90 Minutes of WECK

[CAVEMANager]

I'm a transplanted WNY broadcaster and am interested in the goings on in my old home town. After seeing all the posts about WECK and its new owner I decided to check it out for myself. On Friday morning I recorded 90 minutes just to see what they are doing. At the end I will offer some comments.

8:30 a.m. News/Weather
High Tech Wellness-weight loss ad, West Herr sponsors traffic report
Guitar Man by Bread
banter about old cars
8:40 a.m. Western Meyer Dental Care. Stresses "smile"
Fick Eye?, Healthy Complexion Spa,Made in America Store,O'Reilly Auto Parts,Indeed.com about jobs
8:44: weather
Spiral Staircase More Today than Yesterday
Surfer Girl Beach Boys
talk about movies
8:52: Carpet Smart, Shrine Circus, Maple Road Anchor Bar--Harv Moore,Bank on Buffalo, AAA promotes talk program at later date, Nationwide Insurance mentions local agent
Weather report
Moon River: Andy Williams
9:00 a.m. News by Absolute Care
My Girl by Temptations
Sundown by Gordon Lightfoot
That's Amore by Dean Martin
Diamond Girl by Seals & Crofts
Jon Summers finally identifies himself
Winter World of Love by Englebert Humperdinck
Promo for Dan Neaverth
Well Care Health Care, Colt Access and Lift, High Tech Wellness and Weight Loss testimonial
Shea's 710 theater, Payne's Restaurant in NorthTonawanda, Made in America Store,William Rodden(?) Sons roofing, GEICO agent
You Don't Have to Say You Love Me by Dusty Springfield
It's Too Late -Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose
Play Me by Neil Diamond
Fick Dental(?) and Elmer Eye Care, Carpet Smart Outlet, Shea's 710 Theater
Triple A promo for talk program, Independent Health Care, Bob White Insurance Agency
Indeed.com job site ,
Weather by Anderson's Ice Cream
Rainy Night in Georgia by Brook Benson
Softly as I leave Leave You--Frank Sinatra
Love Me Tender by Elvis
Freedom Care for old folks, Calvin's Furniture in Williamsville Flex co-op,Bank on Buffalo, Vinecroft Old Folks Home in Clarence, Dr. Bob Stattle? Dentist smile
Never Be the Same: Christopher Cross
News by Steve Cichon
Weather by Jon Summer
Can't Smile Without You by Barry Manilow
Theme from a Summer Place by Lettermen
Rose Garden by Lynn Anderson
Yesterday by Beatles

Comments: It is hard to see why very many people would sit thorough all those commercials to hear a handful of songs. Not one up-tempo song. The newscast was recorded and replayed several times. In some cases it was hard to discern who the sponsor was. That’s a common problem and also a good way to lose the account. Many of the ads had jingles that lasted a few seconds each, produced by an el cheapo jingle company. Only one spot from a national agency. Ever noticed that all ads for dentists must stress smiles? No other reason to patronize a dentist. WECK obviously has a good sales department. Unless the ads are very cheap the station is likely profitable. One interesting question is whether the advertisers are getting good enough results to justify the cost of the advertising .

 

[CTListener]

Comments: It is hard to see why very many people would sit thorough all those commercials to hear a handful of songs. Not one up-tempo song.

For the target audience, which would appear to be in the 75-to-graveyard demo, "Rose Garden," "Never Be the Same," "More Today Than Yesterday" and "Too Late to Turn Back Now" are plenty uptempo. This is a station for the oldest baby boomers as well as the youngest of the baby boomers' parents.

The playlist kind of reminds me of WHDH Boston in the mid-'70s, when I was a college freshman and had a summer job at my dad's office. It was the only station we could agree on on the 30-minute trip to work every morning. I was Top 40 and AOR, he was classical and not-too-twangy country. WHDH thrilled neither of us, but it didn't make either of us want to jump out of the car either. I'd imagine he'd still find WECK an acceptable compromise today, were he in Buffalo, still working, still driving and not 96 years old. In fact, people with more mainstream musical tastes in the mid-'70s who were his age back then (in their 50s) probably loved WHDH.

Bottom line: This is what AM used to sound like. The prerecorded, repeated newscasts aren't great radio, but I salute ownership for making the musical end of the operation work. I can see where, in an elderly market like Buffalo, there are probably still enough 75-plus listeners around who don't mind the commercials or the fact that it's on AM and would enjoy the music and the sound of familiar old radio voices.

 

[ckg279]

To CM: WECK's ad spots are more local than national(even if said national chain has locations in the area). To me, at least, that says they want to make the station speak to Buffalo. (On the TV side, WBBZ-TV is much the same when it comes to ads.)

