Probably because at the time they didn't put a big enough signal into Dayton itself to qualify for Dayton. The laws of physics don't confine a radio station to its city of license. There's likely not enough business in Middletown to support the station
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WNKN builds a Classic Hits Oasis
- Thread starter cincyradio72
- Start date
Around 1981 or so, WPBF as the call letters were known then, went from Top 40 “FM 106” to AC “Mellow 106” targeting Dayton specifically which had a hole in the market for soft rock. An engineering study was done to get the official Middletown-Dayton designation. In order to do this back then, a station had to put a city grade signal over the entire city limits. There were some spots in far northern Dayton where it wasn’t officially city grade so they had to settle for the Middletown-Kettering designation, the signal being quite strong across the southern suburbs.
I don’t know….I think it already has become one. There have also been talks about the census bureau combining it as a single MSA. Both cities do have their own identity, just like Dallas and Fort Worth, but the area has grown together so much it makes sense to consider it a metroplex. That said, there will never be one FM station that blankets both cities completely, unlike Dallas-Ft Worth where you have those big 100,000 watt FMs a thousand feet up a tower throwing signal across mostly flat terrain. Here, the 105.9 signal from Middletown would seem to be the best hope of covering both markets, but again, with the FCC limitations on FMs here and the hilly terrain, it’s never going to be without some holes.
I'm not doubting your experience but this hasn't been mine. Yesterday I compared the two while driving down East McMillan from Auburn to 71 and 105.9 was fairly listenable while 104.7 was not.
You make a good point also it can depend on the car radio when I'm in my friend's car he can pick up stations that I cannot pick up in mine
My experience too. The 105.9 signal is generally better throughout most of Cincinnati and NKy than any of the Dayton FMs. And to the point about TUE not trying to be a Cincinnati station….well of course not. 104.7 is licensed to Dayton to serve Dayton. It was never a rimshot or move-in from somewhere outside the market.
But, because of precisely what you say about coverage, Nielsen will never create a Cincinnati / Dayton MSA. Of course, the Census / OMB "MSA" is "Metropolitan Statistical Area" based on commerce while the Nielsen MSA is "Metro Survey Area" based on the dominant radio stations in each county.
And, because there is no Baltimore / District of Columbia consolidated radio MSA of either kind, it's really unlikely that Dayton and Cincinnati will be joined anytime soon, even for statistics. If Cleveland and Akron-Canton are not combined, it's unlikely for Cincy and Dayton.
Agreed. To be clear, I wasn’t inferring a combined Nielsen MSA (Metro Survey Area). My reference was to the poster’s comment about “planners” (presumably local and regional govt planners as well as private developers) and the word “metroplex.” Hence, my reference to the U.S. Census Bureau MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) and that the conversation about combining into one MSA is out there. May not happen as you say. But it is being discussed at many levels. I worked in regional transportation planning in this area for almost 30 years after saying goodbye to radio. But since this thread is about a big FM that transmits from the middle of the Cincinnati-Dayton metroplex, I was trying to also address the signal issues across this area.
There's a whole lot more $ to chase in Cincinnati. I get it
Well, considering they debuted with next to nothing in ratings, I would say (as I predicted on Facebook). Dead on arrival.
No one has EVER been able to make that station work as "the Metroplex". You're either a Dayton station (which they could be with a little straightening out), or a Cincinnati station. Not both.
Hi, gr8oldies! They could be, but they need help with the playlist. They don't seem to know what type of station they want to be.
Sorry...but Fontella Bass into Perry Como doesn't work.
Heard this one the other day for the first time. It been a few months since I been out that way and was surprised to no longer hear classic country on 105.9. I guess this is good news for 101.5 but I honestly thought 105.9 did well and had a great mix with its Classic Country format.
Yeah, the wrong station flipped unfortunately. 105.9 (as Classic Country) was a better sounding station than 101.5. However, in Cincinnati, the Classic Country format had lost a lot of ground in the ratings during its final 18 months or so. So, I can see the reason why a change was made at 105.9.
I agree that the Oasis plays too much mellow music.
I agree that the Oasis plays too much mellow music.
I've come to the conclusion that they're giving the on-air Talent too much discretion and what they play the guy on in the mornings , I think he would play all Barry Manilow. and Carpenters if he could get away with it.
But when they go to automation they're more uptempo. now I'm all for letting the talent have some say in what they play but you've got to pick a format and then make your air personality stick to it
They are good. I heard "Copacabana" on WEZV Myrtle Beach SC last week. Soft AC is alive and well. This is a station that tried playing Bon Jovi, Justin Bieber and The Jonas Brothers for a year and a half, but obviously that wasn't working.
Okay so if it's your position that they should be playing soft AC then that's fine but then they shouldn't be playing Led Zeppelin,Cream and Janis Joplin at 10:00 at night which they do. All I'm saying is pick a format and stick with it. back in the 1950s this sort of hybrid thing used to work. I remember a station in Dayton that played some rock and roll at night and was pop standards in the daytime that just doesn't work anymore
0.7
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