Why do stations in a given area play the same format?

[Gatekeeper007]

Since this subject was touched on another thread why do stations often play the same or close formats to another station in the same area and leave open formats untouched. Charleston is a good example with three country stations. In our area we have been a country station for 13 years then a little over a year ago Millers Orangeburg station jumped on the country music format now we both sreve a lot of the same area, heck Miller often overlaps his own country stations. With all the different formats in music why do you think stations do this in so many different areas?

 

[Wabbit_Season]

In your specific instance, GK, I would say that Miller saw your small station as a non-issue and basically moved in like there was no pre-existing country station.

The more interesting instance, in my mind, is why Miller would start up a country station in Florence when WHLZ used to be the heritage and, for the last decade, Eagle has been dominant, not only over the country format but most of the time they are the #1 station for non-urban listeners. So...why? Their signal can't compete, they don't do anything of substance programming-wise, so what's the point?

For Harold Miller, it's a matter of every year to 18 months, throwing something at the wall and praying it sticks without investing too much money - simple as that. It's been his modus operandi for a very long time. I'm not sure how he pays the bills with that mentality, but...if he's making money, good for him, because he's not really a legitimate threat to the other stations.

 

[Gatekeeper007]

I tried answering this twice already I will try one more time. Has for our case we took a small hit shortly after Miller changed formats but that didn't seem to last very long and now we seem to have more listeners than ever before, go figure. We are holding our own pretty good and just mainly fighting the bad economy more than anything else but what station isn't now a days. What my thread was about is what are some of the reasons for overlaping formats in a lot of areas between stations and leaving other formats untried or undone. I remember WIOP starting a really good format in Charleston on 95.9 and started to really gain listeners until they suddenly switched to country music and then to another format not long after that, it never seemed like a very good move.

 

[vchimpanzee]

I remember Asheville, NC had an oldies station, though it focused on the 70s back before most stations did that. There were several country stations already, yet that oldies station went country anyway. Fortunately for me, there was a station at the time playing music I liked.

Now that station and the one that went country simulcast sports talk. The good news is that they're very good about play-by-play of national sports. If you like that sort of thing. On Dec. 3, though, Asheville becomes a wasteland like you wouldn't believe.

 

[Scooter Lesley]

Well,...pardon my post-Turkey Day weigh-in, but sometimes it just appears that...it's always left up to me to point this (sensored) out! So, Marv,...hand me my black hat! The following clarity only regards the GSP market, but some of the same sins can be comitted in other markets, with still no atonement in sight. Here in the GSP, crucial Broadcast decisions are made by "Boobs"! These are Boobs of the Broadcasting variety, and for the lack time to type, we'll just flip-flop are labeling, and dub them Broadcasting Boobs! So as to explain, the Webster/Lesley dictionary lists three definitions for Boob: #1 A part of the female anatomy, commonly found restrained by a bra, #2 that little half man-half rabbit thing in the Yellow Submarine movie, and #3 An executive with the power to make crucial decisions, but lacks the smarts to succeed in doing so. Example: The 93.3 FM frequency, donning its new call letters, WTPT-FM, began broadcasting a (listed as)"Modern Rock" format on September 13th, 1996. Somewhat slow outta the chute, but began to roll rather steady after its third book. At its zenith, somewhere around '97-'98, the station was even beating WROQ, in some dayparts. That sobering bit of competition came to a screachin' halt when one ownership accquired the other. Today the station symbolizes a crippled crab, painfully crawling to the ocean to drown itself. A pointless playlist, hosted by some of the worst Air Talent announcers(?) ever to crack a Live mic, the ratings can only be discribed as Pee-U-Neeeeee! There are several formats that would cause a stir, and even I, myself, would love a chance to try an experimental one that I have been drafting, since 2010. However, lets all just sit and watch it loose money, month after month...after month! As Jed Clampet would say,..."Pitttttttti-ful, Jest Pitiful!