I wonder if WIIL could have even more success (as in more advertisers and advertising $$) with a country format, while serving those listeners between Chicago and Milwaukee (as you claim Jeremy), and still keep their current advertisers? I also wonder if WIIL Rock is as successful as many are saying it is (it really isn't), especially since so many employees in the building have been shown the door in the last year or two. Both commercial and non-commercial radio is hurting these days (and that's probably putting it mildly), and WIIL Rock is not immune, along with the rest of Alpha's Chicago area frequencies.
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Why does WIIL not do better?
- Thread starter Kramer
- Start date
They had a Country station. 104.7 WEXT (Now WDDW) It was successful in the immediate area but they got a CP to put it in Oak Creek and cover Milwaukee. They sold it to a Spanish broadcaster. Same thing happened to WJTW
There already is a Country station, WVTY (92.1) that covers a good part of the area in addition to WMIL Milwaukee, and WUSN.
Most of the employees shown the door were WXLC employees.
I'm not particularly a fan of any of the formats they are doing. WXLC (And the rest of the "Star") stations had a mass appeal Hot AC format going. They tweaked the format to a more Rhythmic pop Gold lean similar to B96 over the summer. The ratings on all except for WZSR have gone down since. That type of format is fine in the city but in the suburbs where people listen at work..
WIIL is extremely heavy on newer hard rock. They're well regarded among Rock fans and bands alike as a result.
WIIL has had the same presentation for over 30 years. It's heritage enough that people know it by name. I think musically they could be a bit more mass appeal, but what they do seems to work
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No offense Jeremy, but that's incorrect.
I apologize for that. As far as on air staff goes, WXLC was initially the hardest hit of the FMs. That included the PD Frank Wright. The lone local jock during the week on WXLC is voice tracked. She is now also WIIL's morning co-host. They went as far as swapping studios because WXLC's original studio was built as a showcase studio and they rarely have anybody on the air from there.
WIIL's PD was let go later. But most of the airstaff are still in place. They obviously have other jobs in the company.
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IHeartMedia's Classic Rock/Hits stations seem to do pretty good too. I don't like all Classic Rock and I'm more into Classic Hits than Classic Rock anyways since Classic Rock has some heavy metal rock like AC/DC and Guns/Roses that I can't stand.
iHeart has different variations of Classic Hits. Many of the ones in smaller markets are just generic logs.
Some play more 90s and 70s and some play just more 70s or more 90s mixed in with the rest of the decades. Lots of the IHeartMedia stations tend to do a variation of the 80s and more.
What numskull changed their slogan to Streetz 95.1 when "95 WIIL ROCK!" was some of the most perfect branding ever?
Streetz 95.1/105.1 HD2 is not WIIL Rock. Streetz is mentioned above, as possibly adding more reception issues for WIIL.
Wow, never saw this thread. I too remember the old Power 95 days and them duking it it our with WXLC when they were "Hot 102.3". Now WXLC is just a shell and of course power 95 had moved on to WIIL rock (a long time ago). I can get 95 WIIL rock out here in the western suburbs still. Maybe not as clearly as years back, but still listenable despite those translators.
I remember being able to pick up WJZQ regularly in Munster, IN in the mid/late '80s. Same thing with 96.7 WLLI a few years later in Schererville.
Without looking, I suspect that 95.1 and 96.7 are duplicated now by translators near there, which preclude hearing them without extreme DX measures.
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