Could anyone confirm these rumors?

[Pratte4Life]

Well, I actually listened to the show. He had on Jimmy Kimmel, among others.

But he said he had a better job offer in LA.

Can anyone confirm he moved to Pittsburgh? I am not 100% sure he did.

 

[Radio_Realist]

my opinion, this format is the worst format put together of any Pittsburgh radio stations ever.

What makes you say that? I realize it has been several decades since anyone else has tried the non-political/non-sports talk format, but back in the olden days it was popular. The Zone is just NBC Monitor updated for the next century.

This format may be badly executed on 93.7 right now, but the format itself strikes me as sound.

Radio broadcasting consists of two element, right? The format and the content. The format describes the framework that holds the content together, as well as nature of the content. The content is the actual material that gets aired. In music radio, the "oldies" format describes the fact that it's disc jockeys playing recordings that were hits around 30 decades ago, plus or minus a decade. The content are the actual songs that get played.

So, you could have two oldies stations in town, one playing a good selection of songs that people wanted to hear, and the other using the exact same format, but playing a bad selection of songs from the same era that people didn't want to hear. So the later would be a good format, with bad execution, right?

The Zone strikes me as a great format. It's a refreshing change of pace from the usual same-old same-old that most of the other stations broadcast. But, even though it's a great format, they haven't done a real good job with content. Their syndicated morning show can't draw flies. Steigerwald's morning sports hour is deadly dull. Dennis Miller shows potential for growth, but his radio inexperience is working against him. I think he'll get better. McIntyre & Gab have the potential to develop into a good team. I think they'd make a better morning show that O & A. Paulsen is Paulsen. You either love his schtick or you hate it. I almost never listen to the radio after dinner, so I have no opinion on what is on the station after Paulsen.

With some work, some tweaking and adjustment of the content, and some marketing to let potential listeners know it's on the air, I think that The Zone could be a successful format.

But those things won't happen, and The Zone will soon crash and burn, just as everyone is predicting.

 

[Pratte4Life]

The Zone strikes me as a great format. It's a refreshing change of pace from the usual same-old same-old that most of the other stations broadcast. But, even though it's a great format, they haven't done a real good job with content. Their syndicated morning show can't draw flies. Steigerwald's morning sports hour is deadly dull. Dennis Miller shows potential for growth, but his radio inexperience is working against him. I think he'll get better. McIntyre & Gab have the potential to develop into a good team. I think they'd make a better morning show that O & A. Paulsen is Paulsen. You either love his schtick or you hate it. I almost never listen to the radio after dinner, so I have no opinion on what is on the station after Paulsen.

Let me just go through your points. They are very intriguing.

A- I actually think Miller has been a great bright spot. You're not saying he isn't- but lack of experience or no- I think the show is a winner.

And I was not a fan of Miller before this. A bit too smart allecky for me. I don't get that now.

B- Moving Mac & Gab. Hmmmm.

I'm not a Mac fan. I don't think he's bright, funny, or presentable.

I would rather listen to Kidd Chris (or is it Chris Kidd?). That's how bad I think Mac is.

I mentioned in another thread how when KDKA got rid of Mac and replaced him with a tape delayed Neil Boortz how their ratings went up. That should tell you a bit about what Mac brings to the table.

C- Steigy is a curmudgeon. That said- one of the interesting things about him is that he isn't a BITTER curmudgeon. He promotes solutions to the things he criticizes.

Now, to place him between the lively O & A and Dennis Miller is suicide.

Also, let's remember that when he had a show on WBGG his promos might as well have been from 1979. It spoke of the guests he had on- but they were all historical figures like Chuck Noll.

I have nothing against interviewing historical figures- but he does have a tendency to come off as yesterday's news.

D- I'm not sold that O & A is a drag. But if it is- what about returning Paulsen to mornings?

He's one of the all-time great morning men in Pittsburgh. This is quite an honor when you consider that means he's placed alongside an incredible legacy of Bogut/Cigna/Cordic/Krenn/Jeff Christie/Antill/O'Brien & Garry/Quinn/Roach and whoever else.

