RadioActive wrote:

Broadcast Dialogue has an interesting interview with Steve Jones, Stingray's president. 

Check out this quote.:

“I think the challenge was we had a real difficult time explaining to listeners and clients what was different about Today Radio. It was hard to translate to clients what was unique about it…we know the variety we played was infinitely wider and conversations infinitely deeper, but it became a really difficult thing to communicate. When you can’t communicate what makes you interesting or different, I think you’re kind of doomed.”

So let me get this straight. A station that was based on having communication with listeners failed to communicate its purpose with listeners. Is that about it? How ironic!

Stingray bets on New Country in Toronto

It's nice when you can tell whenever a corporate quote is actually from that individual and not a proper PR/communications specialist, as that was one of the stupidest explanations I've ever heard. I'll tell ya what was hard to explain to advertisers: why they should buy time on a station with a 0.8 share. Flow 98.7 had consistently higher ratings, which is embarrassing for Stingray. 

Country on 93.5 will not do better than a 2 share unless they truly invest in marketing it. Today had some billboards but they were brutal and ineffective.

When I was growing up things were much simpler. The teens listened to CHUM. Parents were tuned to CFRB. Farmers and truckers were loyal to CFGM.

Their new website and station hosts are up, along with a 30 sec. spot on YouTube. It looks like it was made for TV, but I've yet to see it on the tube. Interesting how they're positioning it. 

New Country 93.5 Hosts

Those that like Country are already glued to the two KX's depending on where they live. No need to search for and sample something new. Plus 93.5 has a much weaker signal.

For 20 years CJKX has been transmitting from First Canadian Place in the heart of the business sector giving KX96 a superior TO signal compared to 93.5.

Radiowiz wrote:

Bristol wrote:

For 20 years CJKX has been transmitting from First Canadian Place in the heart of the business sector giving KX96 a superior TO signal compared to 93.5.

This is EXACTLY why Stingray should have gone with Variety Country instead of just copying what's already there. 
People are not going to give up what they already have if it sounds the same anyway.

When I want "The best and most Country" I listen to Froggy 97.
Gee it sure would be nice to have a station in Toronto sounding like this
(plus 35-40% Can Con, most respectfully)  https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/ce/wfry&
 

The average Froggy 97 listener is about 60 years old. There's a sizeable audience for it, for sure, but it's hard to sell.

RadioAaron wrote:

Radiowiz wrote:

Bristol wrote:

For 20 years CJKX has been transmitting from First Canadian Place in the heart of the business sector giving KX96 a superior TO signal compared to 93.5.

This is EXACTLY why Stingray should have gone with Variety Country instead of just copying what's already there. 
People are not going to give up what they already have if it sounds the same anyway.

When I want "The best and most Country" I listen to Froggy 97.
Gee it sure would be nice to have a station in Toronto sounding like this
(plus 35-40% Can Con, most respectfully)  https://streamdb5web.securenetsystems.net/ce/wfry&
 

The average Froggy 97 listener is about 60 years old. There's a sizeable audience for it, for sure, but it's hard to sell.

Where are you getting this information??? 
A powerhouse station targeting 60+? I highly doubt that.
 

RadioAaron wrote:

Radiowiz wrote:

RadioAaron wrote:

The average Froggy 97 listener is about 60 years old. There's a sizeable audience for it, for sure, but it's hard to sell.

Where are you getting this information??? 
A powerhouse station targeting 60+? I highly doubt that.
 

They're not targeting 60+, but it's what they're getting. Any country station that isn't contemporary-based gets that. Also, it's in Watertown, NY....completely irrelevant to what can work in Toronto.
 

I disagree completely. They're always on top 12+  https://ratings.radio-online.com/content/arb577  
So I have no idea where you get 60 from.
Plus also, a "Best and most" Country station would do good here to separate 93.5 from other (Country) radio listening choices in Toronto.
I also call BS on the idea that a Variety Country station would only bring in 60 plus here in Toronto.  
"Best and most" is the way to go for making the point. It won't sound too classic either. 
 

