Why Journey Will Not Last Long

[Tunedinvp]

The problem with a format like Journey is they are missing the excitement that originally surrounded the music when it was new i.e. Great Jocks, Promotion, etc. This station is missing the bigness of the era. A hot station back then was fun and had a crispness to it.

An automated jukebox will not recapture the X-factor and youthful buzz that originally surrounded this music. A time when you wouldn't tune out because you were scared you would miss something.

And details matter. Journey is pounding the positioning statement 80's & 90's but I just heard The Knack "My Sharona" which went #1 in 1979. A small point but the devil is in the details. Also the top of Hour is boring and way too long. It wasn't entertaining and a definite tune out.

The high burn factor on these tunes are huge and without other elements to keep it fresh I feel Journey in it's present form doesn't have a long shelf life.

 

[jabba17]

I think they are in the "10,000 SONGS IN A ROW COMMERCIAL FREE!!!" mode. Lots of stations launch without jocks. At least they have some decent imaging in place.

I don't think the average listener cares that "My Sharona" (or "Funkytown" or "Romeo's Tune" or "American Dream" or "Another Brick In The Wall Part II" or "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)") came out in 1979 and not 1980. Star 94 plays "500 Miles (I'm Gonna Be)" on their all-90s weekends, even though that song came out in 1988, not 1993 when it charted. The question is, does it have that "feel"? "Tragedy" by the Bee Gees probably wouldn't pass muster, the Bee Gees being a predominantly 70s act, while "Funkytown" would, despite both of them being disco songs.

I do agree, though, if the playlist starts to shrink, they will run into the same problem as Fox 97/Kool 105.7 did with "good times and eight oldies", or WMAX. Part of a good "decades" playlist is keeping the "oh wow" songs coming, even if they don't test well enough for heavier rotation.

 

[Tunedinvp]

I think they are in the "10,000 SONGS IN A ROW COMMERCIAL FREE!!!" mode. Lots of stations launch without jocks. At least they have some decent imaging in place.

That's probably right. I disagree with your take on the imaging. I haven't heard anything stand out. I find it one dimensional and boring.

The question remains: Do they have the balls to commit to a budget and do this right and give Atlanta a great station? We are talking about Cumulus after all.... Time will tell.

 

[jabba17]

And details matter. Journey is pounding the positioning statement 80's & 90's but I just heard The Knack "My Sharona" which went #1 in 1979.

To your point, they did play "Lights" by Journey (1978) today. But I am sure that was more for the artist than the timeframe. But it didn't feel right, "Lights" having been more of an AOR hit than Top 40, not to mention the time period.

A lot of people forget in this post-Glee/Sopranos world that few people would have been caught dead playing or listening to Journey in the 90s, or even the late 80s after Perry left. Journey definitely went through an "uncool" period, along with several other 70s/80s AOR acts.

 

[RoddyFreeman]

I think they are in the "10,000 SONGS IN A ROW COMMERCIAL FREE!!!" mode. Lots of stations launch without jocks. At least they have some decent imaging in place.

That's probably right. I disagree with your take on the imaging. I haven't heard anything stand out. I find it one dimensional and boring.

The question remains: Do they have the balls to commit to a budget and do this right and give Atlanta a great station? We are talking about Cumulus after all.... Time will tell.

That's kind of a paradox. Any business can't spend more than it earns. The signal is okay, but this is a translator. Based on signal alone, it's never going to make the kind of money necessary for local star talent. It will have to be run on the cheap. It will have to go with syndicated talent and either voice tracking or automation to be profitable. If successful, perhaps 1 local talent could be added.

 

[taylorengineer]

I think they are in the "10,000 SONGS IN A ROW COMMERCIAL FREE!!!" mode. Lots of stations launch without jocks. At least they have some decent imaging in place.

That's probably right. I disagree with your take on the imaging. I haven't heard anything stand out. I find it one dimensional and boring.

The question remains: Do they have the balls to commit to a budget and do this right and give Atlanta a great station? We are talking about Cumulus after all.... Time will tell.

That's kind of a paradox. Any business can't spend more than it earns. The signal is okay, but this is a translator. Based on signal alone, it's never going to make the kind of money necessary for local star talent. It will have to be run on the cheap. It will have to go with syndicated talent and either voice tracking or automation to be profitable. If successful, perhaps 1 local talent could be added.

I'm thinking this might be a 1 share station at best.....probably more like 0.5 - 0.8.....pretty much the same as the 99X incarnation.
I listened for around 1 hour yesterday and I have to say I liked the music selection. The 21st century version of an "oldies" format. I heard a few songs I have not heard in quite some time and I must agree with Roddy - I like the imaging pieces.
If this were a full signal I think they might have a formula for success. This would be a great candidate for 100.5 - this signal has all the wham needed to compete in most of Atlanta.
I still expect to see the comedy format show up on one of the translators. It's hard to believe they would pass up a hot new format that they have already developed and had some success with. It seems like they would want to get it on the air in every Cumulus market if it did a 4 share, on a translator, in K.C.!

 

[gregg75]

They were doing pretty good today. Better than most of their RETRO competition. I never
listened to 99x but I am listening to this station. I think it will pull in better ratings than
99x did. 97.9 covers a broader audience where the X audience was pretty specialized.
We'll have to see. I think we're in the middle of a ratings period, so the next one may not
reflect this.

 

[MarkW]

Putting a workplace-oriented format on a puny 250 watt translator in a major metropolitan area is moronic on so many different levels...

100.5 would've been a better home for this format.

