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THE RIVER ...NAME CHANGE COMING...MAYBE

R

roadrunner

The voiceover guy this morning said The River is changing their name Thursday at 6 a.m.
Is this for real? What are they planning to change it to, Amp? Radio-Now? Star-107? 107-5 Kiss FM? Well guess we'll have to wait and see ...
 
I'm thinking the chances of this being for real are almost nonexistent. Why would you put the River branding, which has years of equity in Nashville, out to pasture? Sure, i106 is making slight inroads, but that's natural when a CHR alternative is introduced, and WRVW is still (deservedly) pummeling them, at least in the 6+ numbers. Plus, Thursday's the first day of the PPM week. This has stunt written all over it.
 
I've got it: Tomorrow morning, Woody and Jim are going to tell listeners, "Our new name is the FREE MONEY FLOWING RIVER!" And I betcha it'll tie in with one of CC's national contests prodding listeners to call in every hour and "be the 100th national caller" to win. Yeah, that's got to be it.
 
If the were to change their name, it'd probably be 107-5 Kiss FM since CC "owns" that name not to mention the CHR Kiss FM's in LA, Chicago, etc. But why would they ..it'd cost too much money and "if it ain't broke..don't fix it".
 
I was only 8 at the time, but I never understood why the ditched "Y". Heck, change the calls and bring it back. I know, it aint broke, don't fix it.
 
They have 43,000 facebook fans...yes, 43 THOUSAND facebook fans. I'm not sure you're allowed to change the name of a page with a certain amount of members. WSM-FM hasn't figured out how to at least. I doubt they'll give that up.
 
In yet another attempt at celebrity worship, they'll be naming themselves after some famous but useless pop star for the day...
 
You are correct, Jetfli: Their website now has the station branded as "107.5 The Taylor" - as in Swift:
http://www.1075theriver.com/main.html

Look, I think Taylor Swift is a talented artist. In fact, I'm proud to say that I saw her perform in Nashville in one of those 4th of July concerts in the park when she was just getting started. These days, with all due respect, I'm starting to tire of her, because she's virtually all over the place now.
 
NashvilleNative said:
They have 43,000 facebook fans...yes, 43 THOUSAND facebook fans. I'm not sure you're allowed to change the name of a page with a certain amount of members. WSM-FM hasn't figured out how to at least...
Click to expand...

Indeed, N-squared: Facebook will only allow you to change the title of your fan page if the number of fans currently liking it is less than 100. Now, here's a little way that Zuckerberg & Co. can make some money from their members: Impose a fee, maybe $9.99 or something, to allow the name of your fan page to be changed to reflect the new identity of the station or business. Why start from scratch and risk whatever "likers" you've already gained, if it's not a total format overhaul?
 
I had already been told it was going to be renaming itself after a pop star as a stunt... but didn't realize it was going to be someone with some talent and personality... I withdraw my previous sarcasm...
 
I was doubtful they'd legitimately switch , but I have to admit, given their target demographic, this was a pretty good stunt.

Say what you want about Taylor, but every station from Mix, Country, to the "Taylor" is talking about or giving away tickets to her concert. Actually, when I was a senior at Hendersonville, Taylor came in as a freshman. Everyone kind of skeptically chuckled at the fact she moved to Nashville to become a country start...until she sang "Our Song" acoustic at the talent show about 6 years ago. I'm not an avid fan of her current music, but I was very impressed, given that she wrote it and performed it very well. On a similar note, that same auditorium is now called "Taylor Swift Auditorium" after she donated $75k to HHS.
 
WHAT A JOKE!!! Taylor's not even the best act on her own tour! She should be opening for NeedToBreathe instead!
 
Haha, I just saw this post on 107's FB page where they posted they changed their name to the "Taylor".

"I already hate it when you play ONE of her songs. Welp, I'm officially moving to i106.7.
3 hours ago · Like · 3 people"

Maybe i106 should have a day of no Taylor. Anyways...back to work.
 
When Nashville goes full blown PPM, your will discover PPM is passive, in that the wearer does have to remember the calls, nickname or dial position of the station. The little box on the belt only “hears” the station’s PPM tones.

