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It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?

Posted by WYTZZ95FM <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=WYTZZ95FM' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 30, 2023, 11:34 am

Obviously no. It was assumed this had to do with Cubs opening day. That has lapsed.

The hot rumors are the Audacy Am's will become less important before selling them by moving one more to FM and there will be a Killer Bee type of resurrection. I am still not sold on it.....

I am more apt to believe that Alpha will rollout their next merging which would be possibly 100.7, 95.1 and 95.9 or 105.5 and 95.9 which would dominate the West suburbs.

Regardless, if you don't want to tempt fate, air check Jams and B96 now, because Audacy is known to flipping formats on Fridays @ 10AM after AM drive so they can flush out the old staff early in the day.

Z

Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?

Posted by Jeremy Andrews <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=Jeremy+Andrews' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 30, 2023, 2:04 pm, in reply to "It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?"

What Alpha did was an absolute joke. They just did it to cut costs overall. But in the lamest way possible. I believe all 3 stations have their programming fed from the WXLC facility in Gurnee. It's voice tracked into that facility from the Crystal Lake and Joliet studios. Not much different from iHeart's Premium Choice.

I'm thinking they will eventually they will probably shut down WZSR's standalone studio even though the tower is still there. Joe Cicero lives in Lake County anyway, so driving to Gurnee to go on the air seems reasonable. It makes little sense to have standalone studios nowdays. I'm guessing WERV could consolidate into the Joliet facility.

95.1 survives on it's advertising. It bills fine. Lots of dollar a hollers. Most of their airstaff do other things for the company. It was the least effected by this as a result. The morning guy is the morning guy. The morning co-host tracks Middays for 102.3. The afternoon guy is their sales guy. The evening guy is their promotions guy. WXLC didn't have that luxury. Their morning show hosts only did mornings. Their midday guy was PD. The afternoon lady Hannah co-hosted with Eddie on 96.7. They let go of people who didn't do other jobs, or in the PD's case they wanted someone else to program it.

96.3 is playing a ton of golds. I've been listening today. Lots of 2000s, some 90s Dr. Dre and Notorious B.I.G. This is more in line with their sister station in Milwaukee, which does the same. So it's not really too shocking. Might help solve the overlap with 104.3 if they have any while they decide if they will keep 104.3 or flip it

Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?

Posted by Jeremy Andrews <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=Jeremy+Andrews' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 30, 2023, 2:08 pm, in reply to "Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?"

I believe there are two things that would probably force WSCR onto FM

1. If Audacy sold the tower site. WBBM is diplexed on the 670 site and already on FM, but for a different reason. This is likely at some point. They have it in line to possibly be sold. They could always just sell it to Vertical Bridge or another tower slumlord company like everybody else did and just lease it.

2. If WMVP ended up on FM

Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?

Posted by disman00911 <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=disman00911' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 30, 2023, 2:53 pm, in reply to "Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?"

What if all of this is an poor April Fools joke by Audacy to get media attention and nothing major happens in regard to their stations?

As soon as I heard about 670 the Score getting a FM slot, I soon wonder about the future of AM radio. I watched some YouTube videos about Tesla not putting AM radio on their electric cars and farmers begin negatively affected if AM radio were to hit the dust.

Jeremy, I'm glad you mentioned WMVP as I would assumed that the Bears (who are moving from WBBM 780/105.9 to WMVP and the White Sox would want a place on FM radio as 670 the Score currently carries the Cubs and the Bulls. Also, what about WGN 720 and the Blackhawks? Like WMVP, WGN doesn't have a sister station on the FM dial.

Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?

Posted by WYTZZ95FM <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=WYTZZ95FM' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 30, 2023, 3:04 pm, in reply to "Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?"

2. If WMVP ended up on FM

Technically they are. I understand HD is irrelevant. But to advertisers they can say "We have FM presence in Chicago" = More ad $$$$, especially national ads!

Z

Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?

Posted by Jeremy Andrews <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=Jeremy+Andrews' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 30, 2023, 3:43 pm, in reply to "Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?"

