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New name for 104.5?

AMRocks

AMRocks

Star Participant
From Tom Taylor's newsletter today:

Atlanta’s alternative-rock “Radio 105.7” WRDA is now an “Alt.” The Alt brand is definitely spreading across iHeart-land, this time to a station that’s been in the format since March 2013. The AJC’s Rodney Ho says “The station isn’t doing quite as well as it did in 2016” with its target 18-34s – perhaps one reason to try putting up the “Alt” sign. The talent remains with same, with Wendy Rollins (mornings), Knox (middays) and Aly Young in afternoons. Aly was there when 105.7/Canton, Georgia dropped rhythmic “Wild” for “Radio 105.7.” The Atlanta move makes you wonder about the branding on a much older iHeart station – “Radio 104.5” WRFF in Philadelphia, which dates back to May 2007.
 
There unfortunately doesn't seem to be much of a future for the format here, regardless of the station name. I wouldn't want to spend the money to re-brand it. If I were pulling the purse strings, I'd be campaigning to change advertiser perceptions at this point. Not sure changing the word "Radio" to "Alt" will have much of an impact in that regard.

I read that Entercom flipped a station in Seattle to Soft AC which I found surprising (though I admittedly know little about the market dynamics out there). But it got me wondering whether Sunny 104.5, had it not flipped back in '06, would be billing higher than Radio 104.5 is currently. (In that wondering, there's an assumption that WTDY would not be doing AC and that Sunny would by now by an AC/Classic Hits hybrid not playing Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond.)
 
AMRocks said:
From Tom Taylor's newsletter today:

Atlanta’s alternative-rock “Radio 105.7” WRDA is now an “Alt.” The Alt brand is definitely spreading across iHeart-land, this time to a station that’s been in the format since March 2013. The AJC’s Rodney Ho says “The station isn’t doing quite as well as it did in 2016” with its target 18-34s – perhaps one reason to try putting up the “Alt” sign. The talent remains with same, with Wendy Rollins (mornings), Knox (middays) and Aly Young in afternoons. Aly was there when 105.7/Canton, Georgia dropped rhythmic “Wild” for “Radio 105.7.” The Atlanta move makes you wonder about the branding on a much older iHeart station – “Radio 104.5” WRFF in Philadelphia, which dates back to May 2007.
Click to expand...

I don't think a name change from "Radio 104.5" to "Alt 104.5" would help billings at all. (Maybe a fresh coat of paint on the Radio 104.5 logo to match the round Alt logo, but that's about it). Radio 104.5 has a strong brand in the Philly market, and I think changing the name would only hurt a little. How to better monetize the station is a discussion left for people smarter than me.

The only way I can see iHeart re-branding to Alt is if they get wind Entercom may be attempting to flip a station to Alt in Philly. And even then, iHeart could just throw their "Alt Project" feed onto WRFF-HD3 and claim the name before.

What I don't get is WRFF tinkering with the slogan in recent years. For years from the start, they really had no slogan... it was just Radio 104.5. Eventually they added "Philadelphia's Alternative" and now it's "Philadelphia's Alternative Rock." I'm not sure what added value the word "Rock" brings to the slogan.
 
It would a really bad move to launch a second Alt station in a market that can barely support one. Might just as well flip something to Gospel to compete with WPPZ!

If I had to guess, I'd say someone thought adding "Rock" to the slogan might get some to perceive it as a Rock station instead of an Alternative station, which advertisers clearly don't like around here.
 
Miguelito said:
It would a really bad move to launch a second Alt station in a market that can barely support one. Might just as well flip something to Gospel to compete with WPPZ!

If I had to guess, I'd say someone thought adding "Rock" to the slogan might get some to perceive it as a Rock station instead of an Alternative station, which advertisers clearly don't like around here.
Click to expand...

Oh I agree, Philly can't support 2 Alt's. It was a hypothetical IF Entercom were to flip one, but looking at the billing of WRFF, they won't unless WRFF bows out of the game.

And does "Rock" really bill better than "Alt?" (Serious question. DavidEduardo might be able to give some insight.) I remember hearing that WYSP did horribly outside of ratings juggernaut Howard Stern, and that WMMR sees a pretty decent drop after Preston & Steve. Would imaging as "rock" be any more valuable? Not being snarky... I'm honestly curious.
 
No one is saying that Entercom is planning to flip anything to alternative in Philly. It's all about the "fight" happening over the use of "ALT" around the country. iHeart might change the NAME of a station that's already "alternative"
 
atthestars said:
Oh I agree, Philly can't support 2 Alt's. It was a hypothetical IF Entercom were to flip one, but looking at the billing of WRFF, they won't unless WRFF bows out of the game.

And does "Rock" really bill better than "Alt?" (Serious question. DavidEduardo might be able to give some insight.) I remember hearing that WYSP did horribly outside of ratings juggernaut Howard Stern, and that WMMR sees a pretty decent drop after Preston & Steve. Would imaging as "rock" be any more valuable? Not being snarky... I'm honestly curious.
Click to expand...

WMMR has a very good 1.1 power ratio... as good as WBEB. WMGK is at a 1.0 ratio, alos good. The overperformers are WBEB, WDAS, WMMR and KYW. The ones at 1.0 are WOGL, WMGK, WXTU, WISX. of major stations, the lowest is WRFF.

It's worth noting that stations that have recently dipped in ratings tend to have higher than normal ratios for a while as agencies, who use rolling averages, adjust rates and budgets. And stations that go up in ratings initially have lower than parity ratios, as it takes buyers a while to accept new rates and to add the station to buys.
 
DavidEduardo said:


WMMR has a very good 1.1 power ratio... as good as WBEB. WMGK is at a 1.0 ratio, alos good. The overperformers are WBEB, WDAS, WMMR and KYW. The ones at 1.0 are WOGL, WMGK, WXTU, WISX. of major stations, the lowest is WRFF. .
Click to expand...

That I didn't know! Thanks!
 
What if they renamed to Y-104.5 and purchased the intellectual property of Y-100?
There are some people that fondly remember Y-100
 
nkd said:
What if they renamed to Y-104.5 and purchased the intellectual property of Y-100?
There are some people that fondly remember Y-100
Click to expand...

The older end of the demo (34+) would remember Y100, but I guarantee the younger end of the demo either has little or zero memory of Y100 and what it was. It would make no sense.

Plus at this point, Radio 104.5 has existed as long as Y100 did as Alternative. No point in throwing out a brand for one that hasn't existed in 12 years.
 
I don't see any point in them rebranding - they're a heritage station at this point, and have always been successful at least in terms of ratings. Changing the name won't change their perception with advertisers.

A new logo might not hurt though, and the imaging could really use a revamp considering it really hasn't changed much since the station's launch.
 
nkd said:
What if they renamed to Y-104.5 and purchased the intellectual property of Y-100?
There are some people that fondly remember Y-100
Click to expand...
Why not go all in an re-brand as WDRE? The underground network?

Fond memories of Y or not, that time passed. There’s zero reason to do that.
 
Fakeem said:
It lets people know that there won't be any "Urban" music on the station, which gets them more advertising money.
Click to expand...

In a market where one of the top 3 billing music stations is Urban, I don't see how the urban-no urban distinction will get them any more revenue. What gets revenue is efficient delivery of advertisers' target demos, not the tempo, rhythm or beat of the music.
 
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