WBOS Format Flip

[promixcuous]

The station sounds too hard.  I'm not interested in hurting the ears of my two-year-old with the Beastie Boys...a group that could never write a melody.  As we all get older, the BBoys will have no appeal.

Now, let's hear more Keane and Mika.

I don't like the new station very much.  A lot of it is listenable to me, but as another poster wrote, why have radio sound like an iPod when we already have iPods?  Personally, I only tuned into FM (the old WBOS) when I was in the mood for something local, otherwise I'm listening to Sirius.  Now I won't bother.

 

[radiolives]

I just heard a Dave Matthews Band song now they have a AC type song on. It doesn't sound to hard to me.

 

[ciao99]

This station sounds almost exactly like when FM 104-one launched in Hartford a few months ago. The new Radio 92.9 is playing currents, but maybe only once or twice an hour. If any station is going to be hurt, it's going to be WBCN, although I think WBOS will be the station hurt the most. WFNX and WAAF have pretty loyal fans, so I don't think the format change will hurt them that much. Every song I've heard on 92.9 is already played on another station in the market. Ideally, it would be great if Phoenix somehow acquired 92.9 so WFNX could move it's signal to there, then bring in an Spanish-languaged format to 101.7, or even if a straight-up urban station entered the market (Jam'n 94.5 doesn't count as urban.), urban AC or smooth jazz.

If any station is helped, it's WXRV, and to some extent WERS and WUMB.

Jack

Actually I think it's WFNX that will be hurt the most.

WBOS is now doing the same format that WFNX has been transitioning into over the last 6 months. The big difference: WBOS has a signal that people can actually here.

 

[inthewolf]

I'm wondering if this will really hurt anyone.

While the numbers in Philly for Radio 1045 have been decent, Hartford and LA (which made similiar switches) haven't seen much success. Though it is a little early.

It will probably come down to the marketing of the station. They are going to lose all their core WBOS listeners probably after this weekend. The question is how will they draw in new cume? FNX doesnt really light the world on fire so perhaps they get a few percentage points there. BCN? Maybe? Mix? Maybe?

Im just not sure where they are going to get their audience from and how they are going to market to said auidence. Will the "more music, less talk" thing really work? Hasn't Toucher and Rich shown us, with their good numbers, that people in the IPOD age want personality on their radio station.

 

[radiodouble]

I'm wondering if this will really hurt anyone.

While the numbers in Philly for Radio 1045 have been decent, Hartford and LA (which made similiar switches) haven't seen much success. Though it is a little early.

It will probably come down to the marketing of the station. They are going to lose all their core WBOS listeners probably after this weekend. The question is how will they draw in new cume? FNX doesnt really light the world on fire so perhaps they get a few percentage points there. BCN? Maybe? Mix? Maybe?

Im just not sure where they are going to get their audience from and how they are going to market to said auidence. Will the "more music, less talk" thing really work? Hasn't Toucher and Rich shown us, with their good numbers, that people in the IPOD age want personality on their radio station.

musically, this seems too soft of a cable radio-like presentation that's geared at female demos. current 'bcn doesn't play barenaked ladies, edie brickell, alanis or fiona apple. pop/rock for chicks. 'bos has been down that road once before and had their behind handed to them on a silver platter. mix is more likely their target than either 'bcn or 'fnx.

 

[CTListener]

I'm wondering if this will really hurt anyone.

While the numbers in Philly for Radio 1045 have been decent, Hartford and LA (which made similiar switches) haven't seen much success. Though it is a little early.

According to postings in the Connecticut forum, the format in Hartford is just a low-cost placeholder until Clear Channel can sell the station. Could GM have the same fate in mind for WBOS?

 

[JustinT]

According to postings in the Connecticut forum, the format in Hartford is just a low-cost placeholder until Clear Channel can sell the station. Could GM have the same fate in mind for WBOS?

CC has to sell in Hartford, though. GM's in it for the long run with WBOS. And the press release over on BostonRadioWatch said that the station is still going to put on Earthfest, so it's not like the entire budget has gone down to $0. It seems like the biggest relaunch of the station since 1989, but keep in mind that WBOS seems to relaunch itself every year or two, so it's a bit different from CC ditching urban for this format, whatever it is called.

