You only presented evidence that you don't like the station. So you've made this discussion about what you like. That your friends agree with you is not scientific research. They still listen to a station they say they dislike. That's what the facts say. I'm not defending it, I'm telling you that they do it. Until you and your friends and more people in Buffalo stop listening, WBEN will continue what they do. That's the bottom line. You're suffering from your own actions.
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WBEN/Bauerle
- Thread starter flybynight
- Start date
You only presented evidence that you don't like the station. So you've made this discussion about what you like. That your friends agree with you is not scientific research. They still listen to a station they say they dislike. That's what the facts say. I'm not defending it, I'm telling you that they do it. Until you and your friends and more people in Buffalo stop listening, WBEN will continue what they do. That's the bottom line. You're suffering from your own actions.
D
dand5780
Guest
Between firing one of the best and most followed local talk show hosts in order to add paid programming, and removing a syndicated talk show and replacing it with local talk show host who left after two weeks only to fill the slot with reruns, I do think WBEN has made some mistakes.
If KB1520-type talk shows worked, they would be playing them.
If KB1520-type talk shows worked, they would be playing them.
The discussion has always been about the needless veering of a decreasingly viable format into a dead-end niche that has very negative consequences, given it's affect on general information and public discourse.
You wrongly assert that it is my "friends" who I was referring to as not liking the station as much anymore. A rather obvious attempt to diminish what I've related, although a FAILED one, as I was not talking about "friends", but people of all walks of life who I've engaged in conversation on the topic--many of whom approached me to voice their opinion. And many of them DO NOT listen to WBEN any longer, for the reasons I've already stated. The FACTS bear that out, as WBEN's ratings share is off over 25% from 5 years ago.
You continue to ignore these FACTS and just keep restating your opinion.
As do you. And what you don't understand is these talk show hosts are as stubborn as you. They aren't going to change their opinions or their style because you don't like it. And that's just how it's going to be. You can keep arguing all day, but nothing will get them to change. So get used to it.
Very few, and I mean VERY few talk show hosts have anything approaching THAT degree of autonomy. Everybody has a boss. Even syndicated hosts are subjected to a degree of accountability at the local level.
So let's see:
- It's just MY opinion
- It's just my friend's opinions
- It's the only thing that will work
- Decreasing audience share proves nothing
- Talk show hosts won't follow any direction from management, so it can't change
It's just one cop out after another with you. That last one is especially humorous. Makes me think you haven't worked even one day in the format.
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The one this thread is about does. He's outlasted a bunch of bosses.
And yes, all of those things. And add this one: Talk show hosts don't care what you think. In fact, they'd love the fact that this thread has gone on for 3 pages. You don't like them? You think they're killing radio? Then don't listen.
It's not about what the hosts think. They're employees. The managers are the short-sighted fools. And the only reason this thread has gone on for three pages is because both of us have to have the final word. It's not like 20 people are in this conversation.
And I don't listen much anymore. Nor are many other people who used to bring much more viability and revenue to the format.
Many in the industry actually agree with what I'm telling you. I guess they're all nuts too.
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Some of my radio friends recommended this board and the Radio Insight board, so I signed up and found this thread which seems to focus on a talk show host who appears to be coming unglued in full view of his family and listeners. Tom Bauerle could be on the brink of a nervous breakdown, but he also could be the shrewdest manipulative radio guy in the market. If he's actually having episodes of delusion episodes and delirium, I'd hope somebody within his family and friends would try to help the man by getting him to a trained counselor. Reading the WBEN website comments from listeners who side with Bauerle's contentions of being stalked and watched by the governor makes me think there are a lot of paranoid people in Western New York and most of them listen to WBEN. What does this say about the station and its format? It appeals to right of center conspiracy theorists. WBEN was at one time a legacy in this city, but that legacy began to unravel about ten years ago. Those days are gone and they're not likely to return, especially with the shenanigans that have played out lately.
I mentioned this in another thread, but in my opinion, a lot of things changed in the late 70s when the FCC banned newspapers from owning radio stations. It was a terrible idea. Newspapers, especially local ones, are far better custodians of a public trust than broadcasters. If you look at the few newspaper-owned radio stations, they remain among the few who still show a commitment to local news and information. Every year, including this one, the FCC has reviewed the cross-ownership ban, and has decided to keep it in place. I think it's a very short-sighted decision.
