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Predictions for 2012

R

radioznmyblood

About this time each year we see predictions of what wiill happen in the coming year. What are your predictions for Memphis radio market in the new year?

I'll start with one or two......Cumulus will follow Clear Channel business model and jettison salaries/employees and at least one of the current sportstalk stations will switch to some other format.
 
Many on this Board will continue to complain that radio ain't what it used to be, imply they know better than the owners of profitable radio stations, and will continue to believe they are enitiled to work in the medium.

See? Fish-in-a-barrel.

DE
 
sjs1959 said:
snazzyjazzy said:
WEGR will simulcast WREC.
Click to expand...

And, as a result of this, 98.9 will change formats yet again. To what, I am not sure.
Click to expand...

You are 100% correct. Folks who think Clear Channel is cheap have not been introduced to Cumulus. A bloated three-ring circus in the morning and a live local afternoon show getting a one share is not gonna make it.
 
Why take a 8-12 ranked station (WREC) and simulcast it on WEGR? It would kill WREC's audience completly and wouldn't be a significant shot in the arm for WEGR. I don't think it will happen...but CC has done some mighty stupid things in the past few years....wouldn't want to underestimate their incompetence....
 
1) Market Manager at CCR will change. Loss of ratings + loss of revenue= loss of job.
2) PPM will settle in in it's second year to a 'normal' level, as big weekly swings in ratings will shake out. WXMX, WHRK, KJMS, WGKX, WHAL and WKQK will shift a little, but A25-54 won't see much of a shift between these top five or six stations.
3) One of the three sports stations will bite the dust.
4) Some sales people will play fruit basket turnover again...no suprise there!
5) People who aren't in the industry anymore will continue to tell those of us who are how things should be done, while we make money and they sit on the sidelines.
 
Radioguy914 said:
3) One of the three sports stations will bite the dust.
Click to expand...

Even if you count the 92.9/680 simulcast as one station, there are FOUR:
Sports 56, ESPN 92.9/680, 730YahooSports and 790 Fox Sports.

Unless 790 goes back to Classic Country, I don't see any of them leaving. Vernon is apparently making money for 730.
 
Too bad KQPN is not PPM encoded. It would be interesting to see how many people actually listen to Vernon.

The other 4 sports stations have a combined share of 2.7. I doubt very seriously if 730 would bring that share up to a 3.
 
radioznmyblood said:
Why take a 8-12 ranked station (WREC) and simulcast it on WEGR? It would kill WREC's audience completly and wouldn't be a significant shot in the arm for WEGR. I don't think it will happen...but CC has done some mighty stupid things in the past few years....wouldn't want to underestimate their incompetence....
Click to expand...

The standard line of thought seems to be that it helps more than it hurts. There are supposedly a lot of people who won't touch the AM dial, especially under some magical age (30? 25? 15?) and they want the talk to reach them.

Also, it means one less studio staffed with breathing humans. In most cases, the loss of ratings to the AM talker is made up with the FM simulcast. In some cases it can best the ratings of the old AM alone plus whatever format it replaced. I guess whether that would happen with WREC depends on how well Eagle has done in the ratings.

Clear Channel dropped their urban gospel "Hallelujah" format in Birmingham to simulcast the talker there (WERC) despite the gospel pulling in very good numbers. Its only competition was on AM, but a very high rated AM with great night coverage… the FM was likely on the way to beating the AM competition in the 12+ when the plug was pulled for talk.

If they were willing to sacrifice the beloved gospel in Birmingham for talk, there's really nothing stopping them from sacrificing a stale classic rocker that's struggling (if it is) in a town that, when I was there, was overdosed on rock.

As an aside, CC eventually brought back Hallelujah to B'ham on a 250 watt translator via WERC-HD2. It's already pulling over a 1 share and it's only been one book.
 
Dont forget CC also has an under performing station with Radio Now, 15 months in the format and no where beating Q107 and with no hope to do so. No equity in the brand and may be an eaiser station to change and simulcast WREC
 
I agree that at least one of the sports channels will change formats. What is interesting is probably the most stable, popular one Sports 56 is to me the least entertaining. Every one of their shows is the exact same thing, they basically retread the same two topics over and over again. Look the SEC is great, but there are a ton of other sports out there and it would be nice to hear sports talk out there about a variety of subjects. No disrespect to the callers but it seems like it is the same few people who call over and over again, often multiple shows in the same day wanting to talk about the same subject.
 
My 2012 Memphis Radio Wishlist

Most of this stuff will never happen and obviously these are just a personal opinion, but in an ideal world this is what I would like to see happen in 2012.

1) Memphis would actually have a large variety of formats. Four sports stations in Memphis, really? I love sports, but Memphis is not a sports town. It pretty much is SEC or bust. Don't get me wrong the SEC is cool, but every show is the same tired thing over and over again. I like a variety of sports and it would be nice to have a station cover everything going in sports. There is hardly a need for four of them.
2) As entertaining as they can be, 98.1 would do away with the all Drake and Zeke format. That is not a slam against them but is there really a need to replay their show in the evenings as well. Basically it is the Drake and Zeke station with a little bit of music thrown in during the middle of the day.
3) Speaking of 98.1, changing the playlist up a little would be great. The repetition on that station is unbelievable.
4) 98.9 Newstalk actually has some interesting local programs these days. They need to do more local stuff.
5) Rock 103 would go for broke and open up their playlist to playing a larger variety of classic rock bands and deeper album cuts and see if it can bring a little bit of its auidence back.
6)A few struggling radio stations take a chance and try an old school country format that plays classic country bands like Kenny Rogers, Waylon Jennings, etc. Also a station would go back and play old school hard rock bands like Judas Priest, and a lot of the 80's bands. I know the auidence would be small but that is a dedicated group of fans and that format is what keeps VH1 Classic going. It would also be a nice change of pace if they threw in some newer songs but old school bands who never get airplay anywhere else.
7)More support was shown for WEVL. They have more passion and are often more entertaining to listen to than any other station in Memphis.
8)Memphis AM radio went back to playing music trying formats that FM wouldn't touch.
9) A radio station would actually go back to the old school way of local talent who took requests and focused less on the sound of "perfect radio." In other words a station with "small town charm" where you felt like you actually knew the on air talent.
 
I think we're all in agreement on just one thing through this whole thread: four sports stations are too many for Memphis.

I think one is all the city really needs. It simply doesn't seem as "nutter" as Birmingham, or even Nashville or Atlanta. Imagine combing all the best talent from four stations into one, it would probably do pretty well.

I'm also in agreement over WEVL. Of all the radio stations in Memphis, I actually miss WEVL. (The rest are carbon copies of any other town, more or less.)
 
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