Sunny 100 sold!

[Kent]

I find it funny that people complain of oversaturation of Spanish radio stations when there are only three or four and there are 10 times that number of English stations. Remember, Spanish is a language, not a format, and there are many different Spanish-language formats. You can easily have two regional Mexican stations that have completely different formats as regional itself includes at least five formats with no one station combining more than three.

Also, keep in mind that many of the people who listen to Spanish radio speak English quite well, though they prefer to listen to music in their native language as that's what they're most comfortable with and what they relate to best. My experience has also been that far more immigrants who come to this country at least try to learn English than not, and the children of immigrants generally learn English quite well while the native language completely disappears with their grandchildren.

If we debated it, you'd likely find that we agree quite-a-bit on immigration issues, but this is a place to discuss radio, not asinine government policy on immigrants and immigration. Remember, it's only radio, not the end of the world. When a station I like flips to Spanish-language programming, it's really no different than if it flips to hip-hop or religious. It just becomes another station I don't listen to. It's also not like any of us know Sunny 100 will flip to a Spanish-language format. While I would agree it's quite likely, it doesn't seem like anything has been set in stone yet. Also, remember that, if there is an oversaturation of Spanish-language programming, the market will solve that problem, much like it is solving the problem with oversaturation of urbans. Notice how WFOX flipped to classic hits almost a year ago?

 

[PaulBWalkerJr]

I'll try this again since my original post about a page back got deleted...

lilburn, you obviously have a clear hatred and predjudiced for anything hispanic, especially if it's on the radio. We're very aware of how much you dislike it, and you spew the same c**p each change you get.


The FCC doesnt care what your programming, As long as the station complies with FCC rules/regulations and is serving their community, your protesting with do nothing more then make you look like an idiot! It'll also be a big waste of your time and you won't accomplish anything. I highly doubt your efforts will cause many, if ANY advertisers or listeners to boycot the stations.

There are those english speaking busineses who know that the hispanic population is growing and that being part of a spanish station is a good business plan.

 

[BDBopper]

Hey guys I'm working in a spanish radio station... I'm sorry because you guys think that we come here to take your jobs... that was not my idea coming from LA to Atlanta.
Anyway i don't think that Sunny 100 will change to spanish format because in that area there is not a lot of latinos.

God bless you all!

No that's not the problem at all. It's the over saturation of the market. I realize the hispanic stations are boons for advertising for that community. As an advertiser would i rather buy time on three-five stations or 15? I would rather buy ads on a few stations that are sure to have an audience and get me more money coming in, than 15 stations where I have no idea how many are going to be listening on most of them. Also I would rather send out 3 checks as opposed to 15 in all different directions. It's a strain on efficiency. But of course I'm not in that business so my logic could be full of bologna.

 

[lilburncommunityradio]

I'll try this again since my original post about a page back got deleted...

lilburn, you  obviously have a clear hatred and predjudiced for anything hispanic, especially if it's on the radio. We're very aware of how much you dislike it, and you spew the same c**p each change you get.


The FCC doesnt  care what your programming, As long as the station complies with FCC rules/regulations and is serving their community, your protesting with do nothing more then make you look like an idiot!  It'll also be a big waste of your time and you won't accomplish anything. I highly doubt your efforts will cause many, if ANY advertisers or listeners to boycot the stations.

There are those english speaking busineses who know that the hispanic population is growing and that being part of a spanish station is a good business plan.


Paul,
        I will make this so clear even someone as stuck on yourself as you can understand.
I have no problems with anyone, with any race, I just am tired of every Am station, and low powered Fm station turning over and giving up. I am aware that the spanish population is booming and I am also aware that money is money no matter how you look at it. Now for your personal attack on me: I would really think that since you are so increasingly stuck on
you then you might want to note some things in your posts..  YOU are young!  YOU haven't
been around and experienced all of the job losses in this business as I have. YOU need to
listen, learn, and then respond. YOU have no idea of the market in Atlanta, nor what the
market really needs or doesn't.  I would really think that someone WHO is as LEARNED about all aspects of this business as YOU would stop your attacks on me, or at least post to me
in private to unleash all of your thoughts. So if you really are the RADIO GOD as you claim to be then act like a GOD would, and not some young, inexperienced child. I refute your
claims, and I also would like to add this, If you knew Atlanta Radio as well as I , since I have been in the Biz in this town for over 29 years then your comments would have merit.
But to me they have none. I will accept your apology whenever your ready to offer it.
Im sorry but if you look at the way you posted to me, above and in the other post, then
perhaps after some thought, you would realize Im only thinking of the fact that Atlanta has
far too many spanish stations. Its time to do something about this, and I will. Im sorry you
take my actions as one of an Idiot, but remember again , YOU dont live in Atlanta, and YOU
post alot about ATLANTA not to even know the market. I would now hope to close this thread with you attacking me on every front. You have a good day Mr Walker
and by the way none of what I have written is an attack, only a written essay of truth. I have a right to express thoughts as well as you. I dont spew C**P, I am simply saying that if you lived in a community that had three licenced stations, and none of them were serving not one portion of the English speaking people, then yes
as you age even you would be upset.

 

[asoundhound]

Re: getting Sirius if Sunny changes formats, XM has way better oldies channels.

 

[Surfer]

Y'know, the chances are that everything will stay just the way it is because it probably works well and doesn't need a lot of fixing. IMHO, Sunny = MONEY.

 

[BIGSTICK]

This is the best station on the air, I only wish it could really boost the power more.
I have a cabin in Blue Ridge and listen to it all the time I am there.

