What Is Wrong With K-rock?

[Parttimer]

Last thing. Why do you feel Stern needed to have a "rock station" to be broadcast on? He could have easily worked on a CHR.

But CHR is simply a dying format- and I simply cannot believe there are more smooth jazz or pop music fans in Pittsburgh than hard rock fans.

It was CBS' feeling that he needed to be on something with a 25-54 male audience. The B's core (and that of most CHRs) was 18-34 females.

You could sell smooth jazz. It works as an A/C alternative.

 

[kenhawk1160]

Why do you feel Stern needed to have a "rock station" to be broadcast on? He could have easily worked on a CHR. But CHR is simply a dying format- and I simply cannot believe there are more smooth jazz or pop music fans in Pittsburgh than hard rock fans.

Not true...Stern doesn't have the same following among females as he does males. Since CHR leans more female than rock, Howard would not have worked on a CHR.

CHR was a dying format, but Top 40 music has been getting better lately. Give it another 6 months and we'll see it start gaining momentum again.

 

[Radio_Realist]

Top 40 music has been getting better lately. Give it another 6 months and we'll see it start gaining momentum again.

I'll believe it when I see it. (Or when I hear it). I see no evidence that the recording companies have made any changes in their operations that will result in putting an improved "popular" music product on the market.

 

[Pratte4Life]

I know how to settle this real quick.

BOSS- You're a Stern fan.

Was he on any other formats than rock before he went to satellite?

 

[radiovictim]

Pardon me for chiming in.... I'm not in your market but I worked for a large market radio station that aired Howard Stern. When Stern first arrived (in '01, I think), the CBS suits declared him the anchor of a new FM Talk format. It was a priority to surround him with other talk shows... O&A, Leykis and a few locals. However, weekends had no talk programming and local management had control of the music format. The suits in NY didn't care because they were so certain their boy Howard and this "innovative" talk format would be the best thing since automation. (Mind you, many of these suits were the same people who poured money into the shortlived "Blink" in NY after FM Talk crumbled under the pressure CBS received from the Catholic Church and the FCC.) Local management subscribed to the notion that Howard belonged on either a rock or AAA format. Rock was ultimately chosen as the surrounding format to FM Talk.

It wasn't until FM Talk went away and only Howard remained that corporate cared about the surrounding format and they agreed with the thought that it should be either some form of rock or AAA. What they cared about most was cost. They still had hefty bills to pay - expenditures incurred from the decision to give 2+ year contracts to syndicated talk shows regardless of them being on the air or not (Howard, O&A). Therefore, they kept the "rock" format in tact for awhile. The station still floundered in the ratings outside of Howard's morning show, largely because of constant positioning/lineup/music changes and lack of marketing. When Howard had one foot out the door, corporate finally decided to invest in a new format... Jack FM. It has been doing very well ever since.

The big problem, in my humble opinion, was that corporate never had a well-thought out plan to which they stuck. Instead, they were always trying to beat the competitors to the punch so they'd come up with these radical ideas and implement them almost immediately without any thought given to marketing. They put all their eggs in Howard's basket and forced local management to create a radio station from the rest of the rubble. Furthermore, their lack of commitment to any given format cost them greatly. They were never willing to wait for a format to build. They expected an instant pop in the ratings. Yet, with so much flipping and tweaking, listeners were very confused and didn't know what was on after Howard. It took a completely different format to finally give the frequency an identity.

 

[kenhawk1160]

Furthermore, their lack of commitment to any given format cost them greatly. They were never willing to wait for a format to build. They expected an instant pop in the ratings. Yet, with so much flipping and tweaking, listeners were very confused and didn't know what was on after Howard. It took a completely different format to finally give the frequency an identity.

I'm afraid that's the case in Pittsburgh, as well. Unfortunately, it's nothing new. Most operators I know don't want to give more than six to nine months for a new format to build, and often it's done with little to no marketing dollars behind it.

 

[pghsternfan]

Pardon me for chiming in.... I'm not in your market but I worked for a large market radio station that aired Howard Stern. When Stern first arrived (in '01, I think), the CBS suits declared him the anchor of a new FM Talk format. It was a priority to surround him with other talk shows... O&A, Leykis and a few locals. However, weekends had no talk programming and local management had control of the music format. The ...

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