• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

This might work here

B

BigSteveG

Guest
We have had several good debates on what type of Christian format might work here in Memphis. Both sides had strong points. I came across this Christian station from Baltimore today. The station has a good mix of Christian AC from morning to evening, but has only ministry programs at night. The station also has a good mix of music and programs on weekends. Maybe this could be a good accompaniment to a AC or Country station here, if the station had a descent signal.

http://www.wrbs.com/
 
I've thought before that if someone could do a station that would carry CCM and a lineup of good programs like are on WCRV that it would be a good idea. Unfortunately WCRV's owners dropped CCM when they took over AM 640 and they have no interest in doing anything other than programs, although they do that very well for the most part. (I won't get into past thoughts about their attitude toward CCM here.) That may leave any station that wants to do something like WRBS in Memphis limited on what good programs may be available.

I wonder how many of the programs listed are pretty well established on WCRV and wouldn't consider moving or adding another station in Memphis. That would leave a lot of the dollar a holler type stuff like is on WMQM and WLRM to fill the time for programs, and I think that would definitely be the wrong direction to go. One of the biggest problems that I've seen with local CCM radio in Memphis in the past is that while the music may have been good they depended too much on programs as well, and a lot of the time they were left with second rate (or worse) programming.

The music appears to be a good lineup of AC, but is it local or from the Today's Christian Music network? Also, I'd personally rather have music in the evening than programs.

Actually I think there is a bigger need though for a local CCM station that would reach younger listeners and just go with the "ministry minute" type programs rather than a big block of programs with music thrown in at certain times. I think that if a local station could do something along the lines of WAY-FM or Air 1 that would be great. Unfortunately I know the uphill battle CCM radio has had in Memphis over the years until K-LOVE came in, so I'm not holding my breath.
 
anotherguy said:
Actually I think there is a bigger need though for a local CCM station that would reach younger listeners and just go with the "ministry minute" type programs rather than a big block of programs with music thrown in at certain times. I think that if a local station could do something along the lines of WAY-FM or Air 1 that would be great. Unfortunately I know the uphill battle CCM radio has had in Memphis over the years until K-LOVE came in, so I'm not holding my breath.
Click to expand...


Yeah, we've beaten this to death on here... I agree with your last paragraph above. I'd like to see a Top-40 style programmed CCM that wasn't afraid to rock...and the short form "programs" would be the way to go.
 
I worked in the CCM format before and after the WCRV take-over. Before WCRV, we played music during the morning and afternoon drive and played programs during the mid-day and evening. The station made almost all of it's money on those programs. Very, very little during the music hours.

After WCRV, I worked for another CCM that played almost all music. It lasted a few years and cracked the ratings books a few times, but ultimately there were not enough advertisers to support the format.

The only sponsors we could count on consistently were the Christian books stores (that sold CCM music), CCM concert promoters, and those who were already listeners to the station.

Things are different today. The pie is sliced even thinner than it was back in the 80's and early 90's. Now with K-Love in the mix, there is an all program (AM) and an all music (FM) Christian station.

I really don't see another station jumping in and gathering enough listeners from what's left over to stay afloat. I hope I'm wrong. I would love to see what you propose. But after years in the business, I'm skeptical.
 
Re: This might work here/HD Radio

I was just on the Ibiquity website, as I just purchased an HD radio for my older vehicle. They list WXMX as "coming soon" with IBOC, and the format to be "Christian Rock."

In fact, they list all the Citadel properties as "coming soon" for HD. Kim, for instance, lists Oldies.

DE
 
anotherguy said:
I've thought before that if someone could do a station that would carry CCM and a lineup of good programs like are on WCRV that it would be a good idea. Unfortunately WCRV's owners dropped CCM when they took over AM 640 and they have no interest in doing anything other than programs, although they do that very well for the most part. (I won't get into past thoughts about their attitude toward CCM here.) That may leave any station that wants to do something like WRBS in Memphis limited on what good programs may be available.

I wonder how many of the programs listed are pretty well established on WCRV and wouldn't consider moving or adding another station in Memphis. That would leave a lot of the dollar a holler type stuff like is on WMQM and WLRM to fill the time for programs, and I think that would definitely be the wrong direction to go. One of the biggest problems that I've seen with local CCM radio in Memphis in the past is that while the music may have been good they depended too much on programs as well, and a lot of the time they were left with second rate (or worse) programming.

The music appears to be a good lineup of AC, but is it local or from the Today's Christian Music network? Also, I'd personally rather have music in the evening than programs.

Actually I think there is a bigger need though for a local CCM station that would reach younger listeners and just go with the "ministry minute" type programs rather than a big block of programs with music thrown in at certain times. I think that if a local station could do something along the lines of WAY-FM or Air 1 that would be great. Unfortunately I know the uphill battle CCM radio has had in Memphis over the years until K-LOVE came in, so I'm not holding my breath.
Click to expand...

*cough*<insert usual plug of www.radiou.com>*cough*

Here's a not-well-known thing about Christian programs....as long as you don't play the program at the same time as your competitor (WCRV in this case), most will allow you to play the programs. Focus, Love Worth Finding, Truths That Transform, shows like that....they don't have exclusivity deals with Bott, so it's pretty much a free-for-all. What defines a station tends to the smaller names, as far as programming goes.

I don't recognize any names from that site, so I don't think it's TCM. Looking at the bios, it looks like everything is local.

