The Rise Of Triple A...

[atlantaboy]

Hey looks like Triple A really is the fastest-growing format of the last couple years...thanks to the new 100.3 Triple A in L. A., nearly all major markets now have a AAA station (many with solid ratings)...with the big exception of Boston where WBOS (which basically started the Triple A format) recently flipped to heritage Alternative - ironic lol

But NYC, DC, and Atlanta are now solidly on the Triple A "bandwagon"...Chicago, Denver, San Fran, Seattle, and Minneapolis also continue to have successful Triple A's...Philly and Baltimore have college-radio Triple A's (with low frequencies and low ratings), San Diego has one but its ratings are low...the Texas markets, Florida markets, and Phoenix still don't have Triple A's

Wonderin if AAA will soon surpass Hot AC in terms of large-market audience

Triple A is still extremely uncommon in medium-small markets though

[Slinky]

AAA definitely deserves its own thread now. The format is on fire.

Boston does have a AAA still: WXRV. They are a Northern rimshot station that doesn't cover the whole metro but they are a Mediabase reporter. They rate in the 1's.

Baltimore actually has two AAAs: One public, WTMD, and one commercial rimshot from Annapolis, WRNR.

I don't see this format catching up to Hot AC, even in large markets, just because there are enough successful Hot ACs out there that are way ahead of their AAA competitors... think WBMX in Boston and Star in San Diego. AAA is also still uncommon in the South, and I don't see the demographics supporting it anytime soon.

I do agree the format has come back in a big way though. The last time NY and LA had AAAs was the mid-90's, back when people thought AAA would be the next big thing. The format really exploded at that time, and then had a slow slide into obscurity. Now, radio companies have again recognized that, while the format will never be #1 in the ratings, it appeals to affluent demographics and can make big money, if done right.

[atlantaboy]

^Yeah I guess the only exceptions to the Triple A-Hot AC rating thing is NYC, where the Triple A is well ahead of WPLJ, Atlanta which has a pretty solid Triple A but no Hot AC, and Seattle and San Fran where the Triple A is way ahead of even the HACs combined..and IMO L. A.'s new Triple A might have a shot at gettin ahead of KBIG's ratings

WXRV is actually broadcast closer to Portsmouth NH, and gets pretty high ratings up there (with no Hot AC in that market I don't think), so Triple A's actually ahead in NH also

But yeah the only large Southern market with a Triple A is Atlanta (there have always been a bunch in Tennessee, but don't think their ratings are that high), and IMO ur right that the demographics in Texas are prob. too conservative to support a Triple A over a Hot AC (except maybe in Austin, where the HAC is leaning closer and closer to Triple A)

If the new L. A. Triple A gets higher ratings that KBIG though, IMO the picture completely changes, cause Triple A would be ahead of Hot AC in the country's top 2 markets...and thinkin that could spark a "trickle down" effect on other large markets with large pockets of socially liberally populations