From time to time I pop in here and at Rodney's AJC Atlanta Radio Blog to gauge the direction of Atlanta Radio and re-evaluate my decision to pull every single advertising dollar out of local radio. From 2001 - 2005 I spent roughly $75,000/month in radio advertising touching almost every station in this market from 640AM - 107.9 and everything in between.The following is my analysis of the current landscape. While I suspect certain station monkeys will jump in and flame my comments with their loyal counters - most of you know I am right on point.1) 640AM - This station seems to appeal to the blue-haired, cadillac driving population of Atlanta that still believes Rush Limbaugh is entertaining. Advertising messages here are a waste of breath due to a teeny, tiny miniscule listernship coupled with a mind-numb audience. True value: $10/spot primetime (if such thing exists)2) 790 The Zone - Station has a loyal following but small demo and of this small demo mostly geared towards the Stews. Go to any 790 event and it's ...well, not necessarily a higher-end target market. Can ya hear me my Dawgs? That's great if your a krunk energy drink, dotcom gambling site or Bubba's BBQ Wing joint, but certainly not for higher-end items. They're awfully proud of the Georgia Tech, Hawks and Thrasher associations - but how much can that equate to? yea, nutin'...3) 88.5 - You're not serious are you?4) DaveFM - Man, I really had high hopes here. While the managers were of the old school clear channel persuassion, the new PD from right here in Atlanta (via Oregan) was cool, the concept cool and the music playlist sounded like it would be cool --- but it wasn't. After people hear the Police more than once a month, they become disinterested. And contrary to popular opinion, playing the occassional "No Woman, No Cry" or a full weekend of local sweethearts Widespread Panic does not make you some musically knowledgeable station in touch with the listener. ...it's just cliche.Listeners at this station are the type to channel surf during commercials --- off to 96 Rock or the River...5) 95.5 The Beat - Egad. Very young and very OTP. Better be selling cell phones, ringtones or MP3 players.6) 96 Rock - Growing the redneck listenership everyday. Unless your selling Ford 150s, Levis or the Creedance Clearwater Revival / Kansas CD pack, I suggest passing this station by. Bringing the Regular Guys back only made it worse... And now with the stripper-esque afternoon DJ... Consider my dollars even deeper into Internet Marketing.7) 99X - Ha Ha Ha, Ho Ho Ho, He He He --- I recently had one of their young buck sales girls call on me again recently for a "partnership" deal. She stated, and I quote:--- "The average 99X listener makes $75,000 a year" (incidentilly, I hear this from every station, every year. Where are all these people?)--- "99X is the #1 alternative station in Atlanta" (ummmm, yea - amongst a total of ...one.)--- "The station ratings haven't been affected at all by the management change" (ok - gotcha.){RANT} Leslie, blame Chris Williams if you need to but here's some reality: the station does gear towards the 18-year old gwinnet kid dying for a free concert so he can drink keg beer, throw up and break things. The station has no identity due to the constant names changes, tag-line changes and talent staff changes and no matter how much you want to fight it, the BUZZ is kicking your ass up and down Peachtree and perhaps it's time to grab a desk chair, relax and enjoy some of those inflated dollars you've received over the last few years. ...Thank you.8) Q100 - This demo actually has promise. Big gay demo which can equate to high decretionary income. Don't bash me - it's in the research. Couple this with a fiercely loyal female listenership and you have a great demo. So what's the problem? ...yep, channel surfers who bolt during commercials to catch Kelly Clarkson on Star.9) 107.9 - Naw, my product t'aint crunk10) 107.5 WJZZ Smooth Jazz - By far the laziest format that by shear design takes any advertising message and turns it into a slow motion, 45-sounding aural mess. The intelligent listners see themselves above the need to respond to advertising and good luck getting any action out of that doctor's office visitor who is thinking about everything but your advertising message.If I was to put any money back in local radio it would be with: WSB-AM (shear volume of listeners, plus talk listeners tend to be less dial fickle) or Star94 with a Steve/Vicki endorsement (Huge loyal listeners that will do anything that duo says...)There ya go. Flame away grasshoppers.-- surftrip.
