WBZZ returns to Pittsburgh

[Whiplash]

As someone predicted on a thread below, CBS is moving the WBZZ call letters to Star 100.7.

CBS is preparing to bring the the WBZZ call letters back to the market where they are best known.

From 1981 to 2004, WBZZ as “B94” was Pittsburgh’s premiere CHR outlet. After failed attempts at Rock and FM Talk the station returned to CHR from October 2007 to February 2010. Though the second incarnation of B94 was replaced by Sports “93.7 The Fan” KDKA-FM, some of B94′s programming elements were merged into sister Adult CHR “Star 100.7” WZPT. Now 100.7 could be acquiring the famed call letters as an application was made for the calls on January 5.

 

[Boss Radio]

"Famed" call letters? Didn't they use them once an hour on the legal ID when B94 was successful?

 

[hypwr]

Do call letters mean much anymore?

 

[MsMusicRadio]

Do call letters mean much anymore?

I think they do to people who grew up in the Sixties when they were used over and over in PAMS jingles and other ways. I doubt if my daughter knows the calls of any station she listens to . I doubt if she knows or cares that WILD94.1 in Tampa is WLLD. Seniors love calls. Why is it KFB ? Sounds like old legendary calls. Why does WJQB, an oldies station in Spring Hill FL ( formerly owned by a late Pitsburgher) often use just JQB? I think the same reason.

 

[DJJack1]

No, call letters mean nothing anymore.

 

[MsMusicRadio]

No, call letters mean nothing anymore.

They don't. Who cares that Q92.9 has no Q in the calls? However, I love em and remember them fondly like the names of old lovers-------WABC, KQV, WTAE, WLS,WCFL, WMCA, WLAC, WSM, KHJ, WKBW, CKLW, WNNNNNBC, WFUN, WQAM, WTIX, WNOE, WHK,WLEE, WRVQ, WKYC, WBZ, WOWO, KRLA, Big WAYS, WEAM,WPGC,WAVA,WCAO,WIBG,WFIL,WWRL,WAMO,WEEP and others from all the places I've been or DX'ed. But then I'm a boomer and I don't buy anything except at Macy's, Nordstrom's and Target.

 

[Parttimer]

With PPM, now that no one has to write down what they listened to, calls are totally irrelevant to the listener.

The change might signal, however, a shift to a more straightforward CHR approach as B100.7..... Kiss is a big target, as opposed to the AC/Classic hits pie being sliced between WSHH, Q, 3WS and Bob.

 

[FreddyE1977]

Do call letters mean much anymore?

I've always wondered that myself. Why you would throw away a hard-earned brand
identity like that? Sort of like the people who just made the decision to change the
iconic packaging on Eight O'Clock Coffee after eight decades. Then again I was not
a Marketing major.

 

[danikayser84]

The change might signal, however, a shift to a more straightforward CHR approach as B100.7..... Kiss is a big target, as opposed to the AC/Classic hits pie being sliced between WSHH, Q, 3WS and Bob.

How about calling it "B101"? Or they might go with a hybrid branding like "B100.7 AMP Radio" or "B100.7 NOW FM" like other CBS CHRs

 

[Talk_Dude]

But then I'm a boomer and I don't buy anything except at Macy's, Nordstrom's and Target.

You mean you don't still shop at Horne's?

The change might signal, however, a shift to a more straightforward CHR approach as B100.7..... Kiss is a big target, as opposed to the AC/Classic hits pie being sliced between WSHH, Q, 3WS and Bob.

How about calling it "B101"? Or they might go with a hybrid branding like "B100.7 AMP Radio" or "B100.7 NOW FM" like other CBS CHRs

Given that almost every radio out there nowadays has a digital tuning display, what's the point of rounding off the frequency? Did you every try to tune in B101 by hitting 101 on a digital tuner keypad? If you want people to tune to 100.7, you need to say "One Hundred Point Seven".

 

[Parttimer]

Given that almost every radio out there nowadays has a digital tuning display, what's the point of rounding off the frequency? Did you every try to tune in B101 by hitting 101 on a digital tuner keypad? If you want people to tune to 100.7, you need to say "One Hundred Point Seven".

It makes me feel really weird when I agree with you.

 

[dB]

Given that almost every radio out there nowadays has a digital tuning display, what's the point of rounding off the frequency? Did you every try to tune in B101 by hitting 101 on a digital tuner keypad? If you want people to tune to 100.7, you need to say "One Hundred Point Seven".

C. Crane has a nice, portable, AF/FM radio with analog tuning. No clock, no memories, just a radio, just like in the old days.

http://www.ccrane.com/radios/am-fm-radios/ccradio-ep.aspx

 

[Talk_Dude]

Given that almost every radio out there nowadays has a digital tuning display, what's the point of rounding off the frequency? Did you every try to tune in B101 by hitting 101 on a digital tuner keypad? If you want people to tune to 100.7, you need to say "One Hundred Point Seven".