But that would attract attention, make mornings local, have someone everyone likes and would cut into WDVE's audience.

 

[Radio_Realist]

I would rather listen to Kidd Chris (or is it Chris Kidd?). That's how bad I think Mac is.

I never listened to McIntyre on KDKA. But, I read that he did political talk from a left-wing perspective. What he's doing on The Zone is a whole different schtick. I also read that he was, at one time, a stand-up comic. Though I no longer work in radio, I worked as an actor in the theatre for a long time. There were kinds of parts I played well, and parts that the best I could do was to almost not stink. Therefore, I would never judge someone's skills at being a radio comedian on how well they did being a radio political pundit. That's two different gigs.

McIntyre as a solo act (which was how his show on The Zone seemed to be intended) wasn't very good. Even accepting that it was a start-up and needed time to find its way, it still showed little promise. But, with the elevation of Gab whats-her-name to side-kick co-host, I hear a real turn-around in the show. Maybe McIntyre will never be a successful solo act, but as part of a duo with Gab whats-her-name, you've got a potentially entertaining piece of radio. It will take some work and tweaking, but as the two of them keep working together, I see their show getting better and better. It might not be better than O & A today, but then I never listen to O & A because there are too many other, better options in the morning. But I think they could be better than many of the other Pittsburgh morning shows in a few months.

C- Steigy is a curmudgeon. That said- one of the interesting things about him is that he isn't a BITTER curmudgeon. He promotes solutions to the things he criticizes.

I wasn't referring to his content, just his delivery. But you are correct that he's in the absolutely worst time slot imaginable for his show.

But if it is- what about returning Paulsen to mornings?

As I understand it, the problem would be convincing him to work that shift. I'd also like to hear him in the mornings. On the other hand, I like having an afternoon drive-time show that's as entertaining as a morning show. Whilst driving him, hearing the kind of comedy bits one usually only hears on the way to work is a refreshing change of pace.

 

[Pratte4Life]

I haven't listened to Mac enough on The Zone- nor do I really care to- to comment on that any further.

You wonder if The Zone continues to struggle if Paulsen may be more receptive to moving to the mornings out of necessity.

One thing about people picking The Zone's demise, though. I recall when 104.7 went to News/Talk there were people on this board who INSISTED the station was going to go back to The Beat.

They said they had sources from inside that the format switch was an incredible failure.

We soon saw that was poppyc0ck.

Now, there are certain similarities to 104.7 and The Zone when I see people picking its demise.

The critics on this board tend to be former employees of the old format, for instance.

While The Zone has not enjoyed the ratings success 104.7 did in early trends- maybe we should avoid picking its demise just yet.

Sure, it could use some tweaking and maybe a sports contract or two.

But I just have a tough time believing they've paid for the talent they have to let it all go in a few short months.

 

[feeball]

The critics on this board tend to be former employees of the old format, for instance.

What former employees aside from Adam Bomb (formerly of B 94) has been criticizing The Zone? Most of the cirticism has come from listeners and people who have followed the slime that has become known as Free FM. The criticism of the format has developed for the following reasons:

1. The station planned to build itself around two talents who were indespensible. Paulsen leaving DVE was not going to sink the ratings of the station, neither was McIntire's departure from KDKA. To further porve that McIntire and Paulsen's departures did not affect the stations, take a look at the numbers that KDKA and WDVE have with both of them gone.

2. This format has failed in every market that CBS Radio has presented the format. The Zone is nothing more than Free FM with a different name. We can say it's too early to predict the demise all we want to, but if the trend holds itself to be true, then it's not an unreasonable prediction.

3. Comparing 104.7 to 93.7 is like comparing prime rib to chipped-chopped ham. WPGB had the right idea to offer a NewsTalk labeled station that has more to do with politics than with goofballs trying to put themselves over as being funny (McIntire). Rush Limbaugh is to radio what Oprah Winfrey is to syndicated television. We might not listen to them or watch them, but we are in the minority as far as numbers are concerned. Also, has it ever occured to anyone that those who bitched about 104.7's flip to talk were, dare I say, "liberals" who did not like the concept of a conservative station?

