My prediction for Pensacola Radio

[keithneese]

I have been reading quite a bit of speculation on Cat Country 98.7 flipping in the near future. Is this just a rumor right now, or are the ratings doing that bad and is the handwriting already on the wall?

[poledo]

I think that the Country ratings in Pensacola would be #1 WXBM, #2, Cat Country, #3 KSJ, #4 Highway 98.1, #5 WAAZ
The Ratings for Mobile would likely be #1 KSJ, #2, WXBM, #3 Cat Country, #4 WKNN 99.1, #5 107.9

Also, while WKSJ gets about 75% of the country audience in Mobile, in Pensacola WXBM gets about 45%, Cat Country about 35%.  Three 100kw Country stations with transmitters very close to each other covering Mobile and Pensacola.  All three stations under different ownership with only WKSJ being owned by a large radio corporation, Clear Channel.  That makes Cat Country the best candidate to flip.  Cat's still a very good station and I'm sure they are making more money than they could imagine making with a new format... but they are still the third ranked Country station in the combined Mobile/Pensacola market.  On the other hand, Pamal may be the only company with the funds and the balls to take a risk and flip their country station, WXBM.

[Rob-42]

I'm not a big fan of rap, but I get you... I would like to see  Your Country stay and Cat turned to possibly an oldies station (Tom Kent returns to the Gulf Coast??)

Your Country is a legacy here and I think that station will rise up a few points especially if they can nab (should they decide to sell)  104.7 and use that as a 100KW translator for our county and have Braves Baseball on both 102 and 104.7 would be a winner

-Rob

[Tibbs2]

I have nothing to add here...other than to say that CCENG needs to get a crew out to Navarrrre and check on rob. I am worried the aluminum foil antenna has combined with all the tropo to convince him that BLX needs to go away because it's #1. I just wish they'd bring Arnetta the Moodsetta back in to do the flip...Even if it never flips.

[poledo]

Well Rob, WXBM 102.7 isn't exactly a legacy Country station in the Pensacola market.  102.7 started out as a little Class A country station serving Milton and Pace.  Back in the mid to late 1980's they upgraded their signal to 100kw on an I-10 Baldwin county tower covering Biloxi to Destin.  At that time WOWW 107.3 had been the dominant Country station for about 10 years.  Now WXBM is owned by a small but decent company based out of New York, Pamal.  Pamal sold off their large cluster of radio stations in Gainesville and Ocala a little over a year ago.  Lets just hope that Pamal is trying to get out of radio in Florida or all of Dixie.  Cat Country is locally owned and operated. Theoretically more in touch with the community in Pensacola.  Theoretically capable of becoming the dominant country station in Pensacola.  The main problem is that Pensacola is covered well by 5 100kw Country stations, KSJ, WXBM, Cat, Highway, and WAAZ.  Fort Walton is covered will by Highway 98.1, Country 105.5, and WAAZ.
Now in my opinion, by today's industry standards, small to mid-sized radio markets need 2 country stations putting strong signals into them.  All of these markets are going to get overlap from fringe country stations from adjacent markets.  Mobile, Pensacola, and Fort Walton do not need 3 strong, local, country stations anymore.  WXBM does not need to simulcast on WAAZ... No one needs to simulcast on two 100kw stations in this area unless it's Clear Channel simulcasting Fox News Radio and Rush Limbaugh.

One Fort Walton country station needs to go.  Any of the three could flip, they're all fair game.  105.5 has a crippled signal.  98.1 has strong coverage of Pensacola and good coverage of Panama City... a great signal for a Sports format and Hale knew it.  104.7 is not living up to it's potential and holding on to the past is leaving good money laying on the table.

One Pensacola country station needs to go.  The choice is "Locally owned and operated" or "The station people have known well since 1990 that also has deep pockets."

Mobile only has the One Country Station, the powerhouse know as 95 KSJ.  No one will try to touch KSJ!  It would just cost too much money and would take 5 years just to start breaking even.

I too don't care for the type of Urban that 93BLX plays.  If Cumulus created a WBLX HD2 Hip-Hop/rap station and put it up on a 250 watt translator or two, I just might listen every now and then,  Occasionally I enjoy hard core and classic 1970's rap.  But, 93BLX is the most popular station in the area and no one is competing with 93BLX in Mobile, Pensacola or Fort Walton.  A WBLX HD2/translator simulcast Hip-Hop station would only complement 93BLX and possibly allow 93BLX to tighten up their playlist so they don't have to be something for everyone in the Urban community.

Oldies will not be returning to a good FM frequency.  Oldies would be a good candidate for someone with a graveyard AM and a 250 watt FM translator.

Classic hits, which is almost the same format Wave 102.1 carries, could work anywhere between Biloxi and Panama City.  Classic Hits would probably work better on a real signal instead of a translator, the only problem is that there aren't any frequencies available.  Maybe 104.7 will come up for sale?  Maybe 95.7 will hit the market?  Maybe Pamal will decide to try to morph 94.1 from Lite Rock to Classic Hits?  Maybe Rock 103.1 will have a tough time selling adds and 103.1 or 102.1 will flip to Classic Hits?

The times they are a changing.  The stable dial in Mobile/Pensacola has several more flips in the near future.  Fort Walton and Panama City always have stations changing frequencies.

