The Treasure Coast Market

[John FL]

The Treasure Coast. It’s an interesting area in S.E. Florida comprising the counties of Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River. I moved to the Treasure Coast (practically on the Indian River/St. Lucie county border) from Jacksonville in February of this year. I’d like to share some observations, but in particular, I’d love to hear from this who have history/familiarity with the Treasure Coast.

Before moving, I was most familiar with WQOL, once known as oldies and today is “The Treasure Coast’s Greatest Hits.” I’ve been a SiriusXM subscriber for about 5 years now but I always gave the station a listen on my many trips over the years between Jax and the Ft. Lauderdale area. I was always impressed with their great signal. Heard them from Titusville all the way to practically the Palm Beach county line.

The station appears to do well and that comes from just basic observation and in looking at ratings. I’ve heard WQOL in restaurants and businesses I’ve visited from Sebastian to Jensen Beach.

There’s not much information to get from ratings as just a handful of stations are listed. Many stations probably don’t subscribe. Obviously with a Top 100 market, there’s no PPM. I will miss the monthly reporting. Looks like the Ft. Pierce-Stuart-Vero Beach market ratings are updated twice a year. That has challenges. How radio ensures they are on the right track is another subject we can explore here as well.

A previous poster mentioned WQOL has taken a more rock lean. I agree. It’s the case with many classic hits stations. I’m in the camp who believes there’s also room for more “Retro Top 40” Classic Hits version where many genres, especially pop hits, rule. WQOL does have good personality, imaging, and there’s still a relatively good mix of music, including an occasional 60s spin and lots of early 70’s. So, we should grateful for that music difference.

I have noticed a change. There were certain restaurants and business such as a bank that have switched from WQOL to WOSN. The station is known as 97.1 Ocean FM. One day I heard it at a restaurant in Vero Beach and was so taken in by the music that upon returning to my car, I switched off SiriusXM and locked in to ‘The Ocean.’ This probably is a Soft AC station as their tagline is about light and refreshing music. But, it’s simply a nice blend of 80s, some 70s, and an occasional 90s hits.

The Ocean is my interpretation of a different version of classic hits. There’s a friendly host on in morning drive. There’s a Saturday midday host and they even have a jock doing a Sunday morning jazz show. I’ve long thought Sunday morning and jazz music/smooth vocals makes such a perfect combo.

On Saturday nights, there’s a 70s/80s disco, dance music show called Studio 92. WOSN Ocean FM presents itself extremely well. It’s a good, local station to listen to and has gotten me off XM longer than any other station. As a side note, my fav Sirius format was ‘Love.' It’s been replaced with “Yacht Rock Radio.” Okay music, but too repetitive, and horrid voice imaging that I swear sounds like an over the top Thurston Howell III from Gilligan's Island. The Ocean may be the ticket.

From what I read about the station, they played Standards at one time and many listeners protested. They probably couldn’t sell it. It appears they are a “small company” station in that they are not listed in the ratings. I hear local spots so their billing is probably all local based. I’m curious to know how they are doing. WOSN has an awesome playlist in my view. Is the music programmed locally or is that part of some kind of package?

This string is off the ground. I’m hoping to hear from those of you who are familiar with radio on the Treasure Coast to provide more insight. I have a number of comments and questions.

 

[Alex Browne]

Hi John, welcome to the Treasure Coast. My wife and I have a little more experience living here than you do, but we're still relative newcomers at 2 1/2 years. First residence in Florida. We're native New Yorkers but spent the last 25 years in the Midwest before retiring to Port St. Lucie. We love it here -- more than other areas of Florida -- although my wife is still getting used to the summer heat.

One thing to note about the Treasure Coast is the wide geographic area it covers without a dominant city. What this means is the universe of radio stations you can hear in Vero differs from my universe in PSL, and even more for listeners in southern Martin County. Given that, some of the comments you've seen about TC stations may have come from me; not too many people post about our market. You mention WQOL and WOSN, two stations I've commented on in the past.

Frankly there are not all that many other stations that seem to have a local presence in terms of billboards, play in shops, and tables at local events. A few exceptions to that rule include WAVW (Wave 92.7 Treasure Coast Country) which does often have a tent and table at community events; WLDI (Wild 95.5), whose Top 40 format I have heard in some businesses; WHLG (Coast 101.3), which one of my friends listens to; WIRK (South Florida Country), whose promotions I have seen on occasion; WFLM (The Flame), which has a following in the African American community; and the AM stations WPSL and WSTU, which get involved in some community fundraising events.

Re WQOL, although they have publicly moved from "oldies" to "classic hits," I personally find their playlist superior to other iHeartRadio classic hits stations because they do continue to play a few cuts from the '60s, including Beatles songs. I may just be imagining things (with my comparison to other iHeart stations that I monitor from northern and midwestern cities I used to live in), but I do enjoy them. You note their strong signal; yes, to the north where you are, but in my drives south from PSL, their signal peters out around Hobe Sound, and I'm not sure if they are a major factor in Martin County.