I need to lose my grudge against CCM. I got real jaded to it (to all Christian radio, truthfully) with my experiences, not the least of which being my former General Manager and former employers. And now I look at the music that site plays and I don't see all the marketing and fakeness in the artists that I used to. Maybe it's just that station, but their music list looks like something I'd listen to.

It sounds like we're all agreed that, with KLove and WCRV (and Hallelujah FM, for that matter) owning their respective niches, it's unlikely that another Christian station will get a shot in Memphis for quite awhile, right? So, you think there's any shot in HD? Assuming that there is a HD channel given to Christian radio, what would you do with it and what kind of success could be determined?
 
> So, you think there's any shot in HD?

It all depends, of course, on what you consider success.

HD is in its infancy. How many people do you think are tooling around town with an HD radio? There ain't many. And those who are fall into one of two categories:

1. Buyers of high-end BMWs, since BMW is the only manufacturer shipping cars with HD radios yet, or
2. People who actually seek out HD radio, and install it in a vehicle (most of whom, I would bet, are in the biz).

Boy, that's pretty narrow, huh? When I am listening to Blues on WRVR HD-2, I can't help but wonder if I am THE ONLY ONE. So, in the short-term, an HD2 channel will be reaching a VERY limited audience.

Can CCM, or the like, survive in a world where AQH is less than -- say -- 100? That would be tough, indeed. Heck, it would be tough for a more mass appeal format, one without the issues Christian brings.

So, for now, I can't imagine stations putting much effort into their secondary streams. It's just more trouble than it's worth. Far easier, they might think, to just hook up a canned stream, and let it run -- I assume that's what all of them are doing. And, if canned is all you can get, it's certainly no improvement over K-Love.

DE
 
That brings up another question. Assuming that HD does finally take off would it be worth it for K-LOVE to use HD subchannels to perhaps carry Air 1 where it isn't avaliable presently, or perhaps other types of Christian channels?
 
> would it be worth it for K-LOVE to use HD subchannels

I don't know that it would hurt, but I am sure sure how much it would help, either. In Memphis, anyway.

HD Radio doesn't have the coverage of its full-power parent. It seems that outside the 70 dBu, coverage of the HD signals gets spotty. Here in Germantown, for instance, I can't hold the HD signal for WHAL.

Since the K-Love signals in Memphis are impaired, I can't imagine the HD being worth much here. Of course, in towns where they have real signals, the answer may be somewhat different.

DE
 
I know that I really wish we had a real live CCM station in the Memphis area.

When Klove came into Memphis, I supported it and enjoyed it. However, I have listened rarely to it for over two years. Their songlist is horrifically stale and repetitive.
I do listen to Air1 (their alternative version) more often and prefer it to Klove but they also can be repetitive.
When I shop for music, I realize that I have not heard of most of it because of KLove's monopoly of this market.

I believe a station that was willing to play new songs from various genres in the CCM industry could really work. CCM is not Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith anymore. It is varied and full of wonderful talent that Memphis has not been exposed to in 10 years.
 
Could someone please explain to me what CCM is?

I would appreciate it.

greg hamilton
 
DeadElvis said:
> So, you think there's any shot in HD?

It all depends, of course, on what you consider success.

HD is in its infancy. How many people do you think are tooling around town with an HD radio? There ain't many. And those who are fall into one of two categories:

1. Buyers of high-end BMWs, since BMW is the only manufacturer shipping cars with HD radios yet, or
2. People who actually seek out HD radio, and install it in a vehicle (most of whom, I would bet, are in the biz).

Boy, that's pretty narrow, huh? When I am listening to Blues on WRVR HD-2, I can't help but wonder if I am THE ONLY ONE. So, in the short-term, an HD2 channel will be reaching a VERY limited audience.

Can CCM, or the like, survive in a world where AQH is less than -- say -- 100? That would be tough, indeed. Heck, it would be tough for a more mass appeal format, one without the issues Christian brings.

So, for now, I can't imagine stations putting much effort into their secondary streams. It's just more trouble than it's worth. Far easier, they might think, to just hook up a canned stream, and let it run -- I assume that's what all of them are doing. And, if canned is all you can get, it's certainly no improvement over K-Love.

DE
Click to expand...

All very valid points, absolutely. But maybe this is where the innovation needs to start...

What if....

Let's say Hallelujah HD-3 becomes a CCM station or harder (my preference). But it's treated like an online radio station, complete with CC web media coverage, with bulletin boards and live chats and whatnot. The HD channels are online anyway, so why not create an online-exclusive strategy? And one benefit of that station is that it's also got a terrestrial HD signal, so if you want to take it with you, all you have to do is get the HD radio.

Just an idea, but what do you think?
 
There is one time that was worse in Memphis concerning CCM radio. That's when there was no CCM radio at all between the time when WMSO changed to WCRV and dropped all CCM in late 1986 and when WGSF switched to CCM in late 1988. Thankfully even with all the problems that CCM radio has had in the past that has never happened again, and hopefully never will.

What is strange is that in Jackson and most of the rest of West TN there are more options for CCM radio than there have ever been in the past 5 to 8 years. For years none of the local Christian stations would give any CCM a chance until WAY-FM and K-LOVE came in and proved that there was a demand for CCM radio. After that, Grace Broadcasting, who wouldn't do anything with CCM for years, started the Dove group of stations. I know that in Memphis K-LOVE may have brought about the end of local CCM radio, but I believe that if they hadn't come to West TN we wouldn't have the choices we have now with not only K-LOVE and the Dove stations, but also WAY-FM, AFR's CCM network, and Air 1.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom