That's what Calderone is saying. "Advertising will be introduced gradually, with category restrictions and strict separation between editorial decision-making and sales operations.”
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Buffalo Big Changes for BTPM at 88.7 FM and 94.5 FM
- Thread starter LamaLaw87
- Start date
That's what Calderone is saying. "Advertising will be introduced gradually, with category restrictions and strict separation between editorial decision-making and sales operations.”
If it's good news that APM has given them permission to put their content on a commercial radio station, why wouldn't it also be good news if NPR did the same thing? Your earlier posts seemed quite opposed to the idea.BTPM CEO Tom Calderone talked more about the new format for WNED. He says it will be mainly news based. They're talking to podcasters about programming, as well as taking ideas from the news staff. The locally produced news programming will all appear on WNED. American Public Radio has given them permission to air their programs on a commercial station. He said the sports programming will be broadcasts of high school sports.
BTPM unveils dual-format NPR-classical lineup alongside new commercial station
The commercial station will present a primarily news-based format that features some nationally distributed shows but not NPR's newsmagazines.current.org
APM isn't the only provider of programming for public radio stations besides NPR. There is content out there that attracts a lot more listeners than local podcasters that advertisers would willing support. That includes some programming distributed by NPR besides Morning Edition and All Things Considered. There are listeners who tune or stream the classical format specifically to avoid listening to news. BTPM is removing that option for a significant portion of the day. If NPR would relent, NPR programming would likely attract more dollars than they'll get from underwriting on 88.7 in a mishmash format.
You seem to have me confused with someone else. I didn't say APM was "good news." I just said that it happened. While it is correct that there are many sources of programming for BTPM, only NPR is under FCC investigation for its funding announcements. So I imagine their lawyers felt it would muddy the waters with the FCC to have their programming appear on a commercial station.
Here's an article I posted earlier announcing the FCC investigation into NPR:
FCC Chairman Launches Investigation into NPR and PBS Funding Practices | Cord Cutters News
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), under Chairman Brendan Carr, has initiated an investigation into the practices of NPR and PBS concerning their recognition of financial sponsors on air. This move could play a significant role in the ongoing discussions about federal funding for these...
cordcuttersnews.com
While I am well aware of the realities of the CBP cuts, I'm still not a fan of corporations running advertisements on public radio outlets. One remembers the situation with NPR sponsor Archer Daniels Midland back in the 1990s and what happened (and I'm doing this from memory) when word got out that the company's CEO was mishandling company stock (again if I remember correctly). If a corporation is running advertisements on say, WNED-FM, and questions arise about the corporate practices of that corporation, how would WNED-FM react if the programs it has purchased start airing stories of the misdeeds of its corporate advertisers. So yes. I think we need to be very careful here when we start advocating for public radio stations to accept advertising from corporations that might make the news for the wrong reasons.
Calderone addressed that issue in post #41. It's a problem commercial stations deal with every day. There was a time when NBC was owned by GE, and GE ran institutional ads in their news programming. When there was a scandal involving GE, NBC stopped running the ads. That's why you don't let sales affect editorial decisions. We had a basic policy that anytime there was an airplane crash, all airline ads were pulled.
Google “news and advertising firewall for commercial stations” or “news and underwriting firewall for noncommercial stations”.
I was introduced to that concept back in the 1980s, thank you very much. Unfortunately, some commercial stations no longer have that firewall.
Which ones?
Once again: "Advertising will be introduced gradually, with category restrictions and strict separation between editorial decision-making and sales operations.”
WNED will still be a member-funded station. They have to walk a fine line so as not to alienate their members. That's why they have a firewall.
My thought is that the commercial 94.5 change is good for programming. Sales is a whole different arena. I do not think regular commercial sales will be any different for them as it is for any other station.
I think Tom’s assertion of selling commercial ads, plus membership donations make sense, but even then, commercial sales in radio is getting harder everyday.
Sales is about relationships. They currently have a lot of low hanging fruit with their current relationships. They can bring those into the commercial fold, first. That will give them a commercial advantage sales base.
Then, if it is local news based, go right after WBEN clients with ideas and better pricing.
It will be interesting to see what their commercial sales staff looks like. They may not need a large one at all. Right now, the hardest thing about running a broadcast company is finding salespeople
After another Cumulus bankruptcy today, which I predicted a while ago, I am routing for Tom and his team. They did not file for the biggest bankruptcy in radio history like Audacy did.
I am getting wind of some Townsquare rumblings as well.
I do not think BTPM will do great from a fiscal standpoint, but I do not think it will get much worse.
They have a stable of very loyal clients and members, and Tom is a programming genius , and a good operator
I think Tom’s assertion of selling commercial ads, plus membership donations make sense, but even then, commercial sales in radio is getting harder everyday.
Sales is about relationships. They currently have a lot of low hanging fruit with their current relationships. They can bring those into the commercial fold, first. That will give them a commercial advantage sales base.
Then, if it is local news based, go right after WBEN clients with ideas and better pricing.
It will be interesting to see what their commercial sales staff looks like. They may not need a large one at all. Right now, the hardest thing about running a broadcast company is finding salespeople
After another Cumulus bankruptcy today, which I predicted a while ago, I am routing for Tom and his team. They did not file for the biggest bankruptcy in radio history like Audacy did.
I am getting wind of some Townsquare rumblings as well.
I do not think BTPM will do great from a fiscal standpoint, but I do not think it will get much worse.
They have a stable of very loyal clients and members, and Tom is a programming genius , and a good operator
That's from January 2025. The CPB was defunded in July 2025. It seems that they haven't made any progress against NPR or PBS in over a year and they turned their attention to commercial networks and shows like "The View."You seem to have me confused with someone else. I didn't say APM was "good news." I just said that it happened. While it is correct that there are many sources of programming for BTPM, only NPR is under FCC investigation for its funding announcements. So I imagine their lawyers felt it would muddy the waters with the FCC to have their programming appear on a commercial station.
Here's an article I posted earlier announcing the FCC investigation into NPR:
FCC Chairman Launches Investigation into NPR and PBS Funding Practices | Cord Cutters News
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), under Chairman Brendan Carr, has initiated an investigation into the practices of NPR and PBS concerning their recognition of financial sponsors on air. This move could play a significant role in the ongoing discussions about federal funding for these...
The FCC hasn't announced that the investigation is over, nor have they announced results. There are other issues in their NPR investigation that don't involve CPB funding, such as their tax exempt status. Bottom line is NPR has made a decision for whatever reason, and WNED has accepted it.