What about 102.7 fm station ?
- Thread starter Dougie
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N_Jay
Guest
Dougie said:
Looks like they are becoming "Jack FM", whatever that is.
I am sure the no commercial stuff is just during the transition.
They have to make money some how.
What was there old format? (I have been out of MD for over 19 years)
lgentle
Member
Oldies.
N
N_Jay
Guest
lgentle said:
And another one bites the dust!
KR4BD
Member
They did the same thing in Indianapolis with Oldies 104.5. It became "Jack". They fired all the DJs and claim "Jack" is the 'format of the future". Funny thing about it....I used to work in Broadcasting in Indianapolis and know the area well. It is a very competitive market with about 30-40 stations. Oldies 104.5 was a VERY popular station consistantly ranked #5 in the market. But, the corporate owners decided to save money, fire everyone and let a computer randomly throw out the music. Another factor....Most of the people who listen to OLDIES are over 50 and they claim the 50+ crowd doesn't spend any money, so advertisers won't buy "old fart" formats. Last time I checked, the 50+ crowd had plenty of money. Radio stations have just not figured out to get old farts (like me) to part with our $$.
Llwellyn
Member
There was a news bit about this the day that it happened. Basically, Infinity decided that they needed to appeal to a younger, broader audience, that the oldies format just wasn't cutting it anymore. They pinkslipped the entire Rouse and Company crew just after the morning show without any notice, and switched the format over in 5 minutes.
There are commercials, but they're mimicking Clearchannel's "more music, less commercials" thing with the 2-minute breaks more often.
Rouse and Company was nominated for TWO Marconi Awards (Oscars for radio) and won the station the Oldies Station of the Year Award for 1996.
The new format is the highly popular/highly unpopular JACK-FM format. At least 20 stations across the US have switched to this "freeform" style in the past two months... and you either love it or hate it. Personally, they've played precious few songs that I've actually listened to. Most of the time, I flip over for curiousity's sake, and end up going right back to something else.
It's just a shame they killed the only viable oldies station in the entire market. The next closest station is 100.3FM in DC, but they don't play the same music that WQSR did. The only other station that played the exact same format is 106.9FM in Hagerstown, and I can't pull it in.
There are commercials, but they're mimicking Clearchannel's "more music, less commercials" thing with the 2-minute breaks more often.
Rouse and Company was nominated for TWO Marconi Awards (Oscars for radio) and won the station the Oldies Station of the Year Award for 1996.
The new format is the highly popular/highly unpopular JACK-FM format. At least 20 stations across the US have switched to this "freeform" style in the past two months... and you either love it or hate it. Personally, they've played precious few songs that I've actually listened to. Most of the time, I flip over for curiousity's sake, and end up going right back to something else.
It's just a shame they killed the only viable oldies station in the entire market. The next closest station is 100.3FM in DC, but they don't play the same music that WQSR did. The only other station that played the exact same format is 106.9FM in Hagerstown, and I can't pull it in.
Llwellyn
Member
KR4BD said:
OMFG! They did NOT kill Gold 104.5! ARGH! That was my favorite radio station EVER, it played EXACTLY what I liked to listen to. Even after leaving Indy I'd stream them every once in a while when the mood struck.
That's almost more of a tragedy than the WQSR fiasco.
KR4BD
Member
Yup...Indy's Oldies 104.5 was killed in March. I still have plenty of family in Indy and they all listened to the station, too. But most of my family is over 50, so we "don't count" in these broadcaster's opinions. Last November, My wife and I went on an "Oldies Cruise" sponsored by WGLD Oldies 104.5. We went to Arruba, Curacao, St. Martin, St. Thomas, etc. WGLD had sponsored these trips for many years. We had a blast. Their DJs were great. Even had 6 MAJOR oldies artists perform multiple shows for us on the ship (Bobby Vee, The original Crickets, Brian Hyland, Chris Montez, etc.). We were supposed to cruise to the Mexican Riviera this coming fall on their next cruise, but that has all been cancelled since they dumped their format, DJs, etc. Indeed, very sad!
