Bellavia's New Show on WBEN

[flybynight]

Public radio is more of an expense or hassle? Really?

Knit-picking my comments to be petty. Got it.

Are you being obtuse on purpose?

 

[TheBigA]

Knit-picking my comments to be petty. Got it.

Are you being obtuse on purpose?

Not responding to my questions, attacking me instead? Got it.

 

[flybynight]

Not responding to my questions, attacking me instead? Got it.

Need the last word?

Check.

 

[TheBigA]

Need the last word?

Check.

I'm just looking for an answer to a simple question. Guess I know it.

 

[flybynight]

I'm just looking for an answer to a simple question. Guess I know it.

Answer to what? You are a contrarian who never gives an inch. That is your record.

Fact is, talkradio has made some bad decisions over the last 20 years and they're going to pay for it at an increasing rate as we move forward.

The format sounds like hell to a normal, rational person who might've otherwise been a listener. That is the direct result of carelessness and laziness on the part of programming/management.

Spin that as you will, but it does not change the sorry state of the format.

 

[TheBigA]

Answer to what?

You want "interesting conversation," not an "echo chamber."

I asked if you ever listened to WBFO or any public radio.

 

[dand5780]

Sounds like David Bellavia is no longer with WBEN. Some kind of announcement was made at 9am which I was unable to listen to but they haven't repeated it at all in the 10am hour.

 

[flybynight]

Sounds like David Bellavia is no longer with WBEN. Some kind of announcement was made at 9am which I was unable to listen to but they haven't repeated it at all in the 10am hour.

That doesn't sound likely this soon. They probably just said Bellavia can't fill in during the day because of the latenight show he's now doing.

 

[benson8620]

Tim Wenger--filling in for Sandy Beach--said that Bellavia was not able to do his 10 pm show or fill in for Sandy or Tom because his employer would not permit it. Sounds strange so soon after starting a new show, but it is what it is. Mike Caputo will fill in for Sandy for the next two weeks.

 

[dand5780]

I listened to the 9am hour of Sandy Beach online, which was actually hosted by operations manager Tim Wenger. David Bellavia will no longer have a show and will no longer be allowed to fill in since his full time employer had a change of heart for allowing him on the radio. Since Sandy Beach is out for a few weeks, Michael Caputo will be filling in. The 10pm-1am show will be "The Best of WBEN," either Sandy or Tom...at least temporarily.

 

[SirRoxalot]

Wow. That's got "cluster" written all over it. I wonder who'll bear that brunt of that screw-up?

 

[flybynight]

Wow. That's got "cluster" written all over it. I wonder who'll bear that brunt of that screw-up?

I just heard Bauerle basically pleading for some "patriotic" private employer to please step up and offer Bellavia a six-figure job so he can do radio. LOL! Bauerle is sure it's a political thing and Bellavia's actual boss wants to "muzzle" him. Forgetting, of course, that Bellavia's been doing extensive fill-ins there for well over a year now. I wonder if it occurred to TB that Bellavia's boss might actually want a devoted employee who isn't tired at work because of his newfound radio hobby.

But still, gotta love it. Finally divulging for the audience that working in radio is the electronic equivalent of joining the circus, because in order to be able to do it fulltime and support a family, you need to have a well-paying fulltime job on the side. LOL

 

[TheBigA]

So rather than go back to live syndication (Jim Bohannon), they'd rather do repeats of their local shows. Certainly a cost effective solution, but is it good radio?

 

[flybynight]

So rather than go back to live syndication (Jim Bohannon), they'd rather do repeats of their local shows. Certainly a cost effective solution, but is it good radio?

LOL....Who EVER worries about "good radio" anymore?

 

[TheBigA]

Sort of rhetorical question to the Buffalo board.

 

[Element9]

I just heard Bauerle basically pleading for some "patriotic" private employer to please step up and offer Bellavia a six-figure job so he can do radio... But still, gotta love it. Finally divulging for the audience that working in radio is the electronic equivalent of joining the circus, because in order to be able to do it fulltime and support a family, you need to have a well-paying fulltime job on the side. LOL

Perhaps the allure of doing talk radio for $15 an hour wore off quickly for Bellavia. Driving from Genesee county five nights a week to do a late night talk radio gig, talking to 'wing nuts who can't comprehend political nuance, after working eight hours at his real job barely paid for the gas. In retrospect, Bellavia will come to know that he made the right decision because Entercom (which is reporting Q3 revenues down 4%) wasn't sufficiently 'patriotic' to pay him a living wage. Bauerle, of course, could have stepped up and offered to give Bellavia a slice of his six figure paycheck, but...

 

[benson8620]

Did you really expect Bauerle to take a pay cut for Bellavia? Would you do that at your job? Really, if anyone should have stepped up, it should have been Entercom. Pay Bellavia a decent salary, move him to 7-10 or 6-9 cutting Bauerle back to 3 hours. Then you have a chance to sell some spots, instead of the graveyard that is 10-1. That would have made sense. Groom him to take over for Sandy.

 

[TheBigA]

Move him earlier? Put him up against O'Reilly on Fox? Who do you think that audience prefers?

There's no money or audience for live and local talk after 7. They're all watching TV or hopefully spending q-time with their families.

People who have no experience need to work for minimum wage, like we all did when we started out. If that's too much work, then too bad. Obviously not really committed to radio.

My real question, and I ask it on the business board, is how long can Entercom continue to operate with full local staffs? How long can Entercom resist re-allocating resources to other platforms? They're running their company like it's still 1995, and it's not.

 

[Unregistered]

Move him earlier? Put him up against O'Reilly on Fox? Who do you think that audience prefers?

Since when should you worry about what's on TV? Most people are listening to the radio because they're in a situation where that is the more preferable medium at the moment, whether they're at work or in the car or out for a run.

There's no money or audience for live and local talk after 7. They're all watching TV or hopefully spending q-time with their families.

Now there's an overly-broad and inaccurate statement if I've ever heard one. See answer above.

People who have no experience need to work for minimum wage, like we all did when we started out. If that's too much work, then too bad. Obviously not really committed to radio.

Well, you got one part right.

My real question, and I ask it on the business board, is how long can Entercom continue to operate with full local staffs? How long can Entercom resist re-allocating resources to other platforms? They're running their company like it's still 1995, and it's not.

Anybody I have talked to who is familiar with the local ETM operation, says they are running pretty close to bare bones, particularly in the decimated newsroom. They used to have a bustling newsroom, but now it is apparently a ghost town, empty desks and all. The only station that is overflowing with employees is WGR, which is apparently the apple of the GM's eye.

 

[SirRoxalot]

"Full local staffs"? You're kidding, right?