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So what should PLJ do now?

I

icybluelake

PLJ arguably has a serious competitor with Jack. We can debate how similar the two stations sound (and I'd agree they don't actually sound all that similar, but the comparison has already been made in another thread recently).

Their ratings have been pretty atrocious for a long time, and I would have laid money on a flip there long before CBS-FM flipped. It seemed like they would have thrown in the towel and flipped a long time ago, except that the station's billings might be actually pretty acceptable despite its lackluster ratings performance. Is that actually the case?

So what should PLJ do now? Stay the course or flip, and if so, to what?
 
THEY SHOULD LET SCOTT SHANNON FLIP 'PLJ TO WABC-FM AND DO OLDIES!

(i'm not yelling at you, i'm yelling at ABC Radio)

Hire the jocks, add some reverb, use all the old jingles, Dan Ingram etc...
 
> THEY SHOULD LET SCOTT SHANNON FLIP 'PLJ TO WABC-FM AND DO
> OLDIES!
>
> (i'm not yelling at you, i'm yelling at ABC Radio)
>
> Hire the jocks, add some reverb, use all the old jingles,
> Dan Ingram etc...
>
I don't think it will happen. WPLJ produces good sales and ultimately, that's what counts. Consider that WCBS-FM's sales, according to some on this board, fell from $ 41 million to $ 34 million over the last five years. Not a knock on the oldies format, mind you. But it seems to me that oldies will work better economically in a market where you are selling directly to the business owner rather than an advertising agency.

Buyers in agencies tend to buy specific demographics and it would seem that they don't think outside the box. And the box is that 50 and older baby boomers have tremendous disposable income. They have desires and can fulfill them. In smaller markets, the Account Executive can make that case directly and can make a compelling argument for the station. With an agency, it is, to quote Dennis Israel, 'live by the book. . .die by the book'.
 
Realizing that 95% of the people on this board are
A) Male
B) Radio Geeks

it'll be hard to convince most of you of this.... but here we go.

Jack/Variety Hits targets males 25+

PLJ/Hot AC targets females 25+

In 12+ you may see some minor fluctuation, but in target demos these stations won't have a single effect on each other.
 
> Realizing that 95% of the people on this board are
> A) Male
> B) Radio Geeks
>
> it'll be hard to convince most of you of this.... but here
> we go.
>
> Jack/Variety Hits targets males 25+
>
> PLJ/Hot AC targets females 25+
>
> In 12+ you may see some minor fluctuation, but in target
> demos these stations won't have a single effect on each
> other.
>
An article on R&R.com this week said rating results show Jack is reaching a 50/50 gender split. They may be targeting males, but the results are an even split.

I vote for PLJ staying the course. Just make sure they're at the top of their game. Don't react - be pro-active. Pick your demo (for PLJ I imagine it's suburban women 25-44) and figure out the best way to reach them.
 
> THEY SHOULD LET SCOTT SHANNON FLIP 'PLJ TO WABC-FM AND DO
> OLDIES!
>
> (i'm not yelling at you, i'm yelling at ABC Radio)
>
> Hire the jocks, add some reverb, use all the old jingles,
> Dan Ingram etc...
>




Whodoyouthink:

If not become the Old WABC or bill themselves as WABC-FM picking up the Oldies format like you've suggested, WPLJ should increase their rotation of 70s & 80s music.

PLJ should add more songs in the rotation. It doesn't have to be 2,000 songs, but 750 seems to be a more reasonable number.





Thanks,
Kevin L. Sealy<P ID="signature">______________
Kevin L. Sealy</P>
 
> I vote for PLJ staying the course. Just make sure they're at
> the top of their game. Don't react - be pro-active. Pick
> your demo (for PLJ I imagine it's suburban women 25-44) and
> figure out the best way to reach them.
>

First of all a name change is needed for ‘PLJ. Listeners fill out those books and I bet you have a lot of votes not counted because they filled in the wrong station name. I have seen many very good stations do poorly because they did not have the proper name clarity and recognition. So is it “PLJ or WPLJ? What if they just fill in ABC or Great Adventure? PLJ is sounding cheap with all the Great Adventure ads. Jack will get extra points for having a name easy to remember. I listened to WPLJ last night and it had me laughing. They need a name that is anti-Jack! How about “Jill”? After all, you still keep the “J”( like in “PLJ”)- Right?
 
