WTFU!

[Uriah]

I'm amazed that Cumulus continues to pound the 680 frequency in branding promos, and has "680" as the lead positioning in "680 The Fan." Cox is still banging 750 as well. These are meaningless numbers to just about anyone under the age of 45 - attracting this audience was the reason for moving content to FM, right? Wake * * up programmers! Growing your audience - and credibility - for on demand content has more potential long term value than associating with an AM frequency. Radio romantics may cringe at the thought of dropping the AM promos. AT LEAST ROTATE your content platforms in promos...way past time to evolve. Better: Listener benefit/Positioning, on demand @ (rotate:Website,Twitter and FB address) & in your car (or at work) @ FM frequency. Having an AM frequency as part of your positioning or identity is akin to "find it fast in the yellow pages."

 

[jefflaurence]

Also akin to saying "FM" as part of your on air slogan. If they are hearing it..presumably they already know its FM...or IF they are listening on line..then it's not FM!

And it also akin to saying "in living color"

Your points are extremely valid.

 

[jabba17]

Also akin to saying "FM" as part of your on air slogan. If they are hearing it..presumably they already know its FM...or IF they are listening on line..then it's not FM!

Sometimes it might just be a habit from saying call letters that have "-FM" in them, and/or differentiating yourself from an AM side.

 

[trusty]

I'm amazed that Cumulus continues to pound the 680 frequency in branding promos, and has "680" as the lead positioning in "680 The Fan." Cox is still banging 750 as well. These are meaningless numbers to just about anyone under the age of 45 - attracting this audience was the reason for moving content to FM, right? Wake * * up programmers! Growing your audience - and credibility - for on demand content has more potential long term value than associating with an AM frequency. Radio romantics may cringe at the thought of dropping the AM promos. AT LEAST ROTATE your content platforms in promos...way past time to evolve. Better: Listener benefit/Positioning, on demand @ (rotate:Website,Twitter and FB address) & in your car (or at work) @ FM frequency. Having an AM frequency as part of your positioning or identity is akin to "find it fast in the yellow pages."

Your reference to AM would be valid if:
1. No one over 45 listened to AM
2. The AM calls or slogans were not of a heritage nature.

Be patient; these things take time. Remember, you just can't train old listeners new tricks overnight.

 

[Uriah]

Training radios cume to switch bands? Come on! Radio competition isn't down the dial - the competition is relevance, and on demand -meaning my schedule, not waiting for "the bottom of the hour" - content and information. Radio is the mega phone, website, and social platforms are distribution channels for that on demand content. Who owns the content wins. Ex: Bortz doesn't need a transmitter. The producers of NPRs The World, don't either. Bottom line: habit is the underlying behavior you want associated with your brand. Not gonna happen on am no matter how many times you promote it.

 

[RoddyFreeman]

I'm amazed that Cumulus continues to pound the 680 frequency in branding promos, and has "680" as the lead positioning in "680 The Fan." Cox is still banging 750 as well. These are meaningless numbers to just about anyone under the age of 45 - attracting this audience was the reason for moving content to FM, right? Wake * * up programmers! Growing your audience - and credibility - for on demand content has more potential long term value than associating with an AM frequency. Radio romantics may cringe at the thought of dropping the AM promos. AT LEAST ROTATE your content platforms in promos...way past time to evolve. Better: Listener benefit/Positioning, on demand @ (rotate:Website,Twitter and FB address) & in your car (or at work) @ FM frequency. Having an AM frequency as part of your positioning or identity is akin to "find it fast in the yellow pages."

So are you saying that WSB should change from "750 AM and NOW 95.5 FM" to "95.5 FM and 750 AM?" And that's going to increase the ratings? Unless its audience has a bad case of ADD, I don't think that would change anything. Do you? WSB has been associated with 750 for so many years. I don't see how dropping mention of the AM would help anything, as long as the FM is mentioned, unless it got to the point where 90% of WSB's listening was on FM. By the way, wouldn't you want to know the WSB ratings breakdown between AM and FM before you proposed dropping mention of the AM...if that's what you're advocating?

As far as 680 The Fan, first of all "680 The Fan" has become a brand. It's the same as when they put 99X on 97.9. They didn't change the moniker to 98X, did they? Additionally, 93.7 is just a translator. Most AM's that have low-powered FM translators still position their AM as the lead station. The 93.7 signal is a fairly weak one, and I personally think The Fan would be making a mistake by hanging their hat solely on that.

Look at what happened in New York. All-News on FM couldn't compete with the superior product and listener loyalty of WINS-AM and WCBS-AM. I do believe 680 The Fan should consider simulcasting on 100.5 (if the Dickeys can agree with the Dickeys) to keep the station viable in light of 92.9.

 

[Uriah]

I'm saying that radio, in general, seems to be holding on to old formatic rules while the listeners are finding information elsewhere. AM isn't going to grow, digital properties will - assuming, to your point, that the content is superior. ID packages and brand identities that bank on an AM frequency waste valuable promtional time and are not looking toward the future. Think of the point like music rotations: time to move AM to recurrent and digital to Power.