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Detroit needs another option for vintage Rock music

Discussion pertaining to Detroit, Ann Arbor, Port Huron, and SW Ontario
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MWmetalhead
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Detroit needs another option for vintage Rock music

Post by MWmetalhead » Wed Dec 26, 2018 9:21 pm

It boggles the mind that in a city that historically has shunned indie rock & Modern AC music that we have both 93.9 The River and Alt 106.7.

However, in a city that loves Classic Rock and at various times has supported two such stations, we now only have one (!!!) such station - WCSX.

In my view, Entercom missed a great opportunity by choosing to flip 98.7 to Soft AC instead of Classic Rock. It's certainly possible that the Soft AC format will perform well, but a Classic Rock format anchored by some of the great personalities that Greater Media & Beasley have jettisoned in recent years almost assuredly would've been a ratings winner.

Classic Rock on 98.7 would've book-ended beautifully with both 97.1 The Ticket and 104.3 WOMC.

iFart has proven it is incapable of programming a long-term winning classic rock station on 106.7. A low budget + overly rigid playlist led to a gradual ratings slump at The D before it evolved from Classic Rock to Variety Hits in early 2017.

I would've loved to have seen Entercom's take on the format, and honestly also wouldn't mind seeing Cumulus trying its hand at the format.



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MWmetalhead
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Re: Detroit needs another option for vintage Rock music

Post by MWmetalhead » Wed Dec 26, 2018 9:29 pm

test post.



MrTaterSalad
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Re: Detroit needs another option for vintage Rock music

Post by MrTaterSalad » Wed Dec 26, 2018 10:16 pm

What about flipping GNash to classic rock as Q Rock 93.1, 93 Rock, etc. What are Cume-less successful classic rock stations around the country? Who would they syndicate for nights, since we know live and local all day is too much to ask for? Whoever a would be format flipper is, would it make sense for that station to have a deeper playlist than WCSX and start dipping into album cuts and less-played hits?



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Re: Detroit needs another option for vintage Rock music

Post by Mega Hertz » Wed Dec 26, 2018 10:20 pm

I agree....to a degree.

Do we want another station cranking out Stairway to Heaven and More Than A Feeling ad nauseum? Give us at least something with a hint of adventure from time to time. You know, on those WLLZ airchecks I posted from the 80s, even during regular shifts, the jocks would play two from a core artist; it wasn't unusual to hear two Beatles or Zeppelin tracks. Plus, instead of three minute breaks about dumb criminals (I'm looking at YOU, Dahmer) or what your neighbor did with his Christmas tree, talk about the artist or the song. Don't hand me the "everything that could be said has been said about classic rock" bullshit. Make it about the music.

Take the occasional (not too deep) request, mix it up with the core artists (and make sure the audience knows who they are), and shake it up a little bit. All it serves to do is be a 2.5-3.5 share station, most of those shares coming from WCSX P1's that make the station a P2 by default.

It's like I said in a thread a month or two ago, stations don't play to win. They just try and take a couple of shares from the heritage station. There's no way that's a winning proposition. And then they're flipping to the format of the month instead of trying to take a competitor out. Remember how WLLZ and WRIF went at it for years? Let's try and bring back that kind of competition.


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Re: Detroit needs another option for vintage Rock music

Post by stopnswop2 » Wed Dec 26, 2018 10:31 pm

Entercom fllipping AMP to classic rock would have been a terrible idea. It would be directly competing with its own station (WOMC)

Now Nash flipping to Classic Rock or Alt flipping would be smart moves.


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Re: Detroit needs another option for vintage Rock music

Post by Realist » Wed Dec 26, 2018 10:33 pm

While I know that they would never do this in Detroit because of WCSX, Beasley just flipped a Tampa AC station to a “next generation of classic rock” station.

https://987theshark.com/stream/WPBBFM/

Looking at their playlist, this is a station I’ll listen to when I’m down there in March. Currently streaming it and variety of classic rock from the 70’s to 90’s is there with Definitely a harder lean to it....



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Re: Detroit needs another option for vintage Rock music

Post by stopnswop2 » Wed Dec 26, 2018 10:34 pm

I personally hate Classic Rock but a second one playing actual classic rock (not Simple Minds / Huey Lewis) definitely is needed in this market


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Re: Detroit needs another option for vintage Rock music

Post by Deleted User 10525 » Thu Dec 27, 2018 3:01 am

Cumulus does quite well with WXKR in Toledo. 93.1 might be a good place to try it.



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Re: Detroit needs another option for vintage Rock music

Post by MWmetalhead » Thu Dec 27, 2018 4:40 am

Entercom fllipping AMP to classic rock would have been a terrible idea. It would be directly competing with its own station (WOMC)
I disagree.

I absolutely reject the notion that two stations within the same cluster cannot have, say, 30% playlist overlap. There are many, many examples where AC and Hot AC successfully co-exist within the same cluster and even examples where Variety Hits and Classic Hits co-exist or where Classic Hits and Variety Hits co-exist!

Look at L.A. KRTH and classic rock-leaning KCBS-FM get along just fine.

Hell, I'll give you an example much closer to home! Toledo. 94.5 'XKR (Classic Rock) and 93.5 WRQN (Classic Hits). I'll give you another Ohio example: 92.5 The Fox (Classic Rock) and 103.5 WGRR (Classic Hits) in Cincinnati.



