Classic soul, etc

[Mark Shneyder <mshbc@bu.edu>]

>Besides, it is a crime that Boston doesn't have a fulltime, 24-hour FM
>high-power pure urban contemporary signal. The percentage of Boston's
> (city proper; not the suburbs of metro area) population that is black
> is growing rapidly. For decades, the percentage of Boston's population
> that was black hovered at around 15 to 16%, it was 26% in the 1990
> census; it will probably be near 40% in the 2000 census, and by the
> 2010 census, Boston (again, within the city limits, not the metro area)
> may well have a black majority. With such a growing African-American
> community, a "pure" urban FM station will be very successful---even
> with whites, Hispanics, Asians and other ethnic groups!!

Since daytimer WILD is the only urban in town, and on AM at that,
there would seem to be an enormous hole for an FM urban station in the market,
but so far no one seems willing to sign one on -- including Bernadine Foster
Nash, who has looked into the possibility of filling that hole herseelf.

Whoever tries urban on FM in Boston has to be committed to the format,
and has to go against Madison Avenue's myths about black consumers.
Urban FM format in Boston will come from someone who is not
looking only at numbers.  I personally think the numbers are there, but
the big players are afraid they won't make money. 

Just look at WILD-AM. The station has  the highest TSL's in the city.
Kind of tells you something about audience loyalty and the format.

The black population of Boston's total area is less than 7%, which 
is another factor that may have scared off the chains from trying
it out here. (For whatever it's worth, Boston is the biggest non-ethnic
Top10 market)

>I think I have an idea for Uncle Mel that might give him enough brownie
> points to allow him to keep BOTH WRKO & WEEI along with the current CBDS
> stable: Sell WEGQ-93.7 at less than full value (if need be) to a
> minority  broadcaster who'd put in a pure urban format (sorry, WJMN,
> a/k/a "Jammin'  94.5" doesn't count as urban contemporary) on that
> frequency aimed to the rapidly-growing African-American population in
> Boston. And, 1150 could be donated to a noncommercial (U/Mass-Boston?)
cause.

What do you mean by 'less than full value'? With so much pressure on Mel
to turn the downslide of CBS, I really woner if they'll be giving
away a Top10 market FM, even if it only brings in 3% of the market
ad revenue. Things are not going well at the Eye. Mel is even considering
letting someone else like Seagram's to program the TV
network(news,sports,entertainment)  but retaining full
control of TV radio stations. 


- -M

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