 

[lilburncommunityradio]

Its a incredible station. We will just have to see what happens with the new owner.
I still feel though that this station will flip to spanish. Greg Davis is known for wanting his pockets fat and full. Now, there's nothing wrong with that ! But when
you literally kill great stations and do away with any local programming suited to
(ALL) Audiences then its a major problem.

P.S. Note: Nothing was said negative about any race, religion, culture, or even
space aliens. This is my disclaimer against anyone saying that Im a racist, bigot,
or just hate other races.. Its of course all nonsense, only looking out for my
intrests in the radio biz of course. ;D

 

[TheRealOtherNeil]

Does anyone know...has the number one station in any market ever been sold? As all learned posters know, Sunny 100 ranks number one in all demo's in the Atlatna metro. Q100 is s close second and WGST has had a huge bump with the hiring of Denny Shafer.

 

[Barry Blakely]

If any of us think that Sunny 100 will stay in its' present state, I would guess that we need to think again. Based on what other stations have done recently...first, searching yesterday on Yahoo, I couldn't find Sunny's website, but could get their Website's Guest Page. Today, you can't find the Guest Page. If things weren't going to change, at least the websites would still be there.

The business side of this is what really ticks me off. As a white, 59 year old, married male, what the big radio corporate bean counters are saying is that they can't generate enough revenue from advertisers to service my radio needs. They think my age group doesn't spend enough money on what the advertisers are selling...even less than the hispanic or black markets. So therefore, they need to have more hip-hop/rap, spanish, country (but it has to be aimed at the youth market...not someone in my age group) or even talk radio. Right now, the only station that will left in the Atlanta market for my demographics will be: 98.5 (which is just too lite for me...lite needs to be on a Corona or Coors): 97.1 which plays the same 300 songs over and over (but thankfully, just recently cycled an almost new set of 300 songs to play); and Y106.7 for country...and it's promoting it's new younger sound.

 

[taylorengineer]

Hey Barry....I feel your pain!
Just wait until wireless internet is in your car. Millions of channels of anything you can think of.....all at your fingertips!
Funny though.....the channels that will really be successful....that will get the hits and make the money....are going to sound pretty close to what we know and love as commercial radio today. They will be overprocessed, play 40-50 songs over and over, and have intellectually stiffled, "Entertainment Tonight" jocks.
But the niches will be served too.....from grumpy ol' white guys music to Mexican home and gardening shows....it'll be there.
Just hope President Hill-da-bestie doesn't figure out a way to get the guv-ments power grabbin' fingers in it. I can already feel the hobnail boot of guvment on my throat.

 

[middlega]

They think my age group doesn't spend enough money on what the advertisers are selling

Having been on both the station side and the advertiser side, I would suggest that you lay that blame (at the very least) equally on the advertisers as on the stations.

If they aren't marketing Depends, it's gotten tougher & tougher to convince clients not to ignore the older demographics, even in cases where they are a logical target for the product. And I say that as an ad agency, not a radio sales rep.

It's not at all unusual to see a product that's has a primary appeal to 35-54 that the client insists on focusing on a 25-39 aged consumer or thereabouts. It's part ignorance, it's part ego (can't stand the thought of having an older appealing product) and part trying to cash in on early adopters that they can keep for decades. At least the last part of that makes some sort of sense, the rest just has my rolling my soon-to-be-40 year old eyes.

Throw in the media buyers/planners who get even younger every year, while I get older & older, and it's an increasingly difficult sale for anybody, radio or otherwise.

So, for all the faults "corporate radio" may have, the lack of interest in older demos (which get younger every year) really doesn't lie solely on their doorstep IMO.

 

[Barry Blakely]

Hey Middlega, I'm not laying the blame directly on the advertisers, but a large part does go to the numbers people at the major ad agencies...and that's who is making the pitches to the corporate radio monsters.

If anyone really listens to the ads on Sunny, you'll hear a lot of local companies that have been on there a long time...years, not months, and a number of these are small stores...and when it works for them, it can work for almost anyone. The station doesn't have the amount of national products as you'll hear on the major stations in Atlanta, as the big ad agencies only want to put the products they rep on the stations with the biggest ratings and I don't think they're as concerned with the station's demographics to really try and target a market, hence Fox 97.1 and Cool 105.7 are not around anymore...if you don't believe me, just ask Randy & Spiff...and probably very soon Sunny 100 as we know it will be gone for probably the same reason.

The company I was with the past several years advertised on Sunny 100 with great results and only because I'm with a different company on the opposite side of town is what is keeping me from a continued relationship.

Here's how strongly I feel about this, several years ago when my youngest daughter was 16/17, we ended up at Tom Jumper Chevrolet and found the car that both she & I liked and were just about ready to sign for, when the GM walked in to say thanks for the business. It hit me that I hadn't heard any of their commericals on Fox 97.1 for awhile and I asked him why the business had quit advertising on Fox 97.1. He told me it was because the company wanted to focus more on a younger market where they (Tom Jumper Chevrolet) felt there was more of a market then the listeners at Fox. At that point I stood up, thanked the salesman for his help and time, and told the GM to go f--k himself...and explained that I refused to go business with a company that didn't feel my business was worth anything (and my daughter & I both really wanted the car) and told him that they might have forgotten that it's often Mon & Dad's money and/or decision on the actual purchases made by that younger market, and I wouldn't support a company that didn't want to support me.

You should have seen the look on his face...like the MasterCard commerical: priceless!