This is true in many aspects of business. For example, why is 1 particular restaurant or business seemingly always packed, while others located around it that offer the same cuisine or product with similar decor, hours and service level are often empty. Sometimes it can be difficult to figure what the exact 'secret sauce' is...Businesses that will be popular, radio and TV hosts that will be accepted and embraced over others, etc. Why are some on-air personalities wildly successful for a while and then seemingly fall out of favor and fade into oblivion, while yet others have decades of unwavering success.
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Around The Treasure Coast
- Thread starter John FL
- Start date
You make some excellent points. Perhaps my bias is revealed; I never knew or followed the Jacksonville market as closely as I followed or knew Tampa. And perhaps it is bias from my childhood and teenage years. I was always excited to go to Tampa. I always thought it was a far more interesting market than anything I could hear at home out of West Palm, the Treasure Coast, or Miami. I was genuinely excited to go to Tampa to listen to the Power Pig in the early '90s. Todd Schnitt actually worked here in West Palm, by the way, before going to Tampa. He did mornings at what is now Wild in the early '90s.You make interesting points. Jacksonville has some talent longevity too. However, there isn't the notoriety that comes along with tenure. When it came to adult-based formats from oldies to classic hits, there were those with proven track records and knowledge of the market. But once gone, they were gone for good.
There are two alumni of the old WAPE from the 1970s, Tom Murphy and A.J. Davis, who have been hired and fired so many times at various stations over the years, even I can't keep up. They are probably retired by now.
If there is one music format in Jax where seniority exists and there is name-recognition, at least for the local market, it's with their country formats. Heritage station (99.1) WQIK's "The Big Show" morning show has two long tenure jocks with Robbie Rose and John Scott. Scott has been at WQIK over 30 years. Robbie Rose, probably 25 or so years at WQIK and before that he was on a competing country format that has been gone for many years - Rooster Country.
At Renda's WGNE (99.9 Gator Country, alumni from the 1990's WAPE's Morning Zoo, Amadeus and Eden Kendall are still doing their thing. Steve Sutton was for a long time a part of Gator's morning show. I have no idea what happened to him but probably downsized. As is usually the case, there was no mention of this on the North Florida board as most major news rarely gets reported there.
What I especially like about markets such as Miami is they stick with known quantities. Probably the best example of this is between WLYF and WFEZ. At one time or another, many worked at either station. Jacksonville doesn't seem to do that for whatever reason. I can think of someone like Pat Garett who did an outstanding job as PD for COOL 96.9 when it was oldies. Jacksonville attempted oldies hybrids and classic hits formats a number of times.
Each time, those formats failed. And it wasn't because of the market despite what they will tell you. They simply had the wrong people running things. They also lacked commitment for the long haul. Much opportunity has been lost over the years there.
Appreciate your comments about Tampa. I just may have to do some sampling listening again. I do have an open mind!
And speaking of something Jacksonville has that Tampa lacks - that Classic Country simulcast I heard when I was in Jacksonville last summer. There are 3-4 Country stations that are audible in most of the Tampa market. They all sound the same.
There seems to be some sort of unspoken idea that personalities matter more in big markets. I am guessing that is a big reason why some of the same voices keep popping up. The experts here tell us that jocks are becoming irrelevant and most listeners hate them. However, that does not seem to be the case in the bigger markets.
Absolutely! It may have been a couple years, I posted on this board a topic about luck and also radio ratings in every Florida market. In quite a lot of markets, I found that there are stations that have had a long history of flipping and sometimes going with the same format 3 or 4 different times. It's like no matter what they do, they seem to be jinxed. We've probably all found a radio station we enjoyed and saw effort etc., but they didn't make it. It can be a frustrating thing to witness.
Certainly it's true with other businesses. I've stayed in touch with real estate folks I partnered with years ago when I worked marketing projects. Even they agree that certain commercial real estate buildings seem jinxed too. No matter how good the product or service, people tend to avoid it like the plague. We've probably all found a great restaurant and look around at empty tables and wonder why. There's been dozens of such places I've experienced in my lifetime that wound up closing that should have been a hit.
