No news on WCBS and WINS this morning!

[wadio]

I tuned into WINS this morning around 7:30 to catch some news but there was talk content instead. So I tuned to WCBS only to hear the same programming. I didn't stick around long enough to find out what it was.

What's up with that? These are supposed to be 24/7 news operations. "All news, all the time," etc. I know WCBS has been moving in this direction but WINS is a disappointment.

 

[luperm]

It’s a special discussing the stigma associated with getting help for mental health and anxiety. It’s running on all Entercom stations. I’m sorry that you find it offensive. Perhaps you should listen - there’s probably some useful information there for you.

For someone who supposedly listens so much, I’m surprised you didn’t know about it. They’ve been plugging it nonstop for the last week or two.

 

[TheBigA]

They’ve been plugging it nonstop for the last week or two.

In fact here's the press release. It says Sunday at 7AM:

https://entercom.com/press/press-re...special-mental-health-and-suicide-prevention/

Also mentioned here on RD on September 3:

https://www.radiodiscussions.com/sh...Stations-Team-To-Take-On-Mental-Health-Stigma

 

[wadio]

It’s a special discussing the stigma associated with getting help for mental health and anxiety. It’s running on all Entercom stations. I’m sorry that you find it offensive. Perhaps you should listen - there’s probably some useful information there for you.

For someone who supposedly listens so much, I’m surprised you didn’t know about it. They’ve been plugging it nonstop for the last week or two.

Please stop assessing what you believe my listening habits to be. That's trolling behavior and it has no place on this forum, IMO.

Whether any of us might find some useful information in that out-of-format program is irrelevant. These are "all news" stations, not "news and long-form useful information" stations. That kind of thing is what Podcasts are for.

 

[TheBigA]

These are "all news" stations, not "news and long-form useful information" stations. That kind of thing is what Podcasts are for.

Sunday morning is when stations run long form public affairs programming. It's been that way for many years.

Podcasts are not where you put something that you want to have impact. They're also not regulated by the FCC.

So yes this is something they can put in their public file and license renewal for community service.

 

[RadioGuy1864]

Sunday morning is when stations run long form public affairs programming. It's been that way for many years.

Podcasts are not where you put something that you want to have impact. They're also not regulated by the FCC.

So yes this is something they can put in their public file and license renewal for community service.

Exactly, Sunday mornings have long been a dumping ground for programming that needs to run somewhere, but you sure as heck aren't putting it on during morning drive. I'm pretty sure if some major news event had happened, they would have broken into the program on one or both of the news stations with a "special report."

 

[andreajesus]

It Was Advertised For About TWO Weeks- DUH!

The "I'm Listening" event had been advertised on ALL Entercom radio stations (including the two mentioned) for SEVERAL weeks. And while some may have found this to be a turnoff factor, I believe that this event probably SAVED SOMEONE'S LIFE!!

#TheLifeYouSaveMayBeYourOwn

 

[wadio]

I pretty much stopped listening to Entercom stations when they pulled them from TuneIn, etc. but I do occasionally listen to WINS on Sunday mornings.

Sunday morning is when stations run long form public affairs programming. It's been that way for many years.

Sure, but not WINS, at least never in the past that I know of.

 

[TheBigA]

Sure, but not WINS, at least never in the past that I know of.

So that precludes them from ever doing something special like this?

It's not like there aren't other stations that do news on Sunday morning.

 

[davideduardo]

Please stop assessing what you believe my listening habits to be. That's trolling behavior and it has no place on this forum, IMO.

Whether any of us might find some useful information in that out-of-format program is irrelevant. These are "all news" stations, not "news and long-form useful information" stations. That kind of thing is what Podcasts are for.

It's a special corporate project intended to reach as many people as possible because they feel it is important and because they have some notion still of community service.

Exactly what is harmed by doing this? And is missing a half-hour repetitive news cycle really as important as the message in this special?

 

[TheBigA]

It also pre-empted or delayed the first hour of Scott Shannon's syndicated show America's Greatest Hits on WCBS-FM.

And Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40 on WNSH.

 

[davideduardo]

That's trolling behavior and it has no place on this forum, IMO.

MODERATOR COMMENT: The post you refer to is not trolling. The program indeed was promoted for weeks ahead of its broadcast so the remark is simply informative in the context of "if you are a regular listener you should know, but if your really are not, here are the facts."

Trolling is saying something untrue or outrageous with the intent of sparking anger and responses.

