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Buckley Broadcasting Sued for Age Discrimination

T

TheJudge

Guest
Jack Carney and Mike West, who were dumped from WDRC-FM within about a month of each other late last year, are suing Buckely Broadcasting for age discrimination.

Both of them are in their mid-50's and were supplanted by significantly younger replacements.
 
And your source is...? While I'm not necessarily questioning the accuracy of what you're saying, this should not be so anonymously posted on a public forum without some attribution. After seeing postings on the Providence and Long Island boards about legal matters, and seeing how readily many people hit "send" without even doing a grammar/spell check (yours seems fine), this may be a good time to call for some voluntary restraint before telling the radio world. As pointed out on CNN yesterday, email is forever. Pardon my soapbox and I'm not singling you out, but this is still a new medium that needs to demonstrate as much credibility as any.

> Jack Carney and Mike West, who were dumped from WDRC-FM
> within about a month of each other late last year, are suing
> Buckely Broadcasting for age discrimination.
>
> Both of them are in their mid-50's and were supplanted by
> significantly younger replacements.
>
 
> > And your source is...?
>
> Jack Carney and Mike West
>
Well, that's certainly a primary source! Thanks...
 
> > > And your source is...?
> >
> > Jack Carney and Mike West
> >
> Well, that's certainly a primary source! Thanks...
>

And wouldn't you know it, this past week, DRC-FM appeared to have dropped much of the '80s music from its mix in favor of ... "Sugar on Sunday"? "Come a Little Bit Closer"? And this weekend is a "good-time rock and roll" weekend, with the station sounding just like, ummmm, Oldies 102.9, even dropping the "Big Hits" slogan.

Geez, why didn't they just keep Carney -- this stuff is HIS music -- and avoid all the hassle? Poor Scott Michaels seems overmatched by the older songs. The other day, he aired a request call that went like this:

Listener: I don't know who does it, but I'd like to hear "Blinded by the Light."
Michaels: I want to say Bachman Turner Overdrive ...
Listener: Ahhh, OK.
Michaels: No, wait! Here it is. Manfred Mann's Earth Band!

Putting the question of why you'd even want to air a call that shows the jock to be just as uninformed as the caller aside, you mean to tell me that Carney (or West) couldn't have handled this request and known exactly which band the listener had in mind?

Yikes! Just heard the Four Seasons' "Big Man in Town"! Nothing like giving your new, younger listeners a great big helping of music you booted out the door less than three months ago in hopes of attracting new, younger listeners! Never a dull week listening to this work in progress ...
 
The Bottom Line

The Big D topic is back yet again. You can tweak imaging, shuffle jocks around and even shift back and forth on your music era, but what's the point when you don't research what you play? MUSIC is what will make it or break it, perhaps 80% of your product in this case, but don't take my word for it. There are smaller market stations spending money on music testing and seeing results from their investment, and isn't that what you want advertisers to do with your product?

When lots of unknown songs like "Sugar On Sunday" or "Big Man In Town" get more than a Forgotten 45 lunar rotation, you're inviting tuneout. The Four Tops' "Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)" is no "I Can't Help Myself" or "Baby I Need Your Lovin'". Follow that up with "Soul Deep" by the Box Tops, which is no "The Letter" or even "Cry Like A Baby", often enough and you'll keep the casual listener - most people - waiting too long for songs that stand the test of time better. A tightly focused playlist may bring complaints from a few station staffers and a couple of vinyl junkies who think they know what sounds good, but the bottom line is what counts.

For the sake of a legendary station that I'll always remember, I hope they listen to their audience again. Charlie Parker did. He didn't claim to be the source of all knowledge, but he ran with the information he had.

