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Thanksgiving Hits 96.1 was Party 96.1

It might be, Monday they were still saying Hits 96.1 your party station and the music seems to still be throwbacks with some currents, I've heard Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift the most.
 
The playlist today is still pretty similar to what it was over the weekend. Mostly 00s and early 10s gold, some late 90s tracks and some currents ("Dance The Night", "Cruel Summer", "What It Is", "Calm Down"). Tons of stuff like Sean Paul, Paramore, Ne-Yo, Timbaland, All-American Rejects, etc. I like it!
 
Listen to Hits 100.3 in the Triad in comparison, very little gold compared to WHQC. WHQC is very gold heavy compared to other sister stations nearby like WQNQ/Asheville, WNOK/Columbia, or WDCG/RDU. They’re only touching the big, established currents at WHQC.
 
WHQC is now spinning currents at 50% the rate of WNKS, and even less than sister station WMKS in the triad.

Listening last night, apparently the “throwback weekend” was “so successful” they’re going to “keep the party going.” Heard “This Love” by Maroon 5 and “Hey Ya” by OutKast this morning so they’re going 20+ years back. Also heard some OLD Usher and Rihanna. I’m 31, and this is absolutely perfect for someone my age, or at least for me - lots of songs I grew up with but still not totally abandoning new music.
 
Rather than a total flip, looks like they have made an adjustment. Good way to differentiate from 95.1 while still playing current hits with older hits mixed in. Good move since the CHR exclusive playlist was continuously declining in the ratings.
 
101tm said:
Listening last night, apparently the “throwback weekend” was “so successful” they’re going to “keep the party going.” Heard “This Love” by Maroon 5 and “Hey Ya” by OutKast this morning so they’re going 20+ years back. Also heard some OLD Usher and Rihanna. I’m 31, and this is absolutely perfect for someone my age, or at least for me - lots of songs I grew up with but still not totally abandoning new music.
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The "Throwback Weekend" was positioned that way as a marketing stunt. WKFS Cincinnati did the same exact thing when it adjusted over the summer and WZFT Baltimore over Labor Day. It wasn't done to be just for the weekend.
 
lanceventa said:
The "Throwback Weekend" was positioned that way as a marketing stunt. WKFS Cincinnati did the same exact thing when it adjusted over the summer and WZFT Baltimore over Labor Day. It wasn't done to be just for the weekend.
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Oh yeah, I know sarcasm gets lost on the internet sometimes. All of the references of “it was so great, we’re going to keep the party going” etc are obvious stunts. Sounds great though.

Also seems like iHeart has cranked up the gold on G105 in the Triangle, but their spins are still around 90x/week.

For comparison, WMKS in the Triad is spinning their powers 120x-130x/wk with much less gold than its neighboring market sister stations, but their numbers aren’t exactly in such a bad pickle.
 
They needed to do something. They've been in the 1's or low 2's for a while now.

Looks like they're going more towards a Rhythmic AC direction. I like the changes.

"Charlotte's Party Station" was the slogan when they were 96.1 The Beat as well.
 
Ironically they picked up the “Charlotte’s Party Station” a bit before these changes, and it still sounded like a regular CHR. I’ve never heard a non-rhythmic or at least rhythmic leaning CHR use the “party station” brand.
 
I think someone will have to come up with a name for this sort of format. As said above, it's a move also made by WKFS Cincinnati, WZFT Baltimore, WBBM-FM Chicago and WPOW Miami. It isn't CHR or Top 40 anymore. Is it Adult Top 40? Something else?
 
Gregg. said:
I think someone will have to come up with a name for this sort of format. As said above, it's a move also made by WKFS Cincinnati, WZFT Baltimore, WBBM-FM Chicago and WPOW Miami. It isn't CHR or Top 40 anymore. Is it Adult Top 40? Something else?
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The thing is, there are so many different variations of it. WPOW and WBBM are playing rhythmic gold and leaning in to that heritage (although it hasn’t worked well for WBBM). WZFT, WHQC, and WKFS are avoiding non-mainstream hip hop and also play rock and ballads. It’s got a lot of similarities to Hot AC, but HAC plays more current/recurrents.

I wish one of our CHR’s down here in Greenville-Spartanburg would move in this direction.
 
HITS 96.1 is playing mostly edits of songs that had rap verses. Have any of you noticed this? They played “What’s My Name” by Rihanna edit without the Drake rap verse, “Side to Side” by Ariana Grande without Nicki Minaj (yet they play Nicki minaj’s solo songs) and “DJ Got Us Fallin In Love” by Usher without Pitbull. When these songs were released these edits were primarily services to / used by hot AC and some adult leaning CHR’s. Rather interesting.
 
Heard a commercial for a Glenn Miller Band Christmas concert in Charlotte with mentions of Durham. Interesting to hear Glenn Miller Music even during a commercial on Hits 96.1, then into a Chris Brown song followed by Cher "DJ Play A Christmas Song".
 
Gregg. said:
I think someone will have to come up with a name for this sort of format. As said above, it's a move also made by WKFS Cincinnati, WZFT Baltimore, WBBM-FM Chicago and WPOW Miami. It isn't CHR or Top 40 anymore. Is it Adult Top 40? Something else?
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We're classifying them as Gold CHRs. They are still CHR in terms of the demos being targeted and playing currents, but the majority of their music is gold. Until something better comes along.
 


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