Your Music, Your Q104 - Huntington

[kentuckymedia]

Okay...here is something ive been ponderin for a while. Something that could really work, and actually make money. Something that would fit the overall cluster strategy..etc.

YOUR MUSIC - YOUR Q104

I hate to say this, because its really sad to see actually. However Braden's really havent done much with this 100,000 blow-torch 104.1. The station overall has very bismal ratings, the revenue is enough to keep the thing on the air..overall the station really isnt there.

However it could have a ton of potential, if they sparked some energy behind the station, gave it a new outlook on life and hired some people who knew how to do radio.

First, abandon the ABC fed Country USA format on there. Its not doing them any justice.

Second, hire a staff. Kidd Kraddick in the morning, a person in mid-day's, afternoons and nights.

Third, get a web-site, billboards, television spot and a GM who is willing to let the station gain an identity and grow outside of Portsmouth.

YOUR MUSIC, YOUR Q104

The station would lean into the halfway mark between WKEE and WMGA. It would target the active 29-35 year old female who doesnt want to hear Chris Brown and still way to young for Peter Frampton. Instead likes to hear Fall Out Boy, Alanis Morisette, Kelly Clarkson, Justin Timberlake, Nickelback, Michelle Branch, All American Rejects and Vertical Horizon.

I have been pouring over radio jingles for my own station, and found the perfect ones...http://www.zoneradioimaging.com/zone.html then click on Hip-Mo-Tize (Y98 - KYKY)

The station could have some serious potential. Be tech savvy, entertainment friendly and user optomized. Find new and creative ways of doing traditional radio. Think outside of the box.

My first initial thought is that Connoisseur could do something like this. While the Bradens love having the two largest signals in Southern Ohio, they realize the value of selling this signal.

Connoissuer my guess is going to buy 107.1 WBKS. I would flip it to "107.1 BOB FM". Then mobilize WRYV into some form of either Country or keep it Classic Rock heritage. But do something to make it more Huntington Friendly.

Then WPAY-FM could help WMGA in chipping away at the older audience of WKEE forcing them to lean younger and more challanged at ad buys.

Just my thoughts...what do you think?

[Dave Allen]

You lost me at "Kidd Craddick" in the morning.

[sportsvoice]

I don't recall WPAY running satellite. Last I heard they were still all live with horrible jocks.

[Big Media]

I don't know about all of that but WPAY has been in need of a format change/serious makeover since the mid-80's.

That has to be the lowest rated, least profitable, 100K watt station in the country.

I also agree that KEE, Kiss, and Magic combined have plenty of numbers to support another pop station (if it is done right).

However, no one knows what's in the Portsmouth water. That whole town is weird. I dare say that Portsmouth is to Ohio what Wheeling is to WV, er uh Pennsylvania.

[kentuckymedia]

I agree...something is odd in Portsmouth! I love that though...the comparison.

WPAY could just use a nice new clean approach. If the Bradens would just sell the damn thing or hire someone who knows what they are doing the station could actually do okay.

[Hoosier Daddy]

However, no one knows what's in the Portsmouth water. That whole town is weird. I dare say that Portsmouth is to Ohio what Wheeling is to WV, er uh Pennsylvania.

The Portsmouth area is Ohio's McDowell County.

[kentuckymedia]

Love that !

I just found the perfect station to model it after. KS95 Minneapolis. Something edgy, fresh, hip and new...but still plays music that people can listen to all day.

Connoisseur will probably snatch up WIRO/WBKS. I could be wrong on that, but they have the money, they want to add to their cluster and they could potentially do some good things with "BOB" on the signal if they tried. Plus they know how to run a radio station.

Listening to KS95 right now, I could see this being a potential player in the market if done right in the market.

[genlock]

A fire is the best help for WPAY.

[baloneysux]

You're such a dumbass.
Connoisseur is in so much trouble in Huntington that they secretly fired their General Manager this week in a desperate attempt to get some money flowing.

[Big Media]

You're such a dumbass.
Connoisseur is in so much trouble in Huntington that they secretly fired their General Manager this week in a desperate attempt to get some money flowing.

What? No more BJ and JB?

Seriously, though. Isn't BJ the voice of WMGA or is it just someone who sounds very similar?

[cgarison]

However, no one knows what's in the Portsmouth water. That whole town is weird. I dare say that Portsmouth is to Ohio what Wheeling is to WV, er uh Pennsylvania.

The Portsmouth area is Ohio's McDowell County.

Or everything in Pennsylvania located in parts between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh metro areas. Those areas of the Keystone State earned the nickname Alabama because of a local's belief in the three major religions of George Bush, Country Music, and NASCAR.