4. Opie and Anthony have nothing in this market. This would be different if Pittsburgh had O&A on air back when they were doing afternoon radio, then they might actually have had some sort of market. As it stands right now, people in Pittsburgh don't care about O&A.

5. Dameshek even bailed. I know he was doing the show from Pittsburgh for a little while, but he probably did not completely move out of California. Like I said before, his wife probably hated Pittsburgh and wanted to go back to California A.S.A.P.

That's what I gather from what I know and have heard of this station and the entire Free FM project. But I really want to know as I stated above: what former employees have been criticizing the format?

 

[Radio_Realist]

2. This format has failed in every market that CBS Radio has presented the format.

So tell us, which other markets had Dennis Miller, McIntyre & Gab, and Scott Paulsen? Where did a station with those three shows fail? You keep forgetting that the format is only the structure. It's the actual talent that makes or breaks a station. Any format, talk or music, is only as strong as its content. Whatever any other talk station might have done in another market doesn't mean diddly-squat when discussing whether Dennis Miller, McIntyre & Gab, and Scott Paulsen can eventually pull ratings in Pittsburgh.

Saying that this talk format failed in another market is like saying that the failure of a music format station that only plays really crappy songs is proof that all music format stations will fail.

4. Opie and Anthony have nothing in this market.

That is true. But had they been on the air in the 'Burgh years ago, it still might not have made a difference.

Those two might be hilarious, or they might be total stiffs. I don't know. There are two reasons why I don't know. First, when I surf the radio on my way to work, I have a few stations I bounce between. They are all on pre-set buttons on my radio. I don't use the "seek" button. So, I'm not going to ever sample a station in the morning that I haven't been persuaded to check out. Second, Infinity has done absolutely nothing to attempt to persuade me to check out those two. I've seen nothing in the way of advertising for them. Maybe their ads are in media I don't look at. I haven't wasted any money on the Post-Gazette in years.

The bottom line is that you have a bug up your butt about Free FM that borders on the extreme. In 55 years of wandering around on this planet, I have never met anyone who was so hostile, so over-the-top obsessed with his hatred of something as you are with Free FM who didn't have some sort of underlying reason for that hatred. So maybe you didn't work for a station that used the Free FM format. There has to be some reason for you to so aggressively hate that format. Did a Free FM talk host steal your girlfriend? Did you apply for a job working on a Free FM station and get turned down? Was there a Free FM station on in the background when some terrible tragedy happened to you? What is the reason for your extreme hatred of a radio format? Why are you so obsessed with it's ruination?

 

[feeball]

2. This format has failed in every market that CBS Radio has presented the format.

So tell us, which other markets had Dennis Miller, McIntyre & Gab, and Scott Paulsen? Where did a station with those three shows fail? You keep forgetting that the format is only the structure. It's the actual talent that makes or breaks a station. Any format, talk or music, is only as strong as its content. Whatever any other talk station might have done in another market doesn't mean diddly-squat when discussing whether Dennis Miller, McIntyre & Gab, and Scott Paulsen can eventually pull ratings in Pittsburgh.

Saying that this talk format failed in another market is like saying that the failure of a music format station that only plays really crappy songs is proof that all music format stations will fail.

4. Opie and Anthony have nothing in this market.

That is true. But had they been on the air in the 'Burgh years ago, it still might not have made a difference.

Those two might be hilarious, or they might be total stiffs. I don't know. There are two reasons why I don't know. First, when I surf the radio on my way to work, I have a few stations I bounce between. They are all on pre-set buttons on my radio. I don't use the "seek" button. So, I'm not going to ever sample a station in the morning that I haven't been persuaded to check out. Second, Infinity has done absolutely nothing to attempt to persuade me to check out those two. I've seen nothing in the way of advertising for them. Maybe their ads are in media I don't look at. I haven't wasted any money on the Post-Gazette in years.

