posted
On Radio One's website they have 107.9 now listed as WPPZ. (I think Philly's Praise Station is in the plans.) As of last week they were doing their equipment test from 8 am to 8pm as WSNJ. Now they have gone to a 24 hour loop with an engineer's voice giving the ID, playing a series of high pitch tones and a short instrumental segment. The song sounds like Fred Wesley or Mandrill. I'm not familiar with this song. This song was sampled by Public Enemy on Night of the Living Basehead and "Terminator X, rock and roll..." ...The whole process of signing on a station to a previous unoccupied frequency is interesting to listen to...for about 5-10 minutes.
Back to Radio One's format. It looks like there now will be a Gospel FM in another part of the U.S. outside of the Southeast. The first in the Northeast. So it looks like what they did in Charlotte they will do in this area.
I'm interested in how much effort they will put into promoting and publicizing this station. It's not like it's a format flip where folks know about the frequency and especially for it to be at the end of the dial.
There are at least 4 AM stations that already do gospel/brokered ministry here (WDAS AM, Gospel Highway 11, WTMR, WNWR). There are even two here in Delaware (Kiss 101.7's AM sister and 1260 AM that runs Rejoice Musical Soul Food).
I guess they don't see these stations as compeitition. I really thought they would have gone up against WDAS FM and do a Majic/Urban AC format like Baltimore and DC. I can only speculate they couldn't secure the rights to the TJMS. Now they can sell an Urban Hip/Hop, Urban Active Rock (Y-100) and now an Urban Gospel. (Crunk, Grundge, and Praise(?) ) to advertisers.
I hope to hear something fresh and appealing. It will be good to hear gospel music minus the static, something positive, and a station that doesn't go dark or powers down at sundown.
We shall see.
Posts: 73 | From: Delaware (A little closer to Philly than BMore) | Registered: Dec 2003
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posted
I'm jealous! I guess we can only wish for a gospel fm here in Dallas/Ft. Worth. I guess 94.5 is about as close as we are going to get...
Posts: 24 | From: Ft. Worth, Texas | Registered: Aug 2004
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posted
Well finally it looks like a FM gospel is coming to Philly...Today 103.9 The Beat moved to the 100.3 frequency...(much stronger signal) alternative rocker Y100 is history...107.9 WRNB stays put and 103.9 is running a loop informing listeners to go to 100.3 for the MOST hip hop and R&B The Beat...
WPPZ call sign will be assigned to the 103.9 frequency...Hopefully this does mean gospel...
Once again...we shall see
Posts: 73 | From: Delaware (A little closer to Philly than BMore) | Registered: Dec 2003
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posted
Interesting developments from a long stagnant Philly Market, I give Radio One credit for shaking things up if this occurs. Wow, hip hop and r and b in Philly is getting crowded.
Posts: 127 | From: Saint Paul, MN | Registered: Oct 2004
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Something's got to give. From 3 stations about two years ago... (Urban AC WDAS, Urbans Power 99 and Philly 103.9)...now add in the mix 100.3 The Beat, 107.9 WRNB, Wired 96.5, and now the Praise 103.9.
Although Wired 96.5 is a urban that has found it's own niche among white suburban youth.
I always thought Philly could support as many urban stations as Wash., DC.
Posts: 73 | From: Delaware (A little closer to Philly than BMore) | Registered: Dec 2003
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The new "Praise 103.9 FM" is up and running in Philly. It's refreshing to hear Gospel music on the radio without the static that AM radio offers. I've got to give Radio One some props for that very wise and creative move by launching the Gospel FM on a known Urban/Hip Hop frequency and moving "The Beat" to 100.3. That was a brillant way to "Get the Word out". Pun intended!
Posts: 5 | From: NJ | Registered: Jan 2005
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R1 did do this right... The morning show of Preston and Steve on the old Y100 were doing their last show this past week and they were set to move on to another station six months from now and the alternative rock format kind of ran it's course and they basically left the station on good terms...so the ratings 12+ at Y100 were going to drop anyway...
Now the 103.9 signal basically just covers the city...I would say where the core gospel audience is located...folks will appreciate gospel on FM, even if it's not a great signal...If they can get anyway near a 2.0 with gospel like they did with hip-hop on 103.9, then I'm sure they will consider the switch successful... ...R1's next task is to get folks to switch the AM button over to FM...
Now CC's WDAS AM has to be concerned...on the weekends I've been hearing too many 30 minute informercials(disguised as talk shows)/brokered ministries on the AM gospels in the Philly area, while the FM's have been playing the music on Sunday...WDAS also recently lost their afternoon host Sandra Robinson, who voiced tracked her show out of Chicago, after CC fired her for alledged payola...
...like that's not rampant at other CC stations...give me a break... I thought she was an excellent air personality...
Anyway, also in the Philly mix, which I forgot to mention earlier is Q102, whose playlist is also heavily urban(Emenim, Jay-Z, Black Eyed Peas, Destiny's Child)...
...so something's got to give...
maybe it's just a reflection of what's really popular now...hip-hop and r&b, and not rock music
Posts: 73 | From: Delaware (A little closer to Philly than BMore) | Registered: Dec 2003
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posted
it would be intersting now to follow the ratings on how each station is doing, there seems to be alot of competition for hip hop in Philadelphia, lets see which ones out do the others.
as much as i look down on radio one and its product, i agree this seems to be a smart move on thier part.
Posts: 15 | From: Ohio | Registered: May 2004
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