V.H. update

[OldiesCat]

Re: Jack-NY

Baltimore's Jack has better 25-54 numbers than they did with Oldies. Actually, for years WQSR was one of the better performing Oldies stations but their downtrend started several years ago. The Baltimore Jack flip was one of the early ones, yet seems to have created a lot less national attention.

And, as in a bunch of other markets where there was an initial outcry because the Oldies station got flipped, nobody in Baltimore has discovered the hole left by Oldies' departure was big enough to fill.

>
> Well, you do bring up good points Cat, but I wasn't talking
> about the New York City market, I was talking about
> Baltimore.
>

 

[dave73]

Re: Baltimore

> >
> > Baltimore could be doing better, though I'm sure it's
> > beating the Oldies format it replaced in the money demo.
> >
> > Problem is that CBS has handicapped 102.7 Jack-FM by
> > continuing a competing Hot AC on 106.5. Last year 106.5
> was
> > doing 80's weekends that were very close to the 80's-heavy
>
> > Jack playlist. I don't know whether that's still going
> on,
> > but it's worth noting that Jack just passed 106.5 in the
> 12+
> > ratings.
> >
>
> That was a dumb move on CBS Radio's part, to start a Jack FM
> and own a Hot AC. Most Hot ACs are hurting from Jack (or
> Bob, or whatever other name their is).
>
> It probably doesn't matter to much to them. Just as long
> their stations are getting the listeners!
>
So far, Jack FM in Chicago hasn't taken away any ratings from WTMX, but might be diluting their ratings from sister station WXRT, which has some of the same songs in their playlist, and has taken a small hit since the flip. Jack FM also seems to be narrowing their playlist some too, mainly focusing on 70's & 80's, though they do play an occasional 90's track, and a track from this decade. WXRT of couse has an older demo with the AAA format, but not as old as the oldies format did.

 

[radiolover78]

Chicago

> So far, Jack FM in Chicago hasn't taken away any ratings
> from WTMX, but might be diluting their ratings from sister
> station WXRT, which has some of the same songs in their
> playlist, and has taken a small hit since the flip. Jack FM
> also seems to be narrowing their playlist some too, mainly
> focusing on 70's & 80's, though they do play an occasional
> 90's track, and a track from this decade. WXRT of couse has
> an older demo with the AAA format, but not as old as the
> oldies format did.
>

The Chicago Jack is interesting. They are simply doing ok. Nothing too bad, but nothing staggering, although I heard they are doing better than with the oldies format. But I get the impression that they are just "there", not creating major competition.

I hear about WJMK being this heritage oldies station, but weren't JMK's ratings pretty weak overall?

 

[uncamark]

Re: Jack-NY

> Baltimore's Jack has better 25-54 numbers than they did with
> Oldies. Actually, for years WQSR was one of the better
> performing Oldies stations but their downtrend started
> several years ago. The Baltimore Jack flip was one of the
> early ones, yet seems to have created a lot less national
> attention.
>
> And, as in a bunch of other markets where there was an
> initial outcry because the Oldies station got flipped,
> nobody in Baltimore has discovered the hole left by Oldies'
> departure was big enough to fill.

And in New York and Chicago, another factor was that the local print media got livid. The CBS-FM audience and the readership for the Daily News and Post are a lot alike and both papers made a big deal of dragging out Cousin Brucie and the other old DJs to decry the format change. In Chicago, Rob Feder has built his endless attack on Infinity/CBS based solely on his idolization of Dick Biondi--and like the tabloids in New York, his paper the Sun-Times shared a lot of audience with 'JMK. Baltimore and LA don't have working-class tabloids to get up righteous indignation from their predominately 55+ audience over an oldies station going off the air.

 

[OldiesCat]

Re: Chicago

You're right on- I think they get credit for being some sort of "heritage" Oldies station just because they've been around for a long time and because they're in a top 3 market. A case could be made that they were never more than consistently mediocre.

>
> The Chicago Jack is interesting. They are simply doing ok.
> Nothing too bad, but nothing staggering, although I heard
> they are doing better than with the oldies format. But I get
> the impression that they are just "there", not creating
> major competition.
>
> I hear about WJMK being this heritage oldies station, but
> weren't JMK's ratings pretty weak overall?
>

 

[uncamark]

Re: Chicago

> You're right on- I think they get credit for being some sort
> of "heritage" Oldies station just because they've been
> around for a long time and because they're in a top 3
> market. A case could be made that they were never more than
> consistently mediocre.

In more ways than one.

I'm an oldies lover and I always liked at least some of the talent lineup on 'JMK, but there always was something to the station's sound that I just didn't care for, whether it be the jingles (and with the exception of the package that they shared with 'JJD in the early 90s and the last Tony Griffin package they bought, the jingles were always mediocre at best), the production elements or the promotions. And that was consistent from beginning to end of the format.