RadioAaron wrote:

RadioActive wrote:

Here's a question that's a real problem: if you have a radio station that almost no one listened to (hello Today FM!) and you suddenly change formats, driving away what few people are already there, how do you tell the public at large you've changed into something else?

It's not that no one listened, it's that they never listened for very long. The station actually had a healthy CUME. 

All of whom they blew away late last month when they made the sudden shift to country. So how do they tell would-be new listeners who might like country that they're there? Seems like they're not doing anything to promote this that I can see. A YouTube video won't cut it. 

RadioAaron wrote:

Radiowiz wrote:

RadioAaron wrote:

They're not targeting 60+, but it's what they're getting. Any country station that isn't contemporary-based gets that. Also, it's in Watertown, NY....completely irrelevant to what can work in Toronto.
 

I disagree completely. They're always on top 12+  https://ratings.radio-online.com/content/arb577  
So I have no idea where you get 60 from.
Plus also, a "Best and most" Country station would do good here to separate 93.5 from other (Country) radio listening choices in Toronto.
I also call BS on the idea that a Variety Country station would only bring in 60 plus here in Toronto.  
"Best and most" is the way to go for making the point. It won't sound too classic either. 
 

On top 12+ usually means the bulk of it comes from at least 50+. That's just the reality of radio usage in 2024. I've seen Kingston market research; Froggy's audience is old. Again, any "variety" or classic country station is. That's why they are few and far between.

Okay. Good research. 
I still believe that "Best and most" Country would work without targeting too old in Toronto though. 


 

I still don't get it, with the Toronto PPM's coming out yesterday Evanov's ratings for it's new Country format, was near the bottom.

What is this re-formatted station going to do to reach more ears than the current Country station in Toronto?

I am not including KX 94 or KX 96 as they are considered out of market.

An old friend of mine used to call Management,  "Manglement" he is right! 


 

RadioActive wrote:

RadioAaron wrote:

RadioActive wrote:

All of whom they blew away late last month when they made the sudden shift to country. So how do they tell would-be new listeners who might like country that they're there? Seems like they're not doing anything to promote this that I can see. A YouTube video won't cut it. 

It's been 3 days!
 

Most stations would have launched with a blitz announcement, something like It's "Back To School - and Back To Country!" Something around Labour Day to at least tell people about their big debut. Maybe they're trying a soft launch, but you need to strike when it's new or it won't work. It's almost like they don't want people to know. 

Think of The Pole in Kingston. Everyone knew the change on 102.7 was coming because of that stunt. And it cost them almost nothing! But it worked.

Think of all the stations who go into the Rick Roll, playing the exact same tune for 48 hours, telling the audience something's coming. That gets noticed and publicity - along with curiosity.

This was virtually silent and unless I missed it somehow, I haven't heard a peep about these guys.

That surprises me from a place like Stingray, which does such an amazing job with Boom. 

This station has the potential for at most a 2.5 share, so they will invest in it proportionally. 93.5 and 97.3 will not be treated the same by Stingray,
 

It's called CFXJ-FM and has a history of some fairly unsuccessful format choices. 

CFXJ-FM

cash wrote:

darcyh wrote:

Where is this station from? (Perhaps Toronto?) Some of us non-GTA viewers might not be familiar with it.

I am in Toronto and not familiar with it. 

Which is exactly why it's now country! Until a few books from now, when it becomes something else.

Radiowiz wrote:

Muffaraw Joe wrote:

I still don't get it, with the Toronto PPM's coming out yesterday Evanov's ratings for it's new Country format, was near the bottom.
What is this re-formatted station going to do to reach more ears than the current Country station in Toronto?

88.5 IS out of market.
They are supposed to be a Newmarket station, soliciting Newmarket, Aurora and areas around there for ad revenue. 
I'd say Keswick and Sutton, but there's also a Country station in Keswick now, serving Georgina. 
 

I thought 88.5' studios were based out of the Evanov offices on Dundas Street in Etobicoke. I did not know that Evanov's main office has many radio station logos from different markets.