 

[jabba17]

Putting a workplace-oriented format on a puny 250 watt translator in a major metropolitan area is moronic on so many different levels...

100.5 would've been a better home for this format.

Unless they are using this translator as their single-A farm team to see how it works out before moving it up to the majors (or AAA, in the case of 100.5 and their weak-for-a-class-C-whatever signal).

 

[acheron1982]

Putting a workplace-oriented format on a puny 250 watt translator in a major metropolitan area is moronic on so many different levels...

100.5 would've been a better home for this format.

Unless they are using this translator as their single-A farm team to see how it works out before moving it up to the majors (or AAA, in the case of 100.5 and their weak-for-a-class-C-whatever signal).

With regards to 100.5 signal: Their signal typically goes out within 20 miles from all the other 100k stations (excluding 97.1 and 106.7). For example, I lost 96.1 just over the Alabama border but lost the 100.5 signal just before the Alabama border. As I travel south on 75, the signal for 96.1 and 99.7 goes out in downtown Macon (75/16 split) but the 100.5 signal was lost only 15 or so miles before (near the 75/475 split). 100.5 has a pretty decent signal considering they are much lower in watts.

 

[jabba17]

Putting a workplace-oriented format on a puny 250 watt translator in a major metropolitan area is moronic on so many different levels...

100.5 would've been a better home for this format.

Unless they are using this translator as their single-A farm team to see how it works out before moving it up to the majors (or AAA, in the case of 100.5 and their weak-for-a-class-C-whatever signal).

With regards to 100.5 signal: Their signal typically goes out within 20 miles from all the other 100k stations (excluding 97.1 and 106.7). For example, I lost 96.1 just over the Alabama border but lost the 100.5 signal just before the Alabama border. As I travel south on 75, the signal for 96.1 and 99.7 goes out in downtown Macon (75/16 split) but the 100.5 signal was lost only 15 or so miles before (near the 75/475 split). 100.5 has a pretty decent signal considering they are much lower in watts.

It might just be a Gwinnett bias with me, with the interference from WSSL.

 

[DToTheJ]

... they did play "Lights" by Journey (1978) today... But it didn't feel right, "Lights" having been more of an AOR hit than Top 40, not to mention the time period. A lot of people forget in this post-Glee/Sopranos world that few people would have been caught dead playing or listening to Journey in the 90s, or even the late 80s after Perry left. Journey definitely went through an "uncool" period, along with several other 70s/80s AOR acts.

Just think, if Journey fails, what could their final song be... "Separate Ways"? "Who's Crying Now"?

 

[RadioFlyerAtl]

I believe the original points of failure listed in this thread (focus on 80's and 90's and lack of talent) will be addressed in time.

The signal issue may also be addressed in time, but definitely no earlier than the completion of the Citadel deal.

Until then, let me add my two cents...or two points of failure: marketing and audio processing.

If they fail to market the station as they have for 99X (and even Rock 100.5), it will suffer the same fate ratings-wise or worse. At least in this market, Cumulus is quite the hypocrite when it comes to marketing - they gladly sell the idea to their clients, but then fail to follow their own advice when it comes to selling their product to listeners.

As others have mentioned in recent threads, the audio processing is not up to par. 99X at 97.9 didn't suffer from this, so why does Journey? I can listen to 97.9 for ten minutes and my ears literally hurt. Then I hit the seek button to 98.5, and a whole new dimension opens up. Women are going to be especially sensitive to this, which doesn't bode well since they're the primary demographic for this format.

 

[BIGSTICK]

I believe the original points of failure listed in this thread (focus on 80's and 90's and lack of talent) will be addressed in time.

The signal issue may also be addressed in time, but definitely no earlier than the completion of the Citadel deal.

Until then, let me add my two cents...or two points of failure: marketing and audio processing.

If they fail to market the station as they have for 99X (and even Rock 100.5), it will suffer the same fate ratings-wise or worse. At least in this market, Cumulus is quite the hypocrite when it comes to marketing - they gladly sell the idea to their clients, but then fail to follow their own advice when it comes to selling their product to listeners.

As others have mentioned in recent threads, the audio processing is not up to par. 99X at 97.9 didn't suffer from this, so why does Journey? I can listen to 97.9 for ten minutes and my ears literally hurt. Then I hit the seek button to 98.5, and a whole new dimension opens up. Women are going to be especially sensitive to this, which doesn't bode well since they're the primary demographic for this format.

Maybe I am deaf, but I thinks it sounds fine, a whole lot better than 106.7, and the signal is pretty damn good.

 

[taylorengineer]

I don't think the audio sounds so bad as to make my ears hurt!
There are two different audio processors being used and each has it's own particular "flavor." Many people prefer the 97.9 sound - others, the 98.5 sound. I like the B98 sound because it is more transparent.
The 97.9 signal has been suffering mightily the last few days from atmospherics as has 99X and 93.7. They have been unlistenable through much of the metro area. People are only going to sample these signals once or twice - if they find the station noisy and hard to recieve they probably won't come back.
I will ask again - why do you think they bypassed the comedy format? Is that not doing well in Kansas City? I thought they broke out with a 4 share first book. That would seem to be a perfect format for a translator!

 

[atlantaboy]

There are two different audio processors being used and each has it's own particular "flavor." Many people prefer the 97.9 sound - others, the 98.5 sound.

Sorry, but this is crazy - in Alpharetta, B98.5 is in stereo and 97.9 sounds mono - there's absolutely no comparsion, unless they both come in in perfect FM stereo in the city

97.9 might be broadcasting in stereo, but it sure doesn't come in in stereo out here, and we're only 30 minutes from ATL