Why Did WYAY Fail

[MRFLASHPORT]

Notice that the station is in Tampa, where huge numbers of people retire...

You do realize that the most affluent areas of the northern ATL suburbs, specifically Cobb, Cherokee, and North Fulton have huge numbers of 55+ now right?

Spending time working in one of our area health systems, I come in contact with many long time residents and newcomers in the 55 and up age bracket. Most are financially sound, have expendable income, and grandchildren.

Once again, the industry consultants are doing their level best, to send radio into the wrecking yard overnight. I think a Classic Hits and even a soft A/C station would do VERY WELL IF and ONLY IF, it were programmed well and not this canned crap the cloud company and clear channel throw on a stick.

There is money here, SMH why these demos get IGNORED. Heck, these are the ONLY people with real expendable income...

[atlantaboy]

Notice that the station is in Tampa, where huge numbers of people retire...

60s, 70s and 80s dance or party music doesn't really target senior citizens. I'd say it largely targets those in 40-60 age range, which there are plenty of in Atlanta.

When you mix 80s with 60s/70s, though, you're appealing to people in their 50s/60s (people in their 40s were in elementary school in the 70s) - in south Florida, there are TONS of advertisers that want to target retired citizens, due to the sheer percentage of the population and programs available to them

The same is definitely not true in Atlanta

[carolinaradio]

So classic hits has to be in a market where there are tons of advertisers that want to target "retired citizens" for it to be successful?  Look at all of the large and larger medium-sized markets with classic hits stations that are doing just fine.  If they weren't billing, they wouldn't be on the air or they would not be playing anything from before 1980.

WRBQ in Tampa's playlist is average for a classic hits station as far as the age of the music.  There are PLENTY of markets (especially in the midwest, west, and north) where that formula is doing just fine.  Atlanta has more than enough transplants to support it.  Heck, you don't necessarily need transplants for it to work in the southeast.  Look at markets like Chattanooga, Savannah, Columbia SC, or Columbus GA.

[Junkie101]

Partly because nobody since the ABC sale to Citadel realized the limitations of its signal and the demographics of the area it actually can influence. IMO it was best used as a flank for WKHX, and witness to that is the space that BUL has had to not just catch up, but beat WKHX. They would never had got traction had WYAY stayed country and musically complemented KICKS, and offered great talent, very well tenured and accepted by the zip codes that were more aligned to some kind of country than what is present.  A great deal of money was lost in this process and KICKs loosing dominance cannot possibly be getting the rates of those years I speak of. I guess country wasn't sexy enough for people who didn't want to understand its business value.

[kal30005]

When you mix 80s with 60s/70s, though, you're appealing to people in their 50s/60s (people in their 40s were in elementary school in the 70s) - in south Florida, there are TONS of advertisers that want to target retired citizens, due to the sheer percentage of the population and programs available to them

The same is definitely not true in Atlanta

I completely disagree! First of all, I would say Q105 probably sprinkles a little 60s in with what was predominantly 70s and 80s music.

Second of all, I am in my mid-40s and I remember most of the music from the entire 70s decade. And even most of what would be played on an oldies station from the 60s. I even know most of the major 50s hits, even though that was before I was born. My kids who are 16 and 13 know quite a bit of the 70s and 80s music, because they hear me play it and because so much of it ends up in commercials or recycled on TV or played at parties. There were kids aging from 3 to 13 on the boat last weekend and they were all into the music being played that afternoon on Q105. Fun music transcends generations!

And like I said, excluding the 60s, The Groove started out mixing a lot of the 70s and 80s disco and dance hits when it started. Plus, AGH was playing a lot of 60s. You can't tell me there isn't a market in Atlanta for music from this era.

But again, my point is that the reason I think Max and AGH failed in Atlanta wasn't because there wasn't a market for music from the era. It was because the music they played from those eras was mostly boring. Max played WAY to much "Wind Beneath My Wings" and other AC music from the area. It was boring to listen to.

But if they created "Atlanta's Classic Party Station", with live DJs from 6a-12p, and play dance, party and fun songs from the 70s and 80s, and mix in some 60s and maybe even a sprinkling of 90s and I think it would do well in Atlanta.

[carolinaradio]

Last time saying this, but if 70s pop (not to mention pop/rock, which is included in classic hits) wasn't popular/well testing with 35-54, nothing pre-1980 would be played (just like 50s and the majority of 60s aren't) on the format.  Obviously, even a few 60s songs still test well with 25-54 (core classic hits 35-54).  The format needs to perform well under 55 to be viable.  Obviously these 35-54's that listen to manstream classic hits stations (like Q105) like 70s music, or it wouldn't be played.

I don't think there's anything exceptional about Q105's performance and the market it's in - they sound just like other classic hits stations that do well in markets without an above average population of seniors...not to say that the abundance of seniors in Tampa Bay isn't helping them, but I think they would still do well without them.  Orlando is a younger city, and classic hits is doing well there.

I guess it just takes a good understanding of the format.  As a side note, for the first time in their history, CBS's classic hits 98.1 WOGL was #1 6+ in Philadelphia!

[trusty]

Orlando is a younger city, and classic hits is doing well there.

The more things change, the more things stay the same. As t teenager, I moved from Atlanta to Tampa Bay in the mid sixties with my parents and was bored out of my mind with WLCY (WALT was OK but was a daytimer with lousy audio.). Took a trip to Orlando and felt like home again listening to WLOF & WHOO.
"Twas like:
Atlanta: Top 40 with more R&B
Tampa: Top 40 with standards
Orlando: Top 40 with more Top 40

[atlantaboy]

Maybe The River is taking too much of the potential Classic Hits audience - you guys are right, Classic Hits stations in NYC and Philadelphia are at/near the top of the market - from scanning other major markets, though, I couldn't find any other market besides Boston and Tampa with 2 Classic Hits stations (and a Classic Rock)

[carolinaradio]

Maybe The River is taking too much of the potential Classic Hits audience - you guys are right, Classic Hits stations in NYC and Philadelphia are at/near the top of the market - from scanning other major markets, though, I couldn't find any other market besides Boston and Tampa with 2 Classic Hits stations (and a Classic Rock)

The second classic hits station in Tampa (The Eagle) is pretty much a copy of The River, since it's Cox (the rock-leaning classic hits format isn't that widespread outside of Cox, really) - Boston (WROR and WODS) and Chicago (Cumulus has WLS-FM, CBS has WJMK) are the only markets I can think of that have two mainstream classic hits stations. 

No doubt does The River hamper the success of a mainstream classic hits station.  Yes, they're boring and have a tight playlist, but they've been overall consistent and sound decent at what they do.  That's why, IMO, if any company tries classic hits again in Atlanta, it'll have to be CBS -I feel they have the best execution, creativity, resources, budget, and commitment to the format....I won't deny that Atlanta's a tough market for pop classic hits.  It can't just be thrown on the air, but with TLC, I think it could succeed.

[BRENT]

The River is a complete and utter embarrassment to the 97.1 frequency. GodDa@@ COX and their billshit pd.