Big Change Needed at WCVO (104.9 the River)

[marketmyradio]

Format? No. Song rotation? Maybe. Investing in staff? Yep. There have been some major loss in staff over the past year or so over at WCVO. Just last month their PD resigned whose been taking the heat for everything that the GM messes up. A few months earlier they lost a couple of sales reps. The buzz in advertising land is that loyal advertisers are considering pulling their advertising. Talking with current and former employees, the staff moral has dropped. Giving is down. Their morning show has been not a fan favorite since they fired Dan Swander and Tracy moved to Florida (that's right, she's not In Columbus. She does her show from Florida--which I don't think they were honest about to begin with.) Sounds like some changes need to be made at the top.

 

[radiokiller]

Ummm, honest about doing your show from FLORIDA?? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
I'm sorry, friend..that was the best laugh I have had all day..I may have to laugh about that all night!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA...can you write some more?
;D

 

[NotMe]

I don't think Radiokiller understands the situation. The fact that she's doing her show from Fla is no big deal. It's the way it was handled that's suspect. At the very start, the audience was told that Sherry and Tracy "decided to change places". Sherry would do mornings and Tracy would do mid days. Management was concerned that Tracy's move would adversly affect donations. During their fund raisers, Tracy was flown in so she could be a part of the live stuff. She was never to mention anything about living in Florida. Same was true of her on air breaks. She was told to make local referances like "I was walking around Sharon Woods yesterday", or "I was stuck in traffic on the outerbelt".

The issue isn't that Tracy's in Florida, it's that they're implying that she's still in Columbus. It's like my 15 year old son. If I tell him to be home by 9:30 and he walks in at 9:40 and says, "sorry, I'm late.", we've got no problem. If he says, "I'm late because I was captured by aliens", then we've got an issue. The station should be setting a better example.

 

[marketmyradio]

NotMe is exactly right. I don't think listeners would have a problem with Tracy being in Florida if they would have just been upfront and honest. That's the difference between protecting the bottom line and insulting your listeners as if they'd never catch on. The WCVO Board really needs to sit down with current and former employees and have a conversation about changes at the top.

 

[techie2]

Maybe they bit off more than they could chew in buying the old Xavier U. non-comm network. Are they actually sending programming to those signals yet?

 

[C414B]

Something else that is not helping WCVO right now is the fact you hear the same handful of songs umpteen times a day. I love Christian radio...and spent five years on-air at a pair of stations in Texas. I'd like to listen to The River more than I do. However, because of the tight (and I mean TIGHT) playlist, I'm bored in a day or two of constant listening.

Don't know about the other problems there, so I can't address them other than to say that if they are going to represent the cause of Christ their business better be well above board.

I think it would be good if those (me included) that are commenting would PRAY for this ministry. Alot can be done through the power of prayer. IF we pray, something will happen with CVCO, too.

 

[marketmyradio]

In regards to the stale playlist, I believe it's a matter of not listening to your audience. The RIVER depends so much on "scientific data" to program their music that I think they miss the mark on how their audience really listens. I know they've spent big bucks on consultants to help them with this and their morning show but the truth is you can't "scientifically" program perception.

I agree with prayer. They need it. The staff needs it. The GM needs it. Hopefully the Board will get a nudge that something needs to be done. Not for my sake, this message boards sake but for the sake of those that depends on Christian radio as a source for inspiration. There are a few people I know people waiting in the wings who can really take the station to the next level.

 

[Radioboy989]

C414B-
I'm gonna like you!

 

[C414B]

C414B-
I'm gonna like you!

(looks around)

What'd I do?

 

[realradioisdead]

In regards to the stale playlist, I believe it's a matter of not listening to your audience. The RIVER depends so much on "scientific data" to program their music that I think they miss the mark on how their audience really listens. I know they've spent big bucks on consultants to help them with this and their morning show but the truth is you can't "scientifically" program perception.

C414B - The way you stated the above reminds me of another radio group in town...Saga...they spend a lot on "scientific data" too and we all see where that is getting them. I think radio in general is having a hard time right now because of consultants...listeners and the people who work around you should be your sounding board...we should be praying for good radio in general.

