Re: NERW / WZMX format semi-change

[mwaters@wesleyan.edu (Martin J. Waters)]

>Rick Kelly wrote:
>The change puzzles me as well.  How many markets have *three* competing
>"AOR" type stations... two of which seemingly "Classic Rock"?  Withe the
>power of CBS's research behind them... what are they thinking?

        IMO, you have to say you have at least four, because in addition to
WZMX, WHCN and WCCC-FM, there's WAQY-FM from Springfield. It has a huge
signal in almost the entire Hartford metro. And their raw rating is now
just behind WHCN. Within the past year or so, they beat WHCN in one or two
books.
        It's a good little station that, like WHCN, has stuck basically
with one format (i.e., rock, broadly defined) for a very long time. The
most interesting thing about WAQY is that it makes no effort at all to play
to the Hartford market. It's positioner is "Springfield's rock." It gives
temperatures for Northampton and Chicopee, but never (I don't think) for
Hartford. I guess they just play music people like to listen to. According
to my scientific research, it's the most popular station in the various
auto repair establishments into which I have walked in recent years in the
Hartford metro area.
        Also, I say at least four stations, because WPLR is doing the same
format, really, and has a good signal in Hartford, although its ratings are
lower, so I guess it isn't much of a factor.
        Meanwhile, I heard a strange thing on WZMX: In between all the old
stuff they played Rod Stewart's current single, "Oow, La, La."
        Someone (sorry; brain cramp) posted that the idea at WZMX may well
be to build up the male demo to complement the group owner's other stations
in the market. A sales rep for WRCH recently told me it skews 60-40 female.
I think WTIC-FM tilts female, too, while WTIC (AM) may tilt male. WRCH and
WTIC (AM) recently have been close to a dead heat for top station in the
market in the raw Mo-Su ratings.
        So, with multi-station groups in one market, you can format a
station with no intention (and/or little hope) of boosting the raw rating,
but rather to improve the demo of the group as a whole. They might consider
WZMX a success if the cume drops but the demo goes where they want.
        I don't know how long the WZMX change was in the works, but it came
on just a couple months after WHCN did its own overhaul without changing
from classic rock. Its positioner is "Classic Rock that Rocks." It has
revived its venerable logo of the walrus. It's running TV ads right now
that show the calls "WZMX" being crushed by something--a Led Zeppelin CD or
something like that. The TV ad crows that WHCN doesn't play any "wimp
rock."
       I'm so glad they cleared that up <g>.

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