This station is really in the basement with B96 and others. CHR just ain't doing well anymore and this city can't support two any longer. It's time to hit reset at Q101 and go back to Chicago's Rock Alternative like it was in the beginning. It's all about nostalgia in radio right now. Time to drop all the poppy indie garbage and go back to their roots. Alternative rock with an active lean like it used to be. Curious to know what others think we could do to fix Q101 and B96?
Re: Q101 and others
Posted by WYTZZ95FM on November 23, 2023, 9:47 am, in reply to "Q101 and others"
Well, B96 is no longer a CHR or Top40! Musically and presentation. I am not sure what it is. Hot AC? Lifestyle radio? I can't figure out who they are going after. WTMX? WLIT Upper demos of KISS? Just trying to share audience with Jams (you leave my station you end up on my other one?) I really think it is the last one. Regardless, it is a half hearted attempt with announcers that compete audio level wise with the music. Really, really bad presentation and engineering.
Q101 did not always have an active lean. When it did, it was one of its worst performing years. Q101s heyday was New Wave/ALT/CHR, then it caught traction when it was head on ALT. Chicago's demos have changed and rock is no longer overall viable. Radio no longer wants to invest in big talent for their rock outlets which propelled ratings in the 80s and 90s. A 10 year focus on the "Alternative" CHR years is safe until they can figure out the next best flash in the pan!
Z 🦃
Re: Q101 and others
Posted by Jeremy Andrews on November 23, 2023, 10:22 am, in reply to "Re: Q101 and others"
101.1 is stuck competing with 95.5, which plays a lot of their golds. Some of the upper demos might prefer not to hear the newer music. They also have to compete with WXRT on the other end. Lately, they seemingly have been playing more Active crossover act like Bring Me The Horizon. It's not doing them any favors it seems.
That said, I believe these stations sell ads on more on demo. Not 6+ These stations might be doing fine in figure Male 18-34.
Same can be said about B96. They might do OK in a specific demo, probably nothing special since B96 is stuck competing with 104.3 and 100.3, and to a lesser extent 101.9 and 103.5
Re: Q101 and others
Posted by WYTZZ95FM on November 23, 2023, 11:23 am, in reply to "Re: Q101 and others"
Jeremy is correct. 10+ years ago those stations would be toast. But selling a demo like 18-34 male at the end of the day is self defeating since you are underperforming. (Male demos bill less than women and 18-34 is worse than 25-54). Add in that WLS-FM is in the 25-54 demo and WLS-AM is pushing the 64 year old demo, how you going to properly cross sell this thing? The whole industry is really messed up bad beyond anything.
Z 🦃
Re: Q101 and others
Posted by AM Radio Fan on November 25, 2023, 4:11 am, in reply to "Q101 and others"
Zak, I could not agree with you more. Q-101 shouldn't have resurrected either. Remember a decade ago, when that happened? They really watered it down, a year or two later. Chicago has become a huge market, for alternative/active rock (in recent years).
On another note, nostalgia is huge. That's because the good old days (up thru the 2000s) were overtly better in radio. Nostalgia will never go away, especially now.
All this hipster "indie garbage" is beyond any negative words to describe. I remember, after WZZN became oldies (Fall 2005), Q-101 picked up where they left off. It was like that until a decade ago. If only...we could get another station like that.
on November 22, 2023, 4:41 pm