> > > > And your source is...?
> > >
> > > Jack Carney and Mike West
> > >
> > Well, that's certainly a primary source! Thanks...
> >
>
> And wouldn't you know it, this past week, DRC-FM appeared to
> have dropped much of the '80s music from its mix in favor of
> ... "Sugar on Sunday"? "Come a Little Bit Closer"? And this
> weekend is a "good-time rock and roll" weekend, with the
> station sounding just like, ummmm, Oldies 102.9, even
> dropping the "Big Hits" slogan.
>
> Geez, why didn't they just keep Carney -- this stuff is HIS
> music -- and avoid all the hassle? Poor Scott Michaels seems
> overmatched by the older songs. The other day, he aired a
> request call that went like this:
>
> Listener: I don't know who does it, but I'd like to hear
> "Blinded by the Light."
> Michaels: I want to say Bachman Turner Overdrive ...
> Listener: Ahhh, OK.
> Michaels: No, wait! Here it is. Manfred Mann's Earth Band!
>
> Putting the question of why you'd even want to air a call
> that shows the jock to be just as uninformed as the caller
> aside, you mean to tell me that Carney (or West) couldn't
> have handled this request and known exactly which band the
> listener had in mind?
>
> Yikes! Just heard the Four Seasons' "Big Man in Town"!
> Nothing like giving your new, younger listeners a great big
> helping of music you booted out the door less than three
> months ago in hopes of attracting new, younger listeners!
> Never a dull week listening to this work in progress ...
>
 
Re: The Bottom Line

> The Big D topic is back yet again. You can tweak imaging,
> shuffle jocks around and even shift back and forth on your
> music era, but what's the point when you don't research what
> you play? MUSIC is what will make it or break it, perhaps
> 80% of your product in this case, but don't take my word for
> it. There are smaller market stations spending money on
> music testing and seeing results from their investment, and
> isn't that what you want advertisers to do with your
> product?
>
> When lots of unknown songs like "Sugar On Sunday" or "Big
> Man In Town" get more than a Forgotten 45 lunar rotation,
> you're inviting tuneout. The Four Tops' "Shake Me, Wake Me
> (When It's Over)" is no "I Can't Help Myself" or "Baby I
> Need Your Lovin'". Follow that up with "Soul Deep" by the
> Box Tops, which is no "The Letter" or even "Cry Like A
> Baby", often enough and you'll keep the casual listener -
> most people - waiting too long for songs that stand the test
> of time better. A tightly focused playlist may bring
> complaints from a few station staffers and a couple of vinyl
> junkies who think they know what sounds good, but the bottom
> line is what counts.

You're most likely right, as tight-playlist oldies has a track record of success ... or had one, before all the '70s and '80s material started muscling into the playlists. Still, to listeners who were fans of DRC-FM before all the juggling started, "Shake Me, Wake Me" and "Soul Deep" are just as familiar as "Baby, I Need Your Lovin'" and "The Letter." They've been part of the 102.9 playlist at least since the turn of the millennium. And back then, DRC-FM was a decent fifth or sixth overall in the Arbs and nobody was complaining about the lack of focus. Drop those songs? Why, they might as well drop the Wildweeds' "No Good to Cry," a heritage DRC song if ever there was one.

Only being a fan and not a radio pro, I probably have more of the "vinyl junkie" in me than you. Still, I wonder if a tight-playlist format, no matter the musical era, would have much of a chance of working at 102.9. People who seldom listen to DRC-FM think of it as "that oldies station," and people who've been faithful to it for at least the past half dozen years, probably longer, are used to the slightly off-kilter playlist. Wouldn't Buckley have to completely blow up the station -- call letters, air staff, music and all -- to get appreciably better results than it would by just returning to the early 2000s "Oldies 102.9" sound fulltime, as it has this weekend?
 
Correction: No suit yet.

Apparently an offcial lawsuit hasn't been filed yet. Mike and Jack, through their attorneys, have filed a complaint with the Ct. Comm. on Human Rights and Opportunities. From what I understand there is a process of arbitration which would take place and if all parties can't come to an agreement, then a lawsuit could be filed.

DRC-FM should be sued for stupidity though. Mike West and Jack Carney are two very talented guys. How do you dump talent like this and keep a pucker like Doug Taylor? Or a Time/Temp guy like Saville?