[Bob Campbell]

How do you secretly fire a GM? Do the other employees know? Do they keep showing up at the office to keep up the secret?
Should Steve Animal be their GM also?

[Big Media]

Do they keep showing up at the office to keep up the secret?

um... yea.... scuse me but... um... I didn't get my paycheck...

where's my stapler?

[Jay Nunley]

bismal ratings

Please explain this term.

The station would lean into the halfway mark between WKEE and WMGA. It would target the active 29-35 year old female who doesnt want to hear Chris Brown and still way to young for Peter Frampton. Instead likes to hear Fall Out Boy, Alanis Morisette, Kelly Clarkson, Justin Timberlake, Nickelback, Michelle Branch, All American Rejects and Vertical Horizon.

Are there enough of these specific kind of persons in the market? Are there enough of them who aren't satisfied by country?

What do you mean by "active?"

[Dave Allen]

Bismal Ratings.


Ratings so bad they require Pepto.

[kentuckymedia]

Pepto...anything, just to get the ratings better. Its a sad excuse of a 100,000 watt blowtorch in my opinion.

Active is something they refer to when attracting the sales audience. This is a demographic design builder, something to give an image to a client, etc.

As for the amount of persons in the market. Yeah, this would be a huge success!

[Dave Allen]

Didn't they use to be the "Power Pig" or something?

[Ace Purple]

Didn't they use to be the "Power Pig" or something?

Are you confusing them with WFLZ-FM in Tampa?

[Hoosier Daddy]

Didn't they use to be the "Power Pig" or something?

Are you confusing them with WFLZ-FM in Tampa?

When 105.7 went on the air in Columbus (COL: Marysville) in the early 90s, they were WNRJ "Energy 105, The Power Pig" playing Top 40 and Dance stuff, going head to head with the legendary WNCI. The station morphed into "Hot 105", then "Hot 105/Hot 107" (simulcast with Circleville's 107.1), then Arrow, then Channel Z, and on and on. They're now "105.7 The Brew."

Columbus had the closest reference to "Power Pig" that I know of ...

[Arp2]

Okay...here is something ive been ponderin for a while. Something that could really work, and actually make money. Something that would fit the overall cluster strategy..etc.

YOUR MUSIC - YOUR Q104

What, exactly, is "the overall cluster strategy" of an AM/FM in a town with the population of a big college dorm?

I hate to say this, because its really sad to see actually.

In theory...in an ideal world....in another place.....

However Braden's really havent done much with this 100,000 blow-torch 104.1. The station overall has very bismal ratings,...

I'm guessing you mean "abysmal." I'm not familiar with the ratings in and around Scioto county, but I'm guessing WPAY isn't that low, at all. In its home county, it wouldn't surprise me if it had a 40 share, but I don't actually know.

By the way, "Pepto-Bismol" got its name from a smashing together of the names of three of its main ingredients -- pepsin, bismuth, and salol.

No, I have no idea what "salol" is.

....the revenue is enough to keep the thing on the air..overall the station really isnt there.

I haven't listened to it in quite a while, but I would assume it's as "there" as (if not more "there" than) any station in an area with its population and economic conditions.

However it could have a ton of potential, if they sparked some energy behind the station, gave it a new outlook on life and hired some people who knew how to do radio.

Even in the current environment, people who know how to do radio are going to be able to do a lot better than Portsmouth. These people who know how to do radio would have to live there and raise their families there. They're not going to want to do that....they'd probably telemarket before they'd do that.

Third, get a web-site, billboards, television spot and a GM who is willing to let the station gain an identity and grow outside of Portsmouth.

All cost money....where's it going to come from? Outside of Portsmouth lie a number of small towns that have only the necessities of life -- some food and gas and maybe a restaurant -- and not even a Wal~Mart outside of the county seats. Those tiny businesses have no competition for miles and really little hope for additional traffic, so why would they advertise?

YOUR MUSIC, YOUR Q104

The station would lean into the halfway mark between WKEE and WMGA.

So it would shoot at Huntington.....m'kay. "Shoot at" meaning put itself into competition with all the signals over that way for ears and dollars. "Shoot at" meaning "talents and salespeople would spend their lives in their cars just trying to do a little somethin' for the station." Again, hard to hire and retain good folks for that even today.

As Nunley asked, is there room to get in there? And, if you think about it in a weird way, aren't 'KEE and Magic already kinda in between 'KEE and Magic?

It would target the active 29-35 year old female...

With one breath, the board's founder (is that the right term?) used to express a desire for this kind of station. Then, with another breath, he'd lament that all the educated folks his age had gotten the heck out of Dodge. He never made the connection between those two things and the cause-effect relationship (or "effect-cause" in this case) they might have.

...who doesnt want to hear Chris Brown and still way to young for Peter Frampton. Instead likes to hear Fall Out Boy, Alanis Morisette, Kelly Clarkson, Justin Timberlake, Nickelback, Michelle Branch, All American Rejects and Vertical Horizon.

I always chuckle at "Vertical Horizon"....it's rare such a supposedly representative artist is pretty much a one-hit wonder.

As for the amount of persons in the market. Yeah, this would be a huge success!

So, uh, how many of those folks exist in that area? Do you know something about his home area that Nunley doesn't? Even without doing primary research or getting in the area stations to see what they've already found, wouldn't simple census data maybe answer that?

The station could have some serious potential. Be tech savvy, entertainment friendly and user optomized. Find new and creative ways of doing traditional radio. Think outside of the box.

I'm sure you've heard the oft-repeated "listeners have really sensitive 'BS Detectors' these days." You know, radio people have those things, too, and all we're hearing are buzz words and modern jargon.

There's no "here" here. What in the world do those things mean and what relevance do they have inside the cirlcle that is the WPAY signal?

Active is something they refer to when attracting the sales audience. This is a demographic design builder, something to give an image to a client, etc.

Blah blah blah....it's all BS. It's what gives radio reps about the same reputations as used car salesmen and, for those old enough, Herb Tarlek. Honest to goodness, I've seen Nostalgia and, in years past, Easy Listening stations profiled as having "active" audiences. Every station is sold as having "active" audiences. Clients caught on long ago.

Connoissuer my guess is going to buy 107.1 WBKS. I would flip it to "107.1 BOB FM".

That might be sane.

Then mobilize WRYV into some form of either Country or keep it Classic Rock heritage. But do something to make it more Huntington Friendly.

Why not go the opposite way? Why not do the southeastern Ohio and border stuff where it's strong and would face significantly less competition?

Then WPAY-FM could help WMGA in chipping away at the older audience of WKEE forcing them to lean younger and more challanged at ad buys.

Why do you think 'KEE would just sit there and allow/take it? Given decades of familiarity and heritage, why wouldn't it just lean five years up and block it?

I just found the perfect station to model it after. KS95 Minneapolis.

Great. "Station Of The Year" is a model....imagine that. As a model for WPAY, though, it's going to fall apart real quick.....

Something edgy, fresh, hip and new...but still plays music that people can listen to all day.

"Edgy" is the absolute last thing anyone would think about KS95. Female-targeted but not male-alienating, KS95 truly is a station everyone can agree on, blah blah blah. It's female-friendly...it's male-friendly....it's just "friendly." The humor can get a little risque...ish....but the night guy uses children's riddles as bits that go on for more than an hour, for cryin' out loud. (And pulls it off, too. Seriously.....it can be surprisingly wildly "compelling.")

Listening to KS95 right now, I could see this being a potential player in the market if done right in the market.

Minneapolis/St Paul is:
-- the home of literally millions of people
-- the home of a number of Fortune 500 World Headquarters (3M, Best Buy, and General Mills, off the top of my head)
-- the home of a virtually perfect balance of white-collar, blue-collar, and service jobs (but the white-collar lean makes it very recession-resistant)
-- the home of so many colleges and universities that you'd probably have to take off your shoes and drop your pants to count 'em
-- the home of much academic, scientific, and medical research
-- a multi-state regional hub of medicine
-- a multi-state regional and international hub of transportation (passenger air, freight air, rail, trucking, highway, river....you name it)
-- a multi-state regional hub of retail (including the top-tier, luxury retailers)
-- a multi-state regional hub of finance, banking, and insurance
-- a multi-state regional hub of entertainment, recreation, and tourism
-- a multi-state regional hub of the arts
-- a multi-state regional hub of media and publishing
-- the home of a number of the finest analysts and money managers
-- the home of teams representing every professional sport
-- the home of an almost racially-homogenous population that has a pretty good amount of money

Portsmouth is:
--

I don't know.

None of those things, I do know that.

I've been through it plenty of times, and I don't know why Portsmouth exists. Seriously...I have no idea why it's there. What I do know is that there's a ton of poverty, unemployment, drugs, crime, and violence. Depending on the day, the largest employer is going to be either the hospital or the government social services.....meaning the people there are either old and sick or living off the productive elsewhere via gubmint transfer.

And you want to transplant KS95 to there???

That's weird, weird stuff.