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98.7 The Breeze (Soft AC) is here!

Discussion pertaining to Detroit, Ann Arbor, Port Huron, and SW Ontario
Mega Hertz
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98.7 The Breeze (Soft AC) is here!

Post by Mega Hertz » Mon Nov 12, 2018 7:48 pm

Since it appears we just lost posts again, Entercom has flipped 98.7 from CHR to Soft AC as "98.7 The Breeze" at 5pm today.

I'll let MW take it from here.


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MWmetalhead
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Re: 98.7 The Breeze (Soft AC) is here!

Post by MWmetalhead » Mon Nov 12, 2018 8:12 pm

Sorry, folks.

I had to repoint my DNS records to the Buzzboard's new server. The migration was completed Saturday night, and I wanted to repoint now before the old server is completely taken offline.

Unfortunately, any posts submitted between Saturday night and about 7:45p ET today (Monday, November 12) have been lost.

For those who posted your comments earlier, I sincerely apologize - and you are welcome to re-post your earlier remarks!

Here's the good news - the new Buzzboard server is top-notch and site reliability and server response time should be better than ever!

Thanks,

M.W.



BKRPDM
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Re: 98.7 The Breeze (Soft AC) is here!

Post by BKRPDM » Mon Nov 12, 2018 8:19 pm

Sounds good so far. We haven’t heard soft AC of this caliber since Alan Almond’s show which ended in 2010. As for a full time format like this, you’d have to go back to WLTI 93.1 in 1996, prior to ‘DRQ, to hear this.

IMO, I still think a station like KTWV 94.7 would have worked a bit better: it would capture the listeners of 92.3/105.9 that are disenfranchised by the increased hip-hip on those stations, appease the old Smooth Jazz fans, and also provide a hipper format (with newer music mixed in with the old stuff) that still works for office listening.



Mega Hertz
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Re: 98.7 The Breeze (Soft AC) is here!

Post by Mega Hertz » Mon Nov 12, 2018 8:21 pm

Well, allow me to make my stupid pun once again.

This station is called "The Breeze" because it blows!

I'm kidding. I'm liking it a whole hell of a lot more than the prior format. I've heard some really good tunes here so far. In a market with a glut of Drake/Taylor Swift/Nicki Minaj/Cardi B "walk it like I talk it" noise, it's a refreshing throwback to what AC was and should be. Not my full cup of tea but the song selection has been great so far. Nice work, Entercom!


"Internet is no more like radio than intravenous feeding is like fine dining."
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armchair pd
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Re: 98.7 The Breeze (Soft AC) is here!

Post by armchair pd » Mon Nov 12, 2018 8:26 pm

Not my cup of tea, but it might do decent.
If Entercom really told the talent the whole Christmas thing was a stunt and they'd all have jobs after it was over, used them over the weekend to fulfill advertiser obligations, then popped them today, its the shittiest move by a station since The Edge blew everybody out on Easter.



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MWmetalhead
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Re: 98.7 The Breeze (Soft AC) is here!

Post by MWmetalhead » Mon Nov 12, 2018 8:36 pm

Sure looks like that's what happened here.



Mega Hertz
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Re: 98.7 The Breeze (Soft AC) is here!

Post by Mega Hertz » Mon Nov 12, 2018 8:48 pm

armchair pd wrote:
Mon Nov 12, 2018 8:26 pm
Not my cup of tea, but it might do decent.
If Entercom really told the talent the whole Christmas thing was a stunt and they'd all have jobs after it was over, used them over the weekend to fulfill advertiser obligations, then popped them today, its the shittiest move by a station since The Edge blew everybody out on Easter.
Yeah, that's a dick move to say the least. So close to the holidays no less. But, that's the biz.


"Internet is no more like radio than intravenous feeding is like fine dining."
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MWmetalhead
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Re: 98.7 The Breeze (Soft AC) is here!

Post by MWmetalhead » Mon Nov 12, 2018 9:00 pm

The second worst thing about what went down this afternoon is this - we can probably count on 104.3 WOMC going all-Christmas at some point after Thanksgiving after all. :rolleyes

I did some quick research as to the impact 94.1 The Sound in Seattle has had on Warm FM there and the impact 98.1 The Breeze has had on 96.5 KOIT-FM in San Francisco since launching. The Sound has been around a year. 98.1 The Breeze has been around 18 months, maybe a bit longer.

In Seattle's case, the ratings of the incumbent AC are down about 30%.

In San Francisco's case, the ratings of the incumbent AC are down about 20%.

Not sure that's enough of an impact to warrant any sort of "response" from iFart. They may be perfectly willing to accept a mild ratings drain from WNIC in exchange for bigger ratings at WKQI.

