Whether you agree with it or not, Chris Williams has a vision for programming the Buzz. One need only drive around town and compare the number of 105.3 The Buzz Billboards to the number of 99X billboards to see that Clear channel is buying into that vision.
In this Week's FMQB (Friday Morning Quarterback, a radio trade) Chris has some interesting things to say about the his rivalry with 99X.
99X kind of made some decisions and reacted to a Triple A station [dave fm] finally coming into the market. It made everybody re-think getting rid of the Buzz. It opened up a doorway. We want to be as mainstream and as mass appeal within the parameters of the format as we possibly can be
...
You rarely get the chance to try to prove yourself in a situation where somebody said they didn’t believe in you. Professional athletes get the chance to do it every now and then, but not many other careers. You get fired from a bank; you go to the next bank. You’re not really directing competing against the bank across the street. It’s kind of a much bigger thing than that. But here, for me it’s a great thing.
...
We talk about [99X] often. They’re the station that’s been here the longest and we’re sort of the upstart underdogs. We’ve certainly made them the butt of many jokes. There are enough glaring differences between us and enough dissatisfaction in the market for us to grab a hold of and run with on the air. It just makes sense for us right now to point out the differences and point out where 99X’s shortcomings are and where we feel we are doing a better job.
Thanks to Joey Mills for pointing out this article.