[ Post a Response | Chicagoland Radio And Media ]
Posted by Jeremy Andrews on 11/7/2009, 1:49 am
Honestly, its nothing "special" but it has its nitche.
Listening to it, its Chicago's first mainstream HOT AC station since FM 100. There's the rimshots (WXLC, WZSR, WSSR, etc) but those stations target the suburban areas they cover.
The Mix isn't exactly "Hot AC" it never was. The Mix has always had an "edge" and it continues to have that edge. Chicago likes that edge.
Its adult enough for 25-54, yet CHR enough for 18-34
The current Fresh 105.9 fills the gap between WLIT and The Mix. That's all there is to it.
Hot AC stations these days are never anything out of the ordinary. Milwaukee's heritage Hot AC is as bland as they get (Stale playlist, Ryan Seacrest, Delilah, you get the picture)
WMYX is programmed by a very good program director (Brian Kelly) who has been programming Milwaukee's only CHR station WXSS since its incarnation in 1998 and has been working there since the station was a Soft AC station in 1995.
The guy has worked at WLS and WYTZ, has programmed CHR in the past (WZUU Milwaukee) and does a very good job. But corperate only lets you do so much and again, his top priority is the top rated WXSS.
Same goes for Bill Gamble and Fresh 105.9
Its never going to be anything special, mostly because its a Hot AC station and Hot AC stations are dull as dirt in this day and age.
WXLC, etc immitate The Mix very much. WXLC is a very "interesting" Hot AC station, almost leaning to their CHR roots, but again its suburban.
If Fresh wants to succeed it needs to fill that gap between 93.9 and 101.9 as a full blown "Hot AC"
I give them credit for at least giving it another try. Roxanne afternoons? Ugh but some of the older listeners that grew too old for B96 might fit in with her.
The morning guy Rick Hall is Christian radio. That's his radio roots and his faith. With that, a lot of the 25-54 soccer moms can relate to Rick. He's a good jock for the format that he is on.
Message Thread:
« Back to thread