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WXTU Big Winner
- Thread starter John1
- Start date
E
eGillCVI
Guest
Wondering: Do they actually have more listeners than they (or any country station in the market) has ever had? Or is listening so fragmented nowadays that they couldn't help but get boosted into the top 3?
> No, not at the CMA's in New York last night, but in the
> trends today - no country station has ever cracked the top 3
> 12+ in this market! They have found what works in the
> northeast - while NYC has no country station!
>
> No, not at the CMA's in New York last night, but in the
> trends today - no country station has ever cracked the top 3
> 12+ in this market! They have found what works in the
> northeast - while NYC has no country station!
>
Interesting question. I only know offhand that I never saw a country station that high in overall numbers. There may have been more country listeners when WUSL, WFIL, WTTM & WRCP were all country for a few weeks in September 1981, but I don't think any individual station has done as well. It took XTU many years before they were regularly in the top 10 12+. If WUSL had been more sucessful then they probably would have stayed in the format longer than a year, and WFIL's own ratings went down after that even though they were the only country station - already in 1982 people were abandoning AM for music, even on the only game in town.
> Wondering: Do they actually have more listeners than they
> (or any country station in the market) has ever had? Or is
> listening so fragmented nowadays that they couldn't help but
> get boosted into the top 3?
>
> > No, not at the CMA's in New York last night, but in the
> > trends today - no country station has ever cracked the top
> 3
> > 12+ in this market! They have found what works in the
> > northeast - while NYC has no country station!
> >
>
> Wondering: Do they actually have more listeners than they
> (or any country station in the market) has ever had? Or is
> listening so fragmented nowadays that they couldn't help but
> get boosted into the top 3?
>
> > No, not at the CMA's in New York last night, but in the
> > trends today - no country station has ever cracked the top
> 3
> > 12+ in this market! They have found what works in the
> > northeast - while NYC has no country station!
> >
>
> Wondering: Do they actually have more listeners than they
> (or any country station in the market) has ever had? Or is
> listening so fragmented nowadays that they couldn't help but
> get boosted into the top 3?
Little of both.
Country has been on a comeback nationwide, so XTU has had more audience in 2004-05 than in the previous few years.
On the other hand, their previous peak was around a 5 and a half share. That was during the last big Country comeback, in Winter of 1991. That only earned them 6th place.
WXTU was in the 4.5-5 share range in the mid-90's too. Sometimes that was only good for 8th place or 10th place.
> (or any country station in the market) has ever had? Or is
> listening so fragmented nowadays that they couldn't help but
> get boosted into the top 3?
Little of both.
Country has been on a comeback nationwide, so XTU has had more audience in 2004-05 than in the previous few years.
On the other hand, their previous peak was around a 5 and a half share. That was during the last big Country comeback, in Winter of 1991. That only earned them 6th place.
WXTU was in the 4.5-5 share range in the mid-90's too. Sometimes that was only good for 8th place or 10th place.
Radio One Wins and Loses
WPHI finally did something with its 100.3 signal, climbing above Wired and Ben (and the former Y100) 12+. Praise 103.9 also hit a new high.
Unfortunately, it was at the expense of WRNB, which has lost more than a quarter of its audience since debuting. It's now the 2nd lowest rated FM. I'm guessing WRNB will come back a bit now that Carter & Sanborn are off WDAS mornings though.
Nice bounceback into the top 10 for Q102. I think we can nix any format change rumors there. It has to be doing well enough 18-34 to be bring in dough.
WPHI finally did something with its 100.3 signal, climbing above Wired and Ben (and the former Y100) 12+. Praise 103.9 also hit a new high.
Unfortunately, it was at the expense of WRNB, which has lost more than a quarter of its audience since debuting. It's now the 2nd lowest rated FM. I'm guessing WRNB will come back a bit now that Carter & Sanborn are off WDAS mornings though.
Nice bounceback into the top 10 for Q102. I think we can nix any format change rumors there. It has to be doing well enough 18-34 to be bring in dough.
I think it took Philadelphia a long time to "get over itself" about trying Country Music...lots of natives thought they were too cool, too city, too un-country to sample and listen to a Country radio station. I can say these things, I was born and raised in Philly. The other factors:
1) Until 1967 all we had was WEEZ which didnt cover the whole market.
2) When WRCP came on, the AM was daytime only and the FM at 104.5 was in mono.
3) Although I didnt live in Philly at the time, I never recall WUSL sounding good as a Country station.
4) The music has gotten better.Better songs better lyrics better records overall.
In 1991 I took a job on the air jocking at a Country FM station, and went in hating the music. Then three weeks later...I was trying to convince my friends and my brothers that the stuff was better than the songs and records being cranked out in A/C and CHR. With the exception of NYC, a Country station is always top three. If you claim to not like Country, its most likely because you THINK you don't like it..never having listened.