> Whodoyouthink:
>
> If not become the Old WABC or bill themselves as WABC-FM
> picking up the Oldies format like you've suggested, WPLJ
> should increase their rotation of 70s & 80s music.
>
> PLJ should add more songs in the rotation. It doesn't have
> to be 2,000 songs, but 750 seems to be a more reasonable
> number.
>
Sounds like a good idea to me. Laying off a lot of the overplayed currents from the likes of Kelly Clarkson, Nickleback or Avril Lavigne which can be heard on other stations and focusing more on 70's-80's, and even some 90's tunes, would sound good. Also, bringing back the old Saturday Night at the 80's instead of the canned, scriped-sounding version they have now would be nice.
 
> > Whodoyouthink:
> >
> > If not become the Old WABC or bill themselves as WABC-FM
> > picking up the Oldies format like you've suggested, WPLJ
> > should increase their rotation of 70s & 80s music.
> >
> > PLJ should add more songs in the rotation. It doesn't have
>
> > to be 2,000 songs, but 750 seems to be a more reasonable
> > number.
> >
> Sounds like a good idea to me. Laying off a lot of the
> overplayed currents from the likes of Kelly Clarkson,
> Nickleback or Avril Lavigne which can be heard on other
> stations and focusing more on 70's-80's, and even some 90's
> tunes, would sound good. Also, bringing back the old
> Saturday Night at the 80's instead of the canned,
> scriped-sounding version they have now would be nice.
>

Technically, oldies stations now days should be 70s/80s. If PLJ did that, they may do well. If it was all 70s and 80s, perhaps PLJ could take some pie from Lite FM. Doubt that though. <P ID="signature">______________
Kevin</P>
 
> > I vote for PLJ staying the course. Just make sure they're
> at
> > the top of their game. Don't react - be pro-active. Pick
> > your demo (for PLJ I imagine it's suburban women 25-44)
> and
> > figure out the best way to reach them.
> >
>
> First of all a name change is needed for ‘PLJ. Listeners
> fill out those books and I bet you have a lot of votes not
> counted because they filled in the wrong station name. I
> have seen many very good stations do poorly because they did
> not have the proper name clarity and recognition. So is it
> “PLJ or WPLJ? What if they just fill in ABC or Great
> Adventure? PLJ is sounding cheap with all the Great
> Adventure ads. Jack will get extra points for having a name
> easy to remember. I listened to WPLJ last night and it had
> me laughing. They need a name that is anti-Jack! How about
> “Jill”? After all, you still keep the “J”( like in “PLJ”)-
> Right?
>

PLJ is a heritage name and has been used for decades. It would be dumb to change the name. Jill FM seems like a good idea though. Just my opinion.<P ID="signature">______________
Kevin</P>
 
> First of all a name change is needed for ‘PLJ. Listeners
> fill out those books and I bet you have a lot of votes not
> counted because they filled in the wrong station name. I
> have seen many very good stations do poorly because they did
> not have the proper name clarity and recognition. So is it
> “PLJ or WPLJ? What if they just fill in ABC or Great
> Adventure? PLJ is sounding cheap with all the Great
> Adventure ads. Jack will get extra points for having a name
> easy to remember. I listened to WPLJ last night and it had
> me laughing. They need a name that is anti-Jack! How about
> “Jill”? After all, you still keep the “J”( like in “PLJ”)-
> Right?
>
But wouldn't they get credit regardless of whether it said PLJ or
WPLJ? Also, since most listeners are not radio geeks, I don't think it's common knowledge to the average listener that 'PLJ is owned by ABC Radio, so I doubt Arbitron is getting a great many diary entries for "ABC" on 95.5 FM.
 
