WBUF 92.9's Problem

[wxctintern]

In my opinion WBUF's problem is WBLK. Let me explain. If WBLK did not exist I would imagine WBUF would be a hip-hop station. And a successful one at that. Let's look at Hartford, Connecticut. Inifinity blew-up Dancin' Oldies Z-93.7 in March 2001 and flipped it to Hip-Hop Hot 93.7 - that market's first FM hip-hop station. and has been very successful. They're still doing relativly well even with Clear Channel's new POWER 104.1 which launched in September 2003.

If it weren't for WBLK, I'm sure when Infinity blew up Dancin' Oldies B-92.9, they would've flipped it to hip-hop.

 

[SirRoxalot]

Next Spin of the Format Wheel

> If it weren't for WBLK, I'm sure when Infinity blew up
> Dancin' Oldies B-92.9, they would've flipped it to hip-hop.

Infinity has started pushing WBLK's demos upward, looking more for an Urban/AC audience and forsaking the 12-24 demo. WBLK is dayparted, and it's following the same path that Kiss has taken - which is part of Star's current problem. The Kiss demos are hitting Star from one side, and Jack is hitting Star from the other.

If Infinity is successful in moving WBLK's demos to 25-49, with the concentration 35-49, then it leaves an opening for a 12-34 station, with the concentration 25-34. When Jack flounders - and I have faith that it will - that may be the hole that Hot 92.9 may try to fill next. As a bonus, it would undercut Kiss the same way that Wild did with its rimshot signal.

Of course, Infinity may sell the whole cluster by then, IF they can find somebody stupid enough to meet their asking price.

 

[Yeziknoradio]

Re: Next Spin of the Format Wheel

With no fact intended, my "Wild"est guess,(no pun intended) is that Infinity may actually fear that going after the younger Urban listener, will leave them with a listener base that is too young.

Not actually sure if Wild in Niagara ever ran into this problem or not, but it is a thought to consider.<P ID="signature">______________
"If you never say NO, How much is your YES worth?"
</P>

 

[Radio_Freak]

Re: Next Spin of the Format Wheel

> With no fact intended, my "Wild"est guess,(no pun intended)
> is that Infinity may actually fear that going after the
> younger Urban listener, will leave them with a listener base
> that is too young.
>
> Not actually sure if Wild in Niagara ever ran into this
> problem or not, but it is a thought to consider.
>

If WBLK evolves into an urban AC and WBUF turns into a street smart hip hop station along the lines of Hot 97 in NYC or WPGC in DC, theres no doubt in my mind both stations would put up huge numbers and have Entercom reeling from the younger demos they'll lose at Kiss.

 

[Radknowski]

Re: Next Spin of the Format Wheel

> > With no fact intended, my "Wild"est guess,(no pun
> intended)
> > is that Infinity may actually fear that going after the
> > younger Urban listener, will leave them with a listener
> base
> > that is too young.
> >
> > Not actually sure if Wild in Niagara ever ran into this
> > problem or not, but it is a thought to consider.
> >
>
> If WBLK evolves into an urban AC and WBUF turns into a
> street smart hip hop station along the lines of Hot 97 in
> NYC or WPGC in DC, theres no doubt in my mind both stations
> would put up huge numbers and have Entercom reeling from the
> younger demos they'll lose at Kiss.
>
<font face="times new roman" size="3" color="330066">
No insult intended to the posters who've put up some interesting speculation, but when I read stuff like this, excepting Mr. 'Lot's take, it reminds me of my daddy's words of advice, "...son, if a frog had wings, his ass wouldn't be parked on a lilly pad."

WBLK is a heritage Urban station. WBUF is nothin' more than undercooked rice.

The Infinity combo in Buffalo is focused on 25-54. That's the money demo. The Infinity suits DON'T want to get into the hip-hop, CHR game. It's not in their business plan.</font>

 

[SirRoxalot]

Hip Replacement

> WBLK is a heritage Urban station. WBUF is nothin' more than
> undercooked rice.
>
> The Infinity combo in Buffalo is focused on 25-54. That's
> the money demo. The Infinity suits DON'T want to get into
> the hip-hop, CHR game. It's not in their business plan.

Disclaimer: Please don't take me to task on the various genres of that make up hip-hop, rap, rhythmic, dance, pulse, etc. I'm way out of the demo, and not interested in furthering my knowlege of this particular form of expression. Besides, my factory car stereo doesn't have a subwoofer that is capable of shattering the headlights when cranked to 11. In fact, it doesn't even have an 11 on the volume control. For simplicity's sake, I will refer to the general category of basso-profundo pulsing destruction as "hip-hop". This is a shorthand that will tell you that "I ain't hip", and "I ain't got as much hop in my step as I used to".

The Infinity suits may not like it, but the 20-30 year old audience is very much into hip-hop. Just ask any "Modern Rock" station. And I'm not talking "urban" listeners. I'm talking about your typical suburbanites in big numbers.

Kiss seems to be deathly afraid of being identified with hip-hop. It makes the mommies nervous. A trip down Chippewa will clue you into the number of young 'uns - both male & female - who dig the raw power of the music.

That's the population that Hot 92.9 has a shot at. That's also the population that will be the next set of mommies & daddies - and maybe sooner than expected if alcohol, ecstacy, and birth control aren't mixed in proper sequence and/or proportions.

I agree that 25-54 is the money demo, but 25-34 is an underserved audience right now. That's also the base for the next generation of listeners. If they're completely abandoned to iPods & satellite, so much the worse for the future of radio. Infinity, as a forward-thinking, responsible broadcaster (/end sarcasm), needs to find SOMETHING for 92.9. The low end of the money demo might be it. As a bonus, it also undercuts a big gun at a rival group - namely Kiss.

 

[ThePickleReport]

Re: Hip Replacement

Infinity, as a forward-thinking,
> responsible broadcaster (/end sarcasm), needs to find
> SOMETHING for 92.9. The low end of the money demo might be
> it. As a bonus, it also undercuts a big gun at a rival group
> - namely Kiss.


This is true and that's probably exactly what it would do, cut into Kiss 98.5, possibly WBLK a bit too though.

Ratings impact aside, I think the bigger question is would Infinity really want to FIGHT for the 18-34 advertising dollar? I just don't think Buffalo can support another younger demo station.