• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

RUMOR MILL IN SAVANNAH

FilmCritic3K said:
BTW, any history of 102.1? I know its been WZAT for years and it was the hard rock station in town.. Then AC ofvarious sets.
Click to expand...
radiodxrichmond said:
WZAT-FM started out as a Top 40 station
Click to expand...

WZAT began operations in 1971, and (except for the "Breakfast With Burl" program) was automated with Drake-Chenault's "Hit Parade" reel-to-reel based format, which was soft A/C currents and oldies. From 7:00PM 'till midnight, they used Drake's "Solid Gold", which was Top-40 currents and oldies. For all intents and purposes, it was about the same as WSAV radio (but without all the NBC news and features), where Burl had been the PD/morning guy since 1956 - before he left to help Albert Weis and Norman Breen start WZAT.
 
Putting this station as sports would be incredibly smart. Smartest thing on that station in over 5 years...Smarter than 3rd string A.C. station for sure!

They have Fox Sports affiliation and I think they have the rights to Bulldogs broadcasts. Younger people (under 35) generally won't listen to AM radio unless its a football game...doesn't matter how cool your programming is. Put this stuff on FM and...wow...suddenly these markets with dodgy AM sports stations have a FM one. Results will be quite good IMO.

Out of curiosity, Mr. Combs, any requests to fiddle with 102.1 recently? Is that a forbidden topic? I can tell you that station in mono would blast through both states with no problem. That is a monster signal...

Radio-X
(Wants sports talk on FM and two AM stations to flip formats to something interesting soon...maybe standards goes on 1130 soon? Very viable AM format in HHI.)
 
Any news on what's going down this weekend?

Sports on 102.1 sounds good to me. Last time I heard WZAT it sounded like anything would sound better than what they are doing now.
 
Well, Georgia destroyed the Rajun' Cajuns by a laughable amount. Mix was playing its lukewarm AC format, and I heard the Dawgs game on...I-95!

Sorry! To quote our great representative across the river: "YOU LIE!!!"

I will apologize in advance if the station flips tomorrow (unlikely) or Monday. Otherwise, I stand completely behind the above-mentioned statement and have now lost all faith in R-I to give me accurate, up-to-date format flips before they happen! ;D

And while we're on stations tweaking formats, it appears 92.3 has done it again...moving the "Point" format from 80's hits to mostly modern pop AC mixed with a few 80's and 90's songs. It's not like the last couple of Cox "Point" stations which add a healthy amount of 90's music in the mix. It just sounds low-grade and if I were to bet on a station flipping...it'd be that one. By year's end too...it just seems like THAT bad of a train wreck. A variety hits (sorta) station moving into all 80's (sorta) now back to kinda-hot-AC-kinda-Jack-FM.

Radio-X
(Wants a 100,000 watt FM radio station for Christmas...seriously! Anybody have any retirement savings I can pilfer from?)
 
Oh great...so that pathetic station is still on the air ::)

Do they even have any local talent anymore? Their Facebook page hasn't been updated in a while.
 
radiodxrichmond said:
Radio-X
(Wants a 100,000 watt FM radio station for Christmas...seriously! Anybody have any retirement savings I can pilfer from?)
Click to expand...

Radio-X, that line forms right behind me!
 
No. I've counted probably five formats since they started. They were urban in the late 1980s/early 90s, then went Hot AC, were a country station for a little while, had variety hits, and now are hot AC. They are Savannah's "Format of the Year" station.
 
They should pick one and go with it. It does not matter which one. Develop an identity with the audience; become known as a CHR, AC, hip-hop, rap or country station. Select a demo and go after it big time. Promote, promote promote. Become known as the market's ***** station in the minds of listeners and advertisers. Flipping every 12 months will only confuse and aggravate people - and make advertisers wary of the station. I know I've stopped checking in on them. I figure there is no need to give them my time since they are always just about to flip anyway. 2¢
 
I think WZAT should go with an "ALL BURL, ALL THE TIME" and run reruns of "Breakfast With Burl" from the archives! That way an entire new generation could do "sing-a-longs" to "Take Me Home Country Roads" by John Denver and "If You Love Me, Let Me Know" by Olivia Newton-John! I sound like I grew listening to that! To make matters worse, I had to be Burl's board-op back in the day! Folks wonder why I haven't been back to Savannah in twenty years! LOL!
 
charlestondxman said:
No. I've counted probably five formats since they started. They were urban in the late 1980s/early 90s, then went Hot AC, were a country station for a little while, had variety hits, and now are hot AC. They are Savannah's "Format of the Year" station.
Click to expand...