West was only doing weekends but he brought a level of professionalism that made most of the rest of the staff pale in comparison. They had Jack Carney buried doing evenings when he could have been a fabulous PM drive personality.

I just don't understand.
 
Re: The Bottom Line

Oldies stations traditionally shared audience with news/talk, AC, classic rock and country, and DRC-FM was no different. Oldies was designed for cume, not time spent listening, and regularlt rotating tons of "oh wow" vaguely familiar songs wasn't going to get most busy adults to cancel their plans and stay tuned longer. In fact, some of their most successful numbers came when they tightened the playlist in 1990 and 1996. Maybe they didn't dump "Shake Me, Wake Me", but you were never far from "Oh, Pretty Woman" or other clear powers. Roll your eyes, but songs like that spell instant gratification to many!

The field was wide open for the move to oldies in 1986, but the competition got more focused with new country, lite AC, full-time news/talk and even some hotter "Mix" formats scoring impressively with 25-54. Even so, the station stayed a hit through the nineties. The problem wasn't people yearning for "Big Man In Town", but the age of the audience. You could go back to what seems like a comfortable niche set in the swingin' sixties, but the crowd that may have been 46 on average in 1996 would now be 56. Hey, I love some obscures myself, but at what expense? Winning? Baby boomers aren't dying off anytime soon. They're living longer, but advertisers want bang - response - for their buck. Meanwhile, it's a matter of accepting an updated and more focused sound, getting XM or DXing WARE-AM 1250 from Ware, Massachusetts.

>
> You're most likely right, as tight-playlist oldies has a
> track record of success ... or had one, before all the '70s
> and '80s material started muscling into the playlists.
> Still, to listeners who were fans of DRC-FM before all the
> juggling started, "Shake Me, Wake Me" and "Soul Deep" are
> just as familiar as "Baby, I Need Your Lovin'" and "The
> Letter." They've been part of the 102.9 playlist at least
> since the turn of the millennium. And back then, DRC-FM was
> a decent fifth or sixth overall in the Arbs and nobody was
> complaining about the lack of focus. Drop those songs? Why,
> they might as well drop the Wildweeds' "No Good to Cry," a
> heritage DRC song if ever there was one.
>
> Only being a fan and not a radio pro, I probably have more
> of the "vinyl junkie" in me than you. Still, I wonder if a
> tight-playlist format, no matter the musical era, would have
> much of a chance of working at 102.9. People who seldom
> listen to DRC-FM think of it as "that oldies station," and
> people who've been faithful to it for at least the past half
> dozen years, probably longer, are used to the slightly
> off-kilter playlist. Wouldn't Buckley have to completely
> blow up the station -- call letters, air staff, music and
> all -- to get appreciably better results than it would by
> just returning to the early 2000s "Oldies 102.9" sound
> fulltime, as it has this weekend?
>
 
> > > > And your source is...?
> > >
> > > Jack Carney and Mike West
> > >
> > Well, that's certainly a primary source! Thanks...
> >
>
> And wouldn't you know it, this past week, DRC-FM appeared to
> have dropped much of the '80s music from its mix in favor of
> ... "Sugar on Sunday"? "Come a Little Bit Closer"? And this
> weekend is a "good-time rock and roll" weekend, with the
> station sounding just like, ummmm, Oldies 102.9, even
> dropping the "Big Hits" slogan.
>
> Geez, why didn't they just keep Carney -- this stuff is HIS
> music -- and avoid all the hassle? Poor Scott Michaels seems
> overmatched by the older songs. The other day, he aired a
> request call that went like this:
>
> Listener: I don't know who does it, but I'd like to hear
> "Blinded by the Light."
> Michaels: I want to say Bachman Turner Overdrive ...
> Listener: Ahhh, OK.
> Michaels: No, wait! Here it is. Manfred Mann's Earth Band!
>
> Putting the question of why you'd even want to air a call
> that shows the jock to be just as uninformed as the caller
> aside, you mean to tell me that Carney (or West) couldn't
> have handled this request and known exactly which band the
> listener had in mind?
>
> Yikes! Just heard the Four Seasons' "Big Man in Town"!
> Nothing like giving your new, younger listeners a great big
> helping of music you booted out the door less than three
> months ago in hopes of attracting new, younger listeners!
> Never a dull week listening to this work in progress ...
>


I think I might have heard that request. Anyway, if someone is requesting "Blinded by the Light," don't you think they could have at least mentioned who wrote and recorded it originally, Bruce Springsteen?

