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AM 970 “The Answer”

WADIO, we are always interested in looking at ways of extending our reach. There are two nulls in the signal I would love to plug. Fairfield County is one, and Morris County is the other. We get into Morris County in the daytime but the 5000 watt signal does not do well there. So your idea is a good one.

As for [email protected]:

Sadly, Salem will always be playing 2nd fiddle to the experienced, ratings driven, group owned, stations in their market.
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As I have said several times, WNYM and the other Salem stations do not need to beat the stations you are referring to above to be successful. Salem owns 24 NewsTalk stations in top markets and each one has competitive challenges. I guess you could say that's good news for me, since I would not have been needed at Salem if all their talkers were #1. There is nothing sad about it, because it is just the reality of being the 2nd or third talker in to each of these markets.

When you refer to the "experienced, ratings driven, group owned stations", I just want you to look back on all the posts here on this message board on what those companies are going through and ask yourself if you really intend to praise them. I see these stations in disarray, and I see opportunity for Salem to do better against them. Maybe we will not beat them, but we don't need to.

PB
 
Phil...I guess "success" can be defned in various ways. But for a spot revenue reliant format (WNYM) it has always been and continues to be necessary to deliver the largest ratings numbers possible to get the agency buy. Local spot revenue requires alot of work from salespeople and without a sizeable audience that moves thru the clients door there are minimal renewals.

Salem being a publicly owned company, though it's founders own 85% of the stock, I think that there should be some responsibility to provide the remaining stockholders a return on their investment. Success should be measured in $$ and increasing stock value & dividend returns should be part of the companies goal.

I bought Salem at $22.50/share at it's IPO as was suggested by Ed Atsinger...currently it's $2.90/share....

So now you know where I'm coming from...

Understand that I do wish you success...it certainly will benefit me financially...and all of Salems investors. :)
 
Phil - I wish you much luck with your tenure of the Apple Answer. Only move I'm not a fan of is airing the first hour of Bennett's morning show on previous-day tape delay - but I guess it's better than two hours of tape delay.
 
[email protected] said:
Phil...I guess "success" can be defned in various ways. But for a spot revenue reliant format (WNYM) it has always been and continues to be necessary to deliver the largest ratings numbers possible to get the agency buy. Local spot revenue requires alot of work from salespeople and without a sizeable audience that moves thru the clients door there are minimal renewals.

Salem being a publicly owned company, though it's founders own 85% of the stock, I think that there should be some responsibility to provide the remaining stockholders a return on their investment. Success should be measured in $$ and increasing stock value & dividend returns should be part of the companies goal.

I bought Salem at $22.50/share at it's IPO as was suggested by Ed Atsinger...currently it's $2.90/share....

So now you know where I'm coming from...

Understand that I do wish you success...it certainly will benefit me financially...and all of Salems investors. :)
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Dave, it sounds as though this may be great opportunity to increase your financial interest and for me to enter the field.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!
 
badjef said:
Dave, it sounds as though this may be great opportunity to increase your financial interest and for me to enter the field.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!
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Jeff...I've been squandering my extra cash on trips down to Sarasota & Anna Marie Island. Maybe we'll bump into each other again!

Radio stocks are slowly recovering but I don't see them attaining the value they had before the bubble burst back in the late 90's. Too much competition from "other media" these days...streaming audio and video are playing "spots" these days...we didn't have that back in the good old days. Ad dollars are migrating towards the Web.

Heck, when I'm at home I listen to a Web Stream rather than terrestrial radio...much better music selection.

BUT....for The Answer...Mr. Boyce has a challenge, and if he can get corporate support for his ideas, I'm sure he will make a difference.
 
"The Answer" sounds too much like a religious moniker. When I first read the title of this post I thought 970 was taking on a religious format.
 
I really like the idea that they have hired a "Top Gun" PD for the format. Hopefully the company will let him do what he does best and improve the station and grow some local talent again.

My critiques:

- Too much Curtis. If someone doesn't like him in the morning on the way to work, then they're also not going to tune in for the ride home. Either AM or PM drive. Pick one. Promote it. But give people a choice for the commute.

- Even with Phil's rationale, I still don't like the name. I too thought it was reverting to a religious format when I saw the thread "AM 970, The Answer". A clever ad campaign could change that impression though...
 
