Virgin 999

[Yeziknoradio]

Here's an article that Jamie Sturgeon of the National Post wrote about the new Virgin 999 FM.

http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=747861

 

[JustPastBuffalo]

Yezi, saw your post about Giant 91-7 on the Buffalo board and surfed over. Dude, you're one prolific poster on the T-O board, eh. Sleep much? Mix to "Virgin?" Not in Toronto, not in the demo. I don't get it, but I like the line in the ad for the new PD that goes "from good to Google." Very creative yet not too hip for the room. As to Giant's flip to Classic Rock? Man, big steps to take up against Q-107 and Jack... to say nothing of 97 Rock, which gets plenty of ears on the northern side of the river. Where the differentiation?

 

[e-dawg]

What's next?

VIRGIN 95.9 MONTREAL

VIRGIN 95.3 VANCOUVER

VIRGIN 103.1 WINNIPEG

VIRGIN 98.5 CALGARY

VIRGIN FM - Okanagan / Kootnays / Northern Interior BC

 

[Yeziknoradio]

What's next?

VIRGIN 95.9 MONTREAL

VIRGIN 95.3 VANCOUVER

VIRGIN 103.1 WINNIPEG

VIRGIN 98.5 CALGARY

VIRGIN FM - Okanagan / Kootnays / Northern Interior BC

You're bang on that a Virgin coast to coast, or at least one or more virgin radio stations is coming to Canada soon, but the rumour seems to lean toward Ottawa!

Figure that one out...

At this time, Montreal's Mix is staying the same, but that's not guaranteed.

How are the ratings for Vancouver's Crave 95?
Hot 103's switch to Virgin may be a good guess.
I'm also not sure about Calgary. It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out.

As long as they leave Ottawa's bear alone, I'm happy. ;D

 

[mimo]

The Bear's going nowhere, the ratings are great, they actually have live overnights, and may be the only station in Ottawa to do so. Live 88.5 had live overnights for about a year, everything else is either satelite or an ipod on steroids.

Maybe Virgin 105.3 may be what's coming. I doubt it'll be virgin 1310, although that might be interesting. It almost rhymes to0.

 

[theradiokid]

Mimo, no, I’ve figured it out! There’s been an approval of a 99.7 to serve Ottawa. And, who applied for this new station? Why, none other than the company who owns CKFM, Astral Media. The application approved called for a “Soft Rock” station at 99.7. But, you know as well as I do that these companies can play a mind game with the CRTC. In fact, such a thing has been done in Ottawa. In 2003, when Newcap built CIHT, it told the CRTC that CIHT would be a dance station as the “Planet.” It tested with dance music before launching for real as “Hot 89.9.” So expect the new 99.7 to test with Soft Rock before launching, to everyone’s surprise except mine, as “Virgin Radio 997.”

--The Radio Kid
(AKA Oswego Jeremy, as nicknamed by George of the Radio Racket.)
My new email: [email protected].

 

[mimo]

Mimo, no, I’ve figured it out! There’s been an approval of a 99.7 to serve Ottawa. And, who applied for this new station? Why, none other than the company who owns CKFM, Astral Media. The application approved called for a “Soft Rock” station at 99.7. But, you know as well as I do that these companies can play a mind game with the CRTC. In fact, such a thing has been done in Ottawa. In 2003, when Newcap built CIHT, it told the CRTC that CIHT would be a dance station as the “Planet.” It tested with dance music before launching for real as “Hot 89.9.” So expect the new 99.7 to test with Soft Rock before launching, to everyone’s surprise except mine, as “Virgin Radio 997.”

--The Radio Kid
(AKA Oswego Jeremy, as nicknamed by George of the Radio Racket.)
My new email: [email protected].

I think you may be on to something.

 

[Yeziknoradio]

The only problem with a virgin 99.7 in Ottawa is that 105.3's numbers are no where near magic's numbers.

Wouldn't it be smarter to create a new war with Magic 100? Expecially when it's right next door on the dial!

I do agree though, it's Astral, not rogers that would have rights to a Virgin radio anywhere in Canada...at least that's what I believe.

Expecially when the struggling Jack FM could have beaten Astral to the rights in Toronto.

 

[mimo]

105.3's numbers are terrible. Plain and simple. I honestly think that they should be able to do better numbers. They try more to compete with hot 89.9 than with Majic 100. Majic has the best ratings of any music station in Ottawa, and would probably be game for some competition. ¿Who could be able to do it successfully, and actually lure people away? Top 40 here is a fierce battle with CISS 105.3 TRYING to take on hot 89.9, for the english speaking audience and 96.5 Tag radio trying to take on Energie 104.1 for the french audience. Truthfully Energie and Hot are more in competion regardless of language. Many people here are bilingual, and can easily go from one to another. While I haven't been a top 40 radio listener for a long time, I find myself sometimes checking out the french top 40 stations, simply because they sometimes play better rock music than either the bear or live, although I can't speak french at all. Give me a spanish language station and I'm fine.

Since I don't spend a lot of time with any of the rogers stations, or any of the astral stations here for that matter so I forget who owns who. I do check out the bear as it's my second choice for commercial FM radio (after live 88.5) Live does just fine as long as it's not the summer bo0k. An alternative station will never be number 1 anywhere, as much as I'd like to see that. I think 99.7 will go on air as a soft rocker, as planned, but I can also see theradiokid's scenario playing out. Both make sense in a way, and both Yezi and radio kid make great points.

