Since is has been on the air several days I thought I would post some thoughts on the new 94.9 THE BULL. As someone who remembers Kicks as the country station in Atlanta since the early 80s though I first started listining to the format on AM 59 WPLO in the late 70s. I remember the billboards that promoted the coming of Y106 before the big power boost at 106.7, I actually enjoyed the competition that Y brought to the market. I preferred Kicks but gave Y a fair amount of listening. I remember the days that Y was also on 104.1 which meant a large chunk of Georgia could get the station.
I am enjoying the music mix on 94.9 fm but unless it plans on being more than a jukebox, Kicks has nothing to worry about. If ABC was going to keep their radio group I would say Kicks would eventually force a format change again at 94.9 but with Citadel eventually taking over 101.5 I will say the upcoming cost cutting will make Kicks vulnerable. If CC takes a real cheap route with 94.9 then all this will be a waste. This was almost the perfect time to launch a country competitor because ABC's holding of Eagle 106.7 down to benefit Kicks meant the format lock became to weak and had to be exploited.
I look forward to seeing if The Bull will make a real effort to take the country audience or are they going to be happy with being the number 2 country station. Taking the country title from Kicks will not happen easily but I believe that it is possible. I don't believe that Kicks will actually fall to number 2 because CC will not go all out on 94.9. If Susquehannah or Jefferson-Pilot still existed then the country station they could have launched would have made a bigger effort.
Country radio in Atlanta for 2007 will be extremely interesting.
I am enjoying the music mix on 94.9 fm but unless it plans on being more than a jukebox, Kicks has nothing to worry about. If ABC was going to keep their radio group I would say Kicks would eventually force a format change again at 94.9 but with Citadel eventually taking over 101.5 I will say the upcoming cost cutting will make Kicks vulnerable. If CC takes a real cheap route with 94.9 then all this will be a waste. This was almost the perfect time to launch a country competitor because ABC's holding of Eagle 106.7 down to benefit Kicks meant the format lock became to weak and had to be exploited.
I look forward to seeing if The Bull will make a real effort to take the country audience or are they going to be happy with being the number 2 country station. Taking the country title from Kicks will not happen easily but I believe that it is possible. I don't believe that Kicks will actually fall to number 2 because CC will not go all out on 94.9. If Susquehannah or Jefferson-Pilot still existed then the country station they could have launched would have made a bigger effort.
Country radio in Atlanta for 2007 will be extremely interesting.
