Coyote McCloud

[deltas69]

Sure, there are many more Viagra spots on radio than five years ago. Maybe I'm too wacked out, old and too far off the Hikawi reservation..but IF I'M in charge of getting an ad campaign going for Viagra,,or Cialis...which are aimed at the over 55 crowd more or less..I'm using Three Dog Nights song..' "Easy To Be Hard".. : so obvious to me.... ;D

 

[SwissVol2]

NO SWISS..NOT YOU.. im referring to our resident lurker from the west coast..Eduardo..and yes sorry the thread had slipped toward another topic..so..getting back to Coyote..I haven't seen anything about the funeral, a memorial service..or anything related. On the day the news hit the paper.. a big story on a tree that fell over at Cheekwood complete with pic above the fold on the front page..and yet Coyote's demise was relegated to page three or so ..now i will confess..I haven't turned my tv on since the end of football season..so in all fairness I may have missed any news..I wish I had worked with him longer...I'm sure he was a treasure trove of info about all the biz and artists he knew first hand..

Oh ok Delta. I have dropped off some comments about deeper play lists in the past.

I did not know Coyote as many of You all knew Him, but I did meet Him back in 1988. As with most creative People, Coyote seemed to be 10 minutes ahead of everyone else. Highly creative people's minds keep on churning out good things. Coyote seemed to have that creative energy. Ten minutes ahead of most everyone else! Those Youtube videos of Coyote back at WMAK show this perfectly!

 

[Tibbs4]

There was a party at Hard Rock at 2 this afternoon for all that wanted to remember Coyote. His very brief obit was in the paper on Friday or Saturday. I have to say, I highly respect the way Susan (I am guessing) put on the final performance. He was cremated according to the death notice.

 

[Tibbs4]

Settling on just accepting to be #4, #6 or #17 is exactly what is wrong with big corporate radio. And, it's why radio is not what it was. Don't ever settle for it being okay to just land somewhere up close to the top. It's the process that matters.

Sorry, I don't see the lethargy you seem to feel exists. The turnover in PDs during the past year indicates that no one is satisfied with where they are.

Big A ~ Are you aware that there is a definition for LETHARGY that I D0 think applies to those that haven't been top contenders for years? LETHARGY - [adjective] The state or quality of dullness. Bingo.

 

[firepoint525]

Where did I mention South Central?

You didn't. If Cumulus hadn't hired Coyote, he would have been gone from the airwaves a year and a half sooner. I'd say the real blame should go to them for ditching a popular and legendary air personality who could have easily fit in with Jack. That format uses personalities in some of its markets. But South Central was the cheap one who ditched all of the on-air talent. And yet get none of the blame. In fact you & Tibbs seem to be justifying their cheapness.

And so, for the second time in this thread, you claim to know what I am thinking. We don't know that he would have been gone a year and a half sooner. That is just conjecture. But at the same time, I don't know what he could have done at Jack. They still would have had to pay him whatever they were paying him.

You contradict yourself here. On the one hand, you say that they left because they didn't have an audience, then you say that they left because the oldies format "went away," as you put it.

There really isn't a contradiction in the two things you cite. The lack of increased audience at WRQQ is why the format went away. So in fact one thing did lead to another. They didn't bring the WMAK audience with them, despite attempts to do so, and so Cumulus dropped the format. The fact that Cumulus didn't terminate them immediately after the format flip allowed them to attempt to hold on to the audience they had for another 6 months.

Actually it was three months. But the problem is that the oldies format didn't evolve. Yeah, they dropped the '50s doo wop (albeit rather quietly), but where were the late '70s oldies? Only Tom Kent was playing them. If they had simply gradually evolved the oldies format over time, they wouldn't have had to make changes that seemed so stark and sudden, like flipping a switch. I remember listeners commenting on them adding late '70s artists like Peter Frampton. That is what they should have done more of. "Classic hits" stations do that. The "oldies" that many of these stations play now are significantly older than the "oldies" that I heard on the radio as a kid were at the time.

