Power 96.1: Is the end near?

[atlantaboy]

CC can do CHR in big markets but I guess they don't realize Atlanta is # 9 and their cookie cutter approach is costing them money.

Clear Channel "can do CHR in big markets" when it owns the more mainstream, and usually more established station

It's very rare for a more rhythmic-leaning CHR to overpower a more mainstream CHR, no matter who owns it, unless the market is heavily Asian or Hispanic - and I'm sure Clear Channel is aware of this pattern, as they are competing against themselves in New York City, Raleigh NC, and Boston, and in all these cases, their Rhythmic-leaner (or Rhythmic) isn't able to catch up with their mainstream station (which they both own) - yet again, the Rhythmic-leaning stations still continue to be much more profitable than other potential format choices, so I doubt Power is going anywhere soon

I completely disgree that Clear Channel doesn't care about their ATL cluster - they've spent more money on advertising for Power than any other station I've seen in this area - they can promote it and put as much money into it as they want, but at the end of the day, white suburbanites and exubanites want to hear pop/rock as well as dance, and they're completely content listening to Q100

 

[secondchoice]

Which brings back another question / issue for CC Atlanta, Would 105.3 be a viable 'flanker' for 96.1? Are the Hispanic buys really that much $$ ? IMHO If you flip 105.3, it should be the rhythmic-leaning CHR and which would allow 96.1 go after Q 100's suburban audience.

 

[RhubarbFan]

They should have left 96 Rock alone.

 

[chrocket87]

Which brings back another question / issue for CC Atlanta, Would 105.3 be a viable 'flanker' for 96.1? Are the Hispanic buys really that much $$ ? IMHO If you flip 105.3, it should be the rhythmic-leaning CHR and which would allow 96.1 go after Q 100's suburban audience.

That would cannibalize Power just like the launch of Power cannibalized Wild. IMO Clear should flip 105.3 to Jack FM or anything else as long as its Adult Hits.

 

[jabba17]

Which brings back another question / issue for CC Atlanta, Would 105.3 be a viable 'flanker' for 96.1? Are the Hispanic buys really that much $$ ? IMHO If you flip 105.3, it should be the rhythmic-leaning CHR and which would allow 96.1 go after Q 100's suburban audience.

That would cannibalize Power just like the launch of Power cannibalized Wild. IMO Clear should flip 105.3 to Jack FM or anything else as long as its Adult Hits.

We're definitely not getting a "golden oldies" or TOC station back (sorry BRENT and GoodTimesGreatOldies)...however...

How many other markets play so very little music from before 1990? It seems like the only station that plays stuff from before the 90s is River, and the occasional spin on B98.5 and Rock100.5 (in the latter case, much of that duplicates what you hear on River). And River is doing dynamite in the ratings.

Adult/variety hits would probably do well, as well as demo younger than any kind of "oldies" station, but there seems to be some kind of stigma about airing that kind of format in larger markets.

Does anyone have any info on how WXKT 103.7 Chuck FM is doing?

 

[secondchoice]

They should have left 96 Rock alone.

IMHO The Regular Guys' stupidity of getting fired over (IMHO) dumb non funny bits killed 96 Rock.

 

[Wildstyle K]

FLASHBACK: I remember when 95.5 THE BEAT would party live over the radio at Wild Bills on Thursdays, Club Europe on Fridays and Club Primetime on Saturdays. Now that's when THE BEAT took off and really competed with Q100, Star 94, V103 and HOT 107.9. Now it's making since that CC should've just went with "WiLD 96.1" as a Rhythmic and let Q and Star battle each other while HOT and V compete. Just my opinion.

 

[atlantaboy]

If you flip 105.3, it should be the rhythmic-leaning CHR and which would allow 96.1 go after Q 100's suburban audience.

If Clear Channel thought they could go after Q100's suburban audience, they'd be doing it right now with 96.1, since the Rhythmic-leaning ratings are falling further and further every book

This myth that any "exciting" station could jeopardize Q100 has been proven to be completely false - for all we know, much of the ATL market finds pitching and fast-paced imaging annoying - radio is our hobby/business, so we're always looking for new, exciting approaches, but we're not the typical pop listener in an ATL suburb or exurb - and since Q100 really doesn't play songs any slower than most people's IPods, I really don't see why people would think the pace was too slow/boring

 

[acheron1982]

I don't listen to TOP 40 all that much unless I have "kids" in the car but perhaps I'm wrong but has Top 40 music adjusted some in the past year? There was a time with Black Eye Peas, Rhianna, and several others were coming out with aggressive club dance music. Here lately, it appears top 40 stations have been backing away from that across the country.

Also...

Before WILD went more rhythmic after the intro to POWER, WILD was actually a pretty descent station for whatever format it was. Perhaps POWER should go back into that direction.