C. Crane has a nice, portable, AF/FM radio with analog tuning. No clock, no memories, just a radio, just like in the old days.

http://www.ccrane.com/radios/am-fm-radios/ccradio-ep.aspx

Yep. They sure do. That's why I said "almost".

 

[hypwr]

They should have used the channel numbers 201 thru 300 as was originally intended. Some radios back in the early days of FM had dials with those numbers. Of course, a few sets even had both FM bands.

Geez! Am I showing my age, or what?

 

[MsMusicRadio]

Used to make the rounds between Kauffmans, Hornes, and Gimbels ;D Then stopped off at "Walk and Don't Walk' and wave to Henry D. :-*

 

[corporateradiosucks]

I've always wondered that myself. Why you would throw away a hard-earned brand
identity like that? Sort of like the people who just made the decision to change the
iconic packaging on Eight O'Clock Coffee after eight decades. Then again I was not
a Marketing major.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who was agitated about this - and I WAS a marketing major. My guess is Eight O'Clock is losing market share to the super turbo strong stuff that is Starbucks and Dunkin's supermarket brand. I've also seen from my parents that when people get older (like the people who would remember Eight O'Clock) they don't drink as much coffee in general or switch to instant. So, double edged sword. It just makes me sad cause I miss something from my childhood.

Back to the call letters - they could get really cheesy with this and make the slogan "B a Star" or "The Buzz Is All About Star." But I don't think any Pgh station would ever do anything that cheesy. /sarcasm

 

[Talk_Dude]

I've always wondered that myself. Why you would throw away a hard-earned brand
identity like that? Sort of like the people who just made the decision to change the
iconic packaging on Eight O'Clock Coffee after eight decades. Then again I was not
a Marketing major.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who was agitated about this - and I WAS a marketing major. My guess is Eight O'Clock is losing market share to the super turbo strong stuff that is Starbucks and Dunkin's supermarket brand. I've also seen from my parents that when people get older (like the people who would remember Eight O'Clock) they don't drink as much coffee in general or switch to instant. So, double edged sword. It just makes me sad cause I miss something from my childhood.

Back to the call letters - they could get really cheesy with this and make the slogan "B a Star" or "The Buzz Is All About Star." But I don't think any Pgh station would ever do anything that cheesy. /sarcasm

As I recall, one of the arguments against WBZZ and B-94 as a brand name was that it had gone from being an asset to being a liability. It went from being the hip station for teenagers to being the old fad of yesterday that 20- and 30-somethings had outgrown.

I look at my 20-something daughter who now totally rejects all the hip, trendy brand names she thought were vitally important when she was a teenager. I look at all the people my age who are embarrassed by old photos of ourselves from the 70's and 80's when we wore hair styles and clothing that were hip in the past and are embarrassing now.

I suspect that the only people today who genuinely want to see a return of B-94 are probably the few people who still wear mullets.

 

[RockTheGlobe]

Why does everyone automatically assume those calls are coming back to Pittsburgh? Has there been a specific application to change any Pittsburgh station's calls back to WBZZ? Because according to the FCC database, CBS simply applied to get them back. Maybe someone in the company has a soft spot for the calls and just wants to keep them in the system, like they did with WNEW -- those iconic calls that were associated with New York rock for years are now parked on a Rhythmic station in West Palm Beach just so CBS can say they still have a station called WNEW. Hell, that WPB station didn't even reimage from its old "B106.3" moniker that came from its old WJBW calls, so it has a name that hasn't matched its calls in four years.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Why does everyone automatically assume those calls are coming back to Pittsburgh? Has there been a specific application to change any Pittsburgh station's calls back to WBZZ? Because according to the FCC database, CBS simply applied to get them back.

The WBZZ call application goes to CBS Radio Holdings, Inc, the CBS license subsidiary that indeed holds the license to WZPT...and for that matter, the calls' former home of KDKA-FM and probably the other CBS stations in the market.

I don't know how widespread the CBS Radio Holdings, Inc. license holding subsidiary is, though. The subsidiary for the station in Florida with the WNEW calls is CBS Radio Stations, Inc.

If for whatever reason they do come back to Pittsburgh, the WBZZ calls may be no more than a top-of-hour legal ID for the current WZPT.

 

[corporateradiosucks]

As I recall, one of the arguments against WBZZ and B-94 as a brand name was that it had gone from being an asset to being a liability. It went from being the hip station for teenagers to being the old fad of yesterday that 20- and 30-somethings had outgrown.

Wait till 50 years from now when the nursing homes are full of Tiffanys and Ashleys and the hot teenage babes are all named Mabel, Alma or Gertrude. Although that's already starting to happen to some degree...