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

[NashvilleNative]

I think I remember the River initially having a slight AC slant to it. I remember in the very early days of Eminem the Party was the only station in town that would play him.

 

[secondchoice]

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.

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.

I would hate to try to figure out how much effort and money WKLS spent over the decades developing the 96 Rock brand but in the end it did it help WKLS? No. The brand survived but not the station format. Their listeners were “PPM hijacked” by another station. PPM will turn radio listenership into a “commodity” the only thing that will matter is what audio the little “boxes” hear and which demographic group that unit’s owner belongs too. At least with dairies people had to recall your station’s slogan, nick name or call letters (branding). That is why I feel dairies had some value too. I have always questioned the WSM / WSM FM being owned by different companies in the same market. In the past, did the FM get some of the AM’s diary ratings? The AM appears to have to beat the FM last time:
http://www.radio-info.com/markets/nashville
If so then maybe the AM band is not as dead as a lot of people think. I do not have access to the demographic breakouts, but something is “different” look at the cume.

Jetfli: we are “reading the same book” but I am on a different page. I have a special personal page that is only in my copy of the book. I have a degree in Marketing, and it is very scary career wise any time when a brand is of no use to its owner. The accountants can talk ownership into making cuts the marketing and advertising budget because “it doesn’t work!” Then I might have to get a “real” job! Seriously, I have been a victim of the budget axe in the past, I am OK now but it is depressing to see so many good folks out of work.

IIHO strong web presence (branding) with streaming with a good smart phone application and good content is going to be even more important in the future. This branding will be especially critical to get your application downloaded. Someday in the future the cell companies will get their networks build up to handle the “tidal wave of data” that mass streaming will create. It is coming! I have worked in the telecom industry and as witnessed in NYC when the Apple I Phone first caused AT & T a mini network meltdown, the industry does not have the network capacity in place to allow all the projected users simultaneously web surf and or streaming (especially live video) so there is some time before web listeners / streamers have a huge impact. Sooner or later the networks will be built out to allow every body to receive the stream of their choice any time or place. The real future challenge is to get these listeners who will be “branded” to translate into ratings. I guess someday Arbitron will have access to the streaming counts too.

BTW: The real scary part is all of the people in the office I mentioned voted in the last two elections!

 

[TheBigA]

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.

The problem is that most people don't use the scan function. I was surprised by that, but they simply have their favorites and stick with them.

 

[SwissVol2]

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. .

The fans of 96 rock in Atlanta speak as highly about that station as we speak of Rock 106 here in the 6-1-5. They were never an underground or progressive rock statiopn, but they were a very excellent AOR station for the seventies! When I spent time down there, I would listen to 96 rock. I hated to come back to Nashville since there was nothing like 96 rock here (pre Rock 106).

 

[Tibbs4]

BigA mentions that listeners don't use the scan button, etc. This brings up a few "which came first, the chicken or the egg" kinda questions. What are the most crucial, proven methods to get a
listener to listen the first time? Proper advertising like TV, billboards? Simple word of mouth? Not to take away from the overall discussion, but lets look at 97.1 RQQ (since everyone here kinda agrees that Mac is doing it right) --- ratings still horrible, but the playlist seems to be well-liked on here and RQQ plays a far amount of the playlist that Mix plays. Why is it still not catching on. Signal strength, aside, in general where's the CUME, etc? Will it ever "stick?"

 

[ShadowB]

Proper advertising like TV, billboards....YES but who does this now? Very few I think. It blows me away that radio makes money on advertising but doesnt spend any on advertising! A client asked me that one time..

 

[TheBigA]

Proper advertising like TV, billboards....YES but who does this now? Very few I think. It blows me away that radio makes money on advertising but doesnt spend any on advertising! A client asked me that one time..

Because the radio station itself is more effective than billboards or print. That's the answer to give a client.

But the fact is that lots of radio stations still use traditional advertising like billboards and print to market their stations, especially if they're trying to attract listeners to a new format. One thing I see a lot is direct mail, highlighting contests that take place on the station. Keep in mind that companies like Clear Channel and CBS own outdoor advertising companies, so they have access to that.

 

[NashRadio]

SV: On a tangent*, "in the 6-1-5" will become obsolete (or at least incomplete) come late '12 or in '13, when we get an area code overlay. I can't wait (to dial 10 numbers)!

*Sorrry, that doesn't happen on this board, does it?

 

[DJOnAStick]

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.