For now, they’re doing OK on their own. They don’t have any major signal problems aside for 1000’s directional pattern. 670 is probably the best of the Chicago AMs as far as signal.

WGN gets decent enough numbers without FM.

Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?

Posted by John from Wisconsin <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=John+from+Wisconsin' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 30, 2023, 4:04 pm, in reply to "Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?"

I clearly have EGG on my face, thinking WSCR was a move. This has been talked of for years. I never thought anything of it, but the Ford move (tossing AM from NON-Electric Vehicles, AMs going dark, losing tower sites) has made me change my mind. Too, possibly, demographically.....

As far as 95.1 WIIL, it not a patchwork of stations, like 102.2 105.5 & 96.7

So, the move was made to a mall. And who do you gawk at?

Too, and I realize this, "radio" is not the same as
5, 10 or 15 years ago....or 2007 when this hallowed site was implemented. Nothing is the same.

A person I know, in his 50s is all SXM. "All the stations I listen to fade out."
He goes between Milwaukee-Madison a lot.
My 2nd cousins, all in their 50's have NO radios in their homes.
A young 3RD COUSIN of mine and I were all on a vacation a few years back. The station had NO D J on at night. "No big deal. We want to hear the music! There's no (compact) disc's and thus NO disc-jockeys!" (Out of the mouths of babes!) And now, you're hard-pressed to hear anyone at night or on weekends!

Oddly, I was listening to slam101fm.com in Barbados earlier. Reggae and a jock that was over/under the lyrics of all the songs. Entertaining to me!

Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?

Posted by WYTZZ95FM <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=WYTZZ95FM' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 30, 2023, 5:37 pm, in reply to "Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?"

The SCORE will move. Matter of time. Audacy will sell 670 and 780AM. Matter of time on this too. Audacy is out of the business owning AM stations and the land they own under it is worth more. Also renting AM TX sites is not a wise move. Small market there is no value, but 670 and 780 standalone have at least 7 - 10 million valuation w/o a TX site.

Z

Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?

Posted by PattieO <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=PattieO' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 30, 2023, 9:17 pm, in reply to "Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?"

WCCQ was the least affected by the moves , they lost no on airstaff

Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?

Posted by ABRockNJock <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=ABRockNJock' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2023, 12:20 pm, in reply to "Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?"

It was a letdown. I was under the impression that

I know there was speculation about 670 AM The SCORE either expanding or simulcasting on an over the air FM station. That didn't happen, even though sports talk on the FM side is very common in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Detroit & Minneapolis.

The station that I listen, 97.1 FM The Drive, recently promoted Janda Lane to midday host/music director to succeed Bob Stroud, who just semi-retired. The Drive also just promoted John "Byrd" Kempf to afternoons after Steve Seaver left the Hubbard-owned Classic Rock station in December. Evenings have been hosted by weekend guy Tim Spencer or have gone jockless after 7P. Overnights have been jockless for quite sometime following recent budget cuts. I don't know if The Drive will fill voids weeknights and/or weekends.

Truth be told, yesterday was a real letdown. Talk about changes in Chicago radio came & went with nothing happening.

Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?

Posted by John from Wisconsin <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=John+from+Wisconsin' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2023, 12:47 pm, in reply to "Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?"

I must be the lone idiot in the room.
The week ends on Saturday, or ....
could this be a "soft launch" (on Saturday) or was the site played?

I thought Thursday, per the Cubs picture, and who knew?
"Asking for a friend." LOL

Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?

Posted by WYTZZ95FM <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=WYTZZ95FM' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2023, 12:57 pm, in reply to "Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?"

There is still time. Lol. I have seen format changes halted last minute. Other ones made in a split decision with the computers loaded up new music frantically or in the old days wheeling a cart of vinyl records to flip immediately before a competition does.

It can be any reason or Lance's site were repeating a scoop or it was a bad scoop or they were simply assuming change was coming. Bad or good scoops and headlines always genet discussion and traffic on sites like that.

Z

Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?

Posted by ABRockNJock <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=ABRockNJock' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2023, 1:08 pm, in reply to "Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?"