Also...

I just can't go by what other stations in the country are doings in the ratings department to determine how a format will do in Atlanta. Most cities have their on little vibe and niche. What works well in Dallas may not work in Atlanta.

And Finally...

I have had a few people to actually tell me that they will listen to Q100 before POWER because they killed Project. While I doubt it has anything to do with it, I almost wonder if there is not still some animosity towards POWER because of the Project death. In the burbs, you have lots of younger folks that love both TOP 40 when they are in the party mood and ROCK when their in the - well - rock mood.

 

[Wildstyle K]

Before WILD went more rhythmic after the intro to POWER, WILD was actually a pretty descent station for whatever format it was. Perhaps POWER should go back into that direction.

That was also the (second) time period when WiLD had decent ratings; Ratings better than what Power is achieving NOW. But it looks like CC Atlanta didn't want to continue doing what was working. Either that, or they got big headed and figured that if one works then they'd launch another, which... sadly, lead to the demise of everything they had going for them. I still think Power may have a chance - IN THE LONG RUN. But some of those very boring shows they have on the station aren't helping.

 

[RoddyFreeman]

I think they saw that Wild was growing as it added more mainstream product, which suggested the market was hungry for a real CHR. I'm sure they expected it to be bigger than Wild and probably still expect it to. In fact, they might have thought that by leaning a bit rhythmic, they would hold on to Wild's listeners plus attract a lot of others who wanted a real CHR.

The station is still young so we will see. But there is no Power 96-1 on my radio dial from 6-10AM and noon-4PM.

Maddox, by the way, has really grown since his debut and is sounding good.

 

[RadioFreak69]

If you flip 105.3, it should be the rhythmic-leaning CHR and which would allow 96.1 go after Q 100's suburban audience.

If Clear Channel thought they could go after Q100's suburban audience, they'd be doing it right now with 96.1, since the Rhythmic-leaning ratings are falling further and further every book

This myth that any "exciting" station could jeopardize Q100 has been proven to be completely false - for all we know, much of the ATL market finds pitching and fast-paced imaging annoying - radio is our hobby/business, so we're always looking for new, exciting approaches, but we're not the typical pop listener in an ATL suburb or exurb - and since Q100 really doesn't play songs any slower than most people's IPods, I really don't see why people would think the pace was too slow/boring

You have to admit Q100 has always had pretty stale and boring imaging for a "Top 40" station. It woud sound a lot better if they took some cues from sister station 95SX (www.95sx.com) in Charleston, SC.

 

[acheron1982]

95SX in Charleston is a pretty good station.

Q100 had better imaging when it was on 100.5 then it started to sound stale when it went over to 99.7. It's almost like the stations on weaker signals try harder than the ones on big sticks.

Normally, I find that Cumulus stations are stale anyway. Not that I care very much for Cumulus or Clear Channel, I will say Clear Channel normally has a much more aggressive sound and imaging.

I know very little about Urban and Country so maybe someone can chime in but Top 40, alternative, active rock, and classic rock are played at very "safe" levels. Generally speaking, with the exception of 95SX, most Cumulus TOP 40 stations all sound the same. It's almost to the point where I can look at a playlist from Clear Channel Top 40 station and a playlist from Cumulus Top 40 station and tell you which is which.

Where are the top 40 nerds at that use to be on this board? I need some feed back if in fact CHR stations are backing away from the dance oriented music. The dance trend that was in most top 40 songs back in 2011/2012 seem to be fading away. Are we about to loose that trend/fad?

If you flip 105.3, it should be the rhythmic-leaning CHR and which would allow 96.1 go after Q 100's suburban audience.

If Clear Channel thought they could go after Q100's suburban audience, they'd be doing it right now with 96.1, since the Rhythmic-leaning ratings are falling further and further every book

This myth that any "exciting" station could jeopardize Q100 has been proven to be completely false - for all we know, much of the ATL market finds pitching and fast-paced imaging annoying - radio is our hobby/business, so we're always looking for new, exciting approaches, but we're not the typical pop listener in an ATL suburb or exurb - and since Q100 really doesn't play songs any slower than most people's IPods, I really don't see why people would think the pace was too slow/boring

You have to admit Q100 has always had pretty stale and boring imaging for a "Top 40" station. It woud sound a lot better if they took some cues from sister station 95SX (www.95sx.com) in Charleston, SC.

 

[RoddyFreeman]

Q100 had the same imaging when it was at 100.5--after the first year. When the station first signed on, Sean Caldwell was the voice. Then in early 2002, Q100 switched to its current voice, Jeff Berman.

Sean Caldwell sounded good but a little too Hot AC for what was then a straight-ahead CHR. In my opinion, Jeff Berman's best attribute is he's non-offensive to everyone. But he's far from one of the best station voices. (I hear him on the Crime & Investigation Network, and he fits well there.)