Actually I heard them saying how this song brang back Manfred Mann or something, if you're going to dicuss the song you should probably mention Springsteen as well, not for any reason other than it irritates listeners like me who think they more about music than the presenter.
 
> > > > > And your source is...?
> > > >
> > > > Jack Carney and Mike West
> > > >
> > > Well, that's certainly a primary source! Thanks...
> > >
> >
> > And wouldn't you know it, this past week, DRC-FM appeared
> to
> > have dropped much of the '80s music from its mix in favor
> of
> > ... "Sugar on Sunday"? "Come a Little Bit Closer"? And
> this
> > weekend is a "good-time rock and roll" weekend, with the
> > station sounding just like, ummmm, Oldies 102.9, even
> > dropping the "Big Hits" slogan.
> >
> > Geez, why didn't they just keep Carney -- this stuff is
> HIS
> > music -- and avoid all the hassle? Poor Scott Michaels
> seems
> > overmatched by the older songs. The other day, he aired a
> > request call that went like this:
> >
> > Listener: I don't know who does it, but I'd like to hear
> > "Blinded by the Light."
> > Michaels: I want to say Bachman Turner Overdrive ...
> > Listener: Ahhh, OK.
> > Michaels: No, wait! Here it is. Manfred Mann's Earth Band!
>
> >
> > Putting the question of why you'd even want to air a call
> > that shows the jock to be just as uninformed as the caller
>
> > aside, you mean to tell me that Carney (or West) couldn't
> > have handled this request and known exactly which band the
>
> > listener had in mind?
> >
> > Yikes! Just heard the Four Seasons' "Big Man in Town"!
> > Nothing like giving your new, younger listeners a great
> big
> > helping of music you booted out the door less than three
> > months ago in hopes of attracting new, younger listeners!
> > Never a dull week listening to this work in progress ...
> >
>
>
> I think I might have heard that request. Anyway, if
> someone is requesting "Blinded by the Light," don't you
> think they could have at least mentioned who wrote and
> recorded it originally, Bruce Springsteen?
>
> Actually I heard them saying how this song brang back
> Manfred Mann or something, if you're going to dicuss the
> song you should probably mention Springsteen as well, not
> for any reason other than it irritates listeners like me who
> think they more about music than the presenter.
>

It sounded like the only version of the song Michaels was familiar with was the version done by a band, but he, like the listener, wasn't sure which one. Also, I don't think Bruce's original ever charted, so DRC-FM probably doesn't even have it.

Why would a mention of Springsteen have irritated you? I'd have been pleasantly surprised that a 20-something jock knew his musical history. The fact that not only didn't he bring up Bruce but he attributed the cover version to BTO just had me rolling my eyes.
 
Re: The Bottom Line

As I have stated in the past, the management just doesn't seem to get it or care. Granted, while some of the music of late has been a nice change from the same stale hits, its also been scattershot, with no clear direction. I also really believe that a strong jock line up can overcome a subpar product. DRC does not present that line up. The morning show is a parody of radio 101. Saville talking about his dj company, reminding us how "you wont hear this song anywhere and engaging in inane chatter with Beth "oh John stop" Bradley. Phew stimulating. Larry wells, 25 years and counting. Judging by his one liners and adlibs, I'm assuming he has a disability and therefore has job security because of the americans with disabiliies act. Doug taylor...mmm forced laughter, a delivery best compared to william Shatner ( D...R....C F...M) and of course daily updates on the family cat. Thanks for Tinkeys update doug, the hairball issue really had me up late last night, wracked with worry. As for Scott Michaels, while he seems out of place sometimes, he tends to be the only one there that at least sounds genuine. No affected delivery voice, no horrid jokes, and for the most part a pretty solid job.The shame of this is that they are one of the only area broadcast companies with the freedom to create a solid product, with the listner in mind, and they are dropping and booting the ball on a continous basis. I can only wonder about the folks who are under the corporate radio edict of no request, no changes to the scripted music, and no breaks over 35 seconds. These people would love to have this type of freedom for thier shows
 