I'm not listening right now...but when I do, I'm sure there will be all new artists making big hit records that I don't know by name. It's like CHR...predicated on currents and recurrents. What's new, what's hot, what's now. And they just might let you get on the air and have fun.
Try that on B101 or Sunny.
1) Until 1967 all we had was WEEZ which didnt cover the whole market.
2) When WRCP came on, the AM was daytime only and the FM at 104.5 was in mono.
3) Although I didnt live in Philly at the time, I never recall WUSL sounding good as a Country station.
4) The music has gotten better.Better songs better lyrics better records overall.
In 1991 I took a job on the air jocking at a Country FM station, and went in hating the music. Then three weeks later...I was trying to convince my friends and my brothers that the stuff was better than the songs and records being cranked out in A/C and CHR. With the exception of NYC, a Country station is always top three. If you claim to not like Country, its most likely because you THINK you don't like it..never having listened.
I'm not listening right now...but when I do, I'm sure there will be all new artists making big hit records that I don't know by name. It's like CHR...predicated on currents and recurrents. What's new, what's hot, what's now. And they just might let you get on the air and have fun.
Try that on B101 or Sunny.
A couple notes on your comments:
> 1) Until 1967 all we had was WEEZ which didnt cover the
> whole market.>>
WBUX in Doylestown had country shows since the 1950's, and went all country in early 1967, months before WRCP. They were a daytimer and only covered the northern suburbs, but as a kid who liked country it was the only country station I could get other than WWVA at night. Also, about 1966 or so WIBF in Jenkintown started playing country weekday evenings with Doug Henson, the first FM country show here. So there was country for country fans, but hard to build a general audience around block programming.
> 2) When WRCP came on, the AM was daytime only and the FM at
> 104.5 was in mono.>>
And the FM signed off at midnight. They really didn't get the stereo right until about 1974, it was on & off for several years as the engineers experimented with it.
> 3) Although I didnt live in Philly at the time, I never
> recall WUSL sounding good as a Country station.>>
WUSL was "Continuous Country 99" and the jocks basically back-announced the songs and read the weather, pretty much sounded like easy listening radio, no energy or personality although some familiar names were there like Juan Varlita and Pat Winters.
> 4) The music has gotten better.Better songs better lyrics
> better records overall.>>
A matter of personal taste & opinion, there were some good songs then & now, lots of crossover material then, too - Glen Campbell, John Denver, Anne Murray, Olivia Newton-John, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, etc. Country seems to come in cycles, but always has a steady, loyal following.
> 1) Until 1967 all we had was WEEZ which didnt cover the
> whole market.>>
WBUX in Doylestown had country shows since the 1950's, and went all country in early 1967, months before WRCP. They were a daytimer and only covered the northern suburbs, but as a kid who liked country it was the only country station I could get other than WWVA at night. Also, about 1966 or so WIBF in Jenkintown started playing country weekday evenings with Doug Henson, the first FM country show here. So there was country for country fans, but hard to build a general audience around block programming.
> 2) When WRCP came on, the AM was daytime only and the FM at
> 104.5 was in mono.>>
And the FM signed off at midnight. They really didn't get the stereo right until about 1974, it was on & off for several years as the engineers experimented with it.
> 3) Although I didnt live in Philly at the time, I never
> recall WUSL sounding good as a Country station.>>
WUSL was "Continuous Country 99" and the jocks basically back-announced the songs and read the weather, pretty much sounded like easy listening radio, no energy or personality although some familiar names were there like Juan Varlita and Pat Winters.
> 4) The music has gotten better.Better songs better lyrics
> better records overall.>>
A matter of personal taste & opinion, there were some good songs then & now, lots of crossover material then, too - Glen Campbell, John Denver, Anne Murray, Olivia Newton-John, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, etc. Country seems to come in cycles, but always has a steady, loyal following.
K
KeithThompson
Guest
"In 1991 I took a job on the air jocking at a Country FM station, and went in hating the music. Then three weeks later...I was trying to convince my friends and my brothers that the stuff was better than the songs and records being cranked out in A/C and CHR. With the exception of NYC, a Country station is always top three. If you claim to not like Country, its most likely because you THINK you don't like it..never having listened."
That somewhat parallels my experience. My first commercial radio job was for a country station while I was still in college (in 1986). I went in as someone who had a bit of knowledge about the format (as in knowing who some of the artists were from watching "Hee Haw" with my grandparents as a kid) but I wasn't a fan of the format at all. It didn't take long for the music to grow on me and I quickly became a fan, especially after I started to realize there was more to the format than "Hee Haw". Unfortunately, there are many people who could become country music fans, but they refuse to listen to the format because of all the negative stereotypes about the music. I think its a problem the format will always have.
