Posted by Paulus on July 20, 2007 at 21:59:36:
In Reply to: One point about the 50s discussion that has not been brought up posted by Alan David Stein on July 20, 2007 at 21:21:18:
*IF* CBS-FM were to develop a 50s specialty show, I would highly encourage the station to hold off for at least a few (and ideally several) months before doing so. The challenge today is not to get back the old CBS-FM listeners. We're already there.
The challenge is getting new listeners -- listeners who may have sampled us a few years ago and decided we were the wrong station. As they re-sample the station, they need to hear how CBS-FM has changed -- keeping all the good, jettisoning all the bad (as the new listeners would define it), and adding nice new elements to the music mix.
If those listeners tune in and hear a 50s specialty show before they learn that the station as a whole is more focused on 60s, 70s and 80s, they'll abandon us again and never come back. Gaining business from trier-rejectors is historically the hardest charge for any product in any category. Getting business from prospects who have rejected us twice is literally a lost cause.
CBS-FM should make sure new listeners fully understand that this is the new incarnation of the station. Then, only after that fact has been inarguably established in our prospects' minds should the station branch out into specialty shows. Not having those shows for a while in this critical re-launch period will not materially affect the listenership of CBS-FM's already-loyal older audience, and could mean the difference in CBS-FM's ultimate success or failure down the road.