At a moment when even a single CHR station in a market often struggles just in competition with itself, it has been interesting to watch the recent Top 40 battle in Atlanta. In September, iHeart’s WWPW (Power 96.1) was up 4.1-5.1. Last month, it was Cumulus’ WWWQ (Q99.7) that rebounded 4.1-4.9.
The flagship for both Cumulus CHR and morning radio’s syndicated The Bert Show, Q99.7 was last in the column a year ago when PD Louie Diaz decided to play Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” as a current following its TikTok resurgence. Power 96.1 has had a surge of activity this year, revamping its lineup and becoming the largest market for the syndicated Jubal Show.
There’s been a lot in the Ross on Radio column about the need for broadcast radio to “do radio” again over the last 18 months. “Dreams” was an example of how Cumulus was using Q99.7 as its format lab to address CHR’s issues. You can get a sense of iHR’s new initiative in recent ROR afternoon monitors of Z100 New York and Y100 Miami, and you can hear it here with p.m. driver Ethan Cole here.
If you drove through Atlanta wanting to hear an old-school CHR radio battle, you’d feel like you were hearing one. Both stations were in two-hour music sweeps when I heard them. Power was giving away both Jingle Ball tickets and promoting its national text-to-win contest. Q99.7’s afternoon team, Jade & Moe (the latter doing double duty from the Bert Show) were giving away $500 for anything on your Amazon wish list, if you heard your name and called in within nine minutes.
Cole used phones steadily throughout the 4 p.m. hour that I monitored, mostly tying the callers to contesting, although there was one bit with a caller who was going to the pool even though it was only 70 degrees in Atlanta in mid-November. Q99.7’s team had an ongoing bit with callers about “foods you won’t eat or have never had.” Sushi was one of them. Jade announced that she was about to order sushi; “you’ve changed,” said Moe.
Power 96.1 had a liner about “filling Atlanta’s streets with two hours of commercial free music.” Q99.7’s top-of-the-hour ID incorporates the famous “serving the universe” jingle. In that one break, Jade & Moe thank listeners for “making us the #1 hit music station in Atlanta” while the sweeper declares the station to be “number one for music and content.”
My listening was primarily to afternoons, but I also did a spot check of the morning shows today. The Jubal Show’s 7:10 bit was about the married hosts teaching their daughter to drive. (She passed her driving test on the first try.) While Mom had done most of the lessons, Jubal also noted that “I volunteered . . . as tribute.” That was followed by the 7:20 phone prank. Bert’s bits during that same time were about being allergic to your pets and about Snapchat privacy settings. (“I can see my friend naked at his house.”)
Here’s WWPW from 3:50 to 4:40 p.m. on Nov. 17:
- Flo Rida, “Right Round”
- Lil Nas X, “That’s What I Want”
- Olivia Rodrigo, “Déjà vu”
- The Kid Laroi & Justin Bieber, “Stay”
- Dua Lipa, “Levitating”
- Ed Sheeran, “Bad Habits”
- Doja Cat f/the Weeknd, “You Right”
- Billie Eilish, “Everything I Wanted”
- Coldplay x BTS, “My Universe”—had a customized “#1 for new music” sweeper as did the Post Malone/Weeknd song
- Chris Brown x Young Thug, “Go Crazy”
- Nicki Minaj, “Super Bass”
- Glass Animals, “Heat Waves”
- Ariana Grande, “pov”
- Wizkid f/Tems, “Essence”
- Dua Lipa, “Don’t Stop Now”
- Doja Cat f/SZA, “Kiss Me More”
- Wiz Khalifa, “See You Again”
Here’s Q99.7 during the same 3:50-4:40 stretch
- Mark Ronson f/Bruno Mars, “Uptown Funk”
- Doja Cat, “Need To Know”
- Neiked x Mae Muller x Polo G, “Better Days”
- The Weeknd, “Take My Breath”
- Justin Bieber f/Daniel Caesar & Giveon, “Peaches”
- Ariana Grande, “pov”
- Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow, “Industry Baby”
- Pitbull f/Andre Watts & DWJS, “I Feel Good”
- Doja Cat f/SZA, “Kiss Me More”
- Jonas Brothers, “Who’s in Your Head”
- Kanye West f/Jamie Foxx, “Gold Digger”
- Ed Sheeran, “Bad Habits”
- Calvin Harris f/Rihanna, “This Is What You Came For”
- Justin Bieber, “Ghost”
- Dua Lipa, “Levitating”
Update (February 23, 2022): In the first two days of results, January’s PPM monthlies had a handful of spectacular post-holiday rebounds for CHR stations, including Z100 New York (4.1-4.7), WKQI Detroit (3.8-4.7), Q99.7’s sister KRBE Houston (4.4-6.1), and Q99.7 itself, now fourth in the market after a 4.4-6.1 jump.
Cumulus VP Top 40/Rhythmic Top 40 and Q99.7 PD Louie Diaz attributes the rise to a year-long effort to “increase stationality.” Besides personality shows in both drives, he also cites the return of market veteran Yvonne Monet in middays and the Atlanta-based, now nationally syndicated Elliott & Nina at night.
One of the things that impresses about Q99.7 is that you can hear the station working hard. This afternoon, Jade & Moe devoted two breaks to callers who had been at last night’s Kanye West “Donda 2” listening party. One talked about the artist celebrities who were there. A producer friend of Jade’s marveled at the level of spectacle; it must have been like seeing Michael Jackson at his prime, he said.
Here’s a Fresh Listen to Q99.7 at 3 p.m. on February 23:
- Ed Sheeran, “Bad Habits”
- Doja Cat, “Need To Know”
- Khalid, “Better”
- Charlie Puth, “Light Switch”
- Chris Brown x Young Thug, “Go Crazy”
- Gayle, “abcdefu”
- Acraze f/Cherish, “Do It To It”
- Lil Nas X & Jack Harlow, “Industry Baby”
- Ed Sheeran, “Shivers”
- Lady Gaga, “Just Dance” (with a throwback stager)
- Encanto Cast, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”
- Weeknd, “Save Your Tears”
- Adele, “Easy On Me”
- J Balvin f/Willy William, “Mi Gente”
- Post Malone, “Circles”
