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What do you see for Mobile Radio for '08?

A

alex4490

Guest
Ok, I don't see anything "major" happening in the Mobile/Pensacola Market for the year of 2008. But if you see or predict any changes whether it would be d.j's leavings/coming-in's, format changes,etc....I would love to know: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

-Alex M.
 
A few predictions? I'll bite.

  • Either WHOA 770 or WKTT 1160 will sign on with a spanish-language format.
  • Kicks 104 nips on the heels of 95KSJ.
  • HD-2 subchannels will sign on--and no one will notice.
  • 96.1 The Rocket adjusts to stave off the 106.5 The Pirate.
  • Cumulus-Mobile will sell WWFF 660...that is, if Cumulus-Mobile still exists ???
  • The Steve Harvey Morning Show will debut on either WDLT or WBLX.

BIGGEST PREDICTION:
  • WJLQ "Q-100" dies. In it's place, either Magic @ 100.7 or the new WCOA-FM.
 
And what format do you PREDICT for WJLQ-FM?

I'm assuming Oldies?!??!
 
alex4490 said:
And what format do you PREDICT for WJLQ-FM?

I'm assuming Oldies?!??!
Click to expand...

I gave my prediction...either Magic's R&B moves to 100.7, or News/Talk WCOA does. I'd say WCOA has the better chance of moving, but I wonder if Rush Limbaugh's or Sean Hannity's shows would/could move with them. Both 710 WNTM and WABB 1480 might have something to say about that.

None of this will probably happen, though. I'm just throwing a robfwb-like guess out there. :D
 
WCOA could move to FM and not have to worry about WABB-AM or WNTM if they moved to the class A signal on 106.1. I doubt Magic would move from 106.1 to 100.7 because they would be competing with co-owned WDLT. How about swapping WCOA and Magic? WRNE is doing well on AM so Magic should be able to survive a downgrade to AM and WCOA on FM would kill off the new competition from 1330 and 1620.

As for Mobile stations: How stable is the Pirate? How long will it take for 104.1 to change formats again? WOSM's CP to cover Mobile expires in 2008, will they complete the signal upgrade and sell the new 100kw station?
 
poledo said:
WCOA could move to FM and not have to worry about WABB-AM or WNTM if they moved to the class A signal on 106.1. I doubt Magic would move from 106.1 to 100.7 because they would be competing with co-owned WDLT. How about swapping WCOA and Magic? WRNE is doing well on AM so Magic should be able to survive a downgrade to AM and WCOA on FM would kill off the new competition from 1330 and 1620.
Click to expand...
WCOA has Limbaugh followed by Hannity. How much of a threat could the other two talkers be? For that matter, would you really ask about 50,000 Magic listeners to follow you to AM 1370 for music?

WDLT and Magic do share corporate owners, but they obviously aren't clustered together. We've seen Mobile listen to 'its' country stations and Penascola listen to theirs--even if Magic @ 100.7 ate into 98.3's numbers, those listeners are staying 'in house', so to speak. (No Tom Joyner, though, because of 100.7's overlap into Mobile.)

Bump up Magic to 100.7, then slide WCOA to 106.1. 1370? ESPN Radio or Fox Sports. Masterpiece!


poledo said:
As for Mobile stations: How stable is the Pirate? How long will it take for 104.1 to change formats again? WOSM's CP to cover Mobile expires in 2008, will they complete the signal upgrade and sell the new 100kw station?
Click to expand...
I don't think 104.1's changing anytime soon. WOSM? Who knows, but I'll believe their signal upgrade when I can hear it (whenever I'm in the area).
 
I do have a question about the Pirate 106.5

Do they have any d.j's at that damn station?

I personally don't think they will last that long.....
 
One more option to throw out there: Any non-competes (assuming a 6 months to a year) that were applied to Matt McCoy and Jay Hasting will surely expire soon. I don't know how fully entrenched they are to their new hustles outside of morning radio, but...just sayin'.
 
Here's my only prediction for the Mobile market: 660 AM in Fairhope will continue to be Cumulus' call sign dumping ground. ;D

(Those WWFF calls went to Huntsville, and another set of calls from Huntsville are on 660 now, WXQW. No doubt they'll be repurposed elsewhere, and 660 will find another set of 'temporary' calls.)
 
Here is the poop on the pirate...shawn's (morning guy at zoo...now gone) dad bought it. shawn and bob gardner..both old time mobile radio guys will run it and charlie ocean should continue in pm drive.

What worries me is they are already tinkering with the music, introducing tunes that just flat are not recognizable hits (maybe on the AA charts). it they continue to go this route instead of playing charted hits from the past..they will die. the thing that kills the rocket is playing the same songs over and over and over while chip drones along with trivia and "content" nobody gives a crap about.....the music at the pirate is what has sold that format...great hits you never hear on any other station....if they continue and expand that base..they will kill.....but the flies are already circling.
 
Nate Wesley said:
One more option to throw out there: Any non-competes (assuming a 6 months to a year) that were applied to Matt McCoy and Jay Hasting will surely expire soon. I don't know how fully entrenched they are to their new hustles outside of morning radio, but...just sayin'.
Click to expand...


Nate, thanks for the note about Matt and Jay. We have spoken with the Pirate but at this time they plan to use people that are in or will soon be in house. We are coming up on our one year away (non-compete). We do love our new lives but we do miss being on the air. We both have been given the nod to go after another morning gig if it should come up. Unfortunately at this time I do not see anything out there that would fit. We are still open and hoping for something to break in 2008.

