Maybe it's time for some of the smaller AMs to pursue alternative means of raising revenue. An avenue worth considering might be something similar to what Pottstown PA's WPAZ is doing: http://wpazradio.com/
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1230 The Breeze-second to last WECK thread ever! ;-)
- Thread starter ThePickleReport
- Start date
To be fair, UB sports and Yankee baseball can drive some listeners to the station. If they hang around after the game because they like the music selection, so much the better. If the stream goes stereo, and ups the bit rate, you might build on-line listening as well.
Will WECK break a 1 share? I don't know, but I do know that going brokered would really be a waste of a signal.
Will WECK break a 1 share? I don't know, but I do know that going brokered would really be a waste of a signal.
I totally agree. Maybe high school sports events might be another option. In addition to WPAZ, other innovative broadcasters would include KKSN. This station simulcasts KNRK HD2 and does a local-only alternative rock format http://www.947.fm/. Other Avenues worth considering could include Timeless Cool http://avenuefla.com/, another 'Smooth Jazz' format, all-comedy from 24/7 Comedy Radio http://247comedy.com/, or something else on similar lines.SirRoxalot said:
High school sports? A music format?
Look, I appreciate the history of signals and stations in given markets as much as anybody who's been in this bizz long enough to remember a Gatesway 80 board and cue-burned 45's. I do love good radio too. However, if I had payments to make on a loan, you better believe I'd go to the most guaranteed way to get my investment back before it took m down with the ship. Never underestimate ego. As awful as brokered time is, it'll likely spare Greene a loss.
Look, I appreciate the history of signals and stations in given markets as much as anybody who's been in this bizz long enough to remember a Gatesway 80 board and cue-burned 45's. I do love good radio too. However, if I had payments to make on a loan, you better believe I'd go to the most guaranteed way to get my investment back before it took m down with the ship. Never underestimate ego. As awful as brokered time is, it'll likely spare Greene a loss.
OK..here's my take for what it's worth.
Dick Greene has made the first step in bringing up WECK's numbers. He got rid of a format that was going no where fast.
He has brought back his old P.D. in a consultants role. Tom S., is a respected radio guy. Although, I have never personally met him, I have always heard good things about him. The "Breeze" may just be the unique niche format that everyone has been talking about since Dick Greene took over. Music preference is a very personal thing. This format may be wide enough to appeal to a significant audience. If, so Tom will be a hero. I am sure that the format will be tweaked a bit to find just the right blend. So give him a chance.....and take another look after the next book or two..He may have found the answer to WECK's problems.
As far as Tom Donohue's Oldies show...If Tom's willing to do it, Dick Greene should sign him up and promote it as much as possible. Tom D. can bring in a huge audience (even on this "teapot" AM'er) Once the audience re-discovers WECK, perhaps they will stay around and keep listening.
As far as filling out the other day parts with former local talents. There are a lot of decent (some outstanding) talents out there who would love to get back on the air (and some may even pay Dick for the opportunity!!
) Seriously, Western New York has produced some great voices over the years...why not give WECK a personality?
I think Dick has to decide if he wants to be a Cheektowaga radio station (read "hometown radio") or if we wants to compete as a Buffalo Metro station. This "hometown" image comes across as small town radio ( Trade-o and obituaries of the air). If you want to compete in this market you have to sound "Big Time".
And finally, It's my understanding that the entire sales department was let go following the recent purge. It's hard for those of us who were on the talent side to admit, but it was the "suits" who provided us with an income. Without a sales force you are doomed. Hitting the street and trying to sell the "Riter radio" version of WECK was like trying to sell air conditioner's during a Buffalo winter.
Dick, give your guys something to sell.
Dick Greene has made the first step in bringing up WECK's numbers. He got rid of a format that was going no where fast.
He has brought back his old P.D. in a consultants role. Tom S., is a respected radio guy. Although, I have never personally met him, I have always heard good things about him. The "Breeze" may just be the unique niche format that everyone has been talking about since Dick Greene took over. Music preference is a very personal thing. This format may be wide enough to appeal to a significant audience. If, so Tom will be a hero. I am sure that the format will be tweaked a bit to find just the right blend. So give him a chance.....and take another look after the next book or two..He may have found the answer to WECK's problems.
As far as Tom Donohue's Oldies show...If Tom's willing to do it, Dick Greene should sign him up and promote it as much as possible. Tom D. can bring in a huge audience (even on this "teapot" AM'er) Once the audience re-discovers WECK, perhaps they will stay around and keep listening.
As far as filling out the other day parts with former local talents. There are a lot of decent (some outstanding) talents out there who would love to get back on the air (and some may even pay Dick for the opportunity!!
) Seriously, Western New York has produced some great voices over the years...why not give WECK a personality?I think Dick has to decide if he wants to be a Cheektowaga radio station (read "hometown radio") or if we wants to compete as a Buffalo Metro station. This "hometown" image comes across as small town radio ( Trade-o and obituaries of the air). If you want to compete in this market you have to sound "Big Time".
And finally, It's my understanding that the entire sales department was let go following the recent purge. It's hard for those of us who were on the talent side to admit, but it was the "suits" who provided us with an income. Without a sales force you are doomed. Hitting the street and trying to sell the "Riter radio" version of WECK was like trying to sell air conditioner's during a Buffalo winter.
Dick, give your guys something to sell.
VoiceGuyJack said:
What part of "dead-in-the-water" do people NOT understand?