And don't forget smooth jazz!

So that makes urban, Xtra 92, country, smooth jazz, Freedom 92-3, 80's, and now tepid hot AC.

I hear Queen playing "another one bites the dust" on the lobby speakers here. Huh...how ironic?

Radio-X
 
carolinaradio said:
Any news on what's going down this weekend?

Sports on 102.1 sounds good to me. Last time I heard WZAT it sounded like anything would sound better than what they are doing now.
Click to expand...

102.1 is a flame-thrower! Why would anyone even consider wasting a signal like that with a sports format?? The city isn't big enough to support sports on FM. Besides, there aren't any major teams in the market that would garner an audience. You can't make the big bucks doing high school football. If anything, clean up WBMQ and simulcast that. A lot of markets are simulcasting their news/talk stations on FM and it's working.
 
mediawatch22 said:
carolinaradio said:
Any news on what's going down this weekend?

Sports on 102.1 sounds good to me. Last time I heard WZAT it sounded like anything would sound better than what they are doing now.
Click to expand...

102.1 is a flame-thrower! Why would anyone even consider wasting a signal like that with a sports format?? The city isn't big enough to support sports on FM. Besides, there aren't any major teams in the market that would garner an audience. You can't make the big bucks doing high school football. If anything, clean up WBMQ and simulcast that. A lot of markets are simulcasting their news/talk stations on FM and it's working.
Click to expand...

It's a flamethrower on paper, and yes it has a long broadcast range. I have had reception issues in both Hilton Head, Bluffton, and Savannah. Not bad, but a lot of scratchiness from a 1400' class C station. I have been told this is due to the antenna design.

WBMQ would be a good prospect as a simulcast (a-la WOKV Jax), but in Columbia at least, the FM sports station bills in the top 5! That's amazing with little overhead! And considering their only competition is a dinky AM on HHI you cant hear after dark, winner winner chicken dinner!

Personally, I'd simulcast the two stations and DOMINATE the sports market. HHI has no Gamecock affiliate that I can tell. Bulldog games are on a rock station! I'd call up Bristol, CT (Home of ESPN Radio) and tell them they may want to reconsider affiliating with a 100kW FM and AM combo over a 1kW stick 20 miles away next time the contract comes up. It's gonna make a ton more money than low ratings, paying John Tesh (gag), and music royalties.

God Savannah radio SUCKS! Give me something decent to listen to or at least my own play radio station :)

Radio-X
 
WHACKED said:
I think WZAT should go with an "ALL BURL, ALL THE TIME" and run reruns of "Breakfast With Burl" from the archives!
Click to expand...

I think Burl may be responsible for my high cholesterol .... Just kidding: I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Womack at a Guyton Fourth of July Parade many years ago, and he was such a charming gentleman that I have never forgotten the experience.

Now, pour the coffee and break out those Krispy Kreme® donuts!
 
Tt looks like the rumor is about to materialize......numerous clients have been told about the pending change to sports on 102.1.

In typical cumulus style other clients are not being told and even some of their sales reps dont seem to know but it IS gonna happen....
 
At least they are slowly looking at this and not fast to make a change like our sister market, Charleston.

Charleston lost its oldies station suddenly last week just so 95.9 could battle WEZL and the Wolf for country, and to give Star 99.7 the #1 spot again.

Again, a 102.1 sports station would make sense, but it would be better if Adventure could take 103.1 and simulcast it with 1130.

They could put some local sports shows on it, and boom, you have the "Lowcountry and Coastal Empire's Sports Leader."

102.1 would be the leader. UGA could go on there, along the Falcons or Jaguars, plus UGA basketball, Sandgnats and some national stuff. You could simulcast with 900 for a while, and then you could make 900 Spanish or WBMQ's flanker station.
 
Again...sports on the most powerful stick in Savannah makes ZERO sense.

Sports is not the domain for anything C1 or higher in small market radio. Country, CHR & rock are.

Someone at Cumulus truly is delusional.

G
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom