The Next Format Flip in the Ocala / Gainesville Market...

[jmtillery]

After failed attempts at dance and later rock, as of yesterday, December 26th, Miami Cox Radio outlet WHDR 93.1 became Easy 93.1 patterned much the same as Cox owned and very successful WDUV 105.5 Tampa Bay. Before I ask anything, let me define easy listening as it is being presented on WDUV Tampa Bay and now WHDR Miami.

The music is comprised of yesterday's easier Top 40 hits with songs such as Swaying to the Music, Johnny Rivers; Sweet Caroline, Neal Diamond; Fool (If You Think It's Over), Chris Rea; and appropriately enough Easy, The Commodores.

Considering easy listening targets and attracts an older demo and understabnding Gainesville has a much lower median age than Ocala, a format of this type may fair well in Marion County and possibly hold its own in Gainesville if programmed and imaged correctly such as imaging as a more "Hip" easy listening. My question is do you see easy listening of this type coming to the Gainesville / Ocala market? If so, where?

 

[cd637299]

As Mr. Tillery know, I visit the Ocala area much.....whatever station (if FM) needs to flip, I say it needs to have a grade A signal over The Villages. Heaven knows that WVLG has lost its way, musically anyway....their full service is still important to the Villages.

Best bet is for an Orlando station with a huge signal reaching up to Ocala to work.....

cd

 

[jmtillery]

No doubt easy listening would be a huge hit in The Villages as WVLG has been very successful with a similar format on AM in the recent past. Additionally WRZN-AM Sunny 720 has an adult standards/MOR format covering half the state, including The Villages, with its 10,000 watts. What are your thoughts of the viability and potential success of the format in the rest of the market?

 

[cd637299]

You're asking me? I'm honored...I'm not in the biz....I couldn't tell you, as I don't have the feelers out.

As to WRZN, only the day power covers the area...nighttime forget it. WVLG's overnight show couldn't make it 24 hours, but it's interesting to say the least.

I miss 107.7 when it was WJYO in 1985 prior to the satellite format, if that tells you anything. (Yes I know it's 2010....)

(Mr. Tillery also knows that I miss WFUZ!!)

cd

 

[jmtillery]

(Mr. Tillery also knows that I miss WFUZ!!)

cd

WOW - WFUZ! Those call letters have not been associated with 93.7 since 1986, having first become associated with the 93.7 frequency in 1973. WFUZ was a very interesting easy listening station before becoming adult contemporary WFUZ Lite in 1985. During the easy listening days WFUZ was 100% local / live and, at the time, had the greatest and most professional announcers: Chuck Deal, Wes Unold, Fred Mullen, Scotty Pacquin and the lendary "Big Daddy" Myles Foland, all local and all live, playing actual album tracks as there was no automation, not even live-assist. I grew up listening to Big Daddy on WTMC 1290 sing along with a recording of Dean Martin just before he moved over to the former WMOP-FM in 1973 when it became 100kw WFUZ. Big Daddy was a "one-of-a-kind" professional.

 

[cd637299]

I liked WFUZ's style of MOR/AC at the era when you had absolutely no clue what was to be played next.

cd

 

[jmtillery]

I liked WFUZ's style of MOR/AC at the era when you had absolutely no clue what was to be played next.

cd

What you just described was the entire 13-years of WFUZ's existence as the format was basically all over the road formatically speaking.