Very Disturbing

[NCRadioGuy2009]

No, actually your not wrong. What people need to understand is that the formats that are focused on the ever-growing hispanic market are actually doing well in this country, In fact, the Summer Arbitron ratings in LA show two stations owned by Univision Communications, a very well known and respected Hispanic communications corporation, KLVE 107.5 (KLVE) and La Nueva 101.9 (KSCA), are the entire LA area's #1 and #2 radio stations. The English-owned radio companies (CBS, Clear Channel, etc.) are trying to keep up with their hispanic-owned counterparts by flipping english-speaking stations to spanish-speaking stations. And, some ENGLISH hip-hop/r&b stations play SPANISH-language songs every now and then, if the song is popular with english-speaking listeners. Also, people need to shut up about the race issue. I think its stupid, companies don't care about race, if the format works in one market that the particular company owns (in this case Clear Channel) then they could bring the format to other markets to see how it does. If it works, it stays. If it doesn't work, then they flip it to another format. And I don't think they look at the ILLEGAL immigrants AT ALL in their format flipping decision. Those immigrants are just that, ILLEGAL. So shut up and deal with the fact that CC and these other companies are just flipping english stations to spanish stations because they are trying to keep up with the Hispanic-owned radio companies. Race and the ILLGEAL immigrant market are NOT looked at in making the decisions of these radio companies. I think that if El Patron 105.3 enjoys a great run in this market, others companies that own stations in ATL will look at this station in making decisions to flip stations to the same type of format or something near similar. So be prepared for major changes in the ATL market if El Patron succeeds. And people will have to deal with the fact that this market has an increasingly growing hispanic market share and that somehow, someway, this market share needed a Hispanic radio station with a great signal reaching all over ATL and not Low Power or Bad signal AM/FM station that cannot be heard very well. Radio companies have to look for the market shares for a station to flip to an urban station, asian station, or hispanic station. That's why there is WBTS (95.5 The Beat), News Talk WAOK, V-103 (WVEE) and now El Patron 105.3 (WBZY now, i expect these calls to change very soon) because the African-American and Hispanic market shares are increasing book by book and they need a station and a voice for their respective communities. So people need to shut up and stop making racist comments and saying that there are too many white stations or there are too many hispanic stations. Those are not because of race, but because of RATINGS. The fact is is that ratings keep a station afloat and that the Cacausian/African-American/Hispanic market shares along with possibly of ratings from other markets are what drives new format decisions such as the decision that created Project 9-6-1 (which is actually pretty good IMO) and El Patron 105.3. Once again, Race and ILLEGAL immigrants are not in any new format decisions AT ALL. So, people who make racist comments should LOOK at the ratings before making racist comments. And Radio-Info.com is NO place for political statements whatsoever.

I hope my point is clear for you. Thanks a bunch! ;D

 

[amos]

Here's my take on the situation.

Because this is an english-speaking board any spanish language station is perceived as being outside of our interest. I'm talking about their daily programming here; we english speakers can't understand what they're saying, so we have little interest in them.

That's not saying they don't have a valid place in the market. Only the market itself can determine that, not some guys on a board. But what it is saying is that no longer will 105.3's programming be something we can critique. Since we don't understand them, how can we comment on what the morning man said? How can we say the afternoon guy's jokes are lame, or that the midday girl rocks? So, to us, the station is lost.

Again, I repeat, that doesn't mean that they don't have a valid place in the market. Just that to so many of us the day-to-day armchair quaterbacking of that frequency is over.

In my opinion, that has nothing to do with racism. How many of us have said the same thing when a station flips to Christian? Look at how little people talk about 104.7 compared to WGST or 96.1 or the other stations in town.

Of course 104.7 isn't a typical Christian formatted station, but the point is when a station chooses a format that's out of a particular person's interest, they lose interest. And sometimes they complain about the loss.

I've worked in smaller markets where country was king. Whenever a CHR would flip to country, us CHR guys would complain that "we already have enough country music stations" around here.

It's all about personal preference.

