Should WRQX drop Variety?

[Jay_F]

I realize WRQX never made the plunge into Variety Hits. But several months ago they moved in that direction probably as a preemptive move to discourage any other station from going VH. Since then, their ratings have gone down, the latest trend was one of their lowest levels ever.

WRQX is mostly Hot AC, but they still play a couple of "oh wow" surprise VH type of songs each hour. Do you think they should drop this category and go back to full blown Hot AC. It seems when their music was at it's most conservative and most stale (even for Hot AC standards) their numbers were at their best.

 

[jkf]

> I realize WRQX never made the plunge into Variety Hits. But
> several months ago they moved in that direction probably as
> a preemptive move to discourage any other station from going
> VH. Since then, their ratings have gone down, the latest
> trend was one of their lowest levels ever.
>
> WRQX is mostly Hot AC, but they still play a couple of "oh
> wow" surprise VH type of songs each hour. Do you think they
> should drop this category and go back to full blown Hot AC.
> It seems when their music was at it's most conservative and
> most stale (even for Hot AC standards) their numbers were at
> their best.
>

WRQX should drop everything leaning hot a/c and come back as contemporary Q107. Hire some energetic jocks and get a decent jingle package. Hell, even get the old Ernie Anderson (ABC) liners back. Gone from DC for awhile and was in town this past week and heard way too many old rhythmic tunes on HOT. 5 year old K-Ci & JoJo crap is NOT CHR. The New (or OLD) Q 107 should take the real urban leaning songs (i.e. Eminem) completely out. Play the hell out of Nickelback, Green Day, Fall Out Boy and other adult friendly CHR. Do NOT keep playing the real tired out songs from those artists like Z104 is doing. That would put the nail in Z 104's coffin and take a bite out of HOT 99.5.

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

How about a "Jack"-type format, BUT with live personalities?? And especially if the personalities really get a chance to shine??

Then, you'd really have something!

 

[radiolover78]

> How about a "Jack"-type format, BUT with live
> personalities?? And especially if the personalities really
> get a chance to shine??
>
> Then, you'd really have something!
>

This shows how much you know about the DC market and about WRQX, which is nothing. WRQX did try a Jack type format WITH live personalities and it didn't work out. Do more research next time. <P ID="signature">______________
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[Slinky]

> > How about a "Jack"-type format, BUT with live
> > personalities?? And especially if the personalities really
>
> > get a chance to shine??
> >
> > Then, you'd really have something!
> >
>
> This shows how much you know about the DC market and about
> WRQX, which is nothing. WRQX did try a Jack type format WITH
> live personalities and it didn't work out. Do more research
> next time.

A little harsh there!

WRQX never really dove into the Variety Hits format. When Jack-FM Baltimore signed on, the difference between WRQX and a real Variety Hits station was apparent. WRQX never had the music depth or breadth of a real Variety Hits station. It's worth asking if WRQX would be doing better with a little Jack-FM attitude instead of the bland old Mix.

 

[Timothy]

> It's worth asking if WRQX would be doing better with a
> little Jack-FM attitude instead of the bland old Mix.


That would be some major re-tooling. No more Diamond in the morning, no personalities. Personally, the station is one of my top 3 on my buttons. As a former NPR employee, that's saying alot in a market with two NPR affiliates and C-Span radio.

I think it must be hitting some key demos. 107.3 and 106.5 are both great stations. Along with 104.1, they make up the bulk of my commercial listening. Keep in mind that in a market the size of DC, a large O&O can make it narrowcasting to a high money demo. Easily.

 

[vaboi83]

Well at least WRQX is much better than WMXB Mix 1037 in Richmond, we need B 103 to come back here.

> > It's worth asking if WRQX would be doing better with a
> > little Jack-FM attitude instead of the bland old Mix.
>
>
> That would be some major re-tooling. No more Diamond in the
> morning, no personalities. Personally, the station is one of
> my top 3 on my buttons. As a former NPR employee, that's
> saying alot in a market with two NPR affiliates and C-Span
> radio.
>
> I think it must be hitting some key demos. 107.3 and 106.5
> are both great stations. Along with 104.1, they make up the
> bulk of my commercial listening. Keep in mind that in a
> market the size of DC, a large O&O can make it narrowcasting
> to a high money demo. Easily.
>

 

[radiolover78]

> Well at least WRQX is much better than WMXB Mix 1037 in
> Richmond

I agree with you there. Mix 1037 is a very bland station.

When I go through the DC/Baltimore area, I enjoyed WRQX.


>
> > > It's worth asking if WRQX would be doing better with a
> > > little Jack-FM attitude instead of the bland old Mix.
> >
> >
> > That would be some major re-tooling. No more Diamond in
> the
> > morning, no personalities. Personally, the station is one
> of
> > my top 3 on my buttons. As a former NPR employee, that's
> > saying alot in a market with two NPR affiliates and C-Span
>
> > radio.
> >
> > I think it must be hitting some key demos. 107.3 and
> 106.5
> > are both great stations. Along with 104.1, they make up
> the
> > bulk of my commercial listening. Keep in mind that in a
> > market the size of DC, a large O&O can make it
> narrowcasting
> > to a high money demo. Easily.
> >
>
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</P>

 

[radiolover78]

> > > How about a "Jack"-type format, BUT with live
> > > personalities?? And especially if the personalities
> really
> >
> > > get a chance to shine??
> > >
> > > Then, you'd really have something!
> > >
> >
> > This shows how much you know about the DC market and about
>
> > WRQX, which is nothing. WRQX did try a Jack type format
> WITH
> > live personalities and it didn't work out. Do more
> research
> > next time.
>
> A little harsh there!

Sorry for the harsh words.
>
> WRQX never really dove into the Variety Hits format. When
> Jack-FM Baltimore signed on, the difference between WRQX and
> a real Variety Hits station was apparent. WRQX never had
> the music depth or breadth of a real Variety Hits station.
> It's worth asking if WRQX would be doing better with a
> little Jack-FM attitude instead of the bland old Mix.
>

Well, when I went through the area earlier this summer, Mix sounded great. The issue is, I don't live here, so I don't know how the station sounded over the years, but I'd say there was quite a bit of variety. ABC also owns WPLJ in New York, so I thought they sounded similar, since both Hot AC's shifted in a more Variety Hits direction.
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[Dan_Evans]

Vaboi, you have that right about our Mix103.7 here in Richmond. Sadly though my friend, I don't see it coming back on the B we knew and loved for so long.

Now to the topic at hand, I really think that WRQX should go back to the 80's format of Q107. I personally miss going to DC and listening to that station as a little kid, before I got into WHFS and later on WTOP and WJFK when I got addicted to Don and Mike. I go to DC in my spare time and I listen to Mix 107.3, sometimes it's fun to listen to, but it needs to be retooled to give a run for the money out there ratings wise. Either go 80's hits or to a Hot AC that leaves out the soft rock of the 70's(save that for WASH please). Let it be Hot AC with a heavy rotation of 80's alt, New Wave and also 90's and current music(Nickelback, Staind, REM, U2, Michelle Branch, Dido, David Bowie, Devo, Duran Duran, Prince, Norah Jones, Matchbox 20, Bjork). Don't let it be afraid to push the limits of what Hot AC can be. If it's going 80's music, get all the 80's alt from the old HFS along with the 80's top 40 music, between those two ideas, VERY FEW REPEATS!