It's good that they got news back on, even if they're pre-recorded and aired at the top of the hour. (I did prefer CBS news, leading into local...but they did make a change in that area, and Buddy's fully within his right to make said changes. After all, he does own the station.)

 

[ckg279]

To CM: WECK's ad spots are more local than national(even if said national chain has locations in the area). To me, at least, that says they want to make the station speak to Buffalo. (On the TV side, WBBZ-TV is much the same when it comes to ads.)

It's good that they got news back on, even if they're pre-recorded and aired at the top of the hour. (I did prefer CBS news, leading into local...but they did make a change in that area, and Buddy's fully within his right to make said changes. After all, he does own the station.)

 

[TheBigA]

It is hard to see why very many people would sit thorough all those commercials to hear a handful of songs.

First of all, I don't think the motivation is strictly to hear a handful of songs. If that's the only goal, then listen to those songs on your personal device. What radio does is offer a package of things in addition to the songs. The commercials are part of that presentation. If you like the overall presentation, meaning the heritage local talent, the news, and the music, then the commercials are the price you pay for that presentation. Once again, if you just want the music, you have options. Or pay $17 a month for satellite radio, and you can avoid the commercials. But in local radio, the commercials are the price you pay. That's not going to change. If you're an adult, especially if you're an adult who grew up with radio your entire life, I'd expect that you'd understand all this.

 

[Rob Piotrowski]

It is hard to see why very many people would sit thorough all those commercials to hear a handful of songs. Not one up-tempo song.

By your own admission you are a former broadcaster. Not a listener in the demo who will spend 90 minutes logging programming. So your listening habits are nothing like a "regular listener".
As others have said there's more to WECK than just the music.

 

[davideduardo]

To CM: WECK's ad spots are more local than national(even if said national chain has locations in the area). To me, at least, that says they want to make the station speak to Buffalo. (On the TV side, WBBZ-TV is much the same when it comes to ads.)

Of course, as Buddy has explained, the agencies that buy for the national brands and chains are generally looking for a demo WECK purposely does not target. Thus, not so much national / agency business.

 

[flybynight]

Not one up-tempo song.

They really need to add "Have You Never Been Mellow" to the mix to spice things up a bit.

 

[Buddy Shula]

CM - what the hell do you do that you have 90 minutes to transcribe WECK??? First off, your wrong. The news is NOT recorded. Lynn Anderson "Rose Garden" is not an up-tempo song? Our lane of programming is 55-75. We stay firmly in that lane. I am proud of that lane. It reflects Buffalo. The commercials? WECK plays FAR LESS commercials per hour than the Cumulus or Townsquare stations, and by the way, Townsquare has the top-rated station.

Without business, there is no radio station. We work hard for our clients. Our clients get results. This is pretty easy.....buy the station cheap....keep expenses in line.....increase revenue.....enjoy the bottom line and share that bottom line with the employees that helped you.

Agencies are looking for 25-54. We are not that station. Different lane. Agencies demand whore rates, and charge 15% on top of low rates. I'll skip the agency business, thanks.

WECK is three things. 1. Music you can't find over the air anywhere else, a niche. 2. Beloved Buffalo air personalities.....3. Local news and info.. WECK does all three. Well!

 

[tbolt909]

Only a Cave Man would undertake such a task. A 90 minute regurgitation of WECK???

That "lane" of 55-75 year olds doesn't represent everyone. Some of those people like Rock and Roll. The Woodstock Generation, British Invasion, Blues, Soul, etc...
WECK may be targeting a very narrow niche, but the sleepy wimpy playlist won't win over everyone in that age group.
All that matters is if the owner is satisfied with the bottom line. If it's working, then it's a success...

 

[Buddy Shula]

We do not play rock and roll and British Invasion. We play a genre call adult standards. Look it up

 

[CTListener]

We do not play rock and roll and British Invasion. We play a genre call adult standards. Look it up

You did play the Beatles' "Yesterday," though. I'd imagine other soft sounds of the British Invasion ("Ferry Cross the Mersey," "Michelle," "Because," etc.) might also find a home at WECK. I'm just wondering if you aren't getting far more listeners in the 65-75 portion of your target than in 55-64, and reaching a healthy number of 75-plus ears as well. But as you said, 55-75 isn't a demo that the agencies want to spend on, and you seem to have signed up a good number of local advertisers who do want to spend on it, so who am I, a radio fan sitting here many miles away, to question your strategy?

 

[four4rock]

Somewhere in this discussion there was comment about a diminished value to an opinion given by a "radio guy/gal" because they were not a 'average listener. I am an average listener, in Western New York, in the so-called target age group, grew up with radio, etc etc, blah blah blah.

