2009.03.31
Radio station format changes
Here's the unedited version of a brief that will run in tomorrow's Virginia section ...
Fans of classic country music radio station The Bull were surprised on Friday. Their music was gone.
The Bull, FM 106.1, was now STEVE FM, 106.1. Instead of George Jones, Vern Gosdin and other old-school country hitmakers, they were hearing the likes of Billy Joel, Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen and Fleetwood Mac.
On Tuesday morning, the station's owner, Clear Channel, sent out a news release announcing the change.
“STEVE has attitude. He plays 'WHATEVER HE WANTS,’” Dave Carwile, VP/Market Manager for STEVE FM and Clear Channel Radio, said in the news release.
In a phone interview on Tuesday afternoon, Carwile said the change goes back to December 2007, when The Bull and Clear Channel sister station WJJS-FM switched frequencies. The Bull moved from the larger frequency 104.9 to the more Roanoke-central frequency 106.1. It gave WJJS a broader listenership, but took away from The Bull its older and more rural listeners in Southwest Roanoke and Roanoke County, Carwile said.
Instead of having a format without an audience, Carwile and program director/music director Steve Cross [his first name is coincidental] decided to go for “a very metropolitan, very sexy format,” Carwile said. They selected more than 1,000 songs that allow the new station to go “from Al Green to Green Day to Bon Jovi to James Brown,” and incorporated the name and format of a successful station in Columbia, S.C., Carwile said.
There are no disc jockeys on STEVE, but Cross will program all the music from Bedford.
It was the second recent format change in the Roanoke-Lynchburg market. Early last month, Centennial Broadcasting, in Lynchburg, dropped its Bob FM format at WZZU 97.9, filling it with The Planet’s feed from 101.5 WZZI.
Centennial's Tom Kennedy said the reason for the change was simple: "The radio station had absolutely zero advertiser support."
The Planet is now heard on 101.5 WZZI (Roanoke), 106.9 WLEQ (Bedford) and and 97.9 WZZU (Lynchburg). The format is healthy, Kennedy said.
"We're in a position with the Planet, unlike a lot of media companies, to be actually adding to our payroll costs."
— Tad Dickens
Soooo in other words, if I want to hear Waylon, Willie, Johnny, Charlie, Loretta, et. al., I'd better hope I'm in range of 98.1 in Galax or I'm screwed. And correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't 99.1 Q99 already have the market cornered on the adult contemporary market? Because for all STEVE FM's supposedly "edginess and attitude", it sounds like at the end of the day, they're just another AC station.
Nice. And Clear Channel still wonders why people are turning to Satellite radio. Yeeesshhhh...
Comment by Charles D.Johnson — March 31, 2009 @ 2:26 pm
"hearing the likes of Billy Joel, Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen and Fleetwood Mac" and "STEVE FM gives Roanoke listeners exactly what they have been asking for…MORE MUSIC and less bla bla bla!
Sounds like more of the same if you ask me. I think the Roanoke area already hears enough likes of Billy Joel, Tina Turner and Springsteen. I am not saying those particular artists are terrible or the likes of them are but, again its more of the same. If it's not country, it's oldies or "easy for the work day" music. Of course you have your two "rock" stations that are slightly becoming the same station. Turn to WROV you hear Skynyrd, Pink Floyd, Staind, and the likes and then you flip over to the Planet and hear the same except for the good plus hour of music that is presented by Little Steven Van Zandt. How are local and touring bands going to be successful in this town if we do not present something different on a station? Sure we have great local bands here, but they gain more success out of the city than in... not saying we do not support it's just that the bars and venues around this area are top 40 hot spots. Who wants to continue to hear the same ol' tunes? I'd much rather listen to NPR, which I do, than continue to listen to the same crap every day. If you are looking for something different, go online, there are great radio stations/podcasts out there that are much more fulfilling than the regular Bob and Tom or "Nascar rock".
Comment by brian — March 31, 2009 @ 2:47 pm
Thanks for the update, Tad. It's a sad day. I agree with Charles. "Steve's" format doesn't strike me as innovative or unique. I do hope that another station sees the value in offering a tradtional country format.
Comment by Jim D — March 31, 2009 @ 3:19 pm
So, just what we needed another easy listening station. The BULL was the only station that played something worth listening to. Clear Channel had to screw up a good thing!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Sarah L Fralin — March 31, 2009 @ 3:39 pm
"STEVE has attitude. He plays 'WHATEVER HE WANTS"... “a very metropolitan, very sexy format”...
Damn right! Just how I'd describe my no-behind-havin behind.
Joking aside though, I'm in full agreement with Chuckles here. Sounds like CC is grasping at straws before XM/Sirius puts some of their markets out of business.
Comment by Steve Layne — March 31, 2009 @ 3:46 pm
Sounds like an easy decision to remove 106.1 from my presets now.
Charles if you're down in Franklin County you might like 1570 AM. It's hyper-local and has more of an "ole timey" focus than the Bull did, but it's quality stuff.
Comment by Mason — March 31, 2009 @ 4:33 pm
Speaking of The Planet, depending on where my car is or where in my house I am, the reception is great. Sometimes.
Comment by DohXs — March 31, 2009 @ 6:33 pm
No more Bull - BIG MISTAKE! If I want to listen to the junk now playing on 106.1, Steve FM, I'll listen to Q99. Yea, Steve plays what HE wants, not what the valued listeners want to hear. If Clear Channel's plan is to automate the program with no DJ's, then OK, but leave the music format the same? There are now, no good country music stations in the Roanoke Valley listening area, so my radio has gone silent. This modern, so called country music IS NOT COUNTRY MUSIC! Would anyone like to buy the radio out of my truck?
Comment by Paul Lee — April 1, 2009 @ 9:03 am
I have been wondering what happened to my favorite station 106.1 "the bull". I was hoping that it had been moved and not shut down all together. What a disappointment!! I agree with all the other comments BIG MISTAKE!! Guess I will have to turn off my radio and listen to my own music!
Comment by Pat Blevins — April 1, 2009 @ 1:56 pm
I think this was a dumb move on there part, but they are the "experts" in their field so they know what to do. It just stinks that there is not a lot of variety anymore around here. What I would love to see is a nice Indy music station so we could get some of these killer local bands noticed around here. If there is a station like this could someone please let me know?
Comment by Mr. K — April 2, 2009 @ 5:41 am
Mr. K -
There is a local podcast that does showcase local, regional, etc. inide acts. Playing anything from punk, garage, alt. country, rock-a-billy and the likes. It's called Whiskey N' Waterbeds Radio... http://www.myspace.com/whisknwaterbeds .. they are even have a live showcase tonight April 3rd with two local acts Prison Mattress and Casey and the Moonshine Band at 460 West, 9pm. $5. Also the host have their own solo shows .. Tryin Times which is just music from Va, Wv and DC and Hayride to Hell which is a mix of drive in movies, cheap beer and good country music.
Comment by brian — April 3, 2009 @ 9:55 am
I'll vouch for Whiskey N' Waterbeds -- myspace.com/whiskeynwaterbeds is the actual url. And the spinoff shows are cool too. The latest Hayride to Hell, for example, starts out with some great Jerry Reed stuff -- now that's good country.
However, I wouldn't leave the young'uns alone with any of these casts! Those boys are cussy-mouths! Har!
Hope the 460 show went well, Brian.
Comment by Tad Dickens — April 4, 2009 @ 6:08 pm
STEVE is awesome!! Finally the variety station this area has needed...hearing songs on there that NO OTHER station in the area plays, even the beloved country song now and then!
Comment by Davey — April 9, 2009 @ 4:35 pm
I miss The Bull but they had a sorry play list. I canot remember the number of times I heard"A Boy named Sue" and "Black sheep of the family" and THE BULL. They had over 50 years of number one hits to choose from but they played some songs from the past that were no good then or now. Thanks for listening.
Comment by Jim Stevens — April 13, 2009 @ 1:56 pm
I already listen to Q99 for my favorites and see no reason to listen to Steve. I loved the Bull for my classic country. This sucks! My daddy loved that music station because it played all the old country songs he listened to when he was young. Sad sad day
Comment by Tammy — April 13, 2009 @ 6:41 pm
I'm loving the new STEVE FM!! It reminds me of the SIMON station out of North Carolina. I love the variety and that it's not the same songs over and over again within a 2 hour time frame! ALL Clear Channel stations do that and I hate it. They wear a song out WAY before it's time! Keep up the great work and keep the variey going! You got a button already programed in my car!!:) And I'm spreading the word!!
Comment by Amber — April 18, 2009 @ 1:05 pm
I guess it does no good to be a loyal listener. I enjoyed every minute I spent listening to the Bull, and I looked forward to coming into range on frequent trips through Virginia. I saved it to my favorites list on the pc and tuned to the Bull's streaming music every time I turned it on. The cookie cutter new country stations are stacked to the roof and have all the class of a bent door knob. They really ticked off a lot of good loyal fans when they castrated the Bull. What a sorry bunch.
Comment by lou — April 28, 2009 @ 8:06 pm
Guess what the listeners want doesn't matter to STEVE... but I don't have to listen to him. I agree with the comments above... BIG MISTAKE to lose The Bull! I'm very disappointed.
Comment by Brenda — May 22, 2009 @ 8:22 am