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"Stacks 92.1"

Discussion pertaining to Lansing, Jackson, Owosso, and all areas from Alma to Hillsdale
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MWmetalhead
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Re: "Stacks 92.1"

Post by MWmetalhead » Fri May 01, 2020 8:21 am

Ain't it easier to just listen online? :blink



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Re: "Stacks 92.1"

Post by Mega Hertz » Fri May 01, 2020 12:45 pm

MWmetalhead wrote:
Fri May 01, 2020 8:21 am
Ain't it easier to just listen online? :blink
I can get it on the 2nd floor receiver well enough. Doesn't sound too bad. Someday when the kids aren't home and using it I can check it out more.

Listen online? Listen, bud...my tape deck and turntable say it's 1988, okay? 😂


"Internet is no more like radio than intravenous feeding is like fine dining."
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Re: "Stacks 92.1"

Post by MWmetalhead » Sun May 10, 2020 7:28 am

92.1's processing sounded kinda muddy when I heard the station yesterday. Too much mid range.

The station that actually surprised me was i92.9. For starters, they seem to have gone full scale Rhythmic CHR. Unlike WKQI and WSNX, extremely few if any recurrents or gold. That station's processing is also the cleanest it's ever sounded; someone did a good job cleaning up the audio chain.

However, as long as i92.9 is burdened with The Bert Show from Atlanta in mornings, it will go absolutely NOWHERE in the ratings. My recommendation? Pick up Mojo in the Morning from WKQI. Yes, I've never been a fan of that show personally, but the CHR crowd seems to dig it. With plenty of MSU students and recent grads hailing from Metro Detroit, it seems to me that would be a smart move.

The other interesting thing about 92.9? Cartman of Rock 105 fame in Northern Michigan seems to be voicetracking. I know he moved to Wisconsin a couple years ago. He doesn't go by "Cartman" on i92.9, though. His home station must be either WIXX or WIFC these days?



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Re: "Stacks 92.1"

Post by Realist » Sun May 10, 2020 12:25 pm

MWmetalhead wrote:
Sun May 10, 2020 7:28 am
The other interesting thing about 92.9? Cartman of Rock 105 fame in Northern Michigan seems to be voicetracking. I know he moved to Wisconsin a couple years ago. He doesn't go by "Cartman" on i92.9, though. His home station must be either WIXX or WIFC these days?
Cartman voice tracks weekends (and an occasional fill in shift) on sister station Q106 and goes by Cartman there



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Re: "Stacks 92.1"

Post by ChrisWL1980 » Sun May 10, 2020 8:01 pm

MWmetalhead wrote:
Sun May 10, 2020 7:28 am
92.1's processing sounded kinda muddy when I heard the station yesterday. Too much mid range.

The station that actually surprised me was i92.9. For starters, they seem to have gone full scale Rhythmic CHR. Unlike WKQI and WSNX, extremely few if any recurrents or gold. That station's processing is also the cleanest it's ever sounded; someone did a good job cleaning up the audio chain.

However, as long as i92.9 is burdened with The Bert Show from Atlanta in mornings, it will go absolutely NOWHERE in the ratings. My recommendation? Pick up Mojo in the Morning from WKQI. Yes, I've never been a fan of that show personally, but the CHR crowd seems to dig it. With plenty of MSU students and recent grads hailing from Metro Detroit, it seems to me that would be a smart move.

The other interesting thing about 92.9? Cartman of Rock 105 fame in Northern Michigan seems to be voicetracking. I know he moved to Wisconsin a couple years ago. He doesn't go by "Cartman" on i92.9, though. His home station must be either WIXX or WIFC these days?
That's interesting. The last few times I've had a chance to listen to WLMI, it sounded very recurrent-oriented and very pure pop, even more so than 97.5. With Midwest launching a new rhythmic-oriented station and tweaking its existing CHR in a rhythmic direction, it makes me curious to see Power 96.5's ratings (they don't subscribe). Power's signal is not that great in areas of downtown Lansing and especially along the 127 corridor, and they also break format for an evening quiet-storm show which goes back as far as the '70s for music.



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Re: "Stacks 92.1"

Post by MWmetalhead » Sun May 10, 2020 9:23 pm

Yeah, they do seem to try to be squeezing 96.5 from two sides. Not sure if that is intentional, but maybe it it is!

Power 96.5 is a phenomenally well programmed Urban station when accounting for market size.



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Re: "Stacks 92.1"

Post by Calvert DeForest » Thu May 14, 2020 8:41 am

I haven't listened to Power 96.5 in some time, but last I knew they were still predominantly live, perhaps the most live schedule coverage in the market.


