The New Star 96.1

[tbolt909]

However, Audacy could claim ownership in that market. By continuing to use it on another stations, they might have a claim. On the other hand, there might have been a side deal to let the brand transition without claim.

Two minutes of silence for the dear departed? OK it's possible.

Audacy is not continuing to use the STAR name. You would be correct if they were. Townsquare had to know they weren't, so they simply had their ducks in a row. Why would Audacy want to help a competitor in any way?
They won't benefit if Townsquare somehow makes money with "The Christmas Station". Once the decision was made to sell 102.5, the company essentially gave up on Buffalo. The GM is leaving and sales revenue will certainly suffer at the cluster...

 

[tbolt909]

Or a brief pause so former listeners would understand something was being done.

The last time I did a format switch in the middle of the day, it was at a 200 kw FM in a market a bit bigger than New York City. We paused for a few moments with silence and used the time to get all the posted memos, liner cards, copy points and broadcast material out of the studio. We took the mike clips off, and removed the banners from the walls. Once that was done, we played a sweeper and the first song of the new format.

All was done on purpose. There was a total absence of incompetence when we did that.

Huh? How would listeners know that dead air was being used to clear the studio? Was it being televised back then? If listeners weren't "viewing" this studio exercise, it makes no sense...

 

[KurtLockport]

It was incompetence most likely. The goal is to get listeners to Kiss and everyone changed the station, probably to polkas or something better.

 

[Radio-Bored-Op]

96.1's playlist from a music category rotation standpoint seems virtually unchanged. It's still in the Mainstream AC lane but leans hot.

I've not spent anytime studying WKSE in the past but their playlist of the past 48 hours definitely seems to be on the conservative side. The rotations look CHR-ish but the artist choices look Hot AC-ish.

I'm 49, I should NOT know any of the songs on 98.5 and I should be asking ..... what is a post Malone.

k98 is definitely not / no longer chr.

 

[ksradiogeek]

Now, about that 2:45 of dead air after Star 102.5 said farewell and the simulcast with Kiss 98.5 began. Intentional?

I believe it was intentional in order to sync up with Kiss.

 

[lanceventa]

I believe it was intentional in order to sync up with Kiss.

It was. Waiting for Kiss to come out of its stopset.

 

[e-dawg]

At least Buffalo still has HOT-AC format. I'm not sure if you can count 105.1 The River CJED from the Canadian side of the border. I'm not sure if CJED also targets the Buffalo area.

 

[speer360]

Call Sign Change put in for WMSX to change to WTSS

 

[BobBarnett]

Call Sign Change put in for WMSX to change to WTSS

No strategic benefit to that…find one person outside of the media that can tell you their call letters

 

[lanceventa]

And sale closing was filed about 20 minutes ago.

 

[Rusty Bridges]

At least Buffalo still has HOT-AC format. I'm not sure if you can count 105.1 The River CJED from the Canadian side of the border. I'm not sure if CJED also targets the Buffalo area.

105.1 isn't a factor in Buffalo, any listening CJED gets is incidental. There probably are fans, but they're few. Joy-Mix-Breeze-Star actually sounds pretty good to this older guy's ears.

Call Sign Change put in for WMSX to change to WTSS

One of the guys who worked at the Lake years ago joked that the WTSS call letters actually stood for "Wow This Station Sucks."

As to the value of call letters, unless the station has been tied to them, and consistently used them, say WYRK, WGR or WBEN, they no longer have the importance they had years ago, especially in PPM markets. 97 Rock listeners don't care that the call letters are WGRF; they know the station as 97 Rock. The Wolf's 27 listeners don't know the call letters are WLKK, to them, it's "that other station that plays country," or "the Wolf." As has been noted on this board several times over the years by ratings mavens like David Eduardo, most people who fill out a diary usually write down frequencies, very often calling them "channels."

 

[lanceventa]

As to the value of call letters, unless the station has been tied to them, and consistently used them, say WYRK, WGR or WBEN, they no longer have the importance they had years ago, especially in PPM markets. 97 Rock listeners don't care that the call letters are WGRF; they know the station as 97 Rock. The Wolf's 27 listeners don't know the call letters are WLKK, to them, it's "that other station that plays country," or "the Wolf." As has been noted on this board several times over the years by ratings mavens like David Eduardo, most people who fill out a diary usually write down frequencies, very often calling them "channels."

Call letters have one major important factor...

National ad buyers see stations listed by call letters. They'll now see WTSS as a nearly continuous entity. Hence why Townsquare claimed them so fast (and it was odd for Audacy to not park them somewhere)

 

[tbolt909]

Call letters have one major important factor...

