I wondered why on Earth they'd do something like this, until I read the paper the next day. In other words, it just wasn't growing fast enough for them, so it was time to switch to a hotter demographic. C ertainly the change has nothing to do with the fact that rival station owners were considering an all eighties format for one of their Chicago properties, nor by the fact that an existing eighties format station finished higher in the latest Arbitron ratings . Jones dismissed both of these notions, of course. F orget quality programming or products, disregard offering distinctive products or good old-fashioned service.
Niche markets are for suckers.
It's so much better when your product appeals to the masses. P eople don't want anything new. If you only carry one flavor of ice cream, it's a sure bet what your best seller is going to be. I nnovation is risky, but you just can't go wrong following in the footsteps of a well-established product. Shareholders are spineless weasels when it comes to investing in something new.