 

[inorm99]

WBOS is jockless now.
Don't expect WBOS to remain jockless for long.

They will not hurt any other station in it's pleasant form, certainly not WBCN, WAAF, or WFNX
You cannot call yourself classic alternative without playing the all important music from the years 1977-1983, and WBOS isn't going near it.
To really make a splash here in Boston you have to do something different than what is currently being offered on any other rock station.
Radio 104.5 might be working in Philly, but remember, all Philly had at it's debut was WMMR as competition

 

[ex radio pimp]

Does it make sense to go "younger" when only older people listen to radio?

 

[BRNout]

This flip is fascinating while - at the same time - has me shaking my head. Has anyone at GM actually looked at the ratings for WBCN, WFNX and WAAF lately? This flip was done as if those stations have huge audiences that can be culled. But they don't. None is doing all that well. So, what purpose does adding more of the same serve? What a waste.

The points about Boston NEEDING an Urban AC are well taken. Even a full-service urban contemporary would serve the market well. Either one would garner far more in the way of ratings than this new iteration of WBOS ever will. The problem here is that Greater Media has no idea how to program anything rhythmic - let alone "urban" radio. Not a clue. So, they'd never flip WBOS in that direction.

And, this just provides a great example of why no one is programming such a format in Boston. Basically, the market is dominated by GM, Entercom, CBS Radio and Clear Channel. And, Nassau at the fringes. GM, Entercom and Nassau couldn't program an urban if their collective lives depended on it. Clear Channel has the market locked up for CHR (Kiss) and CH/U (Jamn) with their uninspired, yet successful, programming. They have no interest in adding anything more because they have "rhythmic" music sewn up in the market. And then there's CBS, who has (on FM) Mix, WBCN and Oldies 103. They are probably the only ones in Boston who could program such a station. But, would they? That is the question.....

As for Spanish Tropical, I am not that keen on flipping a big FM to this format as the power ratings would be dismal. At least an urban would get a decent amount of crossover from suburban whites and latinos as well as black listeners. Any Spanish format would be limited to only those who speak the language - a decidedly lower income audience in metro Boston. And there just aren't enough of those listeners in the Boston DMA to make money doing it - unless someone were to do it on a smaller class A (like, theoretically, WFNX or WKAF).

No, urban or "rhythmic" is the type of format that is most lacking in this market.

Anyhow, the WBOS flip sounds like a waste of time to me. It's not all that different from their unfocused AAA format - only with no on-air personalities to make it worthwhile. As an aside, I tend to think of "classic alternative" as 80's and early 90's music which includes such groups as Depeche Mode, The Cure, Howard Jones, Peter Murphy, etc. Doesn't sound like they're even delving that deep. Too bad, because this seems (so far) to be a fringe format with lackluster execution.

 

[chitchatjf]

There are two formats I would want to see in Boston.

a)Urban AC - A cross between the "Movin" and "Rhythm and Gold" formats. I would probably USE the Movin trademark and jingles but with more older stuff.

b)Progressive Top 40 - not the crap XKS does : This would stick with mainly the top 20 but according to the Hot 100 without regard to music style. Songs would be played no more then once every 3-4 hours if them. There would also be recurrents and older tracks as well.

My slogan: Today's hits in lighter rotation and 6 decades of classics.

 

[Retro]

Bring back an early 90's Dance/Rhythmic format. There is a market for it.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

You cannot call yourself classic alternative without playing the all important music from the years 1977-1983...

Just a decade ago, some of us were saying; "You cannot call yourself "oldies" without playing the all-important music from the years 1955-1963..."

And the years just keep on going...

 

[rapking]

This is Boston , Home of Sh T Radio ! On air Personnel are next on the Hit list ( 92.9 , 93.7 )

 

[TravisWMLN]

You cannot call yourself classic alternative without playing the all important music from the years 1977-1983...

Just a decade ago, some of us were saying; "You cannot call yourself "oldies" without playing the all-important music from the years 1955-1963..."

And the years just keep on going...