Part of the name change was to separate it yes. The other was the outgoing PD at the time became the Clear Channel Top 40 Brand Manager and went to program WNCI in Columbus, OH. He was Rich's boss when he came in from Minnesota to program "The River". Matter of fact I have it on good word that there was talk back around 2002 of flipping the "River" back to a more "Y107" style and Rich was having none of it. From my understanding, and I'm married to one of the former jocks at "The River", Rich hated the "Y107" format and really tried to distance himself from it. I can't say, from a programming and sales point of view that I blame him really. But from a listener point of view, the station has never seen the numbers that it did then nor the media exposure. Now it's basically a washed out Hot AC station and nothing more. It sounds just like any other Clear Channel station sharing the same format as it.

 

[yorkie9]

I can't say, from a programming and sales point of view that I blame him really. But from a listener point of view, the station has never seen the numbers that it did then nor the media exposure. Now it's basically a washed out Hot AC station and nothing more. It sounds just like any other Clear Channel station sharing the same format as it.

I don't think the listener point of view is as important as the business point of view in this scenario. The River has stayed stable all of these years by not wavering from the format and sticking with good talent, like Woody and Jim, long-term. The River is a heritage Top 40 station in a country town and I think that's something that should be commended. Going back to the "shock" Y107 days with constant stunts would get old even faster in today's world where the iPOD is the main competition instead of other stations. All they'd do is tear the station apart for a temporary shot at number 1 when they can make just as much money without constantly tearing it down and rebuilding it.

And, let's not forget that the iPOD generation doesn't even remember Y-107 - it's just the older folks like us and I preferred the pre-Coyote defection Kix 104 anyway! The radio that came out of that dumpy little building up in Gallatin was the closest to WKRP that we ever got! ;D

 

[deltas69]

actually, WHIN am was identical to WKRP..pre Kix days..we had a drop dead traffic girl, a newsman that was the spittin image of les nesman,and really did love the hog futures, a dj (kris with a k bradley) that looked very much like johnny fever, a pd that despite his best efforts..could not keep us under control..and a manager that trembled at the sight of the owners pulling in the parking lot !! the first time i saw WKRP..i thought..hell i lived this for five years...damn i miss it..lol ;D

 

[secondchoice]

actually, WHIN am was identical to WKRP..pre Kix days..we had a drop dead traffic girl, a newsman that was the spittin image of les nesman,and really did love the hog futures, a dj (kris with a k bradley) that looked very much like johnny fever, a pd that despite his best efforts..could not keep us under control..and a manager that trembled at the sight of the owners pulling in the parking lot !! the first time i saw WKRP..i thought..hell i lived this for five years...damn i miss it..lol ;D

Didn’t WHIN Am use the “Stripper” for sign off during the early 1970’s?

 

[deltas69]

We did when Finley R Bradley the third (FRB 3) AKA Kris With a K was working afternoons..he always signed off with the David Rose version..also forgot to mention the sales staff back then they dressed just like Herb Tarlick..loud plaid, and or blue or lime green leisure suits augmented with white belts, ties and shoes..really !! once guy in his mid forties dyed his hair jet black, had a pencil thin moustache, and.......a gold tooth !! SMOOTHHH !!..OH...and none of us at the time thought anything about this fashion faux pas..lol :

 

[olebud]

Pat, I just can't help but comment

!!..OH...and none of us at the time thought anything about this fashion faux pas..lol

And what was your fashion statement at the time? Bad as it was, it was the 'style' at the time

 

[deltas69]

I can assure you it was not PLAID COATS, WHITE BELTS AND SHOES.. ..and I've never owned a leisure suit in my life.. usual dj attire...jeans,t shirts, fu man ch stache

 

[olebud]

and I've never owned a leisure suit in my life.. usual dj attire...jeans,t shirts, fu man ch stache

Gallatin or Portland?

 

[deltas69]

both.. always go with the classics...although jeans and a t shirt was a bit over dressed for the pantherites.........

 

[hamiltonsfolly]

And, let's not forget that the iPOD generation doesn't even remember Y-107 - it's just the older folks like us and I preferred the pre-Coyote defection Kix 104 anyway! The radio that came out of that dumpy little building up in Gallatin was the closest to WKRP that we ever got! ;D

I wondered if I were the only guy to compare 1010/104 to the iconic WKRP; heck, we even had the beautiful blonde receptionist (with loving respect to our friend Kimberly)........

 

[deltas69]

after the first episode, the next morning when Jack Hunter and I came in..we looked at each other and said "did you see that last night ? lol the similarities between WHIN AM at that time and WKRP were astounding ..Probably many other stations across the country could claim the same thing..but we had an employee to match every one on that show..including venus.......

 

[NashvilleNative]

107.5 the river is currently playing Cryin' by Aerosmith. Definitely through me off when I came back into the office. I assumed I was on Jack, but apparently the River's having a flashback. O wait, they just said "Retro 3 at 3." Cool.