As far as what I see in 2008...I believe WABB will rebound some, but not to its former self. That is because I believe Cumulus will again turn one of their stations to CHR. My bet this time based on past experience is WJLQ in Pensacola.

The Pirate will also cut into The Rocket, WABB and believe it or not Lite Mix. That will continue as long as they do not tweak the format too much away from their current niche.

I believe the country format will continue to grow allowing all of the country stations to expand their audience.
 
So what would happen if WJLQ-FM will go VHR? When do you see this and what sources you bet on this? This is interesting....very interesting!
 
Actually, I think JLQ is doing a great job everywhere except morning drive....(which i can't stand)...the rest of the dayparts are music intensive, and very well laid out.
 
Unfortunately, the numbers do not show the success. I make my prediction based on past performance. Cumulus tends to follow a pattern. The pattern is due to change one of their stations to CHR again. Since the death of HOT 104...that frequency has gone country. They will fight that battle with KSJ for now. Q-100 is the likely suspect for the eventual change to CHR. It has happened in the past and will happen again.
 
Waiting for that Q100 flip any day now. Matt and Jay should be talking to Q... It's only a matter of time until WABB gets some competition, and cumulus probably won't have to worry too much about stealing their numbers in PCOLA. They're probably trying to slide as far into the WABB slot as they can while keeping their station 100% advertiser friendly (no black music). A lot of advertisers and management are still afraid of the lean pop has now.

Anyone hear Cherish on WABB today? I thought they'd put her on the morning show and force Mena to do mid-days... probably smart management keeping all parties happy. I'd put Matt and Jay on Q... but Kidd, sadly enough, may pull better numbers and you don't have to worry about them resigning in the middle of a book. Welcome to consolidation... everyone needs their ego bruised from time to time.

WABB is sounding better every day with the new PD. The jocks sound happier and the imaging is on. Someone should've taken the beast while they were down and out. For a solid 3-6 months that station was its own worst enemy and could have been bested. I don't think that's the case anymore. I'm glad someone finally signed the morning show up for a prep service.. money WELL SPENT.

I heard a blip about new studios? It sounds like betsy is settling in for the long hall.

Good luck to whomever tries to go directly at them.
 
edwardabalama said:
They're probably trying to slide as far into the WABB slot as they can while keeping their station 100% advertiser friendly (no black music). A lot of advertisers and management are still afraid of the lean pop has now.
Click to expand...

A pretty ignorant statement, considering Cumulus has stations with mostly African-American listeners in both Mobile & Pensacola--and that sometimes there are songs that crossover into what 'BLX, 'ABB, and 'JLQ play. It's not about avoiding 'black music' as it is touching the audience with the songs it likes.

Perhaps what you MEANT to say 'WJLQ is trying to slide into WABB territory without the rhythmic lean'.
 
So, are you pretty sure for the Q100 to flip? When are you seeing this? Or are your teasing with us? I think it should flip to Rhymatic CHR like 100.7 the BEAT!??! Leave WABB as the heritage CHR station. WABB might flip the syndication wheel to 100.7 if 100.7 goes CHR!
 
The Q100 rumor has been a good one now for awhile. Here's my take why it won't flip, or if it did, why it won't work.

1) Q100 has been constently tweeking for the better part of 6 years. No matter what they do, they pull maybe a 2 share tops in Mobile. They've been tweeking so much, that they are just sort of there.

2) Before Cumulus flipped WYOK to Hot 104, Q100 was their CHR weapon and it got destroyed by WABB.

3) This is Cumulus we are talking about. Even if they did flip they'd find a way to screw it up internally. Track record speaks for itself. Do some research and you'll agree.

4) Because of the state of the economy, Cumulus will not spend the money really needed to market it properly. The money they really need to spend to get the message across that 100.7 actually means something again after being a 2nd or 3rd option in the car for so long, and if you're trying to take down 40 years of heritage.

5) if you do flip it DON'T CALL IT Q100!! That call sign has been so many different things, it would just slow down your cause. But Cumulus would continue calling it Q100 because they could use their jingle and imaging packages from ATL and give it that really slick sound in betweeen the over abundance of Maroon 5, John Mayer, and Colbie Calliet.

6) Jan Jeffries. He's too busy slowly destroying the Q100 in ATL, KRBE in Houston, and dismissing legendary programmers in major markets in NON-CHR formats, since Cumulus got their egos on big city sticks. There's no time to screw up Q100 even more than it is.

I would be shocked to see Q100 flipping any time soon actually. But it's fun to talk about.
 
I predict WABB will continue to promote Cherish like she's:

A) Jesus
B) The cure for cancer
C) both

Why, I have no idea. You'd think a major movie star used to work there and has returned, not a parttimer who went to LA, failed, and waited tables before skulking back home is there. That chick has ZERO talent other than being fairly cute with a good bod. Just no personality and no grasp of how to entertain people outside of reading gossip from 1,000 other sources your audience already visits and doing it poorly....kinda like all their staff. Just bland. The music is more on track than is has been in the last couple of years. The imaging....ehh. Nothing horrible, nothing great.

I'd REALLY like to see Sean Sullivan do something innovative with the Pirate, but I doubt it happens. I agree with the former poster that 106.5 is probably headed for rough times.

And I'd like to see a GOOD KSJ/104 battle, but I doubt it happens.
 
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