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Magic 104.9 Grand Rapids Makes Music & Morning Changes

Discussion pertaining to Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Battle Creek, Big Rapids, and Michiana
sand2dunes
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Magic 104.9 Grand Rapids Makes Music & Morning Changes

Post by sand2dunes » Tue Mar 24, 2020 12:12 am

Magic 104.9 Grand Rapids Makes Music & Morning Changes
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/1854 ... g-changes/



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MWmetalhead
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Re: Magic 104.9 Grand Rapids Makes Music & Morning Changes

Post by MWmetalhead » Tue Mar 24, 2020 6:41 am

Yeah, they've been shifting toward a more youth-friendly sound for a while.

I am not sure this is such a smart idea. I would've stayed the course with Urban AC, albeit with a more focused sound. This seems to be a change just for the sake of clearing Townsquare's piece of shit nighttime show in the second largest market where Townsquare owns radio stations. (The program originates at sister station 93.7 WBLK in Buffalo.)

What's interesting is the Buffalo station - at least for now - still shows Steve Harvey in its lineup.

Magic 104.9, meanwhile, has dumped Steve Harvey in favor of Rickey Smiley.

Another possible motivation for the change? Increasing cross-cume with WSNX so as to knock WSNX down a peg or two, which in turn would help WLHT and WGRD.

It'll be interesting to see what a day's worth of music looks like on Magic 104.9.

One area where I will give Magic 104.9 compliments: dumping Michael Baisden from afternoons in favor of local programming.



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MWmetalhead
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Re: Magic 104.9 Grand Rapids Makes Music & Morning Changes

Post by MWmetalhead » Wed Mar 25, 2020 7:35 am

If iFart were smart (they're not), they'd flip 101.3 to Urban AC w/ Steve Harvey in the morning...PRONTO!!!!

Such a format would pair nicely with both Star 105.7 and WSNX, and similar to what iFart has done with WSNX (WKQI) and Star 105.7 (WNIC), they could build 101.3 in the mold of WMXD.



famousprod
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Re: Magic 104.9 Grand Rapids Makes Music & Morning Changes

Post by famousprod » Mon Apr 06, 2020 2:45 am

They let their Programmer go Lee Stephens. Heard he built the Urban AC sound for it. Baisden was off for more than a year. Be interesting if iHM does flip one of their stations to UAC if they'll reach out Stephens. Get Steve too.



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audiophile
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Re: Magic 104.9 Grand Rapids Makes Music & Morning Changes

Post by audiophile » Mon Apr 06, 2020 6:42 am

MWmetalhead wrote:
Tue Mar 24, 2020 6:41 am
Yeah, they've been shifting toward a more youth-friendly sound for a while.

I am not sure this is such a smart idea. I would've stayed the course with Urban AC, albeit with a more focused sound. This seems to be a change just for the sake of clearing Townsquare's piece of shit nighttime show in the second largest market where Townsquare owns radio stations. (The program originates at sister station 93.7 WBLK in Buffalo.)

What's interesting is the Buffalo station - at least for now - still shows Steve Harvey in its lineup.

Magic 104.9, meanwhile, has dumped Steve Harvey in favor of Rickey Smiley.

Another possible motivation for the change? Increasing cross-cume with WSNX so as to knock WSNX down a peg or two, which in turn would help WLHT and WGRD.

It'll be interesting to see what a day's worth of music looks like on Magic 104.9.

One area where I will give Magic 104.9 compliments: dumping Michael Baisden from afternoons in favor of local programming.
With Banks and Joyner gone, urban syndicated programing tanks.


Ask not what your country can do FOR you; ask what they are about to do TO YOU!!

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MWmetalhead
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Re: Magic 104.9 Grand Rapids Makes Music & Morning Changes

Post by MWmetalhead » Mon Apr 06, 2020 7:00 am

In Detroit, Steve Harvey has been kicking Tom Joyner's ass in the ratings for years.

Look at Chicago, too. Steve Harvey anchors morning drive on V103, one of the most successful Urban AC stations in the country. Tom Joyner, meanwhile, was carried on puny little Soul 106.3, a Class A signal whose stick is almost 20 miles south of downtown Chicago.

For contemporary hip-hop and R&B stations, The Breakfast Club (from New York City's Power 105.1) is a fairly successful syndicated morning show.

Not surprised to hear Lee Stephens was let go. In today's climate for AM/FM radio, if you program only one station within a cluster, you're pretty much dead man walking.

Flipping 101.3 to Urban AC with Steve Harvey in the morning seems like a no brainer to me.



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Re: Magic 104.9 Grand Rapids Makes Music & Morning Changes

Post by audiophile » Mon Apr 06, 2020 7:05 am

I omitted Harvey unintentionally.


Ask not what your country can do FOR you; ask what they are about to do TO YOU!!

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