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"Alternative Buffalo" gets a name change

Might as well call the station Dead 107.7 . (And there's nothing "Grateful" about it.)
 
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"A Rose By Any Other Name" would still reek. Looks like Buffalo will be one of the markets that gets no local hosts for this product. David Field is good at "Spin". His memo about "Commitment to Local Content" rings more than a bit hollow. In this case, it really doesn't matter. It's not like they blew up a successful station...
 
Two years from now, another name change... Alt-Control-Delete
 
C'mon, you guys, don't you think that Buffalo audiences are eager to revel in the blessings of Big City talent bringing "enhanced content and listener experiences – connecting our communities with the content they love"? You don't appreciate their "true team effort to elevate our people and brands to the next level?"

After all, they've expended "countless hours and diligent focus on what’s best for our audience is so appreciated." How can audiences not love it?
 
SirRoxalot said:
C'mon, you guys, don't you think that Buffalo audiences are eager to revel in the blessings of Big City talent bringing "enhanced content and listener experiences – connecting our communities with the content they love"? You don't appreciate their "true team effort to elevate our people and brands to the next level?"

After all, they've expended "countless hours and diligent focus on what’s best for our audience is so appreciated." How can audiences not love it?
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Well, they tried Live & Local with Alternative Buffalo and only averaged a 1.3 share. Whatever research they used failed. I don't believe this new approach will do better. In fact it could sink into KB territory, but it's cheaper.

David Field is trying to force content on people that they don't want. A Morning Zoo type show may have been cutting edge in 1985, but it's still just as lame. Field can't seem to grasp that the format is the problem...
 
TheBigA said:
Nobody is "forced" to listen to any radio station. It's all voluntary.
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In defense of Bolt, the implication is, Field is forcing content. He's not forcing listeners. That nuance explained; right, no listener is being forced to listen with a gun to his/her head. which recalls the crude but compelling Jacor billboard featuring a puppy and the words, "Listen tomorrow morning, or the puppy gets it."

Alt 107-7 is the station about which most people couldn't care less. Come to think of it, that might make a good liner. When the ratings are sorted out, "couldn't care less" applies to more than a few formats these days. Which calls to mind another Jacor liner used by WEBN Cincinnati, "We know we suck, but we don't suck as bad as our competition."
 
Rusty Bridges said:
In defense of Bolt, the implication is, Field is forcing content.
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But that could be said of any radio station. That's why there's on-demand. You want to make your own playlist? Go ahead.

It's like the guy says at Jack: We're playing what we want. If you like it, enjoy. If you don't, you know what to do.

There aren't any real options that don't have other repercussions. We've talked about that already.
 
Rusty Bridges said:


In defense of Bolt, the implication is, Field is forcing content. He's not forcing listeners. That nuance explained; right, no listener is being forced to listen with a gun to his/her head. which recalls the crude but compelling Jacor billboard featuring a puppy and the words, "Listen tomorrow morning, or the puppy gets it."

Alt 107-7 is the station about which most people couldn't care less. Come to think of it, that might make a good liner. When the ratings are sorted out, "couldn't care less" applies to more than a few formats these days. Which calls to mind another Jacor liner used by WEBN Cincinnati, "We know we suck, but we don't suck as bad as our competition."
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There was another liner which I remember from many years ago, when 103.3 was known as The Fox and played album rock: "Hey, let's face it. Buffalo radio SUCKS. We just suck less." (And, by the way, WUFX also used a liner similar to what Rusty mentioned in the first paragraph. Many years ago, I got that liner and MANY others, from all of the stations locally and others from out of town, onto tape...and I'm sure have them....somewhere.)
 
But that could be said of any radio station. That's why there's on-demand. You want to make your own playlist? Go ahead.
Click to expand...

Again. Use the entire quote, which captures the context.

In defense of Bolt, the implication is, Field is forcing content. He's not forcing listeners. That nuance explained; right, no listener is being forced to listen with a gun to his/her head.
Click to expand...
 
Rusty Bridges said:
Again. Use the entire quote, which captures the context.
Click to expand...

I get the context. Nobody is forcing anything. It's the complete opposite, given they're not spending any money or devoting any resources. And the choice of this format, as Buddy explained, was made locally. So to say David Field is forcing this format would be incorrect. He probably has no idea what's happening in Buffalo. Kaplan, on the other hand, is the one directing how the format will be executed. And there are several stations in Buffalo that its citizens couldn't care less about.
 
TheBigA said:
I get the context. Nobody is forcing anything. It's the complete opposite, given they're not spending any money or devoting any resources. And the choice of this format, as Buddy explained, was made locally. So to say David Field is forcing this format would be incorrect. He probably has no idea what's happening in Buffalo. Kaplan, on the other hand, is the one directing how the format will be executed. And there are several stations in Buffalo that its citizens couldn't care less about.
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David Field has no idea what's happening? He just wrote a public memo explaining the new strategy. The investors may agree that Field is clueless. You're right that nobody is forced to listen. The evidence says they aren't.

Eduardo blames the signal for the poor performance. That's a cop out. The Edge has a full market signal with the same format (and has only a 3 share). If people really wanted this product, they can stream it and the signal won't matter...
 
tbolt909 said:
Eduardo blames the signal for the poor performance. That's a cop out. The Edge has a full market signal with the same format (and has only a 3 share). If people really wanted this product, they can stream it and the signal won't matter...
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I hope you realize that a station with a 12+ 3 share could have a 5 share in 25-54?

Best example: WFAN in NYC is typically around 15th in 12+ ratings, but around second, third or fourth in billings.

The Edge is typically 5th in 25-54. Radio is not a horse race or an election where there is only one winner. Clients who want 25-54, particularly men, will more or less have to buy The Edge if the pricing is right.

If the Edge is not billing as it should be, that is an internal problem, not a format issue.

Note: I ignore ratings after February, 2020.
 
TheBigA said:
I get the context. Nobody is forcing anything. It's the complete opposite, given they're not spending any money or devoting any resources. And the choice of this format, as Buddy explained, was made locally. So to say David Field is forcing this format would be incorrect. He probably has no idea what's happening in Buffalo. Kaplan, on the other hand, is the one directing how the format will be executed. And there are several stations in Buffalo that its citizens couldn't care less about.
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I have to correct myself. The alternative format decision was not made in Buffalo. It was made by ETM corporate. Buffalo was told to execute it. The brass at ETM Buffalo did not want to end The Lake. Sorry if I did not clarify that in my earlier post.
 
Buddy Shula said:
I have to correct myself. The alternative format decision was not made in Buffalo. It was made by ETM corporate. Buffalo was told to execute it. The brass at ETM Buffalo did not want to end The Lake. Sorry if I did not clarify that in my earlier post.
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Correct. Corporate forced them to replace the Lake with the WBEN Simulcast. When that failed, they were instructed to plug in an Alternative format. They launched the station BEFORE a PD was hired. They just used a playlist from the Portland station.

Corporate probably thought Alternative could do as well as The Lake, but get younger demos. They were wrong. The music selection obviously matters. The new "strategy' of plugging in out of market hosts is just cost cutting, not better content...
 
I have to correct myself. The alternative format decision was not made in Buffalo. It was made by ETM corporate. Buffalo was told to execute it. The brass at ETM Buffalo did not want to end The Lake. Sorry if I did not clarify that in my earlier post.
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You get big points for this. We sometimes get on your case, but it's not personal. Your accomplishments with WECK are most noteworthy. Back to ETM, there was word from a well-respected source at the time that yes, corporate made the decision, "This is what we're going to do. Now, get it done." Which is the way it usually works, whether it's radio or roofing.
 
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