> THEY SHOULD LET SCOTT SHANNON FLIP 'PLJ TO WABC-FM AND DO
> OLDIES!
>
> (i'm not yelling at you, i'm yelling at ABC Radio)
>
> Hire the jocks, add some reverb, use all the old jingles,
> Dan Ingram etc...
>

Old Scott will get 'er done no matter what he does...Heck its all Scott's fault I got in this Biz to begin with...I got hooked years ago on his Rockin America Countdown. PLJ is a good station...always has been...trouble is Scott's been chasing after himself since He was one of the big forces behind Z100 in the early days. Its hard to beat one's self if you will. He helped Z100 set its image and tone and well...it stuck. Funny even in a town the size of NYC, 2 CHR's seem like one too many??? Weird huh!!!
 
> > > I vote for PLJ staying the course. Just make sure
> they're
> > at
> > > the top of their game. Don't react - be pro-active. Pick
>
> > > your demo (for PLJ I imagine it's suburban women 25-44)
> > and
> > > figure out the best way to reach them.
> > >
> >
> > First of all a name change is needed for ‘PLJ. Listeners
> > fill out those books and I bet you have a lot of votes not
>
> > counted because they filled in the wrong station name. I
> > have seen many very good stations do poorly because they
> did
> > not have the proper name clarity and recognition. So is it
>
> > “PLJ or WPLJ? What if they just fill in ABC or Great
> > Adventure? PLJ is sounding cheap with all the Great
> > Adventure ads. Jack will get extra points for having a
> name
> > easy to remember. I listened to WPLJ last night and it had
>
> > me laughing. They need a name that is anti-Jack! How about
>
> > “Jill”? After all, you still keep the “J”( like in “PLJ”)-
>
> > Right?
> >
>
> PLJ is a heritage name and has been used for decades. It
> would be dumb to change the name. Jill FM seems like a good
> idea though. Just my opinion.
>
In the past stations could list more than one name, or slogan with their call letters and get credit with Arbitron. If it's still done that way it shouldn't matter as long as the station covered all of their bases...
 
> You can put just "95.5 FM" and they will get the numbers.
>

Seems too boring. "955 PLJ" I like it the way it is.<P ID="signature">______________
Kevin</P>
 
> > You can put just "95.5 FM" and they will get the numbers.
> >
>
> Seems too boring. "955 PLJ" I like it the way it is.
>
What's the difference if you're writing it in an Arbitron diary? We know 95.5 PLJ is their slogan, but writing 95.5 FM works just fine for diary purposes.
 
> >
> In the past stations could list more than one name, or
> slogan with their call letters and get credit with Arbitron.
> If it's still done that way it shouldn't matter as long as
> the station covered all of their bases...
>
Calguy:


A substanstial number of the listenership of WQHT only know the station as Hot 97 and the same goes for WWPR-FM's audience who list their station as Power 1051.

Most listners tell Arbitron the call letters if they don't the station's call letters.



Thanks,
Kevin L. Sealy

<P ID="signature">______________
Kevin L. Sealy</P>
 
> > > You can put just "95.5 FM" and they will get the
> numbers.
> > >
> >
> > Seems too boring. "955 PLJ" I like it the way it is.
> >
> What's the difference if you're writing it in an Arbitron
> diary? We know 95.5 PLJ is their slogan, but writing 95.5 FM
> works just fine for diary purposes.
>
It’s all just a matter of perspective. From our point of view the call letters are taken for granted. Working in radio they become a fixture in the everyday going on of things. Not the same for a listener. Your listener may be busy doing a number of things at the same time and only may remember the name of a morning show or only part of a station name. They can get dial positions mixed up as well with some positions sounding close. They could fill it in wrong too. Like 90.5 or 955 or 95.5 a station name could be spelled out, ninety five, five or five point five, I remember Arbitron giving 3 different ways to list the station name. In the old days of radio listeners had fewer stations, more free time and less station names to contend with. The call letters were easy to remember and shorter as well. In today’s busy world I think a station name is always needed even if the call letters are good.
 
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