What is up with Top 40/CHR in Atlanta?!

[atlantaboy]

Wow lol can't believe how many posts there were today -

I see what you guys mean about Urbans and Urban ACs not playing pop/rhythmic, but seems like it'd be a perfect fit for WILD - if all those stations are already covering all the Urban tracks, IMO there's no reason why WILD shouldn't go pop/rhythmic - especially since their ratings aren't heading anywhere yet (not sure how long it's been since they flipped though)

 

[atlantaboy]

Using your argument: "Atlanta has 4 urban stations, so why should Q100 lean rhythmic?"... well Atlanta also has 4 rock/alternative stations (Rock 100.5, Dave FM, 99x, and Project 96.1), so why should Q100 lean "pop rock"??

The four Urban stations are HUGE, the rock stations aren't - Rock 100.5 and Project 96.1 definitely don't play pop/rock (Rock 100.5 basically plays classic rock, and 96.1 is mostly really heavy stuff like Avenged Sevenfold) - it's true that Dave-FM and 99X play pop/rock (same with Star 94), but Q100 is successfully keeping their ratings down by leaning adult - if they moved to rhythmic-leaning CHR, Star 94 (and I guess Dave-FM also) would see huge ratings increases I think

In other words IMO, if Dave-FM and Star were HUGE like the Urban stations are, I'd say yeah there's no reason for Q100 to try to take them on - but it's the opposite situation

 

[Wildstyle K]

Well I've decided I'm staying single because these stations are giving me enough of an emotional rollercoaster ride already! One minute I hear one thing, next minute, I hear another, and in the end I just don't know what to think!

I hope I285 is a much larger diameter than I remember it once being when I was younger.

by the way,
http://www.therelogroup.com/images/Atlanta map4.jpg

I'm guessing if they can do this well in such a small area, then I could only imagine how great they'd be with a FULL POWER, WILD STYLE signal! ...And does this mean that Groove was even worse on 105.7 alone? AND ALSO... In 2001, did the old WiLD somehow get as much street recognition as it did from ONLY being on 96.7? If so, then it probably isn't as bad as I was beginning to imagine. Does having two signals make each individual signal weaker or something, or what?

 

[Wildstyle K]

I realize that we are looking at the 12+ numbers, but KTAR is flat from an overall ratings perspective over three books. Regardless of the industry, when your metrics are flat, it's time to make changes.  I would be curious to see the breakdown in the key demos and see where KTAR sits in these demos.

How accurate is this statement?
I don't know what to think because this is a comment directed towards a talk station from someone who has indicated that their not a fan of talk radio, but as far as the flat comment, I'm wondering how accurate that statement is.

I also don't see how ratings could continuously go up forever, so at some point (I'd assume) you'd have to be flat.

 

[atlantaboy]

Just wanted to note that the CBS owned stations tend to do very well in places like Houston, Charlotte, San Francisco, Phoenix, etc. The only CBS-owned station that's under performing is 92.3 Now in New York.

The CBS CHR in Detroit isn't doing that well either - it's down 0.8 this month to a 3.3

CBS doesn't have a CHR in Phoenix - but yeah the ones in Houston and San Fran are doing well

WNKS/Charlotte is by far their most successful station, but it's not pop/rhythmic (it's a mainstream CHR they've owned for years)

 

[Wildstyle K]

Well I've decided I'm staying single because these stations are giving me enough of an emotional rollercoaster ride already! One minute I hear one thing, next minute, I hear another, and in the end I just don't know what to think!

I hope I285 is a much larger diameter than I remember it once being when I was younger.

by the way,
http://www.therelogroup.com/images/Atlanta map4.jpg

I'm guessing if they can do this well in such a small area, then I could only imagine how great they'd be with a FULL POWER, WILD STYLE signal! ...And does this mean that Groove was even worse on 105.7 alone? AND ALSO... In 2001, did the old WiLD somehow get as much street recognition as it did from ONLY being on 96.7? If so, then it probably isn't as bad as I was beginning to imagine. Does having two signals make each individual signal weaker or something, or what?