I would never consider Rose Garden to be a an up tempo tune. Never.

IMO, calling WECK's target to begin at 55 years old is misguided. The content (music, people, ads, sound, etc) of the station would not generally attract those 55 - 65. by far, the majority of the ads I've heard on WECK do not speak to 55-65.

I agree that the amount of ads on WECK is not overwhelming. i've never counted, but I'd bet the number of ads on WYRK is far more. But I'd also bet that they are placed within any given hour way differently.

My circle of similarly aged people would listen to a radio station of this broadly general type for the music first. That is what reels us in. Not news. Not a voice from the past. Not ads.

I absolutely agree that an owner can do whatever they want. They can define "success" in any manner they want. Those things are not for me to say.

What is for me to say, is what I think.

 

[Prescott Joe]

This so reminds of of KAHM's founder, Lew Silverstein. Lew is gone but his station,
here in Prescott, AZ lives on, playing easy listening, against all the odds. Imagine
that.... A radio station that really does play KAHM (calm) music. KAHM recently sold
but it will continue to play easy listening for a minimum of 5 years and possibly longer.
What greater legacy could Lew Silverstein give his loyal fans?????

I give Buddy all the credit in the world for his vision to serve his community
with an alternative to all the noise and nonsense....

 

[flybynight]

CM - what the hell do you do that you have 90 minutes to transcribe WECK???

Don't need 90. He recorded it. Probably spent 20-25 transcribing as he f-fwded trough it.

 

[Buddy Shula]

You did play the Beatles' "Yesterday," though. I'd imagine other soft sounds of the British Invasion ("Ferry Cross the Mersey," "Michelle," "Because," etc.) might also find a home at WECK. I'm just wondering if you aren't getting far more listeners in the 65-75 portion of your target than in 55-64, and reaching a healthy number of 75-plus ears as well. But as you said, 55-75 isn't a demo that the agencies want to spend on, and you seem to have signed up a good number of local advertisers who do want to spend on it, so who am I, a radio fan sitting here many miles away, to question your strategy?

The songs we play, even from the Beatles are in the Adult Standard format. We do not play Beatles rock and roll

 

[Buddy Shula]

Somewhere in this discussion there was comment about a diminished value to an opinion given by a "radio guy/gal" because they were not a 'average listener. I am an average listener, in Western New York, in the so-called target age group, grew up with radio, etc etc, blah blah blah.

I would never consider Rose Garden to be a an up tempo tune. Never.

IMO, calling WECK's target to begin at 55 years old is misguided. The content (music, people, ads, sound, etc) of the station would not generally attract those 55 - 65. by far, the majority of the ads I've heard on WECK do not speak to 55-65.

I agree that the amount of ads on WECK is not overwhelming. i've never counted, but I'd bet the number of ads on WYRK is far more. But I'd also bet that they are placed within any given hour way differently.

My circle of similarly aged people would listen to a radio station of this broadly general type for the music first. That is what reels us in. Not news. Not a voice from the past. Not ads.

I absolutely agree that an owner can do whatever they want. They can define "success" in any manner they want. Those things are not for me to say.

What is for me to say, is what I think.

WECK can appeal to 55 and over, let's just call it that. Plenty of people like James Taylor, Olivia Newton John, Carly Simon, Paul Davis, Barry Manilow, etc. Those are core artists on WECK .If our audience is older, so be it. According to Neilson, the average age of WECK is 64. I do not think that is old.

 

[Buddy Shula]

This so reminds of of KAHM's founder, Lew Silverstein. Lew is gone but his station,
here in Prescott, AZ lives on, playing easy listening, against all the odds. Imagine
that.... A radio station that really does play KAHM (calm) music. KAHM recently sold
but it will continue to play easy listening for a minimum of 5 years and possibly longer.
What greater legacy could Lew Silverstein give his loyal fans?????

I give Buddy all the credit in the world for his vision to serve his community
with an alternative to all the noise and nonsense....

Thank you

 

[Mike Sheridan]

Thank you

Thank you Buddy, for giving us a unique sound. I'm 65 but not dead yet!

WKBW back in 1964 played Al Martino, Frank Sinatra, Matt Monro, and Sammy Davis Jr, right along with rock and roll. I'm old enough to remember that!

 

[davideduardo]

Thank you Buddy, for giving us a unique sound. I'm 65 but not dead yet!

What is great is that we have the perspective of a real station owner here on RadioDiscussions.

Many who hold jobs in radio don't post as doing so could be misinterpreted by their employer or against company policy.

Buddy can give us the reality of owning a station as well as his take on owning a stand-alone in the era of clusters. And, most of all, he can show whether a station aimed at unappreciated demographics can be successful.