National ad buyers see stations listed by call letters. They'll now see WTSS as a nearly continuous entity. Hence why Townsquare claimed them so fast (and it was odd for Audacy to not park them somewhere)

The "New" STAR will have to deliver better ratings. The ad buyers won't be duped by call letters. They'll know it's a different owner. Audacy could have moved STAR to one of their other signals. The company obviously saw no reason to bother. The Buffalo cluster will see sales dwindle which is why the GM is leaving. They won't be able to hit sales goals with one less arrow in the quiver...

 

[RadioGuy1864]

Call letters have one major important factor...

National ad buyers see stations listed by call letters. They'll now see WTSS as a nearly continuous entity. Hence why Townsquare claimed them so fast (and it was odd for Audacy to not park them somewhere)

I would think Audacy would have parked them on another station just to keep them off 96.1, unless there was a side deal between Audacy and Townsquare. It's all so confusing.

 

[davideduardo]

The "New" STAR will have to deliver better ratings. The ad buyers won't be duped by call letters. They'll know it's a different owner.

Ad buyers don't particularly care who owns a stations. They buy rating vs. rate. Cost per point.

If they see that several stations can be bought at a savings as a cluster buy, they compare the rating for the cluster to other stations and options. The rest of the buy is computerized.

Media buyers don't pick based on preferences. They are the lowest on the chain. Media planners decide on how much money goes into radio in each market, and they make the specifications that buyers use to get the adequate reach and frequency for the individual markets.

Audacy could have moved STAR to one of their other signals. The company obviously saw no reason to bother. The Buffalo cluster will see sales dwindle which is why the GM is leaving. They won't be able to hit sales goals with one less arrow in the quiver...

And likely corporate knew that when they evaluated spinning the station,

 

[Rusty Bridges]

Call letters have one major important factor. National ad buyers see stations listed by call letters.

True, but that's part of the "translation" made by the rating company, after culling information derived from the diaries in which listeners usually write the frequency.

Hence why Townsquare claimed them so fast (and it was odd for Audacy to not park them somewhere)

Audacy could have temporarily parked WTSS on 1400 in Buffalo or any of its properties in other markets. That Audacy didn't park them and the calls quickly moved to Townsquare's 96.1 suggests ... suggests ... that this could be part of an Intellectual Property deal. Or not...

 

[ckg279]

At least Buffalo still has HOT-AC format. I'm not sure if you can count 105.1 The River CJED from the Canadian side of the border. I'm not sure if CJED also targets the Buffalo area.

IMO, you certainly can; their music selection does somewhat mirror that of Star 102.5(as well as the Canadian content that fits into the format). CJED may not specifically target the Buffalo area, but they have an ad sales partnership with Radio One Buffalo(who owns WECK)to sell advertising for CJED & CFLZ. And unlike Star(which had, at best, 2 on air staff near the end), the River has quite a few more; at least a couple of them(Corey Mottley and Brett Ness)have been on other stations in the area(Corey, if memory serves, was on 101.1 for quite a few years; Brett was on HTZ FM and also does mornings at sister station CFLZ(101.1 More FM); he likely VT's for the River). Jack Peets(ALSO a veteran of HTZ FM)and Rob White(who's also done multiple stints at 101.1)are on staff at More FM. The stations may not make much of an impact in the ratings(on either side of the border), but due credit to Byrnes Communications for getting a mostly local, recognizable staff.

 

[davideduardo]

True, but that's part of the "translation" made by the rating company, after culling information derived from the diaries in which listeners usually write the frequency.

... unless the station has traditionally identified by the call letters. In that case, they write WABC or WLS or WGN or KFI.

 

[SirRoxalot]

It will be interesting to see if the Star 102.5 stream is listed by Nielsen. Do they list streaming-only "radio" stations?

 

[tbolt909]

Audacy could have temporarily parked WTSS on 1400 in Buffalo or any of its properties in other markets. That Audacy didn't park them and the calls quickly moved to Townsquare's 96.1 suggests ... suggests ... that this could be part of an Intellectual Property deal. Or not...

People are over analyzing this. Audacy sold 102.5 because they are desperate for cash. It's very unlikely that Townsquare paid Audacy anything for the rights to use STAR. It's a generic moniker. Townsquare has had little success with MIX & BREEZE, so they have nothing to lose. The odds are that the "New" STAR won't do much better than BREEZE. If they're lucky, they pick up 1 share...