs seem to Program Urban stations so much better.

 

[WNTIRadio]

Last I remember, he was 3 sheets to the wind on the air at 102.7, identifying it as 103.5 WKTU and saying F&#! on a live mic.

I don't think WBLS needs him. Or anyone else.

 

[ansky212]

WBLS is a backwards mess with no competition. Enough with the ghetto air personalities like Dejavu and Lamonda. Enough songs from 1973/74 (Jackson 5). Stop playing Eric Benet and Charlie Wilson 7,176 times a week (must be payola). Where is the Neo Soul and House music outside of the Mix Shows?

Where is Frankie Blue when you need him? White PDs seem to Program Urban stations so much better.

I agree, way too much Jackson 5. As for DJ's, I wish they would give Bugsy more time on air (I think he's only on Saturdays). I've liked him since back in his Hot 97 days in the late 90's.

 

[pjc1961]

WBLS GM Deon Levingston was interviewed by Crain's New York, talking about the surge in revenue for the first 6 months of 2013 vs. the same period in 2012, the station's history in the market and the focus on social media:

http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20130728/POLITICS/307289972

 

[chrocket87]

Wow! So at this rate, their billing should hit around $44 million and they could be in the top 10 billers in America.