Sorry gang, AAR's not coming to Milwaukee

[LTR]

They did it as a ruse.

It's 80's hits. :puke: Yep, they went back 20 years and morphed back into WLPX! Only this time they call it "The Brew". :wtf:

Don't give up hope - AAR in Milwaukee could happen eventually.

[ClassWarrior]

1. I don't get it.

What the hell good does it do to piss off a whole segment of the listening audience - a segment that includes a good many people in the age group that you'd think they'd want to capture with an oldies station like that?

[LTR]

2. I dunno

Would the mullet crowd in West Allis miss liberal talk?

I just turned back on my radio, and they're playing (I kid you not) Twisted Sister. :puke: But they did play some Queen earlier, which was kinda cool.

I wonder though if this weekend's stunting was some kind of litmus test, to mildly introduce AAR to Milwaukee. Not sure what WOKY makes as far as money, but the format is geared toward a less-desireable market (in that advertisers more or less shun the retiree crowd). Perhaps they'll blow up WOKY? I would think they would wait until they see some ratings success, though. WOKY does very well rating wise with their geriatric pop format.

WJYI (1340) is again another possibility. They run a brokered, mostly religious format that got a boost when a similar station (WEMP 1250) announced a flip to sports. Obviously, they're picking up a few of WEMP's old brokered clients, and that kind of format makes money, since there's really no overhead and they're just renting valuable real estate.

WAUK is yet another possibility, if WEMP kills them with their pending sports format. The owner seems pretty open to AAR for some of his rinkydink stations around the state, but wanted to take a wait and see approach. One problem with WAUK: They sign off at dusk. Daytime only signal.

So, in the meantime, don't hold your breath for AAR. We're back at square one. Though 1690 in Chicago reaches up here on a good day, and they're my prediction for any shot at AAR in Chicago. But that's only a rumor currently.

Oh well - back to WUWM, WYMS and WMSE for me. Maybe I'll burn some more CDs for the car.

[Serial Mom]

3. Are you sure????

Link here says:

http://www.onmilwaukee.com/scoops/articles/97gone.html

Light 97 off; Air America may land Monday
By OMC Staff Writers
<snip>

It seems the station will play a variety of music formats over the weekend and the new station will debut on Monday, Sept. 20 at 6 p.m., according to a Clear Channel Milwaukee voice mail message.

<snip>

As of 6 a.m., Monday morning, "Light 97," officially became "The Brew." The station is playing an "80s and more" format and according to an e-mail release "serving adults 25-54." Air America seems to be on the back burner for now, but stay tuned. Music mix on Monday has featured REO Speedwagon, Boston, AC/DC and other similar artists. 973thebrew.com will be the web site.

Let's hope - maybe they are planning on only picking up evening shows from AAR?

[Serial Mom]

4. Fricking Clear Channel!

My daughter and I just called them - NO ARR!


Clear Channel said ... not going to AAR.
Call and tell them you want it.
[phone]


On edit: found email address:

Email them and demand AAR... http://www.clearchannel.com/Corporate/Email.aspx

although my husband said it would be futile to call/email them because:
Of course they're not going to AAR, Clear Channel is the voice of
Bush... just what Milwaukee needs another "GD" oldies station... I just can't get enough Boston to suit my taste

[LTR]

5. That article was from last Friday

And they updated it since. Here's the added paragraph:

As of 6 a.m., Monday morning, "Light 97," offically became "The Brew." The station is playing an "80s and more" format and according to an e-mail release "serving adults 25-54." Air America seems to be on the back burner for now, but stay tuned. Music mix on Monday has featured REO Speedwagon, Boston, AC/DC and other similar artists. 973thebrew.com will be the web site.

Format flip stunts are common in radio, and I should have known this was too good to be true.

They were pulling everyone's legs, just to keep secret their 'devious' plan to take on WKLH and Lazer.

Here's an aircheck of the format flip this morning. I dashed it off on Cool Edit and posted it on a few radio boards:

http://www.savefile.com/redir/58831.mp3

And, no, AAR will not be on 97.3 The Brew, as they call it. It's all West Allis mullet rock. But, as I posted before, I wonder if they were testing the AAR reaction in this market, in anticipation of another flip. WOKY does get good ratings, but advertisers don't like the older demographics. And I'm sure they'd like to have something to pair with their current talk station, WISN.

Otherwise, I'm sure the braintrusts at Saga Communications, which owns 1340, as well as KLH and Lazer, are watching all of this with interest. I'm sure they want to take a swat at Clear Channel for invading their rock turf. What better way than to snag the CC format flavor of the month, aka AAR.

[shoelace414]

6. from JS

http://www.jsonline.com/enter/tvradio/sep04/260433.asp

"It was a move designed to attract attention to the radio station," says the clever Lynn of the Air America hoax.

[ClassWarrior]

7. ~yawn~ How clever.

23.

[shoelace414]

8. I wonder when AAR won't be an unproven format to Tim Cuprisin

[LTR]

9. Tim's not a good writer

He misses all the scoops, and his reasoning is pretty stupid. When WEMP announced changing the format of their station, nowhere to be found. When the Entercom cluster (KISS and The Mix) cleaned house and fired a few longtime personalities on both stations (including busting up a morning show), nothing about it. Light 97 dumps a 20 year old format and fires longtime morning host Ellen Stout, nada for three days. Ridiculous! The Business Journal scoops them on everything!

He claims that a show like Howard Stern will not work in Milwaukee because Mancow failed here, while pimping Don Imus's show every chance he gets, and lamenting the fact that it's not on here, though it failed on two stations.

Devotes most of his column space to reality TV, that 'Jeopardy' guy who keeps winning, and pimps his radio and TV appearances. The only saving grace is that his politics seem to lean left, though he's not a good writer at all.

His writing is very lazy, but Weintraub (the other TV writer) is far worse. She is beyond lazy, and mired in cliches.

[shoelace414]

10. I like Weintraub

but she only talks about new TV shows and the like. and she doesn't seem hung up on the past "syndycated morning show won't work because it didn't work her once before"

[stitch]

11. AAR in Milwaukee petition

It's coming up on the one year anniversary of Air America and we still have no affiliate in Milwaukee. Sign this petition to help bring it here. We're drowning in the hackdom of Sykes, Limbaugh, Savage, and Belling.

http://www.petitiononline.com/mke0315/petition.html

[ClassWarrior]

12. Hey I thought I recognized this thread...

<LOL> Thanks for doing this - and welcome to DU!

NGU.

[eyesroll]

13. Hey -- is that you, Brewtown Politico?

:hi:

[stitch]

15. Tis me

:toast:

It is indeed me, Ms. Conspiracy. I finally started to start utilizing the forums here after the past few years of just checking the main page and browsing these on occasion.

Scott

[eyesroll]

16. Well, welcome aboard, Scott.

:toast:

Be warned -- it's damned addictive.

[RetroLounge]

14. Hey there, and welcome to DU!

:hi:

RL

[ralps]

17. Randi Rhodes just mentioned that the link to the petition to get AAR

in Milwaukee is on her website. YAY!!!!!! :hi: :loveya: :hug: :pals: :woohoo:

[ClassWarrior]

18. I heard that too.

I needs my Randi fix in the car... not just at home...

NGU.