PPM

[nuffsaid]

I agree that CC was "Magic" and it was a niche format in the day but the format that CC is using for Classic Hits is very different. There is a need for an "oldies/Classic Hits" station in Charlotte and somebody is going to do it and will win big. Look around the country and see the success of this format. CBS has done well with it in some really big markets and CC is toying with it in a couple of markets. I agree CC will do almost anything before they will eat crow but money talks!

 

[atlantaboy]

I think 107.9 the link should drop the afternoon show and play more variety instead of playing the same songs over and over. I think charlotte needs a hot AC station like wink 104 in harrisburg. That is a good hot AC station.

Charlotte is too conservative a market for a broad Hot AC playlist (unfortunately) - every time The Link tried it, ratings went down, which is why they went for the personality-radio thing instead in the early 2000s

I know there are people in and around the city that would love a broad playlist, but you gotta remember The Link is reaching out to really conservative areas of North and South Carolina, and in general they want to hear what's familiar

106.5 The End can't even really play Mumford & Sons cause it's just too "out there" for the market

Atlantaboy, I think you are totally wrong. In the first place, Hot Ac is basically a very conservative format--after all, all it is is CHR without the black artists.

It can be really conservative, or it can be really liberal - I just remember that whenever The Link tried to add more cutting-edge Alternative stuff, their ratings went down

 

[radio2100]

I know this station isn't in charlotte. But I started listening to the gardner web station 88.3 WGWG and it is a pretty good station. They play a little bit of everything. Anybody else listen to this station?

 

[Mike Sheridan]

CC's 100.7 The River in Raleigh has moved their music up in age a little over the past month or two. A lot more 60s than they used to play.

Yeah, I just mentioned that on the Raleigh board. CC used to not seem like a very classic hits/oldies/whatever friendly company, but that seems to be changing (they renamed a station in Milwaukee "Oldies 95.7" and it's doing well)....I doubt they would do that format on 96.1 though because of 99.7 and 102.9, but who knows.

Oldies again on 96.1? Nah, I don't think it will happen. Remember they said that "Oldies" was a niche format not worth of a 100KW major FM signal. WOLS 106.1 tried halfheartedly with a satellite format and flopped. Do you really think CC would admit they were wrong? I doubt they'd put the needed promotion behind a change to oldies.

The type of oldies 96.1 was playing (mostly 60s with some 70s) is a niche format. Classic hits ('64-~'85 with the emphasis on the 70s) is very viable and is very different than what Magic 96 played....like CBS-FM. It's almost a different format...

The problem with focusing on the ''70's" is two fold. First: popular music was rather fractionalized by that time. The last great decade where top 40 really had a solid base was the '60's. Second the A/C stations have seriously burned and continue to burn some '70's songs. Songs by artists like England Dan, Billy Joel, James Taylor and Elton John. For some reason they don't give as much exposure to some other really great '70's songs....just my opinion.

As for me I'll be mining the rare and often overlooked songs of the '50's and '60's. Every once in awhile I discover something I never heard before or haven't heard in a long time. A "new" oldie if you will. For me that's fun! No matter how much I really love "Fire and Rain" there are just so many times I can stand to hear it in any given week!

 

[macab4490]

So, what are the format holes that is in Charlotte area or what it could need?

Classic Hits - 95.7 ---I guess that's it. It would not make sense to put two Classic Hits by each other 95.7 and 96.1

News/Talk - Can that work? News Talk 96.1?

Generation "X" or the "Brew" - this station could very well work in the Charlotte area. I just think like the FOX, Charlotte is home to Nascar and with this type of music Gen X plays, i think it could do really well. I personally don't think the Fox is that great of a station which i am shocked they are doing well...

Adult Album Alternative Hits? Like 92.9 Dave FM in ATL - but you would call it Radio 96.1 like the one in Philly. (owned by CC)..
Now, you don't have to worry about 106.5 playing Mumford & Sons cause there is a station that would play it...

I want to say "Fresh" - the new name CC is coming out with that play's HOT AC...but that kinda takes that out of the way with 107.9 since they do welll playing AC along with all the jibber-jabber..

Any others?

I do think 95.1 has won big time over Channel 96.1 So I think CC might want to start thinking of new formats to replace it.
Really, the ratings show it. It's not working. Clear Channel, listen up: SUPPLY AND DEMAND

 

[carolinaradio]

CC would not do Fresh on 96.1, it's not different enough from 102.9. Way too much overlap.

Classic Hits done the traditional style (WCBS, KLUV, KRTH, WGRR, KKSF, WMJI, WOGL, WJMK, I could go on) is way different than 95.7's "classic hits." Much more upbeat, personality, music core late 60s-early 80s with pop, lighter rock, soul/R&B, disco, etc. 95.7 is more like classic rock than classic hits.

 

[InSearchOfGear]

So, what are the format holes that is in Charlotte area or what it could need?

Classic Hits - 95.7 ---I guess that's it. It would not make sense to put two Classic Hits by each other 95.7 and 96.1

News/Talk - Can that work? News Talk 96.1?

Generation "X" or the "Brew" - this station could very well work in the Charlotte area. I just think like the FOX, Charlotte is home to Nascar and with this type of music Gen X plays, i think it could do really well. I personally don't think the Fox is that great of a station which i am shocked they are doing well...

Adult Album Alternative Hits? Like 92.9 Dave FM in ATL - but you would call it Radio 96.1 like the one in Philly. (owned by CC)..
Now, you don't have to worry about 106.5 playing Mumford & Sons cause there is a station that would play it...