The flip of WOSN from standards to adult contemporary was unfortunate because the market was already served by other AC stations (WHLG, WOLL, WEAT), although those stations may have weak or non-existent signals in Indian River County. Whether or not you like standards, it is a unique format that is sorely missed by some of us. There are very few standards stations left anywhere in the country, although we do have one of the best just south of us: WLML (Legends 100.3) in Lake Park/West Palm Beach; its signal dies out as you reach St. Lucie County.

The area does have a plethora of religious and Christian Contemporary stations. If you look to radio for Christian content, you have a wide variety to choose from.

Finally, some remarks about WQCS, the NPR station at Indian River State College in Fort Pierce. It appears to be the only station that has any local news to speak of. And with its mix of NPR news, nationally-hosted classical music, and LOCALLY-PRODUCED Great American Songbook/jazz programming on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, it's a breath of fresh air! We are very lucky to have it.

So welcome to the Treasure Coast, John, and a toast to the TC radio stations that are continuing to make a go of terrestrial radio and serve our beautiful piece of Florida!

 

[John FL]

Alex, it’s a pleasure “meeting” you on the radio board. I very much appreciate your detailed response and insights. It’s a great start in learning more about radio on The Treasure Coast.

I’m officially retired now and we couldn’t be happier living in this area. Unlike you, I’ve lived in Florida since the late 70’s. As this is a Florida board, I’ll limit many of my experiences to Florida radio. But simply, some markets are better than others. There’s so many reasons for this. But, thus far, I like what I’m hearing and kudos to the local sound.

Because of my close proximity to St. Lucie County, U.S 1 and I-95, I’ve taken a number of day trips to points south, going as far as Palm Beach County effortlessly. I’ve tuned around the dial. There’s some blow torch signal stations and probably translator stations. A number faded out fast. One day, I was fortunate enough to come across WOLL and it brought back wonderful memories.

There’s a number of Jacksonville connections to the Treasure Coast and even Palm Beach County. One day I heard Mike Perry on WOLL (KOOL 105.5). Mike voice-tracked middays when former Clear Channel, now iHeart, brought WJGH (Jacksonville’s Greatest Hits) to market. This is over 7 years ago now. I heard Jodi Stewart doing a traffic report, probably on WOSN. She did afternoon drive on a classic rocker in Jax a while back. I’m not sure if she has a shift at any local station. She should. I think she’s quite good.

I noticed Skip Kelly is on WOLL. He also did morning drive on WQOL for a while too. Skip has a lot of history with the market. He currently oversees a couple of Jacksonville stations. It’s obvious that if you have an air shift, you wear many hats and voicetrack many shows. Many of the weekend talent on WQOL are the same ones who were once on Jacksonville’s now defunct Magic 107.3.

Alex, to your previous comments regarding WOSN’s flip from Standards to AC, I agree with you in that it’s a unique format and is missed by many and you can include me in that. I grew up on a lot of that genre of music. As much as I would love discussing the merits of a standards format, it runs the risk of inviting the same old counter arguments. It’s tiring and predictable. It can change the entire focus of a subject string and I believe it also discourages participation. I would love to hear more about TC radio and media.

One of the major reasons I listen to radio’s competition is because I can hear songs and formats commercial radio simply doesn’t touch. In the case of Standards, there’s Siriusly Sinatra on SiriusXM. I get my fix of that or anything else that commercial radio doesn’t offer. What's the point of complaining. Listeners have many choices.

But, for the subject at hand, I’m very happy making The Treasure Coast home. I consider this area an above average radio market. So, I made a great move on a number of accounts. There’s a few other specific TC stations I’ve come across that I believe deserve some mention. I’ll post that later.

Alex, thanks again for your comments. You’ve given me a number of stations to check out.

 

[John FL]

We continue with radio on The Treasure Coast.

In the first few weeks after having moved to the Treasure Coast, I found an FM station that I figured the calls to be ‘WAXY.’ Having lived in the Ft. Lauderdale area for many years, including visiting there an average of 6 times a year, I was very familiar with the WAXY calls. I just figured they were gone from Miami/Ft. Lauderdale and reappeared in the Vero area.

My car radio display said “WZTA” so I just shrugged it off as yet another error. It was the weekend and I heard Standards/Soft pop hits being played. With WQOL already locked in preset, I thought I had two great music stations to listen to. Well, not exactly. At least not yet. 97.1 The Ocean (WOSN) was yet to be discovered.

Online research revealed that 107.9 was translator W300BQ for AM 1370 WZTA. This is an iHeart radio station and it probably explains how a Class D 1000 watt AM airs Rush Limbaugh. I could be wrong but I think Rush is the only “big name” on the station.

It turns out the FM brand name is not WAXY but rather WAXE. I thought I read WAXE were original calls before WZTA. If someone knows that to be true, please confirm. All in all, I found it a tad confusing.

So, Translator WAXE 107.9 is a part time music station but is also news/talk. I listened a few times and caught a local morning show. They were talking about how traffic has increased on a number of streets in Vero Beach. This went on and on. Certainly, small town sounding radio. It could be done a lot better but given the limited signal and audience,I can understand why larger investments wouldn't be made.

