New Buffalo FM?

[SirRoxalot]

Looks like a Jesus-caster has applied for a CP for a new LP FM in Buffalo. From the FCC database:

154476
BUFFALO NY
EDGEWATER BROADCASTING, INC.
CP New Station.
W262CM
100.3 MHZ

Looks like there is a hole that it can fit in, spectrum-wise.

 

[flybynight]

I look at religious broadcasters in the same way that I look at weight loss infomercials: Making money off of hope.

Just don't say those 7 dirty words that everybody already knows, right FCC?

 

[TheBigA]

From the Edgewater Broadcasting Vision Statement:

"It is our mission to develop talk-show programming that serves our audiences by targeting a wide variety of social issues that are unique to today's generation."

So a new talk station to compete with WBEN.

 

[flybynight]

From the Edgewater Broadcasting Vision Statement:

"It is our mission to develop talk-show programming that serves our audiences by targeting a wide variety of social issues that are unique to today's generation."

So a new talk station to compete with WBEN.

It's certainly interesting what you decided to omit right before and right after that sterile statement. Let's have a look at what you neglected to include:

"The purpose and vision of Edgewater Broadcasting is to offer bible-based programming that is wholesome, relevant and un-replicated to our listeners. It is our mission to develop talk-show programming that serves our audiences by targeting a wide variety of social issues that are unique to today's generation. We have also included in the mix clean, filtered, positive Christian inspirational music that can be enjoyed by listeners of all ages. It is our desire to maintain a cutting edge approach to Christian broadcasting, to be an encouragement to our brothers and sisters in their everyday walk and to reach into the hearts of the lost with the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

Yeah, real legit head-to-head competition. LOL

Nice try.

 

[TheBigA]

Yeah, real legit head-to-head competition. LOL

Nice try.

However, it's a DIFFERENT approach to what they're doing at WBEN, right? If it was head to head competition, they'd do the same exact right wing conspiracy stuff. They're not. This is another POV. Just not the one you want.

 

[flybynight]

However, it's a DIFFERENT approach to what they're doing at WBEN, right? If it was head to head competition, they'd do the same exact right wing conspiracy stuff. They're not. This is another POV. Just not the one you want.

Not the one "I" want? Try "not the one most anybody wants, including conservatives". Check out the ratings success of other religious broadcasters, then get back to me.

Pretending they'll be *competition* for WBEN....lol. Gotta love your intentional obtuseness.

 

[TheBigA]

Not the one "I" want? Try "not the one most anybody wants, including conservatives". Check out the ratings success of other religious broadcasters, then get back to me.

Conservatives talk a lot about God and country. There was a big push during the last election about faith-based issues. It's a central part of that community.

My point is not necessarily that they'll be competition in the traditional sense, but rather that they'll provide an alternative voice for a different community. As opposed to your view that there's only one talk station in Buffalo, which ignores WBFO and sports talk stations. Will it be a big ratings getter? Of course not. That's not the point, and that's not their goal. They are a non-commercial station, so the ratings don't matter. For them it's about reach. And for the people of Buffalo, who you say are tired of what they're getting at WBEN, this will be yet another place to turn.

 

[flybynight]

Conservatives talk a lot about God and country. There was a big push during the last election about faith-based issues. It's a central part of that community.

My point is not necessarily that they'll be competition in the traditional sense, but rather that they'll provide an alternative voice for a different community. As opposed to your view that there's only one talk station in Buffalo, which ignores WBFO and sports talk stations. Will it be a big ratings getter? Of course not. That's not the point, and that's not their goal. They are a non-commercial station, so the ratings don't matter. For them it's about reach. And for the people of Buffalo, who you say are tired of what they're getting at WBEN, this will be yet another place to turn.

"So a new talk station to compete with WBEN. "

Your quote.

Now you're equivocating. What a shock.

The whole point was about LEGIT competition, not some ratings no-show bible-thumping station.

You also continue to ignore the fact that these hard-right stations are taking a beating now on a national level, down in all major markets, some dramatically.