I still think oldies should play some stuff between those years...you can't find any stations playing that stuff anymore

 

[Retro]

Maybe on the True Oldies Channel that ABC/Citadel Scott Shannon is promoting.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

Maybe on the True Oldies Channel that ABC/Citadel Scott Shannon is promoting.

That doesn't have a Boston area affiliate anymore (the last was 830 WCRN Worcester before they went talk), but there are some station in the suburbs which can be heard around Boston still playing some pre-'64 oldies.

Under the new owners, WCAP 980 in Lowell is playing an automated oldies format called "Beatles and Before" when they don't have talk shows on, which is weekday evenings, late nights, and afternoons and nights on weekends. It runs mid-'50s to early '70s oldies, heaviest on the early '60s.

WBOQ "North Shore 104.9" has some late '50s/early '60s oldies in their mix, and runs the syndicated "Little Walter's Time Machine" Sunday nights 8-11 PM, which is all mid-'50s through early '60s hits and "deep" collector tracks, heavy on the vintage R&B and doo-wop, presented in Walter's manic style.

WATD 95.9 in Marshfield has various oldies shows that go back to the '50s including Ron Dwyer Mon-Thurs. evenings 7-10 PM and other shows overnights 2-5 AM and various times on weekends, most notably "Yesterday's Memories" Saturdays 6 PM-12 Mid. and "Bill Clark's Music Heaven" (doo-wop hits and deep collector tracks) Sunday nights 10 PM-2 AM.

WJIB 740 AM mixes in some of the lighter '50s and '60s oldies with the Adult Standards.

On the non-comm side WMWM 91.7 Salem has "Uncle Henry's Basement" playing doo-wop Saturday evenings.

 

[BoredModerator]

I have to laugh when I see complaints about stations dumping jocks, as if jocks are owed jobs because they like what they do.

Ask yourself, compared to 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, what do ADVERTISERS have today that they did not then???

Answer = More options.

I can advertise on the radio, or the HUNDREDS of TV stations available now, or the THOUSANDS of TARGETED WEBSITES so I can better target my audience. Maybe I could even sneak an ad on Satellite, or a billboard, or EMAIL groups. The radio advertisement is just another commodity fighting over the advertisers dollar....so radio stations can collect less and less, which in turn means can't afford disc jockeys and be profitable.

92.9 and MIKE FM are going jockless to be PROFITABLE and stay in business, so their INVESTORS do not abandon ship and go out of business. Look at CC selling clusters, ie Providence. It's not profitable to run these stations anymore. Advertisers have the power, and radio is not the trend amongst the young....let us not forget the IPOD and 99 cent downloads - who needs radio? My prediction with Radio 3.0 is that you will hear more stations going jockless and to National formats......news & traffic updates texted to your cell phone.

 

[NHRadio]

Thank you for your eloquent comment.

This is Boston , Home of Sh T Radio ! On air Personnel are next on the Hit list ( 92.9 , 93.7 )

 

[RadioNut]

I have to laugh when I see complaints about stations dumping jocks, as if jocks are owed jobs because they like what they do.

Ask yourself, compared to 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, what do ADVERTISERS have today that they did not then???

Answer = More options.

I can advertise on the radio, or the HUNDREDS of TV stations available now, or the THOUSANDS of TARGETED WEBSITES so I can better target my audience. Maybe I could even sneak an ad on Satellite, or a billboard, or EMAIL groups. The radio advertisement is just another commodity fighting over the advertisers dollar....so radio stations can collect less and less, which in turn means can't afford disc jockeys and be profitable.

92.9 and MIKE FM are going jockless to be PROFITABLE and stay in business, so their INVESTORS do not abandon ship and go out of business. Look at CC selling clusters, ie Providence. It's not profitable to run these stations anymore. Advertisers have the power, and radio is not the trend amongst the young....let us not forget the IPOD and 99 cent downloads - who needs radio? My prediction with Radio 3.0 is that you will hear more stations going jockless and to National formats......news & traffic updates texted to your cell phone.

Who said jocks are OWED jobs? Someone just said radio brags about being local, then gets rid of the people who can make it local, and that is a great point