Here an Alt, there an Alt, everywhere an Alt Alt

[The Fat Man]

In the latest round of major media companies stripping local stations of their identity, Alt seems to be the new moniker in the camp of Kiss, Mix, Magic, Jack, The River, The Bull, Nash, Q, The Fan, and so on. With Alt, one company doesn't hold a copyright on the name. So, does it help to use monikers across major markets, or is it better to let a station make it's own identity for it's market?

I personally grew up where (rock) stations were better known by their call letters than by a moniker. WBCN, WFNX, WAAF (for Boston), as there were others that did or still do exist in other markets.

 

[harshness]

It's kind of split around here. Some stations live on their call letters while others have call letters that don't roll off the tongue so they use some other handle.

We have a "Charlie" (KYCH), a "Buzz" (KKRZ) that was formerly a "Rosy" and a "The Brew" (KFBW, the spirits, not the coffee). There is a "The Fan" and a "Joe Radio" in a nearby market but I'm not convinced that they are necessarily different market versions of the same basic concept.

Is this what you're talking about?

 

[The Fat Man]

Basically. My question is whether or not having these monikers that are used in many markets is helping local stations or not. A big thing in radio is to keep it local, yet they say that at a station that has the same name and imaging as 20 other stations across the country. That's what I am mainly addressing.

 

[harshness]

I don't think it is helpful (because I'm of a mind that non-localized radio isn't typically as engaging) but radio needs to find some way to economize as the advertising dollars are not rolling in like they used to.

Perhaps what's going on is that the stations are trying to consolidate where they can. Each will have a morning and/or afternoon drive but a lot of the rest of the content will be national.

Unlike newspapers where the news never stops, radio is looking at a pretty serious dearth of good new music so many stations are having to add more talent-based entertainment and that's costly.

Just before one of my favorite afternoon shows disbanded, they were doing 7-8 minute ad breaks. At some point the talent can no longer maintain continuity of their bits with these long breaks.

 

[The Fat Man]

I don't think it is helpful (because I'm of a mind that non-localized radio isn't typically as engaging) but radio needs to find some way to economize as the advertising dollars are not rolling in like they used to.

Perhaps what's going on is that the stations are trying to consolidate where they can. Each will have a morning and/or afternoon drive but a lot of the rest of the content will be national.

Unlike newspapers where the news never stops, radio is looking at a pretty serious dearth of good new music so many stations are having to add more talent-based entertainment and that's costly.

Just before one of my favorite afternoon shows disbanded, they were doing 7-8 minute ad breaks. At some point the talent can no longer maintain continuity of their bits with these long breaks.

I like national radio on the idea of SiriusXM. However, I find that all these brandings just make cookie cutter radio.

 

[radio]

I'm not sure that "helping" listeners is the goal. Perhaps in a small way, as "recognition" is the goal. In other words, corporate stations (more than smaller stations in my opinion) use these phrases as identifiers, mainly because they have little faith in listeners remembering their actual call letters. To a degree, we're guilty of it too, calling ourselves "I-1430" when we started WION, the "I" standing for Ionia, our city of license. Other reasons for the use of brandings may be because there are so few GOOD call letters left that would naturally reflect the city of license or the format of the station. I blame this lack on the fact that call letters change so often in corporate America now. I've been looking for call letters lately for a possible change of another station (not WION) and can't find a good combination for our situation.

 

[The Fat Man]

I'm not sure that "helping" listeners is the goal. Perhaps in a small way, as "recognition" is the goal. In other words, corporate stations (more than smaller stations in my opinion) use these phrases as identifiers, mainly because they have little faith in listeners remembering their actual call letters. To a degree, we're guilty of it too, calling ourselves "I-1430" when we started WION, the "I" standing for Ionia, our city of license. Other reasons for the use of brandings may be because there are so few GOOD call letters left that would naturally reflect the city of license or the format of the station. I blame this lack on the fact that call letters change so often in corporate America now. I've been looking for call letters lately for a possible change of another station (not WION) and can't find a good combination for our situation.

I didn't look at that part of it. That's the big difference between those in the business and the listener. I do find little faith in call letters now to be a bit shocking. All I have is an anecdote for a reason, which doesn't support my belief. But, for me being a rock fan in the Boston radio market it was call letters that I remembered, WBCN, WFNX, WCOZ, WAAF. Even the Manchester, NH rock station "Rock 101" I refer to by the WGIR call letters. But, again it's only anecdotal, and I can't speak for the average listener.