Stray thoughts about September Ratings

[TheBigA]

80s and 90s hits, with an emphasis on the more rockier side of the music. IOW, what Magic, WROR, and Rock 92.9 (or is it 92. Rock instead) isn't playing:

There's a reason why ROR isn't playing them. They will not get better numbers than the station's getting now.

 

[Retro]

There's a reason why ROR isn't playing them. They will not get better numbers than the station's getting now.

Yes, however 'ROR is going for a different audience though. The audience that I am talking about are the same one's who were into the music on MTV, preferred WZOU to both Kiss 108 and WHTT. And the people who really appreciated Mix 98.5 during the late 90s.

And besides, do you really think that such a format would perform worse than the present numbers of both either WODS or WJMN?

True, IHeartRadio has 97.7 The Beat! However, I really think that they only exist to help augment Kiss 108 and Jam'n 94.5 now.

I do not know what , and if the format would work? It could be all upbeat 80's, or some variation of it instead.

 

[TheBigA]

And besides, do you really think that such a format would perform worse than the present numbers of both either WODS or WJMN?

I think it will attract an older demo than what they have now at ODS, and I think Entercom needs a younger format in its cluster. Playing 80s won't do that.

More 80s just dilutes the audience pool.

 

[Retro]

I think it will attract an older demo than what they have now at ODS, and I think Entercom needs a younger format in its cluster. Playing 80s won't do that.

More 80s just dilutes the audience pool.

Well true! They could just go either all 90's and 2000s instead. I'm just a thinker person on what might be something new and interesting, and not necessarily a numbers guy.

As far as Entercom, they pull the Radio Q format out the hat, and see how that would work on the main dial instead?

I still think that a straight forward Active Rock station, if implemented right, could take a good size of the audience too. That was my thinking with WBOS, but the went Younger Classic Rock instead.

 

[TheBigA]

As far as Entercom, they pull the Radio Q format out the hat, and see how that would work on the main dial instead?

Don't see that happening, especially in Boston.

 

[MarkW]

WAAF...what a dumpster fire!!!

One reason 94.5 & 103.3 have lousy ratings is because the core demos to whom such programming normally appeals are using radio less & less. (This phenomenon likely affects WAAF as well.)

Would it make sense for iHeart to swap signals for The Bull and Jam'n?

 

[TheBigA]

One reason 94.5 & 103.3 have lousy ratings is because the core demos to whom such programming normally appeals are using radio less & less.

Not really the case for 94.5. Urban audiences are FAR more loyal to radio than active rock audiences.

iHeart is more successful with its CHR stations than Entercom. The format does better in other markets.

 

[MarkW]

Urban audiences are FAR more loyal to radio than active rock audiences.

Urban audiences are more loyal to radio than a bunch of other formats. TSL is really, really strong with Urban AC in particular in markets where African American audiences are a large percentage of the total population.

The AMP-branded stations seem(ed) to skew much younger - in terms of overall stationality - than the heritage iHeart CHR stations.

WJMN has relied quite a bit on Caucasian listenership through the years. Over the past several years, Hot 96.9 has done a much better job at being a consensus / mass appeal station than WJMN.

 

[UrbanTeenager]

What stations are all the people who once listened to WKAF, WBQT, WODS & WJMN listening to now ?

Pirates, online radio and streaming.

As I’ve been saying for years WJMN simply plays terrible irrelevant music-it’s not even music that’s that popular.

WKAF jettisoned the black community for poor music

WBQT is stale and the newnesss is gone.

There are simple changes that could make all these stations successful but corporation want to play it safe because they don’t trust the demographic changes and won’t focus on on high minority areas. It’s not that complicated.

They’re content with what they have knowing they could absolutely do better.

 

[UrbanTeenager]

Urban audiences are more loyal to radio than a bunch of other formats. TSL is really, really strong with Urban AC in particular in markets where African American audiences are a large percentage of the total population.

The AMP-branded stations seem(ed) to skew much younger - in terms of overall stationality - than the heritage iHeart CHR stations.

WJMN has relied quite a bit on Caucasian listenership through the years. Over the past several years, Hot 96.9 has done a much better job at being a consensus / mass appeal station than WJMN.

The problem is that age group does listen to the radio less AND the number of 18-34 year old white people in eastern MA had fallen precipitously over the past 20 years. It hasn’t been filled in with traditional African Americans but rather with tropical Hispanics and blacks.

I don’t think there’s another market quite like this in the country outside of Hartford or Providence. Iheart doesn’t know how to program to it.l because they can’t copy and paste. They’d have to blend northern contemporary hip hop artists, afrobeat/dancehall, and tropical Latin music. Quite frankly, the pirates are just much much better at that.

They don’t even have an urban audience at all. It’s a heavily suburban white audience but the reality is hip hop now is about culture and social media-it’s a lifestyles because it’s so fragmented. There are no more Eminem’s or 50 Cents or sidqo that they used to rely on-he’ll there aren’t even any mor eLik Wayne’s. They’re trying to keep a station alive off of Drake Post Malone and a horrible morning show and it just wont work. There a burgeoning and growing urban culture in Eastern MA most posters on here and those who work at iHeart are largely oblivious too.

I was right about WBQT surpassing WJMN.

I was right about that getting rid of the Breakfast club and adding the Ashlee morning would immediately tank WJMN.

I was right about Boston being able to support an urban station in WKAF.

I was right about WKAF ranking sinking with a format change.

I’m a 25 year old black man raised in Boston and raised on WJMN HOT 977 and WILD. I know pretty much exactly why these stations are failing.

Can anyone please explain to me with how the current formats WJMN or WKAF could possibly improve their ratings? I mean is that even possible? Each year they don’t their white demo shrinks and more cars hit the road with Bluetooth and other playback capabilities. I don’t know if there are any other experts on urban music here but if there are please explain how these stations could possibly do any better than they are now, I don’t see it unless they go urban or lean heavily urban. It’s just not feasible -they’re fighting against the tide of taste, accessibility and demographics.

 

[spt87]

Interesting that WRKO has pulled ahead of WEEI-FM. Howie Carr must be happy after all the years of his complaints about Entercom and them treating WRKO as an after thought to WEEI.

 

[jlehmann]

Interesting that WRKO has pulled ahead of WEEI-FM. Howie Carr must be happy after all the years of his complaints about Entercom and them treating WRKO as an after thought to WEEI.

I’d almost guarantee you that WRKO is well behind WEEI in the demos that matter. I’d sure like to see what the demo rankings look like here. Seems people post them in other boards on this site all the time, but rarely Boston.