I want to say "Fresh" - the new name CC is coming out with that play's HOT AC...but that kinda takes that out of the way with 107.9 since they do welll playing AC along with all the jibber-jabber..

Any others?

How about a format that's custom tailored to the market, with no francise name and set in stone playlist that comes with it? Hmmmm.....

 

[Mike Sheridan]

How about a format that's custom tailored to the market, with no francise name and set in stone playlist that comes with it? Hmmmm.....

Like me you must have read "Ross on Radio" when they were talking about what markets were different from the rest of the country. Charlotte used to be different but "Beach Music" seems to have died off, that was one thing that made the market very different. The only other thing I could think of would be some kind of country/rock hybrid, I think that was tried on 96.9 back when it was WTDR but it didn't do well.

In this day of corporate radio it's doubtful anyone will try a custom format for Charlotte.

To those looking for news/talk on FM to go against WBT it better give NEWS more than lip service. A lot of people who don't like the political talk on WBT listen for the local news.

 

[atlantaboy]

What about trying Hot AC on 96.1?

 

[carolinaradio]

What about trying Hot AC on 96.1?

Seems like there would be too much overlap with Lite 102.9.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

This is going to sound totally off the wall but how about a Hot A/C or CHR that played some Anime music? There is music featured in video games and Anime that the kids (12-30 year olds) go nuts for. I know lots of kids who do. Many start watching Anime and get into Japanese culture. Hey the Japanese have been enjoying our music for years now.

 

[atlantaboy]

What about trying Hot AC on 96.1?

Seems like there would be too much overlap with Lite 102.9.

Isn't Lite 102.9 traditional mainstream AC?

 

[CrazeeCarroll1]

OK this is too freakin' scary, but the other night (And I Am Not Joking) I had this weird dream that I was visiting South Carolina and was listening to 96.1, but they were calling themselves Carolinas Greatest Hits B96.1... Heck if 96.1 keeps hovering where they are I suppose anything is possible... Being more serious now I think it would actually be pretty cool to see what would happen if 96.1 would go back to a classic hit stations... With the success that CC is having with it's new found gold with "Pop" classic hits in Brew Town, Sea-Tac, and other places I could see CC really surprising us... I don't think it would be done the way Magic was done because that would take a lot of special TLC which I do not see CC doing, but I could see a good pop presentation of Classic Hits do pretty good... Put a few people on the air that are "Local" and "Live" and I could see it do a lot better then what 96.1 is currently doing now... VV1

 

[carolinaradio]

What about trying Hot AC on 96.1?

Seems like there would be too much overlap with Lite 102.9.

Isn't Lite 102.9 traditional mainstream AC?

Their focus has shifted from a brighter AC last year to more mainstream AC this year (with more 70s and 80s), so I guess so.

Their options for 96.1 are limited if it comes down to a flip....I doubt they'll go after WPEG (again) or V/WQNC, what else is there to go after? What format is missing? The biggest holes are Classic Hits and Hot AC. I just don't know about Hot AC since the market already has 3 AC's with one being down the hall, maybe one like Click 101.5 in Dayton would work...

 

[nuffsaid]

This thread is similar to what has been said time and time again in the Charlotte market, there is a need for a Classic Hits station similar to what is WINNING in market after market. The Ride is the logical radioi station to make this happen. They are not far off the mark now but would take some serious tweaking and certainly a new voice guy. I just do not understand why Dave cannot or will not see this golden opportunity that is well within his grasp for the taking! Clear Channel is fooling around with this format in a few markets but not sure they'd make the switch in Charlotte. Greater Media is "the news station" but they have another opportunity on FM that could work.

 

[radiolives]

I also think Clear Channel should put classic hits format on 96.1. They could also do Hot AC without overlap to Lite 102.9 but I don't think they would go that road. Their are many markets where the same company owns both the AC and Hot AC tho. St. Louis, MO; Hartford, CT (both stations in these markets are owned by CBS Radio)

 

[yugoidar]

I'm surprised, frankly, that the Link hasn't made that move, especially after bringing Kris Abrams in as Program Director last fall.

Abrams has a ton of experience in the Oldies format both in Greensboro and Phoenix, AZ and it wouldn't be that much of a stretch for him to put a Classic Hits format on the air.

Of course, it would require making some personnel changes - but I'm not sure the time hasn't come for that anyway - they could still syndicate Bob and Sherry, they're already music in mid-days and nights and Matt and Ramona could either adapt or be gone.

 

[atlantaboy]

I just don't know about Hot AC since the market already has 3 AC's with one being down the hall

The three ACs don't play current music though...AC and HAC really don't have that much overlap

I've got a feeling it's not gonna happen though, since The Link constantly had to revert to "personality radio" over music, and ended up bailing on the format altogether

 

[radio2100]

Why can't charlotte have a gen x station or maybe active rock? 106.5 doesn't have a very good signal anyway and it would be nice to see another rock station in charlotte.

 

[carolinaradio]

I don't know about GenX. That would be risky, IMO, especially on such a good signal. That format seems to have stalled (it's died in KC and Memphis)

I've got a feeling it's not gonna happen though, since The Link constantly had to revert to "personality radio" over music, and ended up bailing on the format altogether

Yeah, I agree, The Link didn't do that great with Hot AC, which is the second reason I don't think CC would do it. Shame that Charlotte apparently can't support the format.

I still think a no-frills classic hits is the best solution for 961 if they do change. The Ride will not change, it's a waste to even suggest it. It'll sound the same 5 years from now. CH is the biggest format hole for Charlotte and if done like the ones they're rolling out in Jax, SFO, etc. and their successful/established ones like in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Portland, etc., it would work.