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Entercom's move in ATL and B96

Posted by Z-92 on September 17, 2020, 3:30 pm

Could Entercom do to B96 what they did to Star 94 in Atlanta today? Maybe the question is should they? Tailor the rhythmic history of B96 and its huge music library from the 80s to now. Bring back the Killer B moniker? Just daydreamin' but why not?

Of course, there's 104.3 Jams to deal with. Too much old school hip-hop on repeat, little variety.

Or is the B96 and Jams combo working for them financially? Just curious.

Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96

Posted by Ugh on September 17, 2020, 3:40 pm, in reply to "Entercom's move in ATL and B96"

What a terrible playlist. That is not Star 94 rhythmic history or huge music library that is throwing shit on the wall and see what sticks.

Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96

Posted by Z-92 on September 17, 2020, 4:09 pm, in reply to "Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96"

Chicago could do better

Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96

Posted by Jeremy Andrews on September 17, 2020, 4:40 pm, in reply to "Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96"

Rhythmic AC never tends to stick. Entercom is no stranger to it. I believe their longest running variation was in Boston. Went about 5 years.

Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96

Posted by Radio J on September 18, 2020, 3:13 pm, in reply to "Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96"

104.3 Jams makes money their top 15 in the books, they have skewed other urban stations ratings as is B96 .

Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96

Posted by No Clue on September 18, 2020, 3:27 pm, in reply to "Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96"

Common English so we can understand? Not trolling I am serious. "104.3 Jams makes money" all I can understand.

Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96

Posted by Radio J on September 18, 2020, 5:22 pm, in reply to "Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96"

I’m sorry but if I didn’t recall I’m not writing a bibliography I’m on a forum that looks like it hasn’t had a refresh in 20 years . Anyways, I have insight and they are not going to flip 104.3 Jams or B96. As B96 has gotten into the top twelve in recent rating books. Jams is in top 15. Wayyyy better then the K-Hits era. As well as the fact that it’s easier to sell advertising as the age demographic appeals to companies. As well as the fact B96 has been doing ok in the ratings at night even with no host. No station is getting flipped as it’s really not that bad locally in terms of financing . Entercom just keeps shoving cuts down the throats of their markets. So it’s not entirely Todd Cavanahs fault . However if they were to flip a station US*99 would be the one to flip. Advertising revenues are way down and we are not a fan of the new night show to say the least. And no Drew won’t get fired if his show doesn’t work out. Rumor has it that if they do hire someone (although they probably won’t now with everything going on) if they do get a new morning team, Drew will go back to afternoons. Scotty will do nights at B96 as the position has not been filled as of yet. 104.3 Jams also has an opening as well. However he would do better on B96.

SERIOUSLY? - Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96

Posted by President Pedro on September 18, 2020, 5:49 pm, in reply to "Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96"

Have a problem with that poster? Don't shit on my lawn. If you can do better than we do here, go for it. Send an invite when you launch so I can drop my pants on your lawn.

You have a problem with us Jay, then drop a line.

President Pedro

Link: Contact Chicago Media Chat

Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96

Posted by Listener on September 18, 2020, 5:41 pm, in reply to "Entercom's move in ATL and B96"

Yeah, they should have gone Classic B96 in 2017 instead of doing 104.3 Jams. Basically the same thing but with more classic dance tracks and the B96 brand.

Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96

Posted by Jeremy Andrews on September 18, 2020, 6:44 pm, in reply to "Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96"

I’m surprised they didn’t play any of the songs B96 made famous in the Mid 90s. They would have blended in with 104.3 just fine. I know 104.3 uses B96’s old music library. Same exact versions and edits of songs that B96 played when they were new play on 104.3, so I’m pretty sure they have a lot of those songs available to them.

So far Star94 is very safe. It’s almost like it’s previous format. Just more Gold rhythm. Still has tons of No Doubt, Pink, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, etc that are common for Hot AC stations. Nothing that would shock anyone.

Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96

Posted by disman00911 on September 19, 2020, 11:07 am, in reply to "Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96"

I agree as well. I also realized that there was another time to do an old school B96-type format long before 104.3 Jams came around. Back when they were K-Hits 104.3, they had Eddie & Jobo, George McFly, and Gary Spears in the roster. But instead of hearing "classic B96" music from the 80s/90s from Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Prince, Boyz II Men, Keith Sweat, En Vogue, Ace of Base, etc. plus all that dance material from the 90s (Techontronic, Real McCoy, C&C Music Factory, Crystal Waters, etc.), you got to hear the same old 70s/80s classic hits of Survivor, Journey, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Queen, Bon Jovi, and so on that were played on other stations at the time. Growing up listening to B96 back then, the former was my "classic hits" and not the latter.

B96's most successful period both music-wise and ratings-wise was when they played dance-based hits in the 90s, not the rap-heavy hits that 104.3 Jams is playing. There's no reason why 104.3 Jams couldn't add the classic dance songs alongside the old school rap & R&B they are already playing as 104.3 Jams is considered classic rhythmic and not classic urban. In addition, 104.3 Jams’ programmers Todd Cavanagh and Erik Bradley were in charge of B96 during their street-driven, 90s dance heyday (ironically, they're still in charge of the station as it rots as a soulless, lackluster mainstream pop station in the past decade or so). The big urban/R&B/hip hop hits of the 90s were able to mesh well with the 90s dance/house/freestyle hits back when B96 played all of them as new songs. The very few pop-rock tracks, however, stood out like a sore thumb. If Entercom really wanted to change B96 from a lame also-ran pop station to a rhythmic AC station playing the other side of B96's old hits from the 90s (the dance/freestyle/house/euro/upbeat pop plus the Energy-era dance & upbeat pop from the 2000s), they would also adjust 104.3 Jams playlist even further urban-leaning (to go after WGCI’s older audience) to make sure the two stations' playlist don't clash with each other too much. But they're not gonna do it.

Again, any chance of dance (both current and old school) 24/7 on terrestrial FM radio have long sailed. There hasn't been a dance-friendly station in this market in nearly two decades (after Energy 92.7's demise in Jan 2003). As for the Rhythmic AC format, there have been two attempts at it in this market but they didn't last very long. In the late 2000s, 100.3 (back when they were Love FM) had a rhythmic-leaning AC phase (plus a mix show) but ultimate changed to an 80s-gold based format. In the mid-2010s, 101.1's 90s adult hits format (which came after their all-news flop) began to shift more rhythmic and even had a mix show. But the ratings were still bad and 101.1 went back as alternative rock.

As for the Entercom stations, I don't see any of them flipping any time soon. What mass-appeal format is there left to flip too that isn’t occupied by another station? Why would US99 flip after what iHeart just did recently with 95.5 (which was long overdue as Chicago could not support TWO country stations!) Of course, if one is a fan of older country music (Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Toby Keith, Alan Jackson, etc.), well there aren't many options out there. 105.9 hasn't had their own format since 2011 (after Fresh FM failed) but they bill well simulcasting 780's News Radio, so why should they change? How does Entercom's cross-sell work, anyway? I could figure out iHeart's stations pretty easily but Entercom is a bit more confusing. 670 the Score/Newsradio 780-105.9, B96/104.3 Jams. Does US99 cross-sell with B96? Who does WXRT cross-sell with?

One of the many problems with corporate radio is the "one size fits all" approach when it the comes to playlists. Chicago is not the same as a small market station downstate. In addition, all the major markets nationwide were different and unique from each other. Unlike Atlanta, Chicago had a unique dance music heritage and corporate radio threw it all away. At least there is thebeatchicago.com as well as various internet radio stations out there. FM radio was much better back in the day anyway.

Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96

Posted by Z-92 on September 19, 2020, 11:49 am, in reply to "Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96"

Exactly Disman00911. Totally agree. Sad radio scene now.

Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96

Posted by WYTZZ95FM on September 19, 2020, 12:09 pm, in reply to "Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96"

There's no reason why 104.3 Jams couldn't add the classic dance songs alongside the old school rap & R&B they are already playing as 104.3 Jams

There is crossover. But there is also severe backlash from the dance listeners that will not sit through any of the hard Urban or hop hop songs to listen to their dance title. --- That is EXACTLY why Energy 927&5 did not play any hip hop or hard Urban titles.

One of the many problems with corporate radio is the "one size fits all" approach when it the comes to playlists.

Spot on, you hit it on the head. Lowest common denominator. Honestly, radio is dead. What Entercom is doing is past the point of no return. When 5G launches and is widely available (it has to be for autonomous vehicles communicating to the cloud), terrestrial radio will be further marginalized and heading to end of life. Some more commercials, nationalized programming and VT jocks anyone?

