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Big Troubles coming down the track at WPRO

Re: P.T. Barnum would approve...

Holland Cooke said:
This sure isn't the kind of attention a station seeks...but it's attention, buzz.
RIGHT NOW, WPRO's call letters are more top-of-mind than any other station's.
Click to expand...

And it's all about the call letters... so diarykeepers will remember which calls to write in the diary... yeah, because as we've just proven, that's the end all and be all of accuracy...

Why worry about the buzz? Just have Depetro call up a few more of his friends! They'll take care of the diaries! :D
 
The only phone call DePetro should make is to WSAR.There's a morning show opening and I think he's going to need one soon.
 
Surprised no one has mentioned this yet...this whole episode, for what its worth, would all be avoided if Providence used the People Meter..think Arbitron isn't already making their case on this point right now?

How many listeners even care about this sort of thing..as radio geeks to one degree or another, its interesting to us in small or large doses...but does the 35 year old mom in the mini van even care?
 
Word is ProFM's own PD, Tony Bristol, is the one who dropped the dime, using his contacts @ HJJ.
 
http://www.projo.com/news/content/radio_ratings_08-07-08_9BB4NQ3_v19.31a5c25.html
It's called the programming on WHJJ sucks now and No one listens. A few people may l listen to Helen Glover but that is it.

The one thing that will work for WHJJ is.The last one who leaves tonight.Walk into the HJJ studio.Turn off the computer,then the transmitter and the lights.
Corporate will appreciate you are being conservative with electricity.

I don't even know of any one who listens to Rush these days.
 
This is not just about advertising.

Yes, millions of advertising dollars are at stake.

But something else REAL important gets lost when "the numbers" aren't right: a clear sense of how-the-PROGRAMMING-is-REALLY-doing.

Ratings are a fundamental tool.

Corrupting that data is like sticking-a-piece-of-black-electrical-tape on your dashboard because the warning light is lit.
 
I would venture to guess that most of this scandal will go away quickly and local advertisers won't' notice. Many of the local clients don't have any understanding of how the ratings / Arbitron system works. And a larger portion of them don't care. Agencies might have a different view on it, but their packages will be heavily discounted and they'll be given Pats tickets or something and soon forget about it as well.

Although i do agree this is quite the scandal, and overall damaging to WPRO and the industry, I don't think it'll be the end of the world at all.
 
Oxford_Street_Shuffle said:
Although i do agree this is quite the scandal, and overall damaging to WPRO and the industry, I don't think it'll be the end of the world at all.
Click to expand...


I agree. Not the end of the world. But it's going to be a freaking hassle for a while.
 
It smells bad, but if there were really a hammer to fall on WPRO besides getting knocked back in the ratings, if would have come down yesterday in the way of a fine.


The fact that Arbitron reported it and said a new book would be issued means that they know that in fact it was at very minimum from John's adress. For all we know, its simply a neighbor or something thinking they were helping, when in fact hurt them.
 
Howie Carr is all over this story on WRKO at 3pm... Saying the next time he sees DePetro, he'll probably be asking him if he wants fries with that... He's taking calls. Streaming at wrko.com
 
Howie is one to talk. Wasn't he off air last year trying to escape RKO but had to go back. Blood at Herald is thick and it seems there is bad blood between JD and Herald.
 
I see that this board isn't the only one with anger issues. But Radio itself is a pretty angry medium. Even the hosts can no longer get along. For you guys who have had a long career in Radio, was it always like this? I'm honestly curious. Was Wolfman Jack picking fights in the hallway?
 
RE "the hosts can no longer get along."

That really says a mouthful.
I've heard that about the present staff, and if it's true, it's real sad.

As Billy Joel sang at the time, "when I wore a younger man's shoes," it felt very different.
We'd have MEETINGS...imagine?
A couple hours, no calls, talking radio, guzzling Cokes, and eating pizza together.
We'd argue about what was-and-wasn't in-character for what-people-expected-from WPRO.
Sometimes loudly.
We'd high-five each other about something-that-really-clicked.
We'd post-mortem how-something-that-could've-gone-better could next time.
We'd LAUGH.
We'd BRAINSTORM how we could make what-came-out-the-speaker fun and friendly.
Then, when all the pizza was gone, we'd charge out of there to do some radio.
'Seems quaint now.

