I hope you all had a happy holiday season and will have a successful 2011. Over the last few weeks, I listened to a lot of radio in South Florida and even witnessed a format flip right before my ears. Among the stations I heard was WOLL.
The station is owned by CC and is mainly heard in the Palm Beach/Martin County area. I became fascinated with the station, especially on the trip back to Jax as I felt I was hearing our own WJGH (Magic 107.3.) I was recently informed the MD of WOLL scheduled the music for Magic during the station launch and prior to the hiring of a PD. It proved to be a good move as I was told the first PPM report showed Magic in the Top 3 in 25-54. Considering there were no promotions or jocks to generate on-air excitement this turned out to be pretty impressive. It also proved my point that adult listeners have been so desperate for something else to be offered in our market.
For a long time I talked about how the format was evolving and how it was becoming a very viable format in many markets in 25-54. WOLL was once a traditional oldies station. They have kept their Cool 105.5 moniker and today they are a gold based AC usually always in the Top 2 or 3 overall in the market. There are people on the station and it makes the station come to life. The morning show appears to be local and I'd like to see Magic either have one or simulcast one from a sister station. I began to think about the long term prospects for Greatest Hits in Jax.
I rushed to judgment initially because I saw the format operating within my own personal preferences and what my favorite stations broadcasting elsewhere were doing. I was also fearful we were going to re-live the horrors the last time the format was attempted. So again, I’m happy a skilled and experienced programmer prevailed. Markets are unique and so is competition and targets. I may have different ideas about special programming and music but in the end it’s all about selling and appealing to your target audience. In this case, you can have all that while giving adult listeners more to choose from. It's good for listeners and radio.
Recently I learned WOLL is considered AC because they feature some 90’s and 00’s titles, even though it’s not often. For now, Greatest Hits doesn't usually get newer than the mid 80's. WJGH has a lot of AC elements to it but that’s the nature of a lot of Greatest Hits formats. I now see WJGH as a long-term player in Jax with their female-leaning programming and being an alternative to WEJZ and Eagle. Cox Radio has a lock on the males so to me in makes sense for CC to take another route. Maybe now you can all understand why I always believed the scenario that exists in Tampa where WRBQ and that market's Eagle brand seem to co-exist just fine. Choice always beats no choice. I realize you can’t make judgments on a book or two but given the music variety many listeners seek and the potential for growth I’m witnessing in the format, I believe the long-term prognosis is good. Ah yes, even a good thing can get screwed up.
I always believed there was an underserved market in Jax and I’m happy to see it finally filled. From a strategy standpoint, it would not surprise me to see KISS become Hot AC in the short term with WJGH as a gold-based AC in the long-term. What do you think? A few more songs in certain genres here and there and Greatest Hits can be anything you want it to be – just as all the various forms of AC are today to satisfy the uniquenss of the market. The public's tastes change and what may not test well today may test well tomorrow. It can keep things interesting and top programmers will respond to that. I don’t think I’ll ever understand why this market took so long to offer a Greatest Hits format, especially after it reinvented itself and performed well overall in many PPM markets but better late than never.
The station is owned by CC and is mainly heard in the Palm Beach/Martin County area. I became fascinated with the station, especially on the trip back to Jax as I felt I was hearing our own WJGH (Magic 107.3.) I was recently informed the MD of WOLL scheduled the music for Magic during the station launch and prior to the hiring of a PD. It proved to be a good move as I was told the first PPM report showed Magic in the Top 3 in 25-54. Considering there were no promotions or jocks to generate on-air excitement this turned out to be pretty impressive. It also proved my point that adult listeners have been so desperate for something else to be offered in our market.
For a long time I talked about how the format was evolving and how it was becoming a very viable format in many markets in 25-54. WOLL was once a traditional oldies station. They have kept their Cool 105.5 moniker and today they are a gold based AC usually always in the Top 2 or 3 overall in the market. There are people on the station and it makes the station come to life. The morning show appears to be local and I'd like to see Magic either have one or simulcast one from a sister station. I began to think about the long term prospects for Greatest Hits in Jax.
I rushed to judgment initially because I saw the format operating within my own personal preferences and what my favorite stations broadcasting elsewhere were doing. I was also fearful we were going to re-live the horrors the last time the format was attempted. So again, I’m happy a skilled and experienced programmer prevailed. Markets are unique and so is competition and targets. I may have different ideas about special programming and music but in the end it’s all about selling and appealing to your target audience. In this case, you can have all that while giving adult listeners more to choose from. It's good for listeners and radio.
Recently I learned WOLL is considered AC because they feature some 90’s and 00’s titles, even though it’s not often. For now, Greatest Hits doesn't usually get newer than the mid 80's. WJGH has a lot of AC elements to it but that’s the nature of a lot of Greatest Hits formats. I now see WJGH as a long-term player in Jax with their female-leaning programming and being an alternative to WEJZ and Eagle. Cox Radio has a lock on the males so to me in makes sense for CC to take another route. Maybe now you can all understand why I always believed the scenario that exists in Tampa where WRBQ and that market's Eagle brand seem to co-exist just fine. Choice always beats no choice. I realize you can’t make judgments on a book or two but given the music variety many listeners seek and the potential for growth I’m witnessing in the format, I believe the long-term prognosis is good. Ah yes, even a good thing can get screwed up.
I always believed there was an underserved market in Jax and I’m happy to see it finally filled. From a strategy standpoint, it would not surprise me to see KISS become Hot AC in the short term with WJGH as a gold-based AC in the long-term. What do you think? A few more songs in certain genres here and there and Greatest Hits can be anything you want it to be – just as all the various forms of AC are today to satisfy the uniquenss of the market. The public's tastes change and what may not test well today may test well tomorrow. It can keep things interesting and top programmers will respond to that. I don’t think I’ll ever understand why this market took so long to offer a Greatest Hits format, especially after it reinvented itself and performed well overall in many PPM markets but better late than never.