Thanks for the suggestions and the kind words. We have an opportunity to define what "That Answer" is for people. I heard the same argument against the name "The Truth" but there are several successful NewsTalk stations called the Truth in Tucson, Seattle and Washington DC.

WNTIRadio worries about too much Curtis. I had the same problem at WABC which sometimes stood for We Always Broadcast Curtis. The truth is, we have been able to attract one of the stars of WABC to my new station, and I intend to maximize him as much as I can. The afternoon show is very different than the morning show with the addition of Jeffrey Lichtman. That show, 5-7pm, are the highest rated hours in the day in the 35-64 demo I am trying to attract, and that is only after 2 months on the air with little promotion.

I like our chances. We can make this a better place.

PB
 
Let me ask you a hypothetical question (which of course winds up with a hypothetical answer):

What do you do if something were to happen to Curtis and he can't broadcast anymore? I know the guy is a tank and can handle split shifts like nobody else in the business, but I'd always have the little voice saying in the back of my head "Oh s***, what if he goes down? Now we're screwed for 2 dayparts!"

I'll give you a free pass on nepotism Phil, because I'd love for you to bring Andrew Wilkow on board if budget allows for another local host. He was great on WABC and had an energy that stayed with him throughout the entire program. I would definitely tune in to 970 to hear him.

The more I think about "The Answer" the more it is growing on me. I can see billboards and hear the "man on the street" ads for it. "The Answer... to boring talk radio. 970 WNYM" etc. It's so open ended that you can fill in the blank with anything.
 
I'd like to commend Phil Boyce for coming on here and thoughtfully explaining his strategy for WNYM, and also setting the record straight about his years at WABC.

I think we tend to judge people by their most recent circumstances and that's what I did in my initial post. By the time Phil left WABC, it had degenerated into almost full-time syndication -- partly, as Phil points out, as a victim of its own success. But there was plenty of good radio during Phil's tenure. I'd forgotten, for example, about Andrew Wilkow who I agree was a great find and a good listen.

While I remain skeptical about "The Answer," I'm rooting for it! I'd love to see that the traditional model -- compelling programming attracting ad dollars -- can still work on an AM station with a modest signal. Not all successful businesses are the biggest in their field -- there are plenty of niches where money can be made. Good luck, Phil!
 
radiobum said:
So in the number one market in the country at 5 am they run Bill Bennett from almost 24 hours before ?!
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Is it a replay from the previous morning?

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!
 
I wish they took all of Dennis Miller instead of just two hours. He's the most refreshing, fun and sincere talk show host around! More Miller time!
 
Seriously? Are you listening to the same Dennis Miller show I heard?

Funny guy... except when he's on the radio or in the booth on Monday Night Football.
 
WADIO thanks for the kind words. I am always willing to have an intelligent discussion with people who want to get a glimpe "behind the curtain" at what we do. You started this thread and got people talking about The Answer, so i am grateful for that.

WNTI says:
The more I think about "The Answer" the more it is growing on me. I can see billboards and hear the "man on the street" ads for it. "The Answer... to boring talk radio. 970 WNYM" etc. It's so open ended that you can fill in the blank with anything.
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I am having a ball imaging the station. The opportunities for a play on words are enormous. I like the idea of the man on the street stuff which we should start using here in a month or so once the name starts to stick.

As for radiobum, running Bennett at 5am is not ideal, but I need to clear two hours of him in NYC and the hour we are replaying is usually his best interview of the morning. Unlike most morning shows Bill does longer form interviews with authors and guests that can play the next day without it being dated.

PB
 
Phil, I realize the station probably cannot offer significantly more local content, due to obligations to run several syndicated shows.
But since you are tinkering with the imaging, how about throwing out a question or two concerning a topic of local interest during breaks (outside of the already local Curtis shows), and asking listeners to call in with their reactions. The best, edited for brevity if necessary, could then be played back during some of the subsequent breaks.
That could add some local spice, without significantly altering the basic programming.
 
If you don't think Dennis Miller is enjoyable to listen to then you probably don't get his style. I think he is a rare talent. Name me a non radio lifer that has done as well.
 
Phil, what are the possibilities that Salem might acquire 94.7 FM to simulcast 970 The Answer? From what I've gathered and seen posted elsewhere on this board, 94.7 cannot be moved to Manhattan to become a full market class B.

94.7 is switching its license from non-comm to commercial. 970 is a commercial station which would allow Salem to purchase 94.7 FM to simulcast The Answer. Any thoughts on this?
 
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