> I think it took Philadelphia a long time to "get over
> itself" about trying Country Music...lots of natives thought
> they were too cool, too city, too un-country to sample and
> listen to a Country radio station. I can say these things, I
> was born and raised in Philly. The other factors:
>
> 1) Until 1967 all we had was WEEZ which didnt cover the
> whole market.
> 2) When WRCP came on, the AM was daytime only and the FM at
> 104.5 was in mono.
> 3) Although I didnt live in Philly at the time, I never
> recall WUSL sounding good as a Country station.
> 4) The music has gotten better.Better songs better lyrics
> better records overall.
>
> In 1991 I took a job on the air jocking at a Country FM
> station, and went in hating the music. Then three weeks
> later...I was trying to convince my friends and my brothers
> that the stuff was better than the songs and records being
> cranked out in A/C and CHR. With the exception of NYC, a
> Country station is always top three. If you claim to not
> like Country, its most likely because you THINK you don't
> like it..never having listened.
>
> I'm not listening right now...but when I do, I'm sure there
> will be all new artists making big hit records that I don't
> know by name. It's like CHR...predicated on currents and
> recurrents. What's new, what's hot, what's now. And they
> just might let you get on the air and have fun.
>
> Try that on B101 or Sunny.
>
That somewhat parallels my experience. My first commercial radio job was for a country station while I was still in college (in 1986). I went in as someone who had a bit of knowledge about the format (as in knowing who some of the artists were from watching "Hee Haw" with my grandparents as a kid) but I wasn't a fan of the format at all. It didn't take long for the music to grow on me and I quickly became a fan, especially after I started to realize there was more to the format than "Hee Haw". Unfortunately, there are many people who could become country music fans, but they refuse to listen to the format because of all the negative stereotypes about the music. I think its a problem the format will always have.
> I think it took Philadelphia a long time to "get over
> itself" about trying Country Music...lots of natives thought
> they were too cool, too city, too un-country to sample and
> listen to a Country radio station. I can say these things, I
> was born and raised in Philly. The other factors:
>
> 1) Until 1967 all we had was WEEZ which didnt cover the
> whole market.
> 2) When WRCP came on, the AM was daytime only and the FM at
> 104.5 was in mono.
> 3) Although I didnt live in Philly at the time, I never
> recall WUSL sounding good as a Country station.
> 4) The music has gotten better.Better songs better lyrics
> better records overall.
>
> In 1991 I took a job on the air jocking at a Country FM
> station, and went in hating the music. Then three weeks
> later...I was trying to convince my friends and my brothers
> that the stuff was better than the songs and records being
> cranked out in A/C and CHR. With the exception of NYC, a
> Country station is always top three. If you claim to not
> like Country, its most likely because you THINK you don't
> like it..never having listened.
>
> I'm not listening right now...but when I do, I'm sure there
> will be all new artists making big hit records that I don't
> know by name. It's like CHR...predicated on currents and
> recurrents. What's new, what's hot, what's now. And they
> just might let you get on the air and have fun.
>
> Try that on B101 or Sunny.
>
Mad Props To XTU
With all the confusion about who's scurrying from station to station and under which new airname, which station's changing format for the umpteenth time in a few years, BEN's in/BEN's out, WIRED's inspired/WIREDs's tired and OGL (XTU's prime demo-sharer) is just plain rudderless...it makes PERFECT sense that the Philly audience craves stability and a steady crew at the helm.
Evans & Andie, Leigh Richards and Cadillac Jack fit the area like a pair of fave and comfortable jeans. They've all been in-place in Mornings, Middays and Afternoons for nearly six years. SOME groups/stations hardly can get to the end of ONE year in one piece!
XTU's strengths? Simply no surprises: good music, presented in a family-friendly manner by real personalities. It don't get no better than that!
With all the confusion about who's scurrying from station to station and under which new airname, which station's changing format for the umpteenth time in a few years, BEN's in/BEN's out, WIRED's inspired/WIREDs's tired and OGL (XTU's prime demo-sharer) is just plain rudderless...it makes PERFECT sense that the Philly audience craves stability and a steady crew at the helm.
Evans & Andie, Leigh Richards and Cadillac Jack fit the area like a pair of fave and comfortable jeans. They've all been in-place in Mornings, Middays and Afternoons for nearly six years. SOME groups/stations hardly can get to the end of ONE year in one piece!
XTU's strengths? Simply no surprises: good music, presented in a family-friendly manner by real personalities. It don't get no better than that!
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