So, Randy Michaels and Walt Sabo buy an FM station, and put on a format...FM news & talk...that's failed many times before...at 102.7, 92.3...and think this time they've got it. They get annihilated in the ratings....0.4 in NYC, 0.2 in Chicago...as the AM competition the stations were supposed to beat actually GAIN audience. So, how low will the ratings go, and how long can they hold on before changing format...either to a different form of FM talk, or back the playing music?
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
WEMP...how low can they go?
- Thread starter wffm78
- Start date
101.9 should just put on Christmas music now and figure out a new format by December 26.
It's doing marginally better than WBAI, and WFME is doing 3 times better! Yes, WFME, the station that announces false predictions that the world is ending, did 3 times better. Maybe 101.9 could be the official station of the Wall Street occupation and it can get a 99 share, because after all, 99% of the people should be supporting the occupation.
Dare I say it, 101.9 would be much more successful as a dance station.
It's doing marginally better than WBAI, and WFME is doing 3 times better! Yes, WFME, the station that announces false predictions that the world is ending, did 3 times better. Maybe 101.9 could be the official station of the Wall Street occupation and it can get a 99 share, because after all, 99% of the people should be supporting the occupation.
Dare I say it, 101.9 would be much more successful as a dance station.
Where to start, where to start:
@WFFM78: The old "Free-FM" (2006) and "FM Talk @ 102.7" (1999-2003) formats are Granny Smith apples compared to WEMP's news-intensive orange. And as everybody is well aware, there are about as many things that rhyme with "orange" as there are listeners to 101.9...
@Nick: "It's doing marginally better than WBAI"... Pulse 87 is doing marginally better than WBAI, and it's been off regular radio for a couple of years. As for 101.9 being "much more successful as a dance station" than a news station with a 0.4 rating, well... you got me there! Also, see my previous comment about Pulse 87...
@TheBigA: Randy Michaels, radio DJ... I'd like to be a fly on the wall of that studio if he took a request for "On The Road Again"... :
@WFFM78: The old "Free-FM" (2006) and "FM Talk @ 102.7" (1999-2003) formats are Granny Smith apples compared to WEMP's news-intensive orange. And as everybody is well aware, there are about as many things that rhyme with "orange" as there are listeners to 101.9...
@Nick: "It's doing marginally better than WBAI"... Pulse 87 is doing marginally better than WBAI, and it's been off regular radio for a couple of years. As for 101.9 being "much more successful as a dance station" than a news station with a 0.4 rating, well... you got me there! Also, see my previous comment about Pulse 87...
@TheBigA: Randy Michaels, radio DJ... I'd like to be a fly on the wall of that studio if he took a request for "On The Road Again"... :
I know I'm desperate to have a rock station back, with T&A-Sports-Humor-Ballbusting Morning and Afternoon shows. Real Guy rock in between. AC/DC to NIN. All the kick ass rock from the 80's, all the grundge from 90's, and just enough of what's out there today. 3-4 currents an hour - none of that RXP 1 current baloney. And definitely NONE of that puke indie garbage.
But that's just me, I'm white, in my late 30's, hate my job, love banging my wife and I watch football with my buddies every Sunday. I'm a dying breed. Can't imagine there are too many guys like me living and working in the NYC area, driving a car!
But I digress... If WEMP doesn't get its butt outta the gutter, it'll go away. All the radio message boards in the world can debate this WEMP situation 24/7... but it doesn't change the fact we all have to sit around to wait and see what happens.
I'll put all my money on the fact that somebody will be playing an A-Z or a 500 song countdown, or a double shot weekend on 101.9 by Memorial Day. OH or 10,000 songs in a row!!!! Memorial Day - BANK ON IT! But on a positive note the station will be at a .9 and 30th in the market when it flips.
But that's just me, I'm white, in my late 30's, hate my job, love banging my wife and I watch football with my buddies every Sunday. I'm a dying breed. Can't imagine there are too many guys like me living and working in the NYC area, driving a car!
But I digress... If WEMP doesn't get its butt outta the gutter, it'll go away. All the radio message boards in the world can debate this WEMP situation 24/7... but it doesn't change the fact we all have to sit around to wait and see what happens.
I'll put all my money on the fact that somebody will be playing an A-Z or a 500 song countdown, or a double shot weekend on 101.9 by Memorial Day. OH or 10,000 songs in a row!!!! Memorial Day - BANK ON IT! But on a positive note the station will be at a .9 and 30th in the market when it flips.
The Spy said:
Hey it could have higher AQH if that was true.. look at WFME!
@Median J: lack of promotion tells me the company isn't well capitalized. If you're launching a station, stunt for another month, and THEN promote like hell out of the gate. All this is going to do is cost them business next year, since now is when clients are budgeting and planning for '12. Who's gonna buy time on the #4 news station in a 4 station market...hell, even WBBR beats them in the ratings.
Blink failed at female FM talk...don't see where this will end any better. The listeners are speaking, and they're abandoning Merlin in both New York and Chicago...take a look at the seriously declining cume numbers on both stations.
Blink failed at female FM talk...don't see where this will end any better. The listeners are speaking, and they're abandoning Merlin in both New York and Chicago...take a look at the seriously declining cume numbers on both stations.
wffm78 said:
Huh? You don't judge capitalization on promotion. That's like judging Steve Jobs' wealth by the clothes he wore. However, you might judge format and talent commitment by promotion. My view is they're holding out for certain talent and sound before spending on promotion.
Agencies are in the middle of what they call "up fronts" right now, but that's mostly for national sales.
