BIG CHANGES AT WYSL AM-FM

[heydaybegone]

Someone missed my earlier post ???

That train has left the station!!

HDBG

note: Savage - go for it...there are 2 scenarios --win-win or lose-lose...pretty good odds under present conditions.

 

[SirRoxalot]

I'd settle for just the Christian-spanking. And I'm not even limiting it to Christian. I would, however, like to limit it to comely females.

 

[radiowrite]

Good grief. Let's add "clueless" to the list including "xenophobic" and "intolerant."

With all due respect Mr. Savage, the next time you are on your way to insult people on the internet, maybe you should stop by the dictionary first. Do you have any idea what-so-ever the meaning of the word 'xenophobe'? If so, I sure wish you could show me any remarks made by any posters in this thread that are even remotely xenophobic (excluding your own).

So in your world, if anyone dares to question anything you, or your station does, your answer is to make absurd personal assumptions, based on ridiculous stereotypes about people you do not even know? How very "Christian" of you.

As long as you are working on volcabulary, here are a few other words you may want to look up:
Meglomania
Paranoia
Narcissism
Hypocrisy

Honestly, I could care less what you program, as others have said, it's your station, do as you please. Just find it funny that far-from-the-mainstream right wing types often accuse the mainstream media of concealing hidden agendas. And yet, when announcing your fabulous new news net, you failed to mention that they are a so-called "Christian" news oganization. In other words, they have a definite agenda, which is not exactly stated plainly. Also, as a Christian person myself (unless you don't count us plain old Protestants to be "real" Christians) I am troubled, and offended when a for-profit business uses the word as a marketing device. You don't have to agree, no one has to agree, you can do as you like with what is yours, but I do have a right to politely express an opinion about it without being personally attacked. Well at least that's the way I see it in my world , but apparently it's not so in yours

 

[heydaybegone]

Well the train left...but now I see someone left the door open...which means it's getting close to take it outside

Na, not on this board. Everyone plays nice in this sandbox ;D

 

[Savage]

I really like Rox's suggestion. (C'mon, let's be politically incorrect, while we're at it.) In fact I was having a nice conversation with a WYSL fan last weekend - one of our "angry old white guys" in the form of a hot brunette (female) 28-year old retail manager. She was asking about how to support Wendy Long in the recent GOP primary.

Let's explore "local content" for a moment. Like, I suspect, many of you guys, I have fond memories of the days in radio when a station like WYSL would have six fulltime and two or three part-time folks sitting in the control room 24-7, playing the hits, doing news, keeping the log, and doing transmitter readings. Lots of "local" going on there, yes??

Actually, by my analysis - less than you might think. Was it "local content" when Bob Savage sat in the "air chair" while Eric Burdon & the Animals' "Sky Pilot" was revolving on the Gates BC-100 nearby? Or Thunderclap Newman? Or Tyrone Davis? How about during Mutual News on the hour? Or "Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood?" Or when the late Ross Morton was calling the races from Finger Lakes? Maybe the latter, but the others...not so much.

By actual count WYSL has 46 hours of 100% local content per week - every minute of every hour - which my calculator tells me is 27%. (And it's not all overnights, either.) I would argue that's way more local content than the typical Top 40 station had in 1970.

 

[radiowrite]

@HDBG
If by “someone” you mean me, then I apologize, but how is it I am not being nice?
I expressed an opinion on the topic, which concerned the news organization SRN. Later I expanded those comments to include remarks about radio stations that hold up the badge of “locality”, while actually providing very little local content. I will admit that calling the Purity Company “shabby” was probably a bit out of line, and un-called for, so again, sorry for that (but they do, or at least did in some markets PI, and what some call “health supplements” I call placebo, and others would call snake oil and a shameless exploitation of people with problems).

@Savage
We should be able to agree to disagree, or at least I can, and still express our own opinions openly, without fear of ridicule. Because I may not agree with you does not mean that I feel your point of view is not just as valid for you, as mine is for me, we just disagree. One of our culture’s great tenets is agreeable disagreement, or was at one time anyway.

So, all that said, I have to argue once more about your definition of “local”. I grew up listening to guys like Bob Savage spinning Sky Pilot and such on my AM, 8 transistor radio. Always thought that guy must be so cool to be playing the great tunes he was picking out to put on the platters, and I could tell by the patter between the music that he was not that far from me. I even made my Mom drag me out to a few station events so that I could meet, or at least stand back at a safe distance and see in person, DJs from my local radio stations. I would say that Bob Savage, or Jack Knife, or Chuck Roast, or anyone else spinning the tunes live in a local studio, skipping vinyl and all, is 100% more “local” than some millionaire, paid to fuel hate, from a thousand or more miles away, interspersed with a few minutes per hour of mostly pre-recorded “local” news and weather. So, again, and I know it’s not worth a lot, but that’s just what I think.