I am not against conservatives, as some are very entertaining, but veering the whole format into echo-chamber-land was a fool's errand.

 

[TheBigA]

"So a new talk station to compete with WBEN. "

Your quote.

Now you're equivocating. What a shock.

No, you don't understand my use of the word "compete." They are going to do talk, so in that way, they will compete. The talk will likely be conservative, so in that way, they'll compete. But they're non-commercial, so they won't compete for ratings or advertisers. But I expect they'll take a few ears away, just as Salem has done in markets where they compete with Hannity or Savage. Is that "legit competition," as you define it? It doesn't matter. They're serving their community, as WBEN is serving theirs.

No, I don't ignore that conservative talk is having trouble now. If you go back through my posts through all the various threads, you'll see I have said several times that conservative talk is a dying format. That's why a lot of radio companies have poured resources in sports talk. Because it's still talk without the political crap. It's also why NPR has poured so much money in their news programming, and why NPR stations are doing so well. You only focus on one station that does one thing. I see the larger picture of radio, which is why I would say this religious station will compete with WBEN. Just as WBFO competes with WBEN. And even WGR competes with WBEN.

And I really don't think the "whole format" is doing the exact same thing. Just the ones who are the most popular. The ones at the top of the pyramid. They ones who get the most ears, according to Talkers Magazine. There are lots of people like Jim Bohannon who don't preach that the sky is falling. Lots of entertainers like Dennis Miller who don't believe the President was born in Kenya. One example of a guy who tried to raise the bar of talk radio, and died a horrible death, was Fred Thompson. Mike Huckabee also tried to be the kinder gentler political talk show host, and he's gone too. Just showing that if you want to be among the top tier in terms of ratings, there is basically one easy way to do it.

 

[flybynight]

One example of a guy who tried to raise the bar of talk radio, and died a horrible death, was Fred Thompson. Mike Huckabee also tried to be the kinder gentler political talk show host, and he's gone too. Just showing that if you want to be among the top tier in terms of ratings, there is basically one easy way to do it.

The problem with those two was their delivery. They were both BORING to listen to.

Dwelling on the tired, repetitive, droning, echo chamber garbage is what's killing talkradio. It's not even about ideology as much as a lack or personality. Sean Hannity is what's wrong with talkradio. Michael Savage, believe it or not, is what's right with talkradio---and always has been. He's a personality not beholden to right-wing talking points.

Talkradio was always about the strengths of individual personalities.. The Hannity's and Ingraham's have ruined that. They're nothing more than parrots.

Today's talkradio mostly appeals to doctrinaire lamebrains. It didn't have to be that way.

 

[TheBigA]

Today's talkradio mostly appeals to doctrinaire lamebrains. It didn't have to be that way.

You've only named two bad talk hosts our of hundreds, maybe thousands. I wouldn't stereotype an entire format by two people. There is a wide range of diversity in conservative talk radio. But there are lots of other forms of talk radio being done right now. There is still a lot of advice talk being done. Legal, gardening, financial, and love life are all on the radio now. A few are being done in Buffalo. But as I said (and so far you haven't given many examples to dispute), the most successful are the ones who are doing what you say is killing the format. So what am I to conclude from all that?

 

[flybynight]

You've only named two bad talk hosts our of hundreds, maybe thousands. I wouldn't stereotype an entire format by two people. There is a wide range of diversity in conservative talk radio. But there are lots of other forms of talk radio being done right now. There is still a lot of advice talk being done. Legal, gardening, financial, and love life are all on the radio now. A few are being done in Buffalo. But as I said (and so far you haven't given many examples to dispute), the most successful are the ones who are doing what you say is killing the format. So what am I to conclude from all that?

I named only two because many here (who actually work or have worked the format) are already aware of the herd of rightwing talkbots. I didn't think I actually had to give a laundry list of all the 1st, 2nd & 3rd tier hosts who basically regurgitate the same talking points all day long.

"There is a wide range of diversity in conservative talk radio."
--quote of the year

Do you even listen to talkradio?

 

[TheBigA]

Do you even listen to talkradio?

