NEW 970 WFLA NEWS SOUNDER

[NewsStud]

There are a few reasons to start up on, simulcast on, or move a spoken-word format to FM.

1) Fill in or augment market coverage; The existing AM signal may have geographic or time of day/year deadspots.

2) Reach a different and/or bigger audience.


WFLA could benefit from a simulcast on an FM signal, like 97.9, for both of those above reasons.

1)  AM 970 fizzles out before you reach Pasco County.  That means many commuters aren't starting their drive in listening to AM Tampa Bay and may not remember to switch over once they think they're in range.  The AM signal may stretch down towards Sarasota but your commuters really aren't there - compare the traffic on I-75 near Fruitville Road with the traffic on I-75 near Bruce B. Downs Blvd in the 7:00 a.m. hour.

2) It's pretty well documented that people who didn't grow up with AM radio as a predominate source of radio entertainment don't bother to check it out just to see what's on.  Younger people may switch to AM for an "appointment" broadcast - like a sports event - but they often don't put the AM band on and hit "seek" or "scan."  Think about how many listeners under 45 may actually get to hear Beck/Rush/Schnitt/Hannity for the very first time just because they were surfing the dial while driving.  Some may even keep it on and listen to the station for long stretches.  It never would have happened if the station was solely heard on AM because these people never listen to AM.

All this being said... there is only one way to get management to agree to kill an existing music format on an FM station:  Prove the spoken-word format (which will now be stretched over two stations in the market) will generate at the same, if not more, revenue.

For Clear Channel to kill off 98 Rock and simulcast 970 on 97.9... they would want to know they will surely generate at the same income.  If they take a loss, San Antonio will freak out.  And heads will roll.

I commend other companies, such as Cox and CBS, for being proactive on this.  They know spoken-word formats are long term investments.  You need to spend time building them, but the rewards are enduring.  Clear Channel, post-Randy Michaels, has treated spoken-word like the bastard stepchild; They love the money the format makes, but they won't invest a dime of it back in to possibly grow the format...  Yet failing music stations keep their formats for years, often keeping high-priced yet under-performing talent and managers right along with them.

[tampalistener]

All true except for this:

AM 970 fizzles out before you reach Pasco County. That means many commuters aren't starting their drive in listening to AM Tampa Bay and may not remember to switch over once they think they're in range.

I live in Pasco County, and 970's signal booms into the central and eastern part of the county. There are some signal issues on the western side (near Hudson and New Port Richey) but research shows there aren't that many commuters into Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater from there. Are there listeners there? Sure. The demographics are right.

By the way, it's fascinating how this has morphed from a simple discussion of a news sounder into whether the station is on the right band. It's the very definition of "scope creep" in action.

I haven't decided whether people are uber-passionate about the radio industry ... or if the radio industry causes short attention spans.

[NewsStud]

I live in Pasco County, and 970's signal booms into the central and eastern part of the county. There are some signal issues on the western side (near Hudson and New Port Richey) but research shows there aren't that many commuters into Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater from there. Are there listeners there? Sure. The demographics are right.

Right, but I'm talking about commuters.  Commuters might pick up AM 970 well at home... but I'd bet a great number have to drive down I-75.  Every car I have ever been in loses AM 970 just before SR 54 when heading north on I-75.  Maybe it's just the radios in those cars?  You could be right.  I also don't drive on US-19 very often, so I confess to not know about how AM 970 is received north of Tarpon Springs.


But yes... very interesting how the thread morphed!  I haven't heard that new sounder yet!!!  LOL!

[Studio20]

..and once you get to Wesley Chapel, you might as well tune into 99.9 out of Brooksville, which pretty much mimics WFLA's talk...(yawn)

[tampalistener]

Right, but I'm talking about commuters.  Commuters might pick up AM 970 well at home... but I'd bet a great number have to drive down I-75.  Every car I have ever been in loses AM 970 just before SR 54 when heading north on I-75.

I think you've been in some cars with bad radios. In my experience, car radios do better at pulling in AM signals than home radios do. Homes have too much additional interference ... TVs, computer monitors, cordless phones, microwaves, wifi routers, etc. Honestly, I've been able to carry 970 as far north as Bushnell (in Sumter County) -- and beyond in some cases -- in every car I've owned since the late 1980s.

Oddly, 99.9 FM from Brooksville doesn't come in very well in Wesley Chapel.

But maybe we can get back to the original topic, eh?

[Mike_Hennessy]

CC recently decided to consolidate all of its imagining. Now instead of a station or cluster having someone doing imaging (if I understand correctly) each format has someone handling imaging for all the stations nationwide. If that's true and the result is a lousy product...well, what's the old saying about being penny wise and pound foolish?

[badjef]

I always hear that 97.9/ 98 Rock will become this "WFLA" simulcast. I got a good question, When! Has Clear Channel even put any heritage AM News-Talk station on FM yet. We all know Cox has, but Clear Channel isn't Cox. Just because Cox blows up WHTQ in Orlando for WDBO simulcast isn't any indicator of what Clear Channel Tampa will do in terms of WFLA.

Name me any examples of Clear Channel simulcasting a News Talk station on FM. Translators do not count, only full power stations.

600 KOGO in San Diego is on 95.7, now.

I feel ashamed I didn't mention this before. I should have because I think they were the HD-2 before the FM analogue simulcast.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

[DaveArnold]

540 WGTO came in great in Tampa circa 1971.As did WINZ and WKIS daytime.

[BIGRIGGER]

that is incorrect Mike. Those "directors" are in charge of national imaging for contests, other big projects and what not. There are still local imaging directors.

r

[badjef]

that is incorrect Mike. Those "directors" are in charge of national imaging for contests, other big projects and what not. There are still local imaging directors.

r

I wouldn't have thought about the Ratt bite, if it wasn't for our friend "tampalistener" who started this topic. Now I've got that song in my head, and it won't go away.

arrg....

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!