I wouldn't use a 12 year old example when discussing this station. A lot has changed in the media landscape in that time. Part of what hurt Blink was negation reaction to the death of WNEW, just as listeners reacted negatively to the death of oldies on WCBS. I don't see strong support for WRXP as hurting WEMP. I really believe Blink was a great idea, ahead of its time. This station would benefit from using some programming ideas from Blink. Then again, tehy'd benefit from just about anything.
TheBigA said:
WNEW in the traditional sense was dead a few years before Blink. And Opie and Anthony were already gone for months by the time they debuted. At least they promoted the station hard for the few months it was on the air.
And for the record, I wouldn't have minded Jack if it was on 102.7.
B
Bugsy
Guest
MedianJ said:
This looks like a post from Walter's mom!! He doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground!! Word around town is that he's already been barred from the radio station (and in Chicago too!). It usually takes about 2-4 months for him to alienate everyone in the building. He's a little ahead of schedule this time.
M
MarcR
Guest
I can't believe how many industry sycophants (Mark Jeffries, Median J ) post on this message board! You should probably reconcile yourselves to the reality that FM News 101.9 is destined for failure. New York City already has two venerable all-news stations, and, regardless of what those geniuses in Chicago might have thought, we frankly don't need one on the FM band.
MarcR said:
In a rare moment Marc, I fully agree with you!
A news/talk station costs significantly more money to run than a music station. I can't see how Merlin could be making a profit with a 0.4 rating. An automated music station could make a profit with a 0.4 in market 1 because its expenses are low. CBS will always have the advantage in news because they have more infrastructure and a national staff.
Look at how New Jersey 101.5 is consistently #1 in its home market and in the top 5 of the New Jersey markets. NJ 101.5's even beating FM News 101.9 in the New York City market! They must be doing something right, so why not copy what they're doing!
101.9 dropped the ball when it had its best exposure, during the hurricane. Power was out and people must have been tuning around the dial with their battery powered radios seeking news about the hurricane. They also had the earthquake and the snowstorm, and failed in their coverage of those too. I remember seeing WTOP in DC have double digit ratings in February 2010 because 3 snowstorms hit DC that month. An earthquake and a hurricane hit in the same week and WEMP's ratings go down!
FM News 101.9 is still not ready for prime time. They should just go all-Christmas now and relaunch on December 26, enjoying the increased cume from the people listening to Christmas music.
Look at how New Jersey 101.5 is consistently #1 in its home market and in the top 5 of the New Jersey markets. NJ 101.5's even beating FM News 101.9 in the New York City market! They must be doing something right, so why not copy what they're doing!
101.9 dropped the ball when it had its best exposure, during the hurricane. Power was out and people must have been tuning around the dial with their battery powered radios seeking news about the hurricane. They also had the earthquake and the snowstorm, and failed in their coverage of those too. I remember seeing WTOP in DC have double digit ratings in February 2010 because 3 snowstorms hit DC that month. An earthquake and a hurricane hit in the same week and WEMP's ratings go down!
FM News 101.9 is still not ready for prime time. They should just go all-Christmas now and relaunch on December 26, enjoying the increased cume from the people listening to Christmas music.
MedianJ said:
Sure, we can talk about it next year, while the latest David Guetta track is being played on 101.9 Fever (WFVR) New York's NEW Dance Station!
Okay, for the country fans, while the latest Brad Paisley track is being played
Either or, news won't be there
How about some Promoting the station,Billboards,Busses,Television,Newspapers and maybe giveaway $1019.00 once a day Mon-Fri for 3 months????Or if not Mon-Fri one day say um THURSDAY. Despite all of the negetive comments I listened to the stream last weekend from Florida for the very first time....I've been in the business for over 30 years and while I was'nt exactly "Blown Away" I did'nt think it was nearly as bad as ppl seem to be griping but I do think when you pull the plug on what I would consider to have been a "successful" former format and target a different demo you need to rely on advertising and promoting it.
B
Bob1370
Guest
WEMP's problem is that it's trying to fill a hole that isn't really there. New York doesn't need a third all news station when it has two very good ones already. What it does need, is a first truly locally originated and locally hosted, 25-54 oriented, full service talk station with a significant information component included. In short, the kind of station WABC and WOR once were many years ago, but no longer are. The fact that Randy Michaels is talking with Laurie Cantillo, and still has Walt Sabo on staff, could indicate he's rethinking WEMP in that direction. They've both programmed such stations and could conceivably put one together in NYC.
This current format could even be something of a transition format or a "soft launch" to establish 101.9 as a spoken word station before they can lock in the personalities they want for key dayparts to host the shows they want to put front and center in 2012. They'll need most or all of the news people they now have to staff a 24/7 newsroom, they've got the infrastructure, all they need now are personality hosts who aren't retreads.
If they were thinking along these lines, or have begun to, the station has essentially blown off all its old audience and can cruise for a while before the hard launch which probably should wait until after the first of the year, or the moment the key hosts they've identified become free of contractual obligations elsewhere and can jump on board, whichever comes later.
This current format could even be something of a transition format or a "soft launch" to establish 101.9 as a spoken word station before they can lock in the personalities they want for key dayparts to host the shows they want to put front and center in 2012. They'll need most or all of the news people they now have to staff a 24/7 newsroom, they've got the infrastructure, all they need now are personality hosts who aren't retreads.
If they were thinking along these lines, or have begun to, the station has essentially blown off all its old audience and can cruise for a while before the hard launch which probably should wait until after the first of the year, or the moment the key hosts they've identified become free of contractual obligations elsewhere and can jump on board, whichever comes later.
- Status