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A Few Quickies

A

AllMightyVoice

Has anyone noticed advertising for 923 The Fan? I've talked with a few die-hard KNR listeners who did not even know the new station existed.

Was that Dom Nardella holding down the fort during WNCX morning drive today? Is this something that he will perhaps be doing consistently or was he just giving Bill Louis a chance to sleep in?

Will we see 107.3 start to slant more alternative in the coming months? Not that I don't admire their effort over the last year or so, but they have to realize there is more profit in an alternative leaning format, right? I know they heavily promoted the Foo Fighters movie that screened in Cleveland Heights. I also noticed an ad they put in Scene asking if someone had stolen away our alternative radio. Fingers crossed they stop pretending that they are WMMS circa 1978 and start pretending they are WMMS circa 1995.
 
SixOnTheFloor said:
Has anyone noticed advertising for 923 The Fan? I've talked with a few die-hard KNR listeners who did not even know the new station existed.

Was that Dom Nardella holding down the fort during WNCX morning drive today? Is this something that he will perhaps be doing consistently or was he just giving Bill Louis a chance to sleep in?

Will we see 107.3 start to slant more alternative in the coming months? Not that I don't admire their effort over the last year or so, but they have to realize there is more profit in an alternative leaning format, right? I know they heavily promoted the Foo Fighters movie that screened in Cleveland Heights. I also noticed an ad they put in Scene asking if someone had stolen away our alternative radio. Fingers crossed they stop pretending that they are WMMS circa 1978 and start pretending they are WMMS circa 1995.
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* I don't know what The Fan's marketing plan is. Ideally, CBS should put up a fair amount of billboards for 92.3 throughout the city. Heck, they own a fair amount of billboards as it is! (I just find it hard to believe that there are STILL "die-hard KNR listeners..." somehow, that troubles me.)

* It sounded like "Nard" is in the 98.5 morning slot. Never got a name confirmation, though. Bill Louis apparently only did the morning shift for last Friday morning. Not to mention that, for the duration of Micheal Stanley's leave from the station, their talent pool will be stretched pretty thin for the moment.

* I'm VERY curious to see how WNWV adapts. Picking up "Inner Sanctum" means a LOT. I'd love it if Pat The Producer could take the evening slot on 107.3. And Rocco's connection with Pat, Jim and the old WENZ makes it VERY plausible. But they'd be nuts not to evolve the station into a 90s-00s-and-current-heavy AAA, with their massive music library intact.

I wonder if WNWV was reluctant to do it for the duration of "radio 92.3's" existence, knowing how awfully thin the market is for modern rock in this town (and across the country, for that matter).
 
It is indeed Nard on 98.5 mornings, but I don't get the idea that's permanent.

For the nonce, it A) gives him something to do now that his station has changed formats and B) gets music on the air in the mornings on WNCX, which reportedly "tests well" with PPMs.

A reader tells me he saw ads for "The Fan" inside RTA Rapid cars, but hasn't seen anything else yet.
 
SixOnTheFloor said:
Has anyone noticed advertising for 923 The Fan? I've talked with a few die-hard KNR listeners who did not even know the new station existed.
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Along with the whole market. There's no marketing for this new CBS format.
 
Yes Nathan I actually know a few people who are fully aware of The Fan's existence but still will not budge from KNR. And a week in I still stick by my original opinion that the only show that has blown me away is The Bull and Fox. Just surprised that they dump all this money into a station and didn't have some kind of an advertising blitz ready to go.

Honestly I like the idea of Nard handling the mornings. I can't see any reason for NCX to do anything but play music in the morning. With the $$$ they sunk into The Fan's morning show why throw a talk show on NCX to complete with it? I get the feeling its only temporary for Nard, but I hope either way they stay music driven in the mornings.
 
SixOnTheFloor said:
Yes Nathan I actually know a few people who are fully aware of The Fan's existence but still will not budge from KNR. And a week in I still stick by my original opinion that the only show that has blown me away is The Bull and Fox. Just surprised that they dump all this money into a station and didn't have some kind of an advertising blitz ready to go.
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That's very fair to say.

I throw these caveats into the mix: "Kiley and Booms" hadn't been on-air together since their brief fill-in on Sporting News Radio a few years back (not to mention their Fox Sports show that ended eight years ago) so they still need to shake rust off. And the midday show wasn't under their intended configuration, either.

But with all that said, yes, The Bull and the Fox is THAT good. Seriously, that show is going to be the anchor of the station.

I did see the Plain Dealer article (even with a misspelled "Andy Noth" as the PD) but that isn't enough. For God's sakes, CBS has billboards all over the city - you'd think they'd at least put some up for all four stations.

