Well, after the Estereotempo changeover to 96.5, 99.9 and 105.1 have launched a new format, Fresh 99.9, and I'm still trying to figure it out.
People have talked about English-language content, and how it's increasinly becoming less relevant to Puerto Rico as bilingual people exit the island. The two biggest stations that play it exclusively are WTOK and WOYE, which cater very well to their target audiences exceptionally well. HOT 102 caters to the UPR students that watch Youtube and Magic 97.3 caters their 80's parents who listened to 95X and Radio Heavy back in the day. Fresh is squarely in the middle of their audiences, time-wise, but... I don't think the island was clamoring for a softer version of Magic. They play current hits and hits from the 90's and sound a bit like a mainland AC, but they do sound a bit sleepy at times, especially playing some 90's hits, to the point that a Facebook commenter called them "Funeraria 99.9." I'll try to prepare a playlist once I can listen to it for an extended period of time so it can back me up.
Suffice it to say, I don't think Fresh knows who its target is. Ostensibly it's working mothers, due their portraying themselves as an at-work station playing relaxing music, but I think the mostly Spanish ACs, Fidelity and Estereotempo, have that market cornered and do a much better job at it. Plus I don't think relaxing music is something radio audiences go for nowadays. Wasn't Soft AC dead in most markets?
Of course, all of this should come to little surprise. The Románs don't seem to have much radio sense, at least nowadays. Their best move was launching the first all-reggaetón station in Puerto Rico, but SBS, who has better resources, then launched Reggaetón 94, which is to this day is the standard bearer for the Urban format in the island. Now that station is a poor, poor man's KQ105.
People have talked about English-language content, and how it's increasinly becoming less relevant to Puerto Rico as bilingual people exit the island. The two biggest stations that play it exclusively are WTOK and WOYE, which cater very well to their target audiences exceptionally well. HOT 102 caters to the UPR students that watch Youtube and Magic 97.3 caters their 80's parents who listened to 95X and Radio Heavy back in the day. Fresh is squarely in the middle of their audiences, time-wise, but... I don't think the island was clamoring for a softer version of Magic. They play current hits and hits from the 90's and sound a bit like a mainland AC, but they do sound a bit sleepy at times, especially playing some 90's hits, to the point that a Facebook commenter called them "Funeraria 99.9." I'll try to prepare a playlist once I can listen to it for an extended period of time so it can back me up.
Suffice it to say, I don't think Fresh knows who its target is. Ostensibly it's working mothers, due their portraying themselves as an at-work station playing relaxing music, but I think the mostly Spanish ACs, Fidelity and Estereotempo, have that market cornered and do a much better job at it. Plus I don't think relaxing music is something radio audiences go for nowadays. Wasn't Soft AC dead in most markets?
Of course, all of this should come to little surprise. The Románs don't seem to have much radio sense, at least nowadays. Their best move was launching the first all-reggaetón station in Puerto Rico, but SBS, who has better resources, then launched Reggaetón 94, which is to this day is the standard bearer for the Urban format in the island. Now that station is a poor, poor man's KQ105.
