• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

WHOSE BETTER SERIOUSLY? STAR 94 OR Q100?

A

alex4490

Guest
Yes, I know we had a lot of post regarding this topic, or have we not?

Question. Seriously! What station is the "top" Top-40 Station people in Atlanta and vicinity listen too most?

Star 94 or Q100?

I WANNA KNOW?
 
I think Q is better because they are consistent: They play CHR music, their morning show is appealing to 18-34 women, and sweepers and IDs sound like CHR, and their jocks sound like they would listen to the station even if they didn't work there.

Star, on the other hand, plays some CHR (usually edited or altered in some weird way), has an aging morning show (more 25-44 than 18-34), the sweepers and IDs sound purely AC (particularly ones voiced by the guy they've used for years...the newer ones and voice are much better) and the jocks sound like they belong on B98.5.

This doesn't account for signal, which Star wins hands-down.
 
I happen to prefer Star 94, but if you want some concrete, tangible reason, I can't give you one. They just "feel" better to me than Q100 does when I want that kind of music. I read a lot of complaints here that they're not a "true" Top 40 but the same people complain about radio being too homogenized, stations here sounding like stations anywhere else...so I don't know what to do with that besides move on...

So do with my $.02 opinion what you will.
 
If you want factual evidence go to the numbers - if you want opinion, well you'll get plenty of that here. I prefer Q because they sound more like a true top 40 - and that's just MY opinion.

Numbers... 12+ goes to Star... 18-34 goes to Q... Mornings go to Q
 
On-air staff: Q100

Musically: They both have their weaknesses. Q100 plays a broader variety but they also lean a bit too much on recurrents, of which their selection isn't always the best. Star 94, while relatively conservative, has improved with regard to rhythmic music and is more focused. Some argue that Star is not a CHR - I disagree. If stations like WKQI/Detroit and KIIS/LA, which are nearly rhythmic with VERY little rock material, qualify as CHR, why can't Star just because they lean in the opposite directino?

Imaging: I think I'd have to give this to Q100...both tend to have overblown imaging IMO, but at least Q100's seems to have a purpose (promoting 10-in-a-row, Bert Show, etc). Star's just seems pointless at times.

Overall? I'd have to say Q100, but Star is no slouch by any means.
 
I like that Q100 is heavy with recurents. While most CHR's today are so quick to drop songs after a few months, even weeks, its nice to hear the one's u kind of forgot about from a few months, even years back. Q100 has a great variety.
 
TheMusicMan said:
Musically: They both have their weaknesses. Q100 plays a broader variety but they also lean a bit too much on recurrents, of which their selection isn't always the best. Star 94, while relatively conservative, has improved with regard to rhythmic music and is more focused. Some argue that Star is not a CHR - I disagree. If stations like WKQI/Detroit and KIIS/LA, which are nearly rhythmic with VERY little rock material, qualify as CHR, why can't Star just because they lean in the opposite directino?
Click to expand...

Star is a CHR, but is an Adult CHR. It doesn't lean Rock - look at the Modern Rock and Active Rock charts and compare it with Star 94. I don't see any Nine Inch Nails or Velvet Revolver on Star's playlist. What I do see is "It's Not Over" by Daughtry still in the station's Top 10.
CHR radio is a younger demo format, meaning 18-34, and by default the teens too (who have a huge impact on CHR's sound at night). So leaning more on the Rhythmic Pop side of things usually makes sense. Major market CHRs that try to play a lot of Rock end up with some of their male listeners leaving them after a while for the Rock stations in town, and some of the females seek out the Rhythmic station.

Q-100 right now is sadly somewhat watered down due to the fact that it's remotely being programmed by someone at Cumulus's corporate offices. Appearantly he thinks that every CHR under his belt should sound exactly the same regardless of the market composition...Thankfully though it appears that Q-100's actual PD, Dylan, is finally regaining some control over the music choices and music flow.
 
TheMusicMan said:
Imaging: I think I'd have to give this to Q100...both tend to have overblown imaging IMO, but at least Q100's seems to have a purpose (promoting 10-in-a-row, Bert Show, etc). Star's just seems pointless at times.
Click to expand...

I have to respectfully disagree with ya on that one. The "10 in a row" gimmicks don't really work....and I don't understand why some CHR stations push it since it's such a cume-based format. Although I'm sure Q100 gets good TSL numbers....they do a good job of keeping an overall flow and their processing isn't as "bright" as Star 94 so it's easier to listen to. I like Star's imaging, though....they do a good job of really selling their slogan in almost every sweeper.
 
I think Q100 is no doubt the best out of the two. Star 94 is so blah..
 
The "10 in a row" gimmicks don't really work....and I don't understand why some CHR stations push it since it's such a cume-based format.
Click to expand...


You're correct that CHR (along with all-news) is a very high cuming format. Unfortunately, buying radio time is usually done by young, overworked people looking at Tapscans on their computer in a corporate agency environment. Their objective is to knock the buys out as quickly as possible because they probably have 10 other markets to buy. This all leads to a focus on average quarter-hour ratings and rankings, as well as costs-per-point. Although they should also consider cume, the vast majority don't. This pushes CHR stations to do things for the purpose of quarter-hour maintenance, such as 10 in a row.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom