Can a cluster in the same market support two top 40s? (Rhythmic and pure pop)

Just the other day in St. Louis CC lanched a rhythmic format on KBWX (where urban KMJM used to be before a frequency switch). KBWX has the same owner now as longtime KSLZ (top 40 pop).

Other examples of two top 40s being under the same cluster:
Austin - KHFI (pop) and KPEZ (rhythmic)
Atlanta - WWPW (pop) and WWLD (rhythmic)

In many markets, two stations under the same cluster can carry the same format as long as one of each is aimed at a different audience based on demos or age, like a mainstream urban and an urban ac as well. Another example is two country/western stations in the same cluster: one is new country while the other is classic country (i.e. KVET and KASE in Austin). So is it possible for a rhythmic to complement its pop sister station in the longterm?

Well, if it can work in Seattle, Boston, Tucson and Portland (Oregon), why not. Clear Channel has managed to develope a good strategy and I wouldn't be surprised if they use this approach in other markets as a way to protect their dominant property or keep another station from flipping to the same format.

I must admit I love the current WWVA music format.

I am also enjoying WILD1049 in St. Louis too!

Syracuse had one pure Top 40 (WNTQ) and one rhythmic (WWHT) for about a year until WWHT flipped to a pure pop station a couple months back. Guess there really wasn't much of a market for the rhythmic content.

Anyone has spent any decent amount of time in STL can attest that the city is very much divided in a racial and cultural way that most cities moved past decades ago. I think KSLZ and KBWX could survive with nearly identical playlists and differing presentations- with KSLZ squarely aimed at the soccer moms in the suburbs and KBWX aimed at a younger, less white audience.

CC probably wasn't off the mark by finally bringing a Rhythmic station to the cluster. When KATZ was an Urban station as 100.3 the Beat, it generally performed well in the diaries, but it never sold well. CC is probably thinking they will be better able to sell Wild as part of a buy with KSLZ and make the station profitable.

WJMN and WXKS Boston

KDM 7000 said:

I must admit I love the current WWVA music format.

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U gotta be kidding right?

ShawtyBlack_ATL said:

KDM 7000 said:

I must admit I love the current WWVA music format.

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U gotta be kidding right?

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Call letter malfunction, or SARCASM 101

I have always struggled with the idea that the Rhythmic format is even related to the CHR or Top 40 format. Sure, they are neighboring formats, with some overlap, but they seem to be sufficiently differerent so as not to be direct competitors. In fact, these days, I think Rhythmics have more in common with Urbans than they do with Top 40's. So, I think one cluster can indeed have both a Top 40 and a Rhythmic station in the same market.

AM FM listener said:

I have always struggled with the idea that the Rhythmic format is even related to the CHR or Top 40 format. Sure, they are neighboring formats, with some overlap, but they seem to be sufficiently differerent so as not to be direct competitors. In fact, these days, I think Rhythmics have more in common with Urbans than they do with Top 40's. So, I think one cluster can indeed have both a Top 40 and a Rhythmic station in the same market.

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Hmmm, I think Rhythmics have more in common with Pop than Urban nowadays.

ShawtyBlack_ATL said:

AM FM listener said:

I have always struggled with the idea that the Rhythmic format is even related to the CHR or Top 40 format. Sure, they are neighboring formats, with some overlap, but they seem to be sufficiently differerent so as not to be direct competitors. In fact, these days, I think Rhythmics have more in common with Urbans than they do with Top 40's. So, I think one cluster can indeed have both a Top 40 and a Rhythmic station in the same market.

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Hmmm, I think Rhythmics have more in common with Pop than Urban nowadays.

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I agree- rhythmic is much closer to Pop than to Urban today. The last time that rhythmic and urban were significantly close was at the start of the 2000s but with hip hop's takeover at Pop, rhythmic and pop have been nearly identical formats for over a decade.

justpassingthough said:

ShawtyBlack_ATL said:

AM FM listener said:

I have always struggled with the idea that the Rhythmic format is even related to the CHR or Top 40 format. Sure, they are neighboring formats, with some overlap, but they seem to be sufficiently differerent so as not to be direct competitors. In fact, these days, I think Rhythmics have more in common with Urbans than they do with Top 40's. So, I think one cluster can indeed have both a Top 40 and a Rhythmic station in the same market.

Click to expand...

Hmmm, I think Rhythmics have more in common with Pop than Urban nowadays.

Click to expand...

I agree- rhythmic is much closer to Pop than to Urban today. The last time that rhythmic and urban were significantly close was at the start of the 2000s but with hip hop's takeover at Pop, rhythmic and pop have been nearly identical formats for over a decade.

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I agree that rhythmic used to be close to urban but I felt that really begain before 2000s. There were plenty of rhythmic stations that allowed lots of R&B titles from artists like R Kelly, Aaliyah, Babyface, H-town and TLC to get major spins. While stations such as KMEL and WPGC managed to get away with playing R&B titles that 1) never made the Hot 100 or 2) didn't even go too high into the Top 40 bracket, this was due to billing as rhythmic but taking on an urban music selection at free will. But other stations were strict to where only the Top 10 urban titles also had to be in the Top 40 portion of Billboard pop.