But what I will say about radio personalities is this. The public is perceptive and they know a phony when they hear one. If I were in a position managing radio talent, I would encourage them to be themselves. Some can do that and quite well. Where I think problems can arise is when talent tries to be relatable to a target audience that's totally different than them. Some pull it off and quite well. We're also reminded that as "DJ patter" became more and more limited, there were those who could not make that transition of being relevant, funny, whatever in less time.
Talent and skills certainly have a place. It's not always about luck but effort and great teamwork too.
For years I drove through The Treasure Coast but I never knew it was even called that. In fact, outside of I-95 or the Turnpike, I had no idea what the communities were like but I was certainly curious. As my parents got older and older and I visited with them more and more, I often wanted to get off the beaten path and see the area. What fascinated me the most was all the wooded areas and that not everything was built up and big city look etc.
It was in January 2018 we decided to take a little one-week getaway. We both fell in love with The Treasure Coast and especially the Vero area practically immediately. We looked around for a house and the real estate agent took us up and down the T.C. While this shouldn't be a factor, I dialed around and found radio to my liking. I literally had 3 or 4 stations where I enjoyed the music while in Jacksonville, there wasn't one station I called my own.
Tampa hit me the opposite way. Perhaps it's because I've grown to not like big city life that I felt an aversion to Tampa. The other thing is I thought Miami radio was far better so perhaps my own biases prevented me from appreciating Tampa more. Now, nearby St. Pete - love the place. In one of our work projects we stayed just south of there in a town called North Redington Beach. It had a quiet tropical vibe and I felt like that would be a place I'd visit again, even though I haven't done yet.
I wish smaller markets had the talent presence of the bigger markets. There's the iHeart's with all their voice tracking talent that gives the impression there's around the clock local jocks. Like anything, some are good. Some talk a lot and say little. One of my wishes is that someone who has an impressive radio resume and is of retirement age and not much more to prove would consider an opportunity on the T.C. It's not out of the question. There's quite a few big city radio folks who wind up in a smaller market where they can do radio their way. In the meantime, we have what we have.
The famous Jo Jo Kincaid did exactly that in Gainesville for a few years. He's easily one of the best all-time FM music jocks in the country, at least in my opinion. He got his start in high school in Gainesville, and spent a few years at Tampa's Q105 in the early 2010s before working in Gainesville prior to retirement. I just don't know if such an opportunity exists on the Treasure Coast. Perhaps one of the smaller owners - if they can find any money - would do it. But iHeart certainly wouldn't.
I'm familiar with Jo Jo Kincaid having heard him here and there over the years. I'd definitely put him in the personality column.
Even though I lived in Jacksonville for a time, I didn't venture into Gainesville at all until my job brought me there to work on a project. This was the same project that sent me to Tampa and all over Florida in fact. I wound up visiting Gainesville and the surrounding areas fairly often. I got to really like it there.
For its' market size that includes Ocala, I would dial around and grew to enjoy what the radio market offered. Much time has passed but I'm thinking there was a station branded as WOW-FM (Gainesville's Greatest Hits) that I thought was a good classic hits station. That may have been where Jo Jo had a gig. Let me know if that's not correct.
The format probably could have lasted longer if the signal was stronger. As many people know, a major problem with Gainesville-Ocala is most stations are on a stick that doesn't cover both regions. There's also huge demo differences between the two areas. If "WOW-FM" (Not sure what the calls were) was more an Ocala area based station, I wouldn't be surprised it would still be on the air.
As I've said many times, I understand the difficulties it is for smaller markets/owners to afford good, quality talent. But it can happen. Case in point is Flagler Beach and Flagler Broadcasting. There's lots of radio veterans on air and off who I think are perfectly happy doing their thing. They aren't making the kind of $$$ a bigger market can offer. But sometimes, it's about doing what you love and that becomes more important than the money, especially if this supplements retirement income.
