Star Seems to Be All Christmas

[BIGSTICK]

Here you go:

http://977thepeach.com/listen-live/

Oh I wish , yet it is in Tweedledumb, Alabama.

 

[andreajesus]

Probably From The "Captain Obvious" File

I turned on Star 94-1 this morning, which I don't usually do in the AM, and they were calling themselves "the Christmas station." Then they played a Christmas song. Then I arrived at my destination and stopped listening. Just got a call from a friend who said they seem to have gone all Christmas.

I know this will lead to people on this board speculating Star will change formats after Christmas. Just my opinion, but I think that's unlikely. This should bring them some attention and sampling though.

I'm with you on the "unlikely" part - I see this the same way I see Lite-FM in New York - they are playing Christmas music during the holiday - drawing hopefully lots of new people - and seeing who sticks around after Christmas for their traditional format. Besides, if it works for Lite-FM (and I believe it does).....

 

[BIGSTICK]

I'm with you on the "unlikely" part - I see this the same way I see Lite-FM in New York - they are playing Christmas music during the holiday - drawing hopefully lots of new people - and seeing who sticks around after Christmas for their traditional format. Besides, if it works for Lite-FM (and I believe it does).....

Well hopefully the PD, and others at Star will read this, and think otherwise...

 

[andreajesus]

A (pop leaning) classic hits format could work as well. I for one would like to hear that one here. They could def go after a few Atlanta stations by playing Madonna, Patti LaBelle, Duran Duran, Stephanie Mills, Aerosmith, Billy Ocean, BonJovi, Janet/Michael Jackson, etc.

Not necessarily - unless they decide to go the same way as legendary WCBSFM in New York, which, even though it bills itself as "New York's Greatest Hits", keeps its music mix MOSTLY 80's and early 90's (with a smidgeon of 70's thrown in - OY!)

 

[andreajesus]

Well hopefully the PD, and others at Star will read this, and think otherwise...

i wouldn't read too much into this - it's a holiday ploy for ratings, and that's it

 

[TheBigA]

True classic hits (not The River's classic rock) or soft AC would be logical moves for Star,

Old, older, oldest. There's a reason why The River doesn't play those songs.

As for the Christmas songs, they should have been doing this for years. It's a huge biller for AC stations in NY, LA, Chicago, and other big cities. They fact that they gave that money to the Fish is just plain dumb. If they'd been awake they should have done this in November.

 

[RoddyFreeman]

Old, older, oldest. There's a reason why The River doesn't play those songs.

As for the Christmas songs, they should have been doing this for years. It's a huge biller for AC stations in NY, LA, Chicago, and other big cities. They fact that they gave that money to the Fish is just plain dumb. If they'd been awake they should have done this in November.

I don't know about that. Star 94-1 is a Hot AC station bordering on CHR. B98.5 holds the AC position and used to go all Christmas. If any station "should have been doing this for years," that station is B98.5. But without any direct AC all-Christmas competition for their listeners to turn to, they could afford to be partly Christmas.

 

[Tibbs4]

Old, older, oldest. There's a reason why The River doesn't play those songs.

As for the Christmas songs, they should have been doing this for years. It's a huge biller for AC stations in NY, LA, Chicago, and other big cities. They fact that they gave that money to the Fish is just plain dumb. If they'd been awake they should have done this in November.

This is seriously a really interesting move. I agree 200% with BigA on the fact that they waited too long. That makes me think this "surprise" may well help them in longterm listenership, ratings and a captive audience a few days around+/- Christmas. In fact, what a way to give ATL a Christmas gift. FWIW, I do not think this change to Christmas was decided on the local level. It's a tactical move to stop a decade plus disaster and someone outside of the market has thrown down the gauntlet of change, by realizing that change is less costly than current anemic ratings & revenues. Now is the time to let the listeners do the marketing. It would not work in March.

As for formats, I think the obvious easy format fix would be similar to Entercom's CBS-FM and they certainly have seen the success of CBS-FM's steady evolution out of 70's music. Plus, as we roll into 2020, it makes little sense for any station to still be playing songs from the 60's or even (sadly) 70's, unless you have a specific small target audience that pays the bills on a small signal geared toward the older demo that larger stations/corps avoid. 94 ain't none of that. It needs to rebrand and find the smart format hole somewhere between The River and B and remain open minded to pull songs in and out and not overkill the playlist. Done properly, it could be the Fresh version of two pretty tired, but well rated stations in ATL. I even admit that The Peach idea would be a noteworthy enough change that literally every relevant listener would hear about the change in a matter of days. Then, slowly and carefully throw in more 90's music for a bit younger audience I don't completely advocate this, or have knowledge on what might happen, but I cannot believe Star would flip to Christmas with no pre-sell staff knowledge or risk everything to just to go back to the same tired format that has had zero energy since the Steve & Vicki days. BigA, if YOU were going after a piece of the Fish, take a bit away of the sting of B and maybe take away a few ripples from the River, where would you position? I could see a bit lighter Greatest Hits format, but I am not sure sure you win all the potential female listeners being too lite in 2020. One thing is for sure --- THEY FINALLY DID SOMETHING!!!!! Maybe.