R
RadioElvis
Guest
Anyone see THIS?
Head honcho at WBEN engaging in twitter fights with comic/shock jock competitors? What realm of sanity does THAT fall under?
http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/2014/02/26/potter-v-wenger/
Head honcho at WBEN engaging in twitter fights with comic/shock jock competitors? What realm of sanity does THAT fall under?
http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/2014/02/26/potter-v-wenger/
Gotta agree with BigA and the ancient Romans. WBEN is giving their mostly white older audience what they want - red meat. I deplore their programming, but they have a right to do what they want to make a buck. ..just like supermarket tabloids and the "adult entertainment industry."
WBEN back when it was a part of the Buffalo Evening News was a very classy station. I think the owners being local wanted it that way, WBEN was a point of pride for them. Now the only goal is to milk a few more bucks out of the AM stations before they go belly up. Doing that will only lessen their value and hasten their demise.
Isn't it funny how radio studios are so beautiful but frequently deserted and void of creativity? Earlier, talented people worked in what we would look at and call a outdated dump. That was where some of the best on air product came from. Maybe it would be better if station owners worked on attracting and keeping great radio talent.
I think they do, especially in Buffalo and Rochester. It would be very easy in a medium market to simply run all syndication. Neither WBEN nor WHAM are run that way.
WHAM 10 out of 24 hours are local
WBEN 12 out of 24 hours are local
So a large percentage is syndicated, local content is basically a couple of local talk hosts and a news block.
Both stations run Coast To Coast AM, nut job radio. Really? Is that the best they and other stations can do? It's up and down the AM dial at night like and outer space fungus!
The local time is prime audience and sales time. The syndication is mainly in fringe. There are lots of AM news/talk stations in much larger markets (like NYC) where the percentage of syndication is much higher. But my point is that Buffalo & Rochester have done more to keep local talent than similar sized markets.
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11 hours, actually.
4 newsblock
3 Beach
4 Bauerle
That means at least 20 hours a day are repetitive, predictable, regurgitated talking points.
...that their audience apparently loves.
There audience is a shrinking minority of malcontents who are apparently getting tired of the predictability of the station's content. WBEN's numbers are off about 20% from just a couple years ago.
FWIW, as extreme as he may be at times, Savage is actually a breath of fresh air. I don't care that he's a conservative, at least he's not a talking point machine like the rest of them. He's a personality. That's what talkradio needs a lot more of.
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Not necessarily. They may have just passed away. You get the exact same result. Unless WBEN's former listeners are now flocking to WYRK.
Or they're still confused about the Beach/Bauerle switch. Lots of possible reasons. It's been my experience that malcontents LOVE predictability.
D
dand5780
Guest
Here's how I see it.
This is a news and talk station. During news I expect news. But the talk shows are going to be with whatever the hosts want to talk about. To say 20 hours a day of regurgitated talking points? I think not. Coast to Coast AM is a paranormal show and has none same so-called talking points. Beach and Bauerle may discuss some of the same things Limbaugh and Hannity do, but that is what? Maybe 25% of their shows? Many times they are discussing local events or stories of some sort, and one has a movie show once a week.
Then there are the real estate, home improvement, finances and taxes, and business shows, all local.
This poster dislikes the station but has some sort of strange obsession with it.
This is a news and talk station. During news I expect news. But the talk shows are going to be with whatever the hosts want to talk about. To say 20 hours a day of regurgitated talking points? I think not. Coast to Coast AM is a paranormal show and has none same so-called talking points. Beach and Bauerle may discuss some of the same things Limbaugh and Hannity do, but that is what? Maybe 25% of their shows? Many times they are discussing local events or stories of some sort, and one has a movie show once a week.
So because they can predict that another great show is going to be on, the numbers dropped (the syndicated shows are the most listened to in the country)? Again, I don't think so.
Then there are the real estate, home improvement, finances and taxes, and business shows, all local.
This poster dislikes the station but has some sort of strange obsession with it.
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