Miami/Fort Lauderdale WMIA becomes Magic

[davideduardo]

If we look ahead within 20-25 years based on the focus on demographics changes. For a format like this would this work in Los Angeles? Take KOST as an example and being replaced by Bilingual AC. Could this be the new AC in the future for some areas in the U.S?

Not as likely. In Florida, both the Cuban, Colombian, Venezuelan (Miami) and Puerto Rican (Orlando) original immigrants were and are mostly upper and middle class.

In LA, most Mexican and Central American immigrants are from the lowest income and education level (Per Mexican consulate in LA, average male education is 6th grade and average female is around 4th grade).

While that changes for second generation, that group is growing up with mostly Churban, Urban or Reggaetón music, not AC.

 

[sox fan matt]

One thing I am wondering is will English language speakers defer from 101.5 Lite FM or Easy 93.1 knowing the presentation is in Spanish but the music is in English? This is an interesting concept!

 

[davideduardo]

As David well knows, most of the largest markets in Latin America support at least one version of English language hits with presentación en español. XHMM (Stereo Cien) in Mexico City and Aspen 102.3 in Buenos Aires being two successful examples. In fact, Aspen has consistently been the 2nd place music station in Buenos Aires (and therefore one of the most-listened to stations in South America.) for the last four years.

When I was programming Omega FM in Lima around 1982-1986, there were 23 FMs in the market. 18 of them played only English language music, ranging from CHR to AC to Rock and Oldies.

 

[davideduardo]

One thing I am wondering is will English language speakers defer from 101.5 Lite FM or Easy 93.1 knowing the presentation is in Spanish but the music is in English? This is an interesting concept!

I doubt any will listen at all. How many Americans who's parents and grandparents were born in the U.S. do you know who speak anything except English?

Knows several other languages: Polyglot
Knows one other language: Bilingual
Knows only one language: American

 

[sox fan matt]

Very true.

 

[101tm]

Yet another new format for 93.9. I get the reasoning for sales purposes, but I’m hesitant to say this will do well. How many formats have been tried on this thing in the last 15 years? Nothing has worked. Why not? However, this is different than their multiple attempts at rhythmic pop (and all-90s) so maybe it will go somewhere.

 

[Gregg.]

I can picture what happened. The iHeart Miami executives said to themselves, What English language non-urban station is consistently at the top of the ratings? Answer: WFEZ. What does it play? Soft to mid-tempo hits of the 1980s, 90s and 2000s. It aims at white and English-conversant Hispanic women in their 30s, 40s and 50s.

OK, then how about an iHeart station that does the same, but with Spanish speaking DJs, along with some Latino hits of that same era! We will be the WFEZ for Hispanic women that want Spanish-language DJs. That's our new format for WMIA 93.9!

 

[onemusic]

https://radioinsight.com/headlineclears/261424/wmia-flips-to-bilingual-ac-magic-93-9/

They already tried this with 103.5 x. It did not work. Clear Channel keeps flipping 93.9 and 103.5 and anybody that has traveled to Orlando knows there a lot of low power fm radio stations in Spanish.

 

[bigdonho]

Not that long ago the Miami Herald ran an article that said by the third generation or fourth generation Spanish was gone and they spoke English almost exclusively. The grand kids might speak a smattering of Spanish to talk with their grandparents but their kids didn't speak Spanish at all. I have seen this trend with friends of my daughters. So, does that bode well for Latin radio in the future or will they have to depend on new arrivals?

 

[Yabadabado1]

I guess if they're ratings were lousy, they wanna switch from 'MIA so no one could say they're Missing In Action.

 

[davideduardo]

Not that long ago the Miami Herald ran an article that said by the third generation or fourth generation Spanish was gone and they spoke English almost exclusively. The grand kids might speak a smattering of Spanish to talk with their grandparents but their kids didn't speak Spanish at all. I have seen this trend with friends of my daughters. So, does that bode well for Latin radio in the future or will they have to depend on new arrivals?

Spanish language radio has always depended on immigration and the first generation for most of its listening.. The children of those immigrants learn English in school and migrate to the same stations that kids and teens listen to in general.

Second generation will speak both English and Spanish, but their use of Spanish language media is much less. However, the rise of Spanish language reggaetón, trap and other "hip hop equivalents" has many second generation Hispanics listening to stations that program that genre... in fact, many of those stations mix a lot of English in their "Spanglish" presentation.