By the way, what I quoted above was supposed to be in response to the "WWVA's signal is horrible / WWVA's signal is fine" comments that were posted earlier. It looks like two comments were slipped in between the previous comments about WWVA's signal and my above quoted post, so it made it look like I was talking about something else. (One minute I hear the signal is good, next minute I hear how poor it is...etc. so I'm not sure what to think - is more specifically the point I was making there. Not that the music, station, or people themselves sound bad.) Next time I need to put whatever/whoever I'm responding to in a quote to keep things 100% clear.

Bottom line is WWVA deserves a much better signal than what seems to be being described.

 

[MarkW]

93.7 is probably good enough for The Fan right now. I doubt that sportstalk is enough of a draw to flip 100.5, with 100.5 having TRG in the AM and already having simulcasts of the Bravos.

100.5's biggest challenge right now is trying to find the AOR "sweet spot". Is it classic rock, 80s heritage rock, 90s alt too hard for AAA, or some finessed combination? Project has current ("active") rock that is probably off limits for 100.5, and Dave has AAA, [email protected] has some 90s alt, and River has classic hits (essentially shallow-cut soft classic AOR).

It's about CASH, not ratings, when it comes to Sports Talk.
Sports radio has one of the highest billing power ratios of any format out there.

As far as finding an AOR "sweet spot" goes, good luck! 96Rock was unable to do it for much of the late 90s / early 00s, and Rock 100.5 is unable to find it. Most Heritage / Mainstream AOR launches in Top 50 markets over the last decade have been failures. Such formats generally only work on signals with a long-term history with Rock music (I'm talking 25 or 30+ years) and a top rated morning show that has been there for years.

 

[atlantaboy]

Yeah, I don't understand the need for a Heritage Rock station, unless the market doesn't have an Active or doesn't have a Classic Rock - I get it in really small markets where there's one Rock station that plays everything, but in a market like ATL it seems useless

 

[CHRles]

CBS doesn't have a CHR in Phoenix - but yeah the ones in Houston and San Fran are doing well

101.5 Jamz KZON is the station I'm referring to, and it's pretty much a Rhythmic leaning CHR/Pop just like Amp in L.A.
They're currently number one in cume in Phoenix with nearly 1.2 million listeners, and tied for third in terms of shares. They've played Neon Trees "Animal" quite a bit until a couple of weeks ago.

 

[atlantaboy]

CBS doesn't have a CHR in Phoenix - but yeah the ones in Houston and San Fran are doing well

101.5 Jamz KZON is the station I'm referring to, and it's pretty much a Rhythmic leaning CHR/Pop just like Amp in L.A.

IMO KAMP and KZON are both Rhythmic

To me, no rock/HAC anywhere on the current playlist = the station is Rhythmic, by definition - that's why the Rhythmic format was created in the early 90s

KZON might have toyed around with Animal, but it decided to drop it, probably because it wanted to stay Rhythmic

 

[mike7586]

Add to my list of complaints with Q100:

The male voiceover who just shouts "Q100" after each song... can they not think of anything more creative? What crappy imaging and it doesn't even sound good (pitch, volume, something is too high). You think they would use "All the hits (male voice)... Q100 (girls voice or jingle)." Not just "Q100" almost every time between each song. It doesn't even sound like something a professional radio station would use. Does anyone else listen to this station a lot, hear what I'm talking about, and think it sounds horrible?

 

[Nyte Ryder]

Add to your list of complaints? You've whined about that endlessly. So much so you've apparently worked all the way around to forgetting about mentioning it. If you want, I'll cut and paste a few of your moanings about how it assaults your poor ears. Apparently about 1,000,000 people in Atlanta are cool with it though.

 

[mike7586]

Add to your list of complaints? You've whined about that endlessly. So much so you've apparently worked all the way around to forgetting about mentioning it. If you want, I'll cut and paste a few of your moanings about how it assaults your poor ears. Apparently about 1,000,000 people in Atlanta are cool with it though.

Have you even heard it? If you haven't, then why are you even commenting?

Also, is your name Rob Roberts? Are you friends with him? Do you know someone who knows him? If so, please tell him it sounds like crap. Thanks.

 

[Wildstyle K]

Q100
Well, in my opinion; I've heard the promo drop numerous times. Thought about it, but never thought it necessarily sounds horrible. It just sounds "regular", if that makes sense. I neither hate it or love it. We have a girl that says "Kissss" between the songs overnights and sometimes during the day on KissFM, and I sort of feel the same way about that as well. As a matter of fact, the only imaging I don't care too much for on Q100 is the girl who sings "Queeeewwww" in the Q100 promo, before it says Q100 with music following - because the autotune is too high pitched, but... other than that, I think things sound rather great. I just hope they keep up with pumpin the new hits quickly.

