The Best Choice for Merlin with 106.9 at this point could be CHR?

[RadioPhillyFan]

I'm one of the few who like modern hit music but would rather listen to WISX, WPST or WSTW over WIOQ, [EDIT -but not] due to the music selection. Over the years of WIOQ, it's quality has severely regressed, it's HD-2 are under appreciated by the station, it seems to airs twice as many commercials as other stations, such as WISX, WRDW or WPST. To me, the morning show is unlistenable, and the "afternoons" are as well, I feel like I'm listening to commercials more then music on WIOQ. I enjoy WIOQ after 6 PM to when they start the morning show, however. Maybe if a new CHR would try a "music jukebox" almost theme like WRFF, playing mostly music, with traffic breaks and a few blips of some interesting talk, but not much.

If I were a corporation in the Philadelphia Market, I would try to kill it. Whether GM's 97.5, Merlin's 106.9 or one of R1's stations take on WIOQ (which is VERY unlikely, but not unheard of, I wouldn't doubt Cumulus or Entercom wanting a piece of the Philadelphia Market, and 103.9 reaches a good portion of the market (i may be wrong) including Southern Chester County even.

If Merlin did what Z104 did in Baltimore, 106 (instead of 104) hours of commercial free music when the station started up, playing a CHR format, do you think it would preform? I mean, WPST, WSTW and WRDW have a share as big as WIOQ, if you can get a station that appeals to everyone (because of Elvis Durran, which is almost completely talk, and is my thoughts on why WISX and WRDW have reached a share of over 3.0) do you think it'd be able to beat WIOQ with the time given? 103.9 or 106.9 have a better chance at the 97.5 frequency, but WPST already has had 2.0 before with a frequency that reachs 60% of the metro fairly.

 

[nd2023]

While I would like a CHR, Merlin wants to do only all news.

101.9 in New York City could get better ratings and more profit as a dance station.

 

[jhguthlac]

Given the company's lack of success with news, it should try CHR in Philly.

 

[Rkworld]

Too many CHR stations in & around Philly, and most of them play the same 5 songs every hour.

 

[tommygraser]

If they where going to try any kind of Music there best bet would be Oldies 50's-70's That would be there best move. But if done Right and I am sure they will An all News will work out..

 

[RadioPhillyFan]

[quoteauthor=Rkworldlink=topic=204395.msg1824312#msg1824312date=1325858700]
ToomanyCHRstationsin&aroundPhilly,andmostofthemplaythesame5songseveryhour.
[/quote]

Q102hasproblemsforaCHR,eveninmusicselection.

Wired96.5isn'treallyCHRasmuchasUrban,butitisaCHR.

PSTonlyreacheshalfthemetro

WSTWismoreHotAC,infactitreallyis,it'sjustformattedasCHR.

So, a new CHR could easily rate well.

 

[RadioPhillyFan]

[quoteauthor=Rkworldlink=topic=204395.msg1824312#msg1824312date=1325858700]
ToomanyCHRstationsin&aroundPhilly,andmostofthemplaythesame5songseveryhour.
[/quote]

Q102hasproblemsforaCHR,eveninmusicselection.

Wired96.5isn'treallyCHRasmuchasUrban,butitisaCHR.

PSTonlyreacheshalfthemetro

WSTWismoreHotAC,infactitreallyis,it'sjustformattedasCHR.

So, a new CHR could easily rate well.

 

[Rkworld]

[quoteauthor=Rkworldlink=topic=204395.msg1824312#msg1824312date=1325858700]
ToomanyCHRstationsin&aroundPhilly,andmostofthemplaythesame5songseveryhour.

Q102hasproblemsforaCHR,eveninmusicselection.

Wired96.5isn'treallyCHRasmuchasUrban,butitisaCHR.

PSTonlyreacheshalfthemetro

WSTWismoreHotAC,infactitreallyis,it'sjustformattedasCHR.

So, a new CHR could easily rate well.
[/quote]
Don't forget Mix 1061. They, too, play pretty much the same music/artists as the stations listed (B101's also playing these artists somewhat). It would be too same old same old for another CHR in this area.

Other possible formats that could work:
Oldies; Classic Hits
Adult Contemporary
Active Rock (harder than 'MMR)

 

[fennessy]

It's typical for Philly and NYC radio people to think and believe that one Country station is one too many....but consider that it might be time to reposition WXTU with a new country FM...if done correctly, there are strong Women 18-34 and 25-49 numbers to convert to revenue. Look...101.1 has to blow itself up and reinvent itself every 10-15 years...it might be time for a fresh product and approach in Country...in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, there are a bunch of FM stations in New York with low audience numbers and weak revenues, who think it's prudent to do anything but Country.

 

[RadioPhillyFan]

Too many CHR stations in & around Philly, and most of them play the same 5 songs every hour.

Q102 has problems for a CHR, even in music selection.

Wired 96.5 isn't really CHR as much as Urban, but it is a CHR.

PST only reaches half the metro

WSTW is more Hot AC, in fact it really is, it's just formatted as CHR.

So, a new CHR could easily rate well.

Don't forget Mix 1061. They, too, play pretty much the same music/artists as the stations listed (B101's also playing these artists somewhat). It would be too same old same old for another CHR in this area.

Other possible formats that could work:
Oldies; Classic Hits
Adult Contemporary
Active Rock (harder than 'MMR)

I completely agree about those formats working, and Mix 106.1 seems to change their playlist a lot, such as they focus more modern one month, then more 90's the next. But it does still play a lot of music 102.1 and 93.7 (the only two stations formatted CHR that are in the market). Same with WSJO (104.9)

Also, maybe another Alternative will work? I really do enjoy WRFF and i'm sure it'd be a lesser.

Classics Hits would do amazing in this city too.

