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Question about Wild 102.7

B

BJSteigner

OK Folks:

A quick question...What was the real reason why Atlantic Broadcasting flipped from JSE Rocks to Wild 102.7????

Open for discussion.
 
Simple, they must feel there is more opportunity to make more money going "Wild".

Radio is a business, not a hobby.
 
Can't disagree. There are those who think ownership should be disassociated with listenership. From that POV, an owner is free to format with rock, dance, classical, polka, or what have you, and whatever makes the most money wins.

That's not my philosophy, but you may have noticed I don't own a station, either. Come on, NJ Lottery!
 
I think it's either one of two things:

1. The influence of JVC Broadcasting, headed by dance music enthusiasts John Caracciolo and Vic Latino.

2. Weak ratings for JSE, which in my opinion had less to do with the format and more to do with things like an abysmal signal, programming shuffling (i.e. the high amount of classic rock in the playlist during much of the station's "The Ace" incarnation), replacing Scotty & Alex with Mancow instead of a local show, and other factors.

As an alternative rock fan, it's disappointing to see yet another station go. Granted, it didn't hit me as hard as the G Rock format change because that switch was handled horribly and what replaced it was a painfully generic Top 40 station. At least Wild 102.7 with its focus on upbeat remixes stands out a bit from the crowded CHR field.

Hopefully there is a future for alternative rock on the FM dial, both in Central and South Jersey. If the PPM method of tracking ratings was available in these markets, it would have shown everyone the following that G Rock and JSE had despite their flaws (essentially the same for both: morning show shuffling, format tinkering, and both stations being the red-headed stepchildren of their respective clusters). I think there's underperforming FMs in both Monmouth/Ocean and Atlantic City/Cape May that should give alternative rock a whirl. If they get it right and don't repeat the mistakes of the other companies (to be specific, Press Communications and Access1/Atlantic - the Gades and Parinello did a great job running WHTG and WJSE, respectively), I don't see why it wouldn't succeed. Maybe they won't top the highest-rated Adult Contemporary stations (but let's face it, they are the greatest beneficiaries of the current diary system of tracking ratings, since surveys are distributed at events that this audience attends), but they will be solid performers nevertheless.
 
If Alternative is going to work, I think they need to follow the formula of Radio 104.5. They are doing well in the books and I believe in billing too.
 
Dancerev889 said:
If Alternative is going to work, I think they need to follow the formula of Radio 104.5.  They are doing well in the books and I believe in billing too. 
Click to expand...

They are in the top 10 overall in the Philly books, but some fans say that Radio 104.5 is too safe.  JSE was more like a mix of FNX Boston and KGB Binghamton. 
 
I couldn't disagree more...104.5 is presented totally boring...the only reason they do well is they are the only station in Philly that focuses on current rock...JSE sounded fresher, had a better playlist and a good morning show...its problem was that god awful signal.
The new dance format will get Wild in the top ten in the next book and top five in the following one..mark it down. If they didn't fix the signal recently they wouldn't ever crack the top ten ..dance or not. I think with the new signal JSE would have been top ten but never top five.
One last note....I really like Wild's sound...Two things..I don't agree wit K Kraddick mornings...I would have made it a music intensive show with one local host...and I'm not crazy with all the remixes...some songs , I feel, would be better in the original form..The M Bubble one ...really ??? Doesn' belong at all!! I would have played the original Katy Perry and Usher OMG...however the Alej. Lady gaga sounds pretty damn good though!!!
 
instigator said:
I couldn't disagree more...104.5 is presented totally boring...the only reason they do well is they are the only station in Philly that focuses on current rock...JSE sounded fresher, had a better playlist and a good morning show...its problem was that god awful signal.
The new dance format will get Wild in the top ten in the next book and top five in the following one..mark it down. If they didn't fix the signal recently they wouldn't ever crack the top ten ..dance or not. I think with the new signal JSE would have been top ten but never top five.
One last note....I really like Wild's sound...Two things..I don't agree wit K Kraddick mornings...I would have made it a music intensive show with one local host...and I'm not crazy with all the remixes...some songs , I feel, would be better in the original form..The M Bubble one ...really ??? Doesn' belong at all!! I would have played the original Katy Perry and Usher OMG...however the Alej. Lady gaga sounds pretty damn good though!!!
Click to expand...

It may sound boring but its doing well in the books and in sales. Thats what matters in commercial radio. $$$$$$$$$$
 
Radio 104.5 does well because it's on a great signal, it's well promoted, and it's the only "Alternative" station in Philly (I put "Alternative" in quotes because they play a lot of acts that don't fit the format: The Fray, All American Rejects, and Blues Traveler to name a few). Don't think for a second that they're only successful because they're taking a safe, hit-intensive approach to the format - they have a lot going for them with this signal. One can only imagine how well WDRE or even Y-100 would have done on a signal like this ... and to be honest, the only way Radio One ended Y-100 is for the same reason Press dropped G Rock and Atlantic killed WJSE: hatred for the format, which they tried to cover up by claiming they couldn't make it profitable.

Believe it or not, there's some people who don't like a station that sounds like a really tiny jukebox with some droning guy between songs. Maybe people would like a happy medium between the constant yakking on 'MMR and the near-silence from the "personalities" on Radio 104.5 ... and maybe they would like a station that realizes that, yes, one can only hear "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Under The Bridge", "Lightning Crashes" and all the tired songs from Pearl Jam's Ten so many times before you feel like screaming.

If it wasn't for the relatively limited competition in the market, I could see someone else trying an alternative format in the market: with more than just 15-20 Currents, 300-400 Gold titles, and allows their DJs to say more than just artist names, song titles and tour dates. And if you gave this station some time, I think it could top Radio 104.5. Alternative rock fans are a different breed - they're not looking to hear "just the hits". And if we had some new blood in the market willing to give a more daring take on the format a shot, that would prove my point.
 
SoulCrusher said:
And if we had some new blood in the market willing to give a more daring take on the format a shot, that would prove my point.
Click to expand...

And if the queen had a set, she'd be the king. If, if, if. Here's the difference between reality and your fantasy. You don't have enough money to buy a radio station, so you can sit on high and tell people what they should do with no repercussions.

Alternative doesn't make good money, regardless of the market. Because it's alternative, and not mass appeal. Would Nike want to sell to one small group of people who only like to run up mountains in the summer in Colorado, or would they like to sell to every single human being on the planet?

So, in this economy especially, no one is going to be willing to "be daring" and try to crack a format that has failed, and will never reach Top 5 status in a market.

And, just that in and of itself proves your point is wrong.
 
OMG!, This is the most true statement on the hole thing!! > this is over a week of shit now!.. RADIO IS A BUSINESS! end of story, people end the crap!

MedianJ said:
Simple, they must feel there is more opportunity to make more money going "Wild".

Radio is a business, not a hobby.
Click to expand...
 
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