102.5 to flip to FM talk in two weeks

[Byron]

Shark just made the announcement on Bubba.  Keeping the Bone name supposedly.

Byron

[Byron]

April 23rd.  Bubba and Cow keep their slots.  Two new midday hosts in between them.  A night show and then Nick & Artie announced for 10pm to 1am slot.

Byron

[badjef]

Shark just made the announcement on Bubba.  Keeping the Bone name supposedly.

Byron

No details??!

Are they looking for the start of the 'DBO network?

Rock stations switching to talk, this seems to be a trend. 96K-Rock is talk to the south since February (?).

Interesting, if true...

Let the speculation begin!!

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

[drt]

Shark just made the announcement on Bubba.  Keeping the Bone name supposedly.

Byron

Between several 10 minute commercial sweeps (no shortage of advertisers!; I-800-ask-gary, Morgan and Morgan, Amscott etc) the announcement was made that this change will be effective Monday, the 23rd of April and the station will still be referred to as the Bone as well as Real Raw Radio.

This seems to an ongoing trend; I was noticing last week that  K-Rock 96.1 out of Fort Myers seems to be talk at least during the evening......... and of course, there's Real Radio 104.1 in Orlando, that is talk during the week and music on the weekends.

The Real Raw Radio moniker  and the line-up makes this sound as though it's not going to be your father's new conservative talk radio choice!


drt

[scottsvb5]

Just shows how bad PD's can be. Bubba-Cowhead people love. Is it the listeners fault that you don't know what music to play? Is it the listeners fault that you keep playing the same "Play list" over and over and over again? Is it the listeners fault that it's the same recognizable songs over and over again? You need a play list that is alot bigger. You need recognizable songs that just are not played that much anymore. From Hairbands-Metal-Grunge from 85-today. I would say play new music to beat 98Rock..but your afraid to take away peeps from 97X and if any station went Talk.. that would be the station and move Bubba-Cowhead there. 97X is the dumps. And finally with them.. Change that station to a hard rock station and go after 98Rock. Play harder music, alot more new music, and less of the same old songs you hear everyday. People want NEW Music 1st.. and Recognizable music from the past that isn't played all the time but were big songs. That's what the listener wants!

[fmradio1]

Don't get too excited about pushback on a FB page.  Those are hardcore listeners, and apparently there weren't enough of them to sustain the current rock and talk format.  Any station that changes their format will get some complaints, it's always been that way.  Despite the bluster, most of them will continue to listen to either Bubba or Cowhead, and may even eventually sample some of the other shows.  Change is hard, but in some cases necessary.

[scottsvb5]

True..but it would of been a better move by Cox to put bubba-cowhead at 97X and make that station go All-Talk  IMO. 97X is the pits

[tampalistener]

Real Raw Radio

You can expect the cease-and-desist letter from the attorneys for Clear Channel, which owns the "Real Radio" trademark, in 3 ... 2 ... 1 ...

[drt]

From Radio-Info breaking news:

http://www.radio-info.com/?utm_source=Subscribers&utm_campaign=7621582033-TRI_04-11-2012&utm_medium=email  or in a nutshell:

Cox Radio’s classic rock WHPT (102.5 The Bone) Sarasota/Tampa will flip to talk Monday, April 23.

The station will remain the flagship for Bubba the Love Sponge in morning drive, and The Cowhead Show remains in afternoons—as will The Bone and Real Raw Radio monikers. Obviously, all remaining music will be dropped from other dayparts, with the syndicated Nick & Artie added 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., and middays and early evenings to be announced soon. “Evolving this station into all talk is an obvious move,” says Keith Lawless, Cox VP & Tampa Market Manager.".........

[RBRadioWaves]

I Think this is an attempt to put WXGL in the top spot. Sure, WDUV works and is sustainable, but WXGL's billing is better, and will be even better at #1.

COX may even shift WXGL to a more WMMO-like format (Rock AC).

There are problems to this plan to relaunch the Bone.

If People go to WXGL, the Dove will be cannibalized. The Bone provides a buffer for The Dove to remain at #1. People advertise on "The Dove" because it reaches a wide audience, albeit a older audience. If that number drops, advertisers flee.

Also, more desperate people will wind up at 98Rock, and THOSE ratings may climb up.

Or, CBS will "pause" 98.7 and take THAT Rock AC or Classic Rock.

Or, another station will switch to News-Talk (IE, A simulcast of 980 on 95.7 or another ClearChannel station.)