Have program directors stopped listening to their own stations or am I just nitpicking? When WCRN switched to talk and emphasized their live & local format, I was very happy to finally be able to listen to a station that wasn’t owned by some big corporation. I figured that with the locally based management staff they would be on top of their game.
Recently a few things that I have heard on WCRN make me wonder if program director Hank Stolz actually listens to the station. They have been running a commercial for a local lawn & garden center since last fall that clearly needs to be updated. It speaks to the fall and winter seasons and we’re well into spring. Also it seems like they have decided to go with Metro networks for their afternoon news. They usually don’t start their traffic reports until 4:20 p.m. but apparently they haven’t told Metro. Because every local newsbreak prior to 4:20 has Scott Pike (from Metro) saying at the end, “now we have traffic & weather together on WCRN”. Then they just run a prerecorded weather update and no traffic because, of course, they start them at 4:20.
Also, they have a feature called “Info on the 8s” during morning and afternoon drive. Which begs the question are they positioning themselves as a talk station or a news station but I digress. Anyway it doesn’t matter what the actual time is (whether 18, 20, 22, 24 past the hour), it’s always 18 past. I’m glad I don’t set my watch to their time checks.
Then this morning during the Peter Blute show a promo runs for the Hank Stolz show that incorporates Dianne Williamson in the promo and an announcer states “listen to Hank Stolz weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m.”. I know the promo was recently made because Dianne just joined Hank on his show about a month ago. So why would they say his show is on until 6 when they run Howie starting at 5.
Are these gaffes just an accepted practice because no one cares or maybe no one (including the Program Director) is actually listening?
Then again I may just be nitpicking.
Recently a few things that I have heard on WCRN make me wonder if program director Hank Stolz actually listens to the station. They have been running a commercial for a local lawn & garden center since last fall that clearly needs to be updated. It speaks to the fall and winter seasons and we’re well into spring. Also it seems like they have decided to go with Metro networks for their afternoon news. They usually don’t start their traffic reports until 4:20 p.m. but apparently they haven’t told Metro. Because every local newsbreak prior to 4:20 has Scott Pike (from Metro) saying at the end, “now we have traffic & weather together on WCRN”. Then they just run a prerecorded weather update and no traffic because, of course, they start them at 4:20.
Also, they have a feature called “Info on the 8s” during morning and afternoon drive. Which begs the question are they positioning themselves as a talk station or a news station but I digress. Anyway it doesn’t matter what the actual time is (whether 18, 20, 22, 24 past the hour), it’s always 18 past. I’m glad I don’t set my watch to their time checks.
Then this morning during the Peter Blute show a promo runs for the Hank Stolz show that incorporates Dianne Williamson in the promo and an announcer states “listen to Hank Stolz weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m.”. I know the promo was recently made because Dianne just joined Hank on his show about a month ago. So why would they say his show is on until 6 when they run Howie starting at 5.
Are these gaffes just an accepted practice because no one cares or maybe no one (including the Program Director) is actually listening?
Then again I may just be nitpicking.
