WDOK vs. The Wave

[OhioMediaWatch]

I've heard 50/50 on Trapper's return.

Not sure he fits into a reconfigured "New 102" ("Fresh" or whatever it ends up being), but I have also heard rumors - not confirmed - about what Nathan brought up...Trapper doing AMD solo.

 

[iFartRadio]

The Modern AC format (which is pretty dead) is 100% guitar pop. Q is FAR from Modern AC, they're evolving into a full-fledged (albeit more adult-leaning, yes) CHR. If anything, I can see Q dropping that adult-lean, leaving that to Fresh(?) and taking on KISS head on. There's several CC vs. CBS Top 40 battles in the country, the next one could be right here.

 

[Tim L]

I enjoy reading the threats that people make. "I am NEVER LISTENING to your station again" You fired so and so and I am never listening again. Note to those people writing on facebook. They couldn't care less what you think stop wasting your time writing on a facebook page that an intern most likely answers.

Most of "Those People" writing on Facebook arent going to come over here and read your pearls of wisdom..(though true for the most part)

 

[Rusty Muck]

maybe CBS had a change of heart with the "Radio" format now V107.3 is gone

More of, CBS intending to nationally franchise formats whenever they can.

Think, "Fresh," "AMP/Now," "Jack," and even "The Fan..." even dud formats like "Free FM."

"radio 92.3" was borrowed off of Greater Media's WBOS-FM in Boston... with branding based off of CC's "radio 104.5" in Philadelphia (also used for a time on stations in Columbus, Baltimore and Cincinnati).

CBS is sacrificing a heritage brand in WDOK for "Fresh 102," with a similar format, yet far cheaper airstaff. And again, if Trapper is retained, it won't be with the same show people have come to know and love.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

I'm hearing that Trapper is/will be at One Radio Lane today, as will Jim, but obviously not to do their show...which isn't on this morning.

The Wave's Dan Deely has been reading liners urging listeners that if they don't like changes in their "at work" radio station, try 107.3. Heh.

If Mark Ribbins hadn't have been hired, I'd expect Nancy Alden to show up on 107.3 as soon as her CBS post-contract non-compete ends.

 

[Buckeyes2001]

So, basically WDOK is going to sound just like WNIC 100.3 up in Detroit (although they are owned by Clear Channel) when they relaunch as the "New 102" or "Fresh 102(.1)"?

 

[chrocket87]

While going through some of the Facebook hate mail, I saw somebody suggest they go to AAA, since 107.3 is gone. Honestly, I'm surprised I haven't seen any trolls asking them to pick up Alt-Rock and rebrand as "Radio 102.1", since I recall a few doing that on Q104's page. :
To be fair, a jockless alt-rocker would probably stand a better chance than a "Fresh" would, since it hasn't done very well in any of its markets except for NY.

 

[johnbasalla]

WDOK's ratings seem to have been solid.

 

[CleveFan]

Just saw on Cleveland.com an article saying WDOK will have new voices along with some old ones. I'm beginning to feel that maybe they won't be all-automated after 10AM, but have some live jocks throughout the day.

Maybe also the whole "Fresh" thing is a cover-up. Remember when there was discussion that 106.5 was flipping to a Gen-X format before it actually became The Lake? Maybe the name might really be The New 102. Who knows?

My gut feeling is that Desiray McCray and Trapper Jack is coming back since their bios are still up on the WDOK website. Terry Moir and Jim McIntyre are not known to be returning or gone, though their bios are gone. We shall hear on Monday who's there and who's not.

 

[vjm]

Best as I can tell from the Cleveland.com article:

1. WDOK will still have a (albeit modified) Soft AC format
2. Trapper Jack will probably still handle AMD
3. There will be "new and old voices" throughout the day
4. It all settles in on Monday

OK..so who will these voices be?

Desiray McCray...probably, since the WDOK website still acknowledges her existence
Mark Nolan...never say never
Ravenna Micelli...a reach, but possible
Somebody from Q 104 coming over (like say Tim Richards)...maybe
Somebody completely off the board..who knows.

I guess we'll all see on Monday (unless it gets leaked sooner).

 

[Rusty Muck]

Best as I can tell from the Cleveland.com article:

1. WDOK will still have a (albeit modified) Soft AC format
2. Trapper Jack will probably still handle AMD
3. There will be "new and old voices" throughout the day
4. It all settles in on Monday

OK..so who will these voices be?

Desiray McCray...probably, since the WDOK website still acknowledges her existence
Mark Nolan...never say never
Ravenna Micelli...a reach, but possible
Somebody from Q 104 coming over (like say Tim Richards)...maybe
Somebody completely off the board..who knows.

I guess we'll all see on Monday (unless it gets leaked sooner).

If anyone comes over from Q, Jen Toohey would be the most likely candidate IMO. Jen voice-tracked evenings on the now-defunct "Fresh 105.9" in Chicago (subsequently blown up for a simulcast of all-news WBBM-AM), so she would already be familiar with the format. Or she double-dips with both Q and 102.

If Desiray returns, it probably would be in middays via Memorex once again.

Aside from that, it's likely going to be younger-sounding, more cheaper to run, and (if "Fresh" is utilized) a heritage brand in WDOK being replaced with a franchise name.

 

[CleveRadioInsider]

So WDOK is going to call itself "Fresh" dump Nancy Alden and replace her with Ravenna Miceli and call this a "fresh" approach? Why bother? Should have just kept Nancy Alden in the first place. Nancy is recognizable and has been with WDOK for years. Ravenna has bounced around all over town. I'll never understand the fascination with Ravenna Miceli in this market. She will go wherever her husband will be consulting at.

