A change to 104.1 Mobile

[russ.haney]

This is pathetic.. I could launch an internet only station that would smoke this crap.. and it would only take me a few days to launch it.

This is pathetic and this is the main reason why FM radio is dying. It would be one thing if these scumbags would have launched a station that was somewhat cutting-edge but they copied wabb (which is ok) and the imaging is the exact same of a station that failed and flipped formats to an 80s/90s station that is using the exact same voice for that station. Do these idiots NOT realize that i100 FAILED already here but they are using the exact same imaging of that failed station??????

It is ridiculous and I hope this station fails hard.

Everybody wants to hate on Clear Chanel but at least they have some kind of creativity. I have no desire to ever listen to this WABD. After 1 hour I am done with it because 107.3 Hit Music Now sounds 100000000000000000000000000 times better than this garbage.

 

[R.D.P.]

I'm with you. 

Cumulus is a joke indeed.

Their entire Montgomery outfit is one big waste of space.

R.D.P. <><

P.S. I'm so glad that Bluewater is taking risks and is waking up that sleepy little city known as The Gump.  Keep up the good work guys.  Still love your presentation(s) very much.

 

[MarioMania]

Wow, Give them time.. WABD been on the air for like an hour & you already bashing them. Please give them a month....

 

[tomservo]

Everybody wants to hate on Clear Chanel but at least they have some kind of creativity. I have no desire to ever listen to this WABD. After 1 hour I am done with it because 107.3 Hit Music Now sounds 100000000000000000000000000 times better than this garbage.

I'm not fond of CC either but you're right, they at least have the imaging and stuff down, even if none of it is local.

But here, their signal is SO hampered (and where else would 50,000 watts from a tall tower NOT be good enough?) that they are an also ran by default. They may keep their growth and be #1 in Pensacola but the odds of them breaking through in Mobile are slim.

 

[Nate Wesley]

Wow, Give them time.. WABD been on the air for like an hour & you already bashing them. Please give them a month....

As I said on the North Florida board (echoing Russ' sentiments)...I know i100 when I hear it.

 

[russ.haney]

It's ALL about cutting-edge imaging, cool and fun jocks and some type of creativty - maybe a 5:00 drive home mix show or the top 5 at 5pm drive home or something...

The is just ZERO creativity in radio anymore. This station (WABD) could play the EXACT playlist as 107.3 but if the imaging is sick and cutting edge (Take 93.3 FLZ in Tampa for example) - It would make a huge difference... but instead they use the exact same imaging as a station that has already failed (i100

It's the most pathetic thing I have sen in an awful long time.

 

[russ.haney]

Well.. this explains why this new station sucks and will fail.. with employes like this it will never do well.. After the launch of the new 104.1 WABD I contacted one of their main employees on Facebook and gave him my 2 cents...

One of the worst stations I have heard in a long time. Everybody plays the exact same music and their imaging, Flaws, Sound quality, etc is very amateur.

I have heard 4 of the same songs within 2 hours. - Very cheap and unprofessional and yes, I am pissed.

Scott Adams
Dude. Stop. It's not i100. Nothing is perfect. Unexpected things happen. Please stop posting that kind of stuff on my wall. I appreciate it.

33 minutes agoRussell Haney
It is the exact same station as FAILED i100 - The exact same imaging.. the exact same production as i100.. the exact same voice in the sweepers... - It's a joke and if you don't want me bitching about it then unfriend me.2nd time i have heard Party Rocker again... This station is going to fail. It sucks.. sorry man.

31 minutes agoScott Adams
OR you could of just been cool and not bitch about it on my wall. But, that would;ve been too easy. Stay classy.

27 minutes agoRussell Haney
you're right... but sorry to be disappointed.... You guys played a promo from a q100 commercial... i'm just venting dude.. sorry

25 minutes agoScott Adams
Shit happens. Nothing is flawless. Don't think people around there studio didn't hear that and say WTF! Don't take it too seriously. It's just radio.

24 minutes agoRussell Haney
im passionate about radio and it seems to me that WABD threw this station together in 10 minutes and I am sorry but it sounds like shit. Radio Geeks wonder why iPods and XM are kicking their as... they need to look in the mirror because this is one of the most half assed launches of a radio station I have ever sen in my life...

22 minutes agoScott Adams
Okay. You're right. It sucks. So do me a favor. Go find a station and show everyone how it's done. I tried to be nice. But now I'm done.
Shit happens. Nothing is flawless. Don't think people around there studio didn't hear that and say WTF! Don't take it too seriously. It's just radio.

21 minutes agoRussell Haney
I know it's not your fault dude but a big company like Cumulus that has the resources should be able to launch a station a little bit better than this and it just frustrates the hell out of me....

