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WPLJ - How to save a sinking ship

S

Shredder

my guess is that Cumulus never saw this coming in a million years.

They had stayed steady at #12 for decades with Scott and Todd, never going higher than #10 at best.
Scott leaves, and within one month or more/less, they dropped all the way down to #21.

They re-branded the Todd Show in mid August. What used to be less music, more talk with 12 Minute talk breaks, charity mentions, and call ins for listeners to discuss what the DJ's where talkin' about...... has now been reduced to breaks barely 3 minutes long... hell, you don't even hear the DJ's on air until the first ten minute music block ends from 6-6:10, so their on air time has CLEARLY been reduced, and they seem to be holding steady at a 2.1

I try not to bash people up, because you never know the true story of how things happened...but all I've heard online is that NO ONE likes Todd anymore (if they ever did) and that people started leaving in droves right around the time the new company bought WPLJ (cumulus). Maybe they all saw a sinking ship when they saw one and decided to bail out while they could, with Brad being the first casualty.

A few years ago, I would have been upset at people dissing my favorite morning show. but now that that show has moved to CBS, and is better than ever, what do you think PLJ can do to regain some lost footing?

Personally, I don't think the station even needs DJ's. All they are there for is light info updates and to give time/weather/tag announcements. as much as I hate voice tracking, they could go that route, or have two guys for the whole station, a morning and an afternoon and go all music at 8PM.

I also think they should have a 'rotating wheel' type of format. Say, 6-8 you play dance music to get you up and going. 8-12 can be more modern office stuff. 12-4 can be oldies to relax you on the way home....4-8 could be blues to get you in the groove to do home remedies....and 8PM-6AM could be random...

I know it'll never happen, because no one takes risks anymore... but every other format is covered by a station that's been entrenched or number one for a while...so you've gotta take a risk and try something new
 
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Todd has to go and they need to totally change the image and identity of the station, which would include new call letters. I don't think there is any mileage left in the legacy call letters. The tough part is finding a music or talk format that can draw listeners away from existing stations or try to fill a format hole in the NYC market. Musically the 90s decade seems to be under served and of course active or alt rock doesn't have a commercial outlet in NYC, yes I know NYC is not a rock friendly city. Maybe there is room for a uptempo "we play everything" format that can cover the 90s to now including some rock and alternative. CBS FM seems to be taking listeners away from LITE, AMP taking from Z100, PLJ is supposed to be WWFSs competition and has failed at that. If 109.9 shows any promise it could be switched to 95.5. Any kind of talk format is hurting so unless something innovative can be formulated forget about a talk format. PLJ is in a very bad place right now.
 
Shredder said:
I know it'll never happen, because no one takes risks anymore... but every other format is covered by a station that's been entrenched or number one for a while...so you've gotta take a risk and try something new
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The fact is they have this exact problem in most of their major markets. WRQX in DC was a powerhouse there for 30 years until they replaced their morning show. KLOS in Los Angeles is a mess. They just fired most of their airstaff at WLUP in Chicago. All of these stations are in need of significant programming help. In my opinion, the company is suffering from too much growth in too short a period of time. It's going to take time for them to address all of their disasters (WABC is in even worse shape). They need a good idea. Rotating formats is hard to sell to advertisers. Typically an advertiser buys the whole day, and if the audience keeps changing, it makes it a harder sell.
 
air Rock on 95.5 ---- like WMMR Phillly.
or move NASH FM to 95.5 & get rid of 94.7 & its inferior signal.
 
Keep 95.5 WPLJ and Go Classic Rock head to head against Q-104.
 
JPlainJohn said:
Keep 95.5 WPLJ and Go Classic Rock head to head against Q-104.
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That's the format at KLOS, and it's not doing well.

Be honest: What in the world could they do different with the classic rock format? Only so many ways you can boil the same water.
 
JPlainJohn said:
Keep 95.5 WPLJ and Go Classic Rock head to head against Q-104.
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the problem with keeping PLJ is that alot of people would associate it with scott and todd. they where the b rand name for 24 years. now that scotts gone, and the todd show has sunk faster than david hasselhoff to eat a floor burger.....a name change might not be a bad idea for another fresh start. just make sure it's catchier than the call letters they used last time
 
I'd posted one of my naive/me-out-of-the-market thoughts elsewhere. So it's nice to see John Barrett express my one theory of going after WAXQ (even though I think the Classic Rock audience is too old).

My other thought was going after WLTW. Cumeless is getting its format clock cleaned by IHeart and CBS in New York and cannot be happy with what they themselves are presently achieving. Plus, with the hackneyed crap being wrapped up and served out a drive-through window the past ten years, a lot of music formats are not having an easy with all that niched musical-chairs sameness.

Maybe they can try Alternative, and get some of those 4's that IHeart's WRFF is getting in Philly.

My question is this, though : Has the bottom line -- WPLJ's famed revenue -- gotten acute yet? Forget the listeners who deserted for elsewhere. Is WPLJ's cash drawer still well-oiled despite the numbers? For twelve or so years we've been reading that they're not concerned with the beauty pageant figures but with the response of their target demo. Is that comfort still the case ?
 
I think they are now billing in the same vicinity as WBMP, WEPN, and WWFS- Not that good, but good enough that it won't be flipping, especially to something as risky as rock.
 
risky as rock.

LOL, I know you have to be kidding or on some distant planet, that statement really made my day, I needed a good laugh...rock is america.
 
WPLJ is on the skids. Todd's in a quandary in AM drive. Nash slips below a million cume with a dysfunctional morning show from Nashville that thus far has attracted little attention in the NY-NJ metro covered by the Nash signal. Cumulus is spread thinly and the NY cluster is a freak show. Meanwhile Scott Shannon is thriving at CBS-FM, which is hitting its stride. Karma bubela.

Flipping WPLJ to Classic Rock doesn't appear to be the answer. WAXQ has the heritage. Besides, the Classic Rock demos are aging out and soon will be largely Men 55-64. WAXQ soon will be scratching it assets trying to figure out what where it should go to shore up its younger demos.

It's probably best for WPLJ is to stay the course with Hot AC targeting Women 25-49. Re-work the format and the line-up. WPLJ doesn't need to throw the baby out with the bath water. Todd could work better in afternoon drive. As for morning drive, why not scour the market to find a young and dynamic team. There has to be a few diamonds working weekends, midday, nights at a CHR/AC competitor that could be put into AM drive at WPLJ. With direction, grooming, massaging and promotion, they could turn into a strong show.

We'll know something's up when WPLJ flips to All Christmas three weeks before Lite. Cumulus being what it is, will put five pounds of chicken sh^t into abag and try to market it as chicken salad.
 
Plj

I think going Alternative will work for PLJ. I like PLJ but they're a mess. I don't want the PLJ calls to go but they might have to because PLJ is basically dead. Rock isn't risky it just needs to be done right. Putting it with cluster mates Nash & Radio would work. Call it FM 95.5 or 95.5 FM, or Alt 95.5. Alternative is becoming successful as is Country. PLJ needs to completely dump their format and calls, Fresh Lite Z KTU and AMP are all going after the same Demo. As for going Classic Rock that won't help because Q 104.3 will have issues with younger demos later on. I still think Q should just go Alternative and PLJ should go Classic Rock.
 
Element9 said:
We'll know something's up when WPLJ flips to All Christmas three weeks before Lite. Cumulus being what it is, will put five pounds of chicken sh^t into abag and try to market it as chicken salad.
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from my understanding, as soon as cumulus took over, they totally dropped the 24 hours of christmas and stopped playing christmas songs altogeher. Not that I minded much, since I was tired on burn out with everyone starting so early....but a LITTLE christmas music during december wouldn't be a bad thing...instead, they almost went on a drought in the last two years...

And the chances of Todd or Monk Joining scott on CBS FM are odds of OVER 9000! I don't know of Monk's status with scott, but if you hear the rumors about todd, and scotts own opie interview....any time they show a picture of Todd, a Snake should be super imposed over it instead. either that, or a guy in a straight jacket.

Besides, Scott doesn't need him, and never really did.


As for WPLJ.....I'd be interested in knowing if their billing took as big a hit as the listener ship.
 
Richard Stefan's suggestion about female classic rock made me tilt my head some. Up this way, a station run by Sunbury Broadcasting called Eagle 107 does what very well be exactly that. It's nowhere near as pushy and in-you-face as some of the Hot A/C's around, for example, and they've been blessed with the timing to've amassed an incredible library. WEGH is indeed as close to a female-only Classic Rocker as you're apt to hear. At night they go a bit harder, but certainly not skull-crushing harder.

The demos in that pursuit might be too old there too, though, Richard -- same as the male-oriented sounds of the early 80's AoR now are enjoyed by guys in their early 50's.

Irrespective of format, a bit of daypart tweaking might correct some flaws. WPLJ has to decide which niche/demo'gender they want to pursue in case a change becomes mandatory ...... find the times that audience listens most ...... and then have at it. I'm supposing they're a listen-at-work station (or a listen in the SUV station). They've traditionally had good numbers in the suburbs.

And what exactly is the big obstacle to opening up that library and playing some more A/C oldies? They've been doing the Hot A/C thing for quite a while now, so the difference in sonics and intensity shouldn't be a problem. From what I've read here and on other forums, they've done some tweaking before ; less rhythmic ..... more rhythmic ...... more repetition ..... less repetition ...... more re-currents, and so forth.

Again, out in these parts is also the giant-signalled T-102, a form of Hot A/C that plays things like The Guess Who at times. They don't take ratings for Schuylkill County, so T-102 has a lot of elbow room in certain regards. I've heard them all day at unlikely forms of workplaces all over. Thing is, I've twice heard them referred to as 'the girls' station'.
The guys at work tend to play WZZO (Rock from Allentown) or The Hawk 99.9 and their blend of singles-oriented Classic Rock (also from Allentown).

If WPLJ still wishes to pursue the soccer-mom direction that's treated it so well for so long, they could stand to benefit by taking some music lessons from Eagle 107 and T-102. With the basic mediocrity of modern pop music becoming one studio-processed, formulaic drone, newer music has stagnated and cannot be depended on to support younger audiences. Older classics in the Hot A/C genre are one of the few choices left.

Daypart the station as well after 6 or 7PM and go directly after Lite, CBS-FM or WAXQ. What I'm basically saying is that every station seeking to get their audience younger has the same problems nowadays. So treating the *existing* audience with a bit more musical respect should be attempted while that audience is still there. The formatics and the call letters can stay the same.
That way, instead of losing listeners to CBS-FM, Amp, Fresh, or whomever, WPLJ might reverse the process. And presuming that theirs is a largely at-work listen, they would still have all of those nighttime hours to do with as they see fit.
 
Take music lessons from Eagle 107 or T 102?! Are you joking me?! If PLJ wants to drop even further in ratings sure. Those are horrific stations! This is a station in NEW YORK CITY the largest media market in the country! Go Alternative or Rock on 95.5! We have enough Urban, Hot A/Cs, A/Cs, Rhythmics, Oldies/Classic Hits, Classic Rock & CHRs.
 
Todd made a tactical error when he replaced 1 well know personality, with 3 or 4 unknowns. Who are these people, and why would I care about them?

WPLJ needs to embrace who they are, and stop wanting to be someone else. They are a Hot AC. Which means they are a female orientated station! They are appealing to 25-54 females. Sure, everyone wants to be cool and be a CHR, but that is not who they are. Be who you are, PLJ!

That means appeal to women! And stop listening to what guys on these boards have to say! Case in point. How many times have guys said 'Todd, isn't playing his phone calls anymore. He's messing up.' Let me tell you, I have never met a women who likes those stupid, fake phone calls! That is strictly a male orientated bit! Women turn in at 7:20, and punch off at 7:30, and don't come back! It's a turn off to women, and since you are trying to get women, forget what those guys say, and drop that stupid bit!

And since PLJ should be appealing to 25-54 women, they could go deeper in their oldie library. They may not want to play the Rascals, but they could play Gino Vanelli (remember him?), or Boy George, or Bon Joni, etc.
 
Exactly Steve,when I made my Tongue in cheek WPLJ Rock Suggestion I was having flashback to certain time frames of PLJ/NEW/WAPP Where at times the Classic Rock Sounded more like Classic Hits...in many markets where you'd hear Motley Crue in New York it was Elton John,Many Markets where you'd hear Pat Benetar or Joan Jett it would be a Carole King or Carly Simon type Record...New York Rock Station that I recall from my Younger Years Typically seemed to lean more Female/Hit as opposed to the Make/AOR we were accustomed to in the burbs at a WPDH or WRKI.
 
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