Q-FM

[RK]

WQFM-FM/WQFN-FM

2.2 1.3 0.6 ...??

With 3 declining books, does anyone see Shamrock pulling the plug on the Q-FM format?
Or...
Will they be stick with it?

Predictions?

I haven't had a chance to hear the station that much.

Also........

On a side note, does anyone believe Shamrock could potentially split up the (2) signals and attempt to make 2 different stations?

 

[ceaser]

Following a nine year format(oldies) is tough. I guess it all depends on the next couple books.What would they change to? What does this market and it's advertisers want?

 

[masterg]

Following a nine year format(oldies) is tough. I guess it all depends on the next couple books.What would they change to? What does this market and it's advertisers want?

Simple enough, they made a huge mistake dumping oldies and Neff in the morning. Now, they pay the price. Clearly, the market and its listeners DON'T want what they now offer. I tend to keep my ear to the ground radio-wise hereabouts, and I have yet to hear any street talk about Q-FM. If their suits need a place to start, they should research the market to see if anyone even knows what the hell it is; then, go from there. My guess is that Q-FM has zero image, zero awareness in this market.

 

[waunderlust]

Research, research, research. Here's your research. 5 or more FM's in this market are doing an AC type format. 92-9 Magic, 94-3 Lite, 103-3 EZ, 103-5 (formerly KAB), 104-9 The river and QFM. (ok so 103-5 and 104-9 are more "Adult Hits", but the same type format, just a little more rocky) How is anybody going to succeed? Magic has the hold with recognition and signal. Everyone else battles it out for what like a total of 6 Arb points? If you're doing the same thing everyone else is, you'll all lose. What is the hole in this market? What worked before? Research is great, if used with common sense.

 

[NJMike]

If you're doing the same thing everyone else is, you'll all lose. What is the hole in this market? What worked before? Research is great, if used with common sense.

Exactly. Replication gets you no where - originality leads to success.

Replicating formats:
AC (QFM, Magic 93, Lite 94.3, EZ-103)
Adult Hits/Classic Hits (QFM, The Mountain, The River)

As for a few format holes in the NEPA radio market:
Oldies (bring back and put on 104.9 - "Cool 105, Superhits of the 60s & 70s!")
Smooth Jazz (could be good for 92.1/100.1)
Rythmic/Urban CHR (Citadel should spin off 95.7 and launch that format there - "95.7 Kiss FM", "95.7 The Beat", etc.)

Just my thoughts from a former college student/radio listener in NEPA for 5 years!!

 

[RK]

If I owned my own station, I'd logically wonder to myself: If a fist full of stations are fighting over a few meager points; would it be worth it regardless of format to replicate?

I'd also tend to think a completely new format, even if it bombed you'd still be able to say: "well hey, at least we tried & now we know".

Say you gain a 1 share for a new format, and currently hold a 1 (.point something) for a replicating format. (even at a worst case scenario) how much are you really losing?

I tend to believe these "2nd frequencies" on HD radio if used to experiment with new, creative ideas, could be popular in the not to distant furure.

But then again, I'm not "a suit & tie" guy and wouldn't be preaching from the (focus group test handbook), so what do I know?

 

[ColorRadio]

So, what's your point???

 

[RK]

So, what's your point???

Simply replying to the postings of
waunderlust & NJMike

Whats yours?

 

[MACK184]

All this amounts to is that there are way too many frequencies in the general area, with not enough interest to go around. Radio types tend to like any number of niche formats and each person thinks that would be the savior of whatever frequency. Problem is, John Q. Public seems to like only 4-5 types of programming. So once those formats are taken, what's left? Sure there are any number of formats that can be done, but they don't make any money. The earlier poster who points out that after Magic takes the lion's share of the "AC" pot then everyone else fights for what's left. Doesn't make much sense. In what is called the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre market you have licenses for Dallas, Mountain Top, Olyphant, Tunkhannock, Dickson City, Forest City, West Hazleton, Freeland, etc, etc...It would make more sense to delete a number of these frequencies and then see how things work out.

 

[NEPA_radiobored]

All this amounts to is that there are way too many frequencies in the general area, with not enough interest to go around. Radio types tend to like any number of niche formats and each person thinks that would be the savior of whatever frequency. Problem is, John Q. Public seems to like only 4-5 types of programming. So once those formats are taken, what's left? Sure there are any number of formats that can be done, but they don't make any money. The earlier poster who points out that after Magic takes the lion's share of the "AC" pot then everyone else fights for what's left. Doesn't make much sense. In what is called the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre market you have licenses for Dallas, Mountain Top, Olyphant, Tunkhannock, Dickson City, Forest City, West Hazleton, Freeland, etc, etc...It would make more sense to delete a number of these frequencies and then see how things work out.

Entercom should eliminate their "Freeland" FM...WKRZ ;-)

 

[Interstate 78]

northeast pa could use an real oldies station or a smooth jazz station. if smooth jazz can do well out in harrisburg (92.7 ... not amazing ratings but around for 3 years so they must be happy with it) why not ne pa? people say smooth jazz is an old person format these days ... well ne pa has more old people than central pa so why not give it a whirl. same with real oldies. either has gotta do better than what Q is pulling in now.

 

[waunderlust]

There is a real oldies station, GEM 107.7. What can't hear it where you are? Try their translator signal, 95.3. Now you know why there's so many signals. It's about geography.

 

[Korky]

Re: Q-FM - How many times?

How many times are they going to solicit "packages" from PD candidates through an ad on allaccess? In the last year or longer I have seen at least four ads. There could have been more. Tom Bass hasn't found ANYONE who could improve the the level of success for that station? At this point, with a ratings disaster on his hands, does Tom Bass even have the authority to hire someone and compensate them enough for prior success and experience? If you had the track record and/or chops to help QFM, how low would you go with a salary to take on the challenge and responsibility of being the PD? $35 grand? $28 grand? If you did go that low then WQFM would merely be a pit stop in your career. It seems like they need someone who could muster a long term commitment.

 

[Nokmo True]

I have some friends who've had a go-round in that grinder. What they're willing to pay is probably why you keep seeing that ad.

 

[gwjr67]

They would have had their PD about a year ago if I would have been willing to relocate my family to W/B-Scranton. Problem was, the $$$$ weren't enough for me to justify doing it and giving it a go. Although the money they offered me was a little more than you mention, it wasn't quite enough or came with enough job secuity to uproot a wife & two kids. Looking back, I'm kinda glad that it worked out the way it did. I would've been the one to blame for not stopping a downward spiral that hardly anyone could have curtailed. My prediction is that they will eventually change format again, make a slight improvement in the numbers, and think they have it figured out. Of course, maybe their bottom line is OK with what they're doing and they're laughing at all of us???

 

[dmer]

I don't know what it is about this station. I should like it (I was a big Buzz 102/103 listener) because I grew up in the 80's and like 80's music. But I just can't listen to this station for long. Something about it annoys the hell out of me. I think partly it's because they play too much new music. They say they are mostly 80's and 90's which is largely true. But then they play a couple new songs that I can't stand. The Buzz did not play any new music. But there's more too it than that and I can't put my finger on it. I actually enjoyed the River a great deal, but I get nothing but static in downtown Wilkes-Barre. I enjoy what I call mid range oldies station (although I loathe to use the work oldies for 70's and 80's music). I'm not advanced in years enough to enjoy the 60's but am too old to like the music from today. I mostly like the 70's up to the mid 90's, which is why I like the River and the Buzz before that. But QFM just doesn't do it for me. Maybe one thing they should do is drop the new music all together and just stick to 80's and 90's. Basically pick a generation instead of trying to appease all generations.