19 minutes agoScott Adams
Why should you give a shit? Who said there's a certain way to launch a radio station? How are you the expert? There is no certain way to do it. Better yet. Tell me how you would do it!!!

12 minutes agoRussell Haney
Let me take you out to lunch one day.... WABD will never ever be a heritage using a failed station's imaging for one... #2 you are going up against Clear Channel... #3 you gotta get creative and think outside the box - All of these suggestions cost Nothing.

10 minutes agoScott Adams
Good thing they cost nothing, because they really aren't worth anything. Passion without knowledge is useless.

10 minutes agoRussell Haney
right now you sound like a juke box with sweepers thrown in after every song.. I can do that on a SAM program.
i have plenty of knowledge I have been in this shit for over 12 years.
perhaps that's why I went nuts and I apologize

8 minutes agoScott Adams
Dude. I'm done.

 

[NWFLRadio10yrs]

WABD? That almost sounds like you are trying to say "WABB" after you've had about 10 beers!

 

[Dr voicetrack]

Well.. this explains why this new station sucks and will fail.. with employes like this it will never do well.. After the launch of the new 104.1 WABD I contacted one of their main employees on Facebook and gave him my 2 cents...

One of the worst stations I have heard in a long time. Everybody plays the exact same music and their imaging, Flaws, Sound quality, etc is very amateur.

I have heard 4 of the same songs within 2 hours. - Very cheap and unprofessional and yes, I am pissed.

Scott Adams
Dude. Stop. It's not i100. Nothing is perfect. Unexpected things happen. Please stop posting that kind of stuff on my wall. I appreciate it.

33 minutes agoRussell Haney
It is the exact same station as FAILED i100 - The exact same imaging.. the exact same production as i100.. the exact same voice in the sweepers... - It's a joke and if you don't want me bitching about it then unfriend me.2nd time i have heard Party Rocker again... This station is going to fail. It sucks.. sorry man.

31 minutes agoScott Adams
OR you could of just been cool and not bitch about it on my wall. But, that would;ve been too easy. Stay classy.

27 minutes agoRussell Haney
you're right... but sorry to be disappointed.... You guys played a promo from a q100 commercial... i'm just venting dude.. sorry

25 minutes agoScott Adams
Shit happens. Nothing is flawless. Don't think people around there studio didn't hear that and say WTF! Don't take it too seriously. It's just radio.

24 minutes agoRussell Haney
im passionate about radio and it seems to me that WABD threw this station together in 10 minutes and I am sorry but it sounds like shit. Radio Geeks wonder why iPods and XM are kicking their as... they need to look in the mirror because this is one of the most half assed launches of a radio station I have ever sen in my life...

22 minutes agoScott Adams
Okay. You're right. It sucks. So do me a favor. Go find a station and show everyone how it's done. I tried to be nice. But now I'm done.
Shit happens. Nothing is flawless. Don't think people around there studio didn't hear that and say WTF! Don't take it too seriously. It's just radio.

21 minutes agoRussell Haney
I know it's not your fault dude but a big company like Cumulus that has the resources should be able to launch a station a little bit better than this and it just frustrates the hell out of me....

19 minutes agoScott Adams
Why should you give a shit? Who said there's a certain way to launch a radio station? How are you the expert? There is no certain way to do it. Better yet. Tell me how you would do it!!!

12 minutes agoRussell Haney
Let me take you out to lunch one day.... WABD will never ever be a heritage using a failed station's imaging for one... #2 you are going up against Clear Channel... #3 you gotta get creative and think outside the box - All of these suggestions cost Nothing.

10 minutes agoScott Adams
Good thing they cost nothing, because they really aren't worth anything. Passion without knowledge is useless.

10 minutes agoRussell Haney
right now you sound like a juke box with sweepers thrown in after every song.. I can do that on a SAM program.
i have plenty of knowledge I have been in this shit for over 12 years.
perhaps that's why I went nuts and I apologize

8 minutes agoScott Adams
Dude. I'm done.

Russell,

I can't see what you were trying to prove in that post. Not trying to start something with you, but all I can see is you being a jerk.

To be completely honest, all I see is you busting some guy's balls and not really giving any real insight. If you're going to post a FB msg like that (pretty weak thing to do, btw) you better have the brains to back up the bark.

Another thing. You say you've "been in this sh*t for 12 years". What kind of sh*t are you referring to? Because real radio pros wouldn't go after someone like that. They wouldn't have even contacted them like you did.

So to be fair, I think you should list everywhere you've been on the air, programmed, etc. THEN drop knowledge on all of us. But by what you've posted, I highly doubt that will add any credibility to you.

That wore me out. Now maybe I can go back to bed.