-
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
Top 10 {Lamest} Radio Stations in Atalnta - an ex-advertisers point of view
- Thread starter surftrip
- Start date
One? There's two. It and the Buzz. However, it is #1. It's just tied with The Buzz.surftrip said:
F
FMSales
Guest
Maybe it's deja vu all over again or cheap flashbacks, but I swear I have read this post before.surftrip said:
F
FMDawg
Guest
Now that you mention it...
I seem to recall a similar post also.
I seem to recall a similar post also.
F
FMDawg
Guest
Re: Top 10----Questions
Questions for Surftrip, if you don't mind me asking......1. Can you at least give us an idea of what you were advertising with this 75G's?2. How many stations you spread this money across each month? 3. How did you measure your success or lack there of?4. Are you sure it was the station and not your message?Thanks.
Questions for Surftrip, if you don't mind me asking......1. Can you at least give us an idea of what you were advertising with this 75G's?2. How many stations you spread this money across each month? 3. How did you measure your success or lack there of?4. Are you sure it was the station and not your message?Thanks.
D
Dano_Murf
Guest
More importantly.....surftrip, what exactly was it that you got you fired from this ad agency in '05? You left that out of your novel.
A
atlradiofan3
Guest
I would suspect that using personal idealogy and bias to influence where ad money is spent may not have led to the best decisions.
Non-commercial Album 88 didn't get any of that $75/month?Now was that really smart placement of those ad dollars??!! I happen to know 88.5 leads in the shoe sniffing fetish demo....talk about a demo with discretionary income!And for Goth, 12+, you can't beat 88!
F
f10
Guest
Wait a minute...Fram blaming a guy who was PD at 99X 2 years ago just makes her look irrelevant. For a woman who, in her bio, proudly boasts:"She’s been dubbed the First Lady of Modern Rock, Goddess of the Airwaves and one of the most powerful women in radio. Leslie Fram, Director of Programming for Susquehanna - Atlanta (WNNX-99X & WWWQ-Q100) and one of 99X’s favorite on-airpersonalities, is truly one of the South’s most precious gems....Largely responsible for 99X’s cutting edge format and innovative programming, Fram has helped establish the station as an industry leader. She’s known as a hit-maker, trendsetter and trailblazer. She’s the E.F. Hutton of radio. When Fram talks, everyone (from music lovers to industry pros) listen"So wasn't Leslie Fram Chris's boss while he was PD. In that capacity wouldn't she have been a part of anything 99X did, or decisions that were made? For the "most powerful woman in radio", Williams just must have been too much for her to handle as his boss, is that what she's saying? Wow, what a cop out. Why hasn't she been able to fix the station in the two years she's been able to run it her way? The ratings have done nothing but decline! Why has the Buzz already tied 99x in just a year? Wasn't the "goddess of the airwaves" at the helm running 99X her way this entire time?Looks like someone needs a scape goat. As the Buzz continues to pummel the X this next year, look for Fram to find more excuses. "Oh, it wasn't me it was Cumulus's fault this time. The Dickeys and Val Garris really screwed up the station, not me. I'm just the PD and goddess of the airwaves." Way to be the most powerful women in radio and not take responsibility for the fate of your own station. That title seems pretty hollow and delusional now.surftrip said:
First, I'm not buying first Surftrip's "expertise" for one slim second. In fact, I question his resume flatly. No media buyer would make a buying decision by differentiating between 99X and the Buzz saying one is "alternative" and the other is "new rock" . Some may consider the phrase "new rock" just another term for AOR but the Buzz is hardly AOR. AOR is what 96 Rock was before they turned Classic. Second, if you think a PD or even Operations Manager has complete control of the direction of a radio station in 2006 you don't understand corporate radio. PD's and OM's are there to carry out the programming whims and decisions of people way higher up the corporate ladder. At one point Susquehanna was using no less than 3 consultants to determine the direction of 99X. They, in turn, advise the execs who then dictate to the OM's and PD's what to do. True, some OM's may have more control than others but not usually. Another case in point: Randall Bloomquist. I guarantee you he knows how bad his station sucks but is most likely just doing what Clear Channel execs are telling him. Translation: Leslie Fram being the OM doesn't really mean much in today's landscape. And if you think the Dickeys give ANY control to their stations individually you're out of your mind.
