Confused Newbie

[gargoyles]

Trying to understand the dynamics of radio in State College and it's very confusing. Can someone help me out?

It looks like everyone who owned something a year ago owns something else now. It's like a bunch of cluster owners said "okay, let's swap everything."

Then, there are two stations that carry Rush, one of which also carries Springer from Air America and has a morning guy who has to talk for six hours straight (970.)

The other "Rush" station plays mood music when it doesn't have a syndicated talk show.

Then there's the "new" smooth jazz station that apparently didn't last beyond its "newness" and flipped to Hot AC.

Buzzes, Frogs, 3W something. Whoa! I'm just a hick from New York, where wasted frequencies and dizzying format changes were invented. Apparently, invention was insufficient. Here, they've been perfected.
Then there's a (sometimes) country station in Philipsbg that you never know what's going to be on.

 

[jackandcoke]

gargoyle writes "Trying to understand the dynamics of radio in State College and it's very confusing. Can someone help me out?"

A: Oh, what the hell...

"It looks like everyone who owned something a year ago owns something else now. It's like a bunch of cluster owners said "okay, let's swap everything.""

A: There were a series of transactions. Tens of millions of dollars traded hands. When you buy a house you tend to want to decorate to your own taste. Same with radio stations.

"Then, there are two stations that carry Rush, one of which also carries Springer from Air America and has a morning guy who has to talk for six hours straight (970.)

The other "Rush" station plays mood music when it doesn't have a syndicated talk show."

A: The two "Rush" stations are in separate markets. Radio signals sometimes cross county lines.

Then there's the "new" smooth jazz station that apparently didn't last beyond its "newness" and flipped to Hot AC.

A: Opportunity sometimes comes unexpectedly.

"Buzzes, Frogs, 3W something. Whoa! I'm just a hick from New York, where wasted frequencies and dizzying format changes were invented. Apparently, invention was insufficient. Here, they've been perfected."

A: The Buzz is gone. Froggy is #1. 3WZ has been here 20 years. Your unfamiliarity with the market is no excuse.

"Then there's a (sometimes) country station in Philipsbg that you never know what's going to be on."

A: The AM is full service and airs a variety of programming, but mostly classic Country; the FM is fulltime Country.

 

[Becker]

A: The Buzz is gone. Froggy is #1. 3WZ has been here 20 years. Your unfamiliarity with the market is no excuse.

And WRSC-AM has been around for over 40 years. I think WMAJ-AM may go back a little bit further.

 

[gargoyles]

Well, that was enligtening. Thank you for the facts and commentary, and the statesman-like tone of your reply.

Unfortunately, while I now know about decorating a newly acquired house, the startling notion that radio waves cross county lines, which station is number one and how long WRSC has been getting away with what it gets away with, your note hasn't said anything of substance about those "tens of millions of dollars" and the "several transactions" that you mentioned, and which were the obvious reasons I wrote my reqest for information in the first place.

Anyone here who can answer these questions and perhaps do so without the chip on his or her shoulder?

 

[fwdmo]

Well, that was enligtening. Thank you for the facts and commentary, and the statesman-like tone of your reply.

Unfortunately, while I now know about decorating a newly acquired house, the startling notion that radio waves cross county lines, which station is number one and how long WRSC has been getting away with what it gets away with, your note hasn't said anything of substance about those "tens of millions of dollars" and the "several transactions" that you mentioned, and which were the obvious reasons I wrote my reqest for information in the first place.

Anyone here who can answer these questions and perhaps do so without the chip on his or her shoulder?

And what do you mean by "how long WRSC has been getting away with what it gets away with"? It sounds as if you have a problem with them...is that true?

The chip seems to fit nicely upon your shoulder, too.

 

[gargoyles]

As a matter of fact, yes. I do have a problem with them. Long periods of dead air, promos for newscasts they don't carry, no way to determine by listening when some NASCAR stuff will pop up instead of the "regular" programming. No sigificant local news after nine in the morning. Double audio so often it seems almost by design. Overmodulation followed by unmodulated carrier. A really sloppy job.

Thought you were going to get a political argument, I assume. Nah. They have a good second-tier lineup of right wing talkers plus Savage Nation which is a lot of fun when it's not interrupted by an auto race feature, and a few really helpful programs (auto, home, garden.)