WiLD
I also like WiLD's imaging (especially the weekend mixshow imaging), BUT... the music formatting and arrangement; ... Something seriously needs to be done there. They do a good job of adding SOME new material in a timely fashion, but there's definitely something that's "off" with the whole current regular playlist music and timing that should be fixed. I do like what they're attempting to do though, and you can tell by the mixes, the morning show, the readding of Katy Perry (and some of the most recent readds) that WiLD is most likely to become a pop lean rhythmic, or even top 40 leaning rhythmic, but one that's catered to the Atlanta market, in the long run. I guess we'll just wait, hope, pray, and see. I personally hope they become a heavy rhythmic leaning top 40 that also plays P!NK and other rhythmic crossover pop hits, rather than just being a full blown rhythmic (or even a rhythmic that leans too urban) like I first used to advocate.

 

[TheMusicMan]

I don't think Q100's imaging is badly produced, but I do think it's lazy. Not trying to flame them...Q used to have really creative and cool imaging product, but whenever I hear one of the current "Q100..." sweepers and nothing else into a 20-second song intro, it just screams "We're half-assing it" to me.

I'm aware that it's supposed to be PPM-friendly, but plenty of stations in Atlanta manage creative, compelling imaging that's also PPM-ready, maintaining the station's flow and momentum. I will say that while their jingles should theoretically be burned to a crisp five years after launching them, they still sound superb.

 

[InSearchOfGear]

Blah, blah blah....

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....

 

[atlantaboy]

I don't think Q100's imaging is badly produced, but I do think it's lazy. Not trying to flame them...Q used to have really creative and cool imaging product, but whenever I hear one of the current "Q100..." sweepers and nothing else into a 20-second song intro, it just screams "We're half-assing it" to me.

Yeah completely agree - seems like the DJs on Star use up every second of the song intros, sometimes even with stuff they've researched about the song themselves - DJs on Q100 usually only say a couple words and then leave the song intro bare - it's cool that they've stopped just stating the artist and title, but if I were in charge of the station (lol) I'd make the DJs come up with stuff to say about the songs, instead of just sitting there doing nothing - I don't think I've heard any other station where the DJs say less on-air

 

[mike7586]

I don't think Q100's imaging is badly produced, but I do think it's lazy. Not trying to flame them...Q used to have really creative and cool imaging product, but whenever I hear one of the current "Q100..." sweepers and nothing else into a 20-second song intro, it just screams "We're half-assing it" to me.

I'm aware that it's supposed to be PPM-friendly, but plenty of stations in Atlanta manage creative, compelling imaging that's also PPM-ready, maintaining the station's flow and momentum. I will say that while their jingles should theoretically be burned to a crisp five years after launching them, they still sound superb.

I agree - the jingles sound great (even for being old) but they hardly use them! There is nothing that sounds good about a dude (i.e. Jeff Berlins horrible voice) shouting "Q100!" in between what seems like each song. They must have some easy jobs over there at Q100 because they can't come up with anything else. What's weird is that 99x, also a Cumulus station, is more creative with their sweepers and the on-air DJ's are allowed to actually talk and have some personality.

Q100 is a CHR station - they are suppose to have energy and personality. The playlist has gotten better (except for the crappy dayparting they do) but for the most part, the sweepers and the on-air personalites just kill the flow between each song. Why can't they just get it right and then I will shut up. ;D

 

[atlantaboy]

What's weird is that 99x, also a Cumulus station, is more creative with their sweepers and the on-air DJ's are allowed to actually talk and have some personality.

Yeah I was actually thinking the exact same thing lol - 99X is my favorite station right now, so I really hope they get a better signal

I wonder if Q100 saves money by hiring cheap DJs - I'm not even sure they say their names on-air - at least they don't say their names very often, cause I can name about four DJs on Star and none on Q100 except for Billy Bush (who doesn't really say that much anyways)

 

[atlantaboy]

EDIT: Just found out that Billy Bush is syndicated (didn't even know that lol) - Q100 is a CHEAP station when it comes to DJs!!!