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Plaster On WSM Afternoons

T

TheBigA

Just saw this and had to post:

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – WSM Radio announced today plans to expand the role of veteran sports talk personality, George Plaster, at the station. The pioneer in Nashville sports radio, who has spent over 40 years on Nashville dials, returned to airwaves last summer as host of the popular “Sports Night” airing Sunday evenings on WSM. Listeners will now be able to hear that familiar voice and receive that same great sports coverage five days a week.

Beginning July 15, “Sports Night with George Plaster” will air weekdays from 3 to 6 p.m., with “Nashville Today” moving to a new time of 10 a.m. to noon.
 
TheBigA said:
Just saw this and had to post:

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – WSM Radio announced today plans to expand the role of veteran sports talk personality, George Plaster, at the station. The pioneer in Nashville sports radio, who has spent over 40 years on Nashville dials, returned to airwaves last summer as host of the popular “Sports Night” airing Sunday evenings on WSM. Listeners will now be able to hear that familiar voice and receive that same great sports coverage five days a week.

Beginning July 15, “Sports Night with George Plaster” will air weekdays from 3 to 6 p.m., with “Nashville Today” moving to a new time of 10 a.m. to noon.
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Let's hope, for George's sake, that the move to remove the time change in November won't get passed. Nothing like having a sunny mid-day Sports Night. Thing is, will anyone tune in and if so, how will this move (affect, LOL) WGFX, WPRT and the other handful of low powered sports stations? Even more important, maybe, is this the final straw in the "old" WSM-AM format? The average tourist in Nashville is now under 35 and ain't a dang bit interested in old real country music.
 
Tibbs4 said:
Even more important, maybe, is this the final straw in the "old" WSM-AM format?
Click to expand...

There's a part of me that wonders if it's brokered and GP is selling it himself. I don't know him at all, but hear he's pretty well connected in the sports community.

The last time I was able to hear this station, they sounded more like Americana than classic country. Not sure who they're aiming for. They stopped buying the Nielsen ratings book a long time ago, so obviously the train has left the station.
 
Tibbs4 said:
Let's hope, for George's sake, that the move to remove the time change in November won't get passed. Nothing like having a sunny mid-day Sports Night. Thing is, will anyone tune in and if so, how will this move (affect, LOL) WGFX, WPRT and the other handful of low powered sports stations? Even more important, maybe, is this the final straw in the "old" WSM-AM format? The average tourist in Nashville is now under 35 and ain't a dang bit interested in old real country music.
Click to expand...
Hey Tibbs, remember the ill-fated attempt at a format change for WSM back in '02? Seems like we have come (almost) full-circle since then. The sports talkers wanted WSM, they didn't get it, then started taking over the FM stations in town. At least two of them blew up their previous format(s) to get Plaster. And now he hasn't been on either of them in years! WSM very obviously dropped the ball with the attempt at a format change back then, and there were HOWLS of protest from all over the country! Wonder if enough of them are left now to make an issue of it nowadays, should it happen again?
 
You bring up a great point, Firepoint. If memory (fleeting at this point and age) serves me right, The Tennessean newspaper covered the potential format change you mention on the front page and also had an editorial against the change. Now, no one seems to notice or care. I guess it's only fitting that The Tennessean moved to a couple of floors in a nondescript high-rise off of West End vs. the mega structure at the Broadway gateway. The times sure have quickly changed. I hope to get to do the imaging for 650. What do you think about this idea: "The All New 650-AM - WSM "We're Sports Mostly" with the Really Old George Plaster."

BigA - there sadly is no train. You are right.
 
firepoint525 said:
Hey Tibbs, remember the ill-fated attempt at a format change for WSM back in '02? Seems like we have come (almost) full-circle since then. The sports talkers wanted WSM, they didn't get it, then started taking over the FM stations in town. At least two of them blew up their previous format(s) to get Plaster. And now he hasn't been on either of them in years! WSM very obviously dropped the ball with the attempt at a format change back then, and there were HOWLS of protest from all over the country! Wonder if enough of them are left now to make an issue of it nowadays, should it happen again?
Click to expand...

With the addition of Mr. Plaster's show, WSM's days will be almost all talk. You have the very talk heavy Bill Cody Show, followed by Nashville Today until 12. Then 3 hours of music, and 3 hours of sports.
 
