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There's only one radio station in State College that gets it?!
- Thread starter Hermes
- Start date
A
ameyer
Guest
Well I have heard the liner and I know it is not in the station that is listed as being #1 in the ratings..
Comments or analysis on the #'s???
My 2 cents.
A little surprised by Qwk's rise
What the heck happened to 3WZ?
Could the party be over for Joe?
What's up with WOWY's downward spiral?
Looks like State College has selected its preference in the CHR arena
The Majic seems to have fizzled with 99.5 making little headway since ditching Lite.
Everyone else more or less where you'd ordinarily expect.
Anyone predicting format flips or flops over the latest #'s???
My 2 cents.
A little surprised by Qwk's rise
What the heck happened to 3WZ?
Could the party be over for Joe?
What's up with WOWY's downward spiral?
Looks like State College has selected its preference in the CHR arena
The Majic seems to have fizzled with 99.5 making little headway since ditching Lite.
Everyone else more or less where you'd ordinarily expect.
Anyone predicting format flips or flops over the latest #'s???
Yes the sample size is small. Always has been for State College, yet formats have been born and have died as a result of the ratings before. Like em or hate em, I know for a fact that a few station are still selling from them so they must see them as some sort of value.Spackler1 said:
As I have said a million times before, the book is a double edged sword. We all want to do well. When we do, we are pleased and when we don't we scream that the book is flawed, but for the moment its the best we've got. Besides, I don't think most of it is too far out of whack. Froggy always has a heck of a following, as does the Bus and Qwk (but usually not quite this good). Aside from 3-WZ's sharp decline, I don't think there were too many surprises at all.
Perhaps I am on a different planet cause when I hit the little button to go into a stopset, commercials play? Hmm...wonder who those people are we have on the air? I know...guess we pay them to buy ads from us ;Dfowler said:
Why is it so very impossible to think that 3WZ just isn't all things to all people? Seems funny to me, they started drifting away from their tried and true identity that made them successful and the #'s went down. Who'da thought? Can't imagine how that happens.
Could be a fluke...or may not be. I'd prefer not to judge the quality of a radio station by the length of their stopsets.
By the way, I am not bashing 3-WZ. Their #'s are still quite respectable. But it does seem nice to see ANYONE be #1 for a change so we don't have to see those newspaper ads where they toot their own horn for being cream of the crop for 10,000 years running...well, that is until someone inputs some figures into Maximixer and prints the "real lowdown" on the numbers, cause let's face it...somehow, someway, we can all be #1 in something.
R
ratingsgeek
Guest
shilton said:
Shilton, Quick was tied for #1 last time. That should have taken the surprise out of them being #1 again.
3WZ has been bouncing up and down in that same range for years. Weren't they #5 a year or two ago? Now they're #4. That will probably be the newspaper ad. Again, where is the surprise in this?
But, yes, y'all are now up to #5. We can hear the cries coming all the way from Clearview Avenue: "We're Number Five! We're Number Five!" Does WOWY's drop cancel out B's uptick?
In all seriousness, the cheers should really be going out to WQWK. Not many rock stations in any market anywhere in America are #1, much less twice in a row. Congratulations!
QWK had an awesome book...yes and they do deserve contrats as does the Frog and the Bus for another stellar performance. All are well executed and no matter how much I personally hate the campy Froggy stuff, it works and they know it. I won't bash someone for having a good idea.
For what its worth though I will say , yes we are quite happy to be #5. In every market someone's gotta be #1 and someone's gotta be in the basement and given the fact that so many claim that CHR is no longer a viable format at all, being #5 isn't all that bad. Plus you have to consider that there are 2 CHR's in this market, and a Hot A/C and when you stack the chips, we climbed quite nicely. Trending upward is a good thing; especially when it a rather drastic spike upward.
Secondly, at #5, we came awfully close to biting on the heels of 3-WZ which we can all agree has historically been a very strong station. I know a few PD's in this market who would have loved to be in that position, so yeah again we are pretty pleased with our progress.