 

[yorkie9]

I haven't seen anything about the funeral, a memorial service..or anything related.

WKRN ran a report earlier. It is here:
http://www.wkrn.com/story/14418624/longtime-radio-personality-coyote-mccloud-remembered?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter[url]]http://www.wkrn.com/story/14418624/longtime-radio-personality-coyote-mccloud-remembered?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

@Y107Tookie on Twitter posted some pics during the event:
http://twitter.com/#!/Y107Tookie[url]]http://twitter.com/#!/Y107Tookie

It's weird to think that Y-107 has been "gone" for 15 years. I was pretty surprised when they blew up the station but I grew up listening to Coyote on KICKS 104 and then Y-107. As I got older, I got tired of the music Y-107 was playing and I was listening to a lot of WSIX. I think that's the big thing that happened - all of the main age group that made the station #1 got older and the popular music of the day left us behind! (I never thought I would end up being a mainly country listener but in the years since I have migrated back and mainly listen to the River and 97.1 now.)

I followed Coyote over to, I think it was 102.5, where he did country in the afternoon and then back to oldies. I would have listened to him regardless of the format. I've said the same thing about Gerry House. True talent transcends the format.

I think that there's a lot of good talent out there today but the industry has changed so much that it would be hard for a DJ to get the kind of popularity today that they did 15 or 20 years ago. iPod's and all of the other technology have really changed everything.

This is all my humble 'outside of the industry looking in opinion' and it might not be worth a shiny penny! ;D

I do know that as we watch people like Gerry retire and we lose people like Coyote we're really watching the end of an era unfold.

 

[Tibbs4]

Very nice yorkie - I know some people in the industry might remember something similar to this, but I remember one day having a conversation with Coyote right as he was going to start the country gig (it was WZPC -Power Country aka PC103). It was seriously an innocent question:

"Do you think people that listen to country music will listen to me? I'm not sure many of them will know who I am."

The true definition of real!

 

[yorkie9]

But the problem is that the oldies format didn't evolve. Yeah, they dropped the '50s doo wop (albeit rather quietly), but where were the late '70s oldies? Only Tom Kent was playing them. If they had simply gradually evolved the oldies format over time, they wouldn't have had to make changes that seemed so stark and sudden, like flipping a switch. I remember listeners commenting on them adding late '70s artists like Peter Frampton. That is what they should have done more of. "Classic hits" stations do that. The "oldies" that many of these stations play now are significantly older than the "oldies" that I heard on the radio as a kid were at the time.

These are good points (not to take away from Coyote's thread). Just think, the first Eagles hits will be 40 years old next year and I still hear them in Applebees and other places mixed in with the new songs. In '85, an oldie would have been maybe 30 years old at tops but most oldies stations focused on the sixties (only 20 to 25 years old).

Looking back at 96.3, they did not adapt at all. They rarely played anything "newer" than the early 70's. Like what I posted about us all getting left behind by the "new" popular music in '96, Oldies 96.3 ignored a lot of the late 70's and even early 80's music that they could have capitalized on. They could have gotten some of the old Y-107 crowd if they had dropped in some late 70's / early '80's when Y-107 blew up in '96!!

I will never forget one morning on the House Foundation, maybe 7 or 8 years ago, when Gerry was complaining about having to play the same songs over and over. Mike Bohan said something like, "Well, it could be worse. Think about what Coyote goes through. They're not making any new oldies!" As far as 96.3 was concerned, he was absolutely right!!

I do think if 97.1 was as well programmed back when Coyote and Cathy ended up there as it is today, you would see them do much better ratings-wise. I would love to have them on there now instead of Bob & Tom!