 

[wadio]

David it's only my opinion, but here are the parts (bolded) that I believe are intended to spark anger:

It’s a special discussing the stigma associated with getting help for mental health and anxiety. It’s running on all Entercom stations. I’m sorry that you find it offensive. Perhaps you should listen - there’s probably some useful information there for you.

For someone who supposedly listens so much, I’m surprised you didn’t know about it. They’ve been plugging it nonstop for the last week or two.

The rest of the post was a completely appropriate response. And according to Wikipedia's definition of a troll, the trolling statement does not need to be untrue or outrageous.

It’s a special discussing the stigma associated with getting help for mental health and anxiety. It’s running on all Entercom stations.They’ve been plugging it nonstop for the last week or two.

... would have made the point just fine.

 

[Syfy]

Exactly, Sunday mornings have long been a dumping ground for programming that needs to run somewhere, but you sure as heck aren't putting it on during morning drive. I'm pretty sure if some major news event had happened, they would have broken into the program on one or both of the news stations with a "special report."

Most people wouldnt be tuning in on a sunday morning to the radio for a breaking news story.

 

[davideduardo]

Most people wouldnt be tuning in on a sunday morning to the radio for a breaking news story.

But the OP is right... there is much to be said for consistency in format and meeting expectations.

Just as it would be if you subscribed to Business Week and they sent you Good Housekeeping instead. Not what you wanted or expected.

In this case, though, it was a company wide initiative by the group... a rare exception. And I agree with the counterpoint poster in that the show had some valuable points about suicide that can help one identify the symptoms leading up to that point among friends and family.

 

[BruceNYC]

IMHO WINS or WCBS-880 should have broadcasted news during this two hour period. Even on a Sunday morning people are need traffic and weather information.

 

[seattlesarchiebunker]

IMHO WINS or WCBS-880 should have broadcasted news during this two hour period. Even on a Sunday morning people are need traffic and weather information.

Agreed that in a market where the two news stations are co-owned, it makes little sense to broadcast the same content on both at the same time. Perhaps run WINS’s program at 9pm Sunday night. Same content, you just get a different potential group of people than at 8am. Granted, early Sunday mornings are traditionally the only time one can easily move around the NYC metro and are usually “dead” times for news. In addition, this is usually the same time most stations run public affairs programming—so there’s little lost in terms of revenue or staffing hours.

As a person who has dealt with mental illness in my own life, I appreciate the theme. There is a large stigma and ignorance associated with mental illness in the US. I do question it’s implementation from the top down from Entercom, however. It was a corporate decision...but all stations had to implement it. What that meant were several clusters (SF and Seattle) performed brilliantly running local stories all week. Others places literally did the bare corporate minimum of airing the national program and running promos only as required...as if it were a forced decision!

 

[TheBigA]

IMHO WINS or WCBS-880 should have broadcasted news during this two hour period. Even on a Sunday morning people are need traffic and weather information.

There were other stations broadcasting news, traffic and weather at that time. This is New York, not Idaho.

 

[luperm]

There were other stations broadcasting news, traffic and weather at that time. This is New York, not Idaho.

And, one could assume that either WCBS and/or WINS would break from the public affairs programming should significant breaking news warrant.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

Agreed that in a market where the two news stations are co-owned, it makes little sense to broadcast the same content on both at the same time. Perhaps run WINS’s program at 9pm Sunday night. Same content, you just get a different potential group of people than at 8am. Granted, early Sunday mornings are traditionally the only time one can easily move around the NYC metro and are usually “dead” times for news. In addition, this is usually the same time most stations run public affairs programming—so there’s little lost in terms of revenue or staffing hours.

As a person who has dealt with mental illness in my own life, I appreciate the theme. There is a large stigma and ignorance associated with mental illness in the US. I do question it’s implementation from the top down from Entercom, however. It was a corporate decision...but all stations had to implement it. What that meant were several clusters (SF and Seattle) performed brilliantly running local stories all week. Others places literally did the bare corporate minimum of airing the national program and running promos only as required...as if it were a forced decision!

Running it simultaneously seemed to be the entire point, so the roadblock, among Entercom’s stations, made sense. This was an uncommon event, not an every week deal.

The world kept spinning on its axis with one hour taken out of one day. Frankly, given the importance of the topic, I’d have enthusiastically supported it in a more “prime” period, but nevertheless appreciate the resources spent promoting it and the time they did spend on it.