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WJXN is now 'Hot' with classic hip-hop
- Thread starter JeffSteele
- Start date
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Pat3
Guest
Do we really need anymore "urban" stations? 90.1, 90.5, 94.3, 1240, 95.5, 97.7, 99.7, 99.1, 970, 103.5, 1300, 1150, 1370, 100.5, 100.9, 107.5 !
BTW: 970 AM has the audio so low you can hardly hear it unless you are close to the transmitter. 1240 is also nearly inaudible since they added the FM translator. The big signal from 890 in Laurel is also gone even though the FM translator is still on the airaccording to their website. This is clearly a trend in AM stations. As soon as a translator arrives the parent am station goes directly into the toilet. which is sad because often times the AM signal gets out better as long as it's properly maintained. FM translator will work on a car radio but are hard to get on a cheap clock radio, plus splatter from other FM stations will overpower translators if you are near a full power station.
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Pat3
Guest
I'm sure the flea powered Bday 99.1 is simply over joyed at the competitor
You really mean "African American targeted stations", don't you? The stations you list range from Hip Hop to Urban to Urban AC to Gospel, and represent the broad range of formats that target predominantly Black audiences.
Since the metro is 50% African American, and there are 52 stations (including translators and LPFM operations) in the metro, having 16 specifically targeting those residents is actually a low percentage. In fact, 5 of the top 6 stations in 12+ are African American targeted, not surprising considering that there are fewer stations competing for that listener group than for the smaller "white" listener segment.
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technicality nit picking here... unless im mistaken, classic hip hop is delivered via Storq, WW'1s voicetrack service uploaded directly to local computers.. voicetracks, music, everything is sitting on a local computer
I'm 100% sure it is satellite delivered. From what I could tell, this is a fairly new 24/7 satellite format - it is different from Storq.
RFB
Sounds like a pretty good station so far. I grew up on a lot of classic hip hop, so it's up my alley.
If it is WW1, it is not StorQ - Classic Hip Hop is only offered as a "total" format. I would guess they might add StorQ in the future, only if they get a lot of affiliates.
Good point, David. Let's look back at how we got to this point. In 1971, the metro was about 40-45% black. There were 11 stations showing up in Pulse or ARB ratings books: 620, 930, 970, 1300, 1400, 1450, 1550, 1590, 96.3, 99.7, and 102.9... total of 11 stations. ONE, 1550 (WOKJ), was programmed to the black audience. You could predict that WOKJ would be good for a 40 share. It pulled huge ratings, tho a 40 share didn't mean 40% of the ad dollars: many advertisers perceived that audience as not having consumer spendable income... and the white station owners did not want any part of the format. Three country stations, f'rinstance, would each pull a 2-3 share ... they knew that becoming the second black station would be good for a double-digit share... but N-O-O-O. My partners and I wondered by 10 stations would fight over 55% of the audience, and let one station have 45% all to itself. Never ceases to amaze. That was when my group acquired an inactive FM license, 94.7, and put WKXI FM on the air. It was an overnight success... #1 in Pulse (12+) before our first anniversary with a 19 share. Back in those days, FM stations would otherwise barely show up in the book.
We've come a long way since then, and I'm glad to see that it is now more "fashionable" to target the African-American audience. Today someone complains there are "too many" black-oriented stations. Back in my time, there were "too few." If, indeed, there are too many, the lack of ratings and revenue will take care of the imbalance.
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Pat3
Guest
The only thing about having too many similar stations is that it will split the audience too thin. However the "big" stations 99.7, 100.5, and 107.5 etc. shouldn't have anything to worry about. The weak signals and translators will continue to be bottom feeders unless they can come up with some killer new format.
I see nothing "similar" between a hip-hop station on one side and a gospel station at the other. There is a considerable degree of variety even between the Urban and Urban A/C stations.
Long ago (maybe not long enough!) stations appealing to "Negroes" were described as playing "race music". Fortunately, those terms are not used and even repudiated today. But their usage shows the lack of understanding of people of African American heritage who may like anything from jazz to classical to reggae and rap.
Those terms were as ignorant as saying WLSJ and WMSI play "white music". No race and no ethnic group all like exactly the same things in music or anything else.
In the market I worked in for 25 years, we have about 16 or so Spanish language stations. I was constantly amazed that people would say "why do you need 16 stations all doing the same thing?" when Spanish is a language, not a format.
I recall the early black-oriented stations' format being referred to as "race music." Somewhere along the way, some equally unfortunate synonyms showed up, like "Harlem Hit Parade," and "Ebony Radio " (1950s stations here in Mobile/Pensacola used that moniker). In the following decade, "r&b" and "soul" became the nom du jour.
Yes. I recall that the first station I worked at, WJMO in Cleveland, was using "rhythm & blues" and "r&b" both for sales and certain on-air positioning in 1958-1959. By the early mid-60's (maybe '63) they had picked up on the "soul" term and, IIRC, had one ID that called the station "the soul of Cleveland".
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Pat3
Guest
I'd rather not argue about race. I was in no way comparing a hip hop station to a gospel station. However there are still 5 signals playing some form of hip hop. At least one of these stations won't survive, the same way if we had 5 country stations or 5 rock stations. Just too much competiton. The original post was not intended to be "ignorant" or "racist". It's just a fact that the stronger signals will thrive and the weaker ones will be bottom feeders regardless of the format when there are multiple stations with the same format. And yes I know the difference between hip hop, urban contemporary and black gospel.
That's an interesting comment. Quite often, in complaining about "corporate radio," the view is there's not enough competition in radio today. That if there was, radio might be "better," whatever that means. But when you get outside of the major markets, you get lots of local radio the way it was before consolidation, and that's when you have five country stations or that kind of thing. Does it make for "better radio?" That's subjective. But what it does is create duplication of formats. In a world where you have unlimited genres of music, getting only a few choices can be frustrating. In this way, it's better to have less competition, because you might get more formats. You might not also, since most of the fringe formats don't make any money. But I'm just entertained by you saying there's "too much competition." I'd like to hear that POV more often.
So far, I've heard only hip-hop from the '90s and 2000-2009 on Hot 100.9.
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Groove1670
Guest
It is a Westwood One Delivered format. It started out with 80's and 90's Rap/Hip Hop, but now they have added crossover Rhythmic titles and some titles from the 00's. Titles have increased. The majority of the titles are crossover (charted urban, pop, Rhythmic). Playlist was limited and burnout was setting in, rotation is now more consistent.
It is good as a fill in format for a station group, but still sounds satellite delivered. I see it as a Groovin' Oldies, 80's type of format with a limited shelf life, or it will need to adapt by adding or recycling titles. Will see what the future holds.
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