If not, December sure would be a great time to exact revenge on Entercom by launching a competitor to WOMC at 106.7 FM. Right now, I'll say that won't happen, but I'm anxious about making predictions given how terrible I was at predicting 98.7's future!

My suspicion about the Christmas music stunt being temporary and not season long was indeed warranted (the lack of a press release regarding the Xmas format was a tell-tale sign), but I certainly wasn't expecting a flip to Soft AC! :eek

Recent major market Soft AC launches:
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- Chicago (MeTV FM, the station that started it all!)
- Minneapolis (announced last week)
- Philadelphia (occurred today)
- Detroit (occurred today)



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Steve79
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Re: 98.7 The Breeze (Soft AC) is here!

Post by Steve79 » Mon Nov 12, 2018 9:19 pm

Well I’m overjoyed with this news. I wanted a soft AC so badly and today my wish came true! I just hope they don’t fuck it up like all the rest and go hot AC down the road... but for now I’m enjoying every second listening. I wish this station much success. On a minor side note.... that logo :barf They forgot the “point” between the 8 and the 7.



Y M Ionhere
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Re: 98.7 The Breeze (Soft AC) is here!

Post by Y M Ionhere » Mon Nov 12, 2018 9:55 pm

I like it! Ive been listening for about an hour now and theyve spun several tracks i havent heard on terrestrial radio in years.
I grew up on MOR radio. Riding in the car as a child, my mom listened to WLTI. I mourn the loss of the format. This brings back memories for me. Im not sure how well it will fare nowadays with tastes changing, but personally welcome it so far.



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ZenithCKLW
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Re: 98.7 The Breeze (Soft AC) is here!

Post by ZenithCKLW » Mon Nov 12, 2018 9:58 pm

I like The Breeze a lot so far, but I recognize this taste isn't for everybody, which is par for the course with a major format change.

I wonder if this is how the switch from 9 year old top 40 Keener 13 to easy listening WNIC felt.



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MWmetalhead
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Re: 98.7 The Breeze (Soft AC) is here!

Post by MWmetalhead » Mon Nov 12, 2018 10:01 pm

In the interest of full disclosure, because my predictions from yesterday & early today were all lost, I'll remind everyone that I did a mediocre job predicting how this would all play out!

Correctly, I was suspicious as to the duration of the Christmas music stunt. I thought it would be temporary - perhaps lasting only a few days - given the absence of any press release announcing the Christmas music marathon.

However, I thought the station was likely going to keep some sort of contemporary music format, albeit under a new name, with the incumbent morning show remaining in place.

In the event of an outright format change, I was expecting a soft rhythmic AC like 94.7 The Wave in Los Angeles, not a waspy soft AC like this new station! I also mentioned Classic Rock, Variety Rock and a WWJ simulcast as other possibilities (with the WWJ simulcast option lowest on my list).

Now, the question is - does iFart retaliate in any way? I'll say "no' for now, but with 106.7's horrible ratings, it can certainly be used as a sacrificial lamb in the future, if desired.

When 100.7 in Windsor briefly flipped to Soft AC as Lite FM, I loved the station at first but became absolutely fatigued with it within its first 30 days on the air. Not sure if that's how I'll feel with the new 98.7 or not. Indeed, the station is playing a LOT of music that hasn't been heard on FM radio in Detroit in nearly 25 years.

Texture wise, how does the new station compare to the old Joy 97?



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Colonel Flagg
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Re: 98.7 The Breeze (Soft AC) is here!

Post by Colonel Flagg » Mon Nov 12, 2018 11:28 pm

Texture wise, the sound is very similar to the long forgotten WCLS, 99.5 Class-FM, minus the 90's & 00 tunes, of course. Joy 97 and WLTI were a couple notches softer. Pure audio wallpaper. However, Eddie Rogers, Peter Carey, or Jim Paolucci would all sound great on The Breeze.


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option1
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Re: 98.7 The Breeze (Soft AC) is here!

Post by option1 » Tue Nov 13, 2018 12:21 am

You now have a 3 share of displaced listeners that aren’t going to be listening to the breeze. ‘KQI can take a victory lap as they will surely benefit from the flip.



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Re: 98.7 The Breeze (Soft AC) is here!

Post by Deleted User 10525 » Tue Nov 13, 2018 1:48 am

Good riddens! AMP radio! they sucked. I hope this station keeps a softer sound, I will give them a shot. I came out of work at 1am and out of curiosity checked, they were playing Bon Jovi Never say goodbye, At first I thought "Jack fm?". This should be interesting.



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