The bottom line is that you have a bug up your butt about Free FM that borders on the extreme. In 55 years of wandering around on this planet, I have never met anyone who was so hostile, so over-the-top obsessed with his hatred of something as you are with Free FM who didn't have some sort of underlying reason for that hatred. So maybe you didn't work for a station that used the Free FM format. There has to be some reason for you to so aggressively hate that format. Did a Free FM talk host steal your girlfriend? Did you apply for a job working on a Free FM station and get turned down? Was there a Free FM station on in the background when some terrible tragedy happened to you? What is the reason for your extreme hatred of a radio format? Why are you so obsessed with it's ruination?

I will respond to the first question by saying this. The only station to have McIntire and Paulsen is in Pittsburgh. Their former stations in Pittsburgh are not missing them in any form or capacity. A lot of thinking that either of them will draw like they did on their former stations has gone into both of them being hired. Let the end results be what they will.

As for Opie and Anthony, most of their previous markets (during the afternoon WNEW days) have been very supportive of their return. Notably Philadelphia, Boston, Cleveland and to a lesser degree New York. I'm not saying all of the old markets in which O&A returned have been successful. What I am saying is that they don't fit Pittsburgh, have no connection with the Pittsburgh audience, and the numbers show. If they had past exposure in the market, it could not hurt.

Now to answer your "why do you hate Free FM" line. I worked in another market and the station got flipped to Free FM and it has since flipped to something else. Ever uproot for a job in another part of the country only to find that it didn't last for long? How would you feel if it was you? Actually don't answer that because I really don't care to know how you would feel about it.

Now I got a question for you, Realist. Why is it that every single time somebody has something to post on here that you have a problem with, you find it necessary to be an antagonistic jerk with whoever posted the comment? There are times in which you post items and I agree with you, but then you forget to take your medication or forget to drink your Metamucil and you become a jerk and start insulting everything about another poster. Can you just not live with the fact that everybody is not like you and live with the fact that everybody has their own issues and viewpoints and opinions and feelings about specific topics? Is it so hard for you to do that?

I'm done with this matter, unless you feel the need to cross-examine.

 

[Radio_Realist]

I worked in another market and the station got flipped to Free FM and it has since flipped to something else. Ever uproot for a job in another part of the country only to find that it didn't last for long?

Now your personal hatred of Free FM makes sense.

Why is it that every single time somebody has something to post on here that you have a problem with, you find it necessary to be an antagonistic jerk with whoever posted the comment?

Maybe it's because I'm an antagonistic jerk. Though the truth is, I once was fired by someone who never had an original thought in his entire life. He fired a lot of good people who did have good ideas because he felt threatened by anyone who could do what he couldn't do, which was to actually think of good ideas. Shortly after he fired me and half a dozen other people, he was finally fired himself when management realized that he was wrong and all the people he fired were right. However, they also didn't hire any of us back. So, I have developed a severe antipathy towards anyone who refuses to use any independent thought but who instead simply regurgitates "conventional wisdom" whether it's right or wrong without ever questioning it.

The company I was fired from had nothing to do with radio. But, the more I read in here about the radio industry, and from my own contacts with the radio industry, it seems like the sheep have taken over, and anyone with an original thought or perspective on anything who works in radio will soon be working in a different industry. The only exceptions might be a few small market station owners.

 

[Pratte4Life]

After reading the previous two posts about how Fee and Realist have been wronged I wonder why I love this business as much as I do.

Hell, I've had the same experiences! I guess we can all chalk it up to having a passion that nobody can take away.

Now, Fee. I can't give you the names. But ever since B94 went belly up there has been a sentiment on this board, by more than just Adam Bomb, to revive the format. This goes back to K-Rock.

Your points are valid, Fee. No question.

But I just can't see spending all that money on talent and getting rid of the format quickly to go back to music.

Something else to consider. The Zone is supposed to be "Guy Radio." That means half the potential audience simply will not tune in.

But "Guy Radio" strikes me as being similar to sports radio. Sports radio won't win any ratings battle unless you're WEEI in Boston, but it will specifically target an audience, which will tend to be loyal, and it becomes very appealing to sponsors.