 

[rubberchicken]

Q-Tip and Nick Fox come over for mornings? Blondie for workdays? Scott Adams afternoons? That would be the smart thing to do if they really want to capture the audience. The remaining WABB personalities made some strong relationships with their audience over the last 2 weeks.

I'd like to see 107.3 add an additional live daypart but I'm not betting on it.

 

[macab4490]

Oops on the Q100 liner but mistakes do happen in radio.. I was not that pleased as a listener with the "introduction" to WABD. They should have just started from scratch. But what do I know? I just don't know what this station will bring but 107.3 HMN needs to follow through by appealing to the locals, adding local dj's to the lineup. WHO WANTS TO HEAR DJ'S WHO HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE LOCAL AREA. I'm sorry, they're just not going to last that long and then we will have 1 CHR station which does not usually happen in a long time. It's a fact, WABB did a lot for the local community. Yeah, sure they were a local-branded station but 107.3 does and/or have the potential to be a 93-3 FLZ type station.. of course, I recognize the morning duo out at 107.3 is local, but after that...Los Angeles or wherever they're from takes over the airwaves and people will not listen. Commercials won't cut, folks.

 

[Poledo]

And it will lose none of them by dropping 20 feet.

Dyslexia, I thought I read your post as dropping 20 meters. opps

 

[whit979]

The bell tolling and playing Party Rock Anthem as the first song is the same exact thing Cumulus did in Birmingham when they flipped Rock 99 to The Vibe on New Year's Day.

If it's anything like The Vibe, look for a very tight playlist (~100 songs) and minimal commercial interruption, followed by a slowly expanding playlist over the month of March.

 

[Nate Wesley]

Well.. this explains why this new station sucks and will fail.. with employes like this it will never do well.. After the launch of the new 104.1 WABD I contacted one of their main employees on Facebook and gave him my 2 cents...

One of the worst stations I have heard in a long time. Everybody plays the exact same music and their imaging, Flaws, Sound quality, etc is very amateur.

I have heard 4 of the same songs within 2 hours. - Very cheap and unprofessional and yes, I am pissed.

Scott Adams
Dude. Stop. It's not i100. Nothing is perfect. Unexpected things happen. Please stop posting that kind of stuff on my wall. I appreciate it.

33 minutes agoRussell Haney
It is the exact same station as FAILED i100 - The exact same imaging.. the exact same production as i100.. the exact same voice in the sweepers... - It's a joke and if you don't want me bitching about it then unfriend me.2nd time i have heard Party Rocker again... This station is going to fail. It sucks.. sorry man.

31 minutes agoScott Adams
OR you could of just been cool and not bitch about it on my wall. But, that would;ve been too easy. Stay classy.

27 minutes agoRussell Haney
you're right... but sorry to be disappointed.... You guys played a promo from a q100 commercial... i'm just venting dude.. sorry

25 minutes agoScott Adams
Shit happens. Nothing is flawless. Don't think people around there studio didn't hear that and say WTF! Don't take it too seriously. It's just radio.

24 minutes agoRussell Haney
im passionate about radio and it seems to me that WABD threw this station together in 10 minutes and I am sorry but it sounds like shit. Radio Geeks wonder why iPods and XM are kicking their as... they need to look in the mirror because this is one of the most half assed launches of a radio station I have ever sen in my life...

22 minutes agoScott Adams
Okay. You're right. It sucks. So do me a favor. Go find a station and show everyone how it's done. I tried to be nice. But now I'm done.
Shit happens. Nothing is flawless. Don't think people around there studio didn't hear that and say WTF! Don't take it too seriously. It's just radio.

21 minutes agoRussell Haney
I know it's not your fault dude but a big company like Cumulus that has the resources should be able to launch a station a little bit better than this and it just frustrates the hell out of me....

19 minutes agoScott Adams
Why should you give a shit? Who said there's a certain way to launch a radio station? How are you the expert? There is no certain way to do it. Better yet. Tell me how you would do it!!!

12 minutes agoRussell Haney
Let me take you out to lunch one day.... WABD will never ever be a heritage using a failed station's imaging for one... #2 you are going up against Clear Channel... #3 you gotta get creative and think outside the box - All of these suggestions cost Nothing.

10 minutes agoScott Adams
Good thing they cost nothing, because they really aren't worth anything. Passion without knowledge is useless.

10 minutes agoRussell Haney
right now you sound like a juke box with sweepers thrown in after every song.. I can do that on a SAM program.
i have plenty of knowledge I have been in this shit for over 12 years.
perhaps that's why I went nuts and I apologize

8 minutes agoScott Adams
Dude. I'm done.