If this were a spanish-language radio-info board I imagine that we'd be seeing posts about how unfair it is that there are so many english speaking stations. (of course i mean that tongue-in-cheek)

How many of us even knew the morning guys' names on 105.7 until the restroom incident with TRG?

Sure there are many, like David Eduardo, that are experts on spanish language programming and stations. But to most people I know, they're just formats we don't understand, and therefore don't really care about.

And there's the reason for the complaints of a lost station, I think.

-amos

 

[The danimal]

Most of us (myself included) may not understand what is being said on the Spanish speaking radio stations, but we can still talk about whether or not the music appeals to us, how tight the transitions are, the enthusiasm in the announcers' voices, etc. From what little I know about the Spanish speaking formats, I know I like Reggaeton and Latin Rock better than I do the 'Regional Mexican' sound (too 'mariachi' for my ears, and yes, I know I am making a very bad description there). I have learned how to appreciate Salsa and Merangue via some dance lessons at the clubs (and guys, the girls dig this stuff, you might want to try it).

I switch between the Spanish speaking channels on my XM every now and then so I can try to learn the differences between the genres. When I was up in the Northeast, I would turn on Mega 97.9 in New York and sample the programming. Yes, I didn't fully know what the announcers were saying, but I could tell a live remote at a club from a car commercial, among other things. It was facinating.

Perhaps David Eduardo could give us a quick synopsis of the different Spanish radio formats.

The language may be different, but the spirit of radio is very much the same.

 

[davideduardo]

Perhaps David Eduardo could give us a quick synopsis of the different Spanish radio formats.

The language may be different, but the spirit of radio is very much the same.

Here is a starter... www.hispanicformats.com with samples of what the different popular formats play... only one missing is reggaeton which was not a mainland format when the site was last updated.

And thanks for noticing that the spirit of what we do is very much like that of any other part of radio!

 

[monkeymanmoi]

I think I might actually listen to a Spanish station if it included contemporary rock songs a la Gustavo Cerati, Kinky and Aterciopelados. And I don't speak much Spanish. But, just as most English music stations are fairly boring, guess Spanish music stations have to be as well

 

[davideduardo]

I think I might actually listen to a Spanish station if it included contemporary rock songs a la Gustavo Cerati, Kinky and Aterciopelados. And I don't speak much Spanish. But, just as most English music stations are fairly boring, guess Spanish music stations have to be as well

Unfortunately, there is really only one successful Spanish rock station in all Latin America, Mega 98.3 in Buenos Aires. Everywhere else,t he format has failed or Spanish rock is a flavor element on stations that play English-languaged rock, a popular genre throughout Latin America.

 

[clichemoth]

I think I might actually listen to a Spanish station if it included contemporary rock songs a la Gustavo Cerati, Kinky and Aterciopelados. And I don't speak much Spanish. But, just as most English music stations are fairly boring, guess Spanish music stations have to be as well

Unfortunately, there is really only one successful Spanish rock station in all Latin America, Mega 98.3 in Buenos Aires. Everywhere else,t he format has failed or Spanish rock is a flavor element on stations that play English-languaged rock, a popular genre throughout Latin America.

Why hasn't bilingual rock been tried as a format in the US like bilingual urban and CHR have? I'd think it would work in New York, LA, or Miami, at least.

There's an AM station on 1060 with the format that sometimes comes in over KYW here. Great mix of music in both languages, IMO.

 

[davideduardo]

Why hasn't bilingual rock been tried as a format in the US like bilingual urban and CHR have? I'd think it would work in New York, LA, or Miami, at least.

Rock in English appeals, in Latin America, to people who have no need or desire to emigrate to the US. As I said, Spanish rock has only a tiny audience, even in Latin America... some crossover pop-leaning cuts get played on CHRs there, but the genre can not stand on its own except in one city... and among US Hispanics, a "big" rock en español CD is one that sells 10,000 copies. A rock band can not fill a 3,000 seat venue in LA two nights in a row, as an example (and I do not mean pop bands like Mana that are AC... I man Cafe Tacuba, La Ley, Ekhymosis, Aterciopelados, etc.) Yet the Spanish AC ballad station cumes 1.2 million in LA.