The “names” do not mean a whole lot to the typical music listener. “Fish” is the exception but that is another tread. Some truly great Nashville stations of the past (WMAK, WVOL, WKDA /KDF, WLAC, and WSIX etc.) may be recalled by some of us in the business, but programming content is king in PPM. This was really “brought home” to me last week. 96 Rock (WKLS) was successful for decades in Atlanta because it was the dial position and the music type. They had “evolved” from an AOR station (like the old 1970’s WKDA FM / KDF) to a classic rock with a slight AOR flavor. 97.1 came in with a “better” playlist, fewer commercials and took no PPM prisoners. (WKLS is now Project 9 6 1) Just last week I was in an office on a sales call and heard a radio playing in the copy room so I ask what station they were listening too and she said 96 Rock, just then the 97.1 sweeper played! They never looked at the dial or digital readout, or heard the liner’s “classic or River”, they were just “listening” to what they thought was a “rock” station for the last few years.

IMHO, If the listener can find your station’s signal on scan, they like your music (or talk show host) and you get preset you are in business. How many people will stay with your station or switch just because they like or dislike the voice sweeper or liner in between the songs? Play a bunch of crappy songs or put on a boring talk show host and see what happens. It is the good content (music, or talk show host) not “cute” nicknames or heritage that will win in PPM.
 
secondchoice said:
The “names” do not mean a whole lot to the typical music listener... Some truly great Nashville stations of the past (WMAK, WVOL, WKDA /KDF, WLAC, and WSIX etc.) may be recalled by some of us in the business, but programming content is king in PPM. This was really “brought home” to me last week. 96 Rock (WKLS) was successful for decades in Atlanta because it was the dial position and the music type. They had “evolved” from an AOR station (like the old 1970’s WKDA FM / KDF) to a classic rock with a slight AOR flavor. 97.1 came in with a “better” playlist, fewer commercials and took no PPM prisoners. (WKLS is now Project 9 6 1) Just last week I was in an office on a sales call and heard a radio playing in the copy room so I ask what station they were listening too and she said 96 Rock, just then the 97.1 sweeper played!

IMHO, If the listener can find your station’s signal on scan, they like your music (or talk show host) and you get preset you are in business. How many people will stay with your station or switch just because they like or dislike the voice sweeper or liner in between the songs? Play a bunch of crappy songs or put on a boring talk show host and see what happens. It is the good content (music, or talk show host) not “cute” nicknames or heritage that will win in PPM.
Click to expand...

You invalidate your own argument. Your example shows that a great name and great brand (96 Rock) will be remembered by the people (not just radio folks) even years after the station ceases to exist.

I do agree with your point, that Content Is King. However, I maintain a good name and strong branding is just as much a part of a station's content as the music or the talk show host.
 
NashvilleNative said:
Haha, I just saw this post on 107's FB page where they posted they changed their name to the "Taylor".
"I already hate it when you play ONE of her songs. Welp, I'm officially moving to i106.7.
3 hours ago · Like · 3 people"
Maybe i106 should have a day of no Taylor. Anyways...back to work.
Click to expand...
Evidently, the i106 strategy of "camping out" next to 107.5 on the dial is finally starting to pay off! :eek:
 
NashvilleNative said:
I was only 8 at the time, but I never understood why the ditched "Y". Heck, change the calls and bring it back. I know, it aint broke, don't fix it.
Click to expand...
It's been so long now that teenagers (and that's who their audience is) won't remember Y-107. I'm guessing that the name change was for, among other reasons, to "go digital," as in changing their branding from (just) 107 to 107.5.
 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the River initially start out as an adult CHR station? Perhaps, the name change was to separate themselves from the old Y107 and giving themselves a fresh start.
 
the golden boy said:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the River initially start out as an adult CHR station? Perhaps, the name change was to separate themselves from the old Y107 and giving themselves a fresh start.
Click to expand...

That is true. They used liners such as, "Everyone is 21 and holding" and "all the rap has
been tossed into the circular file" ...Not too long after that, the first version of The Party
(102.5) came along. Then they were both CHR/pop.
 
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