As far as Tracy living in Florida, I personally knew her years ago, and she is such a nice girl (I had to put that out there)...it's a shame, if it's true, how they handled that whole situation. There isn't anything wrong with voice tracking if your listener's relate...they aren't stupid, they do know what's up. Although, a lot of us in the business have an issue with that and try to hide it, I mean "distract from the truth"...but to delibrately try and pull the wool over your listener's eye's like that is just plain comical. I don't listen to WCVO regularly, but I have to say you'd be correct in putting it out there that they need to start evaluating "the top". WOW

 

[marketmyradio]

Unfortunately, "the top" over at WCVO has some how managed to get all of his buddies on the Board so it makes it pretty difficult for your buddies to make changes. In fact, when the station started to lose some of their good employees, a few of the Board members started meeting with those that resigned to try and understand what was driving the good employees away. However, in the past few months for some reason that has abruptly stopped. I wonder why?

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

C414B - The way you stated the above reminds me of another radio group in town...Saga...they spend a lot on "scientific data" too and we all see where that is getting them. I think radio in general is having a hard time right now because of consultants...listeners and the people who work around you should be your sounding board...we should be praying for good radio in general.

What Saga needs to pray for is more than one big signal, and that CC stops mounting a direct attack against the one big signal Saga DOES have.

 

[Inventor989]

Columbus needs a second AC like I need a root canal. WLZT exists only to make things tough for Saga. CC, and Columbus' senior management in particular, use their bully status to make life tough for the competition, as opposed to, er, ah, serving the public interest as a public trustee (as it says on the license). No ill will to the programming staff at CC intended, just your bosses. That kind of thinking is wasting your assets and driving potential radio listeners to other media.

 

[meezermizer]

I noticed that they have removed the staff names from all their websites also as far as office staff go. They used to be listed along with the jocks. Probably didn't want people to catch on, that the same people and programs were on all the stations at the same time.

Also, I noticed they have dumped Martha Hadley's syndicated show in the evenings and they now have Kurt Wallace on from 7 - Mid.

Some former employees would never darken the door of that station again after being lied to by the top, saying it was for one reason, when really it was for another.

 

[LocalGuy]

"It" being what?

 

[meezermizer]

"It", being the reason they were told they were being released from the station.

 

[marketmyradio]

I noticed that they have removed the staff names from all their websites also as far as office staff go. They used to be listed along with the jocks. Probably didn't want people to catch on, that the same people and programs were on all the stations at the same time.

Also, I noticed they have dumped Martha Hadley's syndicated show in the evenings and they now have Kurt Wallace on from 7 - Mid.

Some former employees would never darken the door of that station again after being lied to by the top, saying it was for one reason, when really it was for another.

Meezer couldn't be more right. Lies have been brushed off at the River ever since they rebranded themselves as the River. (Thus the topic of this post).

The big story about Martha is that they weren't pulling in the ratings with Martha (money well spent). So they hired Kurt who, like Tracy is another state(Indiana) to track the evening show. The only jocks that are local are Todd & Sherry and Jake Sommers. Oh, and the weekend guys.

I saw a recent post on Yahoo answers that asked why Dan Swander left the River? (you can find the question on yahoo answers by searching "104.9 the River" in Google search). The truth that was never told or admitted to by the station, Dan was fired. (why, well...that's a topic for another post)

I guess it's discouraging because we expect a station that talks about a "promise" and "safe for the little ears" to be better at managing people and the being honest to the public about it. The truth is, there are many lies flying around the River, unfortunately there are some good people over there but they aren't being heard because of the man at the top.

 

[John43123]

I noticed that they have removed the staff names from all their websites also as far as office staff go. They used to be listed along with the jocks. Probably didn't want people to catch on, that the same people and programs were on all the stations at the same time.

Staff names are still listed under the "Contact/Contact The River/Contact a specific staff person" section.

 

[meezermizer]

I noticed that they have removed the staff names from all their websites also as far as office staff go. They used to be listed along with the jocks. Probably didn't want people to catch on, that the same people and programs were on all the stations at the same time.

Staff names are still listed under the "Contact/Contact The River/Contact a specific staff person" section.

But they weren't before... they were all listed together, with the air staff, and now you have to go hunting to find them.

Martha was syndicated out of Seattle. She is on I believe it is WCMS.

 

[marketmyradio]

Speaking of staff contact list, will the GM at the River ever resign?