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Entercom Launches Alt 98.7

When she was at 105.1 in KC, they opened up a sizable ratings lead on 96.5, as I recall.

I was very surprised to see KCJK fire her and shift to a much heavier (testosterone laden) music stance.

A few months ago, KCJK seemed to be featuring an awkward playlist that was leaning a bit more heavily on Alt material than Rock material, but now I see the station is leaning more heavily on Rock material again.
 
Correct. Julia reportedly was going to join the station as a solo on-air host, presumably in that same time slot. Point being - that hasn't occurred just yet.

I cannot help but wonder if additional changes are in store and if the whole ball 'o wax will be unveiled at once.
 
TheBigA said:
I thought Lazlo had been returned to being strictly a KC host a while ago. Surprised to see he's still in Detroit.

What's happened lately is Audacy hired Ross Mahoney last month as regional VP of alternative, covering Kansas City, Las Vegas, Orlando, and Richmond, reporting to Kevin Weatherly in LA. So he's Lazlo's boss. Perhaps he's wondering why his talent is being heard in Detroit.

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Meanwhile, who's running Detroit? As of March, it's Brad Steiner.


So perhaps we'll see something new in Detroit. Or perhaps an extension of another of Steiner's stations.
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Brad Steiner's old station in New Orleans has been sounding better music wise since his departure.

Perhaps Audacy should've promoted Jason Ginty when he was still employed there! I like what he's doing with 92.3 in New Orleans. Hopefully the ratings there will respond favorably. I like the music and love the imaging.
 
BTW, All Access shows Christine Malovetz as PD of WDZH, not Steiner. Steiner is listed as MD.

WDZH still often sounds like a boring jukebox with not enough music variety. With the noteworthy exception of Brady, who I think puts forth a decent sounding on-air shift, the air talent on the station is very unremarkable.

Seems like the main purpose of the station is to plead with listeners to download & check out the Audacy app as opposed to providing a compelling listening experience on 98.7.
 
It's been five weeks since Lazlo was ditched, yet 98.7 remains jockless in afternoons. Recall it was announced on air that Julia was to take over a daypart. That never happened. Weird.

Then again, 98.7 is supposedly being programmed by one of the people responsible for the debacle known as Go 96.3 in Minneapolis, so perhaps I shouldn't be surprised by the ineptitude.

Another holiday season format change upcoming, perhaps?

By the way, the music mix and branding found on the newly launched 106.3 The Core in Saginaw is precisely how an alternative station in Detroit *should* sound. I'm impressed that Alpha Media got it right.
 
MarkW said:
By the way, the music mix and branding found on the newly launched 106.3 The Core in Saginaw is precisely how an alternative station in Detroit *should* sound. I'm impressed that Alpha Media got it right.
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If all you are looking for is an Alt classic hits station...

The first hour of the new “Core” featured:

  • Stone Temple Pilots – Crush
  • Linkin Park – In The End
  • Sublime – What I Got
  • 3 Doors Down – Kryptonite
  • Bush – Everything Zen
  • Green Day – Longview
  • Weezer – Beverly Hills
  • Alice In Chains – Got Me Wrong
  • Jane’s Addiction – Been Caught Stealing
  • Puddle of Mudd – Blurry
  • Blink 182 – What’s My Age Again
  • Nirvana – The Man Who Sold The World
 
I've listened to The Core online for a total of five or six hours over the past couple days. They also have a complete hour-by-hour music log on their web site.

Interestingly, I'd say their first hour of music is on the softer side compared to most other hours of music featured on that station, and I actually wound up being surprised by how much Active Rock gold is featured. Their playlist definitely blurs the lines between Active Rock and Alternative, and I'd say it leans more Active Rock. Even several 80's era Metallica tracks have been played.

Ya know what? That's probably how a "ROCK Alternative" should sound here in the Wolverine State!

Port Huron's Rock 105.5 takes a similar gold-oriented approach but features less nu metal than WGER, plays a few select recurrents from pure alt artists as part of its mix as well, and perhaps plays more 00's material and less 90's material than WGER.

I prefer both WGER (Saginaw) and WHLS (Port Huron) by a country mile over WDZH.

Remember how 106.7 WLLZ used to call itself the "Next Generation of Classic Rock" despite playing many of the same worn out 80s songs WCSX has played for years now?

I'd argue the mid 90's to mid 00's centric playlist (with some older songs + some more recent songs thrown in for good measure) of 106.3 WGER in Saginaw truly represents the "next generation."

I am definitely rooting for WGER!

I'd like to see Alpha launch similar stations in markets such as Louisville (where current & recurrent based Alt 105.1 earns awful ratings) and Dayton (where The X @ 103.9 in its heyday played much of the same music and where Alpha has one station with terrible ratings and another with mediocre ratings). Dayton - a rust belt market with no in-market Active Rock signal and no Alternative formatted station - would be especially receptive to such a format, in my opinion.
 
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I think they should mostly play a blend of 90s and 00s alternative and active rock, with a couple cuts hourly devoted to 2010s or 2020s material.

Julia is the new morning host. She's gone on mic once so far.

She is using "Detroit's Alternative Rock" between songs, but I've noticed no updates to creative yet. Out of a Foo Fighters song, the station ran an annoying plug for Audacy's "new arrivals" streaming channel, then went straight to commercial break.

The changes appear to be a work in progress. Brady is moving to afternoons. I'm not sure if the new midday personality will be local or imported.

Would not surprise me if Holly Hutton of WYCD handles that shift (she did middays / MD duties at 89X for about a decade until about 2010). I've said before she should have a voice in 98.7's programming. Probably more capable than the failed PD of Go 96.3 in Minneapolis (one of the poorest performing commercial FM stations in the history of that market) who probably has never even visited Metro Detroit.
 
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WOMC and WRIF are at the front of the pack. I believe WNIC, WJLB, WKQI and WYCD come next (not necessarily in that exact order).
 
CassChopper96 said:
What are some of the top billing music formatted stations in Detroit?
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In order, WOMC, WYCD, WRIF, WNIC, WKQI, WMXD,, WJLB, WCSX, WDZH, WDVD. The top one bills nearly three times as much as the bottom one on this list.
 
chrocket87 said:
WDZH, as in Alt 98.7, bills more than WDVD!?!?! Insane!
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I'm guessing the difference is minimal. And alt, despite the negative stereotype of its listeners, still attracts a hard-to-reach demographic. A Hot AC like WDVD is just another female-friendly format in a radio landscape full of them.
 
CassChopper96 said:
Im surpised WMGC is not on that list thats really crazy
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Sales is much more than ratings. It is the strength of the sales staff, the synergy of the cluster, the image of the station with local business owners, involvement with local events and the like.

Ratings are only a part of making a sale.
 
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