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RIP The Edge (for the third time)

Discussion pertaining to Lansing, Jackson, Owosso, and all areas from Alma to Hillsdale
mapletrees
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RIP The Edge (for the third time)

Post by mapletrees » Mon Jan 16, 2023 3:40 pm

104.9 in Battle Creek (and 102.5 in Kalamazoo) both flipped to Urban AC earlier today. I think this will actually work in SW Michigan, good choice of songs that are being played too, but it's still kinda sad to see The Edge get taken away for the third time. RIP The Edge 3.0, you will be missed.



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MWmetalhead
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Re: RIP The Edge (for the third time)

Post by MWmetalhead » Mon Jan 16, 2023 6:41 pm

I never really understood the choice of Alternative for WBXX. The area covered by that signal is primarily filled with non-college educated, blue collar listeners. Those in the mood for rock music are mostly going to gravitate to Q106 and WRKR.

I do like the decision to go Urban AC, and I like the decision pair the 104.9 & 102.5 signals even better. There are only so many ad dollars to go around in Calhoun County. Adding Kalamazoo and Portage to the fold should improve viability. By flipping 104.9 to the format, Urban AC is available for the very first time on a decent FM signal in Jackson County, and it's been brought back to Calhoun County after a ~3 year absence, I believe.

There are about 55,000 African Americans residing in Kalamazoo, Calhoun and Jackson Counties combined.

I'm a little surprised Townsquare didn't try a Classic Hits simulcast on 104.9 & 102.5 (the latter's format was Classic Hits until today). They must've concluded that between 106.5 Jack FM, their own WRKR, and Battle Creek's WFAT, that there wasn't enough room for Classic Hits to be worthwhile.



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Colonel Flagg
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Re: RIP The Edge (for the third time)

Post by Colonel Flagg » Tue Jan 17, 2023 4:05 pm

This is a lateral move, and that's being generous. 104.9 just barely rimshots Battle Creek. The majority of this facility covers Marshall, Albion, rural south central lower Michigan, and many square miles of cornfields.

Basically, you have the same problem The Edge had (your target audience isn't there) Given a choice, I think it would have been better to stick with The Edge, all things considered.

55,000 people, spread out in the I-94 corridor between Kalamazoo and Albion, is a tough target to hit. Nobody from Townsquare is going to be selling spots in Jackson County on this signal. The Jackson area wasn't even a factor years ago, under local ownership. The money isn't there.


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ftballfan
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Re: RIP The Edge (for the third time)

Post by ftballfan » Tue Jan 17, 2023 6:16 pm

104.9 puts a good signal into Albion (which is 30% African-American), but that town is one of the poorest in the state and its K-12 schools were so bad that it was forced to consolidate into Marshall schools



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MWmetalhead
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Re: RIP The Edge (for the third time)

Post by MWmetalhead » Thu Jan 19, 2023 7:00 am

This is a lateral move, and that's being generous. 104.9 just barely rimshots Battle Creek. The majority of this facility covers Marshall, Albion, rural south central lower Michigan, and many square miles of cornfields.

Basically, you have the same problem The Edge had (your target audience isn't there) Given a choice, I think it would have been better to stick with The Edge, all things considered.

55,000 people, spread out in the I-94 corridor between Kalamazoo and Albion, is a tough target to hit. Nobody from Townsquare is going to be selling spots in Jackson County on this signal. The Jackson area wasn't even a factor years ago, under local ownership. The money isn't there.
In the car at least, the signal comes in loudly & clearly in Battle Creek. Have never had any issue with reception until entering the Kalamazoo or Portage city limits.

The thing is - there's not much money in Battle Creek, either. WNWN-FM and WBCK-FM probably grab most of the $$$ that is actually available, and everyone else fights for scraps. I do hear a couple Battle Creek area spots on Q106 from time to time.

WKFR and to a much lesser extent, WRKR, have good ratings in Battle Creek, but those stations are primarily reliant on Kalamazoo area ad dollars. By pairing 102.5 & 104.9, The Block will not need to rely exclusively on Calhoun County ad dollars, and that's a good thing.

Alternative music fans are largely abandoning FM radio, especially those who are Gen Z, and the spot loads on The Edge were a bit underwhelming. With WKFR, Townsquare has all the young adult cume it could possibly want (and plenty of folks in their 30s, 40s and 50s listening, too).

Urban AC will reach an audience that is still loyal to FM and is underserved by other stations in the area.



ChrisWL1980
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Re: RIP The Edge (for the third time)

Post by ChrisWL1980 » Thu Jan 19, 2023 6:14 pm

Frankly I'm surprised The Edge lasted this long. I would have thought 104.9 might try AC again since WVFM is no longer in the format, but on second thought that might cannibalize WKFR's older demos to some extent. Perhaps a Breeze-style Soft AC could have worked. I agree Urban AC/Adult R&B is a good choice though.



Mega Hertz
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Re: RIP The Edge (for the third time)

Post by Mega Hertz » Thu Jan 19, 2023 8:15 pm

I think the issue I have is that I grew up in a time where "alternative" was everywhere. However, I forget that it was never a mass appeal format to begin with. What started with Nirvana was really just popular college rock. And then any kind of new rock music was lumped into the "alternative" category. Then every other station on the dial was "alternative".

That said, between what the music has become and what the format has become, it's not shocking that stations are folding left and right. Fans like me forget it isn't 1995 anymore. That's why if it ain't gold, it's gone.


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Re: RIP The Edge (for the third time)

Post by Deleted User 15835 » Fri Jan 20, 2023 9:24 pm

Sounds like The Zone in Toledo, it dies and it comes back, only to die again.



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MWmetalhead
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Re: RIP The Edge (for the third time)

Post by MWmetalhead » Fri Jan 20, 2023 9:31 pm

An argument certainly could've been made to bring the AC format back to 104.9. I'm glad they didn't go that route.



ChrisWL1980
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Re: RIP The Edge (for the third time)

Post by ChrisWL1980 » Sun Jan 22, 2023 12:36 am

Yep, it was probably a very smart idea to go with something that wouldn't hurt WKFR as much as an AC format might have.



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MWmetalhead
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Re: RIP The Edge (for the third time)

Post by MWmetalhead » Sun Jan 22, 2023 8:34 am

106.5 ditched the format despite having a rock solid signal (at the time; they are running at 25% of licensed ERP right now) in both Kalamazoo and Battle Creek and no in-market direct format competition in either city.

That's pretty much all we need to know. :)

Adult Contemporary fans can still hear their music on 105.7 out of Grand Rapids (tower is just north of Gun Lake), which is probably fine with Townsquare and Midwest, since 105.7 likely pulls not one dime of revenue out of either Kalamazoo or Calhoun counties, with the possible exception of Firekeepers Casino, which runs spots even on Detroit radio.



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