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9 SEP 04: JUST BEAT IT

The talk inside Columbus radio stations Wednesday involved a sudden change at WBFA-FM. "B-101" is out, and "101.3 The Beat" is in. So the answer for, "To B or not to B, that is the question" suddenly has changed.

The old B-101 called itself the "number-one hit music channel." The new 101.3 The Beat claims to be the "new number one for hip-hop and R&B." With either format, I think the only way this station is "number one" is if you start at the left end of the FM dial, and turn it right.

Clear Channel Radio apparently dropped the B-101 bomb Tuesday, without telling some staff members. I'm hearing the evening announcer showed up for work, and was told he wasn't needed anymore. Maybe he'll run into old "TalkLine" host Russ Hollenbeck at the VFW Job Fair today....

(Now hold on a minute here! Was this evening announcer white? If he's suddenly disqualified from playing hip-hop and soul music, isn't that racial profiling?)

Clear Channel is introducing 101.3 The Beat by promising to play "10,000 songs in a row, commercial-free." I did the math on this, and it computes to about 30 days of non-stop music. Yet another Columbus station refuses to put Georgia Tech football games on radio.

(Oh, excuse me - I didn't use proper street slang. The Beat calls it "rolling 10,000 JOINTS in a row." I don't think this ever happened in any Cheech and Chong movie -- not even in their dreams.)

Another feature of The Beat is the occasional "back in the day" song. I've been meaning to ask about this for a long time. When WAS "the day," anyway? Did anyone tell me in advance it was coming? Was I given sufficient time to prepare for it?

Not everything has changed with the arrival of The Beat. Take what an announcer says at the top of the hour: "WBFA, Smiths/Columbus." Apparently Clear Channel hasn't heard the news - it's a city called Smiths STATION now.

This change is Clear Channel's latest challenge to Davis Broadcasting - as The Beat clearly is aimed to pull listeners away from "Foxie-105 FM." We mentioned recently that WFXE has lost one-third of its audience in the last year [16 Aug]. Maybe The Beat decided they're all finishing their jail terms.

It's interesting to line up these two radio chains side by side. Clear Channel now has The Beat, while Davis has Foxie 105. Clear Channel has "Hallelujah 1460," while Davis has WEAM. Clear Channel has Magic 98.3, while Davis has K-95.7. You see -- Archway Broadcasting is still white-bread and right-wing after all.

Clear Channel Radio remembered to change the B-101 web site, to reflect the station's new format. The old site allowed you to join the "Rate B Music Club," and evaluate new songs. Maybe that was the problem - too many musicians were B-list celebrities.

So what will happen to the B-101 broadcasters? Program Director Wes Carroll has another job to fall back on - announcing Georgia Championship Wrestling matches, where at least the turnovers tend to be in the script.

The change at B-101 FM follows a sudden drop in the ratings. The station lost half its audience between last fall and this past spring. Of course, this could be a positive sign - as these teenagers graduated from high school early, and went to
college in other states.

Speaking personally, I didn't listen to that old FM station at all. After all -- B-101? I'm still young enough that I don't want to be 51.

With B-101 throwing away its pop music hits, the only Columbus station left with that sort of music is WCGQ. Just think - we could be one lightning storm away from never hearing Avril Levigne on local radio again.

Oh, before I forget - Instant Message to Robbie Watson: I told you so. Several years ago, I said you'd make a great talk show host. And now that you're the new host of WRCG's "Talkline" - well, do you need an agent?

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© 2003-04 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.