Earlier this afternoon, a fellow Pro Personality from that Camelot era called to talk about what's happening.
This is a proud alumni club.
We want to think this is all a big misunderstanding.
We remind each other that all this finger-pointing is just that.
Innocent-until-proven-guilty.
Which makes the suspense so awkward.

Even as-many-years-removed as we-of-the-Jurassic-era are, there's a real sad feel to what's happening. DECADES later, it hurts to see the things people -- not us buffs, but "real people" -- are posting @ abc6.com, about the station we called "Pro."

Salty's not smiling up there.
 
I watched ABC6 at 4. I thought JD drove a car from Paul Masse? It looked like a BMW to me. BMW? That is the company responsible for the the Messerschmidt in WWII!

Did anyone else see the vehicle? So much for advertiser loyalty.
 
JointChinese said:
I watched ABC6 at 4. I thought JD drove a car from Paul Masse? It looked like a BMW to me. BMW? That is the company responsible for the the Messerschmidt in WWII!

Did anyone else see the vehicle? So much for advertiser loyalty.
Click to expand...


JD probably has three or four cars. Take a look ay Jay Leno's garage sometime. The guy can drive a different car every day of the week for 6 months. So I wouldn't fault the guy based on what you saw him around in today. Right now his car is the least of his worries.
 
I just saw the ABC6 News Report at 6:00 PM. Must be a slow news day today. They are treating it as a headline. They devoted 5 full minutes of the first 7 minutes of their newscast to this. I think that's ridiculous. This is barely News. A 30 second mention at the end of the newscast would have been fine. However what is done is done. WLNE is running with this thing and making things far worse for WPRO than they needed to be.

However with that being said..... here is what happened. They ambushed Depetro in the parking lot as he was leaving. Total surprise was on his face. The reporter asked if he had anything to do with the diary scandal. Depetro looked like a deer caught in the headlights and never did answer the reporters question. John just went on to mumble something about how he was just getting ready to go on vacation, then added that WPRO has already issued a statement.

ok.... SO here is my thought on all this. DEPETRO is GUILTY! Why? Well when someone asks you if you had anything to do with something, you will always say "NO" if you didn't. Not answering them and then mumbling something about vacation pretty much gives you your answer right there. He didn't say "NO" and then he tried to divert conversation. This one wasn't to hard to figure out. Let's see how WPRO attempts to do damage control on Monday.

With all that being said.... This story still isn't major News and I'm surprised how the media has just run with it.
 
Re: RE "the hosts can no longer get along."

Holland Cooke said:
That really says a mouthful.
I've heard that about the present staff, and if it's true, it's real sad.

As Billy Joel sang at the time, "when I wore a younger man's shoes," it felt very different.
We'd have MEETINGS...imagine?
A couple hours, no calls, talking radio, guzzling Cokes, and eating pizza together.
We'd argue about what was-and-wasn't in-character for what-people-expected-from WPRO.
Sometimes loudly.
We'd high-five each other about something-that-really-clicked.
We'd post-mortem how-something-that-could've-gone-better could next time.
We'd LAUGH.
We'd BRAINSTORM how we could make what-came-out-the-speaker fun and friendly.
Then, when all the pizza was gone, we'd charge out of there to do some radio.
'Seems quaint now.

Earlier this afternoon, a fellow Pro Personality from that Camelot era called to talk about what's happening.
This is a proud alumni club.
We want to think this is all a big misunderstanding.
We remind each other that all this finger-pointing is just that.
Innocent-until-proven-guilty.
Which makes the suspense so awkward.

Even as-many-years-removed as we-of-the-Jurassic-era are, there's a real sad feel to what's happening. DECADES later, it hurts to see the things people -- not us buffs, but "real people" -- are posting @ abc6.com, about the station we called "Pro."

Salty's not smiling up there.
Click to expand...

For someone who helped make "Piano Man" a hit, its clothes not shoes Holland.....i'm shocked!!...haha
 
I just watched the report and he seemed very calm to me. I will watch it again. Vacation? How can he think about going on vacation?
Why is he not freaking out?
 
OK, never mind, I take EVERYTHING I SAID back...

RadioNut said:
its clothes not shoes Holland...
Click to expand...

As we used to say in Buffalo, "Thanks for listening to KB!"

Only ONE of us is actually WEARING shoes.
I'm the other one.

Good evening from the proud, proud sailing vessel Undaunted, mooring ball #64, Great Salt Pond, Block Island

What's in YOUR wallet?
HC
 
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