What's Up With The Buzz?

[ccuphl]

It's still a very boneheaded move.

So, if someone writes down they're listening to "Kiss", who gets the credit? Kiss 101-7 from Cumberland County (which is heard in a decent part of the market and plays hip-hop just like 99.3 used to) or 99.3 Kiss FM?

 

[ccuphl]

It's still a very boneheaded move. Why would you flip one of the top-rated stations in the market? Couldn't they have opted to flip another station instead? Buzz listeners are NOT going to stand for this, and will surely listen to something else. None of those people want to hear Miley Cyrus, Chris Daughtry, etc. - all of which already receive heavy airtime on WAYV and SoJo.

WAYV and Kiss FM were both playing Myrus Cyrus at 5:30 this evening. The same song about 10 seconds apart.

Speaking of WAYV, they are now "South Jersey's home for today's best music." Boy, that doesn't flow at all. I believe Kiss FM retains WAYV's not-too-former "#1 hit music station" positioner.

 

[ThatBastard]

It's true The Buzz killed in ratings, but what everybody seems to forget is the reason for ratings in the first place - to lure in advertising money...and from what I know, that wasn't going so well over there. It doesn't matter how many people are listening if they aren't the people advertisers want to get their message out to. The Buzz never had a very heavy commercial load, and you didn't hear the big money clients - car dealers, beer companies, national campaigns. They also didn't do that many remotes, so add on money was probably slim too. Radio is still about making money first, and all the listeners in the world won't change that.

 

[SoulCrusher]

It's true The Buzz killed in ratings, but what everybody seems to forget is the reason for ratings in the first place - to lure in advertising money...and from what I know, that wasn't going so well over there. It doesn't matter how many people are listening if they aren't the people advertisers want to get their message out to. The Buzz never had a very heavy commercial load, and you didn't hear the big money clients - car dealers, beer companies, national campaigns. They also didn't do that many remotes, so add on money was probably slim too. Radio is still about making money first, and all the listeners in the world won't change that.

Well, instead of changing the format, why not bring in some better salespeople? If you can't succeed in selling a station that has been rated #1 in many recent books, then you should consider looking for a new career path.

Mark my words: Expect at least a 50% drop from where The Buzz's ratings are when January '09 comes around. Chalk it up to an extremely drastic change in sound that will alienate all Buzz listeners and competition for the same target demos, including sister station WAYV (maybe it's time to lean them more Adult or more Classic). And that will be a much tougher sell when you take that into account.

If Equity wanted to go in a different direction with The Buzz, they could have attempted to attract older demos by playing more old-school hip-hop. That would not have chased the audience away and it may have made them more attractive to advertisers.

 

[InsertNameHere]

Equity changing a format of a successful station? Not the first stupid move they made.

There's a kid in Ohio that claims to be their APD and MD, for them and their Hot AC sister station. I don't recall who, but a buddy showed me his facebook page and it was plastered all over there. And this dude was still in college?

I don't really believe it, but its sure up there on the list of questionable decisions if that IS the case!

 

[htowler]

Well, instead of changing the format, why not bring in some better salespeople? If you can't succeed in selling a station that has been rated #1 in many recent books, then you should consider looking for a new career path.

Mark my words: Expect at least a 50% drop from where The Buzz's ratings are when January '09 comes around. Chalk it up to an extremely drastic change in sound that will alienate all Buzz listeners and competition for the same target demos, including sister station WAYV (maybe it's time to lean them more Adult or more Classic). And that will be a much tougher sell when you take that into account.

If Equity wanted to go in a different direction with The Buzz, they could have attempted to attract older demos by playing more old-school hip-hop. That would not have chased the audience away and it may have made them more attractive to advertisers.

Equity should have Made the Buzz more Rhythmic, Maybe a Full 100% Rhythmic station with NO Urban lean(at the end they were more Rhythmic than Urban). They should have Removed more R&B and added more or increased repetiton of Dance/Rhythmic Tracks like

Chris Brown- Forever
Colby O Donis- What you got
Danity Kane- Damaged
Flo-Rida- In the Ayer

Increase Recurrent Spin on tracks like
Timbaland- The Way I Are
Pitbull- The Anthem

Increase Gold like
Sean Paul Temperature

ETC.

 

[Rockin Rob]

Equity should have Made the Buzz more Rhythmic, Maybe a Full 100% Rhythmic station with NO Urban lean(at the end they were more Rhythmic than Urban). They should have Removed more R&B and added more or increased repetiton of Dance/Rhythmic Tracks

Of course it is. Let's face it, that's the solution for everything, make it a dance station. Or, is that "danse stayshun"? Puh-leeeeeeeze!!!

 

[nd2023]

It's going to be hard for me to identify the stations on 99.3 when there's tropo, because 99.3 in Harrisburg is also 99.3 Kiss FM.

 

[damian542]

It's going to be hard for me to identify the stations on 99.3 when there's tropo, because 99.3 in Harrisburg is also 99.3 Kiss FM.

