Changes could be on the way on the Fort Wayne radio dial as frequent format hopper 106.3 (Currently known as WDDB-Columbia City/Fort Wayne) is once again stunting. This time with 'Crazy' by Patsy Cline, 'How Long' by Ace and a rock song that sounded like it might have been Nickelback. In between each song is a voice simply saying '106.3'.
Now the question is, what format are they going to try in Fort Wayne? Those who know the Summit City radio dial know that it is pretty full for a city the size of Fort Wayne. And of all of these stations in The Fort, they all seem to be doing the same format. None of them seem to be daring enough to try something new. But with the demise of Smooth Jazz 106.7 last May and now 106.3, this leaves Fort Wayne without a Mainstream CHR or a Smooth Jazz station.
People will argue that Mainstream CHR stations have never done well in Fort Wayne. However 97.3 WMEE was a GREAT CHR back in the day. But Fort Wayne radio was very different 'back in the day'. 98.1 was strictly a Defiance station and 92.3, 94.1, 96.3, 105.1, 106.7 and 107.9 weren't on the air yet. Those stations came to be in the 80's and early 90's. So you had ONE country station, ONE AC station, and ONE CHR station. The only competing stations were WBYR and WXKE (103.9), but Fort Wayne has always been a great rock city, so even in the 80's there were enough people in Fort Wayne to support two rock stations. What you're seeing now is an over crowding of radio stations in a city that doesn't even need them. There are 16 commercial radio stations serving Fort Wayne. Major markets like Detroit and Chicago with their .8 mHz spacing have 20 commercial radio stations. So this is just mind boggling. Fort Wayne only has four less commercial radio stations than the major markets. Yet Chicago has about 10 times more people than Fort Wayne.
Here is what I think 106.3 should do.. My idea might seem a little crazy, but I think it would work. They could either relaunch a CHR format with an even amount of pop, rock and Rhythmic. Enough to get people to listen on ONE station instead of tuning around to four of them. ADVERTISE, ADVERTISE, ADVERTISE! Promote the station. Take your jocks to Glenbrook, IPFW, The Colisieum. People will notice you! If you play everything on one station that is already being played on four of them it would make things easier, not to mention leave four stations shaking in the ratings.
My other idea is Adult Contemporary. This is the one that seems the craziest. People will argue that AC is saturated in Fort Wayne, but I beg to differ. The only station that is REALLY doing AC right now is WMEE, and they are IMO a trainwreck. They will play an AC song followed by Mellencamp followed by 'Heartbreaker' by Pat Benetar. Not what one would expect to hear in a dentist office. Majic, Mix and My are Hot AC stations. If 106.3 could launch an AC format that actually sounded like AC, I think it could do well in Fort Wayne.
Fort Wayne radio is very oversaturated. But we can't expect all 16 commercial FM stations to change formats overnight. It has to start with one station making the right move, and whether 106.3 makes 'the right move' remains to be seen. I will stay tuned.
For this and more, feel free to read my radio blog
http://michradio.blogspot.com<P ID="signature">______________
Lawppy.. Southern Michigan FM DX Freak
712 stations and counting</P>
Now the question is, what format are they going to try in Fort Wayne? Those who know the Summit City radio dial know that it is pretty full for a city the size of Fort Wayne. And of all of these stations in The Fort, they all seem to be doing the same format. None of them seem to be daring enough to try something new. But with the demise of Smooth Jazz 106.7 last May and now 106.3, this leaves Fort Wayne without a Mainstream CHR or a Smooth Jazz station.
People will argue that Mainstream CHR stations have never done well in Fort Wayne. However 97.3 WMEE was a GREAT CHR back in the day. But Fort Wayne radio was very different 'back in the day'. 98.1 was strictly a Defiance station and 92.3, 94.1, 96.3, 105.1, 106.7 and 107.9 weren't on the air yet. Those stations came to be in the 80's and early 90's. So you had ONE country station, ONE AC station, and ONE CHR station. The only competing stations were WBYR and WXKE (103.9), but Fort Wayne has always been a great rock city, so even in the 80's there were enough people in Fort Wayne to support two rock stations. What you're seeing now is an over crowding of radio stations in a city that doesn't even need them. There are 16 commercial radio stations serving Fort Wayne. Major markets like Detroit and Chicago with their .8 mHz spacing have 20 commercial radio stations. So this is just mind boggling. Fort Wayne only has four less commercial radio stations than the major markets. Yet Chicago has about 10 times more people than Fort Wayne.
Here is what I think 106.3 should do.. My idea might seem a little crazy, but I think it would work. They could either relaunch a CHR format with an even amount of pop, rock and Rhythmic. Enough to get people to listen on ONE station instead of tuning around to four of them. ADVERTISE, ADVERTISE, ADVERTISE! Promote the station. Take your jocks to Glenbrook, IPFW, The Colisieum. People will notice you! If you play everything on one station that is already being played on four of them it would make things easier, not to mention leave four stations shaking in the ratings.
My other idea is Adult Contemporary. This is the one that seems the craziest. People will argue that AC is saturated in Fort Wayne, but I beg to differ. The only station that is REALLY doing AC right now is WMEE, and they are IMO a trainwreck. They will play an AC song followed by Mellencamp followed by 'Heartbreaker' by Pat Benetar. Not what one would expect to hear in a dentist office. Majic, Mix and My are Hot AC stations. If 106.3 could launch an AC format that actually sounded like AC, I think it could do well in Fort Wayne.
Fort Wayne radio is very oversaturated. But we can't expect all 16 commercial FM stations to change formats overnight. It has to start with one station making the right move, and whether 106.3 makes 'the right move' remains to be seen. I will stay tuned.
For this and more, feel free to read my radio blog
http://michradio.blogspot.com<P ID="signature">______________
Lawppy.. Southern Michigan FM DX Freak
712 stations and counting</P>