Re: The Bottom Line

> The Big D topic is back yet again. You can tweak imaging,
> shuffle jocks around and even shift back and forth on your
> music era, but what's the point when you don't research what
> you play? MUSIC is what will make it or break it, perhaps
> 80% of your product in this case, but don't take my word for
> it. There are smaller market stations spending money on
> music testing and seeing results from their investment, and
> isn't that what you want advertisers to do with your
> product?

Jesus, more bitching

"Radio Is over-consulted and over researched"

Now we get

"what's the point when you don't research what you play"

If you want garbage, Kool 96.7 will shovel it for you


> When lots of unknown songs like "Sugar On Sunday" or "Big
> Man In Town" get more than a Forgotten 45 lunar rotation,
> you're inviting tuneout. The Four Tops' "Shake Me, Wake Me
> (When It's Over)" is no "I Can't Help Myself" or "Baby I
> Need Your Lovin'".

Again, "I Can't Help Myself" and "Baby I Need Your Lovin'" could be two of the most burned titles in oldies libraries.

> A tightly focused playlist may bring
> complaints from a few station staffers and a couple of vinyl
> junkies who think they know what sounds good, but the bottom
> line is what counts.

Bottom line is a boring station that burns easily. You need the popular records but you need something to keep it fresh, that's resting titles from time to time, making sure there are some underplayed titles in there as well as enough (but not OVERDONE) selections that are very popular. I think DRC is doing that well NOW and I think the exit of the 80's is interesting and a step in the right direction. There are a few more years you can stretch out of 60's and 70's music. The station sounds better now and I'm glad it's not the same-old KOOL 96.7 crap that station has burned into the ground since 1990.
 
Re: The Bottom Line

> You're most likely right, as tight-playlist oldies has a
> track record of success ... or had one, before all the '70s
> and '80s material started muscling into the playlists.
> Still, to listeners who were fans of DRC-FM before all the
> juggling started, "Shake Me, Wake Me" and "Soul Deep" are
> just as familiar as "Baby, I Need Your Lovin'" and "The
> Letter." They've been part of the 102.9 playlist at least
> since the turn of the millennium. And back then, DRC-FM was
> a decent fifth or sixth overall in the Arbs and nobody was
> complaining about the lack of focus. Drop those songs? Why,
> they might as well drop the Wildweeds' "No Good to Cry," a
> heritage DRC song if ever there was one.
>
> Only being a fan and not a radio pro, I probably have more
> of the "vinyl junkie" in me than you. Still, I wonder if a
> tight-playlist format, no matter the musical era, would have
> much of a chance of working at 102.9. People who seldom
> listen to DRC-FM think of it as "that oldies station," and
> people who've been faithful to it for at least the past half
> dozen years, probably longer, are used to the slightly
> off-kilter playlist. Wouldn't Buckley have to completely
> blow up the station -- call letters, air staff, music and
> all -- to get appreciably better results than it would by
> just returning to the early 2000s "Oldies 102.9" sound
> fulltime, as it has this weekend?
>

Facing facts, DRC-FM has become a casualty in the Buckley train wreck and will never return to the glory of what it once was - not that I think the market would support it in light of what's available in today's radio marketplace.

Anybody who is just a casual office listener will migrate over to Kool or whatever station has a 300-400 song playlist that plays the same burnt-out tunes they're all familiar with. Other people will venture out and break new ground, be it finding either another terrestrial, satellite or internet station that plays what the person is striving for (or something reasonably close).

