Stumbling Blocks for Flow 98.7?

Flow 98.7 is in a reset, and we’re all waiting to see what new is unveiled in the newly revamped Flow. Program Directing will be a challenge here but the good news is that the same people who were in charge of successfully popularizing and programming Vibe 105, now has the task of doing the same with Flow. 

Vibe 105 has a small signal but they had earned loyal listeners because of their successful urban programming. Flow signal is not the best and in Scarborough if you drive any distance east of McCowen it cuts out with interference from CBC Radio.

But let’s forget the signal issue for a second and go back to broadcast programming. The challenge – how does Flow get more white people to listen with allegiance to the new home of Black music? What I mean by that, the Black populous in the GTA is not large enough to sustain a healthy listenership. They will need a whole bunch of non-Blacks to start listening.

We already know white people love our Black music, but the challenge is to program it so well on the radio that a new audience who didn’t tune into Flow to hear it will do so now. A lot of stations dabble in Black music when you scan your Toronto FM radio today, but maybe the new Flow programming has ideas on how to find and recruit this new audience. 

Finally, the most difficult duty, getting people stays tuned when the style of Black music changes. I love hip hop and reggae for example but if I hear soca I’ll change the station knowing I’ll check back in a minute when the hip hop comes back. My friend loves reggae and Afro but changes the station when hip hop comes on. 

Just think of dances you’ve attended in the past, what kind of music makes the dance floor clear? What elements of Black music makes you stand up and dance or sit down take a break? 

The spectrum of Black music is so broad, you would think you can’t please all of the people all of the time. If the new programmers can re-shape the Flow radio culture and fix this, then they fixed Flow!