Only one more thing and then I promise, I’ll stop, but what if a local company could thrive to the point where it could manage to pay 20 something employees each a six-figure salary? Imagine what that might do for a small town’s economy, and a booming local economy should mean booming local ad sales for local media outlets. Might not be as bad as you think

 

[heydaybegone]

No names (or handles as such) were mentioned...just an observance before the "fabled" Moderator took control ;D
I reckon that since this thread is reminiscent of several before it..the adage of "agree to disagree" may suffice.
It's SSDD !

I'm sure Savage (not speaking for Savage, of course) didn't intend to have an all out debate on actual content...but feedback on the station as a whole with consideration of the content presented. In different terms...how does this Classical Music station "sound", even if you don't like, enjoy, understand, or care about Classical music? Professionals can handle that concept.

That's all
HDBG

 

[Troublemaan]

No matter your political stance, the fact that five pages of content are attached to this thread pretty much proves one thing: RCS is fighting the good fight, and winning.

 

[SirRoxalot]

Good thing nobody brought up Clear Channel and/or WHAM. TheBigA would have had to get involved. Then he'd have been an expert on the Avon market.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

You're upset with public stations, because as much as you like their programming they have laid off people, cut local content and you're especially offended by WXXI's CEO's robber-baron compensation.

Amen Brother!

And lets not forget the amount of taxpayer dollars all public stations receive; even those who can afford to shell out over a million dollars a year in salaries for a few high-paid executives while providing no raises and cutting retirement benefits for those employees who work hard to put a decent product on the air.

 

[heydaybegone]

Amen Brother!

And lets not forget the amount of taxpayer dollars all public stations receive; even those who can afford to shell out over a million dollars a year in salaries for a few high-paid executives while providing no raises and cutting retirement benefits for those employees who work hard to put a decent product on the air.

As the ferris wheel continues to rotate..to the enjoyment of the amusement ride participants...

V of R reiterates a concept I have loathed since my early days of broadcasting. RCS CANNOT pick up the phone to solicit funds, he cannot use airtime to solicit funds, he cannot do a direct mail piece to solicit funds. He cannot be a Public station. But he CAN serve the public. And serve HIS public the best way he can see as fits. (dang...even meets an FCC requirement in the process!! Bygones, that doesn't matter anymore).

No RCS..not looking for a job (call me)..but just trying to bring this back to a "local", real, broadcasting station discussion without the Corporate overtones- so many posters are used to. :-[

Maybe, some "constructive" criticism can take place. I wish I could catch the signal here...but maybe I need a road trip!!

HDBG

 

[Savage]

HDBG (and any of you other guys) you're welcome to stop by. We always have the coffee on - WYSL's famous "Love Canal Blend." "It's 'health-licious'.....irradiated by 4 v/m (not mv/m) of RF!"

In the meantime, Heyday, there's the stream at www.wysl1040.com. Be sure to check out the Purity shows weeknights at 7:30!

 

[TheBigA]

Good thing nobody brought up Clear Channel and/or WHAM. TheBigA would have had to get involved.

My only comment in this thread is reporting facts is not being liberal. If Herman Cain was having an affair, and he was, then reporting it is right. Reporting the news isn't a popularity contest. But running a business is. If Salem doesn't report a story because of it might offend, that's not good journalism. But it's good station management to keep your listeners happy. So Bob can do whatever he wants. Just don't tell me the former home of Paul Harvey is liberal. The former president of ABC Radio started EIB with Rush, and Hannity was with ABC before Farid bought it.

To be truthful, I once worked at ABC Radio News, and there are no commentaries in their newscasts. Each story had just enough time to give the most basic facts with no Republican bashing or Democratic promoting. However, I can understand the "guilt by association" connection to the folks on the TV side. Salem doesn't have that problem, and it's why a lot of conservative talk stations run Fox Radio News.

