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Kiss FM debuts in Sarasota/Bradenton/Venice

T

Tomgsinger

In a market dominated by Tampa starions with only a handful of stations to call their own, the Suncoast area is rarely a target for a format change -- but not this time. Sarasota, Bradenton and Venice have a Christmas station to call their own: 103.9 Kiss FM. After Christmas it will be playing "Today's Best Hits" according to iHeart's app. Unfortunately, WFLZ and WMTX can both be heard well in Sarasota, so is this really a good idea?
 
Tomgsinger said:
In a market dominated by Tampa starions with only a handful of stations to call their own, the Suncoast area is rarely a target for a format change -- but not this time. Sarasota, Bradenton and Venice have a Christmas station to call their own: 103.9 Kiss FM. After Christmas it will be playing "Today's Best Hits" according to iHeart's app. Unfortunately, WFLZ and WMTX can both be heard well in Sarasota, so is this really a good idea?
Click to expand...

Well from what I heard, 103.9 KISS FM is gonna be Hot AC, not Top 40 like 93.3 WFLZ. So if anything, it'll be mainly competiting against WMTX but not against WFLZ.
 
itsRoly4266 said:
Well from what I heard, 103.9 KISS FM is gonna be Hot AC, not Top 40 like 93.3 WFLZ. So if anything, it'll be mainly competiting against WMTX but not against WFLZ.
Click to expand...
They're using the slogan "Today's Best Hits". It could be a hybrid of hot AC/CHR, but honestly I doubt that true Hot AC is going to happen because two other iHeart Hot ACs can be heard here. That would just be a bad move.
 
Tomgsinger said:
They're using the slogan "Today's Best Hits". It could be a hybrid of hot AC/CHR, but honestly I doubt that true Hot AC is going to happen because two other iHeart Hot ACs can be heard here. That would just be a bad move.
Click to expand...

Well that's what iHeart is gonna do here.
 
My guess is you're referencing Y-100.1 and Mix 100.7. First off... it's about sales, and neither of those stations air much of any advertising targeting Sarasota and Bradenton. So, if they can sell ads for an AC/CHR in Sarasota, then that's why they're doing it. I mean it's a translator... it's not like they're blowing up 107.9 WSRZ to try this. The cluster doesn't have a strong female leaning station unless you wanna call WSRZ that. The other possibility is that either 100.1 or 100.7 shifts formats and doesn't exist anymore come January. Whatever the case, I think they're simply trying to offer an outlet targeting females within that cluster. Whether that "music" is already played on 4-5 other receivable signals is irrelevant. Their sales angle will be that none of those signals are airing local Sarasota and Bradenton ads while we'll reach the local listeners you desire. From a format standpoint I agree... a translator simply won't compete with 100.7 or 93.3.... and they probably know that. There's gotta be another reason.
 
100.1 became a Ft. Myers signal for quite some time ago. They are not in play in the Sara-Mana area. I live in North Sa-ra-so-ta! and it is way too scratchy to be of much problem.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!
 
billalm said:
My guess is you're referencing Y-100.1 and Mix 100.7. First off... it's about sales, and neither of those stations air much of any advertising targeting Sarasota and Bradenton. So, if they can sell ads for an AC/CHR in Sarasota, then that's why they're doing it. I mean it's a translator... it's not like they're blowing up 107.9 WSRZ to try this. The cluster doesn't have a strong female leaning station unless you wanna call WSRZ that. The other possibility is that either 100.1 or 100.7 shifts formats and doesn't exist anymore come January. Whatever the case, I think they're simply trying to offer an outlet targeting females within that cluster. Whether that "music" is already played on 4-5 other receivable signals is irrelevant. Their sales angle will be that none of those signals are airing local Sarasota and Bradenton ads while we'll reach the local listeners you desire. From a format standpoint I agree... a translator simply won't compete with 100.7 or 93.3.... and they probably know that. There's gotta be another reason.
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Lot of good stuff in this post, BTW for you AM lovers don't forget 1450 AM is the originating station for this format.
 
Interesting enough, in s.e. Saint Petersburg, Today’s Best Hits at 103.9 has been coming in OTA; not that strong, but stronger than WSMR’s 103.9 translator on the USF N.E. Tampa’s campus.
 
So many things wrong with this entire station and it's launch...
- First, launching the station with the all-Christmas format with the new "103.9 KISS FM" brand makes no sense. If you KNOW you're gonna be a HOT AC after the holidays then launch the KISS FM brand name once your permanent format is in place. Now the markets first impression of the new "KISS FM Sarasota" is this lame Christmas programming for over two months. They should have launched as "Santa 103.9" through the holidays, then properly launched KISS FM afterwards.
- The original poster mentioned that this new station is good because "the Suncoast has only a handful of stations to call their own". Well, since the programming for 103.9 is required to originate from 1450 WSDV, they essentially took away a viable station from the Suncoast because no one is going to listen to "Todays Best Hits" on AM 1450.
- 103.9 KISS FM launched in early Nov... in 45+ days, only 8 people have liked their FB page. https://www.facebook.com/KISS1039/
- So where do I find the "Sarasota News Radio" format that used to air on 103.9/1450/1320? The answer is it's now only on 1320 WDDV. But go to their website at https://sarasotanewsradio.iheart.com, they still have the "Newsradio 103.9" logo up. Go to their FB page at https://www.facebook.com/sarasotanewsradio and that says they are still on 1450.
 
rfrus said:
As a 250 watt translator, I cant see 103.9 having much affect in the market.
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W280EV is actually the strongest translator in the market.
It covers all of Sarasota city well (and the banks with the largest accounts),
but not the MHP's north of SRQ.

I found their freestanding AM stick at the tip of City Island.
No wonder they have such a great signal on their graveyard channel.
It is Too bad that no one will ever listen on 1450;
oh, but if HD only worked on AM!
 
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raydiodude said:
But go to their website...they still have the "Newsradio 103.9" logo up.
Go to their FB page...and that says they are still on 1450.
Click to expand...

I H8 unmaintained web presences. Go to WTIS's website:
They must be trying to "Inspire" people with oldies music?
 
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badjef said:
100.1 became a Ft. Myers signal for quite some time ago.
They are not in play in the Sara-Mana area.
I live in North Sa-ra-so-ta! and it is way too scratchy to be of much problem.
Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!
Click to expand...
And WSLR's second LPFM station,
WBPV will certainly not help around northwest Bradenton and the surrounds.
(they need to get that antenna up higher!)
 
So Hot AC was just part of the decoy as they go CHR after all with the WXXL/Orlando Morning Show. Kind of an interesting move with WFLZ and WMTX putting full signal over Sarasota. Trying to listen but the stream link is not working. Would Johnny's House need to drop all local Orlando Content just for this translator, or remain Orlando friendly even though it will sound out of place in SRQ?
 
I don't know how many times each day I look at their AM tower from "the Trail".
I drove up to it and saw a lot of boats, but no indication of any radio life,
not even a small sign with call letters from 35 years ago.
 
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