Oh... it will be easy to identify... one will sound like a radio station that might be done right (Harrisburg), and the other will sound like a station that was thrown on the air for no reason at the last second (A/C)... ok.. I probably didn't even have to tell you which was which.. but what the hell.....

 

[Rockin Rob]

Rob its Kiss not Kiss Sam Lit's ass....Anyway to tinker with the Buzz was a stupid move. The ratings were high and the station had the urban demo won.Now AYV and KISS will be competing against one another not to mention JSE doesn't have the strongest single...I'd be more worried about the Shark and 98.3 and what Atlantic may do with them.Equity managed to alienate the Buzz's audience and to hurt WAYV on the same day..

And, just what is wrong with a little, as you call it, ass kissing? Especially when it is sincere and heartfelt???

 

[htowler]

kiss-fm how much longer until clear channel tells them to take the name down


the buzz sounded good last weekend with a current playlist i knew something was up

UGH. have you seen the new logo by 99.3 kiss

I mean are they MAKING A SPECIAL EFFORT to get sued by Clear Channel. ID's Logo Jingles all the same.

 

[htowler]

Equity should have Made the Buzz more Rhythmic, Maybe a Full 100% Rhythmic station with NO Urban lean(at the end they were more Rhythmic than Urban). They should have Removed more R&B and added more or increased repetiton of Dance/Rhythmic Tracks

Of course it is. Let's face it, that's the solution for everything, make it a dance station. Or, is that "danse stayshun"? Puh-leeeeeeeze!!!

No Not like that. NOT a Dance stayshun. I don't think it needs to be another Pulse 87 like NYC. Go to R&R Look at the Rhythmic Chart. 99.3 should have shiftted to that format

Also check out KIBT at yes.com that is the Perfect mix for 99.3 A straight up Rhythmic Doesn't lean TOP 40 or Urban.


No matter what now, the way Radio is, SJ is stuck with kiss fm for 1 year. Almost all new formats are given 1 year no matter How bad they may tank even to the Zeros. take WRXP in nyc for example.

 

[D21 of NJ]

The Buzz should go back to dance as they originally started out. Or just bring back a "Hot 106.3"

 

[Rockin Rob]

The Buzz should go back to dance as they originally started out. Or just bring back a "Hot 106.3"

Padon us, Mister Day Late and Dollar Short, but if The Dance Buzz or Hot 106.3 (Hell, let's go back to Fun 107 while we're at it) were such big successes, why didn't they keep THAT format???

They tanked, switched it up and, at least in the Buzz's case, were able to ride it for quite some time.

 

[instigator]

Actually Rob the Buzz's numbers were up the last 2 books as Dance but then Equity switched the format when it acquired it. The Hip Hop format was much more successful but the dance format was gaining momentum...before you leave your cocky response, I know its coming, check it out the numbers were up.

 

[nd2023]

Atlantic City is a party town and a dance station would do well. If only Z88.9 had more power or a translator in AC...

 

[Rockin Rob]

Actually Rob the Buzz's numbers were up the last 2 books as Dance but then Equity switched the format when it acquired it. The Hip Hop format was much more successful but the dance format was gaining momentum...before you leave your cocky response, I know its coming, check it out the numbers were up.

I love it when the danse stayshun crowd pulls numbers. Apparantly, the numbers that actually matter, revenue, weren't there. Otherwise, your precious music (sic) would have stayed. To wit, IT DIDN'T.

Perhaps, as the other minion put it, WBZC should set up shop with a translator. Then we'll see.

 

[instigator]

Is that your arguement Rob? I guess Hip Hop can't be sold either considering the Buzz was just #1 and they changed the format to ryth CHR. According to you Rob I guess dance and Hip Hop are a waste of time...I'm surprised you don'tr currently hold a job in radio...you're as closed minded as radio has become.

 

[wprt949]

Actually Rob the Buzz's numbers were up the last 2 books as Dance but then Equity switched the format when it acquired it. The Hip Hop format was much more successful but the dance format was gaining momentum...before you leave your cocky response, I know its coming, check it out the numbers were up.

the problem with 99.3 the buzz as dance is they played way too many underground songs during the day

 

[Up_N_Down_The_Dial]

I don't know about revenue when 99.3 was dance, but as rap / hip-hop they couldn't sell it... even though it was often #1.... urban stations are hard to sell in most markets... but I'm guessing dance would not be too easy either... but better than urban... I think Boss97 and Q-102 circa 1991/2 had a great mix of dance and pop... that being said... the powers at Equity do not "care" about this station.. it is there for one reason... to protect WAYV... sure Gary will take the money that it generates... but as soon as he thinks there's a threat to his flagship he uses this stick as a pawn, and he would flip it again if there was someone that he thought was a threat (notice the timing of the change to Kiss... just when Access.1 got sold)... Kiss will never do anything in the market that's inovative nor will he sink any money into it... it's there, and that's all it will ever be.