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Re: Detroit needs another option for vintage Rock music

Post by Deleted User 10525 » Thu Dec 27, 2018 5:37 am

Wouldn't mind like a Saturday, say 9-12 there be a classic metal show, ala mid 80s Z rock style. For the format overall, do it real. Give me a deep track once in awhile, give me substance. No dumb morning, no dumb contests, and give me DJ's that really know the music.

So...

Classic Rock 93.1 WDRQ

YES- Yours is no disgrace
Foreigner- Head knocker
Warrant- Down Boys

" Detroit's New Place for Real Classic rock 93.1 WDRQ"

STP- Interstate Love song
ZZ top- Cheap Sunglasses
Rainbow- Starstruck

93 point 1 W DEE R QUEE

Queensryche - Silent Lucidity
Pink Floyd- Learning to fly
Deep Purple- Highway star

Classic rock for The Motor city, 93.1 WDRQ

Black Sabbath- NIB
Alice in Chains- Heaven beside you
Def Leppard- Die hard the hunter

Set a button now! In fact set em all to 93.1! Classic rock WDRQ

Metallica- Leaper Messiah
Candlebox- far behind
Filter- Hey man nice shot

"While those other guys are playing commercials, you could stay here and you know.. hear music. WDRQ


I think 93.1 would be the better place for it. 106.7 blew it, if they launch it again on 106.7, The reaction is going to be " Oh this again..".



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Re: Detroit needs another option for vintage Rock music

Post by MWmetalhead » Thu Dec 27, 2018 6:51 am

I definitely wouldn't combine the "WDRQ" brand with a rock format - that's for sure.

Call the station 93 Rock instead. :)
Keep the calls; just don't use them as the primary identifier.

Other examples of Classic Rock & Classic Hits within the same cluster:
- Traverse City: KLT and The Fox FM
- Green Bay: Classic Hits 103.1 WOGB and 106.7 The Big Dog
- Saginaw: 96 WHNN (prior to format flip) and Wheelz 104.5
- Seattle: 102.5 KZOK and 95.7 The Jet
- Kansas City: 94.9 KCMO and 101 The Fox
- Tampa: 98.7 The Shark and Q105
- Kalamazoo: 107.7 WRKR and K-102.5
- Columbus, OH: 96.3 WLVQ ("Q-FM 96") and Rewind 103.5/104.3

Classic Rock on 98.7 combined with 97.1 The Ticket would've given Entercom a formidable tandem with which to compete against Beasley's 101.1 & 94.7 pairing.

"But what about money demo females???"...you may ask. Well, for starters, there's no proof locally that Soft AC will be successful in attracting that age group. (Don't get me wrong - 98.7 might very well succeed in this area; it's far too soon to tell.) Secondly, a Classic Rock format on 98.7 would've enabled Entercom to veer 104.3 in a little more AC/pop-friendly direction. Third, 99.5 WYCD already performs extremely well with money demo females.



Deleted User 14803

Re: Detroit needs another option for vintage Rock music

Post by Deleted User 14803 » Thu Dec 27, 2018 7:02 am

Great idea MW, if we had a station like that I would get out of retirement and work part time just for fun.



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Re: Detroit needs another option for vintage Rock music

Post by Deleted User 14803 » Thu Dec 27, 2018 7:06 am

stopnswop2 wrote:
Wed Dec 26, 2018 10:31 pm
Entercom fllipping AMP to classic rock would have been a terrible idea. It would be directly competing with its own station (WOMC)

Now Nash flipping to Classic Rock or Alt flipping would be smart moves.
Than you would’ve not been able to put the Breeze playlist together, by the way great job, I’m sure someone at Entercom reads this board every day to get song suggestions 😆.



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Re: Detroit needs another option for vintage Rock music

Post by Mega Hertz » Thu Dec 27, 2018 8:35 am

MWmetalhead wrote:
Thu Dec 27, 2018 4:40 am
Entercom fllipping AMP to classic rock would have been a terrible idea. It would be directly competing with its own station (WOMC)
I disagree.

I absolutely reject the notion that two stations within the same cluster cannot have, say, 30% playlist overlap. There are many, many examples where AC and Hot AC successfully co-exist within the same cluster and even examples where Variety Hits and Classic Hits co-exist or where Classic Hits and Variety Hits co-exist!

Look at L.A. KRTH and classic rock-leaning KCBS-FM get along just fine.

Hell, I'll give you an example much closer to home! Toledo. 94.5 'XKR (Classic Rock) and 93.5 WRQN (Classic Hits). I'll give you another Ohio example: 92.5 The Fox (Classic Rock) and 103.5 WGRR (Classic Hits) in Cincinnati.
Look no further than WRIF/WCSX. I can't say with certainty that it's still this close, but there are still numerous bands/songs that can be heard on both. Van Halen, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Guns N' Roses, Black Sabbath, Def Leppard and AC/DC immediately spring to mind.


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Re: Detroit needs another option for vintage Rock music

Post by ZenithCKLW » Thu Dec 27, 2018 9:18 am

We get the unique 98.7 The Breeze and some people are so cynical over it because it's "just another AC station", yet they want ANOTHER classic rock station. How about instead of adding yet another classic rock station, the current one(s) are improved?



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