 

[revbabe]

Dont confuse satire with a chip on Jackandcokes shoulder. I understand you are new to the board but consider anybody here is a radio person so we are all "a little off"

In State College you have:

A very big group that has most all the radio signals but keep two names for the FCC sake, its in flux and always will be. The stations are "redecorated" often. No ryme or reason but we are lowly and might not get it.

A sleeping giant waking ever so slowly.

A tried and proven AC that people paid way too much for but are too stubborn.

Some poor signals from out of town that fought to get in with passion for a format. Then they dropped format to change to what worked for the owner in a town thats much smaller with no format competion in it.

A monster newspaper taking all the money while we write about format change here. We all should hit the streets and tell people that they have outdated thinking. We should tell them of newspaper readership not falling almost double figures in the last few years. The costs for print goes up and up and nobody reads any of it anymore.

Happy Valley is around 70 percent below, repeat BELOW 25 years of age, radio is the way to reach the people.

Gentlemen do tear in!

 

[gargoyles]

A HAH! A radio guy who admits we're "all a little off." Indeed.

So, "Forever" and the other company whose name starts with a number are the same thing? One or another of its names owns WOWY and B94.5 They took the name off the building on Clearview at Waddle because they needed the sign somewhere else? Magnum owns 970, Joe FM and 1260, but not 670.

The newspaper has improved since the new owners took over a few weeks ago. But I (by no means below 25) buy it only on Fridays (weekend events) and Sundays (force of habit.)

Thanks for actual info. Appreciate.

 

[Becker]

As a matter of fact, yes. I do have a problem with them. Long periods of dead air, promos for newscasts they don't carry, no way to determine by listening when some NASCAR stuff will pop up instead of the "regular" programming. No sigificant local news after nine in the morning. Double audio so often it seems almost by design. Overmodulation followed by unmodulated carrier. A really sloppy job.

Thought you were going to get a political argument, I assume. Nah. They have a good second-tier lineup of right wing talkers plus Savage Nation which is a lot of fun when it's not interrupted by an auto race feature, and a few really helpful programs (auto, home, garden.)

As someone who claims to be a "confused newbie," you certainly do not write like one. But, we'll let that pass and move on. The answer to this specific set of problems you addressed is easily solvable. It may not result in a complete fix but at least you will feel you have been heard.

Simply call Forever Broadcasting and tell them exactly what you are hearing. 237-9800. A nice lady will answer the phone. Be nice to her, she's only doing her job by taking down your complaints. I have done this a few times and my info was taken by the nice lady. I am always thanked. Usually I hear the problem fixed within 24 hours of my call. Keep in mind they need to get the information to the engineer as he is the one who handles the problems you indicated.

WRSC is still a good AM station. The morning show is still funny, I would prefer they broadcast all of Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck has grown on me.

And I'm not under 25 either...let's just say I'm well over 40.

Hope that helps you.

 

[Spackler1]

I guess nobody inside the building there at Forever bothers to listen to WRSC if the listeners have to call in and let them know about all of the technical issues they experience. They sure have a lot of them, and they don't seem to be going away. But keep making those calls.

 

[Becker]

I guess nobody inside the building there at Forever bothers to listen to WRSC if the listeners have to call in and let them know about all of the technical issues they experience. They sure have a lot of them, and they don't seem to be going away. But keep making those calls.

I have done the same thing with stations not owner by Forever Broadcasting. 3WZ is one of those stations. The response is always the same. Some nice lady takes my info, thanks me and agrees to pass the info to the appropriate person.

Listeners do have some personal responsibility to report what they hear if they think it's out of their favor. The airwaves are public airwaves. As listeners/customers of these stations, we have to recognize that they are run by humans. Even the automation has to be programmed by a human. And those humans are not perfect and they do make mistakes, often more than once. What matters is that they are trying the best they can do to make the radio experience as plesurable as possible for us as listeners.

 

[gargoyles]

To the poster who said I didn't sound like a newbie: New to the area, not to the industry.

To the posters who think calling a radio station about this stuff: it's usually a waste of time. They either know about the problems and can't fix 'em or they don't care because the bucks still come in.

Some will say it's all a learning experience for working in bigger places. I say it's because radio has become a commodity and bigger places are just as bad, if not worse.