J
jbaxter
Guest
If you look at the history of the place, I'd have to agree. But what if out of all the talented but powerless p.d.'s that have gone through that hell hole, this proven loser Bloomquist is the one finally granted some autonomy? For example, I can't believe the higher ups told Randy to hold WGST career day at the Cheetah III.wooder said:
If you actually knew what you were talking about when it comes to Atlanta radio you'd realize 88.5FM was a college radio station.Read: Non-commercialThank you, please do not pass Go, do not collect $200.
thank you Mr Obvious...
...shots to my credibility, claims of my being fired from some agency - which is not only false but the complete opposite of my rapid growth, and the diatribes about the "state of corporate radio in 2006" do nothing to discount my observations --- which are just that - observations - I openly announced leaving myself wide open for flames and expected them.it all comes down to this - radio advertising, especially when compared to online, is a giant waste of money. Now, if you have millions of branding dollars, radio can work but so can any medium if saturated to death.radio, like tv, is very difficult to measure and enigmatic at best.online is an advertiser's dream. it's trackable, immediate and in the case of search engine advertising you are promoting to someone who is actively looking for what you are selling.conversly, with radio - you are merely an aural billboard. Worse, most listeners have trained themsleves to zone out during commercials or change the channel. Arbitron is joke and that's the only industry standard for station popularity. In case you don't know it - Arbitron is just people taking surveys. ...ever read statistics on people and surveys? They lie, misinterpret and make mistakes constantly; furthermore, it's a rare breed that enjoys taking surveys --- it's hardly a true random sample.at the end of the day there are far better ways to spend ad dollars than old-school AM/FM radio ...and in my opinion online is the ad gold of the decade. slaes reps still schleping radio all sound the same. my station this-my station that based on this measurement company or that measurement company. It's all crap, and the only reason these little young-buck sales kids believe it is because their gold cuff-link sales manager told them so...
FM Dawg asked:Questions for Surftrip, if you don't mind me asking......1. Can you at least give us an idea of what you were advertising with this 75G's?we were advertising high-end entertainment events2. How many stations you spread this money across each month? various station involvment at various times but averaged around seven stations3. How did you measure your success or lack there of?this has always been difficult with radio due to the difficulty in tracking; however, we used a media tracking system on the phones and on internet sales screens to capture user response. ...like surveys though, its very nonscientific4. Are you sure it was the station and not your message?no. i do not claim to be the all-knowing but I'll tell you this: other than some gimmicky fun for a couple of months on 99X, we kept the message pretty straight-forward and direct. Lots of call to action...Lastly, someone stated that "...listenership demographics is not related to the success of an advertising campaign". This guy must work for WGST, but I think that's obsurd. Listener stereotypes are developed for a reason ...it's not just selective idea generation by a few folks in the industry. I will tell you this, when 96 Rock and 680 spots ran we most certainly got some entertaining "yee-haw" calls. When 95.5 spots ran (for a brief, brief stint) we got kids calling us and naturally when 99X spots ran we'd get the "dude" calls. ...there are more, but you catch my drift.again, i am not out to gain anyones acceptance on my credibility. you can simply move on past the post, call yourself a radio-professional-know-it-all and be perfectly content - but I am 100% convinced that radio is a dying advertising model and if you do the research you'll see I'm not too off-base ----- it just happens to really, really suck in a transient city like Atlanta.Thanks.
W
wildturkey
Guest
Good post- I am new to the board. Someone two cubes down just told me to check it out for a GST quote. I am a rep at WSB and am curious to learn more about your business. Perhaps I can show you the power of local radio with WSB. If nothing else we can share some market insight. Call me if interested at 4-897-7442.
- Status