The Zone is rough. But I think it will be around for awhile for those reasons.

 

[Radio_Realist]

After reading the previous two posts about how Fee and Realist have been wronged I wonder why I love this business as much as I do.

Hold on, I never said I was "wronged" by radio. I thought I made it clear that what makes me not suffer fools gladly happened in an industry other than broadcast radio.

The Zone is rough. But I think it will be around for awhile for those reasons.

I agree, but I also think that the Zone could catch on as a "guilty pleasure" for women. Considering how many guys like radio stations designed as "chick radio" (though no one will use that term in public because it's not politically correct), it's not out of line to expect that The Zone will draw more women that most people expect. Many of them will listen just to be able to feel smug and superior about how badly the boys behave, but women have always enjoyed doing that.

I am surprised that there aren't more breweries and auto parts stores advertising on The Zone. But then, I'm still flabbergasted that The Zone isn't being advertised. My take on that has always been that any media outlet that doesn't believe in advertising itself to get listeners (viewers, subscribers, website hits) shouldn't be trusted to advertise my product to their listeners (viewers, subscribers, whatever).

 

[feeball]

Hell, I've had the same experiences! I guess we can all chalk it up to having a passion that nobody can take away.

True.

I am surprised that there aren't more breweries and auto parts stores advertising on The Zone. But then, I'm still flabbergasted that The Zone isn't being advertised. My take on that has always been that any media outlet that doesn't believe in advertising itself to get listeners (viewers, subscribers, website hits) shouldn't be trusted to advertise my product to their listeners (viewers, subscribers, whatever).

I am not 100% certain on this one, but I think there is little to no advertising money for the station. My understanding is that they are still hurting advertising wise from DLR on K Rock. Other stations are also feeling the pain as well and suffer the same issue.

 

[Boss Radio]

I passed a Paulsen billboard daily when the station launched.

 

[Radio_Realist]

I passed a Paulsen billboard daily

As I've said repeatedly, the fact that I haven't seen any ads doesn't prove they don't do any ads, it only proves that I haven't stumbled across any, yet. Where was that Paulsen billboard located?

 

[Sahisko]

There are several Paulsen billboards Realist. The one on top of my head is on Route 65 (Kilbuck Township) as you are headed into the city and right before the proposed Wal Mart site. Though, I wouldn't stop too look at the billboard because the cops in that district make millions by handing out tickets along that stretch for ridiculous reasons.

 

[toddjammin]

On one of the other boards, it said that Dave Dameshek was gone from the zone. It also stated that Kerri Griffith is out at star 100.7. The person did not provide a link and I couldn't find any info on this.

TODD, could you post the link for the other board here or email/message me the link to it. Thanks.

Just sent the link to you by private message.

 

[Parttimer]

what about returning Paulsen to mornings?

I guarantee you he would not do it for any amount of money.

 

[kenhawk1160]

My understanding is that they are still hurting advertising wise from DLR on K Rock. Other stations are also feeling the pain as well and suffer the same issue.

Actually, I forgot all about DLR until you brought him up. If they're hurting, I don't think it's because of him. I think the source of the pain is going through one failed format and perhaps even another if ratings don't pick up by the next book.

 

[Radio_Realist]

If they're hurting, I don't think it's because of him (David Lee Roth).

I believe feeball's point was that Infinity spent their entire advertising budget promoting David Lee Roth's show. The thing is, that was back in 2006. Roth has been gone for over a year. You are correct that the DLR debacle shouldn't have any residual impact on their operations now.

if ratings don't pick up by the next book

The chances of ratings picking up because more listeners accidentally stumble onto the station, or because there's an overwhelming ground swell of word-of-mouth recommendations from the tiny handful of people who have heard the station are pretty much slim and none. If they aren't going to do any serious advertising or promotion, they might as well get it over with and pull the plug now.

 

[kenhawk1160]

If they aren't going to do any serious advertising or promotion, they might as well get it over with and pull the plug now.

Amen to that. The billboards are simply not enough.