John Waywoods said:
Is MJ up for a fight? He has never been in a Hits war in this market. I believe he was hired by 93.3 after Q105 was already beaten to death.
The new Play 98.7 isn't a CHR/Pop station and as such is NOT a direct competitor of 93.3 FLZ, whose biggest competitor has always been Rhythmic CHR Wild 94.1 (and preciously Wild 98.7).
FLZ's never had a problem dealing with Hot A/Cs whether it was Modern A/C Star 95.7, Adult CHR/Hot AC Mix 96, or Hot A/C US 100. In fact, FLZ's ratings peak at around a 10 share were back when it had two Hot A/Cs to "compete" with.
98.7's signal will be an issue in some parts of the metro area (especially around some parts of Tampa and Brandon). The Rhythmic CHR audience put up with 98.7 b/c it was the only place on the FM dial for years to provide a Rhythmic and Hip Hop format (until 95.7 The Beat came on the scene). The Hot A/C audience, on the other hand, already has a strong 100,000 watts option to go with, and much of the Hot A/C audience is now also in tune with CHR/Pop radio. That's why you're seeing Hot A/C stations all over the country dropping Modern A/C titles and adding more Rhythmic product from Lady Gaga, B.O.B., Taio Cruz, and others. Look at Mix 101.9 Chicago, Q-104 Cleveland, Mix 106.5 Baltimore, etc.
98.7 should have gone with a different format such as FM Talk, 90s hits, or another Spanish-based format.