In the case of my own webcast, CapitalRadio.us, I play a 50's through 70's mix on the weekends, giving people the deeper 50's during the weekend. During the week it’s 60's thru 80's with a good loyal following tuning in during the in the office listening dayparts across the country. While I'm no classic like the former CBS-FM, having a 7000 track playlist (and soon to be expanded to more that 12,000 by mid-year) gives the listener a variety while giving others familiarity.

Another part of the train wreck is DRC-FM's processing, but don't get me started on that again! I've heard stations with their chain sound much better and having engineered a station that uses their processor I'd bet a deaf guy could tweak it better.

Just my 2/100 of a dollar for ya.
 
Re: The Bottom Line

It's only "burned" when people won't listen to it, not because you and I have heard it 10,000 times. Kool 96.7 in Stamford has never had it so good in overall listenership, especially since CBS-FM's demise. The issue for Kool, K-Earth 101 in LA, Big 100 in DC and others is not lack of listeners. It's aging demos, and that's not a new issue for advertiser-supported radio. If they can continue serving boomers with some updating, fine. Now I'm heading into that crowd less coveted by advertisers because we take more convincing. Do I like it? No. Will I get over it? It's not the end of the world. There are more options than ever.

Bashing the jocks, calling the music crap and wishing for a simpler time won't change the big picture. If a station operator is not happy with the bottom line, a change will come. That happened at WWYZ in '76 & '88, WKCI in '79, WKSS in '85, WRCH in '89 and at many other times and places.

"That world was a nice world, and it's never coming back. But it sure was a nice world, wasn't it?"
--CBS Sunday Morning, talking about older artists not getting on radio today, and alternatives they use to get exposure now. Many younger people know older songs from TV commercials. They're not flocking to oldies stations.
 
Re: The Bottom Line

> It's only "burned" when people won't listen to it, not
> because you and I have heard it 10,000 times. Kool 96.7 in
> Stamford has never had it so good in overall listenership,
> especially since CBS-FM's demise.

Because KOOL is a boring cookie-cutter oldies station with very little variety and ability to think even SLIGHTLY out of the box. They always HAVE been.

Right now I am listening to DRC and they've played "One Of These Nights - Eagles" followed by "Hanky Panky - Tommy James" and "The Letter - Box Tops". Not exactly "unfamilair". These are three songs that are burnt, butI don't mind it since I know there are better songs upcoming. Regulars and casual listeners will more than tolerate the above break and probably even stick around thru some unfamiliar cuts to wait for the burned stuff (if that is what they want).

I know all about the demos issue. If we didn't break down the demo's, we'd have a medium that is unsellable. Demos are a way for radio to spin bad numbers in a way that tricks advertiseres into thinking the glass is half full when in fact it's leaking like a sieve. Can you imagine how unsellable things would be if we DIDN'T have demo breakouts? We'd have a bunch of formats that couldn't justify their existance.

"Valarie - Monkees" is next after a break. A little crisp, not burnt, but a song I can tolerate and I am sure others would as well.
 
Re: The Bottom Line

If they keep playing "One of These Nights", "The Letter" & perhaps "Hanky Panky", they have a chance at going somewhere again. Even so, you have to do your homework. There's a reason Smashmouth covered "I'm A Believer" and not "Valerie" a few years ago: people have always loved the song! "Valerie" becomes a crispy critter very quickly. Even you call it a "little crisp". I'd never want to program songs these days in any format on what I think people would tolerate. I'm not sure where you're going with the demos thing.