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Re: "Stacks 92.1"

Post by ChrisWL1980 » Sun May 17, 2020 10:22 pm

I listened to i92.9 some last night and it sounded just as adult-leaning/vanilla/recurrent-gold oriented as before... Post Malone "Better Now" into Shawn Mendes "Nothing Holding Me Back" followed by Billie Eilish. Sure didn't sound like Rhythmic CHR to me. Maybe they're dayparting?



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Re: "Stacks 92.1"

Post by MWmetalhead » Thu May 28, 2020 8:58 pm

Doesn't the station run some syndicated show at night? That might be the reason.

Getting back to Stacks 92.1, the station seems to be veering more into the Urban lane. They are adding a syndicated morning show based at K104 in Dallas / Ft. Worth, as explained here:

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/1881 ... e-morning/

They definitely seem to be positioning themselves as a more adult friendly alternative to Power 96.5.



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Re: "Stacks 92.1"

Post by Calvert DeForest » Sat May 30, 2020 1:04 pm

Was listening the other day and heard The Supremes "You Can't Hurry Love". Great song, but seemed a little out-of-place given the majority of the playlist consists of 80's and 90's Urban fare. Still, it reminds me somewhat of the Urban Gold format WXLA aired before the MacDonald purchase.


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Re: "Stacks 92.1"

Post by MWmetalhead » Sat May 30, 2020 7:38 pm

Am I the only one who finds it amusing that every AM & FM station licensed to Clinton County (excluding the high school station @ 91.3 MHz) now features a format primarily aimed toward the African American community? :hat



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Re: "Stacks 92.1"

Post by ChrisWL1980 » Sun May 31, 2020 3:14 am

MWmetalhead wrote:
Thu May 28, 2020 8:58 pm
Doesn't the station run some syndicated show at night? That might be the reason.

Getting back to Stacks 92.1, the station seems to be veering more into the Urban lane. They are adding a syndicated morning show based at K104 in Dallas / Ft. Worth, as explained here:

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/1881 ... e-morning/

They definitely seem to be positioning themselves as a more adult friendly alternative to Power 96.5.
This was early Sunday morning. Their website shows they run a syndicated mix show until 2am on Saturday night/Sunday morning, and then I assume local automation until the "Celebrity Top 10 Countdown" starts at 5. This, I think, was shortly before 5, when I couldn't sleep and decided to take a spin around the dial.

And yes, they air the Zach Sang show weeknights. Also carried on both 105.3 Hot FM in GR and K105.3 in Jackson, IIRC.

Amusingly enough, the old "Fuel" format had a "Sweet Soul Weekend" show on Sunday nights with predominantly '70s and '80s R&B/dance.



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Re: "Stacks 92.1"

Post by EdWalker » Sun May 31, 2020 9:40 am

MWmetalhead wrote:
Sat May 30, 2020 7:38 pm
Am I the only one who finds it amusing that every AM & FM station licensed to Clinton County (excluding the high school station @ 91.3 MHz) now features a format primarily aimed toward the African American community? :hat
....that reside in Lansing and doing it with rimshot signals. Extra credit goes to AM 1580 credit as they at least have a translator atop Boji tower downtown.

While 92.1 might make some noise, they're not going to win with syndicated programming and voice-tracked jocks from out of market.

Although they run Rickie Smiley in the morning, the rest of WQHH's lineup is live and local....and are out in the community with remotes and charity projects.



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Re: "Stacks 92.1"

Post by Calvert DeForest » Wed Jun 03, 2020 10:41 am

EdWalker wrote:
Sun May 31, 2020 9:40 am
....that reside in Lansing and doing it with rimshot signals. Extra credit goes to AM 1580 credit as they at least have a translator atop Boji tower downtown.

While 92.1 might make some noise, they're not going to win with syndicated programming and voice-tracked jocks from out of market.

Although they run Rickie Smiley in the morning, the rest of WQHH's lineup is live and local....and are out in the community with remotes and charity projects.
Two theories:

92.1 and 92.9 are positioned as a complement to Q106. The three stations together target different segments of the young to medium-age adult demo. Lumping their numbers together would make for a more attractive combo buy.

92.1 and 92.9 are marketed as lower-priced alternatives to smaller clients who may not have budgets to afford ad buys with bigger stations.

"Winning" is a relative term. Ratings play a part, but in the end the measure of success is whether the station is turning a profit. The overhead for 92.1 and 92.9 has to be next to nothing. I'm guessing the syndicated shows they air are barter agreements with little if any cash out the door. Should that be the case, almost every dollar they bring in would be pure gravy.


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Re: "Stacks 92.1"

Post by MWmetalhead » Thu Jun 04, 2020 7:52 pm

I agree with your theory #2.



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