I think Bill and chip both make some great obsevations here. My guess is that WBZX and WWCD are probably the two most "stubborn" stations in town as far as providing no indication they would be open to format changes, regardless of ratings (although WLZT is beginning to look like it may have earned a spot in the Bullheaded Club as well, albeit with a different motivation). One thing we don't know (at least *I* don't know), is if either station -- especially the Blitz -- may somehow still be bringing in good revenue. Regardless, the situation is sad because you would want to think the local guys would be more open to change, and you would want to be able to root for them to win. But while some of the charges against the "corporate guys" may have validity, Vaughan and Nabco sure aren't saints in terms of trying to serve the Columbus market. Nor do they seem to be good businesspeople, so it's the worst of both worlds. (And yes, I know CD101 plays some local artists once in awhile. Whoop-ti-do.) I'll root for whoever gives the market good programming, be it Clear Channel, Saga, Wilks, Dispatch, OSU, Nabco (not likely), Roger Vaughan (virtually impossible), or any other owner.
As for CD101, even if Vaughan somehow came to his senses, I just don't think he could go very far with that signal (106.7 is clearly the most deficient of the CC FM signals, especially in the central city, but it's far superior to 101's). With the current ownership and signal, I don't think there's a snowball's chance that anything good is going to come from 101. (I'd love to be wrong, but I'm not.)
WBZX is a powerhouse signal, and it's a doggone shame that Nabco is so stubbornly resistent to change, and is programming for management instead of the market. That worked when the market wanted the same thing management did, but they just won't admit that those days are gone. They're going to go on denying reality and assuming that they can get the good old days back when they get the morning show fixed...or catch the resurgence in Active Rock...or benefit from PPM's favorability to Rock formats...or whatever. I'm sure there are plenty of other "just a little longer" rosiness examples that Fish is using to convince Mnich and Jividen that the Golden Goose is going to be waddling back to Dublin Rd any day now. Face it guys, that Goose went away with Howard, and it's long since been cooked and devoured. You need a new Goose, even if Hal tries to warn you that other gooses (formats) would lay lead eggs instead of golden ones.
BTW, chip, I would say that the Brew has *broadened* somewhat, not "softened," despite the fact that they have added some poppier songs to the mix. The hard-edged stuff still seems to be one of the key components of their sound. E.g., late last night (really early a.m. this morning), I heard them play Whitesnake's "Still of the Night" into Alice in Chains' "Man in the Box." And this is not unusual for them, even in the improved, more-consistent Brew that may have started appearing. Despite the fact that you may hear Kenny Loggins a few minutes later after the Whitesnake and Alice, the Brew definitely ain't no Adult Hits station -- at least not in the traditional sense.