 

[jabba17]

Old, older, oldest. There's a reason why The River doesn't play those songs.

As for the Christmas songs, they should have been doing this for years. It's a huge biller for AC stations in NY, LA, Chicago, and other big cities. They fact that they gave that money to the Fish is just plain dumb. If they'd been awake they should have done this in November.

One of Cumulus's best translator formats (ratings-wise) was Journey 97.9, which was 80s and 90s classic hits.

Nobody is talking about bringing back Fox 97 and their good times and eight oldies. 60s are dead and so is 70s AM gold. Even the classic rock stations like River have long been trimming out the stuff from the 60s and first half of the 70s, except maybe a Hendrix or Stones spin every so often.

 

[Alex_0490]

You know B98.5 isn’t a true AC station when they play Khalid, who is an urban rapper.

 

[TheBigA]

BigA, if YOU were going after a piece of the Fish, take a bit away of the sting of B and maybe take away a few ripples from the River, where would you position? I could see a bit lighter Greatest Hits format,

The River owns that brand. They can make a slight zig or zag and suck the wind out of any classic competitor.

You know B98.5 isn’t a true AC station when they play Khalid, who is an urban rapper.

Which to me is a very smart move in Atlanta. He is, after all, a Georgia guy.

 

[kf4rca]

WKEU (88.9) is also all Christmas. Normally they run Westwood's Great American Oldies format.

 

[deejaywestbrook]

Not necessarily - unless they decide to go the same way as legendary WCBSFM in New York, which, even though it bills itself as "New York's Greatest Hits", keeps its music mix MOSTLY 80's and early 90's (with a smidgeon of 70's thrown in - OY!)

All those artists that I mentioned are from the 80s and 90s. And Stephanie Mills of course being, 'Never Knew Love Like This Before' which is a late 70's staple on many classic hits stations like WCBS-FM.

 

[Alex_0490]

The River owns that brand. They can make a slight zig or zag and suck the wind out of any classic competitor.



Which to me is a very smart move in Atlanta. He is, after all, a Georgia guy.

Interesting, did not know Khalid was from Georgia. Look, I don't mind B98.5 shifting to a more HOT-AC type of station but there needs to be more variety overall on Atlanta radio. I think Entercom runs good AC stations around the country and Atlanta could benefit from running one themselves. I can't really explain the demise of Star 94.1 BUT as for B98.5, please don't say you are an 80's and 90's station when you rarely plays 80s music other than on Saturday nights. They, Star, should've started playing Christmas right after Thanksgiving. But hey that's me. That would have boosted their ratings. Atlanta is a top 10 market and they don't have a Soft AC station which to me is odd. It's just weird for me personally for a station to play Rihanna and then they play Brenda Lee's Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree. But I digress. I do see a change once the Christmas music ends on Star.

 

[TheBigA]

Atlanta is a top 10 market and they don't have a Soft AC station which to me is odd.

New York is the #1 market, and they don't have a soft AC except on HD2.

 

[Alex_0490]

I consider 106.7 Life fm a Soft/AC station

 

[TheBigA]

I consider 106.7 Life fm a Soft/AC station

Not when you compare them to other soft ACs.

 

[jabba17]

I consider 106.7 Life fm a Soft/AC station

They're softer than anything else in ATL. They're about as soft as Peach (excuse me, Lite 94.9) was at the end and softer than B98.5 at pretty much any time in B98.5's 35 year or so history (post Beautiful 98 and WSB 99 FM)

I'm not talking about them flipping to BM/EZ or anything like that.

 

[jabba17]

The River owns that brand. They can make a slight zig or zag and suck the wind out of any classic competitor.
.

Depends on what Rock 100.5 is doing or is willing to do. Rock 100.5 went more active/new/alt because of River. But they could easily go back to more classic rock and steal River listeners if River went too poppish. Those two stations compete for many of the same listeners, and River adding a lot of pop would have a big impact on that.

River came out of the gate with a decent amount of non-AOR classic stuff (this was back when we had AAA Dave FM and active Project 9-6-1, and a lot more 80s stuff on B98.5), but most of this has been removed over time (the most notable exception being Billy Joel).

One good analogy would be 94Q in its "Rock 40" days--River could go more rock or more pop, but they have to consider what Rock 100.5 is doing on the rock side.

 

[TheBigA]

Those two stations compete for many of the same listeners, and River adding a lot of pop would have a big impact on that.

But the River won't add a lot of pop because it'll age the demo, and also because Star isn't flipping to classic hits.