Birmingham Loses Alternative/Rock, Gets It Back
Dec 4, 2006 13:28:35 GMT -5
Post by EvanJ on Dec 4, 2006 13:28:35 GMT -5
www.radioandrecords.com/radiomonitor/news/format/rock/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003467835
CC Brings Rock Back To Birmingham
Dec. 04, 2006
By Mike Boyle
Late last month R&R told you the news that Citadel blew up alternative WRAX (The X)/Birmingham, Ala., and was getting set to debut a new format. Well, Clear Channel took advantage of the situation on Saturday (Dec. 2) and flipped gospel WENN to “105.5 The Vulcan,” a rock station with an alternative lean.
The flip was overseen by CC regional VP Doug Hamand with help from fellow regional VP Brad Hardin, who sketched out the music.
“Obviously there was an opportunity there with WRAX going away and we decided to jump on it,” Hardin told R&R.”
“It’s probably the most bizarre launch we’ve ever done,” Hardin added, “only because our sports station in Tampa had a golf tournament on Friday and we launched it all from there. We had the idea late Thursday and ran with it on Friday, getting the imaging and music together … all from the golf cart.”
The station, which takes its name from a famous statue in Birmingham that depicts the Roman god fire and forge, is currently jockless and commercial-free.
From me: WRAX had less than a 2.0 rating and WENN had more than a 5.0 and was in seventh place. WENN changing could be good news for Cox, owners of Urban AC WBHK (currently Number 1 in the market), and Gospel WAGG-AM, whose ratings have gone way down in the last ten months and that had one-third the rating of WENN. I don't know how many Gospel stations other than WENN currently have 5 or more shares in a Top 60 market. See also radioinsight.com/boards/index.php?t=tree&th=7017&start=0&S=156989d6a1dde299e779be46c6b85640
CC Brings Rock Back To Birmingham
Dec. 04, 2006
By Mike Boyle
Late last month R&R told you the news that Citadel blew up alternative WRAX (The X)/Birmingham, Ala., and was getting set to debut a new format. Well, Clear Channel took advantage of the situation on Saturday (Dec. 2) and flipped gospel WENN to “105.5 The Vulcan,” a rock station with an alternative lean.
The flip was overseen by CC regional VP Doug Hamand with help from fellow regional VP Brad Hardin, who sketched out the music.
“Obviously there was an opportunity there with WRAX going away and we decided to jump on it,” Hardin told R&R.”
“It’s probably the most bizarre launch we’ve ever done,” Hardin added, “only because our sports station in Tampa had a golf tournament on Friday and we launched it all from there. We had the idea late Thursday and ran with it on Friday, getting the imaging and music together … all from the golf cart.”
The station, which takes its name from a famous statue in Birmingham that depicts the Roman god fire and forge, is currently jockless and commercial-free.
From me: WRAX had less than a 2.0 rating and WENN had more than a 5.0 and was in seventh place. WENN changing could be good news for Cox, owners of Urban AC WBHK (currently Number 1 in the market), and Gospel WAGG-AM, whose ratings have gone way down in the last ten months and that had one-third the rating of WENN. I don't know how many Gospel stations other than WENN currently have 5 or more shares in a Top 60 market. See also radioinsight.com/boards/index.php?t=tree&th=7017&start=0&S=156989d6a1dde299e779be46c6b85640