But, considering that the iHeart station only covers 2/3 of the market with a 60 dbu signal, they don't do badly. And, in the process, they keep the Beasley station from having even more dominant numbers.
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radio format change at 104.5?
- Thread starter CassChopper96
- Start date
Classic Rock, Country and Rock are among the options that ought to be considered for 104.5 if ratings fail to rebound soon. I'm tempted to say Hot AC, too, but if such an effort were to gain any steam, B101 would simply shift hotter or 96.5 TDY would revert to Adult CHR (something, frankly, that station ought to consider doing right now).
David, would a format geared toward some segment of the Latino community be viable? I know that topic has been discussed here before, but I cannot recall your assessment off the top of my head.
I would love to see News/Talk return to a full power FM signal in Philly, but I'm very skeptical that iHM would be willing to commit to such an undertaking.
David, would a format geared toward some segment of the Latino community be viable? I know that topic has been discussed here before, but I cannot recall your assessment off the top of my head.
I would love to see News/Talk return to a full power FM signal in Philly, but I'm very skeptical that iHM would be willing to commit to such an undertaking.
Iheart classic rock statinon WZLX is destroying rock 92.9 though
alt 1045 is going nowhere so stop the speculation, the only way to improve them, is unload the woody show, bring back johnny with music intense mornings, (the average alternative listener wants more music and band updates), not stupid bits, and tweak the soccer mom chicken cuts to more harder edged tunes and plenty of 80s/90s stuff.....
"Johnny" isn't coming back. He now works for Audacy and is based in Dallas.
Those are the three formats that Beasley has, and they're doing very well. Any iHeart station that attempts to try those formats will meet stiff heritage competition, and will likely fail. They will staff it in a way that's similar to WRFF, with a syndicated host in mornings and premium choice in the rest of the day.
It already exists with WHYY. If iHeart did news/talk in Philly it would be very similar to WPHT. It will feature mostly syndicated conservative talkers, not local staff.
You are right that the Beasley owned stations in those three formats are performing very well. The market appreciates such programming. That is precisely the reason iHM should consider one of those formats for 104.5.
There is no reason that such a newcomer would need to match its crosstown rival to be considered a success. The objective should be simply to outperform WRFF's current format from a cash flow vantage point within a reasonable period of time.
I agree with your take on what an iHM news/talker would look like. There would be a little bit of local programming and a lot of syndicated programming. It would resemble the former IQ 106.9, but in an overall better executed package.
There is no reason that such a newcomer would need to match its crosstown rival to be considered a success. The objective should be simply to outperform WRFF's current format from a cash flow vantage point within a reasonable period of time.
I agree with your take on what an iHM news/talker would look like. There would be a little bit of local programming and a lot of syndicated programming. It would resemble the former IQ 106.9, but in an overall better executed package.
And how do you propose they would gain enough audience to be on the buys such as to be able to improve the bottom line contribution to the cluster vs the current state of affairs?
I have a hard time seeing how there are inroads to be made against those Beasley stations at this time.
I have a hard time seeing how there are inroads to be made against those Beasley stations at this time.
I don't see what any of the examples here have to do with what's happening in Philadelphia. Again, if those changes made sense for iHeart in those respective markets, then they did what they had to do. If they thought making changes here would make sense, they would have done it. Here in the Philadelphia market, 104.5 is inarguably underperforming. But if there's nothing sensical to replace it with--something that works in their current cluster of stations here--Alt 104.5 is safe as it ever was. And here's something I think folks have been overlooking: They've been underperforming for years and they've stayed ("safely") on the air. Why do you think that is? (Hint: It's everything I just said here. LOL.)
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So... Star 104.5? 👎🏻
To Abe: Wouldn't be very difficult; the current format has been a poor biller for years and is currently experiencing all time record low ratings. Just about anything would perform at least as good as what's there now.
The formats I proposed would grab cume iHM's existing local portfolio of stations largely miss.
I disagree with Miguelito. 104.5 has entered unchartered territory. Your line of argumentation reminds me of the folks who claimed Amp Radio 103.3 in Boston was here to stay, WAAF was here to stay, Big 95.5 in Chicago was here to stay, etc. Their prognostications didn't work out too well.
Maybe iHM will try to fix the pile 104.5 has become by modifying the music categories. That could be a viable option. That strategy worked for WJMN in Boston. But even when its ratings were darn good, 104.5 was a lackluster biller.
The formats I proposed would grab cume iHM's existing local portfolio of stations largely miss.
I disagree with Miguelito. 104.5 has entered unchartered territory. Your line of argumentation reminds me of the folks who claimed Amp Radio 103.3 in Boston was here to stay, WAAF was here to stay, Big 95.5 in Chicago was here to stay, etc. Their prognostications didn't work out too well.
Maybe iHM will try to fix the pile 104.5 has become by modifying the music categories. That could be a viable option. That strategy worked for WJMN in Boston. But even when its ratings were darn good, 104.5 was a lackluster biller.
I'm not sure how many more times we can say this. haha. Yet, within minutes, the conversation appears to revert back to how that one particular frequency could do better, without regard for current market conditions and while seemingly ignoring the impact on the rest of the cluster.
As I've said for years, WRFF's ratings are a cyclical thing. They go down in winter, and they'll be in the 2s by April. The way to improve revenues with the format is in non-broadcast ways. They're not going to improve revenues with :30 spots. They have to create other revenue streams.
Of course you are free to disagree with my line of argument (though I'm not actually arguing with anyone) but do I really need to say that using what's happened in other markets as an indictor of what will work in this market is a fool's errand? (It's just a phrase; I'm not actually calling anyone a fool.) I mean, I don't think I need to say it because it's 100% factual and it's been stated in this forum approximately forty-seven kajillion times...but, there, I said it anyway. 😃
The bottom line is the bottom line: Unless and until iHeart finds a format they think will work better here in Philly...and considering the state of the entire market in general...and considering how a 104.5 flip would impact their own cluster in particular, 104.5 is going to stick with the current format.
Modifying the music categories won't fix the revenue problems. All it does is piss people off. Any time you adjust the music at an alternative station, you invite the Goldilocks debate over "This porridge is too hot/This porridge is too cold." That's the problem. Pick a lane and drive in it. Keep costs low because whatever you do, people will complain and find reasons to tune out.
Now picked up and reported by RadioInsight:
Perhaps to free the PD up for more strategizing. Or perhaps setting the stage for a change in PD.
So in other words, it will flip unless it doesn't? There's a 50/50 chance of the sun rising tomorrow, too; either it will or it won't.
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