She's off the B 101 website, and the schedule now shows Shelly Easton for 7-midnight.
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Jessie Jordan Out?
- Thread starter AbrahamJSimpson
- Start date
Her Facebook page mentions she left on September 30, so it's been kept quiet. Shelly Easton is a VP of programming for Entercom isn't she? So I'm assuming B101 is now voicetracked for that night shift.
Well that sucks. I liked her! I hope she lands on her feet soon.
Welcome to voice tracking
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/181238/jessie-jordan-exits-nights-at-wbeb/
https://radioinsight.com/headlines/181238/jessie-jordan-exits-nights-at-wbeb/
Yeah. Pre-CBS expansion, I had always heard good things about working for Entercom. But now, lots of cost-cutting. I hoped B101 would be left mostly alone since they're such a money maker... but overnights and PM drive cut within a year? Not a good look.
It's predictable enough. For decades and decades, these conglomerates have been damaging the product in attempt to squeeze out more cash. Where's the tipping point? Where does it all end? There's gotta come a point where everything is so homogenized, no one gives a crap about any of it anymore. I mean, will it eventually come down to entire clusters with no jocks at all? Why even pay for imaging? Maybe just one song after the other? Can they program that for us better than we can do it ourselves with our iPods or Spotify accounts? Before we get to the eventual tipping point, it will be too late. Maybe it's already too late.
This is part of a trend that is truly something to bemoan. "B101" used to mean something in the industry. As everyone knows, it was one of the final (or was it the final?) independently-owned major market station(s) but beyond that, it was an award-winning and famously-executed station where everyone wanted to work. Now it seems to be headed toward just being "the AC station in market #9." Which will probably sound about as special as the AC stations in markets 10, 34, 86, and 100. As long as they can sell spots though.
Objectively, they had only recently reinstated weekday overnights after cutting that years ago. And nights aren’t exactly primo listening hours.
With the ad pie split more ways, I’m not sure how it would be realistic to expect things to be essentially the same as years ago. I don’t see that as a “conglomerate” thing so much as a just the reality of the world thing, with radio being no different than other businesses (since...well...it isn’t, when it comes to the basic laws of economics).
I’d wager the people in charge of these tough decisions are doing the best they can with the hand they’re dealt. And aside from some hardcore types, it’s not like this is going to significantly alter the experience; there’s still a voice at night. It’s a decent stretch between not keeping someone live in little-listened to time periods and dropping all imaging/branding type elements.
It’s easy to just chalk things up to big, bad companies, but the picture is much bigger than that.
With the ad pie split more ways, I’m not sure how it would be realistic to expect things to be essentially the same as years ago. I don’t see that as a “conglomerate” thing so much as a just the reality of the world thing, with radio being no different than other businesses (since...well...it isn’t, when it comes to the basic laws of economics).
I’d wager the people in charge of these tough decisions are doing the best they can with the hand they’re dealt. And aside from some hardcore types, it’s not like this is going to significantly alter the experience; there’s still a voice at night. It’s a decent stretch between not keeping someone live in little-listened to time periods and dropping all imaging/branding type elements.
It’s easy to just chalk things up to big, bad companies, but the picture is much bigger than that.
I really do understand your points. And I was of course not saying that eliminating all imaging is likely, nor that it is akin to a station firing the night jock (but I know that you're smart enough to have already understood that).
I do stand by my assertions. Honestly, I'm a little surprised when folks disagree. How many times have we seen great local stations bought up by these large companies and turned into "just another" cookie-cutter? And on this particular topic, the "conglomerate-typical" style of cost cutting started post-sale. (Did Jerry Lee-owned WBEB ever use voicetracking?) Radio is a very specific product and all of this consolidation and penny-pinching does come across on the air. Listeners won't notice stuff like this all at once. But it adds up. And eventually, it is noticeable. And it just seems to get worse and worse, which will only further accelerate the pace and strength of the competition. Firing a night jock might not be a big deal, agreed, but each one of these "small deals" contributes to what eventually is a big deal. I just wish these companies would be a little more mindful of the long-term instead of always thinking about how to make the most money right now. It's this short-sightedness that's helping implode a once-great industry.
But anyway, that's just my opinion.
I don’t believe they used voice tracking but they did have no overnight person and used Delilah at one or two times. And sure, it’s as the B we’re talking about, but it’s not like the old EZ 101 days didn’t have its own automation/tracking.
I think where I’m coming from is that adapting isn’t destroying. People consume media in different ways. Advertisers buy media differently. Applying old paradigms doesn’t work, though you can modify them. Radio writ large has continuously changed. Pick your favorite span of time, and I’d wager it was remarkably different from eras past.
