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Viability of Classic Hip-Hop Station in Memphis Market?

S

snazzyjazzy

I can't think of the format being tried in the Memphis market. There is Soul Classics 103.5, but they don't have very much hip-hop. Hot 107.1's format isn't eaten up with a lot of classic hip-hop. I'm thinking that a station that featured such artists as Grandmaster Flash, the Fat Boys, Run-DMC, Tone Loc, MC Hammer, and Will Smith could actually get decent ratings. The bigger question is, "Would that format attract listeners that have a lot of buying power?" Is there enough room in the market for a station that would be a cross-between 103.5 and 107.1? I know there are big question marks, but I'm trying to think of formats in this market that haven't been tried yet that could possibly make it. I don't think a polka or bluegrass station would do well here.
 
The burn factor is very high on a format like that. I think any success would be short lived. Sort of like the way a couple formats burned through 94.1. Same thing will happen with 98.9 I suspect.
 
The demographic for that format may be too narrow. One would think that the format would appeal to African-Americans in the 35-49 age group. Not to sound horribly racist, stations that appeal to African-Americans don't tend to bill as highly as those that appeal to whites. I think the format is still worth a shot. Does anybody have an idea for a format that could work in this market that hasn't been tried on a full-time basis?
 
That's not racist. I would enjoy classic hip hop but only as an option. K97 hd2 no longer holds a preset on my radio and same for the XM channel. I'm not in the demo you stated though but grew up with the music.
 
Neo-soul is a contemporary format. Its appeal may not be wide enough to be a viable format, but I don't think it would be a crazy idea to try it. I think about all the formats that can make money in this market already exist. You could do worse than neo-soul as a fringe format. That would make more sense than having a third conservative talk radio station in the market. Forget your political leanings! I believe we have reached the saturation point with that format. Even if I were in lockstep with conservatives, I wouldn't have the format 87.7 and AM 1210 does because most listeners for that stuff are already with WREC with the rest being with KWAM and WCRV. I don't believe it's going to do well for Flinn.
 
Peep the approach that Townsquare Media is taking with KDOK (Tyler/Longview, TX). It's utilizing Citadel's new 'Classic Hip-Hop & R&B' satellite format for their new '1240 The Beat'. You can listen live to it here:

http://kdok1240.com/

I don't agree with all of Citadel's music selections (Crime Mob's "White Tee" isn't a 'classic', its more of a beneficiary of payola ;D)--but I do like the effort. This turnkey urban format is something that should have been tried much earlier.

Given how well urban radio is supported in Memphis, what's an AM or rimshot FM with zero ratings got to lose by trying to go for the hyper-local ad sales? I know there are small businesses out there that can't afford accounts with the big FMs.

snazzyjazzy said:
Not to sound horribly racist, stations that appeal to African-Americans don't tend to bill as highly as those that appeal to whites. I think the format is still worth a shot. Does anybody have an idea for a format that could work in this market that hasn't been tried on a full-time basis?
Click to expand...
Not racist at all, but what you talk about consistently frustrates me because even in last throes of the our classically defined recession, Black folks have demonstrated hearty consumer usage of cars, wireless, groceries, restaurant food, hospitality, etc. I abhor the justifications given for 'no urban dictates' that still take place, and the fact that the big radio corporations haven't used their might to fight them.
 
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