• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Cox changes?

R

radiodork

Maybe it has something to do with the consultants, or something weird is happening at Cox. Observations from the past couple of weeks:

101.5: Jeff Callahan (Nick Sanders) is gone. New, mysterious voices have popped up in different dayparts including weekends. Yet none of these voices does anything more than a time check (which sounds silly since they're voice-tracked and are two or three minutes off the actual time). Actually heard Sugar Ray's "Every Morning" a few nights ago (a song from 1998!).

107.3: Heard Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven" this morning. Also heard Bon Jovi's "Dead or Alive" a few days ago.

102.5: Heard Pearl Jam, Metallica, Collective Soul, and Nirvana recently. Sounds odd, yet somehow it works.

It's nice to (finally!) hear some changes in programming at these three very stale stations. But does it really make them stand out above every other station playing the exact same songs? I don't think so. And unfortunately for Cox, I don't have an Arbitron diary :)
 
Well you gotta give a tiny bit of credit to Cox. For at least TRYING something new. Maybe, something more is coming? I highly doubt it, but props to Cox for trying something new.
 
I was meaning to ask about 101.5 when I saw this thread. I applied for a gig there about 4 or 5 years ago. Were Corey Dylan and Jeff Callahan the only live jocks they've ever had on the air there?
 
robmadden1 said:
They are now playing Stone Temple Pilots on 102.5 whats going on here? I don't concider that classic rock.
Click to expand...

Their album, "Core" is fifteen years old now and spawned a bunch of rock hits. Sounds classic to me!

I like the "new" music a lot, but I have to question some of their segue choices. Metallica into "Hotel California"??? Phew...that one stinks! Their playlist must be tighter than ever because I've heard that same segue several times over the past few weeks. Same with "Stairway" into Def Leppard's "Animal"

And what's up with mid-days at 102-5? Looks like Stacey is gone, because the afternoon traffic girl has been on mid-days the last couple of weeks, then sticking around to do traffic (Cox killing two birds with one cheap stone? Sounds terrible.). But for the past couple of days there's been nobody at all on mid-days. I'd rather hear the cheap alternative than nothing at all.
 
Don't forget that WDUV is a Cox station as well and I noticed, scanning the dial last week, that even the "Dove", WDUV, had some comtemporary music that I don't think they would have been playing several months ago. I don't generally listen to them (too sanitized and automated) but sometimes I become a captive audience to them and I was surprised to hear some rock mixed in with the soft rock and standards that 105.5 is known for.

drt
 
From the Headlines in Radio and Records

After 13 years with Cox Radio/Tampa, PD Nick Sanders is leaving '80s hits WPOI (the Point)/Tampa at the end of the month as his position is eliminated.

Sanders' other notable career stops, all in Florida, include PD of clustermate WCOF (Coast 107.3), PD of WOMX/Orlando, nights on WAPE/Jacksonville and afternoons on the late WHLY (Y-106)/Orlando.

Sanders can be reached at 727-409-5406 (cell) or 813-925-8524 (home).
 
Nick is an outstanding dude, and his dismissal is disturbing on many fronts inside of Cox radio. They say if you stay loyal and follow the plan you're pretty much bullet proof, but this move proves that is just so much oral fluff. Nick is a really smart dude who "gets it", and some other company will reap the benefits of his skills. Best of luck Nick, you've got people pullin for ya :)
 
I too noticed the changes recently... something big must be on the way!
 
drt said: I noticed, scanning the dial last week, that even the "Dove", WDUV, had some comtemporary music that I don't think they would have been playing several months ago.

During the years WGUL played the Music of Your Life, they offered competition to WDUV among listeners who liked music of the 1940s-60s. Now that WGUL is no longer playing music, my guess is that WDUV does not feel that it has any competition for that demographic group. In other words, it can program more contemporary music without fear of losing that demographic, which has nowhere else to turn but to WDUV.

However, some people (like myself), have more or less stopped listening to radio, except occasionally in the car. Thank goodness for CDs!
 
sbe1 posted:

"Yeah, but look what happened when CC put geezer music on two of its Sarasota AM's "

What has happened?

Inquiring minds want to know! :)

I know ClearChannel can't have much overhead between the two stations (WDDV-1320-Venice and WSVD-1450-Sarasota) both being totally automated.

I know that from about downtown Sarasota south to Venice, they don't have to worry about WDUV-105.5; with WDUV's tower being in Pasco county(Holiday) and half the power they had years ago, their signal starts getting shaky with interference from the 105.5 in the Ft Myers/Naples area once you get south of the Ringling Museum.
 
Does anybody think they understand why COX allows its stations to stagnate in Tampa Bay? Moreover, why does B98.5 and WFLC have jingles and sound live ( maybe VT'ed) while the stations in Tampa Bay are mostly jukeboxes with no voices, no jingles, and the same tired voice overs. It seems to be successful on the DOVE, but the Eagle? Why is 97X not moved? WRBQ sounds so much better with the same music that I find it pathetic that Cox seems to care so little for any creativity or personality. DOVE music would be so much better with old time MOR personalities. Any thoughts and does anybody really care any more?
 
John Waywoods said:
Actually, I am good with the presentation. I just wish COX would change 107.3 to a World Class Rock format.
Click to expand...

