Riverkings Radio

[BigSteveG]

According to All Access, WHBQ-AM has been resigned as the radio home of The Memphis Riverkings. It would have been nice if WHBQ-FM would have been a Christain AC station. That way you could move the Riverkings to 107.5. You could also pass out 107.5 and Riverking bumper stickers at Chicfila. Then give away a trip to Disneyland and an Anaheim Mighty Ducks game in California. Also, 107.5 could give away a chicken strip platter, sandwiches, and dessert platter for business of the day for lunch. Oh well, they are hiring and seem to be staying put with the current format. All of what I said above would not fit with the current format. I still believe a Christain AC or Rock station has promotion possiblities in Memphis. But few believe. :'(

 

[MikeBratton]

According to All Access, WHBQ-AM has been resigned as the radio home of The Memphis Riverkings. It would have been nice if WHBQ-FM would have been a Christain AC station. That way you could move the Riverkings to 107.5. You could also pass out 107.5 and Riverking bumper stickers at Chicfila. Then give away a trip to Disneyland and an Anaheim Mighty Ducks game in California. Also, 107.5 could give away a chicken strip platter, sandwiches, and dessert platter for business of the day for lunch. Oh well, they are hiring and seem to be staying put with the current format. All of what I said above would not fit with the current format. I still believe a Christain AC or Rock station has promotion possiblities in Memphis. But few believe. :'(

Oh, I believe, but it's not a question of believing, to coin a phrase.

Beyond believing, I know for a flat fact, beyond any shadow of doubt or peradventure, that a Christian AC (and even a Christian Rock) station would do well. Did the heavy lifting and ciphering on it many years ago, when the Earth's crust was still cooling, and there's just no doubt about it.

Given even an adequate stick, it would absolutely do well in listenership, promotion, and revenue. I'd stake my reputation, such as it is, on it.

 

[mikl73]

According to All Access, WHBQ-AM has been resigned as the radio home of The Memphis Riverkings. It would have been nice if WHBQ-FM would have been a Christain AC station. That way you could move the Riverkings to 107.5. You could also pass out 107.5 and Riverking bumper stickers at Chicfila. Then give away a trip to Disneyland and an Anaheim Mighty Ducks game in California. Also, 107.5 could give away a chicken strip platter, sandwiches, and dessert platter for business of the day for lunch. Oh well, they are hiring and seem to be staying put with the current format. All of what I said above would not fit with the current format. I still believe a Christain AC or Rock station has promotion possiblities in Memphis. But few believe. :'(

are the Christians down with Disney again.. I thought Wilder from the AFA had put them up on the wall so to speak....

 

[MikeBratton]

According to All Access, WHBQ-AM has been resigned as the radio home of The Memphis Riverkings. It would have been nice if WHBQ-FM would have been a Christain AC station. That way you could move the Riverkings to 107.5. You could also pass out 107.5 and Riverking bumper stickers at Chicfila. Then give away a trip to Disneyland and an Anaheim Mighty Ducks game in California. Also, 107.5 could give away a chicken strip platter, sandwiches, and dessert platter for business of the day for lunch. Oh well, they are hiring and seem to be staying put with the current format. All of what I said above would not fit with the current format. I still believe a Christain AC or Rock station has promotion possiblities in Memphis. But few believe. :'(

are the Christians down with Disney again.. I thought Wilder from the AFA had put them up on the wall so to speak....

As a Christian who happens to be of the Southern Baptist denomination, I know we in the SBC officially called off the dogs last year, as did FOTF and the AFA.

Now I'm hungry for a BLT...

 

[mikl73]

yes i guess with Howard Stern and the Gays its too much to keep up with... I'm a recovering southern babtist

 

[MemBirdman]

Given even an adequate stick, it would absolutely do well in listenership, promotion, and revenue. I'd stake my reputation, such as it is, on it.

I agree that a Christian station would absolutely do well in Memphis. I saw it starting to happen with 94.7 before it got engulfed by the KLove Empire. Where it would start, I think, is having a solid core of sales people who understand the limitations of selling for a Christian station, yet realize that the sales ARE there...they just need to be found.