However, while first generation Hispanics may learn English, their musical tastes and, thus, radio usage, will almost always be based on their heritage.

One exception: Latin Americans who fled countries like Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia and others for sociopolitical reasons tend to be middle and upper income and quite possibly listened to stations "back home" that played English pop or AC or rock and so that is what they will listen to when they get to the U.S.

 

[CentralFL]

They already tried this with 103.5 x. It did not work. Clear Channel keeps flipping 93.9 and 103.5 and anybody that has traveled to Orlando knows there a lot of low power fm radio stations in Spanish.

Definitely, plus the 3 high powered stations. None of them seem to play many English language songs though.

 

[CentralFL]

Remember, those who migrated from PR to Orlando are mostly true middle class. Professionals, doctors, engineers, accountants, etc. They don't mirror the Island population at all.

Those migrants from PR are almost all fully bilingual and the appeal of a station with English language songs and Spanish language announcers is much more limited as those migrants will not be nearly as attracted to something in Spanish.

True, but in PR there is WTOK which is CHR. Spanish language DJ's mostly English language music.

 

[davideduardo]

True, but in PR there is WTOK which is CHR. Spanish language DJ's mostly English language music.

There are similar stations like that all over Latin America, often several in every market. It does not matter if the audience understands English lyrics at all. I owned several stations like that in Ecuador.

 

[Identnut]

There are similar stations like that all over Latin America, often several in every market. It does not matter if the audience understands English lyrics at all. I owned several stations like that in Ecuador.

The difference is that in the US mainland, if there are stations that play English-language music, even if the DJs speak English, Hispanics will listen to those stations.

This means that Spanish-language stations will mostly play music in Spanish.

 

[davideduardo]

The difference is that in the US mainland, if there are stations that play English-language music, even if the DJs speak English, Hispanics will listen to those stations.

This means that Spanish-language stations will mostly play music in Spanish.

However, it is noted in research in every market that there are differences in the English CHR, AC and classic hits songs that Hispanics like. It's not a "yes" or "no" situation, but one of the degree of like or dislike for each song.

 

[Identnut]

There are similar stations like that all over Latin America, often several in every market. It does not matter if the audience understands English lyrics at all. I owned several stations like that in Ecuador.

In fact, it's usually a benefit, because a lot of economically advantaged demographics that advertising in Latin America targets can be very snobby towards music in Spanish.

The aforementioned Hot 102 is the station of UPR students who look down on reggaetón and bachata. I imagine listeners to Alfa 91.3 think the music in its sister Zeta is a "nacada", as well.

 

[davideduardo]

In fact, it's usually a benefit, because a lot of economically advantaged demographics that advertising in Latin America targets can be very snobby towards music in Spanish.

In Latin America (which is socioeconomically very different from Puerto Rico) any station playing pop music will have good appeal in A, B and C+ socioeconomic levels, the best for ad buys. Stations that play "grupera" in Mexico or Vallenato in Colombia or "Villera" in Argentina appeal to mostly C-, D and E levels and are much harder sales at lower rates.

Many of the pop music stations play both English and Spanish hits, going back to the 1960's.

The aforementioned Hot 102 is the station of UPR students who look down on reggaetón and bachata. I imagine listeners to Alfa 91.3 think the music in its sister Zeta is a "nacada", as well.

When I switched Sonorama 93 to Z-93 in December of 1978, many told me that I'd bill much less because the station only appealed to nacos in caserios. On the third day on the air, I spotted one of our window stickers we gave out at Burger King on a Mercedes. i knew it was going to work. When we finished our first month on the air, we had billed three times as much as any month in the Sonorama "Beautiful Music" format.

 

[JeremyAndrews]

The difference is that in the US mainland, if there are stations that play English-language music, even if the DJs speak English, Hispanics will listen to those stations.

This means that Spanish-language stations will mostly play music in Spanish.

Tejano is the big exception with the music and language the station is in. The presentation on those stations are almost always in English even though the music is Spanish. A lot of younger Tejanos (Texans of Mexican decent is the quickest way to describe it) do not speak Spanish at all. Otherwise they are bilingual and speak English frequently. These are people who were generally born and raised in Texas.

Some Spanish CHR stations might mix English and Spanish together, as in Spanglish.

 

[CentralFL]

Not radio-industry related? But could listening to a station like WMIA help an English speaker who is trying to learn Spanish?