 

[Rusty Muck]

So WDOK is going to call itself "Fresh" dump Nancy Alden and replace her with Ravenna Miceli and call this a "fresh" approach? Why bother? Should have just kept Nancy Alden in the first place. Nancy is recognizable and has been with WDOK for years. Ravenna has bounced around all over town. I'll never understand the fascination with Ravenna Miceli in this market. She will go wherever her husband will be consulting at.

"Fresh" is just a CBS brand name (excluding CC's "Fresh" in Detroit at WNIC/100.3, which employs the same format). How in the hell it's connected to adult contemporary I have no idea. It flopped in Chicago, but has been successful in New York (where it replaced flailing Hot AC "Mix" WNEW-FM, several degrees removed from their disastrous hot talk format) and is moderately successful in Washington and St. Louis. Don't be surprised to see CBS re-brand not just WDOK, but several other AC stations in their chain, to "Fresh" over the coming months.

For the record, there has been nothing floated about at all regarding Ravenna joining WDOK. Zip, zero, nada.

Again, WDOK will still have Trapper Jack in morning drive. After that... who in the hell knows. But it will be younger, cheaper and likely heavily voice-tracked after 10am. Maybe with heavy crossover from Q104. Music now is first and foremost over any personality.

 

[1sttimecaller]

Does not look like they will be using "fresh". Do they officially re-brand at midnight or during Trappers show Monday?

 

[Rusty Muck]

Does not look like they will be using "fresh". Do they officially re-brand at midnight or during Trappers show Monday?

My guess is at 5:30am with Trapper's show. But who knows. It's all a big set of question marks coming out from One Radio Lane.

If WDOK doesn't take the name tomorrow, they will soon. (It's starting to seem like "New 102" will be the temporary branding, not unlike 92.3 dubbing themselves as "92.3: Cleveland Jammin' Oldies" in the interregnum between "Jam'n 92.3" and "92.3 The Beat.")

And if nothing happens, it will be the ugliest bunch of nothing since the "Death of the Buzzard."

 

[vjm]

Just for gits and shiggles, I took a gander at the playlists of both WDOK and Q 104 over the last 3 days.

While there is a little more overlap (DOK has been adding stuff from folks like Beyonce, Lady Gaga, and Katy Perry), there's still a good amount of difference.

You won't hear Faith Hill, Shania Twain, Leann Rhimes, or any 80's stuff on Q (DOK also still has a few 70's tunes, like "Dancing Queen", "Margaritaville", and stuff from Barry White and Elton John).

Meanwhile, Q has stuff from Britney Spears, Rhianna, and a lot of "KISS"-esque tunes that won't see the light of day on DOK.

So, it looks to me like DOK is going in a soft leaning Mainstream AC mode.

Basically, a notch or 2 peppier than The Wave, but a coupla notches down from Q or Kiss.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

I can't help but wonder, which I did in my item talking about the PD article over the weekend, if Dave Popovich is kinda relishing this noise.

"Then why would anyone tune in Monday?", he asks when Chuck Yarborough presses him for details about "new (and old) voices".

My gut tells me that New York or whoever is pushing for changes based on recent PPM performance, but that Popovich is trying to do as little as possible.

I keep hearing folks telling me that "Fresh" is in the offing, but I don't know if that's more than just very loud market rumor at this point. Why would they register the "new102.com" domain and make reference to "New 102", then? Maybe it's interim branding, as Nathan suggests.

My late night/early morning bet, and it's mostly guessing: Trapper Jack is back, with Jim but without Terry (and maybe not this morning straight up). Everything after 10 is VTed, including Desiray. The music mix is a bit younger, but not a lot, and the same happens to Q104.

 

[CleveFan]

Heard WDOK this morning. They're now Cleveland's New 102 or The New 102 with a new logo and color scheme to boot.

http://www.wdok.com

Out goes the logo that was unveiled a month or two ago. The new one reminds me of WLTF's logo from 1995 to '97 though.

Trapper Jack and Jim McIntyre are staying put in mornings and Desiray McCray remains on afternoons. Terry Moir, the third member of the morning team, is leaving to focus more on her WKYC job and her family.

Middays and nights are supposed to be revealed soon, and the station is supposed to be live and local. We shall see what happens.

 

[adam502002]

Still waiting!

Does anyone else think Jen would have made a good midday host for New102?

She has experience in morning, middays, and afternoons all from Q104 and has proven to be great in all positions. I especially enjoyed Jen in the afternoons.

WDOK needs a night show thats more lively than Delilah. I have nothing against Delilah, other than the whole syndication thing. I just think that a night show more like Q104's (not musically, but speaking about the talent and the interaction) would go great for New102's audience, too.

 

[vjm]

Still waiting!

Does anyone else think Jen would have made a good midday host for New102?

She has experience in morning, middays, and afternoons all from Q104 and has proven to be great in all positions. I especially enjoyed Jen in the afternoons.

WDOK needs a night show thats more lively than Delilah. I have nothing against Delilah, other than the whole syndication thing. I just think that a night show more like Q104's (not musically, but speaking about the talent and the interaction) would go great for New102's audience, too.

It's for the best that Jen is going to mornings. If she went to middays, she'd have been replacing station legend Nancy Alden, and would have had some backlash from some DOK faithful.

Here, she's replacing Terry Moir, who'd only been at 102 for a couple of years merely as the third wheel to Trapper and Infoman.

The top men at DOK have said that 102 would be live and local, and that the midday and evening slots will be filled in short order.