And while I would love a "big name" to find a radio home on the Treasure Coast, what concerns me even more is we lose a local cluster, such as Treasure-Space Coast Radio, to a big company. Cumulus is dangerously close in Brevard County. That company is probably my least favorite out of the larger companies. Just my opinion. I would absolutely freak out if they came to the T.C.
I know you have objections to Hubbard but if they bought a local cluster on the T.C., I'd still breathe a sigh of relief. I also know iHeart gets a lot of digs but I think they deliver a decent product given all the tight straitjacket ways of operating. As mentioned many times. I'm quite impressed with the fact the T.C. still has some local - like a Heath West. I think he's engaging, entertaining, and is able to say a lot in little time.
Like you, I miss personality radio. When it's done right, even those who just want to hear music, will be pulled in. We know that does happen. Many I can think of but Broadway Bill Lee of WCBS-FM can say volumes in seconds. It's why he and others like him make the big bucks. And a pity the T.C. and even West Palm can't offer more.
Jo Jo Kincaid was indeed at WOW-FM. And your analysis of Gainesville-Ocala is spot on. I went to college there and found it a fascinating market. Two stations have stood the test of time in that market. K-Country 93.7 has such a massive stick that it can adequately cover both Ocala and Gainesville (it is licensed to the former). Kiss 105.3, which covers Gainesville but not Ocala, has also done well. That's probably due to the fact that for most of its history, it was the lone CHR station in the market. Other stations have come and gone, and while some have lasted (such as the WIND-FM stations), others have changed formats many times. One station in the Ocala market that I love is US 102.3. Their signal is passable in Gainesville too. They play a mixture of Southern-leaning AOR and Country. I don't know of any other station in Florida with such a format. They were 102.3 WTRS, playing only Country, when I did my time in Gainesville.
My guess is that the TC is so small and the ad revenue potential is so small that the big, mostly-bankrupt operators wouldn't think about entering the market. If anything, I bet Cumulus is more likely to sell its Space Coast stations than enter the TC.
You are indeed correct that the TC is very lucky to have some local talent left on its iHeart stations. I fear that their time is limited.
Funny that you mention Broadway Bill Lee. He's easily one of my three favorite FM music jocks (Jo Jo Kincaid also makes that list). Another one is Big Joe Henry on New Jersey 101.5. I have a sister who lives in Philly, and every time I am up there, I make a point of listening to him. While he's mostly a weekender, he's been on air for decades and is everything that jocks used to be - long-winded, engaging, funny, and entertaining. Check him out if you have time (nj1015.com).
The last of personality radio that we have in West Palm Beach is probably the KVJ Morning Show on WRMF. They have been in the market for over 20 years and people tune in for those three jocks. People feel like they are their pals. But West Palm used to have more. Dave Michaels on WIRK was a good example.
In Brevard county WSBH "98.5 The Beach" is being sold to MARC Radio (a Gainesville/Ocala based group)....
It is a classic hits format.
kw - Melbourne
It is a classic hits format.
kw - Melbourne
Somewhere in this long string I talked about Soft AC WOSN-FM (97.1 Ocean FM and the uptick in some more contemporary holiday tunes and artists. I thought perhaps this would signal an updating of the music, at least from a chronological perspective. In casual listening over the past several days, that has not happened. And you know what? Perhaps that's still a good thing.
I admit to enjoying this particular station enormously. As one of their taglines say "We're a one of a kind radio station" and they certainly are. 4-5 years ago there was what I considered considerable song overlap between Ocean and Classic Hits WQOL. Over time, the two stations have literally parted ways.
From a ratings perspective, I don't think 25-54 is given the kind of attention and concern typically found elsewhere. It's probably because a lot of the Treasure Coast and even into the very southern Space Coast, there's a large number of seniors. But, interestingly that's changing. There is no doubt the population increases are having affects on median age.
I recall, like it was yesterday, the median age of Vero Beach and Indian River County, for example, was around 65. According to 2020 census, it's now 54. All over the Treasure Coast, new home communities are sprouting up. It's not just seniors who are looking at this area as paradise. St. Lucie County's median age is 45.5 and Martin County is 52.7.
What does this mean for radio? Obviously, I think radio will ultimately respond to the market changes. But given our size and limited financial resources, I believe a conservative approach will rule. At WOSN, they do a good job in retaining business. I've heard many of the same sponsors since I got here 5 years ago.
If you ever find yourself in an area known as "The Miracle Mile" in Vero, you'll find WOSN's sponsors galore. Many of these are owned by seniors. There's areas of Vero that triple in population during "Snowbird Season." These are typically seniors who own multiple homes. So, we can't underestimate senior impacts on the community.
The bottom line is WOSN represents the only music option in the market that would have appeal to 55+. iHeart's Oldies on 107.9 is on a translator and has a limited reach. From a business perspective, as long as there is an audience Treasure Coast/Space Coast Radio, WOSN's owner, can sell to, they will probably stay the current course while making subtle changes. Again, from casual listening, I'm noticing less early 70s in the mix. But they still offer a large number of 70s songs and titles you don't hear anywhere.
As this station doesn't stream, about the best way I could describe 97.1 Ocean FM for those of you who don't live on the T.C., is that it sounds a lot like Tampa's The Dove sounded before that station evolved into just another typical AC.
The Treasure Coast is an interesting radio market. But what makes it very special is we have mom & pop operators here who still do things their way.
I admit to enjoying this particular station enormously. As one of their taglines say "We're a one of a kind radio station" and they certainly are. 4-5 years ago there was what I considered considerable song overlap between Ocean and Classic Hits WQOL. Over time, the two stations have literally parted ways.
From a ratings perspective, I don't think 25-54 is given the kind of attention and concern typically found elsewhere. It's probably because a lot of the Treasure Coast and even into the very southern Space Coast, there's a large number of seniors. But, interestingly that's changing. There is no doubt the population increases are having affects on median age.
I recall, like it was yesterday, the median age of Vero Beach and Indian River County, for example, was around 65. According to 2020 census, it's now 54. All over the Treasure Coast, new home communities are sprouting up. It's not just seniors who are looking at this area as paradise. St. Lucie County's median age is 45.5 and Martin County is 52.7.
What does this mean for radio? Obviously, I think radio will ultimately respond to the market changes. But given our size and limited financial resources, I believe a conservative approach will rule. At WOSN, they do a good job in retaining business. I've heard many of the same sponsors since I got here 5 years ago.
If you ever find yourself in an area known as "The Miracle Mile" in Vero, you'll find WOSN's sponsors galore. Many of these are owned by seniors. There's areas of Vero that triple in population during "Snowbird Season." These are typically seniors who own multiple homes. So, we can't underestimate senior impacts on the community.
The bottom line is WOSN represents the only music option in the market that would have appeal to 55+. iHeart's Oldies on 107.9 is on a translator and has a limited reach. From a business perspective, as long as there is an audience Treasure Coast/Space Coast Radio, WOSN's owner, can sell to, they will probably stay the current course while making subtle changes. Again, from casual listening, I'm noticing less early 70s in the mix. But they still offer a large number of 70s songs and titles you don't hear anywhere.
As this station doesn't stream, about the best way I could describe 97.1 Ocean FM for those of you who don't live on the T.C., is that it sounds a lot like Tampa's The Dove sounded before that station evolved into just another typical AC.
The Treasure Coast is an interesting radio market. But what makes it very special is we have mom & pop operators here who still do things their way.
A very interesting post as always, John. Happy New Year and thank you for your insights.
As someone who is sick of the repetition and tight playlists all over the dial, I like that WOSN has not changed much. Some of its music can be heard only on WOSN. And the fact that it is retaining loyal advertisers is a good sign that its approach is working.
Great description. I liked the Dove better before the changes.
Thanks, Scott. I very much appreciate your responses but more importantly your love of music. If your travels take you through the Treasure Coast anytime soon, I invite you to give a listen to a station I've talked a lot about and that's WOSN 97.1 Ocean FM.
I've spent the last few weeks listening to this station more intently than usual. While I suspected musical changes would come after the playing of holiday music, I figured this would be in a more chronological direction. To their credit, they didn't do this. Instead, it's been a subtle but I believe an interesting direction.
I wouldn't call their playlist the stuff of say a "Yacht Rock" or "Classic Vinyl" playlist you'd find on a SiriusXM, but there is this ever so slight lean towards soft rock with some jazz and pop thrown in. If there's a strategy, I think it's looking at the rock genre and saying, what can we do that classic hits isn't touching. In going along with their taglines about being "refreshing" and a "one of a kind" radio station, they are living up to their name and setting some good expectations.
For those of you who remember the old "Love 94" in Miami from say the 80s, Ocean FM has musical moments that are reminiscent of that time. No, this is not exactly what Love 94 was but I have to use that word "subtle" again in the updated musical direction.
The other day when I was driving around, the songs I recall playing either back-to-back or in close proximity to each other were George Harrison's "Blow Away," John Lennon's "Just like Starting Over," Crosby, Stills, and Nash's "Just a Song Before I Go," Steely Dan's "Deacon Blues," Bobby Caldwell's "What You Won't Do For Love", Bill Withers/Grover Washington, Jr's "Just The Two of Us," and Ricky Lee Jones' "Chuck E's in Love" for good measure.
Anyway, I love to give credit where credit is due. I believe Hamp Elliott who is their morning host and a fixture on The Treasure Coast for over 40 years is the PD. I hope the audience responses favorably to these changes. The number of spots have increased. It may be because it's snowbird season. But the station appears to be selling to an audience that can't find a lot of the music they feature anywhere else.
Finally, small town radio and mom & pop operators can offer a different kind of radio. Let's hope that doesn't go away anytime soon. It's one of many reasons, I'm so high on radio on the Treasure Coast.
I've spent the last few weeks listening to this station more intently than usual. While I suspected musical changes would come after the playing of holiday music, I figured this would be in a more chronological direction. To their credit, they didn't do this. Instead, it's been a subtle but I believe an interesting direction.
I wouldn't call their playlist the stuff of say a "Yacht Rock" or "Classic Vinyl" playlist you'd find on a SiriusXM, but there is this ever so slight lean towards soft rock with some jazz and pop thrown in. If there's a strategy, I think it's looking at the rock genre and saying, what can we do that classic hits isn't touching. In going along with their taglines about being "refreshing" and a "one of a kind" radio station, they are living up to their name and setting some good expectations.
For those of you who remember the old "Love 94" in Miami from say the 80s, Ocean FM has musical moments that are reminiscent of that time. No, this is not exactly what Love 94 was but I have to use that word "subtle" again in the updated musical direction.
The other day when I was driving around, the songs I recall playing either back-to-back or in close proximity to each other were George Harrison's "Blow Away," John Lennon's "Just like Starting Over," Crosby, Stills, and Nash's "Just a Song Before I Go," Steely Dan's "Deacon Blues," Bobby Caldwell's "What You Won't Do For Love", Bill Withers/Grover Washington, Jr's "Just The Two of Us," and Ricky Lee Jones' "Chuck E's in Love" for good measure.
Anyway, I love to give credit where credit is due. I believe Hamp Elliott who is their morning host and a fixture on The Treasure Coast for over 40 years is the PD. I hope the audience responses favorably to these changes. The number of spots have increased. It may be because it's snowbird season. But the station appears to be selling to an audience that can't find a lot of the music they feature anywhere else.
Finally, small town radio and mom & pop operators can offer a different kind of radio. Let's hope that doesn't go away anytime soon. It's one of many reasons, I'm so high on radio on the Treasure Coast.
Thanks, John! I meant to post yesterday, as I drove back and forth to Orlando over the weekend. I listened to 97.1 Ocean FM as much as I could (my nearly 14 year old daughter protested at times!). Some thoughts:
1. I noticed a lot of local advertisers, as you pointed out. While rates can't be too high along the TC, Ocean FM seems to have more local advertisers than WQOL (which runs a great deal of national ads).
