What's next for 'CKG

[eggsdannythomas]

Infiniti is nuts for not flipping 'CKG to Jack instead of 'JMK. I mean 105.9 has nothing except for Dahl, do they really think they can keep putting out crap until Howard leaves? After flipping 'JMK, it'll be a few months at least until Viacom flips another Chicago station.

I know I posted a similar thread pre-JACK, but as another weekend of irregularity infomercials, bad Phish music, Bob and MaryAnne's infomercial and the terrible Scott MoeKay/Brooke Hunter mortgage broker infomercial -- I just have to throw my hands in the air and wonder how one of the biggest companies in broadcasting could have a station in the third largest market that is the Radio equivalent of WJYS-TV 62. It's just a waste of FM.

Oh, I'm sure Loveline is going to reinvigorate the station, just like Stan, Terry and Pete. Keep up the good work!

TIP: Consolidate all of the Score talent, Dahl, some of the 'JMK jocks and with the addition of the White Sox next summer -- WSCR AM/FM or WCKG AM/FM or something clever. Take on WGN with their own irreverent brand of news/sports/entertainment/talk/music. Doesn't have to be a full simulcast, maybe do Dahl on FM and Sports talk on AM. Or Dahl simulcast in mornings, North in afternoons on AM with Landecker on FM in Afternoon. The Sox sounded good on FM last spring on the Zone.

 

[JustinT]

> Infiniti is nuts for not flipping 'CKG to Jack instead of
> 'JMK. I mean 105.9 has nothing except for Dahl, do they
> really think they can keep putting out crap until Howard
> leaves? After flipping 'JMK, it'll be a few months at least
> until Viacom flips another Chicago station.
>
> I know I posted a similar thread pre-JACK, but as another
> weekend of irregularity infomercials, bad Phish music, Bob
> and MaryAnne's infomercial and the terrible Scott
> MoeKay/Brooke Hunter mortgage broker infomercial -- I just
> have to throw my hands in the air and wonder how one of the
> biggest companies in broadcasting could have a station in
> the third largest market that is the Radio equivalent of
> WJYS-TV 62. It's just a waste of FM.

I couldn't have said it any better.

Regarding the music on WCKG, I was looking at stoneage.yes.com and comparing the music heard on WCKG this morning to what is on 104.3 and 93.1. These stations are playing the same music at times! So in addition to having Jack and XRT compete, they've also got "The Stever" competing for the same audience. There's definately a problem when three stations owned by a company are playing the same music. Infinity really needs to dump the music badly, but they can't replace it with more infomercials. Although they are very profitable, radio infomercials are meant for lousy AM suburban signals, not 50,000 watt blowtorches with full market coverage. WCKG should be an embarrassment to Infinity corporate.

WCKG and other stations that depend on Howard Stern, like K-Rock/New York, to some extent WBCN/Boston, are going to have a hard time when Stern leaves the airwaves. Heck, Infinity owns a station in Sacramento that depends so much on Stern that it's name is Howard 93.7 (KHWD). Yet even with Stern, WCKG is struggling, so what will the aftermath be? Ratings comparable with Nine?

This situation reminds me of what was going on in San Francisco with 93.3FM. Infinity had covered most formats in San Francisco with their existing stations, and their lowest rated station was a somewhat successful country outlet, Y93.3. Infinity ditched the country for a bizarre eclectic/world music format, known as "The Wave", in the hope of better ratings. This failed miserably, and Infinity turned 93.3 into a simulcast of their successful San Jose AC, KBAY. Finally, Infinity admitted that they had no clue what they were doing by selling 93.3 to SBS, who has since turned it into a Regional Mexican outlet as La Raza 93.3. This partnership also led to the creation of "El Zol 99.1" in the Baltimore/Washington area.

Next stop for WCKG? I'd bet on something programmed by SBS.