BlaineMcDaniel said:
El Cheapo...I understand what you're saying about Christian CHR. And you raise a good argument. However, I would agree more about Chrisitan CHR if it weren't for the fact that everyone in that demographic who hungers for Christian music is already getting it from their IPOD.
Did you see the study that came out this month that showed that only around 30% of MAINSTREAM CHR users regard terrestrial radio as their source for new music? Guess what was the #1 source for new music in the CHR demo? Yep...IPOD. And if the percentage of terrestrial usership is so low for mainstream users, then the percentage MUST be EVEN lower for Christian users. Especially since Christian CHR is so much less abundantly accessible than mainstream CHR.
I'm in regular contact with Christian music fans of that demographic. And guess what? Those Christian kids only listen to the radio when their parents have it on. The rest of the time, their IPOD buds are feeding them what they want.
At least, that's what they tell me and that's what I observe. EVERYWHERE.
I think our window of opportunity for reaching the CHR demo with terrestrial Christian RADIO is narrowing to a close. Alternative media is quickly picking up the ball and running with it. The IPOD is entrenched in the youth culture as their chief source of new music. And major kilowattage or not...attracting the CHR demo is a different game than it was 10 or even 5 years ago.
This in mind, I doubt a Christian CHR would be much more financially viable than the present situation. Corporate Radio's best bet for dollars right now is to focus on it's strength. And that is the adult demographics.
While I agree with much of what you say, I'm not quite ready to throw in the towel and count radio out.
Radio listenership is down no doubt, and certain demos are certainly more susceptible to erosion by iPods and the like than others - but some of the strongest 12+ numbers you'll find - even today - are on stations with relatively young demographics. In many markets, CHR-Rhythmic and Urban stations lead the pack and typically those stations have a relatively young core.
Sure - you could make the argument that those stations are still viable where youth oriented stations with a more affluent target demo are not because their listeners simply can't afford the pricey entertainment toys, but I'd wager it's much more than that.
For the most part, CHR-Rhythmic and Urban stations are personality driven. They're plugged in to the community. Their listeners know they can personally interact with their station. They have a connection you can't get with a typical vanilla CHR these days. Remember - kids don't make requests to make requests - they make requests so they can hear themselves on the radio.
Unlike rhythmic formats, CHR allowed itself to become a commodity - a music box. The personality element was eliminated by consultants who claimed to know best and whose strategies may have worked in less competitive times but clearly don't work now.
There are still some wildly successful CHRs across the country. WHTZ comes to mind - it's #3 in NYC. KIIS is #3 in LA and the #1 English language music station.
Why?
They do compelling personality radio and they do it well.
When the only personality you have to offer your listeners is "Playing a better mix of the 80s, 90s, today, tomorrow and next Tuesday with less talk and fewer commercials" why wouldn't they take the iPod route?
That's why the Cox music stations seem to be in a downward spiral. KWEN's heritage can only save it for so long. I'm not saying there aren't some talented people in the building there, but they will have to remember how to do something other than read liner cards if they want to improve ratings (and if KWEN doesn't want to be beaten by KVOO.)
But that's also why a well programmed Christian CHR could make it in Tulsa - I'd venture in the Christian community the sense of connection that a real personality oriented station offers would be even more significant. The best proof of that I can offer is the live events that Live 101.5 offered.
