• 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

Why doesn't Chicago have an younger skewing Urban AC?

H

Hamp

Guest
I heard about the change to WRNB-FM 107.9 in Philly, I think it is great idea. Why doesn't Chicago have a station like this? Don't get me wrong, I like V-103, but we need a station for those who want to hear new R&B as well as groups/artists from the 90's that haven't been heard in a long time. The numbers are there to support it. Chicago doesn't need a zillion "soccer mom" stations such as: Fresh 105.9, Lite 93.9, 100.3, Love FM and even to a certain extent, Jacked-up FM. CBS Radio needs to blow up Fresh or Jack and start up a Hot Urban AC in Chicago. This population is VERY underserved in Chicago.
 
I agree with you Hamp, and in my opinion WSRB SOUL 106.3 would be the perfect station to do it. First their
ratings are in the toilet, second they did tremendously well as 106 JAMZ. Back in the days of Pinkhouse(who
sadly died at a young age a few years back), they for quite some time ranked in the top ten from 7PM- midnight,
despite a weaker signal than most of their competitor's. This station did not end because of poor ratings, but,
because they had to be sold because Clear Channel owned to many stations in the Chicago market.
 
I don't think this format should be on 106.3 because the signal is too weak. I can't even get 106.3 where I live. Not all of its listeners live on the South Side of Chicago or NW Indiana.
I think CBS Radio needs to get a clue and blow up 104.3 or 105.9. The X generation is getting older (with families and incomes) and really doesn't have a format to represent it. Urban AC just isn't cutting it, there needs to be more HOT Urban AC stations. I don't understand why companies aren't picking up on this?
 
HOT Urban AC is as much of a niche market as dance-without-(insert variable here).

I agree with both of you, in that Chicago is waaay too saturated with "tampax" stations (Fresh, Lite, Love, Mix, etc.) AND that 106.3 would be a perfect spot for HOT Urban AC. It would serve most of the constituents of such a format.

But I'm sure CBS could find a much better use for 105.9 than Fresh OR "Hot Urban AC". Without going into a diatribe, there are numerous legacy FMs that are due for a challenge. (Hint: See the PPM)

The question is, who has the balls?
 
Jay F said:
They tried this in Atlanta and it failed. It sounds good in theory, but it's too niche.
Click to expand...
I don't agree that this format is "too niche" because how come the same thing isn't said about Love 100.3 (how many times can you hear Eddy Grant's, "Electric Avenue and the same 80's mess) or Fresh 105.9, Mix 101.9 (how many can you hear Sarah McLauglin or Fergie)?
The generation Xer's are getting older and they really don't have a station that caters to them.
You know, they told Barry Mayo the same thing when he helped to start V-103 back in 1988. Everyone thought he was crazy, now Urban AC is one of the biggest formats in the country. If there can be Soft AC and Hot AC, why not Hot Urban AC and Urban AC? There IS a market for it.
 
Hamp said:
Jay F said:
They tried this in Atlanta and it failed. It sounds good in theory, but it's too niche.
Click to expand...
I don't agree that this format is "too niche" because how come the same thing isn't said about Love 100.3 (how many times can you hear Eddy Grant's, "Electric Avenue and the same 80's mess) or Fresh 105.9, Mix 101.9 (how many can you hear Sarah McLauglin or Fergie)?
The generation Xer's are getting older and they really don't have a station that caters to them.
You know, they told Barry Mayo the same thing when he helped to start V-103 back in 1988. Everyone thought he was crazy, now Urban AC is one of the biggest formats in the country. If there can be Soft AC and Hot AC, why not Hot Urban AC and Urban AC? There IS a market for it.
Click to expand...

Hamp, what station will you buy and put that format onto?
 
Not speaking for Hamp, but in a perfect world, I would put it on 106.7. Taking on V103 is not too "niche" of an idea to have some traction. The potential audience is certainly there.
 
DavidEduardo would disagree with me, but I think Urban AC is a pretty good format for AM. Might go for 950 or 1300.
 