There is literally NOTHING you can put on 1230 that will get much of an audience. NOTHING. Who exactly is looking for music, especially any comtemporary music, on a low power AM in 2011? Some here continue to ignore the elephant in the room.
It is difficult enough in this fragmented broadcast/intenret/IPOD audio world for a legit FM to compete. WECK? Be serious. Brokered or bust. Stop fooling yourselves that this station will miraculously be resurrected. WECK had little hope with that talk format, but even less potential going back to (gulp) music.
I don't see how this format can work on a weak-signal AM station. It doesn't sound good at all. But, it may yield more money for Dick. From what I could tell, O'Loughlin's show got the most sponsors and it was terrible. May as well appeal to the elderly, probably the only folks willing to listen.
HLD was at the bottom of most everyone's list...and then changed direction and is now pulling in listeners....and making $$$...and that's what's it all about. AM radio has a place today..despite those who think FM is the only way to go.
I appreciate the criticism, even from those who think it's a lost cause. But if you think you might enjoy listening to a new, unique music format, please be specific in your criticism. What can we do to make it better for you?
If music on AM is an insurmountable hurdle for you, give our webstream a shot and let me know what you think.
If music on AM is an insurmountable hurdle for you, give our webstream a shot and let me know what you think.
topsound said:
Unless you're offering something unique, interesting and valuable to the local area, I'd much, much rather listen to Pandora or one of the thousands of Internet stations streaming today. Music tailored to your taste and nary a commercial to be heard, save for maybe two or three 10 second blurbs every hour, which are completely eliminated for a mere $36 a year. If you're an AM, particularly an AM with a weak signal, you'd better be catering to the community you serve instead of trying to be something unique musically, because if it hasn't already been done, there's probably a good reason.
jas2525 said:
Jas2525, you're welcome to your opinion. And in the end, you may very well be right. But it's much too early in the game to declare the Breeze a failure! WHLD grew from no audience to a 1.7 in the last book. Entercom's WWWS has been garnering a 1.5 to 2.0 share for many years now at 1400AM. There's AM 740 and Ramblin' Lou's WXRL. Add them up, and that's more than a few listeners who are tuning in music on AM. So, it's simply not true that music has no future on an AM station. Yes, a 1.7 does not set the world on fire. But brokered programming gets the station a 0 share. I guarantee you that if Dick Greene hires some on air talent to go along with this format -- and a sales force to sell it -- that he gets above a one share in a future book. And who knows where he goes from there. Our friend "Top Sound" knows music, and I'm more than willing to see how this plays out for him and Dick Greene before I'm willing to concede the Breeze is "dead in the water."
topsound said:
I'm not in radio, but the numbers they used to have in the Buffalo News (I think it was Violanti and maybe then Pergament) would never make sense to me. There would be a quarter where a station would inexplicably go up by something like 80%. From the outside, it looked like it was ridiculously inexact at best and rigged at worst.
topsound said:
Webstream @:
http://lightningstream.surfernetwork.com/Media/player/view/weck_sl4.asp?StreamingServerName=nick11a&call=weck&title=Hometown%201230%20WECK
Also they have a Facebook page @:http://www.facebook.com/weck1230
yugoidar said:
My kids seem to notice it and they have never been in radio. If you have two songs that don't go together you have to break it up somehow or move some songs around.
I hate to hear an oldies station play a 50's song next to a '70's song. When I was on the air I would sweep the decades, 50's next to an early '60's followed by a late '60's followed by a '70's. If I couldn't do that there was something to break things up. There are other things to consider too.
Just my 2 cents.
topsound said:
I think the issue is that you are going to end up with too large a library. I'd only play "the best" of the genres that are going to make up the stations' core. It makes it familiar and easy to understand to the lay person. People on this board crucified WLGZ in Rochester because they thought it was a poor attempt at oldies, and that's what they thought the station should be. It isn't, it is its own thing, and the listeners obviously think differently than us with our armchair programming hats on. I'd call what they have done pretty successful.
WLGZ kind of has this "sunshine pop" or "singalong" feel to it. What do you want "The Breeze" to mean? Easy, laid back? Then do that and remove the songs that don't fit for a start.
I've also heard way too many stop sets, like three in the last 20 minutes between 10:30 and 10:56am. Too many PSA's and too much clutter.
B
Bob1370
Guest
"I think another key to success will be Dick Greene adding at least two name personalities from Buffalo radio past -- one for mid-days and the other for PM drive. If he does that, this format just might attract listeners."
That appropach actually damn near worked for KB a half dozen years ago...and probably would have lasted and made money if Entercom hadn't pulled the plug a little too soon and decided to go on the cheap by going back to using KB as a blocking back for WBEN instead of actually doing something unique (and non-competitive) with it as part of a total market offense, kind of like what a good tight end does for a football team. Doesn't get in the way of the basic running game, just puts a few extra points on the board while also blocking for the QB and RB.
WECK doesn't have the signal to get it done. KB does...and damn near brought it off.
That appropach actually damn near worked for KB a half dozen years ago...and probably would have lasted and made money if Entercom hadn't pulled the plug a little too soon and decided to go on the cheap by going back to using KB as a blocking back for WBEN instead of actually doing something unique (and non-competitive) with it as part of a total market offense, kind of like what a good tight end does for a football team. Doesn't get in the way of the basic running game, just puts a few extra points on the board while also blocking for the QB and RB.
WECK doesn't have the signal to get it done. KB does...and damn near brought it off.
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