> > It's only "burned" when people won't listen to it, not
> > because you and I have heard it 10,000 times. Kool 96.7
> in
> > Stamford has never had it so good in overall listenership,
>
> > especially since CBS-FM's demise.
>
> Because KOOL is a boring cookie-cutter oldies station with
> very little variety and ability to think even SLIGHTLY out
> of the box. They always HAVE been.
>
> Right now I am listening to DRC and they've played "One Of
> These Nights - Eagles" followed by "Hanky Panky - Tommy
> James" and "The Letter - Box Tops". Not exactly
> "unfamilair". These are three songs that are burnt, butI
> don't mind it since I know there are better songs upcoming.
> Regulars and casual listeners will more than tolerate the
> above break and probably even stick around thru some
> unfamiliar cuts to wait for the burned stuff (if that is
> what they want).
>
> I know all about the demos issue. If we didn't break down
> the demo's, we'd have a medium that is unsellable. Demos
> are a way for radio to spin bad numbers in a way that tricks
> advertiseres into thinking the glass is half full when in
> fact it's leaking like a sieve. Can you imagine how
> unsellable things would be if we DIDN'T have demo breakouts?
> We'd have a bunch of formats that couldn't justify their
> existance.
>
> "Valarie - Monkees" is next after a break. A little crisp,
> not burnt, but a song I can tolerate and I am sure others
> would as well.
>
 
Re: The Bottom Line

> As I have stated in the past, the management just doesn't
> seem to get it or care. Granted, while some of the music of
> late has been a nice change from the same stale hits, its
> also been scattershot, with no clear direction. I also
> really believe that a strong jock line up can overcome a
> subpar product. DRC does not present that line up. The
> morning show is a parody of radio 101. Saville talking about
> his dj company, reminding us how "you wont hear this song
> anywhere and engaging in inane chatter with Beth "oh John
> stop" Bradley. Phew stimulating. Larry wells, 25 years and
> counting. Judging by his one liners and adlibs, I'm assuming
> he has a disability and therefore has job security because
> of the americans with disabiliies act. Doug taylor...mmm
> forced laughter, a delivery best compared to william Shatner
> ( D...R....C F...M) and of course daily updates on the
> family cat. Thanks for Tinkeys update doug, the hairball
> issue really had me up late last night, wracked with worry.
> As for Scott Michaels, while he seems out of place
> sometimes, he tends to be the only one there that at least
> sounds genuine. No affected delivery voice, no horrid jokes,
> and for the most part a pretty solid job.The shame of this
> is that they are one of the only area broadcast companies
> with the freedom to create a solid product, with the listner
> in mind, and they are dropping and booting the ball on a
> continous basis. I can only wonder about the folks who are
> under the corporate radio edict of no request, no changes to
> the scripted music, and no breaks over 35 seconds. These
> people would love to have this type of freedom for thier
> shows
>

Requests seem to play a bigger part in DRC-FM's format than anywhere else. A bunch at noon, a few more at 5, a bunch between 8 and midnight, then five hours of them on both Saturday and Sunday nights. It does give the station a distinctive sound, although as you say, it makes for scattershot music -- Did Ron Sedaille really HAVE to play Kenny Rogers' "Coward of the County" last night? Should ANY station be playing Gene Pitney, Al Green, BTO and Katrina and the Waves in the same hour? (Or Bobby Vee and Gary Glitter with only one song separating them, as I just heard?)

As for the DJs, I agree about the John and Beth show -- tortuous listening -- but Doug Taylor doesn't bother me and hey, Larry Wells doesn't profess to be anything more than "his mother's favorite disc jockey," so I just groan along with all the old puns. Yes, Michaels seems genuine, but he is so out of place in this lineup it's painful, and if he's going to be playing Four Seasons and Sam Cooke again after this weekend, I don't know if I want to be listening.

So, the question remains: How do you fix up the station and still keep it distinctive? I don't think any of these personalities are really strong enough to carry a station with a tight, no-requests, tried-and-true playlist, and I'm not sure any of them would thrive in a format in which they could only talk for 30 seconds or less at a time.

In addition, as an outsider, I get the impression that Saville, Sedaille and weekender Rob Ray are, to some extent, vinyl geeks. Is Dave Nagel, the PD, the same way, or is he one to just rubber stamp ideas that the vinyl-geek types might have? I must admit a certain degree of admiration for the station's willingness to slip unexpected songs -- which, mind you, were still hits -- into a standard oldies playlist, but with so many radio professionals convinced that it's the wrong way to go, is it reasonable to expect the station to do well enough with this music mix, whatever the specifics of it turn out to be, to remain a viable advertising medium?
 
