Soft AC to a harder AC

[nd2023]

Useless fact: The Breeze and B101.1 are tied--and in fact, they're both tied with Alt 104.5--in the Atlantic City-Cape May book.

Those stations don’t make it well to the shore but they do make it. WOGL is blocked by Kool 98.3,

 

[BJSteigner]

This observation was made last week in the June PPM thread. The softer the music, the older the demo.

So they're hoping to tamp things down a bit with some newer songs with tempo.

It is believed that The Breeze is trying to balance Soft AC and AC combined...<Correct me on this.

 

[kevtronics]

Now The Breeze will stop airing 70's Sunday Brunch their response is '' They're taking a break''.

It's back as of Sunday, August 22nd. I heard a promo for it today.

 

[101tm]

I stream 106.1 The Breeze in the office a lot every day and have noticed over the past 2 days they’ve taken a harder turn toward mainstream AC. Almost all 70s that were left gone and edgier stuff taking up most of the playlist. Has anyone else noticed?

Just heard “Hot N Cold” by Katy Perry which was what finally prompted me to comment, lol.

 

[TheBigA]

I stream 106.1 The Breeze in the office a lot every day and have noticed over the past 2 days they’ve taken a harder turn toward mainstream AC.

To repeat what I said in post #3 of this thread: The softer the music, the older the demo.

That's not good for sales, unless you're willing to have longform infomercials during the day.

 

[101tm]

To repeat what I said in post #3 of this thread: The softer the music, the older the demo.

That's not good for sales, unless you're willing to have longform infomercials during the day.

Oh I know and agree, just noting the shift seems to be intensifying. It’s still softer, but I wonder if iHeart saw initial positive results and felt it was safe to take the shift a little more aggressively.

 

[TheBigA]

Oh I know and agree, just noting the shift seems to be intensifying. It’s still softer, but I wonder if iHeart saw initial positive results and felt it was safe to take the shift a little more aggressively.

The choice is lower the age of the audience, or give up on the format. What would you do?

 

[CassChopper96]

Iheart should just get rid of the breeze altogether and bring back the HOT AC format under the now branding IMO

 

[kevtronics]

WISX is still playing Air Supply, Celine Dion, Luther Vandross, Linda Ronstadt, etc., and some '70s music (the Bee Gees, Bill Withers, Billy Joel, Elton John, etc.). But they're mixing in more modern and uptempo AC hits (Dua Lipa, The Weeknd, Katy Perry, Pink, etc.), too.

 

[101tm]

WISX is still playing Air Supply, Celine Dion, Luther Vandross, Linda Ronstadt, etc., and some '70s music (the Bee Gees, Bill Withers, Billy Joel, Elton John, etc.). But they're mixing in more modern and uptempo AC hits (Dua Lipa, The Weeknd, Katy Perry, Pink, etc.), too.

I feel like it’s a calculated transition. They’ll stay softer than WBEB, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they gradually dial the tempo up a few more notches and move out of the 70s by the end of the year. They’re trying to find the sweet spot between ancient demos (to advertisers) and differentiate themselves from the competition to do better 35-54 IMO. Isn’t this the best the 106.1 frequency has done in a while?

 

[kevtronics]

1061. will probably be going all-Christmas music in a few weeks, anyway. Then we'll see what they come back as after the holidays.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

They didn’t last year (unless I’m hallucinating). And while past is no guarantee of future, perhaps it’s something to be read in the tea leaves.

 

[victorres43]

WISX is still playing Air Supply, Celine Dion, Luther Vandross, Linda Ronstadt, etc., and some '70s music (the Bee Gees, Bill Withers, Billy Joel, Elton John, etc.). But they're mixing in more modern and uptempo AC hits (Dua Lipa, The Weeknd, Katy Perry, Pink, etc.), too.

WLTW in New York seems to have success being a mainstream AC mixing in both soft AC fare and rhythmic AC fare. Time will tell if a similar approach will work in Philly, considering that WBEB is no longer programmed to be the #1 station in the market like it was under Jerry Lee ownership.

I don't think WISX will have the "Relaxing Favorites" slogan for long, though.

 

[101tm]

Audacy has been flubbing up a lot of heritage stations lately. iHeart could see an opportunity to sweep in with a format like AC that they know well, tailor it properly, and injure B101 badly IMO.

 

[JH_Radio]

What did Jerry do to B101 that Audacy isn't?
I know one thing... got rid of overnight dj.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

And the lack of an overnight DJ under either ownership (since both cut it) is pretty much meaningless.

 

[victorres43]

What did Jerry do to B101 that Audacy isn't?
I know one thing... got rid of overnight dj.

Extensive research on the Philly audience, with a touch of Jerry Lee's background on criminology.

From Wikipedia:

Since 1993, Lee's station WBEB-FM (known as "B101", later "More FM", and now "B101.1") has focused on a research-based target of people listening while they worked in offices, hair salons & barbershops, retail stores and many other public places, as well as at home and in their cars. The station's audience of fans of classic modern singers.

 

[101tm]

Didn’t Audacy/Entercom return the B101(.1) branding, though? That’s one positive. More FM was stupid.

 

[JH_Radio]

Yes, they did. but they returned it to B 101.1 which it hadn't been since the mid '90s.
Everybody I ever heard mention it (no, not radio people), always referred to it as B101. Full stop.
And honestly, if it were me, I'd prefer it done like that without the .1.

 

[MarkW]

Didn’t Audacy/Entercom return the B101(.1) branding, though? That’s one positive. More FM was stupid.

The ratings suggest More FM was an overwhelming success.