Russ, I'm with you on how the station sounded not much longer after the debut. But honestly, you crossed the line from 'radio geek' to 'crazy internet guy I'd block'. Scott Adams works for Cumulus, and obviously wants the new station to succeed long-term. Instead of saying your piece and moving on, you kept pestering him with complaints after he oh-so-subtly wished you wouldn't air so many of them on his Facebook wall.

Adams should have engaged you better ('Sorry, we're still working things out--we will get better!'), and used more FCC-friendly language in doing so. But once you egged him on and insinuated about his/others job performance...well, that's not how you win friends and influence people.

 

[macab4490]

Saw via twitter Scott Adams is leaving and going "home." is "home" reference meaning he is ashamed that Cumulus just did something that was not appropriate or he is happy about it and is going to join WABD...?

 

[macab4490]

Encouraging to hear a new local dj after morning drive to say the station name and representing the local area with an event this weekend! This is good, 107.3! Keep it up.

 

[RollTide]

Wow, a lot of hate for the station already? LOL. You should come to Huntsville and listen to our cumulus owned supposed "hit music station". You'd LOVE 104.1 then. WZYP is terrible. Same dry image guy and drops, and "all the hits" slogan. Only the music is much worse! I'd give WABD a little time to get established before making a final judgment. I know Cumulus can run a pretty good CHR when they really want to. The Vibe in Birmingham is a recent example. They've sounded pretty good so far since their launch. I wish they would clean house and make some big changes to ZYP up here! We have no real CHR here.

104.1 sure did copy everything from WABB though didn't they?! The slogan, the logo, the calls (almost). I expected it though when I saw what the calls had changed too when I started this thread. It would have been nice to see them grab the same image guy that WABB had and use him, and it'd be cool to see the WABB air staff land over there. I guess we'll wait and see. Cumulus will need to stay local, and community connected in order to pull off this attempt at continuing the WABB legacy. I wish them good luck.

 

[tomservo]

I was pretty harsh on Cumulus when they pulled the plug on i100 for Journey, but after a few weeks that format really came together and I found myself listening to it more than probably any other station in the market.

So I'll withhold any proclamations about how 104.1 is going to do until they've had a chance to tweak things. They were probably caught as much off guard by this as the general public was, to be honest. I think it may have been a rush job because they didn't have any other choice.

 

[passtheword]

I've been looking as the dust settles to make a judgment as whether or not it was a good idea that 104.1 has now taken on the "WABB persona" (or at least trying to emulate it). Given how many of the WABB listeners were distraught over losing their station, I was thinking it might have been a good thing, but now not so sure of that. Everybody in here can go on forever about whether the new WABD sounds as far as having the "right" imaging, logo, look, whatever you want to call it, but ultimately whether WABD is embraced by the former WABB listeners all rests on them, not the "radio geeks" and/or those who work in radio. I think too many times in here people get caught up posting about the criteria I just mentioned and making a valuation as to whether a station is going to "make it" based on those factors. The average radio listener, John Q Public, doesn't care about imaging, etc etc. Their evaluation of a station (and of WABD) is going to be determined by the programming and, in this case, whether they believe this is a suitable replacement (true resurrection) of the old WABB, with the various personalities in hand. Some of that perception of WABD can be gleaned off the WABB Facebook page. The comments are mixed...some are willing to give the new WABD a try, but there are quite a few others who feel WABD is a "WABB rip-off" and refuse to listen to the new station. I found this comment on WABB's Facebook page a few minutes ago. To me, it's indicative of the former ABB listeners' uncertainty as whether to accept WABD as their new station of choice. The last line says it all...could Cumulus' plan to restore WABB on 104.1 actually backfire on them? Here is what the listener wrote:


" If you are telling the truth and WABD is only using the "tribute" to Bernie Dittman as an advertising ploy and they have stolen the logo and format and everything from WABB, and none of our DJ's have been hired to work there.....then I'm going to be very very pissed off and I will definitely protest and become a 107.3 fan!"


It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out.

 

[Groove1670]

So far....

K-Love has a ground hum, and the modulation is low. It will have a place.

104 has the standard Cumulus CHR template with generic liners. It serves the purpose.

Now is cross promoting on other stations. A very good idea. If they drop the "Premium choice", get involved with the community, allow the talent to have some personality, they will win the battle.

WABB won the battle because they didn't follow the PPM gospel. They let the DJ's interact with the listeners (A PPM no no), and played what the city of Mobile liked, (Another PPM no no) not from a playlist that was shipped down from the glass tower and mandated or.... else.

WABB was Mobile radio. If you want to take the crown, you need to set the example. Don't be a good radio station, be a great radio station.

38,000 Facebook fans can be wrong. They had something going. Hopefully, the new CHR stations will learn from the legend of radio, and how to do it right.

Just my two cents.