I should become a professional writer.  I wrote enough to put me to sleep.  Good night.

[poledo]

 Guys, if 107.3 does indeed fail (HMN) and flips to Talk, then that is THREE FM Talk stations. You should have at least 2 at the bare minimum. I don't want to see HMN fail but only want them to swap frequencies with 96.1 for a clear, stronger signal.   
[/quote]

No, Pensacola only has 1 FM talk station.  WCOA-FM 100.7, and it sucks.  Mobile has a locally owned news/talk station, WAVH 106.5, but they carry second and third tier talk.  If Cumulus and Clear Channel both want to get into the News Talk business in the Mobile/Pensacola dual market they would be carrying the top tier talk shows with plenty of local news inserts. WAVH 106.5 can go back to playing music.  Hell, let 106.7 try out the CHR/Dance format for Mobile.  That town would probably eat that garbage up!.

This particular thread started talking about FM news/talk in Pensacola.  Today Mobile gets Cumulus owned WCOA 100.7. Clear Channel owned WBUV 104.9, and locally owned WAVH 106.5.  104.9 and 106.5 have small signals.  We're looking for a second 100kw full Class C signal for Clear Channel to carry Fox News Radio and Rush Limbaugh among some other top names.

This IS a very viable possibility and should happen.  We are not suggesting overpopulating the dial with duplicate formats.  We wouldn't dream of suggesting that.

[R.D.P.]

Oh well here be my 1000th post. 

Unless CC wants it to happen, The Head of The Republican Party (Rush) won't be heard anytime soon on a FM station in P-Cola and/or Moblie.  May as well accept it.

Surprised that my own hometown still carries his program.  I keep looking for WHBB to soon drop his show, if our population continues to drop and things don't get any better here.

Just my two cents.

R.D.P. <><

P.S. Keep dreaming about WBLX leaving, Mr. Rob.  Not happening anytime soon.  That station is very legendary and will stay Urban for years to come.

[Zach]

WBLX is the only Mainstream Urban in the area..its not going anywhere...

BZZZ you forgot 106.1 and am 980 despite hardly anyone listens to AM for music but we do have three AC/Urban stations in the area

106.1 could pick up mainstream urban despite they are classic soul as they cover P'Cola. I don't know how well BLX is doing in the market.

106.1 is Urban AC and is the only FM source for that format in Pensacola.  If it went away, I doubt 980 would benefit that much, unless they could snag a translator.  Urban Contemporary is only on WBLX.  No one else touches them and they aren't going anywhere.

Poledo mentioned WAVH's small signal, but it IS 50 kW and the stick is right at I-65 and I-165, so it's perfectly located.  It's a little choppy here in Middle Baldwin County, but on the Eastern Shore and west Mobile and the city, it is stronger than most of the tall tower stations.  They may be second-tier but Boortz and Clark Howard do OK in most markets.  Sometimes Boortz even beats Rush in the good demos!  With C2CAM going downhill, I usually just listen to Phil Hendrie overnights now.  Even when no one buys his bait it's still a funny show to listen to.

The strange thing about country music that I've noticed is that I *hear* WXBM in a lot of places, but I *see* Cat Country out and about the most.  But I never hear anyone playing it in stores or out of cars.  Ditto KSJ, strangely.  I've never come across anyone listening to it.  And I'm the type of guy to roll down my window, sample another car's music and then look for it on my dial. 

[Rob-42]

Only time will tell. I do give HMN 3-5 months before it flips. I also wish Apex would start putting money to 98.1 and replace their dying equipment. A bold move would be to put 103.1 on 98.1 since that seems to be winning the audience with "Blaze 98.1" Or even better, bring back the great 98!

(naa, we can't be nostalgic)

-Rob

[keithneese]

WBLX is the only Mainstream Urban in the area..its not going anywhere...

BZZZ you forgot 106.1 and am 980 despite hardly anyone listens to AM for music but we do have three AC/Urban stations in the area

106.1 could pick up mainstream urban despite they are classic soul as they cover P'Cola. I don't know how well BLX is doing in the market.

106.1 is Urban AC and is the only FM source for that format in Pensacola.  If it went away, I doubt 980 would benefit that much, unless they could snag a translator.  Urban Contemporary is only on WBLX.  No one else touches them and they aren't going anywhere.

Poledo mentioned WAVH's small signal, but it IS 50 kW and the stick is right at I-65 and I-165, so it's perfectly located.  It's a little choppy here in Middle Baldwin County, but on the Eastern Shore and west Mobile and the city, it is stronger than most of the tall tower stations.  They may be second-tier but Boortz and Clark Howard do OK in most markets.  Sometimes Boortz even beats Rush in the good demos!  With C2CAM going downhill, I usually just listen to Phil Hendrie overnights now.  Even when no one buys his bait it's still a funny show to listen to.

The strange thing about country music that I've noticed is that I *hear* WXBM in a lot of places, but I *see* Cat Country out and about the most.  But I never hear anyone playing it in stores or out of cars.  Ditto KSJ, strangely.  I've never come across anyone listening to it.  And I'm the type of guy to roll down my window, sample another car's music and then look for it on my dial. 

Zach, so glad I am not the only one that tries to find the music in the car next to me!