Z

Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96

Posted by disman00911 on September 19, 2020, 1:12 pm, in reply to "Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96"

I get your point about Energy fans avoiding urban records, but it can go the other way too. 104.3 Jams is targeting those who grew up listening to either WGCI, Power 92, long-defunct 106 Jams (WEJM) or B96 during the late 90s/2000s, when the latter started phasing out dance. that audience would either be indifferent or resistant towards the dance hits of the 90s & 00s despite many of them being major hits on B96 and later on Energy. Tracks like Robin S's "Show Me Love", Ce Ce Peniston’s "Finally", Aly-Us’s “Follow Me”, or Lidell Townsell's "Nu Nu" would fit if 104.3 Jams even tried to include dance or house music throwbacks to their playlist while others like like Real McCoy's "Another Night", Fun Factory's "I Wanna Be With U", Lil Suzy’s “Promise Me”, or La Bouche's "Be My Lover" would not fit at all as 104.3 skews towards hip hop/R&B.

Although B96 leaned heavily towards dance throughout most of the 90s, they did a good jump balancing out with the big hip hop, R&B, upbeat pop, and ballad tracks thrown in. In other words, they defined their own hits as did many of the other Top 40 stations nationwide back then, especially the rhythmic-leaning ones. Maybe B96 should go back as a rhythmic CHR as they were more successful historically as one then they are as a mainstream CHR station, in addition to better matching with 104.3 Jams' classic rhythmic format and standing out playlist-wise from rival 103.5 Kiss-FM. But then again, the definition of rhythmic CHR is much different than it was back in the 90s & 00s.

Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96

Posted by disman00911 on September 19, 2020, 1:23 pm, in reply to "Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96"

I meant "Good Job" on the 2nd paragraph. My mistake on the typo.

Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96

Posted by Radio J on September 19, 2020, 2:06 pm, in reply to "Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96"

I agree B96 should play more hits from the past they are not gonna do that. They are trying to morph B96 as kind of a national brand. Well they kind of already are. But B96s jocks are getting all the interviews with stars. Hosting the RADIO.COM special events as well as having better ratings than it’s LA counterpart 97.1 Amp. To put in simpler terms they want to make B96 the unofficial flagship for Entercom’s Top 40.

Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96

Posted by WYTZZ95FM on September 19, 2020, 2:20 pm, in reply to "Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96"

Great thing to make B96 the 3rd place CHR in town, behind The MIX and KISS their "unofficial" flagship brand. Is anyone else shaking their head like I am at Entercom?

Z

Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96

Posted by RADIO J on September 19, 2020, 2:41 pm, in reply to "Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96"

Yes but as far as ENTERCOM goes no other TOP 40 station in a major market generates the halfway decent ratings B96 does. For example 97.1 AMP in LA while not as bad as the now defunct 92.3 amp in NYC. B96 does manage to either tie or beat KISS in at least one demo in MOST books. They even manage to beat THE MIX in an occasional book in usually the late night book. It’s not like how 92.3 in NYC was before they flipped to alternative Z100 was kicking their ass in every book. B96 does have its problems but it’s seen as a somewhat respectable station to ENTERCOM. One more thing they don’t consider the mix as head on competition.

Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96

Posted by HeyRadioJ on September 19, 2020, 7:33 pm, in reply to "Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96"

Surprising if true that B96 is the national flag ship for entercom CHR. When they announced their vice presidents of corporate programming 0 of those names we're based here in Chicago. I think the idea of a national Flagship any format is just a concept and idea and not one that entercom is pursuing.

Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96

Posted by Sal Vitro on September 19, 2020, 7:51 pm, in reply to "Re: Entercom's move in ATL and B96"

What you are hearing on B-96 and US99 is not yet the finished product, yes the selected stations will be the flagships for the certain formats. But as of now they are not running as one product. For example USN is running Katie Neal in middays but play lists Across the brands are not the same. Soon it will all be a feed. I’m also hearing and I can’t believe this one...that stylzs and Roman could make a comeback. One thing for sure is drew walker won’t be around much longer. Remember USN lost a age discrimination law suit to a former producer....they want a staff that’s new and young. Not sure how S and R fits that bill but this again is all a rumor!

Sal V

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