And yeah, the thing is all (not literally, but for conversation) businesses look at the bottom line with perhaps closer scrutiny and quarterly focus given the way the world has evolved. Good for the 401Ks perhaps. I’m not sure how radio could reasonably be excluded from that reality.
It’s really a fascinating conversation(s).
I think where I’m coming from is that adapting isn’t destroying. People consume media in different ways. Advertisers buy media differently. Applying old paradigms doesn’t work, though you can modify them. Radio writ large has continuously changed. Pick your favorite span of time, and I’d wager it was remarkably different from eras past.
And yeah, the thing is all (not literally, but for conversation) businesses look at the bottom line with perhaps closer scrutiny and quarterly focus given the way the world has evolved. Good for the 401Ks perhaps. I’m not sure how radio could reasonably be excluded from that reality.
It’s really a fascinating conversation(s).
I am not disagreeing with you. I understand that these companies need to adapt and make changes (though I also contend that they seem awfully greedy). I'm lamenting the loss of quality that results from locally owned stations being bought up by these big organizations who have less reason to care and nurture each station. B101 isn't the first and certainly won't be the last station whose uniqueness will be lost following its acquisition by one of the biggies. It's just a shame that interesting, live, local radio is continuing to disappear. And again, I think it's bad for the industry as a whole. I can envision a period in my lifetime when I--a huge radio geek going back decades--won't be listening to terrestrial radio at all for lack of interest. That cannot bode well!
It may bode ill. But are you an “average” (or typical, or some such word) listener?
Food for thought—is live and local overrated in today’s world? Is there a place for some of that? Sure. WMMR still does, I think. WIP still does, I think. But it wasn’t live and local everywhere back in the old days either. Losing the comedies and soaps and such forced radio to adapt. Cable forced broadcast TV to adapt. Everybody has to adapt.
I’m not sure that many people care when it comes to typical music programming more that someone is local and or love vs if the content is what they want.
How many B101 listeners will notice that Shelly Easton is recorded? How many will attribute it more to like any other time a personality has changed? WE pay attention. As my family would surely attest, I’m not normal. And I suspect most here are outside the norm.
Food for thought—is live and local overrated in today’s world? Is there a place for some of that? Sure. WMMR still does, I think. WIP still does, I think. But it wasn’t live and local everywhere back in the old days either. Losing the comedies and soaps and such forced radio to adapt. Cable forced broadcast TV to adapt. Everybody has to adapt.
I’m not sure that many people care when it comes to typical music programming more that someone is local and or love vs if the content is what they want.
How many B101 listeners will notice that Shelly Easton is recorded? How many will attribute it more to like any other time a personality has changed? WE pay attention. As my family would surely attest, I’m not normal. And I suspect most here are outside the norm.
Not being normal is part of my point. LOL. I listen to radio for more than just radio. I should be listening long after an average listener has lost interest and has moved onto another medium. But I can foresee a time when even I give up on terrestrial.
And again, I agree with just about everything you're saying. I acknowledge that these incremental changes are not likely noticeable but I still maintain that they're part of an erosion of quality that will be noticeable--even if the average listener who's being driven away doesn't understand why they want to stop listening. And I 100% acknowledge that everyone has to evolve but what I suspect part of that will look like is an acceleration of listeners evolving away from radio and toward newer, customizable tech.
Keep taking away the DJ's folks connect with and keep replacing them with strangers whose words become less and less relevant to those listeners. Keep moving toward nationally-researched vs. locally-curated libraries. Keep slicing away the uniqueness that separates someone's favorite radio station from their iPod--which contains a library of only songs that person wants to hear because she created it herself. Eventually, she'll choose the iPod every time. That's the kind of thing that concerns me. And of course, obviously, the general loss of interesting, engaging radio.
It's a good thing there are other nerds like us in the world to discuss this stuff with. haha
So true that it’s good to have forums.
Is it possible that those with an unusual interest are projecting individual tastes and importance of certain things to the audience at large? Holding on to what was with a bit of “rose colored glasses” syndrome?
I grew up with WIP as a full service, AC-ish approach in its later days. That era makes (almost) any AC in the past 20-ish years sound like a personality-less jukebox by comparison. Should someone go back to what WIP did? Not if they want to actually make money.
Is it possible that those with an unusual interest are projecting individual tastes and importance of certain things to the audience at large? Holding on to what was with a bit of “rose colored glasses” syndrome?
I grew up with WIP as a full service, AC-ish approach in its later days. That era makes (almost) any AC in the past 20-ish years sound like a personality-less jukebox by comparison. Should someone go back to what WIP did? Not if they want to actually make money.
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