Call me naive, but I thought Dan Neaverth (Sr.) would have surfaced by now somewhere on the AM or FM band. How can a guy with such name recognition just disappear from the airwaves. Sure, he's doing a few info-mercials and cemetary commercials, but other than that, nothing. Is it because he's had his fill of radio or because station owners and managers can't afford him? And while I'm on the topic, why is it that Dan didn't get a gracious send-off from WWKB just before the station switched formats from oldies to progressive talk? Is it because Entercom didn't trust him to go out with class or because Entercom had no class? Tom Shannon got a big send-off when he left the daily airwaves. But Dan Neaverth, arguably a much better known personality with far more years of service in Buffalo radio, received nothing but the door hitting him on the butt. This is very strange. He deserved better.
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Dan Neaverth
- Thread starter SpareChange
- Start date
Probably one of the most consistant entertainers in radio. Very Buffalo......
Yes he deserved better for all his years in Buffalo radio.
You have to wonder, what station would he go to? It would likely be a morning show, by all accounts Danny doesn't need the money. Getting up at 4:30am gets old especially in the winter!
Something like WJJL would be a big step down.
Whatever Danny is doing I hope he's enjoying himself.
Yes he deserved better for all his years in Buffalo radio.
You have to wonder, what station would he go to? It would likely be a morning show, by all accounts Danny doesn't need the money. Getting up at 4:30am gets old especially in the winter!
Something like WJJL would be a big step down.
Whatever Danny is doing I hope he's enjoying himself.
As if it needed to be said, radio is a business and it didn't serve the business to celebrate the outgoing format (or practicioners of said format). That is commonplace. Sure it would've been nice, but all you need to do is look back to see how a certain NBA team "celebrated" the final retirement of the best player to ever step on a court, Michael Jordan.
Sometimes if you stay around long enough, you end up not going out with a bang.
Sometimes if you stay around long enough, you end up not going out with a bang.
M
MikeRadknowski
Guest
The irony of this thread is, thirty years ago Buffalo was tuned to WKBW during the blizzard of '77 and Dan Neaverth was a major part of that station's storm coverage. Thirty years ago, his was the voice heard by most Western New Yorkers who sought information, guidance and some comic relief. (Note to Dr. Bob: While WBEN and WGR did some good things, it was KB that really sealed the deal with its coverage, its attitude and the big 50 kW signal.)
It's kind of sad that Danny went out the way he did, although the word is he hastened his own exit from WHTT. After his son and daughter-in-law were terminated, his bargaining position was diminished and his attiutude hardened. Yet, it's not hard to understand a man standing up for his family and his principles.
The quick switch of formats at WWKB didn't give a chance to say "so long," that's for sure.
As to getting up at 4:30 a.m., he probably doesn't miss that, but he might very well miss the routine of being the first voice many listeners heard on their radios every morning, and the ego rush it brings.
Working at WJJL would be foolish. OWNING it, however, might be more accomodating. Don't expect that to happen. It would be a fool's errand. The station is worth far less than its present owners think it is. The clock is ticking on AM radio, especially daytimers and especially stations that are hanging on by the thinnest of threads.
Yet, after all is said and done and the keyboard pundits here have our say, wouldn't it be nice to have the OPTION of hearing Neaverth in the morning (without the encumberances that accompanied him the last five years) on the radio again. A creative programmer or manager might set up a small studio in Dan's home with a T-1 & modem and let him do the show from there with a board-op or producer at the studio. There might not even be a need for a board-op. With Prophet and Audio Vault, the system could be controlled from his home using a mouse or keyboard.
WECK? Oldies? Standards? Thirty years after the blizzard of 77, we're still talking... and writing about it.
It's kind of sad that Danny went out the way he did, although the word is he hastened his own exit from WHTT. After his son and daughter-in-law were terminated, his bargaining position was diminished and his attiutude hardened. Yet, it's not hard to understand a man standing up for his family and his principles.
The quick switch of formats at WWKB didn't give a chance to say "so long," that's for sure.
As to getting up at 4:30 a.m., he probably doesn't miss that, but he might very well miss the routine of being the first voice many listeners heard on their radios every morning, and the ego rush it brings.
Working at WJJL would be foolish. OWNING it, however, might be more accomodating. Don't expect that to happen. It would be a fool's errand. The station is worth far less than its present owners think it is. The clock is ticking on AM radio, especially daytimers and especially stations that are hanging on by the thinnest of threads.