I haven’t listened in a few months now but I do recall a number of on-air announcements that the station was looking to hire another broadcaster for their morning show.
I thought of the old saying “big fish in a small pond.”

Vero Beach is one of a number of Treasure Coast cities where a seasoned and successful broadcaster would probably enjoy a gig. Certainly, there wouldn’t be the kind of pressure of larger markets. After a long career of accomplishments, what remains is to just enjoy being a broadcaster, especially if you aren’t relying on a big paycheck. I can think of many Jax seasoned radio pros who would probably enjoy this kind of environment.

In the previous posts, the subject of a Standards format came up. WAXE 107.9 already dabbles in that some of the time. You have to wonder if offering more music programing would prove more of an attraction than “over the fence” kind of chit chat. When music plays on 107.9, it sounds pretty good, at least in my neighborhood. The FM translator signal does fade rather quickly only a few miles into St. Lucie County. Probably, Rush helps keep the station afloat but who can be sure of anything.

Anyway, it wasn’t my intent to write this much about just one station but this WZTA/WAXE combo is just unique and a little weird too and I thought it would make an entertaining read. Perhaps I’m just used to bigger market. Perhaps this sort of thing is the norm in very rural markets.

 

[John FL]

Radio on the Treasure Coast and Florida continues…

I’ve spoken to a few long-time residents about the past and the changes on the Treasure Coast that come with progress. It turns out our veterinarian is an incredible doc and storyteller! He paints an interesting picture of the area. I've learned a good deal.

Even when I was a kid, I was drawn to history and the past. I was also very inquisitive. We’ve all seen and probably had kids who always asked ‘why.” Well, I still do. It’s a pity the radio board doesn’t have more storytellers. I’ve done my share on the boards. But after a while, there’s more questions unanswered than answered. It can get very tiring and frustrating.

Obviously, we live in a technology age where almost any kind of information can be found. But it’s not the same as hearing from people who lived the moment.

The other day, I began thinking about Ralph Renick. For those who may not know, Ralph was a pioneer news broadcaster. In the very early 50s, Ralph anchored the 6 O’clock news where he had top billing. The program was called “The Ralph Renick Report. This was on WTVJ, ch. 4, Florida’s first television station. From all accounts, Miami was described as a sleepy little town.

If Miami was described as sleepy, you can just imagine what the Treasure Coast was like. I began thinking about television reception. I’m not an expert but I would think people on the TC were literally in the dark. The Treasure Coast is in the West Palm Beach television market. At first, it felt a little weird as West Palm seems a world away. But, I've adjusted. Really, all the stations at least cover the weather for the TC decently.

Before there was cable and satellite, watching TV out of West Palm, I would think would have had challenges on the TC, especially Indian River County. Today’s WPTV, ch. 5 began operation in 1954 as WJNO - TV. Those calls, if I remember, are for a West Palm news/talk station. It all comes together.

I would think radio served as an important news and information source on the Treasure Coast back in the “old days.” That’s just my hunch. Before I moved to Florida way back when, I lived in NJ. WABC was the big music powerhouse. But even that station offered a feature called “The Farm Report” very early in the morning. With WABC’s powerful signal, the station did reach farm country. Mass appeal radio was indeed that. Farmers were listeners too!

Similarly, with farming being a big industry, especially in Indian River, it was a must for farmers to have the latest information, especially weather issues. Cable/Satellite or perhaps even special antennas gave TV the eventual edge.

I’ve talked at length about my radio listening and learning experiences in other markets. That curiosity still remains. What were the big TC radio stations of the past? Was the TC swept away with "Beatle" mania and the British invasion? What were the dominant FM stations that emerged when the “big switch” from AM to FM music listening occurred. One question could lead to dozens of others.

I won’t hold my breath here in this forum but I could be surprised. In an earlier post, I mentioned my love of radio station 97.1 The Ocean (WOSN). In looking at that station’s info, there’s a morning host – Hamp Elliott- who has 30 years radio experience on the Treasure Coast. That’s a start. On my list of things to do, I plan on contacting the station. I know where they are located. Visiting that station seems like a logical next step. I'd be like a kid in a candy store.

The Treasure Coast is an interesting place. I think there’s a story to tell.

 

[John Anthony]

WOSN

Hey guys,

I work with Hamp at WOSN. We were thrilled to see a couple of broadcasters being civil to each other in one of these forums. Thanks for the kind words in regards to 97.1 Ocean FM.

About a year ago we brought the music in house and made several adjustments. Since then (two full ratings periods) CUME and TSL have returned to levels we need to remain competitive all while bringing down the median age of our listeners by 10 years. A feat that I was told numerous times was impossible to do in a diary market.

We think of ourselves as a Soft AC. Early on, there were comparisons made to WQOL, but since their relaunch, the comparisons stopped.



John Anthony
Treasure & Space Coast Radio Operations Manager