Will the Bee ever be #1, probably not and we know that. But yes I can say for sure that the proud little Bee Team on Clearview Avenue sure enough is chanting we are #5...we are #5 so live with it
Won't comment too much on WOWY, cause I don't have any involvement in it at all, but I will just say the folks responsible are watching cautiously and I am sure they will do what's necessary to turn that around and besides that, WOWY is still selling spots so all is not lost as long as you are bringing in money.
I was seriously wondering if anyone is plotting or sees any format shifts on the horizon. Given what Lite used to do before Bob and Sheri and Deliliah, it would be interesting if someone hopped on the Lite and Easy Favorites bandwagon. Also think with 3-WZ's shift into more of a watered down CHR/Hot a/c stance may be interesting to see an A/C roll in to hit that ever important 25+ female. Was also curious what person's take is on Majic? If they were going to make a splash, I would have thought it would be out of the gate and I just didn't see it.
For what its worth though I will say , yes we are quite happy to be #5. In every market someone's gotta be #1 and someone's gotta be in the basement and given the fact that so many claim that CHR is no longer a viable format at all, being #5 isn't all that bad. Plus you have to consider that there are 2 CHR's in this market, and a Hot A/C and when you stack the chips, we climbed quite nicely. Trending upward is a good thing; especially when it a rather drastic spike upward.
Secondly, at #5, we came awfully close to biting on the heels of 3-WZ which we can all agree has historically been a very strong station. I know a few PD's in this market who would have loved to be in that position, so yeah again we are pretty pleased with our progress.
Will the Bee ever be #1, probably not and we know that. But yes I can say for sure that the proud little Bee Team on Clearview Avenue sure enough is chanting we are #5...we are #5 so live with it
Won't comment too much on WOWY, cause I don't have any involvement in it at all, but I will just say the folks responsible are watching cautiously and I am sure they will do what's necessary to turn that around and besides that, WOWY is still selling spots so all is not lost as long as you are bringing in money.
I was seriously wondering if anyone is plotting or sees any format shifts on the horizon. Given what Lite used to do before Bob and Sheri and Deliliah, it would be interesting if someone hopped on the Lite and Easy Favorites bandwagon. Also think with 3-WZ's shift into more of a watered down CHR/Hot a/c stance may be interesting to see an A/C roll in to hit that ever important 25+ female. Was also curious what person's take is on Majic? If they were going to make a splash, I would have thought it would be out of the gate and I just didn't see it.
Must the obvious be stated?
The ratings are only worth something if they can be used to generate income.
3WZ will make money regardless of blips because they have a solid business plan with rational management and strong local ties.
Stopsets can be a good indicator of value. That is where the money is.
The ratings are only worth something if they can be used to generate income.
3WZ will make money regardless of blips because they have a solid business plan with rational management and strong local ties.
Stopsets can be a good indicator of value. That is where the money is.
G
gargoyles
Guest
This community has everyone fighting for the same demographic. The key to money in a place like this is TSL, not average
G
gargoyles
Guest
sorry, the thing posted by itself.
The key to money in a place like this is TSL, not average quarter hours or cumes.
Pop standards, beautiful music and personality driven oldies would work if they were done right and live and local. Problem is, Lite was awful WOWY is pretty good, but not great. Their couple of personalities are okay, but ONLY okay. And their music is way too narrow.
Also: no one does real news around here.
And everyone's over-focused on AM drive.
The key to money in a place like this is TSL, not average quarter hours or cumes.
Pop standards, beautiful music and personality driven oldies would work if they were done right and live and local. Problem is, Lite was awful WOWY is pretty good, but not great. Their couple of personalities are okay, but ONLY okay. And their music is way too narrow.
Also: no one does real news around here.
And everyone's over-focused on AM drive.
I too would like to give "Congrats" for the stations making the climb and seeing the perennial powerhouse slip slightly.
If 2510 Associates would spend a little money on both B 94.5 & WOWY with additional real talent, these stations would climb higher.
Joe FM needs to add a talented female personality for a midday slot. A female with a driven need to be seen and heard. Drew Shannon is their best dj on the air. Rick Houston needs to slide back into the night gig.
3WZ should have always stayed as a Hot AC formatted station. They can't compete otherwise.
