Lansing Loses CHR-Pop and Gets It Back

[EvanJ]

From All Access Net News:
LANSING, MI has a new “JACK-type” station, as MACDONALD BROADCASTING blows up longtime Top 40 WHZZ (Z101.7) and flips the format to “101.7 MIKE-FM,” according to GM RICK SARATA. OM/morning host JASON ADDAMS exits, as does afternoon driver LISA D. Heard in the first half hour: EMF/Unbelievable, SURVIVOR/Eye of the Tiger, ROB THOMAS/This Is How A Heart Breaks, and BOSTON/Long Time.
From me: WHZZ is fifth in Lansing, but MacDonald only owns one AM and one FM that are in the Lansing-East Lnsing ratings, so they didn't have any other FMs they could have changed.  The change should help WKFR which reaches Battle Creek and Kalamazoo and WIOG Saginaw, the other two CHR-Pop stations in the Lansing-East Lansing ratings (WKFR and WIOG have much lower ratings than local WHZZ).

[Libra]

:o

[tico]

I thought WHZZ was doing quite well in Lansing. If I recall correctly, they came on board after longtime CHR WVIC went country back in the mid-90s. I wouldn't be surprised if another station switched to take HZZ's place real soon. In addition to Kalamazoo and Saginaw, Lansing is on the fringe of CHR stations in Flint and Detroit. I guess that's better than getting no CHR at all.

[Marv]

Since Flint is only 50 or so miles away, their CHR station (if they have one) SHOULD reach Lansing rather easily.

I'm not sure if Detroit's CHR/Pop station (or stations), which are almost 90 miles away, can reachg Lansing as well.

[Libra]

marv said:

Since Flint is only 50 or so miles away, their CHR station (if they have one) SHOULD reach Lansing rather easily.

Nope. The signal for WWCK is only 25,000 watts, which puts Lansing at fringe range.[/font]

marv said:

I'm not sure if Detroit's CHR/Pop station (or stations), which are almost 90 miles away, can reach Lansing as well.

Nope. Even with a signal of 100K watts, Lansing is still too far away.

No, instead listeners will probably flock to WKFR (a CHR out of Battle Creek that does not report to Mediabase) or WIOG. WKFR has a 50K watt signal and WIOG an 86K. I'm told that while WIOG's signal is only at fringe range in Lansing, they actually show up in Lansing's ratings, whereas WWCK only seldom does.[/font]

[Slinky]

More from All Access:

The Top 40 radio void, created when MACDONALD BROADCASTING flipped Top 40 WHZZ/LANSING to “MIKE-FM” this week, didn’t take long to fill. This morning (15) at 10a, CITADEL jettisoned their Oldies format at WJIM to become “THE NEW 97.5, LANSING'S HIT MUSIC STATION.”

The change sends long time morning host RICH MICHAELS to Classic Rock sister WMMQ, where he’ll change places with that station’s morning host, DAVE BEAGLE, and team with co-host DEB HART. BEAGLE then becomes the morning host at WJIM beginning MONDAY (19). DAN KELLEY stays on as WJIM/WMMQ PD, while sister AC WFMK PD CHRIS REYNOLDS tacks on MD duties for WJIM.

[EvanJ]

Slinky, I came here to post that at the same time as you and I just changed the topic title.
Oldies WJIM-FM was second with a very high rating as part of Citadel owning the top three stations in the market. Although I'm happy Lansing-East Lansing got CHR-Pop back, I'm still surprised WJIM-FM changed. They must have had horrible demographics. Citadel owns two FMs in the market with lower 12+ numbers than WJIM-FM had. Citadel is also somewhat competing with themselves as they will now own two CHR-Pop stations in that market's ratings, the other being WIOG. Does anybody know of a market with two CHR-Pop stations owned by the same company with that company not being Clear Channel (a simulcast of two stations playing the same music doesn't count)?
In the past few years Citadel has changed stations from Hot AC to CHR-Pop in Albuquerque (where KKOB-FM is doing well after recovering from a slump) and Modesto/Stockton (I don't know how KHOP is doing because both of those markets have had their ratings embargoed for a long time). The CHR-Pop panel size will go down by one if WJIM-FM isn't instantly added, but at least it will help the CHR-Pop format in the national ratings.