 

[e-dawg]

Speaking of Ottawa, when I was visiting Gatineau (French speaking area of Ottawa). I heard a lot of English radio stations in the stores instead of Energie or Rock Detente(sp.). I'm multilingual person so I can tell you a lot of people in Ottawa speaks Franglish (Frangais) instead of English or French only.

 

[Yeziknoradio]

Speaking of Ottawa, when I was visiting Gatineau (French speaking area of Ottawa). I heard a lot of English radio stations in the stores instead of Energie or Rock Detente(sp.). I'm multilingual person so I can tell you a lot of people in Ottawa speaks Franglish (Frangais) instead of English or French only.

I can't speak for large portions of Ottawa, but I will say downtown Ottawa seems to be mainly english speaking.

Several of the stores in and around Byward market seemed to have Magic or BOB FM on when I was visiting there last.

I also *thought* Gatineau was in Quebec, not Ottawa. I guess I'm wrong.

 

[mimo]

Gatineau is in Quebec, lol. Downtown can be hit or miss, you may hear english radio on, but most people are bilingual or french first english second. In the byward market you're more likely to hear the storekeepers speak arabic, so they usually just find a station and leave it there, or it's CJLL 97.7 in the afterno0ns from 1 til 5.

 

[e-dawg]

I was right! I was right! See link below.

http://www.astralmedia.com/Sites/as...AMI/Virgin Radio broad launch - EN -final.pdf

 

[mimo]

Yes you were. I'm here to admit I was wrong about the bear. That I DON'T understand. The bear has phenomenal ratings. Why in hell would you blow up the number 1 rock station in Ottawa and re-brand it as the virgin 1069 or virgin 107, whatever they're going to call it next month. I wonder how many disenfranchised listeners will join me over at live 885. I bet they're ecstatic over at live. Crave was a given and so was mix 96. From what I understand Ottawa will still be rock while the others will go hot AC.

 

[CHRles]

FYI mimo, the first Virgin Radio station that was ever launched was over in the UK in the 90s. The format? 25-54 Rock station that caters to males. It's still around all over the UK on the AM dial, and on 105.8 in London, though these days it's called Absolute Radio.
Virgin Radio in Italy is a great sounding Rock station. It's one of the biggest stations in the country.
Over in France Virgin Radio leans Rock though its more of a Modern AC.

In other words, just because it's called Virgin Radio don't assume that it'll sound like it's Toronto counterpart. In general, Virgin is considered extremely professional and smart with their launches. They managed to rocket to the top of the radio ratings in Bangkok in just three months with a station over there.
In China they were at one time in charge of Hit FM 88.7 Beijing, and made it sound ten times better then it had originally. Advertisers took note.

 

[mimo]

FYI mimo, the first Virgin Radio station that was ever launched was over in the UK in the 90s. The format? 25-54 Rock station that caters to males. It's still around all over the UK on the AM dial, and on 105.8 in London, though these days it's called Absolute Radio.
Virgin Radio in Italy is a great sounding Rock station. It's one of the biggest stations in the country.
Over in France Virgin Radio leans Rock though its more of a Modern AC.

In other words, just because it's called Virgin Radio don't assume that it'll sound like it's Toronto counterpart. In general, Virgin is considered extremely professional and smart with their launches. They managed to rocket to the top of the radio ratings in Bangkok in just three months with a station over there.
In China they were at one time in charge of Hit FM 88.7 Beijing, and made it sound ten times better then it had originally. Advertisers took note.

Actually I had always wanted to hear virgin 1215 when it launched, I haven't been to England since I was a small child to visit my great grandma in Surrey, so I haven't heard it yet. I know that the Ottawa station will be quite different from Vancouver and Montreal. It just seems very odd to take a very well performing station and change it's imaging. If only the name changes, then it should be just fine, if they tweak it, music-wise, then it'll be very interesting to see what happens. Crave needs to change. I'm not sure about mix 96. I haven't read many great reviews about virgin 999 in Toronto, I HAVE read great things about it internationally. Don't take me as trying to argue or anti-virgin. I'm actually not that big on the bear itself, being more of a live 88.5 listener. I'm going to check it out, no lie there, to see what's different. The hair metal that they put in bugs me, I hated it then and I still hate it.

 

[CHRles]

Even though it's obvious you're a big fan of good Modern Rock radio you definitely do seem very knowledgeable overall as far as radio goes.
If I'm not mistaken, the most listened to station in Calgary, the just released BBM ratings is a Modern Rock station

 

[Yeziknoradio]

FYI mimo, the first Virgin Radio station that was ever launched was over in the UK in the 90s.

just because it's called Virgin Radio don't assume that it'll sound like it's Toronto counterpart.

I have to apologize for being just as bad in my thinking when I commented
"The only problem with a virgin 99.7 in Ottawa is that 105.3's numbers are no where near magic's numbers.
Wouldn't it be smarter to create a new war with Magic 100? Expecially when it's right next door on the dial!"

Based on what you've said, they could have just as easily left the bear alone and launched a Virgin soft AC that attacks Ottawa's Magic 100 head on.

That's exactly what I believe they should have done instead of changing the bear into some virgin rock thing.

If it ain't broke DON'T FIX IT!!!!

 

[CHRles]

I doubt you're ever going to see a Soft AC labelled as Virgin Radio, nor a Country or Smooth Jazz station. The brand is best associated with CHR, Hot AC, or Rock radio.

 

[Yeziknoradio]

I doubt you're ever going to see a Soft AC labelled as Virgin Radio, nor a Country or Smooth Jazz station. The brand is best associated with CHR, Hot AC, or Rock radio.

With the key word being "best" does this mean Soft AC has been done in the States or UK already, and failed?