That's only true in markets where there's no Urban AC on FM. Boston is an example of a market where it actually did well on a daytime AM signal (before Radio One bought the station and screwed the proverbial pooch with it). That was partly to do with community programming and partly to do with a total dearth of anything rhythmic on the FM side in that market. Memphis also has a heritage soul station on AM that continues to do well, but is a total anomaly.

Where there is direct competition (like in Chicago), doing the same or a similar format on AM is a suicide mission. That's true of any music format. It's even tough to do when you make the format something more niched, like solid gold soul. Yes, I know that WGCI-AM used to do it, but that was 20 years ago and times have changed. People just don't equate AM with music anymore. Not to mention that the only really successful AM signals tend to be those big 50 kw ones, none of which are poised to pick up such a format. So, it would inevitably end up on a graveyarder - strikes 1, 2 and 3 all in one swing.
 
Jay F said:
They tried this in Atlanta and it failed. It sounds good in theory, but it's too niche.
Click to expand...

In all likeliness, they tried it too early--or they aimed the former "97.1 Jamz" at the wrong station. They were aiming to ding V-103, when they likely would have done better lifting the adults from Hot 107.9.

I think a good model to follow might be WUHT "Hot 107.7" in Birmingham, AL.
 
Nate Wesley said:
Jay F said:
They tried this in Atlanta and it failed. It sounds good in theory, but it's too niche.
Click to expand...

In all likeliness, they tried it too early--or they aimed the former "97.1 Jamz" at the wrong station. They were aiming to ding V-103, when they likely would have done better lifting the adults from Hot 107.9.

I think a good model to follow might be WUHT "Hot 107.7" in Birmingham, AL.
Click to expand...

I think the failure of 97.1 was due to a lack of investment. It was basically a glorified juke-box. No personalities!
 
I think 100.3 Love FM should try it... What is 100.3 now,,, basically a Rhythmic/hot AC hybrid right... They could put a late 80s to today uptempo R&B hits format on there playing stuff like Bobby Brown, SWV, Jody Whatley, Micheal jackson, Whitney Houston, Mary j Blidge, even some of the old Classic Black house music from the WBMX days on 102.7,, up to todays artists like Rhianna and Chris brown, but with no Rap...... IDEAS????? THOUGHTS????????? Look at some of the charts from WGCI from the 80s and 90s, ouside the rap songs,, Add a bit of the old WBMX tracks, and a few from B-96,,, there ya go...
 
noknownuser said:
Bonneville doesn't do "black" formats.
Click to expand...
So maybe Bonneville should sell the signal if they aren't going to do anything with it worthwhile.
 
Hamp said:
noknownuser said:
Bonneville doesn't do "black" formats.
Click to expand...
So maybe Bonneville should sell the signal if they aren't going to do anything with it worthwhile.
Click to expand...

Bonneville owns the signal. It belongs to them. It is up to THEM what is "worthwhile" on that signal.

When YOU buy a station, Hamp, as I've mentioned time and time again, then YOU will get to decide what goes on the airwaves.
 
rkchgo said:
Hamp said:
noknownuser said:
Bonneville doesn't do "black" formats.
Click to expand...
So maybe Bonneville should sell the signal if they aren't going to do anything with it worthwhile.
Click to expand...

Bonneville owns the signal. It belongs to them. It is up to THEM what is "worthwhile" on that signal.

When YOU buy a station, Hamp, as I've mentioned time and time again, then YOU will get to decide what goes on the airwaves.
Click to expand...
That's my point stupid!!!!! You are just repeating what I just said. BONNEVILLE NEEDS TO SELL THE FREQUENCY!!!!!! Let a company who really knows the market put something there that the market REALLY needs!!!!
 
So Hamp, is everyone stupid except you?

I think they should make it classical and give us an alternative to WFMT, but why would my opinion count any more than yours? I don't own the signal either!

BTW, I used to work for Bonneville. Nice bunch; at least it was back then.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom