Earlier this week we lamented the continuing demise of the local night jock and Clear Channel has taken another step in that direction.
Country “Q104.1” WTQR Greensboro, NC morning hosts Tige & Daniel will step down from that show after Friday, July 25 to launch a new national evening program based at 97.9 WSIX Nashville. The show will also be heard initially on WTQR, “B93.9” WKSL Raleigh, “94.9 TNT” WTNT-FM Tallahassee, and “G105.7” WSCG Augusta. The show will replace jockless time slots or hosts voicetracked from other markets on those stations. Bobby Bones will replace Tige & Daniel on WTQR.
Tige Rogers and Daniel Baker joined WTQR in March 2012 from Qantum Communications’ “Gator 107.9” WGTR Myrtle Beach.
We’ve learned that plans are well underway for similar programs for nights for other formats.
Add to that list the new WBWL-101.7 in Boston; they no doubt will carry the show.
It’s probably only going to be a matter of time before Clear Channel launches national midday and afternoon-drive shows for country stations, which sister company Premiere Networks will syndicate to country stations in markets where Clear Channel doesn’t own a country station.
I doubt middays and afternoons will have syndicated fare yet. That’s still the domain of CC’s Premium Choice voice-tracking business model.
Basically, CC is doing the same thing that Cumulus is with concurrent syndicated morning, evening and overnight shows, leaving only middays and afternoons open. Of course, Cumulus is propping up their NASH brand by forcing it on all their country stations (and presumably with Westwood One’s 24/7 syndication services) while CC isn’t engaging in that.
It also looks like this will be a gradual rollout, over the course of the next few weeks/months. So WBWL won’t be picking it up immediately… yet.