 

[yorkie9]

One last post before I give up for the night - Mike Bohan just posted a video from the tribute/party today of Scott Shannon talking about Coyote. If you don't tear up a bit listening to this, you must not be human. It says it all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8qqZiwo3cw&feature=uploademail

 

[firepoint525]

These are good points (not to take away from Coyote's thread). Just think, the first Eagles hits will be 40 years old next year and I still hear them in Applebees and other places mixed in with the new songs. In '85, an oldie would have been maybe 30 years old at tops but most oldies stations focused on the sixties (only 20 to 25 years old).
Looking back at 96.3, they did not adapt at all. They rarely played anything "newer" than the early 70's. Like what I posted about us all getting left behind by the "new" popular music in '96, Oldies 96.3 ignored a lot of the late 70's and even early 80's music that they could have capitalized on. They could have gotten some of the old Y-107 crowd if they had dropped in some late 70's / early '80's when Y-107 blew up in '96!!

They occasionally played a few "outliers," but those were later hits by artists that they were already playing, like "December 1963" from the 4 Seasons (1976) and "Kokomo" by the Beach Boys (1988).

I will never forget one morning on the House Foundation, maybe 7 or 8 years ago, when Gerry was complaining about having to play the same songs over and over. Mike Bohan said something like, "Well, it could be worse. Think about what Coyote goes through. They're not making any new oldies!" As far as 96.3 was concerned, he was absolutely right!!

Well, not "new" oldies," of course, but they could certainly have rotated out the ones that they were playing (add newer ones, and gradually drop older ones).

 

[hamiltonsfolly]

One last post before I give up for the night - Mike Bohan just posted a video from the tribute/party today of Scott Shannon talking about Coyote. If you don't tear up a bit listening to this, you must not be human. It says it all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8qqZiwo3cw&feature=uploademail

I was able to drop by the tribute for about an hour; Shannon's words were perfect. And though there was an obvious air of melancholy, smiles and laughter was everywhere. What better way to remember a gem such as Mr. McCloud........

 

[Radio456]

Oldies 96.3 was ranked #3 in the market (Adults 25-54) when the decision was made to blow up the format. It had been as high as #2 and was nominated for R&R's "Station of the Year" in 2004. The audience wasn't dwindling and in fact the station was getting stronger. The strategic plan was to morph it into a classic hits format...then the JACK format came onto the scene.

It was a well known fact that SOMEONE in the market was going to jump on the JACK format so SC jumped first. There was no choice to keep the personalities because at that time that was the unique factor of JACK.

I wouldn't classify SC as going the "cheap" route, because once they paid the licensing fees, marketing, and the "JACK" voice talent, it all ended up costing about the same.

I think the biggest mistake Cumulus made was throwing the format on too quickly. They were very choppy and the music flow and imaging was bad. They ended up sounding like a cheap imitation for the oldies fans who wanted to make the switch.

Coyote and Cathy and Bobby Knight all sounded great, but didn't have much to work with.

 

[TheBigA]

There was no choice to keep the personalities because at that time that was the unique factor of JACK.

Then why did Jack stations in LA and other places use DJs? Clearly there were options and opportunities to do other things. But everyone knows that SparkNet's consultant for Jack is based in Nashville, and he was personally very involved in running it on 96.3, and he wasn't going to allow basically his flagship station diverge from the playbook. So Coyote and the rest of the staff got the boot.

 

[firepoint525]

Oldies 96.3 was ranked #3 in the market (Adults 25-54) when the decision was made to blow up the format. It had been as high as #2 and was nominated for R&R's "Station of the Year" in 2004. The audience wasn't dwindling and in fact the station was getting stronger. The strategic plan was to morph it into a classic hits format...then the JACK format came onto the scene.

That would have gotten my vote.

I think the biggest mistake Cumulus made was throwing the format on too quickly. They were very choppy and the music flow and imaging was bad. They ended up sounding like a cheap imitation for the oldies fans who wanted to make the switch.

They spent money on marketing and "stuff," some of which I still have, but merely throwing money at a station won't make it better. Their plastic, one-color license plate was just a cheap imitation of the iconic Oldies 96.3 metal plate, which I still occasionally see on the fronts of cars in this area. Only the old Rock 103 plate of Memphis was better!