And I'm so glad I don't choose a denomination...I don't have to worry about those annoying boycotts. Colliervillebible.org for the win.

 

[eddie from torrance]

If CCM is such a sure-fire no question about it no-brainer slam dunk winner, then why doesn't the type of station you describe exist?

 

[JoeMorris]

Given even an adequate stick, it would absolutely do well in listenership, promotion, and revenue. I'd stake my reputation, such as it is, on it.

I agree that a Christian station would absolutely do well in Memphis. I saw it starting to happen with 94.7 before it got engulfed by the KLove Empire. Where it would start, I think, is having a solid core of sales people who understand the limitations of selling for a Christian station, yet realize that the sales ARE there...they just need to be found.

Christian AC's already big with K-Love. What we need is a true Christian Hit station, that will play anything Christian (including rock and dance), and something that's locally operated and takes requests. The biggest shame is that one of the greatest Christian rock bands, in my opinion, Skillet, originally from Memphis, is not heard on K-Love.

 

[BigSteveG]

If CCM is such a sure-fire no question about it no-brainer slam dunk winner, then why doesn't the type of station you describe exist?

Good question. The answer is it wasn't done right. The past Christain music stations in the Memphis area were on a low watt AM station. The station wasn't in stereo. Everytime a person would drive past a row of trees or buildings, the signal would go in and out. You would give up and turn to FM AC stations. The station itself would play the same old Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant songs two decades earlier that you knew by heart. The station would never give important local information like traffic, weather, news, and sports. They would never play just music. I am not taking a shot at Christain talk by any means. However, there is nothing more worse than listening to good song on a Christain station of the past trying to forget work and such and right in the middle of the song, have the station go into a two hour block of lesson of the bible. If I want to hear Lessons of The Bible, I will get it in church or turn to a Christain talk radio station like WCRV. The station needs to be an all music station on FM in stereo with local announcers. A Christain AC station would be a great accompaniment to WRVR and FM100. If you were a person who love Christain music and didn't have KLOVE in the city, the station you would listen next for music would be 104 or 100, then 106 and 94. A Christain station would do good in the ratings in Memphis, too. There has been many ratings books and trends the past two years where 95.7 Gospel was in the top 5 and WCRV, Christain Talk has beat or equal to other FM and AM stations people on this board said would change formats at any second. The one downside everyone is talking about on this board is will it sale. If you take Christain AC music format with a morning show concept like Ron, Steve, and Karen or Mike and Mandy, where they give the right amount of time to traffic, news, and such, thrown in contests and family humor, it would sale. Then have a locally known, trustworthy afternoon drive personality like Tom P., Kay Manley, or Larry Wheeler to guide people home. Throw in other personalities, not recorded programming, doing remotes on weekends. Then for the teenage crowd have Christain rock on for four hours on a Saturday Night when they are out on the town. Then you would have the total package. The only drag I can think of is you do not see Christain artists playing gigs in big Memphis arenas like FedEx Forum. Another formats have music groups they can sell with contests for free tickets. However, I read where Christain rock groups are getting so popular, corporations like Cheverolet and Ford are sponsoring Christain Music tours. However, in the Bible Belt in Memphis, we are sorely lacking in big name Christain concerts. The Christain AC station would have to get loyal, local accounts before they would get big, national accounts. But they say you have to crawl before you can walk.

 

[sjs1959]

Not to be a wet blanket here, but what you seem to be calling for is a live and local station, something that only the heritage stations do here, no matter the format.

The only way that I see this being successful is if you got some heritage names (Butler, Ron/Steve/Karen, etc.) to do your AM, and I'm not sure that a new station would spend that kind of money. It would take a while before the billing kicked in, and they would lose money at the start.

Flame away, but I don't think any cluster here would consider it; your best hopes for CCM are Air One or K-Love.

 

[BigSteveG]

Not to be a wet blanket here, but what you seem to be calling for is a live and local station, something that only the heritage stations do here, no matter the format.