2. I loved the music. The variety was good. The playlist reminded me of iHeart's Breeze stations (before most went defunct), with more variety.
3. I didn't hear any jocks, which was the only disappointing thing.
4. The signal seemed stronger along the Treasure Coast than the Space Coast. I know the tower is near Vero, but I was hoping for better coverage into Melbourne, but no luck.
Good description. Their playlist also reminded me of WFEZ/Miami before they modernized and tightened their playlist. Another station it reminded me of was WAVV/Fort Myers.
Songs one can't hear anywhere else on the dial in the vast majority of markets in the U.S. This is why I love this station. For the record, I do think such a station would work in West Palm Beach, especially with the demographics. But advertisers don't want old people.
Something else I thought about: The TC is lucky to have small operators. Not every smaller Florida market does. Take Sarasota. It's dominated by iHeart. Maybe it's because the Tampa stations are so clear there, but there isn't much local there. The only markets that come to mind that are similar are on the Panhandle. Panama City Beach and Destin/Ft. Walton have some great smaller ownership groups. It's been a few years since I have been up there, but I always enjoyed it.
WOSN and all the stations in the cluster DO NOT subscribe to Nielson.
Apparently they do subscribe to Nielsen. I can see why anyone would think the opposite as sometimes N/A appears by the cluster stations. Not sure why that is but maybe they pay the fees late?
The Treasure Coast Ratings (Ft. Pierce-Stuart-Vero Beach) were reported last month. This is market #97 and despite population increases, we seem to be dropping in rank. Other areas are no doubt growing even faster.
What's obvious is the impact West Palm radio stations have on the area. Once again, WPB's Classic Rock, WKGR dominates. Theirs is an incredible signal reaching well into the northern T.C. The other day I heard Jodi Stewart doing a weekend gig on the station. It shows just how many hats many in radio wear. She's the PD at AC WOLL. I hear her doing traffic reports on various iHeart stations as well.
That certain radio voice is a good fit for certain formats. Jodi just sounds like Classic Rock is a great fit. BTW, I became aware of her when she did Afternoon drive on Jacksonville's 96.9 The Eagle in its early days. It was common knowledge that she preferred the warmth and the vibe of South Florida and obviously she wound up there doing very well.
The Vero Beach Broadcasters cluster all trended down with the exception of their country format,WPHR B 94.7. WOSN, the soft AC that gets many mentions here, appears to be at their lowest share that I can recall. While I believe they offer a sound not generally found elsewhere, I think they can use enhancements but that costs money.
The imaging is tired and outside of AM drive, the station is jockless for the rest of the weekday dayparts. Yes, talent costs money but a midday and PM drive host would be a "nice to have."
National Public Radio WQCS-FM always does well. Besides the content that is enjoyed by a large swath of listeners, it's seniors who delight in the sound of a human voice. I've seen reports about this over the years that both TV and radio news will see listenership for those who live alone. It makes sense I suppose. But either way, NPR does well in many markets, not just The Treasure Coast.
iHeart's Country Format for The Treasure Coast WAVW Wave 92.7 is just a tenth of a ratings point behind WKGR so I'd consider them a co #1.
iHeart's Classic Hits WQOL, a station we mention a lot here, had higher shares of the audience when it was an oldies format. Given the large number of seniors on The Treasure Coast, it's easy to see why. While I don't have demo-specific info, I would suspect that even though WQOL is not #1 in the market as it often was, they are making better inroads into 25-54 than previously.
iHeart's Oldies format WZTA-AM translating on 107.9 is in fractional shares near the bottom. For real oldies lovers, all that Bee Gees and disco music in the mix to also include 80s titles is not much an incentive. Obviously it's a crappy signal too. Not much to do with all that I suppose. I've heard a good amount of local spots so as long as that keeps going on, that format should too.
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Jodi Stewart also voicetracks weekend shifts at Big 105.9, iHeart's Miami Classic Rock outlet. She has so many responsibilities, it seems, that I don't know how she keeps everything straight. Hubbard has jocks doing similar duties. Bill Adams hosts mornings at 850 WFTL, voicetracks mornings at WEAT-FM, and does traffic reports for the cluster. It is enough to make one's head spin.
I agree about the West Palm stations having a big impact on the Treasure Coast. Several West Palm stations started as Treasure Coast stations, but shifted their focus due to West Palm's bigger market size and those stations' big signals. WKGR and WLDI both come to mind. I have picked up WKGR and WLDI in downtown Melbourne and as a far south as Fort Lauderdale Beach.
Despite its ratings, I am hoping that WOSN bills well, especially with all its local advertisers.
Interestingly enough, I remember when 92.7, when it was WZZR, was aimed at West Palm Beach. Its signal strength is clearly north of the city.
Earlier this month, iHeartMedia flipped 1370 WZTA-AM (licensed to Vero Beach) along with its FM translator W300BQ (107.9) to its conservative talk brand. The predecessor format was its Premium Choice Oldies brand.
The new branding is “Newsradio 107.9 FM/1370 AM The Patriot.” One interesting feature of the new format is it’s simulcasting the morning drive show at sister 1290 WJNO-AM in West Palm. Since the station does offer local and Florida state news, simulcasting “The Brian Mudd Show” makes sense and is something we often see.
There’s national news, of course, along with national conservative talk hosts such as Clay Travis & Buck Sexton, Ben Shapiro, Guy Benson, and Mark Levin to name a few. Prior to WZTA’s flip to the oldies format, they were a news/talk format that also featured Standards/Oldies music on weekends. So, in some respects it’s returning to a previously long-established format.
Treasure/Space Coast Radio also offers a Conservative news/talk format with 1490 WTTB-AM Vero Beach translating (W289CF) on 105.7 FM. They’ve got Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Brian Kilmeade, Dan Bongino, and others.
They too offer a local morning show with veteran radio personality Bob Soos who also jocks weekends at sister Soft AC WOSN-FM. BTW, WTTB-AM is among the oldest radio stations on The Treasure Coast first airing back in 1954 where there were probably more cows here than people.
The oldies format, with its very poor signal and limited coverage area, was probably a hard sell. Personally, I think iHeart did a decent job with it to include a full roster of in-house jocks. The Treasure Coast is changing demographically and growing incredibly. I sense something else is on the horizon somewhere else on the dial.
Perhaps nothing unusual for two conservative FM translator news/talk stations going at it in a small market. The Northern Treasure Coast/Indian River County, home to Vero Beach, hasn’t voted for a Democrat for President since 1944.
The new branding is “Newsradio 107.9 FM/1370 AM The Patriot.” One interesting feature of the new format is it’s simulcasting the morning drive show at sister 1290 WJNO-AM in West Palm. Since the station does offer local and Florida state news, simulcasting “The Brian Mudd Show” makes sense and is something we often see.
There’s national news, of course, along with national conservative talk hosts such as Clay Travis & Buck Sexton, Ben Shapiro, Guy Benson, and Mark Levin to name a few. Prior to WZTA’s flip to the oldies format, they were a news/talk format that also featured Standards/Oldies music on weekends. So, in some respects it’s returning to a previously long-established format.
Treasure/Space Coast Radio also offers a Conservative news/talk format with 1490 WTTB-AM Vero Beach translating (W289CF) on 105.7 FM. They’ve got Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Brian Kilmeade, Dan Bongino, and others.
They too offer a local morning show with veteran radio personality Bob Soos who also jocks weekends at sister Soft AC WOSN-FM. BTW, WTTB-AM is among the oldest radio stations on The Treasure Coast first airing back in 1954 where there were probably more cows here than people.
The oldies format, with its very poor signal and limited coverage area, was probably a hard sell. Personally, I think iHeart did a decent job with it to include a full roster of in-house jocks. The Treasure Coast is changing demographically and growing incredibly. I sense something else is on the horizon somewhere else on the dial.
Perhaps nothing unusual for two conservative FM translator news/talk stations going at it in a small market. The Northern Treasure Coast/Indian River County, home to Vero Beach, hasn’t voted for a Democrat for President since 1944.