I like that 97.1 did a Beatles A to Y weekend on Memorial Day weekend in 2005, literally only mere weeks after adopting the format. They even tossed in Beatles solo stuff to give it more of a '70s feel! Good move! 8) It was great hearing "Let It Be" and "Listen to What the Man Said" back-to-back. I was hoping that it would become a yearly tradition, but they didn't repeat it the next year! :'( And by 2007, they had flipped again.

I also liked that they sponsored area 5K and 10K races, and probably other events that I was not even aware of.

 

[SwissVol2]

Oldies 96.3 was ranked #3 in the market (Adults 25-54) when the decision was made to blow up the format. It had been as high as #2 and was nominated for R&R's "Station of the Year" in 2004. The audience wasn't dwindling and in fact the station was getting stronger. The strategic plan was to morph it into a classic hits format...then the JACK format came onto the scene.

That would have gotten my vote.

I think the biggest mistake Cumulus made was throwing the format on too quickly. They were very choppy and the music flow and imaging was bad. They ended up sounding like a cheap imitation for the oldies fans who wanted to make the switch.

They spent money on marketing and "stuff," some of which I still have, but merely throwing money at a station won't make it better. Their plastic, one-color license plate was just a cheap imitation of the iconic Oldies 96.3 metal plate, which I still occasionally see on the fronts of cars in this area. Only the old Rock 103 plate of Memphis was better!

I like that 97.1 did a Beatles A to Y weekend on Memorial Day weekend in 2005, literally only mere weeks after adopting the format. They even tossed in Beatles solo stuff to give it more of a '70s feel! Good move! 8) It was great hearing "Let It Be" and "Listen to What the Man Said" back-to-back. I was hoping that it would become a yearly tradition, but they didn't repeat it the next year! :'( And by 2007, they had flipped again.

I also liked that they sponsored area 5K and 10K races, and probably other events that I was not even aware of.

I was unaware that 97.1 had done the Beatles A-Z. Some call that speciality programing and such, but I call that just good solid programing.

Another thing 97.1 did about 3-4 years ago that I dearly loved was the "Deep Tracks: Sunday evenings with Jake Wilde ( I think that was the Guy's name who did the show). It was wonderful. Jake new his Deep cuts as well as anyone, especially for someone who was not an aging long haired ex Hippie old Fart such as Me. LOL I remember thinking, Wow man ( I still say that 8)) 97.1 is doing this. I could not believe that wonderful program was coming from 97.1. This show was living proof that this kind of rock radio should be looked into again.

I can not remember who it was I spoke with up at 97.1 (Probably Jake) but He told Me the show could have made some bigger ratings had it been given the time to grow.

There I go again talking about "Deeper play lists" but that show was absolutely fun to listen to. Very enjoyable! It is always enjoyable when you hear something you have not heard on a regular basis!

 

[Radio456]

Then why did Jack stations in LA and other places use DJs? Clearly there were options and opportunities to do other things.

JACK in LA has never used djs. Other JACK stations have tried it with varying degrees of success. The point is at that time the "playing what we want" "no dj's" position was vastly different from the ultra-tight, overly conservative playlists that everyone was using regardless of format.

It was all about image and the clutter free, limited commercials, no dj's position was fresh and exciting.

The truth is JACK runs just as tight a playlist--but the format can choose from 4 other formats to make the playlist bigger. JACK plays very little that can't be heard on other stations in town.

 

[JustinT]

Then why did Jack stations in LA and other places use DJs?

The only two Jack stations that I know of that have used DJs are KFMB/San Diego and WJMK/Chicago. Chicago ran a very talk-heavy show in mornings with a heritage personality; the show flopped, and the station is no longer Jack. San Diego kept the pre-flip morning show when it became Jack; they've been through a few morning shows since, and I believe that they have an afternoon personality now, too. Overall, the adult hits stations that have personalities are almost exclusively the knock-offs ("The Arch" in St. Louis, coming soon to "Mike" in Boston).

