Another dumb DC radio move

One of the most popular radio stations here in DC is WTOP. It is the all news station, which is perhaps most famous for 'weather and traffic together on the 8s' -- meaning they do weather and traffic every 10 minutes. That is a big deal for DC jammed roads and often crappy weather.

WTOP has done very well in recent years to where it is now Washington's most listened to radio station. Not bad.

Well, today, the brain trust at Bonneville International Corp., WTOP's parent company, made the big announcement that they are moving WTOP from the frequency where it has lived since 1946 and thrived in recent years -- 1500 AM -- so they can create something called "Washington Post radio." Then they are moving their popular although un-listenable classical radio station, WGMS, to replace Z-104, which was a modern rock radio station. The moves are so confusing, they actually post a chart so you can keep track of it all!

All of this to make way for Washington Post radio?

Here is their release:

Washington Post Radio to Debut in Late March

Washington, DC -- The Washington Post said on Wednesday that it will develop programming content for a new radio station that will begin broadcasting in the DC region in late March. The newspaper said that it will work with station owner Bonneville International to develop programming for Washington Post Radio, which will broadcast on 107.7 FM and 1500 AM. The new station will occupy the location on the radio dial currently used by 24-hour news station WTOP, which will move to 103.5 FM. "This is a wonderful opportunity for The Washington Post to encourage the radio audience to read more of the newspaper," said Boisfeuillet Jones Jr., the paper's publisher. The new station will draw on content from The Washington Post and feature the paper's editors, reporters and columnists. The station will also broadcast news and commentary from journalists and others outside The Post.

My questions:
1. Why move a radio station which has been remarkably successful -- so successful that it has become a staple of Washington life?
2. Why move your shockingly popular classical music station? (Shocking because WGMS is unlistenable!)
3. If you are creating a new radio station, why not put that on the new frequency? Why shift the stuff that is successful where it is for something that may or may not be successful?
4. Why do I listen to anything but my XM Radio?

And they should listen to me. Remember last year when I crabbed last year when local public radio station WETA decided to dump its daytime classical music for all-news format? Well, guess what? WETA is finding out that the news format isn't working out all that well.

These kinds of things piss people off! You may decide that you have to do it, but you better have a damn good reason... and you should tell people your reason! Don't do this:

"These changes will help us meet the growing needs of the Washington community for news, sports, information, music and emergency services," said Bruce Reese, president and CEO of Bonneville.

Survey says -- BZZZZ! If this was true, they would have just moved WTOP's FM frequency from 107.7, where most people can't hear it anyway, to 103.5. (And yes, classical music fans, if you do listen to WGMS, the first question is why? But now it will be even more difficult to hear that station... although they are promising upgrades.) Moving the FM frequencies might make sense because WTOP is likely to get more listeners then WGMS. If you wanted to make these moves, I would have announced the WGMS-WTOP FM switch today and the upcoming WP radio deal, and then later, after people are comfortable listening to WTOP on the FM dial, later announce the WTOP AM switch.

So maybe I'll follow you over to the new frequency, maybe I won't. We'll just have to see.

Comments

[Dave Newton]

I take your point. I offer the following backtalk. 1500 kHz is a lousy frequency, with lousy coverage. Undoubtedly, WTOP will keep its AM audience and add more on the much better 820 kHz, and has a real chance to build a bigger FM audience. Of course it's a gamble to switch dial positions with a long-successful radio station. And, I admit, Bonneville didn't explain it very clearly...radio guys aren't great at PR. But I still think the switch will be good for 'TOP. With the addition of new distribution systems--satellite, iradio, and other "wireless" sources, the steel-tower guys better put their best assets on the best frequencies they've got. And, who knows, maybe the Post will do a good radio job. They already do some broadcast work on their Web site. Hang in there and watch what happens. You're going to see a little more risk-taking in radio this year, and that's a good thing for the listeners, too.