Unfortunately, Oldies formats are dying all over the country, not just in Indy and Baltimore. I travel a lot and find good Oldies stations becoming nearly impossible to find anymore.
In my car, I just listen to my own "home made" oldies CDs and "the heck" with ANY commercial radio.
Unfortunately, Oldies formats are dying all over the country, not just in Indy and Baltimore. I travel a lot and find good Oldies stations becoming nearly impossible to find anymore.
In my car, I just listen to my own "home made" oldies CDs and "the heck" with ANY commercial radio.
N
N_Jay
Guest
Broadcasters have been adopting "The format of the future" for about 60 years now!
They all end up chasing the latest fad, and teh guy who goes the other way usually make all the money.
Automation looks good to management because of teh reduction in labor, but today you can automate just about any format (except for local talk).
On-air personalities are always let go at the end of a shift without notice.
(more likely, let go just before the shift starts).
That way they cant trash the station on the air. (or be on another station in the market the next day.)
They all end up chasing the latest fad, and teh guy who goes the other way usually make all the money.
Automation looks good to management because of teh reduction in labor, but today you can automate just about any format (except for local talk).
On-air personalities are always let go at the end of a shift without notice.
(more likely, let go just before the shift starts).
That way they cant trash the station on the air. (or be on another station in the market the next day.)
They did that here in Toronto as well. They took a pop (aka top 40 for kids) station, popular enough and switched to Jack FM, 'playing what we want.' Supposedly, the word JACK is edgy. The new format was all music for 30-45 year old yuppies who miss Duran Duran and other horrible 80's crap.
They eventually hired DJ's.
They eventually hired DJ's.
N
N_Jay
Guest
What a joke!
Jack-FM looks like Classic Rock/Pop format.
(Last 20 songs)
--------------------------
Walk Like An Egyptian The Bangles
Sultans Of Swing By Dire Straits
Bad Case of Loving You Robert Palmer
December Collective Soul
Talking In Your Sleep The Romantics
Lady Styx
Freedom Wham
Livin' Thing Electric Light Orchestra
All Apologies Nirvana
Oh Sheila Ready For The World
Weird Science Oingo Boingo
Magic Man Heart
Jamming Bob Marley & The Wailers
Let Her Cry Hootie & The Blowfish
Space Age Love Song A Flock Of Seagulls
Sledge Hammer Peter Gabriel
Don't Go Breaking My Heart Elton John & Kiki Dee
I'm Like A Bird Nelly Furtado
Squeeze Box The Who
Dance Hall Days Wang Chung
----------------------------
Hmmm, lets see, play the same stuff, but give it a cool irreverent name and we will get back the audience. (Duh!)
Jack-FM looks like Classic Rock/Pop format.
(Last 20 songs)
--------------------------
Walk Like An Egyptian The Bangles
Sultans Of Swing By Dire Straits
Bad Case of Loving You Robert Palmer
December Collective Soul
Talking In Your Sleep The Romantics
Lady Styx
Freedom Wham
Livin' Thing Electric Light Orchestra
All Apologies Nirvana
Oh Sheila Ready For The World
Weird Science Oingo Boingo
Magic Man Heart
Jamming Bob Marley & The Wailers
Let Her Cry Hootie & The Blowfish
Space Age Love Song A Flock Of Seagulls
Sledge Hammer Peter Gabriel
Don't Go Breaking My Heart Elton John & Kiki Dee
I'm Like A Bird Nelly Furtado
Squeeze Box The Who
Dance Hall Days Wang Chung
----------------------------
Hmmm, lets see, play the same stuff, but give it a cool irreverent name and we will get back the audience. (Duh!)
Don't worry, Rouse will reemerge somewhere he is too popular. Even Big Don O'Brien from Brian and O'Brien of the old B-104 has a morning show down here on the shore on 94.3 WINX-FM.
I kinda miss the oldies, but what are you gonna do....