The only way that I see this being successful is if you got some heritage names (Butler, Ron/Steve/Karen, etc.) to do your AM, and I'm not sure that a new station would spend that kind of money. It would take a while before the billing kicked in, and they would lose money at the start.

Flame away, but I don't think any cluster here would consider it; your best hopes for CCM are Air One or K-Love.

I respectfully disagree. Take for example, the recent Entercom for CBS Memphis deal. You already have the above personalities I said above in place besides Kay Manley. They are under contract. All it would be is a format change on 94.1 or 92.9. Then you can have your sales staff make a good deal for FM100 and WRVR big accounts to also advertise on the Christain AC station. You would not have any threat from alinating big accounts by advertising on contrasting formats. Christain AC and AC are as similar in formats you can get. They would accompy each another. No offensive to anyone, but if 95.7 and WCRV has consistantly equalled or beaten 94.1, 92.9, and 790am in ratings and trends, what would you have to lose. You say stay with KLOVE. KLOVE always has to have pledge drives to stay afloat. I rather allow my talented sales people pay the bills with accounts and leave pledge drives to Leboheur and St. Jude (like local stations have), and national matters like 9/11 fund and Hurricane Relief. But it's just my two cents.

 

[MikeBratton]

Not to be a wet blanket here, but what you seem to be calling for is a live and local station, something that only the heritage stations do here, no matter the format.

The only way that I see this being successful is if you got some heritage names (Butler, Ron/Steve/Karen, etc.) to do your AM, and I'm not sure that a new station would spend that kind of money. It would take a while before the billing kicked in, and they would lose money at the start.

Flame away, but I don't think any cluster here would consider it; your best hopes for CCM are Air One or K-Love.

This isn't a flame by any stretch of the imagination, but just a statement of finding regarding my own previous research into the matter.

The advertisers are available--local, regional, and national--who would jump at the chance to divert some of their dollars into a CCM-formatted, "live and local" station. I would estimate between three and six months before billing became right-side-up, and then it's "to infinity, and beyond!"

The air talent already lives in the region. Staffing a "live and local" CCM station with prime talent from 6 a.m. or earlier to midnight or longer during the week, plus weekend shifts, would take only a matter of days. Sure, there might be some "jukebox hours" for such a station, but they'd be the exception, not the rule.

Were a cluster here to consider it, they'd have to let it be unabashedly Christian: jocks sharing Bible verses and testimonies from callers (and themselves); strict standards regarding the type of advertising and promotions acceptable (no WXXX night at the Horseshoe Casino, for example); and active, consistent involvement with the various Christian denominations in the region. And by "various," I mean everything from Southern Baptist to COGIC.

Speaking of which, there's the playlist. It should be as full of diverse, talented Christian performers as humanly possible. Kirk Franklin, Michael W. Smith, and Jaci Velasquez, just as examples, either all have a place on your playlist, or you're doing it wrong.

I could go on and on, but wasn't this supposed to be a thread about Riverkings Radio?

 

[BigSteveG]

That topic head went off a exit ramp. It is my fault, but I didn't think it would ballon. Sorry.

One more thought before I go.

94.1 The Bridge Memphis WBRG Today's Christain Hits for Everyone
Would go great with 104 The River WRVR.

 

[MikeBratton]

I could go on and on, but wasn't this supposed to be a thread about Riverkings Radio?

That topic head went off a exit ramp. It is my fault, but I didn't think it would ballon. Sorry.

One more thought before I go.

94.1 The Bridge Memphis WBRG Today's Christain Hits for Everyone
Would go great with 104 The River WRVR.

Sign me up.