I liked when they were "107.3 The Bay" but they only gave it like 2 or 3 years. Why did they kill that format so quick while "The Bone" has been at the bottom of the pack for about 9 years now?

Am I the only one that would like to see 102.5 and 94.9 switch frequencies... then we would have Magic on 102.5 and the classic rock format on 94.9 and call it.... 95ynf!

As for WDUV, they need to hire Dave Harrell to program and jock.
 
In a previous post, someone said

Does anybody think they understand why COX allows its stations to stagnate in Tampa Bay? Moreover, why does B98.5 and WFLC have jingles and sound live ( maybe VT'ed) while the stations in Tampa Bay are mostly jukeboxes with no voices, no jingles, and the same tired voice overs.


RADIO IS STAGNANT AND UNCOMPELLING EVERYWHERE. LISTENERSHIP AND REVENUES ARE DOWN AGAIN FOR THE WHOLE BUSINESS. EVERYONE OF THESE CORPORATE POWER WHORES
ARE OPERATING FROM A ONE PAGE HANDBOOK THAT IS TOTALLY VOID OF INNOVATION.
THEY ARE ALL IN DENIAL THAT THEY ARE THE SOLE CULPRITS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR SLOW DEMISE.
MR.MAYS CONSIDERS ADVERTISING TO BE HIS PRODUCT SO GO FIGURE WHY THERE IS LITTLE RESPECT FOR THE GOOD PEOPLE WHO "FILL SPACE" BETWEEN THE SPOTS. EVERYTHING IS EXPENDABLE RIGHT UP TO THE BOTTOM LINE. P.D.S HAVE BECOME DATA ENTRY YES MEN AND EVERYONE LIVES IN A STATE OF FEAR THAT HIS/HER JOB WILL BE ON THE LINE NEXT.

THERE IS NOTHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO BECAUSE RADIO IS NOW JUST 'WHEEL OF FORTUNE'. AND SOMEONE SAID IT EARLIER BUT IT IS TRUE...THE MORE TALENTED YOU ARE, THE MORE VULNERABLE YOU ARE. THIS MEANS THAT IF YOU GET RESULTS WHICH MEANS YOU EXPECT MORE MONEY.

THE CONGLOMS LOVE NAIVE, CHEAP, GREEN, GOOD, AND LOYAL. SO IF YOU CAN SURVIVE WITH JUST YOUR EGO BEING FED, NOT YOUR FACE, AND WILL FOLLOW THE ONE-PAGE HOW-TO RADIO PROGRAMMING HANDBOOK, THEN YOU MIGHT HAVE A CHANCE OF SURVIVING ONE MORE CHRISTMAS.

LOOK AT THE SOME OF THE LEGENDARY NAMES THAT ARE ON THE BENCH TODAY. JACKSON ARMSTRONG, FRED WINSTON, CHUCK BUELL, BOB DEARBORN, SCOTTY BRINK AND EVEN TAMPA'S HIGHEST MORNING DRIVE SCORER OF ALL TIME, CLEVELAND WHEELER.

YOU'D THINK THAT THE BIG TIME PLAYERS WOULD BE SCOOPING THEM ALL UP AND MAKE GREAT AND EFFECTIVE RADIO. NO, THESE CORPORATE RADIO GUYS FASHION THEMSELVES AS LORDS OF A DOMINION...BUT WE SEE WHO THEY REALLY ARE BY THE WAY THEY RUN THE SHOW, TREAT THE PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR THEM, AND GIVE THE LISTENERS NOTHING.

BEYOND THE ABILITY TO CHANGE FORMATS WHEN THEIR FIRST IDEA DIDN'T WORK, CHANGE NAMES AND FREQUENCIES, MANIPULATE TO BRING IN THE BUDGETS, AND LOBBY FOR A LARGER PIECE OF THE PIE TO POISON, CURRENT CONGLOMERATE RADIO OPERATORS ARE INEFFECTUAL
AT CREATING LITTLE MORE THAN MEDIOCRITY.

A ONCE GREAT BUSINESS, IT IS NOW REGARDED AS THE DRECK OF MEDIA. AS I LIKE TO SAY, THE ONLY DISTINCTION BETWEEN RADIO AND FAST FOOD IS THAT RADIO PEOPLE ARE NOT REQUIRED TO WEAR PAPER HATS YET.

MAMA DON'T LET YOUR BABIES GROW UP TO BE DEE JAYS.
 
Wow-- hard to disagree with what "radioatlantis" says. When I got into radio, that was 1978 or thereabouts, stations chose their own music and any good MD would check out the LP and hope to break the "next big single." DJ's were hired for their knowledge of music and creativity. Back then, formats were more defined: most cities had the "Top 40" station, "Country" station, "Rock" station, etc. There was less cross-over of music, you knew which station played what sort of music. Now, everything is blurred, creativity's gone down the gurgler and stations pretty much sound the same everywhere.

In Australia, it's getting to be the same, with voice tracking, etc. In fact, maybe it's even worse over here. A couple of colleagues keep telling me the "best radio in the world comes from America." So, while I lament the demise of how radio "used to be"-- it could probably get even worse (shudder the thought).
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom