Nov 6+..and still no WOW!

[DrAkbar]

These numbers are about as useful as a coupon good for a free oil change at Mecham AMC in Glendale. But hey, they're free and we can afford it. https://ratings.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/arb057

1 KEZ
2 KYOT
3 KSLX
4 KOOL
5 KUPD
6 KTAR
7 KJZZ/KNIX
8 KALV
9 KZZP
10 KMXP

The WOW Factor on KOAI trends 1.7-1.3-1.0 YIKES!

Nice bumps for KFLR 1.7-2.3 and KNAI 1.6-2.3

Happy Thanksgiving from the turkeys at the Buckeye Media Hut!

 

[TheBigA]

I think this really reflects what we've all been talking about here, Doc. It would make a good topic at the Media Hut.

What we've seen is the new format alienated some of the former fans of the Oasis, and the broader range of music didn't attract enough music lovers.

Thus you have a 20% drop. The only problem is 92.7 didn't benefit.

BTW did anyone notice the slight revival at the Camel?

 

[DavidEduardo]

T

The WOW Factor on KOAI trends 1.7-1.3-1.0 YIKES!

And the Wowzer gets a mighty 0.7 in 25-54.

It did get a 1.5 in 55+, but back at the beginning of the year they had a 3.2 in March!

 

[TheBigA]

It did get a 1.5 in 55+

And that was his target. Must have been those country songs.

 

[CTListener]

So this is what happens to a programmer who was successful and acclaimed when programming music he "gets" and likes and which had mass popularity at the time, but somehow thinks that playing all the songs he REALLY liked from those halcyon days will work as a format more than a quarter century later?

 

[tbolt909]

And the Wowzer gets a mighty 0.7 in 25-54.

It did get a 1.5 in 55+, but back at the beginning of the year they had a 3.2 in March!

Sebastian claims the response has been "overwhelming". The ratings say otherwise.

The playlist is filled with "Tired Music For Tired People". Does this station have any personalities yet or is it automated? The stream is restricted, so out of area site visitors can mercifully only "read the playlist, not hear it". Looks like the typical Classic Hits/Rock/Oldies fare with a few "oddities"...

 

[radiowizard101]

Happened on the WOWIE on Sunday by accident and heard Strangers in the Night by Sinatra go directly into Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix. No liner, no buffer, nada... Couldn't hear half the instruments in the Sinatra tune due to the over abundance of compression and the vocals on the Hendrix song were squashed until he sang 'excuse my while i kiss the sky'!!!

The only relationship those two songs have is the same record label (reprise).

Its moments like this that are chasing the listeners away. I had a good LAUGH... LOL.

And a lot of the Country tunes being played are the wrong selections. But, I guess facebook lurkers, and the twitterdome love it. Keep listening to those folks John.

Also heard a wow promo making the claim boasting about the huge variety and that went into Margarittaville by Jimmy Buffett.

or could it be the vaping commercials in almost every break? Or the ballsy 70s type (out of date) imaging?

or how about NO LOCAL content? Hmmmm... could be any of those observations.

 

[EricStein]

or could it be the vaping commercials in almost every break? Or the ballsy 70s type (out of date) imaging?

Or those Alaskan A/C ads with the annoying "license jingle." Between that, and the awful "ripping paper" effect on the Timeshare Compliance per-inquiry that airs constantly on 1580, it's a good thing I have a mute button on my car's radio.

 

[wattsup]

Tuned in a bit on Sunday, and WOW went from something palatable to a tired, dreary Dan Fogelberg song. My wife said "what is this awful song?" tuned over to 92.7 and she was happy again.

So this is what happens to a programmer who was successful and acclaimed when programming music he "gets" and likes and which had mass popularity at the time, but somehow thinks that playing all the songs he REALLY liked from those halcyon days will work as a format more than a quarter century later?

 

[tbolt909]

Tuned in a bit on Sunday, and WOW went from something palatable to a tired, dreary Dan Fogelberg song. My wife said "what is this awful song?" tuned over to 92.7 and she was happy again.

That's when "Oh WOW" becomes "Good God NO". This type of format will have no flow or identity. Just a bad jukebox with the drunken uncle picking the tunes. Spotify can do a better job of programming a playlist suited to a listeners tastes...

 

[michael hagerty]

That's when "Oh WOW" becomes "Good God NO". This type of format will have no flow or identity. Just a bad jukebox with the drunken uncle picking the tunes. Spotify can do a better job of programming a playlist suited to a listeners tastes...

A long-distance anecdote---

25 years ago, John Sebastian took over as PD at KSLX. The numbers had fallen into the mid-2s.

His first book was a 1.6.

The next book was a 1.4.

The book after that was a 5.1 and the one after that was a 5.4---at the time, a record number for KSLX.

Not saying that is gonna happen this time---my only point is that, if you look at what John has done throughout his career, it's usually different enough that it blows off the old audience the first few books, and then there's a climb, in some cases steady, in some cases meteoric.