Funny, so far this is the ONLY major "outcry" on the changes at 650. I think it is time to face the facts: Nashville is well past the old homey charm of "local" country music and the old school demo is way past the proper ages and numbers to keep the station viable. Like everything else in this metropolis that is mega-exploding, us old guys over 50 ain't part of the uber chic new generation music scene or listening scheme. Say what you will, but when we were all in our teens and twenties we wanted to be a part of the cool places and music and Gaylord is NOT the front runner of entertainment anymore now that there is no Opryland and all the fun stuff is downtown. (Yes BigA, Gaylord is more of a subtle partner in a bunch of the new venues, but they don't control this city like they did.) The Grand Ole Opry even has plenty of them devil-based evil rock n rollers types a playin there like Steve Miller and Santana. So, I guess Plaster IS actually, kind of an updated "hip" version of WSM radio for us guys over 50. Thing is, will anyone know or care at this point? Tough to have played every sports radio venue in town for thirty years and not be asked to come back and play. This may well be George' last stand, unless he buys the place.... As we have all said, nostalgia is worth what in 2019? You can still hear all those great homey songs at your local Cracker Barrel. What more do we really need?
 
The buzzed about "local" sounds that the "new generation" embraces seems to be a large part of the success at WRLT, and the Americana niche is being filled by WMOT.
 
That is true, Andy. That is pretty refreshing to see. The bad news is those two radio stations have about the same combine "shares" that WSM-AM had for many years. The two stations add a nice touch to Nashville.
 
Tibbs4 said:
You bring up a great point, Firepoint. If memory (fleeting at this point and age) serves me right, The Tennessean newspaper covered the potential format change you mention on the front page and also had an editorial against the change. Now, no one seems to notice or care. I guess it's only fitting that The Tennessean moved to a couple of floors in a nondescript high-rise off of West End vs. the mega structure at the Broadway gateway. The times sure have quickly changed. I hope to get to do the imaging for 650. What do you think about this idea: "The All New 650-AM - WSM "We're Sports Mostly" with the Really Old George Plaster."
Click to expand...
Tibbs, you raise an interesting issue with regard to The Tennessean. About a year ago, my parents DROPPED The Tennessean. You KNOW it's bad when my parents' generation drops the newspaper. It was down to only a couple of sections daily, the last time that I looked. We lost my dad last fall, but I don't see my mother rushing to renew the paper. I believe that they cancelled due to delivery issues, but the overall declining quality of the paper certainly did nothing to keep them as subscribers.

I don't believe that they would even comment on WSM this time around.
 
TheBigA said:
And truthfully, there was a time when WSM only played country music at night. The rest of the day it was a full service MOR station.
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A look at any of their surveys from back in those days would confirm that. But I believe that the out-of-towners, and out-of-staters were never aware of that. (Of course, they could only listen at night!)
 
firepoint525 said:
I believe that they cancelled due to delivery issues, but the overall declining quality of the paper certainly did nothing to keep them as subscribers.
Click to expand...

It's all about the money. If they had more subscribers, they'd hire more & better reporters. Fewer reporters? Fewer local stories. Now the main interest is getting clicks on the web site. That's how newspapers are staying in business. AM radio stations are living off talk.
 
Firepoint - sorry to hear that about your dad's passing. Yes, The Tennessean is pretty much toast. It is sad to see such neglect and bad journalism, but it is a sign of the times. I wonder how many Nashvillians actually go online and subscribe and read the stories? The newspaper and magazine stand is not a place anyone is rushing to anymore. Let's hope radio doesn't suffer a similar fate.
 
TheBigA said:
It's all about the money. If they had more subscribers, they'd hire more & better reporters. Fewer reporters? Fewer local stories.
Click to expand...
Actually, it's the reverse of that. They LOST subscribers BECAUSE of the lack of locality, not the other way around.

Tibbs, the Tennessean PROPERTY was probably worth more than the newspaper itself. It was in the gulch area, near where the Lifeway building was imploded last year. I even hear that something may finally develop at "Lake Palmer"!
 
Tibbs4 said:
Firepoint - sorry to hear that about your dad's passing. Yes, The Tennessean is pretty much toast. It is sad to see such neglect and bad journalism, but it is a sign of the times. I wonder how many Nashvillians actually go online and subscribe and read the stories? The newspaper and magazine stand is not a place anyone is rushing to anymore. Let's hope radio doesn't suffer a similar fate.
Click to expand...
Thanks.

I occasionally click online articles to read them, but it is always far fewer than the 10 clicks a month that you can get for free from them, or the Commercial Appeal.
 
firepoint525 said:
Actually, it's the reverse of that. They LOST subscribers BECAUSE of the lack of locality, not the other way around.
Click to expand...

That ignores the multiplicity of other free sources of local news. Once you can get what you want for free, why pay?

All of the TV stations have free local news on their website. Why subscribe to a newspaper?
 
TheBigA said:
https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/grand-ole-oprys-wsm-am-adding-sports-program-is-a-bad-idea/
Click to expand...
Most of the commenters to that article don't have a clue. Maybe we should revive our old argument from 2002: if you don't like the direction that the station is going, then buy it! No one took us up on that suggestion back then, and apparently, no one will now, either.

I remember when they (briefly?) had Dave Ramsey on Sunday nights. I don't recall any complaints over that!
 
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