102.5 to flip to FM talk in two weeks

[Cedric]

Instead of paying royalties for 30 songs, they'd rather not pay any royalties at all. Although I'm not sure this is going to work as well as Cox intends, it does make sense. I have yet to meet anyone who actually LISTENS to The Bone for their music content. Good luck Cox, your station is still going to suck. I can already hear your new cocky liners in my head. It never ceases to amaze me how Cox will put out a pile of dog crap, and then run liners acting like they kick ass... I'm going back to bed.

[dwtpa97]

Will this accelerate WFLA-970's possible move to FM?  970's 25kw AM coverage area can't compete with 102.5's 100kw FM coverage area, at least to the south.

[Cedric]

Will this accelerate WFLA-970's possible move to FM?  970's 25kw AM coverage area can't compete with 102.5's 100kw FM coverage area, at least to the south.

Somehow I doubt that Cox is going to invest time and resources into making the Bone a NEWS/talk station. I have the feeling we can expect more fart jokes and strippers... you know, talk shows aimed at construction workers and trailer dwellers.

Ok so maybe I've been wrong and CC should move 970 to FM... but I really don't think the Bone is going to be aiming for the same demographic...

[KOL]

Exactly Cedric... Look at it as what Cox did in the 90's with the Entertaining Talk Radio concept on WSUN/WIOD, but now on FM.  About time!

[LLL]

It makes sense to go to Talk during an election year with all the money that's going to be spent.  Even more sense in a market that will host the RNC this summer.  But I don't know if this is the kind of Talk that will attract the big dollars.

[radiodork]

Interesting two-week "heads up" by Cox here, a change from the usual abrupt format change.

It's about time someone here tries it, and 102.5 is perfect for it, especially if they can find a great (preferably local) midday show. Beck is killing 970 right now, and Rush's recent "publicity" doesn't help 970 in middays. Cox has already tackled MJ in the morning... get a killer midday show and they could have people waking up to 102.5 and listening all the way home from work.

If CBS doesn't put sports on 98.7, what an absolute wasted opportunity. Cox and CBS could fight for the same dollars Clear Channel has on dusty old AM right now. And we know CC won't make any changes until they start losing money.

Smart move during an election year. Interesting to see how/if it works out and the damage/help it does to the smaller AMs and other rock/classic hit stations. And with Shark in the CC Orlando building years ago when WTKS was at its best I give him the benefit of the doubt.

[billalm]

Many of you are clearly missing the whole point.  For 8 hours a day (a good majority of the ratings period that matters) WHPT is cleaning up in the men 18-34 demo.  Why not go ahead and add middays and maybe squeeze a bit more out of evenings instead of burning good hours spinning music that people can already find on 98Rock.  This is not about WFLA.  102.5 is NOT gonna be a WDBO clone or a news station.  It's about men 18-34.  Here's who I'm thinking should be worried... WDAE.  You stick a good LOCAL guy talk show (which any consultant in radio knows includes sports) on 102 between 10 and 3 and you easily take listeners from Ron and Ian plus lame non-local Jim Rome and you're gonna win big.  And let's be honest, 1040 and 1010 are non-factors.

As far as who?  OK.... Scott Ledger is already on 102 and has sports and talk experience.  And what about Drew Garabo?  Also IN THE BUILDING on 97X where I'm not so sure that AM drive show has been working.  He has Real Radio 104 on his resume and could easily take over part of middays as well.

As far as the poster who brought up WDUV and The Eagle and Cox trying to make or keep them #1....  The Eagle is essentially already #1 in 25-54 and WDUV does what it needs to in this market.  #1 in 6+ is irrelevant in this discussion.

I've also already heard them referring to the shift on air and mentioning both the Eagle and 97X as alternatives when the music stops on 102.  Although I would expect classic rock to continue on weekends.

[Parttimer]

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!

This is about not paying music royalties. Period.

And don't think DBO or FLA, think Real Radio 104.1 in Orlando.

[scripps]

Cox huh?
Maybe they'll put Eddie Money in mid days.

[gamefreak]

Maybe 98Rock will not flip to WFLA simulcast after-all. With 98 Rock now being the only Rock station they will take a lot of "The Bone's" old listeners.

Secondly how will this flip hurt WDUV. I know that the flip might help WXGL.

WXGL 107.3 was originally a WMMO clone, until 2004 when Cox removed all Post 1980's music and stripped the playlist to 300-songs. That and removed a large amount of 60's music. As well as some of the 70's music that wasn't massively burnt-out.