SixOnTheFloor said:
Honestly I like the idea of Nard handling the mornings. I can't see any reason for NCX to do anything but play music in the morning. With the $$$ they sunk into The Fan's morning show why throw a talk show on NCX to complete with it? I get the feeling its only temporary for Nard, but I hope either way they stay music driven in the mornings.
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Exactly. I think he's only in mornings because Paula is filling in for Micheal Stanley right now. My guess is, when THAT situation is resolved, Nard will scoot over to overnights or weekends, Chris V takes the night slot, and Paula takes the morning slot.
 
Could WNCX be heading towards more VTing and fewer live, in-the-studio personalities on the payroll?

Maybe a live person mornings to handle full-service elements like traffic, weather, news...then music-music-music the rest of the day/night?
 
I'd almost go to the World Famous OMW Betting Window on that one, Tim, eventually.

One other Fan oddity: What's the deal with Jeff Phelps, anyway? These people are making me look bad! :D

Friday, 8/26: Both Andy Baskin and Lindsey Foltin announce "Cleveland's Talking Heads with Andy Baskin and Jeff Phelps" on their personal Twitter accounts.

Early Monday, 8/29: Your Mighty Blog passes along that word in the item posted right before 92.3's launch as a sports station.

Later Monday, 8/29: Andy Baskin opens at 10 AM with ex-Brown Reggie Rucker, and no sign or mention of Phelps.

Still Later Monday, 8/29: Baskin is joined at noon by the PD's Dennis Manoloff, who comes back Tuesday.

Wednesday, 8/31: Baskin announces on the show that yes, starting Monday, Jeff Phelps will join the show as co-host. He jokingly calls Phelps "the show's Phil Taylor", after the Browns player who held out for a bit. He notes that the midday show is called "Cleveland's Talking Heads" because of him and Phelps (another TV "talking head").

Later Wednesday, 8/31: A certain media blog passes along word of Phelps' impending arrival, quoting Baskin.

Thursday, 9/1: Phelps becomes "the name you can't say" on the show, though Baskin - carefully noting he wasn't necessarily talking about that person as a co-host, talks with Foltin about finding an old picture of Phelps and Baskin as a Twitter avatar.

Friday, 9/2: Baskin still isn't mentioning Jeff Phelps, but says he would "bet" on there being a regular co-host starting Monday.

If I were any more paranoid, I'd wonder if they were just trying to make me look bad, goading me into reporting Baskin's statements as fact :D

Seriously, tho...if the guy isn't nailed down, why mention him?
 
Per a friend of Jeff's, I hear he & CBS were still negotiating last week.

Will Phelps end up on 92.3 The Fan? Probably, as it doesn't look like the NBA season will start on-time, if at all this season...and, Jeff has been on Fox Sports Net Ohio's Cavs coverage for a few years.
 
As you noted, though, he has one major problem...without a Cavaliers season, he has a LOT lighter workload (and presumably, bank account).
 
Here's hoping Jeff starts either tommorrow (or soon) on 923TheFan. I think he'd really add to that show. Though, I don't mind Andy Baskin. Considering he has no clue from hour to hour who his co-host is, and the fact Andy's mainly a TV guy (of late)...I think he's doing a reasonable job.

On various NBA-oriented websites like hoopshype.com and USA Today's NBA site (etc.)...I keep reading the general feeling that in a couple weeks into September....the NBA players & teams will feel more pressure not to make this a long work stoppage. Missing half the '11-'12 NBA season, or the entire season, would be a P.R. disaster for the NBA....for everyone: the teams, the players, as well.

Football is #1 in the US. Baseball is baseball...a tradition. While I personally love the NBA, the NBA is in a constant dogfight for the sports public's attention after the big 2 sports.

So, I think the NBA owners & players will soon stop this pi#$-ing contest...and take advantage of their recent up-trends, and get a settlement done...soon.
 
107.3 dropped the ball not using "Lake". A no brainer for a AAA format. At the time 107-3 launched I don't believe CC or CBS had a "Lake" named station to contest a service mark.
 
VODood said:
107.3 dropped the ball not using "Lake". A no brainer for a AAA format. At the time 107-3 launched I don't believe CC or CBS had a "Lake" named station to contest a service mark.
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Entercom's now defunct AAA in Buffalo was also called "Lake." Still, Entercom has no properties in Ohio, and if they had any service mark registered, it didn't stop CC from using it for 106.5.

ELB has the WLKR call letters for their classic/AAA station in Norwalk. Don't tell me they couldn't have moved those calls to 107.3 and take the moniker "The Lake."
 
VODood said:
107.3 dropped the ball not using "Lake". A no brainer for a AAA format. At the time 107-3 launched I don't believe CC or CBS had a "Lake" named station to contest a service mark.
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Instead they debuted with a station name that was already serviced marked... ::)..That was the start of the fiasco.....We're " Boom " ...no we're not.....We're V-107.3...........what a joke. :D
 
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