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Star 94 Tries to Boost Workdays with the Million Dollar Birthday Game

R

RoddyFreeman

Star 94 apparently is trying to cut B98.5's big ratings advantage in workplaces. Contestants can call in to win at 9:05AM, 10:05AM, 1:05PM and 2:35PM.

Star is also using the contest to stretch quarter-hour maintenance to its limits. After the announcement to call in at each of the above times, a stop set plays. After the spots end, a voice promo tells listeners it takes some time to get to caller 94. Then 2 more songs play before the contest takes place. Nice way to keep people listening if it works.

Years ago, this contest was syndicated in a lot of markets. Here in Atlanta, I recall that someone won a million dollars on WYAY, I believe in afternoon drive with Cadillac Jack.

I'm sure the insurance policy has been purchased.
 
I can't believe that Star 94 has been allowed to stay this low in the ratings for so long. Who's minding the store at Lincoln Financial? Don Benson is as sharp as they come. Why he hasn't made strategic moves to right the ship is mind boggling. Maybe a new consultant? Do they need a new morning show to set the table for the day?
 
Fact is, letting Steve & Vikki go was a huge mistake that Star 94 is still suffering for. And I agree, I can't believe Don Benson hasn't pulled the trigger on something over there.

I guess the question would be, What would that "something" be? A format tweak? New branding?
 
I would make this modest suggestion. Increasingly, listeners are seeking alternatives to terrestrial radio for musical entertainment. Some listeners change stations, but others change media, from radio to in-dash CD players, MP3 players or iPods, satellite, or something else. To get back the listeners who left radio behind, radio stations must advertise and promote themselves in media that will reach people who've abandoned radio. Just changing their on-air product and hoping people accidentally find their new content while surfing the radio dial just isn't enough any more.
 
I completely agree. AND radio needs to be different from my mp3 player, which has 1500 songs in it, all of which I like (or they wouldn't be in there).

What radio must do is develop content that is unique and compelling. It needs PERSONALITIES. We loved Gary McKee and Steve McCoy, Randy Miller and Mark & Steve. Rhubarb Jones. Randy & Spiff. Ross & Wilson. No one is coming up to fill that void. I'd sit through some music I wasn't that wild about to get to McKee's next bit with Yetta and Willis. Put something out there other than the latest TMZ info-barf headlines and see what happens.

Avid Listener said:
I would make this modest suggestion. Increasingly, listeners are seeking alternatives to terrestrial radio for musical entertainment. Some listeners change stations, but others change media, from radio to in-dash CD players, MP3 players or iPods, satellite, or something else. To get back the listeners who left radio behind, radio stations must advertise and promote themselves in media that will reach people who've abandoned radio. Just changing their on-air product and hoping people accidentally find their new content while surfing the radio dial just isn't enough any more.
Click to expand...
 
Star 94's formatics and imaging sound great. They also have top-notch talent in midday and afternoon drive.

IMHO, there are 2 things holding back Star: 1) A sub-par morning show compared to Q100 and B98.5, and 2) Too conservative/boring a playlist.

I haven't seen anyone mention this, but I think the loss of Ray Mariner took down that morning show by several notches.
 
RoddyFreeman said:
Star 94's formatics and imaging sound great. They also have top-notch talent in midday and afternoon drive.

IMHO, there are 2 things holding back Star: 1) A sub-par morning show compared to Q100 and B98.5, and 2) Too conservative/boring a playlist.

I haven't seen anyone mention this, but I think the loss of Ray Mariner took down that morning show by several notches.
Click to expand...

I don't listen to the radio in the morning. I do sometimes listen in the middle of the day, though not often, since the only station in town that doesn't have a conservative, boring playlist is the "soon-to-die" Album 88. But, even if I did listen to AM drive time, hitting a button on my car radio is so incredibly simple that it really doesn't matter how good or bad the morning show is. It's not like it takes any effort to change the station on a modern radio. Maybe in the old days of analog dials on old Philco cabinet radios it might have been too difficult to change stations, so whatever was on first thing in the morning would stay on all day. Those days are long gone.
 
Do you really need the silly chat stuff, or "bits" that try to be entertaining? How many talents can really pull that off these days? Especially in morning drive. It's about the music more than anything. As Roddy said, the boring/conservative playlist isn't helping. Give me the traffic, only the major headlines, stop the useless babble, and play a ton of music. Turn me on to something fresh. Yes, the familiar hits must be played, but please make the playlist larger. Educate me musically.
 
Radiodream said:
Do you really need the silly chat stuff, or "bits" that try to be entertaining? How many talents can really pull that off these days? Especially in morning drive. It's about the music more than anything. As Roddy said, the boring/conservative playlist isn't helping. Give me the traffic, only the major headlines, stop the useless babble, and play a ton of music. Turn me on to something fresh. Yes, the familiar hits must be played, but please make the playlist larger. Educate me musically.
Click to expand...

Those of us who want "just the music" have our CD's, iPods or MP3 Players, Satellite receivers, etc. Radio can't compete head-to-head with those rivals with nothing but music. Radio's only hope of success is to attack the weakness of its opponents' strength. The strength of the other music delivery systems is music, music, and more music and nothing else! But the weakness of those music delivery systems is the "and nothing else". So, radio's strength to attack that weakness has to be something other than music.

However, as important as good, entertaining personality "bits" are, if done badly, they aren't going to lead to victory. There are lots and lots of talented people out there who could be extremely entertaining on morning radio, but most of them prefer working in stand-up comedy, theater, or some other medium.
 
Are there too many CHRs/hot ACs in the ATL? We have Power 96, Q100, B98.5 (with a snazzy new logo to replace the one from the mid-80s, caller10), all of which are doing much better than Star. Even Fish is in that mix and is doing well. And don't forget the urban ACs.

Answer this. Why should anyone listen to Star and not one of the other stations?
 
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