 

[firepoint525]

Another thing 97.1 did about 3-4 years ago that I dearly loved was the "Deep Tracks: Sunday evenings with Jake Wilde ( I think that was the Guy's name who did the show). It was wonderful. Jake new his Deep cuts as well as anyone, especially for someone who was not an aging long haired ex Hippie old Fart such as Me. LOL I remember thinking, Wow man ( I still say that 8)) 97.1 is doing this. I could not believe that wonderful program was coming from 97.1. This show was living proof that this kind of rock radio should be looked into again.

Was that similar to Retro Lightning on Lightning 100? I am a regular listener to Retro Lightning, and there must be a demand for the program, because it is still on, and still sponsored!

Then why did Jack stations in LA and other places use DJs? Clearly there were options and opportunities to do other things.
JACK in LA has never used djs. Other JACK stations have tried it with varying degrees of success. The point is at that time the "playing what we want" "no dj's" position was vastly different from the ultra-tight, overly conservative playlists that everyone was using regardless of format.
It was all about image and the clutter free, limited commercials, no dj's position was fresh and exciting.
The truth is JACK runs just as tight a playlist--but the format can choose from 4 other formats to make the playlist bigger. JACK plays very little that can't be heard on other stations in town.

Then why did Jack stations in LA and other places use DJs?

The only two Jack stations that I know of that have used DJs are KFMB/San Diego and WJMK/Chicago. Chicago ran a very talk-heavy show in mornings with a heritage personality; the show flopped, and the station is no longer Jack. San Diego kept the pre-flip morning show when it became Jack; they've been through a few morning shows since, and I believe that they have an afternoon personality now, too. Overall, the adult hits stations that have personalities are almost exclusively the knock-offs ("The Arch" in St. Louis, coming soon to "Mike" in Boston).

The only time that Jack in Nashville ever used a dj (that I'm aware of) was when they aired a specialty program hosted by Colin Hay, formerly of Men at Work. And that was just a one-time deal.

And it is not often publicized, but when severe weather hits, WKRN also simulcasts their weather coverage over Jack. It's well-known that they use Mix 92.9 for radio coverage of bad weather, but less well-known they also simulcast over Jack.

 

[Tibbs4]

It is interesting that the two top rated stations in Nashville are not lethargic and actually try to provide good weather related information, be it Channel 2 or continually updated info that is LIVE and current. It's a smart move that is a win-win. A few other stations provide some weather updates, but few, if any others, at that level. I would think Jack Shell at WKDFwas giving live updates or airing Channel 5. I do have to say the National Weather Service updates that interrupt TV and radio seem to be sounding worse and take forever after the crappy sounding tones that drag on, followed by dead air. In an actual event of an emergency, I wonder if people will get hurt or even die trying to understand what the hell "that voice" is trying to say instead of getting to a safe place. Unreal.

 

[SwissVol2]

>><<Was that similar to Retro Lightning on Lightning 100? I am a regular listener to Retro Lightning, and there must be a demand for the program, because it is still on, and still sponsored<<>>

Yeah, there are some similarities. The host on WRLT will pick a certain year (say 1970) and play from some some of the top rock albums from that year! The WRLT show has been around for more than 10 years I know, probably closer to 15 years.

The 97.1 show never had much of a chance to get off the ground. I think 97.1 was classic Hits during the week. The Sunday night show just surprised me. I was scanning across the dial (Looking for that mystic, long gone rock station of days gone by) when I heard Spanish Caravan by The Doors. I went WTH??? Jake would play a couple of songs, then make some comments about the tune. Instead of mixing a long set of tunes, He would make comments after 2 songs and then intro another tune. It worked really well!

Then I heard Perfect Water by Blue Oyster Cult. I listen to the WRLT show and I think the host of that show posts in this forum. I hope He will comment on His show also. It is a fine show that deserves some comments!