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Surprise format change in Alpena

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MWmetalhead
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Surprise format change in Alpena

Post by MWmetalhead » Fri Nov 18, 2022 8:31 pm

The news/talk format of 105.7 WZTK is outta here. Station has gone full-time Christmas music.

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2453 ... mas-music/



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Re: Surprise format change in Alpena

Post by TC Talks » Fri Nov 18, 2022 10:43 pm

Republicans lost, hot talk is passé


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ChrisWL1980
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Re: Surprise format change in Alpena

Post by ChrisWL1980 » Fri Nov 18, 2022 11:07 pm

If you recall, they killed off Alpena's only AM station (1450 WATZ) to put this format on FM. Guess even on FM, they can't sell it.
With the call letters already incorporating a Z, I wonder if they duplicate the Z93 format on 105.7 to hurt WHSB and potentially boost WATZ-FM. Longtime listeners may recall WATZ-FM was a CHR station known as Z93 in the '80s (they were on 93.5 then) before going country.



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Re: Surprise format change in Alpena

Post by MWmetalhead » Sat Nov 19, 2022 7:23 am

I'll predict a flip to Mainstream AC.



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Re: Surprise format change in Alpena

Post by Realist » Sat Nov 19, 2022 3:34 pm

MWmetalhead wrote:
Sat Nov 19, 2022 7:23 am
I'll predict a flip to Mainstream AC.
Might have an issue trying to compete with powerhouse Hot AC Bay 108 there



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Re: Surprise format change in Alpena

Post by ChrisWL1980 » Sat Nov 19, 2022 6:09 pm

Either way, it's going to be something to try to hurt 107-7 The Bay to prop up WATZ-FM. It won't necessarily have to beat WHSB, just take away a few rating points. Mainstream AC might work in also targeting The Wave and Hits FM, which both play quite a bit of '80s and '90s. My rationale for predicting CHR was primarily in terms of thinking they'd want to match up their Alpena cluster with what they have in Traverse City, at least in terms of FM formats. I suppose an "ATZ Gold" classic country format is possible too though that runs the risk of cannibalizing ATZ-FM (there's less of a risk for that in TC since TCM Gold is on AM only).



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Re: Surprise format change in Alpena

Post by MWmetalhead » Sat Nov 19, 2022 7:01 pm

I thought of ATZ Gold as an option. I won't rule that out completely.

I didn't realize The Wave played a considerable amount of 80s and 90s. Now that I'm aware of that, I think a WCCW-FM like format (mostly 70s) is also a serious possibility.



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Re: Surprise format change in Alpena

Post by ChrisWL1980 » Sat Nov 19, 2022 11:53 pm

The Wave now uses Local Radio Networks' Classic Hits format. It's the same service 97.7 WTGV in the Thumb area uses. They're pretty much centered in the '80s, but I've heard '90s songs there such as "Kiss from a Rose" by Seal and "Every Heartbeat" by Amy Grant. They're definitely not the '50s-'70s Oldies format they originally were two decades ago.



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Re: Surprise format change in Alpena

Post by organman95 » Sun Nov 20, 2022 7:17 pm

ChrisWL1980 wrote:
Sat Nov 19, 2022 11:53 pm
The Wave now uses Local Radio Networks' Classic Hits format. It's the same service 97.7 WTGV in the Thumb area uses. They're pretty much centered in the '80s, but I've heard '90s songs there such as "Kiss from a Rose" by Seal and "Every Heartbeat" by Amy Grant. They're definitely not the '50s-'70s Oldies format they originally were two decades ago.
That's a shame. When I was growing up, The Wave was the only station with a 50s-70s format that could be picked up in Cheboygan



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Re: Surprise format change in Alpena

Post by ChrisWL1980 » Tue Nov 22, 2022 3:42 am

organman95 wrote:
Sun Nov 20, 2022 7:17 pm
ChrisWL1980 wrote:
Sat Nov 19, 2022 11:53 pm
The Wave now uses Local Radio Networks' Classic Hits format. It's the same service 97.7 WTGV in the Thumb area uses. They're pretty much centered in the '80s, but I've heard '90s songs there such as "Kiss from a Rose" by Seal and "Every Heartbeat" by Amy Grant. They're definitely not the '50s-'70s Oldies format they originally were two decades ago.
That's a shame. When I was growing up, The Wave was the only station with a 50s-70s format that could be picked up in Cheboygan
Cheboygan does have 97.7 WCHY, which airs the "Super Hits" service also from Local Radio Networks and is fairly decent music wise. I was in the Sault about a month ago and caught them playing "(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame" by Elvis. It's not nearly as deep as The Wave was when it was locally automated, but it's kept an oldies format active for at least part of the area. 18 hours a day, anyway; mornings until 12 noon are the far-right talk programming that used to air on 94.5 WYPV.



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Re: Surprise format change in Alpena

Post by organman95 » Fri Nov 25, 2022 11:19 pm

Interesting. WCHY didn't exist when I was growing up.



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Re: Surprise format change in Alpena

Post by ChrisWL1980 » Sat Nov 26, 2022 4:58 pm

97.7 in Cheboygan went on the air about a decade ago. It previously had Soft AC and Country formats.



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Re: Surprise format change in Alpena

Post by MWmetalhead » Sat Nov 26, 2022 5:40 pm

Don't forget about classic rock. It was part of The Bear until 97.7 was swapped for 95.3.



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Re: Surprise format change in Alpena

Post by organman95 » Sat Nov 26, 2022 9:26 pm

I do remember hearing it's relatively brief time as "The Bear" before Black Diamond bought the stations



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Re: Surprise format change in Alpena

Post by ChrisWL1980 » Wed Dec 28, 2022 5:14 pm

Midwestern has confirmed that the new format, whatever it is, will debut on January 2 and will be a music format.

According to RadioInsight: "The station is running promos that it will be switching to a 'live & local' music format on Monday, January 2. A sweeper states that listeners will 'recognize the music right away and there may even be some songs you haven’t heard in some time.'"

That would seem to rule out CHR as an option. I'm thinking it's going to be some type of AC format (possibly a Soft AC?) or maybe a "gold" version of 'ATZ.



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