Miami Move-In Filed @ FCC for 104.3

[cd637299]

Listeners mainly aren't geeks like us!

I once talked with a guy in Melbourne, Australia.  Soft pop/oldies Magic 693 switched with co-owned 3AW 1278 (news/talk, with by far the higher rating of the two) a few years ago.  He told me something like this about the switch:  "Magic will not lose as many listeners as AW would gain."

I think that a similar theory is in play here.....I guess....! 

cd

[radiosanchez]

Given that Goodman usually does too much research as opposed to too little, I suspect he probably found that there were more country listeners to the north of West Palm.  So, moving WIRK to 103.1 would give him more listeners than he'd lose in Boca Raton.

Let's not forget 103.1 was, before WPBZ, a country station *itself*, serving the Okeechobee area....

[jmtillery]

With all due respect, Dr. Tillery, there is no guarantee that WIRK will be profitable on the 103.1 signal.  As you pointed out, there is a long history of unprofitable stations on that frequency.  In addition, with WIRK on 103.1, there will be a great deal of overlap with Wave 92.7 where 103.1's signal is strongest.  In addition, moving Sunny and WIRK caused just as much confusion:  Two Heritage stations moved frequencies (this is what I proposed when I suggested moving WRMF and Sunny, and leaving WIRK alone). 

Here’s the big challenge in moving Sunny to 97.9 and moving WRMF to 103.1. WRMF and Sunny both have similar formats. By placing Sunny on 97.9, you run the risk that many listeners and advertisers will still think they are listening to WRMF even though they are actually listening to the new WEAT while WRMF has moved to 103.1. By placing the heritage country formatted WIRK on 103.1, that frequency is completely overhauled with a heritage format and station. The risk of losing listeners and advertisers has been greatly reduced due to 40+ years of local branding. That signal also better covers the geographical area most dominant in country music listening. Heritage “cash-cow” WEAT goes to the second best available signal – 107.9 – and preserves its business model, heritage, listening audience, billing and good faith among the business community. Another way of looking at it is, although there is no perfect solution, the current strategy is the better one of what is available.

[PBGFL]

Dr. Tillery, that's great insight.  I'm wondering what your thoughts are about the new (placeholder) SmoothFM format on 104.3 and the chances that it could also confuse some WEAT-FM listeners who might think that the station simply became WMSF and keep listening anyway.

[jmtillery]

Dr. Tillery, that's great insight.  I'm wondering what your thoughts are about the new (placeholder) SmoothFM format on 104.3 and the chances that it could also confuse some WEAT-FM listeners who might think that the station simply became WMSF and keep listening anyway.

There is always a risk that listeners, advertisers and the community in general will be confused whenever changes are made. However, I believe, for the most part, there will be little confusion. The SmoothFM format has similar characteristics of Sunny so I believe this placeholder format may have been chosen as not to alienate the community as a whole. The community expects some form of contemporary music on 104.3 as opposed to suddenly hearing country, talk, or any other format in contrast to adult contemporary, smooth contemporary or any other form of contemporary music. SmoothFM is also an inexpensive format to program and operate in comparison to other type formats and stations.

I believe once the FCC approves the move to Miami, most, if not all, of the Palm Beach community will already be aware that WEAT has relocated to 107.9 and likewise the community will also move to the new WEAT dial position. WEAT has heritage and a loyal following among listeners and the business community. The WIRK listeners are already aware that WIRK is no longer on the 107.9 frequency. WPBZ is a moot point as it was underperforming as the Buzz and also as NowFM.

I'm not making any predictions, however, it’s also possible that research has shown that SmoothFM will fill a market void in the Greater Miami-Dade / Fort Lauderdale radio market. If this is correct, then the only thing that needs to take place is the actual physical move to the Miami area tower and begin broadcasting to Miami / Fort Lauderdale once all regulatory approval has been met.

[cd637299]

If Love 94 could not survive (outside of WMIA's HD2), how can WMSF?

I heard the first few songs (I end my job at midnight).....it's not far removed from WFEZ or WLYF.  The only difference is instrumental/SJ versions of pop hits.  I had heard enough.  I say, placeholder.

cd

[RadioGuy2004]

Three words for cash cow stations to make money (any radio or TV station), which the experts on these boards have stated in many ways, many times over the years:

City grade signal. 

Your audience needs to find you on their worst sounding radio ($5 MIC clock radio) with a clean signal.  They can't find you, they go elsewhere.

107.9 gets Central and North PBC like a bullseye and points south toward Delray.  The core of Sunny's business is probably Central and North County.  Everything south is extra.

103.1 puts a usable signal over from Fort Pierce, PSL, Stuart (in Wave's own backyard) straight down to Lake Worth.  The rest is gravy.

Dean Goodman did his homework on this one.  Especially on moving 104.3 to Miami and executing it as rapidly as he has been. 

And had his answers checked.

If reception complaints do come to fruition, he could flip 'RMF and Sunny.  He KNOWS Sunny is his new cash cow.  Protect said cow.

[DavidEduardo]

  He KNOWS Sunny is his new cash cow.  Protect said cow.

Sunny and RMF are the two highest billers in the market. One billed about $2 million more than WIRK, the other billed a million more last year.

Follow the money. The two AC's accounted for just a tad under a third of all the revenue in the market. If they are selling together instead of against each other, they might do even better.

[Kent]

If Love 94 could not survive (outside of WMIA's HD2), how can WMSF?

Someone obviously thought a similar format could still work as Cox launched WFEZ after Love 94 went away.

I heard the first few songs (I end my job at midnight).....it's not far removed from WFEZ or WLYF.  The only difference is instrumental/SJ versions of pop hits.  I had heard enough.  I say, placeholder.

My feeling is that it's most likely a placeholder, too.  Of course, that will depend somewhat on who ends up buying the station, but I can't remember too many times someone has bought a start up signal and kept the format it was running while testing.

[DavidEduardo]

Someone obviously thought a similar format could still work as Cox launched WFEZ after Love 94 went away.

The difference is that Love 94 was transitioning from Smooth Jazz to Smooth AC in a fashion, while WFEZ is simply a soft AC based on WDUV. WDUV's heritage, of course is Beautiful Music, and not smooth jazz.