 

[eddie from torrance]

Well, I guess it just goes to show ya that Riverkings radio doesn't generate a whole lot of excitement with folks on the board. As for CCM, think of the artists that have come from this genre. Amy Grant of course, Michael W Smith, Chris Rice, Kathy Troccoli, Mercy Me, Newsong, Bob Carlisle....etc..etc. All have become seamless crossovers into mainstream AC radio. These artists have broad appeal due to the extremely high quality of their music. Even when the lyrical content is religious in nature people from all walks of life love the music cause it's good music. This is not a new phenomenon. I may be dating myself by bringing up the Edwin Hawkins singers "Oh Happy Day", which was an enormous hit on mainstream top 40 radio, and that was PURE gospel. Not to mention the same year Judy Collins had an equally huge hit with an acapella version of "Amazing Grace"!!. These songs were played around the likes of the Doors, Janis Joplin, and other psychedelic gems of that era and stood right up. Did the spiritual nature of this music resonate with people? Perhaps it did. Perhaps it still does and always will. Can you wrap it in a pre-packaged hermetically sealed and properly sanitized format with local heritage personalities that people know and love sharing with their conservative Christian listeners a testimony of the same narrow exclusionary dogma that they get in church on sunday morning and still have the same broad appeal? Some feel as though you can, but I don't think so. It would be a niche at best, with a small passionate group of followers much the same way that it is on the fringe frequencies on which it exists presently. Talk about gambling. There isn't a casino in Tunica OR Las Vegas that would turn down someone willing to place such a bet. That's why the big guns won't do it. This game is all about money. I will concede that in this part of the country a format like the one described in this thread would blow the socks off Air America. But it would never be a giant. I just don't see anyone stepping up to the plate with it. Maybe Doc Flinn will. Dude's got nothing to lose. Heck, if I had his resources I'd try it. How about those Riverkings???

 

[BigSteveG]

To get back on track. Reupping to cover Riverkings on WHBQ is a plus. They will have their share of listeners, because unlike The Grizzlies, The Riverkings are not on television along with radio. Also, they are adding the Riverking's coaches show. This will allow true fans to be heard expressing their opinions on the team. Adding, I can hear AM560 anywhere. AM730 comes in nothing but static in Millington.

 

[sjs1959]

True, play-by-play sports are a must for a sports station; with the loss of the Griz to Citadel, they had to fill that void.

Does anyone know the answer to this question, though: which does better ratings, the Kings or Ole Miss hoops?

I'm just curious, because when they show crowd shots at the Kings games on the local news, it looks barely attended....

 

[FMSales]

True, play-by-play sports are a must for a sports station; with the loss of the Griz to Citadel, they had to fill that void.

Does anyone know the answer to this question, though: which does better ratings, the Kings or Ole Miss hoops?

For what it's worth, neither really show up. But the Riverkings are positive cash-flow because they buy the time. I am not sure how well Rebel basketball sells here.

 

[BigSteveG]

True, play-by-play sports are a must for a sports station; with the loss of the Griz to Citadel, they had to fill that void.

Does anyone know the answer to this question, though: which does better ratings, the Kings or Ole Miss hoops?

For what it's worth, neither really show up. But the Riverkings are positive cash-flow because they buy the time. I am not sure how well Rebel basketball sells here.

That is a good question. By popularity standards, college basketball seems much more popular than hockey in the Mid-South. However, like FM Sales was posting, The Riverkings are a positive cash-flow. They probably have a deeper sales staff being a professional team. I have not heard much from Ole Miss fans. However, I know a huge number of University of Memphis and UT Vols fans. Those fans like myself, when we are away from the TV, we definately have their football or basketball game on radio. I wonder what those teams do in advertising. Based on popularity, WREC must be very happy to have Tiger games.

 

[BigSteveG]

I'm just curious, because when they show crowd shots at the Kings games on the local news, it looks barely attended....

Based on past newspaper reports, The Riverkings did better several years back when they was not locally owned. They seemed to had better promotions in the past to me. A good seat ticket price will cost $15 to $20 each. Much more than say The Redbirds with less concession variety. I believe it has to do with win/loss record. They were averaging big crowds at Mid-South Coliseum and DCC when they were three time CHL Defending Champions. They along with the Redbirds have had losing seasons lately. Memphians will not stick with their teams when they are losing. I hope the Grizzlies win a playoff game this year and don't slide .

I heard they are trying to play some Kings games at The FedEx Forum. There is a NHL exhibition game at FedEx this October. Maybe they are getting Memphis folks back to their games that don't travel to Southaven to see games?