[BC] Yet another HD ... XM HD

[Rich Wood]

------ At 12:18 PM 8/29/2006, Mark Humphrey wrote: -------

>Why do companies like Clear Channel and CBS still insist on "blowing
>up" stations, rather than moving heritage (but allegedly
>under-billing) formats over to the secondary HD channels, and
>promoting this for a few weeks in advance so listeners have the
>opportunity to buy HD receivers?

Economics. There won't be enough IBUZ receivers in New York or 
Philadelphia to support any HD only format for a decade or more, if 
ever. If it's not on your analog signal it doesn't exist. In the case 
of WCBS-FM it would have cost a fortune to keep the format intact 
with very expensive heritage talent. Bruce Morrow isn't going to work 
for scale. The format was more than the music. If you were the CEO of 
CBS would you spend millions on a format no one could hear? The 
satellite companies did it. They had 100+ channels in place before 
they sold receivers, otherwise, why buy a receiver? This is the 
conundrum IBUZ faces. No receivers and no "real radio" formats in 
digital to cause listeners to spend the money even if they knew there 
was such a thing as IBUZ.

If I remember correctly, when WCBS-FM blew up the only receiver 
available was the Kenwood $400 tuner that required a compatible 
in-dash radio to go with it. Despite its traffic, many New Yorkers 
don't have cars or even driver's licenses. Unless you're a commuter 
you have no need for a car. Even commuters beyond the subways have 
thousands of daily trains and busses going almost everywhere. Of all 
places, New York most needs the portable receiver that no one makes.

>The "Smooth Jazz" format on WJJZ here in Phialdelphia was "blown up" a
>few weeks ago in favor of mediocre AC, but it took CC three weeks to
>realize that it might make sense to retain the old format on WJJZ's
>HD-2 channel.  Meanwhile, the damage has been done -- see listener
>comments on this page:

Again, because no market has receivers in enough numbers to get 
numbers, WJJZ's Smooth Jazz will remain blown up for a very long 
time. Is the HD-2 format the same as the analog format was or is it a 
voicetracked jukebox? Can you walk around the city and listen to it? 
Even in medium markets EACH STATION must have tens of thousands of 
receivers to get ratings they can sell. This also assumes listeners 
understand the WXXX-HD1 and WXXX-HD2 concept and reports the correct 
one to Arbitron. The only way to be sure is the Arbitron PeopleMeter 
that captures a unique signal encoded and broadcast on each channel.

While I understand the listeners' anger, blowing up stations has been 
going on for decades. How many people on this list have been victims 
of a format that was created off site and brought in overnight? Not 
even the employees knew they were toast until they weren't allowed in 
the building. Sometimes, for competitive reasons, all this has to be 
done in absolute secrecy. Often even the record companies that could 
supply material aren't told. Music is purchased at many different 
locations so no one gets curious.

You can't blame Clear Channel or CBS. Virtually every company has 
done it in some market in the past. I have to admit I've been part of 
blowing up several stations. I've also exposed a few competitors I 
suspected were going to be blown up by using their slogans before 
they blew up. I did it to KJQY, San Diego. I checked FCC records and 
discovered a format and call letter change was in the works and 
easily guessed their positioning was going to be K-JOY. I started to 
use the term joy in every break on XTRA to associate the word with 
XTRA. With massive promotion it still took them quite a while to 
overtake XTRA. XTRA changed format just before the book came out with 
a huge 4.7 share. Never to be repeated. The GM of KJQY was extremely 
upset. He asked me how I found out. Industrial espionage was easy in 
the days when the FCC required you to list your format.

You simply can't announce your plans and hope your competition 
doesn't get wind of it. I haven't seen it lately but you used to be 
able to buy hard drives with complete libraries on them. Plug them in 
and you have a new format. There's really nothing new here. It's a 
grand tradition.

Rich