We had a similar discussion in public radio when the Christian Science Monitor was a popular choice for non-commercial content. The folks at Monitor Radio hired a lot of respected people who had good judgement, and the church people stayed out of the newsroom. That helped their credibility.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

V of R reiterates a concept I have loathed since my early days of broadcasting. RCS CANNOT pick up the phone to solicit funds, he cannot use airtime to solicit funds, he cannot do a direct mail piece to solicit funds. He cannot be a Public station. But he CAN serve the public.

Don't forget that a portion of the federal taxes RCS and his radio station pays goes to his competitor.

 

[TheBigA]

Don't forget that a portion of the federal taxes RCS and his radio station pays goes to his competitor.

I doubt he shares a whole lot of audience with WXXI.

 

[Philip_Airtime]

V of R reiterates a concept I have loathed since my early days of broadcasting. RCS CANNOT pick up the phone to solicit funds, he cannot use airtime to solicit funds, he cannot do a direct mail piece to solicit funds. He cannot be a Public station. But he CAN serve the public.

Don't forget that a portion of the federal taxes RCS and his radio station pays goes to his competitor.

Oh, please. Now this discussion is starting to p*** me off with the tired whining about public broadcasting. RCS gets free use of the broadcast spectrum to operate his business. I'm fine with that. But spare me the contention that his tax dollars are funding his competitor. Maybe amounts to a dollar a year. Plus, RCS can run commercials. Public radio can't. Don't tell me underwriting is comparable to commercials. It's not. No prices, no call to action, no qualitative comparisons. Public radio leaves a lot of money on the table because of these restrictions. And if you detect a public station breaking these rules, make a complaint with the FCC. Public stations have been fined in the past. Again, I have no problem with what WYSL is doing. But you don't need to attack public radio in the process. Today's historic news developments prove its value. I heard plenty of Republican viewpoints on NPR today. I don't think you heard the pro-Obamacare view during three hours of Rush's daily harangue. And while the commercial news talker in Buffalo was initially telling us the individual mandate was struck down by the court, public radio's Tom Ashbrook got it right from the start! Enough said!

 

[TheBigA]

And while the commercial news talker in Buffalo was initially telling us the individual mandate was struck down by the court, public radio's Tom Ashbrook got it right from the start!

Actually, Wolf Blitzer first reported the mandate was struck down (just slightly after 10), and CNN.com picked it up. So if BEN or anyone else got their news from CNN, you can blame the source. Not CNN's shining hour.

 

[fybush]

RCS CANNOT pick up the phone to solicit funds, he cannot use airtime to solicit funds, he cannot do a direct mail piece to solicit funds. He cannot be a Public station.

I'm curious as to where in the FCC rules you see anything prohibiting Bob from doing any of those things? He's absolutely free to ask his listeners for money. I can think of several commercially-licensed, for-profit stations that do just that, including one run by another very independent friend of mine named Bob with a Rochester radio connection: Bob Bittner's WJIB 740 in Boston annually raises most of its operating expenses by going on the air and asking listeners to pledge. Bob doesn't offer a charitable tax deduction for listeners, since he's not a charity, he's a for-profit business.

But if he wanted to rework his business operation into a 501c3 nonprofit and relicense WJIB as a noncommercial station, he could...just as RCS could, for that matter. Needless to say, WYSL won't do that, and shouldn't. As the founder and owner of a for-profit business, Bob can do something no "Public station" can do: he can fully and completely reap the proceeds of his 25+ years of hard work for his own use. (As well he should: it's his candy shop, and after a quarter-century of watching him build it, I'll defend his right to do with it whatever he pleases!)

 

[Philip_Airtime]

And while the commercial news talker in Buffalo was initially telling us the individual mandate was struck down by the court, public radio's Tom Ashbrook got it right from the start!

Actually, Wolf Blitzer first reported the mandate was struck down (just slightly after 10), and CNN.com picked it up. So if BEN or anyone else got their news from CNN, you can blame the source. Not CNN's shining hour.

Indeed, you're right about that, Big A. But that doesn't excuse Bauerle from criticism here. He should have waited until his own network, CBS, weighed in. Plus, if he simply checked his AP wire, he would have seen the correct ruling. It's all about being first rather than being right. Still, I suppose I should give him a break because I heard an NPR report this afternoon that even Diane Rehm succumbed to the CNN mistake. It's another cautionary tale for all broadcast jounalists to make sure you've nailed down the story before going on the air.

 

[TheBigA]

He should have waited until his own network, CBS, weighed in.

Interesting that BEN still runs CBS News. Some conservative news/talkers dropped them during the Katie Couric crisis, in the same way Savage is dropping ABC now. Guilt by association.