If Saga's management didn't know that Cary Pahigian was Howie Carr's agent - they do now. As reported in radio-info.net, Cary was "outed" by the Boston Globe yesterday. If Saga management DID know - did they realize that Cary's involvement may take out one of WGAN's ratings success? The whole things seems kind of odd to me... Do you allow your employees to take part in an outside activity that may hurt one of your properties?
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Conflict of Interest for a Portland GM?
- Thread starter media buyer
- Start date
Bone to pick? Don't think so as I have ardently defended Cary elsewhere on this board... I never said I had a problem with it. I just found it an odd association - especially considering it was a move that could profoundly affect one of Cary's stations.
R
radiotony
Guest
It is an interesting piece of the puzzle. So is the revelation that Carr made $790k at WRKO last year. Yikes!
I would be shocked if Saga wasn't fully aware of Cary's role as Howie's agent. I wouldn't be surprised if that relationship existed before Cary even joined Saga. And I have to say, I'm damn impressed with the job Cary did negotiating Howie's previous deal. I wonder how the current Portland Saga staff feel about that considering the notoriously low wages Saga pays in Portland.
With all that said, it has not been a very rosy ride for Saga in Portland the last couple of years. First the WMGX debacle and revenue devastation. Then WPOR being beaten soundly in all key demo's by The Wolf this past ratings book. If WPOR does not rebound in this upcoming Spring book, the revenue hit is going to be very painful; far more so than it already has been this year. Combine that, with having Cary being named as a defendant in a high profile media lawsuit which will consume a significant amount of his time and attention, along with Saga currently at an all time low on their stock price....and you have to wonder how much longer they are going to be ok with Cary's attention focused elsewhere. Especially when things are going well at the Portland home base.
Lastly, MediaBuyer has been soundly supportive of Cary on this board and the Boston Board and rightly so in regards to his tenure, 20+ years ago at WBZ. He is not attacking Cary at all. His question is completely fair and valid
With all that said, it has not been a very rosy ride for Saga in Portland the last couple of years. First the WMGX debacle and revenue devastation. Then WPOR being beaten soundly in all key demo's by The Wolf this past ratings book. If WPOR does not rebound in this upcoming Spring book, the revenue hit is going to be very painful; far more so than it already has been this year. Combine that, with having Cary being named as a defendant in a high profile media lawsuit which will consume a significant amount of his time and attention, along with Saga currently at an all time low on their stock price....and you have to wonder how much longer they are going to be ok with Cary's attention focused elsewhere. Especially when things are going well at the Portland home base.
Lastly, MediaBuyer has been soundly supportive of Cary on this board and the Boston Board and rightly so in regards to his tenure, 20+ years ago at WBZ. He is not attacking Cary at all. His question is completely fair and valid
M
Mr_Negativity
Guest
Saga's situation in Portland isn't Cary's fault....nor is it an a case of he's distracted by being Howie Carr's agent and the mentioned lawsuit. That reality is Portland radio is moribund because of Saga's VP of Programming (SG) dragging his heels to agree have the market redefined.
mor·i·bund (adjective): being in a state of inactivity or obsolescence
Citadel, Nassau and AC broadcasters are on board with taking the one county MSA and adding York, Andro and Sagadahoc to round out the real delivery of audience. So. Maine station's deliver this audience for media buyers and advertisers everyday....but don't get paid for it....and hence, their employee's don't get paid for it. The best thing that could happen to radio in Portland for the folks who work really hard to make good radio - is to get the dollar return on their work.
Decades later, Portland market is still a one county MSA. It's another example of crazy New England parochial thinking.
parochial (adjective): confined or restricted as if within the borders of a parish : limited in range or scope (as to a narrow area or region)
mor·i·bund (adjective): being in a state of inactivity or obsolescence
Citadel, Nassau and AC broadcasters are on board with taking the one county MSA and adding York, Andro and Sagadahoc to round out the real delivery of audience. So. Maine station's deliver this audience for media buyers and advertisers everyday....but don't get paid for it....and hence, their employee's don't get paid for it. The best thing that could happen to radio in Portland for the folks who work really hard to make good radio - is to get the dollar return on their work.
Decades later, Portland market is still a one county MSA. It's another example of crazy New England parochial thinking.
parochial (adjective): confined or restricted as if within the borders of a parish : limited in range or scope (as to a narrow area or region)
Yes and No. I can't speak for large shops in Boston or NY, but there are very few local agencies who make buys based on just the metro ratingss. Most, if not all, use some sort of expanded market, whether the four or five counties you mentioned or the full TSA. The reason..their clients...the Oakhursts, The Lotteries, The Banks, The Playlands etc and etc are not going to base their advertising decisions on just one county when they need to do business in all of these areas, when they need to draw customers from all of these areas.
There's a very good reason why SG would be opposed to this and that is because Saga stations get killed in the market you defined.
There's a very good reason why SG would be opposed to this and that is because Saga stations get killed in the market you defined.
I'm not certain how Portland being a one county MSA is an example of "New England Parochial thinking". Though I am sure of one thing: expanding the survey area by several counties may make what is an already very expensive tool for local radio completely cost prohibitive. And I'm not sure it would have a desired effect anyway... And the idea that a more attractive CPM is somehow tied to better wages also eludes me. (Are you saying if radio companies made more they'd pay more? Don't think so)
I do agree that POR is up against the wall now and that if POR doesn’t kick back there will be some uneasy times at Portland Radio Group.
I do agree that POR is up against the wall now and that if POR doesn’t kick back there will be some uneasy times at Portland Radio Group.
Cary is a by-the-books sort of guy when it comes to corporate (and if you've ever met him, he's also pretty much larger than life)--so I'm pretty sure Saga knew he had his finger in the Howie Carr pie (that just sounds wrong. Sorry for the poor use of a metaphor, but I'm too lazy to think of a better one). I am curious how WGAN will handle things...I expect a tape delay broadcast. While Howie certainly takes a number of Maine calls, by-in-large the callers are from or related to Massachusetts. I doubt listeners would care much if it was on delay.
An interesting, but unlikely, scenario would have the "Morning News" switching to the "Evening News". I really can't imagine that happening though.
An interesting, but unlikely, scenario would have the "Morning News" switching to the "Evening News". I really can't imagine that happening though.
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