Merlin Hoping Program Brew Will Attract Women

As the radio biz keeps trying to guess what talk format the new owners will install on WRXP (101.9 FM), fans of the rock music played there for 3-1/2 years are trying to figure where to go next.

Merlin Media, which is buying the station from Emmis, dropped the WRXP jocks as of Sunday and is playing music as an interlude before a new format is launched.

According to a story by David Hinckley at nydailynews,com, the launch is reportedly projected by the end of the month, depending on equipment installation. The new staff is doing dry runs now.

Merlin has made no official announcement on a format, but it has hired a number of veteran newspeople, notably from WINS (1010 AM). Because the new station reportedly plans to target women in their 30s and 40s, there has been speculation it will be news with a heavier feature and lifestyle component than all-news WCBS-AM (880) or WINS.

Women form a large and salable part of the radio audience. WPLJ (95.5 FM) has lived off New Jersey soccer moms for decades, and the recent surge by WKTU (103.5 FM) is due largely to its appeal to adult women.

Whomever it has in mind, Merlin is spending a lot of money to reach them. The company reportedly has offered five- and even six-figure salary increases to the veterans it has lured - and to some who elected to stay put.

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