Although I would love another Active Rock station, wouldn't it be like 'YSP? I can't quite imagine it doing much better then YSP, it was a very well known station.

In response to having two country formats, it's pretty filled. There is also 103.7 and 96.1 (not in market listings, but 103.7 reaches Chester County and some of Delaware, not sure about 96.1 but TuneIn lists it for Philadelphia) The share for WXTU isn't very dominate, and for how much it has of a share it doesn't cume well. But, stranger things have happened.

 

[imhomerjay]

Classic hits is already doing well in this city. It's called WOGL.

Most of the format suggested are different flavors of something being done (those that have been done and for various reasons gone away notwithstanding). If they're going to do that anyway, there's something to be said for aiming at the top--that leaves them essentially with going after B101 (and we've seen how well that's worked), or trying to grab some piece of the KYW pie. I think we know which way they're going.

 

[RadioPhillyFan]

Homer, that doesn't mean anything just because the format isn't left open, it's just the station with the format is doing a shoddy job and a new station, with better operations and a different flavor to overtake it. It has happened before.

Just because a station is there, doesn't mean it can hold the spot. Q102 is the worst CHR I have ever heard. My favorite CHR is Now 96.3 in Minneapolis/St. Paul less talk, more interesting, better music. You can listen to it online.

Q102 overplays, Q102 has horrible segments, waaaay to many commercials, a HD2 that is under appreciated, and more. Not to mention Elvis Durran, Philadelphians don't want a morning show from New York. Plus, his morning show has almost no music, then Q102 goes right to AT40.

It also sounds like a Hot AC sometimes, playing songs from 2002, which is not a CHR. Not to say that songs that aren't made in the past three yeara are bad, but I don't want to hear them in my CHR.

Someone can take out Q102, look at it's share. 96.5 is gaining (untill recently) 102.1 is losing.

96.5 is very urban-sounding for a CHR, so I don't consider it a CHR as much as I do Q102.


Many people have tried to take on B101, but it's run pretty well and can't beat it or even dent it.

KYW has had little competition, Merlin could hurt KYW if they get 106.9 advertised.

 

[imhomerjay]

"Shoddy" and "better" are subjective, are they not? That's not to say new entities can't dent, or even topple, an established brand, nor did I suggest that to be the case. (That said, just because one group happens to view a particular station as "shoddy" doesn't mean another station will topple it, regardless of how they approach the battle--or that what another group considers "inferior" might not topple what those people think is a "better" station.)

 

[RadioPhillyFan]

"Shoddy" and "better" are subjective, are they not? That's not to say new entities can't dent, or even topple, an established brand, nor did I suggest that to be the case. (That said, just because one group happens to view a particular station as "shoddy" doesn't mean another station will topple it, regardless of how they approach the battle--or that what another group considers "inferior" might not topple what those people think is a "better" station.)

You're entirely correct that it's subjective. It is just my opinion that Q102 is "the worst CHR" - It may not even be a popular opinion. I just heard "Hit me one more time" on Q102. I'm doubting that it even is a CHR more and more. It may end up like WSTW.

 

[fennessy]

B101 probably isn't going to be that affected by a direct format competitor...but if someone does country correctly, and markets the station without all the cowboy hats, horses, belt buckles and all that pre-historic CMA garbage....you can take a chunk, and get into a sharing pattern with them, and be a reasonable player. Philadelphia and New York have to get over themselves when it comes to this format. You can't walk into a retailer telling stories about the country station's audience having green teeth and beating their wives anymore. What is green is the money.

 

[radiophiler]

It's fun to speculate on what music format a new radio company might be able to put on the air in Philly.

But they've already hired their program director. His most recent job was in talk radio in North Carolina. It's unlikely that the final format will be something that's not spoken word.

Merlin stunted with 80s-based Hot AC in Chicago and NYC before switching to all news. Now that Walt Sabo is gone from Merlin, I doubt we'll hear the "chocolate" references that were used in NYC. But it might not be a bad idea for Merlin to put on a lot of familiar pop hits (nothing new and unfamiliar) that would appeal to a 25-54 audience (and most likely to 35-54s) to get some people in the metro used to setting a car preset on 106.9.

OK, just for fun, what music format hole would I try to fill? An updated Classic Hits format. 80s centered, with upbeat late 70s and some Hot AC from the early 90s. It would draw from WOGL B101 and Ben without competing directly with them.

 

[aindik]

OK, just for fun, what music format hole would I try to fill? An updated Classic Hits format. 80s centered, with upbeat late 70s and some Hot AC from the early 90s. It would draw from WOGL B101 and Ben without competing directly with them.

They could call it Eagle 106 (point 9). Format it to sound exactly like Eagle sounded in the 80s, hire the same DJs, etc. Though, it would play music from slightly before the Eagle era.

 

[observer2]

They could revive WUBA and call it Wooba [email protected]. (CD101 in Columbus gets away with something like that).

Nuw [email protected]?

Wizzard One Hundred (six point nine)

Kix 106 and 9 tenths.

The possibilities are endless.

 

[wprt949]

or they could stunt by simulcasting fm news 101.9 into philly for a few days

 

[radio-free ventnor]

It's typical for Philly and NYC radio people to think and believe that one Country station is one too many....but consider that it might be time to reposition WXTU with a new country FM...if done correctly, there are strong Women 18-34 and 25-49 numbers to convert to revenue. Look...101.1 has to blow itself up and reinvent itself every 10-15 years...it might be time for a fresh product and approach in Country...in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, there are a bunch of FM stations in New York with low audience numbers and weak revenues, who think it's prudent to do anything but Country.

Now I'm not really a fan of country music but I thought I'd throw this out there: Would a "classic country" formatted station work here? Given the surge in popularity country in general has had in recent years and the fact that XTU has modern country covered.