Yet, after all is said and done and the keyboard pundits here have our say, wouldn't it be nice to have the OPTION of hearing Neaverth in the morning (without the encumberances that accompanied him the last five years) on the radio again. A creative programmer or manager might set up a small studio in Dan's home with a T-1 & modem and let him do the show from there with a board-op or producer at the studio. There might not even be a need for a board-op. With Prophet and Audio Vault, the system could be controlled from his home using a mouse or keyboard.
WECK? Oldies? Standards? Thirty years after the blizzard of 77, we're still talking... and writing about it.
Perhaps he could buy WJJL? There's a step up...?
G
gasman
Guest
It really shouldn't surprise anyone that Danny hasn't resurfaced...where's he gonna go? Frankly, given his age, he can really only do oldies...or maybe talk. Unfortunately, his name recognition isn't all that marketable anymore. Not for the younger crowd that radio wants. The oldies format as Danny knew it is gone. The "new" oldies format, like or not boomers, is 80's. His act wouldn't work with that...its hard enough listening to Harv Moore trying to do it, as much as I like him. I see no options on the FM dial...and only a few AM possibilities with format changes. I think Entercom screwed up by not giving KB more time...especially since CBS Radio changed WECK to classic country. Many radio nostalgists here frequently criticized KB's 'revival'. I for one enjoyed it. And, now its gone. Of course it didn't compare to the old days but there were some shreds of the past there and I really loved the old jingles, IDS, promos and such. Perhaps if Tom Donohue or someone other than Nevins programmed it, someone with more of a history there,....it would have been better. But Hank probably did the best he could with the limited budget he had. Anyway, I'd like to hear Danny again...anywhere. I wish they would drop that left channel crap on KB and go back to where they left off. Even Stan Roberts could take a shift since he is selling time for KB anyway.
B
Bob1370
Guest
Often wondered why Danny didn't try to make the transition to talk. Other personalities have thrived by making that move--case in point, Sandy Beach, who really has found his game with the show he's doing now.
No disrespect to the current crew, but if Danny were brought in as a morning co-host on WBEN he'd bring an extra level of energy to the show and could take it in different directions that it can't go now--and whatever the calendar says about his age, I think because of his energy his approach would bring in more late boomers and 30-somethings to the core audience for the station. (I think 'BEN made a mistake by letting Bill Lacy go six years ago, and while they can't undo that error now, they can accomplish the same thing by bringing Danny into the morning mix.)
No disrespect to the current crew, but if Danny were brought in as a morning co-host on WBEN he'd bring an extra level of energy to the show and could take it in different directions that it can't go now--and whatever the calendar says about his age, I think because of his energy his approach would bring in more late boomers and 30-somethings to the core audience for the station. (I think 'BEN made a mistake by letting Bill Lacy go six years ago, and while they can't undo that error now, they can accomplish the same thing by bringing Danny into the morning mix.)
Bottom Line
If you've seen the Fall '07 numbers, you'll know why WBEN won't add Danny to the morning show. Why should they spend any more money there? Will it mean enough more income to even pay his salary? I doubt it.
Remember, it's not about good radio. It's about the bottom line.
If you've seen the Fall '07 numbers, you'll know why WBEN won't add Danny to the morning show. Why should they spend any more money there? Will it mean enough more income to even pay his salary? I doubt it.
Remember, it's not about good radio. It's about the bottom line.
I'd love to hear Danny do a talk show...although more in the style of Joey Reynolds than Sandy Beach. I think Dan would shine in that venue.
As far as music-themed morning shows go, why couldn't he do AM drive on an A/C station that skews 35+ ? I think his style and the fact that he is a staple of the market would be invaluable to any station with that format who wanted him. Of course Danny would have to [/b]want[/b] to do that and go back to living the morning man life style...
Also...why would Entercom do a farewell show for Danny? They didn't switch formats with any ballyhoo. They didn't have any audience to speak of and therefore couldn't translate it into promotion gold (I'm not sure Entercom is capable of translating anything into PR gold, actually). As far as Tommy Shannon goes, he was retiring from broadcasting, which warranted a big farewell. Danny was just being let go (along with most of the rest of the air staff). It happens every day. Why would Entercom make a big deal over a format that failed?
As far as music-themed morning shows go, why couldn't he do AM drive on an A/C station that skews 35+ ? I think his style and the fact that he is a staple of the market would be invaluable to any station with that format who wanted him. Of course Danny would have to [/b]want[/b] to do that and go back to living the morning man life style...