Keep in mind my view of talk radio isn't WBEN. There's a very big world out there beyond Buffalo. It's all about definitions.

 

[flybynight]

Keep in mind my view of talk radio isn't WBEN. There's a very big world out there beyond Buffalo. It's all about definitions.

It sure is. I spent a great deal of time in medium/large/major markets outside of Buffalo---and I guarantee you I am more familiar with those stations and the guys/gals who have programmed them over the last 25 years than you are aware. It is also plainly clear that you don't know Buffalo very well.

 

[TheBigA]

It sure is. I spent a great deal of time in medium/large/major markets outside of Buffalo---and I guarantee you I am more familiar with those stations and the guys/gals who have programmed them over the last 25 years than you are aware. It is also plainly clear that you don't know Buffalo very well.

And it's plainly clear that it may be a long time since you were in talk radio, and the changes that have happened bother you a lot. You want to bring back what worked in the past. Good for you. Let me know when it happens.

 

[flybynight]

And it's plainly clear that it may be a long time since you were in talk radio, and the changes that have happened bother you a lot. You want to bring back what worked in the past. Good for you. Let me know when it happens.

No, I want more of what WILL work, and less of this echo-chamber garbage, since THAT is clearly and predictably starting to spiral down the drain.

Many talk programmers I've known recognized the coming problem years ago, but did nothing to change what was "working now" to plan for the future. At least they were cognizant that things needed to change, whereas YOU think everything's just fine, while the format is headed into a ditch.

You can try to save the format, or you can do what BigA wants, and just let it die on the vine.

I vote for the former.

 

[TheBigA]

No, I want more of what WILL work, and less of this echo-chamber garbage,

But you've failed to prove, in this thread and the other one, that doing something else will in fact work. Just because you make a change doesn't necessarily mean it will work, and attract new listeners. Just because it worked 20 years ago doesn't mean it will work now. The experts say there are lots of reasons why talk radio ratings are falling. You believe it's just one. If you're preaching change, you need to show examples of how that change has worked in other places. So far, you haven't.

 

[flybynight]

But you've failed to prove, in this thread and the other one, that doing something else will in fact work. Just because you make a change doesn't necessarily mean it will work, and attract new listeners. Just because it worked 20 years ago doesn't mean it will work now. The experts say there are lots of reasons why talk radio ratings are falling. You believe it's just one. If you're preaching change, you need to show examples of how that change has worked in other places. So far, you haven't.

A little history lesson for you:

Many of this nations biggest talk stations were doing fine before they followed the fad and went all-Limbaugh all the time. That is a fact.

The problem was that eventually, they niched themselves into a corner---one that was not kind to the changing demos. Having an echo-chamber where hosts all say the same thing all day long was going to eventually burn out, as it is showing clear signs of doing, yet the managers decided to go all-in in a direction that would be hard to recover from.

Many legit talk programmers recognize this. You do not. I tend to agree with the pros, not some habitually contrarian armchair talk strategist on a messageboard.

 

[TheBigA]

A little history lesson for you:

Many of this nations biggest talk stations were doing fine before they followed the fad and went all-Limbaugh all the time. That is a fact.

That's fine. That worked then. Today things are different. So show me examples where this is getting big ratings now.

Also show me where I say everything's fine. I've never said that. All I ask is for you to prove what you say will get big ratings now, not 25 years ago. Show me.

 

[flybynight]

That's fine. That worked then. Today things are different. So show me examples where this is getting big ratings now.

The point is it's NOT being done for reasons already explained, but ignored by you.

Also show me where I say everything's fine. I've never said that.

But you apparently don't want to do anything differently, so where are your ideas? Your plan is to.....do nothing! Brilliant.

All I ask is for you to prove what you say will get big ratings now, not 25 years ago. Show me.

Who said go back to 25 years ago? Nice spin. As I've explained to you REPEATEDLY, many of this nations talk stations, particularly in large markets, were doing at least as well ratings-wise before they veered to all-Limbaugh all the time. They didn't need to do that, but chose to follow a fad---one that is now backfiring on them, predictably.