WGMR (G 101) should have never changed formats in the late 80's from Country. But, Teddy needs to stop playing games and put a lot more effort into making this station the #1 CHR around. This is a monster signal that reaches beyond Johnstown and goes toward Williamsport.
There is NO reason whatsoever that Froggy needs to be on 98.1, 98.7, 106.3 and 1150 AM. Forever could make huge strides in Huntingdon County with making WHUN a full service station (local news, high school sports & music), not just rebroadcasting a Altoona or SC station.
With 106.3, why not put with 103.1 out of SC. Just way too many Frogs in the pond.
Just my opinions ONLY.
If 2510 Associates would spend a little money on both B 94.5 & WOWY with additional real talent, these stations would climb higher.
Joe FM needs to add a talented female personality for a midday slot. A female with a driven need to be seen and heard. Drew Shannon is their best dj on the air. Rick Houston needs to slide back into the night gig.
3WZ should have always stayed as a Hot AC formatted station. They can't compete otherwise.
WGMR (G 101) should have never changed formats in the late 80's from Country. But, Teddy needs to stop playing games and put a lot more effort into making this station the #1 CHR around. This is a monster signal that reaches beyond Johnstown and goes toward Williamsport.
There is NO reason whatsoever that Froggy needs to be on 98.1, 98.7, 106.3 and 1150 AM. Forever could make huge strides in Huntingdon County with making WHUN a full service station (local news, high school sports & music), not just rebroadcasting a Altoona or SC station.
With 106.3, why not put with 103.1 out of SC. Just way too many Frogs in the pond.
Just my opinions ONLY.
gargoyles said:
Gargoyles, if you are in your sixties or older, get used to not being targeted by any radio stations. Very few advertisers want to reach you. So the chances you'll find anything you like are pretty slim! It's intentional.
In 2008 pop standards and beautiful music are viable only in a handful of Florida markets like Sarasota & Naples where the average age is 75. WMAJ-AM did pop standards for a number of years before shifting to sports--because pop standards was unsellable. Smooth Jazz, the closest thing left to beautiful music, was tried twice locally, but again proved unsellable. Just not enough older folks live here.
And the key to money in a place like this is not TSL; it's getting the cash register to ring. Ultimately that's why both pop standards and Smooth Jazz failed in State College: the advertiser didn't see enough response.
Among all the stations covering local news, one way or another, the big stuff is getting covered, isn't it? Forever, First Media & Magnum all make an effort, don't they?
What's missing? Investigative Journalism? Hey, not even the NY Times & Washington Post do that anymore. It costs too much.
Why would you expect more from small-town radio?
Living out here with the trees & the deer has its charms, but you won't find 880 WCBS or 1010 WINS scouring these woods.
G
gargoyles
Guest
Yes, I'm in my 60s. And I'm on the air in this market. And I've skewed older all my life. And yes, I know all about "no one wants the old people because they don't respond to advertising," and "no one wants the old people because they have old buying habits which are hard to break," and yes I know about "beautiful music and pop standards only work in Florida retirement communities."
I too new here to know what pop standards did. And smooth jazz is a non-starter everywhere, so its failure here is to be expected, because it's failed everywhere.
And yes "the big stuff is being covered," largely by people ripping and reading the CDT.
But investigative journalism is NOT dead. The NY Times and Washington Post haven't given up. Neither have the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Bloomberg News, the AP or Reuters.
The reason older-targeted demo formats don't work here is because (1) programmers don't understand what it takes to make it work and (b) local owners, with occasional exceptions, don't have either the money or the smarts to do it and stick with it.
Beautiful music suffers from a lack of product, though that's changing.
As for making the cash register ring, sure. That's what everyone wants. But you don't do it by copying the next guy, you don't do it by concentrating your programming on one demographic and you don't do it by trying to sell bargain spots to people who really shouldn't be advertising at all.
There's a glut of media in this area, and that doesn't help. Two daily newspapers, a bunch of relatively meaningless magazines, a ton of radio stations, a bunch of TV channels and Comcast. Plus handbills, bargain shopping guides and billboards. The only way to cut through that pile of chopped spinach is by offering something that no one else does. Like, for example, a consistently good and consistently focused radio station, whether it's Beautiful music or AC or CHR or talk.