Also...why would Entercom do a farewell show for Danny? They didn't switch formats with any ballyhoo. They didn't have any audience to speak of and therefore couldn't translate it into promotion gold (I'm not sure Entercom is capable of translating anything into PR gold, actually). As far as Tommy Shannon goes, he was retiring from broadcasting, which warranted a big farewell. Danny was just being let go (along with most of the rest of the air staff). It happens every day. Why would Entercom make a big deal over a format that failed?
Bob1370 said:
What, down?
So much for your practical, not to mention fiscal, programming sense. Stations typically bring in a "market name" to enhance ratings. What is the upside for 'BEN to do that at this point? Also, the talk format's biggest concern these days is to bring in younger demos--not find new ways to attract the 55+ crowd.
You know I get so tired of hearing that 55+ audience isn't worth going after. Stations used to make money with that demographic. The problem is now that's just not enough.
You would think that the geezers would rate at least one radio station....Like KB is doing so well with what they have now?
Sounds like station owners need to read "Who Moved My Cheese".
You would think that the geezers would rate at least one radio station....Like KB is doing so well with what they have now?
Sounds like station owners need to read "Who Moved My Cheese".
Mike Sheridan said:
Hey watch the "geezer" remark. I turn 55 this year. ;D
But you are so correct. I wish someone would program a station for my listening tastes. Hey I got money in the bank and can afford to buy products. You think my 20-something kids have cash? Hell no! They come to good old Dad for their dough. Besides they don't even listen to the radio anymore.
And at least one station could make money doing it now, if only they'd have the fortitude to hire established sales reps who understood the nuances of selling 50+ demos.Mike Sheridan said:
But noooooo (to quote Steve Martin), it's easier to hire a newbee or a greenbee and throw him/her to the wolves. If he/she doesn't pan out after six months... oh well, the colleges are churning out 21 and 22 year olds every six months who are looking for some money before they go on to get their Masters, MBA's or MFA's.
I read that book and thought half of it was a crock of spit. The other 25% was useful, especially if you were under 30 and didn't have the real life experience to have learned those lessons in the real world. The remaining 25% was a business re-hash of "Adapt or perish" - The Origin Of Species, Charles Darwin.
Am I wrong or do radio stations prefer not having four or five strong billers cornering the market (as might be the case with 50+ sellers.) It seems they'd prefer to have a stable of low and moderate billers on whom they can exert equal pressure and incentives to sell.
Ideally, stations would like to have a stable of equally high billers, but that's pie in the sky. Account lists get shuffled and commission structures get modified for any number of reasons, the primary being "the house always wins."
If you had a good (key word, "good") 50+ product on a strong signal AM station and "mature," knowledgeable sales personnel to sell it, the station and the sales reps would do well.
Sorry, but KB as an oldies station was NOT a good station. It was totally mis-cast... kind of like a "Moon For The Misbegotten" (-Eugene O'Neill.) A more intuitive PD might have had Danny doing 6-9 a.m.; Donahue 9-noon; Tom Schuh noon-3; Berns 3-6; Armstrong voicetracking 6-10 p.m. and a voice-tracked "Backseat Oldies" show from 10 p.m.- 1 a.m.
But what the hell do I know! I paint houses and throw mud on walls.
A guy with a handle that's either Flourine, a section of the Third Class Operators Exam or the number representing the sky to mystics and sorcerers (element 6 being the earth, as recalled in Jimi Hendrix' "If 6 Were 9") says my posts are too long.
Plus, I'm on record as saying AM has ten years and the clock has been ticking for at least two years now.
Your turn.
Mike Sheridan said:
Well put. WECK was billing $1 million and they pulled the plug and what ratings they had......for classic country??
ThePickleReport said:
(sarcasm) Hey, they had to protect the "Big Stick". After all, they were under attack from WXRL, and Classic Country on a 50,000 AM like KB would really put pressure on WYRK, right? (/sarcasm)
Mark_Giardina said:
Hey right with ya young man ;D I will hit double nickels in September of this year and AARP is hot on my trail.
I get so tired of hearing how agencies don't want our age group when we are bigger users of radio than the kids are.
Gee I guess I'm lucky (?) at my age they still let me on the radio, (just part-time which is okay with me, wouldn't want to do it full time).
Radknowski
We have all probably beat this horse to death but I agree with what you said and I enjoy reading your posts.