> > > > > > And your source is...?
> > > > >
> > > > > Jack Carney and Mike West
> > > > >
> > > > Well, that's certainly a primary source! Thanks...
> > > >
> > >
> > > And wouldn't you know it, this past week, DRC-FM
> appeared
> > to
> > > have dropped much of the '80s music from its mix in
> favor
> > of
> > > ... "Sugar on Sunday"? "Come a Little Bit Closer"? And
> > this
> > > weekend is a "good-time rock and roll" weekend, with the
>
> > > station sounding just like, ummmm, Oldies 102.9, even
> > > dropping the "Big Hits" slogan.
> > >
> > > Geez, why didn't they just keep Carney -- this stuff is
> > HIS
> > > music -- and avoid all the hassle? Poor Scott Michaels
> > seems
> > > overmatched by the older songs. The other day, he aired
> a
> > > request call that went like this:
> > >
> > > Listener: I don't know who does it, but I'd like to hear
>
> > > "Blinded by the Light."
> > > Michaels: I want to say Bachman Turner Overdrive ...
> > > Listener: Ahhh, OK.
> > > Michaels: No, wait! Here it is. Manfred Mann's Earth
> Band!
> >
> > >
> > > Putting the question of why you'd even want to air a
> call
> > > that shows the jock to be just as uninformed as the
> caller
> >
> > > aside, you mean to tell me that Carney (or West)
> couldn't
> > > have handled this request and known exactly which band
> the
> >
> > > listener had in mind?
> > >
> > > Yikes! Just heard the Four Seasons' "Big Man in Town"!
> > > Nothing like giving your new, younger listeners a great
> > big
> > > helping of music you booted out the door less than three
>
> > > months ago in hopes of attracting new, younger
> listeners!
> > > Never a dull week listening to this work in progress ...
>
> > >
> >
> >
> > I think I might have heard that request. Anyway, if
> > someone is requesting "Blinded by the Light," don't you
> > think they could have at least mentioned who wrote and
> > recorded it originally, Bruce Springsteen?
> >
> > Actually I heard them saying how this song brang back
> > Manfred Mann or something, if you're going to dicuss the
> > song you should probably mention Springsteen as well, not
> > for any reason other than it irritates listeners like me
> who
> > think they more about music than the presenter.
> >
>
> It sounded like the only version of the song Michaels was
> familiar with was the version done by a band, but he, like
> the listener, wasn't sure which one. Also, I don't think
> Bruce's original ever charted, so DRC-FM probably doesn't
> even have it.
>
> Why would a mention of Springsteen have irritated you? I'd
> have been pleasantly surprised that a 20-something jock knew
> his musical history. The fact that not only didn't he bring
> up Bruce but he attributed the cover version to BTO just had
> me rolling my eyes.
>

That's what I meant, I would have been happier if he had mentioned Springsteen wrote and recorded the song first. I'm also 20-something by the way, but I'm a music fan, and hope that the people who have jobs presenting this music are fans and knowledgable as well.
 
> >
> > Why would a mention of Springsteen have irritated you? I'd
>
> > have been pleasantly surprised that a 20-something jock
> knew
> > his musical history. The fact that not only didn't he
> bring
> > up Bruce but he attributed the cover version to BTO just
> had
> > me rolling my eyes.
> >
>
> That's what I meant, I would have been happier if he had
> mentioned Springsteen wrote and recorded the song first.
> I'm also 20-something by the way, but I'm a music fan, and
> hope that the people who have jobs presenting this music are
> fans and knowledgable as well.
>

Amen. I'm 50 and a music fan, so that stuff grates on me, too. Today, weekend guy Rob Ray came out of Elvis' "Kentucky Rain" with the tidbit that Mac Davis had written the song. No, Eddie Rabbitt wrote "Kentucky Rain"; Davis wrote "In the Ghetto." Sometimes it's best just to read the time and temp!

Way off topic, so that will be my final word on this.
 
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