Is RSC focused? Only if you don't see a difference between Michael Saavge and the Garden Corner. BLF is trying, with two actual local talk shows in morning and afternoon drive.
There's room here for a REAL oldies station, a real news station, a real beautiful music/pop standards combo, a country oldies station (WPHB does this pretty well, but you can't hear em at night.)
TSL = loyalty. Loyalty = ringing cash registers. But not overnight.
Froggy, which is total crap, and 3WZ which isn't, know that and profit by it. And yeah, Z took a bad hit in the current book. But they're the closest thing around here to a consistent 24/7 professional operation, and if they don't panic, they'll be fine six months or a year from now.
No one is going to get onto the list of Forbes Billionaires by running a radio station or group in State College. But day in/day out consistency will go a long way in the long run to rewarding those who are willing (and able) to take the risk and do something.
I too new here to know what pop standards did. And smooth jazz is a non-starter everywhere, so its failure here is to be expected, because it's failed everywhere.
And yes "the big stuff is being covered," largely by people ripping and reading the CDT.
But investigative journalism is NOT dead. The NY Times and Washington Post haven't given up. Neither have the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Bloomberg News, the AP or Reuters.
The reason older-targeted demo formats don't work here is because (1) programmers don't understand what it takes to make it work and (b) local owners, with occasional exceptions, don't have either the money or the smarts to do it and stick with it.
Beautiful music suffers from a lack of product, though that's changing.
As for making the cash register ring, sure. That's what everyone wants. But you don't do it by copying the next guy, you don't do it by concentrating your programming on one demographic and you don't do it by trying to sell bargain spots to people who really shouldn't be advertising at all.
There's a glut of media in this area, and that doesn't help. Two daily newspapers, a bunch of relatively meaningless magazines, a ton of radio stations, a bunch of TV channels and Comcast. Plus handbills, bargain shopping guides and billboards. The only way to cut through that pile of chopped spinach is by offering something that no one else does. Like, for example, a consistently good and consistently focused radio station, whether it's Beautiful music or AC or CHR or talk.
Is RSC focused? Only if you don't see a difference between Michael Saavge and the Garden Corner. BLF is trying, with two actual local talk shows in morning and afternoon drive.
There's room here for a REAL oldies station, a real news station, a real beautiful music/pop standards combo, a country oldies station (WPHB does this pretty well, but you can't hear em at night.)
TSL = loyalty. Loyalty = ringing cash registers. But not overnight.
Froggy, which is total crap, and 3WZ which isn't, know that and profit by it. And yeah, Z took a bad hit in the current book. But they're the closest thing around here to a consistent 24/7 professional operation, and if they don't panic, they'll be fine six months or a year from now.
No one is going to get onto the list of Forbes Billionaires by running a radio station or group in State College. But day in/day out consistency will go a long way in the long run to rewarding those who are willing (and able) to take the risk and do something.
amfmxm said:
Maybe that's too cryptic. I don't generally disagree with your point--that broadcast news ain't what it used to be. But, then, a lot of things aren't what they used to be. Actually the journalism biz is reeling from all the cutbacks at major newspapers--PBS had a great special on it a few months back--as reporting staffs are being gutted; and, yes, investigative journalism is in critical condition. Like both radio & TV, the Wall Street mentality has taken hold in the print industry, too, so when profits got maxed out they started firing people right & left.
In radio, the specialization of news at all-news and news-talk stations essentially pushed music stations out of the news business--they couldn't compete in that arena (news) with the stations doing it all the time.
So the burden of doing a good job in radio news has fallen to those who chose that route. Did you say you were spinning tunes on-air here?
G
gargoyles
Guest
I didn't say I was "spinning tunes on-air " here, I said I am on the air in this market.
feel free to continue that part of the discussion, if you wish, with a direct e-mail.
nycgargoyles2gmail.com
It's personal, and I'm perfectly willing to talk about it, but not in a public forum. thanks
feel free to continue that part of the discussion, if you wish, with a direct e-mail.
nycgargoyles2gmail.com
It's personal, and I'm perfectly willing to talk about it, but not in a public forum. thanks
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