 

[caller10]

In general Susquehanna era Q100 was very good straight on CHR -- but what you were hearing IMHO was an end of an era: an example of the elements of what is traditionally associated with a well executed CHR from a smaller radio group, before the full effects of: more industry consolidation, new media including internet and satellite radio, and a dramatic economic downturn changed the radio landscape. Plus the music 2001 til around 2007 or 08 fit in well.

 

[RadioDoogie]

There was a much larger deviation in charts between hot AC and CHR in the late 90s early 2000s versus today. Today, there are maybe two or three songs that are hip-hop related. I know I talk about Dees a lot, but download the Dees Digital App for your phone. They goofed and put all of the 2002 countdowns on it. After listening to a couple of weeks, I didn't realize just how much rap and hip hop and R&B was on the charts back in 2002. About half the chart was rhythmic with Camron, Eve, Mary J Blige, Eminem, Ashanti, Nelly, Kelly Rowland, Juelez Santana, Beyonce, Jay Z, Dru Hill, Amanda Perez, Ja Rule, Aaliyah, Ludacris, Petey Pablo, B2K, Ginuwine, City High, Redman, etc. No wonder 95-5 the Beat segued to rhythmic in 2001. It was the place to be. If Q had a Cumulus sound in 2002, it would have sounded like a hot AC station. They wouldn't have played half the chart. Today you really can't tell because of the lack of rhythmic hits on the top 40 chart. Power 96-1 needs to broaden its playlist. It is way too top 10 heavy. I like the upbeat nature but go a little farther out to maybe the top 20 or maybe even top 30. Someone made a good point that Power will have the ability to move with the chart. If the top 40 charts starts to get more rhythmic, Power will move with the chart while Q will refuse to do this. This is an advantage.

 

[Wildstyle K]

I think they saw that Wild was growing as it added more mainstream product, which suggested the market was hungry for a real CHR. I'm sure they expected it to be bigger than Wild and probably still expect it to. In fact, they might have thought that by leaning a bit rhythmic, they would hold on to Wild's listeners plus attract a lot of others who wanted a real CHR.

This was precisely what I was thinking from the beginning. But then I still can't help but to wonder why they didn't just transfer what was already working to the better signal, which was probably an even better idea than what they thought would work. Even we board posters knew that Power would hurt WiLD and that even without WiLD, Power's success would still be questionable with the type of things they started doing. I will honestly say that I can't judge them too much now since I haven't researched/listened to them in a while and don't know how they sound now. However, one thing is obvious on the surface and that is that something is not right. But hopefully they can save it like they did with WiLD on two occasions.

 

[atlantaboy]

If you flip 105.3, it should be the rhythmic-leaning CHR and which would allow 96.1 go after Q 100's suburban audience.

If Clear Channel thought they could go after Q100's suburban audience, they'd be doing it right now with 96.1, since the Rhythmic-leaning ratings are falling further and further every book

This myth that any "exciting" station could jeopardize Q100 has been proven to be completely false - for all we know, much of the ATL market finds pitching and fast-paced imaging annoying - radio is our hobby/business, so we're always looking for new, exciting approaches, but we're not the typical pop listener in an ATL suburb or exurb - and since Q100 really doesn't play songs any slower than most people's IPods, I really don't see why people would think the pace was too slow/boring

You have to admit Q100 has always had pretty stale and boring imaging for a "Top 40" station.

Completely - but it's killing both Star on the Hot AC front and Power on the CHR front, in other words it's beating two stations that have faster imaging, from two different fronts - and BTW the same is true for B98.5 - what we may think of as "exciting" may come across to ATL suburban listeners as "annoying"

And I don't think it's just ATL - look at some other Southeastern cities - Channel 96.1/Charlotte is doing alright, but notice that on the HAC front it's being pummeled by the most conservative HAC in the country, WLNK - and the fastest pitching CHR I've ever heard, Kiss 95.1, is losing to both of them - G105/Raleigh has much slower imaging than the other two competing CHRs in that market, yet it's killing them, same with WKZL/Greensboro beating out WMKS, and 107.5 The River in Nashville killing its faster-imaged competition

 

[chrocket87]

Um, WLNK is AC, so I wouldn't compare the two.

However, I agree with you that the pitching/imaging isn't important to everyday listeners. They want the music and they want decent personalities, at least in morning drive. Q100 slays Power in both.

 

[Radio_Alex_1990]

IMO, Power imaging is stale and boring. Have you noticed that girl voice that says the new music? It's creepy sounding. I'd conclude with the understanding that Q100 sounds a little more upbeat and enjoyable to want to listen too. And that's saying a lot considering I dislike Cumulus CHR's over Clear Channel's.