Today is Friday. Sometimes what happens is that there's always a classic Friday news dump. Something that would happen, buried and lost in the news cycle. Might not be media-related. Stay tuned.

Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?

Posted by John from Wisconsin <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=John+from+Wisconsin' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2023, 1:13 pm, in reply to "Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?"

and tomorrow is "April Fool's" day, but April Fools pranks on radio, and maybe in life itself have been tossed years ago......

Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?

Posted by ABRockNJock <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=ABRockNJock' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2023, 2:07 pm, in reply to "Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?"

When radio stations are pondering a format change, they don't want to tip their hand, but they do this thing called stunting. That means you'll hear one format one day, a different format the next day and so on.

That's what 95.5 FM did at 11A on September 3, 2020 when it actually played Roy Rogers' "Happy Trails" and stunted for several hours before announcing its current branding as ROCK 95.5 at 5P that day.

Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?

Posted by WYTZZ95FM <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=WYTZZ95FM' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2023, 3:00 pm, in reply to "Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?"

but they do this thing called stunting. That means you'll hear one format one day, a different format the next day and so on.

Many do not do stunting anymore unless they really want to generate publicity or flush the old audience out. Audacy is not known to stunt. KHITS to Jams was a 1 hour thing. Done. They wanted no one else to take over the format.

Z

Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?

Posted by John from Wisconsin <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=John+from+Wisconsin' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 31, 2023, 5:31 pm, in reply to "Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?"

OR....
in Milwaukee, 106.9 goes to WNQW from 5/2010 to 6/2010, PUBLICLY announces the shift, and Clear Channel flips WRNW to "Now" and beats 106.9 to the "Now" format!!!!!!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WRXS
"Aborted flip to top 40 (May-June 2010)" Good reading.

Now, when you have one jock and the rest piped in, not too many to let loose of a guarded secret, such as a flip, etc.

Always nice reading the different ideas/responses here!

Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?

Posted by Jeremy Andrews <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=Jeremy+Andrews' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on April 1, 2023, 7:50 am, in reply to "Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?"

106.9 was a mess. The website basically leaked out. Supposedly Clear Channel was planning to do the exact same format.

Was supposed to launch on 106.9 after stunting May 28th. Late in the night Clear Channel put 97.3 together and launched the format at 9AM that day.

Saga was not very upset however. 97.3's format at the time was their direct competition for WKLH and WHQG. They were more than happy to be rid of it.

Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?

Posted by John from Wisconsin <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=John+from+Wisconsin' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on April 1, 2023, 9:33 am, in reply to "Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?"

"if you have a secret, tell it to your dog" Don't know who said that.

Never thought of the flip (97.3) that way, Jeremy.
Thank you!

Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?

Posted by Jeremy Andrews <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=Jeremy+Andrews' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on April 1, 2023, 3:03 pm, in reply to "Re: It is Thursday and has Chicago radio shifted formats yet? Score some Jams or B96?"

PPM was coming to Milwaukee. 97.3 had a Classic Rock format, competing with Saga's 2 WKLH and WHQG

The market was ripe for another CHR station. Both Clear Channel and Saga wanted to do it.

There were some theories Saga leaked out the website on purpose because they knew Clear Channel would jump, and thus get rid of the competition. The GM at Saga was quoted in an article about how it was good to be rid of the competition. They ended up going with Classic Country on 106.9

Then a couple years later, they proceeded first with Rhythmic CHR, then with the format they intended under different branding (Energy)

106.9 is a very bad signal. It used to be in Menomonee Falls at the old WZMF site. Had better overall coverage but was not able to get into the office buildings downtown. So they put it on the tower outside their studio with WHQG, WJMR (the former WZMF) and WJYI. This helped the office building problem (Format was Smooth Jazz at the time) but they had to add a sharp directional null to the south. So it does not reach the entire market. Can barely reach the southern half of Milwaukee County before the static kicks in. When it was in Menomonee Falls, it used to have a listenable signal in Kenosha and Racine. Not at all anymore.

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