99.1 hfs FM was a killer when they moved and sold there studio, I was amazed when that happened. Station 104.3 changed a couple years back as well... The 105.7 station seems to be pretty comfortable now, since changing a few times !!!!
99.1 hfs FM was a killer when they moved and sold there studio, I was amazed when that happened. Station 104.3 changed a couple years back as well... The 105.7 station seems to be pretty comfortable now, since changing a few times !!!!
TinEar
Member
Economics. That's what it all comes down to. Commercial radio is simply a dying business because of competitive technologies. The business model just doesn't work anymore. There are lots of reasons but the basics come down to this...
The more popular a station becomes because of its on-air personalities, the more that talent costs. That, in turn, means more commercials to pay for that talent. You finally reach a point where the cost of commercials can't be raised any more without losing advertisers and you can't add more commercials without destroying the flow of programming. Then the station starts losing money and Clear Channel, Sinclair, Infinity and all the rest of the broadcast conglomerates aren't in the business to lose money - no matter how popular your station is. So you blow it all up and start all over again.
This is a problem from one end of the country to the other. As a business owner, do I keep Rouse & Company, hear rave reviews about how great their program is and lose money? Or do I let a relatively inexpensive computer "jack" out a random playlist of pap, cut back on the cost and number of commercials and turn a profit? Not a difficult choice. Music formats with popular DJs simply do not pay the bills in the radio business any longer. And there is only a limited number of talk show hosts popular enough to be syndicated to allow that type business in radio. It's a vicious cycle. And the consumer is most often the loser as the above comments indicate.
The more popular a station becomes because of its on-air personalities, the more that talent costs. That, in turn, means more commercials to pay for that talent. You finally reach a point where the cost of commercials can't be raised any more without losing advertisers and you can't add more commercials without destroying the flow of programming. Then the station starts losing money and Clear Channel, Sinclair, Infinity and all the rest of the broadcast conglomerates aren't in the business to lose money - no matter how popular your station is. So you blow it all up and start all over again.
This is a problem from one end of the country to the other. As a business owner, do I keep Rouse & Company, hear rave reviews about how great their program is and lose money? Or do I let a relatively inexpensive computer "jack" out a random playlist of pap, cut back on the cost and number of commercials and turn a profit? Not a difficult choice. Music formats with popular DJs simply do not pay the bills in the radio business any longer. And there is only a limited number of talk show hosts popular enough to be syndicated to allow that type business in radio. It's a vicious cycle. And the consumer is most often the loser as the above comments indicate.
bear105
Member
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2002
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Dougie said:
Yea...I couldn't believe that they changed HFS. They were "the" Alternative station back in the 90's. I noticed they got alot less hip after the owner sold out to some big company (Infinity?). But the new radio station he has, WRNR (103.1Mhz), is still good but on the edge of reception from Annapolis.
http://www.wrnr.com/
Baltimore's, h.f.s has moved to 105.7 station only now with "special hours" that I cannot recall-(6pm to 6am) or something. Dont know where your located at and, sometimes when I am in Northern Baltimore county I hear the alternative 103.1 channel....bear105 said:
I am not crazy about 99.1 staion now cause of the fact that I dont speak or listen to hispanic/Latino. There was only one or two local hispanic stations before this. So this is not that bad for the latino/hispanic community.
Is there a way to find out how the ratings are doing for a fm radio station ?
Is there a way to find out how the ratings are doing for a fm radio station ?
KR4BD
Member
You can find the most recent ratings for Batimore's radio stations at the following (rather lengthly) site:
http://www.radioandrecords.com/RRRa...;OPER=&NSD=5/27/2005 12:00:00 AM&CE=0
http://www.radioandrecords.com/RRRa...;OPER=&NSD=5/27/2005 12:00:00 AM&CE=0
N_Jay said:
WTF is all of that? None of it even goes together. Maybe it's just me but it seems that most people like a certain genre of music and are annoyed when it's interrupted by something else.
Especially Wang Chung and the Bangles.
Where's the vomit emoticon?
The s*** won't last, there's no way.
mancow
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