[Slinky]

Does anybody know of a market with two CHR-Pop stations owned by the same company with that company not being Clear Channel (a simulcast of two stations playing the same music doesn't count)?

I'm assuming it counts if the stations are in different home markets but both get ratings in one market, like WIOG and WJIM now?

The only one I can think of off the top of my head is Altoona, PA. You have CHRs WWOT and WYOT doing a sort-of simulcast*, but there's also non-simulcasted WJHT which is CHR from State College and showing up in the ratings. All 3 stations are owned by Forever Broadcasting (R&R's info is incorrect.).

*This is the weirdest arrangement ever. The stations are set to play the same songs in mostly the same order, but with different DJ's and occasionally different mixes of the song! I was tuning into WYOT and heard Jagged Edge's "Let's Get Married (Original)" into BEP's "Don't Mess With My Heart". A moment later I tuned into WWOT and heard "Let's Get Married (Remix) into "Don't Phunk With My Heart".

[Libra]

evanj said:

Although I'm happy Lansing-East Lansing got CHR-Pop back, I'm still surprised WJIM-FM changed. They must have had horrible demographics.

I'm not. Citadel is said to be in the process of leaving Oldies completely behind.

Although...they also own WHNN up here. I'm thinking the only thing that would keep them from changing that within the near future is the fact that the Saginaw market has a LARGE variety of formats to choose from (except Alternative ) after you count the reachable stations that don't report to Mediabase (WXQL, WSAG) or are based in another market (WRCL, WWCK, WCRZ).[/font]

[Marv]

Sounds like Saginaw has a VERY diverse lineup of radio stations for such a medium-sized market.

[Libra]

marv said:

Sounds like Saginaw has a VERY diverse lineup of  radio stations for such a medium-sized market.

Indeed.

The stations on the Saginaw panel are WIOG (CHR/Pop), WKQZ (Active Rock), WCEN, WKCQ (both Country), WTLZ (Urban), and WGER* (AC).

*Were they a recent addition or are they only on the expanded panel? I didn't think this station reported to Mediabase.

There's also WCHW (A high school station - they play all kinds of rock, but they're Active-leaning), WHNN (Oldies), WMJO (Joe FM), WXQL (just switched to a "fringe" CHR/Rhythmic, a la New York's WKTU), WYLZ/WILZ (Classic Rock simulcast), and WSAG (AC).

Then there's the out-of-market stations that I can pick up: WIDL (Classic Hits/Hot AC, but not in the "Jack" vein) from Caro, WRCL (CHR/Rhythmic) from Frankenmuth (but they are on the Flint panel), WWBN (Active Rock) from Flint, WLEW (Adult Hits/Hot AC) from Bad Axe, WQBX (Hot AC) from Alma, WWCK (CHR/Pop) from Flint, and WCRZ (AC) from Flint. I could also probably pick up one or more of the out-of-town country stations if I wanted to, but I haven't listed to country all that much in years.

And of course, there's numerous Talk and Christian stations both in and out of town.

Now if only we could get an Alternative in here...[/font]

[EvanJ]

I don't know if WGER is a new addition, but they're on the smaller AC panel that R&R uses.

[Slinky]

evanj said:

Does anybody know of a market with two CHR-Pop stations owned by the same company with that company not being Clear Channel (a simulcast of two stations playing the same music doesn't count)?

Got another one: Providence with WPRO and WFHN, both Citadel stations.

[tico]

evanj said:

Citadel is also somewhat competing with themselves as they will now own two CHR-Pop stations in that market's ratings, the other being WIOG.

But WIOG is not a Lansing station and since Lansing is on the fringe, I highly doubt WIOG even targeted Lansing to begin with.

[tico]

marv said:

Sounds like Saginaw has a VERY diverse lineup of  radio stations for such a medium-sized market.

I'm going up there in November, so I'll be able to find this out for myself. My girlfriend really likes Joe FM, so I can't wait to check them out.

[Marv]

Does Detroit still have two CHR/Pop stations?

[EvanJ]

Detroit's WDRQ (owned by ABC) changed to Doug-FM on April 1, leaving Detroit with one CHR-Pop station, Clear Channel's WKQI.

[tobedawg]

Citadel programs AWESOME CHR/Pop Stations..

Citadel has the Top 3 stations in the Modesto/Stockton Market with KAT Country, POP MUSIC KHOP, and Classic Rock 104.1 The Hawk..