Do they have sales people that sell for a single station or do they rep the entire cluster? If they can sell the entire cluster then it's easy to see that a sales person who depends on commissions would rather sell an $80 spot on WBEN rather than a $20 spot on KB when it might be a harder sell to boot.
If they have sales people that sell for a single station I can see that the cream of the crop would want to be on the sales staff of the higher rated station that was an easier sale.
The programming on KB when it was oldies could have been better. Live jocks in all dayparts or at least a jock would have been better than just automation. But worse than the programming were the commercial accounts. Think KB can't get the word out? Sell something to the huge untapped night time audience with an 800 number.
I think the clock is ticking for both AM and FM.
We have all probably beat this horse to death but I agree with what you said and I enjoy reading your posts.
Do they have sales people that sell for a single station or do they rep the entire cluster? If they can sell the entire cluster then it's easy to see that a sales person who depends on commissions would rather sell an $80 spot on WBEN rather than a $20 spot on KB when it might be a harder sell to boot.
If they have sales people that sell for a single station I can see that the cream of the crop would want to be on the sales staff of the higher rated station that was an easier sale.
The programming on KB when it was oldies could have been better. Live jocks in all dayparts or at least a jock would have been better than just automation. But worse than the programming were the commercial accounts. Think KB can't get the word out? Sell something to the huge untapped night time audience with an 800 number.
I think the clock is ticking for both AM and FM.
B
Bob1370
Guest
"Stations typically bring in a "market name" to enhance ratings. What is the upside for 'BEN to do that at this point?"
They have to think about what they'll do to maintain share once the bounce from the October Surprise and the fall election cycle wears off. Let's look at where they stand by the end of 2007 and see if they're still cruising along based on the bump they got from the Friday the 13th blizzard. My guess is, the market's a lot more volatile now than it was 30 years ago when 'KB held on for a whole year to the audience it built during the Blizzard of '77.
It may not be Neaverth (he may not be interested any more--probably doesn't need the $ and he's earned his time to relax). But it will have to be someone, either someone already within the stable or someone hired away from another Buffalo market station. 'BEN was softening before the blizzard. There's no guarantee that the blizzard itself changed the underlying long term trends.
They have to think about what they'll do to maintain share once the bounce from the October Surprise and the fall election cycle wears off. Let's look at where they stand by the end of 2007 and see if they're still cruising along based on the bump they got from the Friday the 13th blizzard. My guess is, the market's a lot more volatile now than it was 30 years ago when 'KB held on for a whole year to the audience it built during the Blizzard of '77.
It may not be Neaverth (he may not be interested any more--probably doesn't need the $ and he's earned his time to relax). But it will have to be someone, either someone already within the stable or someone hired away from another Buffalo market station. 'BEN was softening before the blizzard. There's no guarantee that the blizzard itself changed the underlying long term trends.
Bob1370 said:
Softening?
You call routinely being one of the top stations in the market softening? Those are some pretty lofty expectations. And this idea that 'BEN will have messed up if they don't hang on to the October bump is ridiculous. That bump has the station ranked as the largest share-getting newstalk outelt in the top 100 markets. As a matter of fact, it is one of the top stations share-wise across ALL formats in the top 100 markets. If they do not hold on to that, it would be very understandable.
I know, I know. Things will not be right in the world until Buffalo radio sounds exactly like it did 25 years ago.
Let it go.
B
Bob1370
Guest
"You call routinely being one of the top stations in the market softening? Those are some pretty lofty expectations. And this idea that 'BEN will have messed up if they don't hang on to the October bump is ridiculous."
No, they really need to hang on to SOME of it in order to continue to grow $$$-wise, they have to expand in the long term beyond the core of listeners born between 1930 and 1955 which they built 25 years ago and have held on to ever since. It has served them well up to now, but most of it's now aged out of the prime demos and they need something--a picking up of the pace, more personality, more energy in the crucial morning daypart--to expand their base for the future.
They know they need to do this, because every station needs to renew and refresh its core from time to time. That's how the business works.
No, they really need to hang on to SOME of it in order to continue to grow $$$-wise, they have to expand in the long term beyond the core of listeners born between 1930 and 1955 which they built 25 years ago and have held on to ever since. It has served them well up to now, but most of it's now aged out of the prime demos and they need something--a picking up of the pace, more personality, more energy in the crucial morning daypart--to expand their base for the future.
They know they need to do this, because every station needs to renew and refresh its core from time to time. That's how the business works.
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