It's early.

Happy Thanksgiving, Dr. Akbar, David Eduardo and the gang!

 

[TheBigA]

….if you look at what John has done throughout his career, it's usually different enough that it blows off the old audience the first few books, and then there's a climb,

He definitely did a good job so far on the first part.

 

[CTListener]

A long-distance anecdote---

25 years ago, John Sebastian took over as PD at KSLX. The numbers had fallen into the mid-2s.

His first book was a 1.6.

The next book was a 1.4.

The book after that was a 5.1 and the one after that was a 5.4---at the time, a record number for KSLX.

Not saying that is gonna happen this time---my only point is that, if you look at what John has done throughout his career, it's usually different enough that it blows off the old audience the first few books, and then there's a climb, in some cases steady, in some cases meteoric.

It's early.

So are you suggesting that the permanent format may be something totally different from what it is now, or that it will transition to a more traditional classic hits format? Wouldn't the latter just drive off whatever musical completists and oddballs are currently making up the audience?

 

[TheBigA]

So are you suggesting that the permanent format may be something totally different from what it is now, or that it will transition to a more traditional classic hits format? Wouldn't the latter just drive off whatever musical completists and oddballs are currently making up the audience?

The one thing he hasn't implemented yet is local talent. That was promised in the original plan, so that's likely to be the next step. I think the music is what it is.

 

[johndavis]

Tuned in a bit on Sunday, and WOW went from something palatable to a tired, dreary Dan Fogelberg song. My wife said "what is this awful song?" tuned over to 92.7 and she was happy again.

That's been my experience with WOW, too. When they hit a clunker, WOW is it terrible!

 

[michael hagerty]

So are you suggesting that the permanent format may be something totally different from what it is now, or that it will transition to a more traditional classic hits format? Wouldn't the latter just drive off whatever musical completists and oddballs are currently making up the audience?

CTListener: I'm not really suggesting anything. I've been gone from the market for six years and haven't talked to John. I don't know enough about the Wow Factor or KOAI's signal to know what the upper end of possible is if everything goes right. All I'm saying is that once upon a time, in the same town, John saw bad numbers get much worse for his two first books, and then they reversed (dramatically, in the case of KSLX). If PDs and formats generally get a year, these are still early days.

 

[tbolt909]

CTListener: I'm not really suggesting anything. I've been gone from the market for six years and haven't talked to John. I don't know enough about the Wow Factor or KOAI's signal to know what the upper end of possible is if everything goes right. All I'm saying is that once upon a time, in the same town, John saw bad numbers get much worse for his two first books, and then they reversed (dramatically, in the case of KSLX). If PDs and formats generally get a year, these are still early days.

It's hard to compare 2019 to something he did 25 years ago. That was a different era. No PPM ratings, barely any internet, etc...
It seems unrealistic to expect this station to jump from a one share to a 5...

 

[DavidEduardo]

CTListener: I'm not really suggesting anything. I've been gone from the market for six years and haven't talked to John. I don't know enough about the Wow Factor or KOAI's signal to know what the upper end of possible is if everything goes right. All I'm saying is that once upon a time, in the same town, John saw bad numbers get much worse for his two first books, and then they reversed (dramatically, in the case of KSLX). If PDs and formats generally get a year, these are still early days.

As tbolt says, we are in a PPM continuous measurement era. Three books used to be 10 to 11 months, including the processing time. Today, it is just over 90 days, and we have weekly data for tracking and fine tuning a format.

"Back in the day" a new station could buy a TV blitz, throw up some billboards and do a contest. Today, the promotion of a station gets lost in the clutter of media alternatives and it is very hard to get any kind of trending going.

And when the target is a group that is pretty much ignored by transactional advertisers, and one that is not as media-active, the task is even harder.

"Impossible Dream"?

 

[michael hagerty]

It's hard to compare 2019 to something he did 25 years ago. That was a different era. No PPM ratings, barely any internet, etc...
It seems unrealistic to expect this station to jump from a one share to a 5...

And, as I was pretty sure I was clear about---I don't. The point---made twice---it's early. This may never get better. Or it may. We don't know yet.

 

[michael hagerty]

As tbolt says, we are in a PPM continuous measurement era. Three books used to be 10 to 11 months, including the processing time. Today, it is just over 90 days, and we have weekly data for tracking and fine tuning a format.

"Back in the day" a new station could buy a TV blitz, throw up some billboards and do a contest. Today, the promotion of a station gets lost in the clutter of media alternatives and it is very hard to get any kind of trending going.

And when the target is a group that is pretty much ignored by transactional advertisers, and one that is not as media-active, the task is even harder.

"Impossible Dream"?

And now that I know I'm dealing with someone who understood my point in the first place, David, are we at a point where we can call something a failure and blow it up in 90 days, or does a format and a PD still have a year, give or take, to turn a corner?