Equity Communications in the tank?

[acradiofan]

Rumor has it that Equity communications is falling apart at the seams. At one time, their sales staff of 15 plus, headed by sales pro Keith Fader, is now down to 5 without the leadership of a real sales manager. WAYV PD and on-air talent, Paul Kelly, also jumped ship to join a new venture in town. Since Paul's departure, WAYV has had two consecutive down books and former rock powerhouse, WZXL is failing mierably. A key inside employee says she may jump ship too before the ship really sinks. I'm hearing some crazy rumblings that Equity may be on the block. Has anyone else heard these rumors?

 

[Soon Yi CIV.V]

That rumor's been around forever. And the buyer in the rumor is Clear Channel. Of course, with the economy and Clear Channel's own current situation, all bets may be off.

Gary might end up wishing he'd taken them up on the offer years ago. Ironically, Atlantic City radio would probably have been a lot better off...and we're talking about Clear Channel here so that ain't sayin much!

 

[Scott Hamilton]

That rumor has been around almost since he bought Equity back in '98 when I was on the air. For a while, he was only supposedly going to sell ZXL and keep his baby, WAYV. I'm no economist, but I don't think now is the time to sell unless he absolutely had to.

 

[Soon Yi CIV.V]

So it's a key inside employee? And it's a she? Hmmmmm...

I guess she could do mid-days at one of south jersey's other radio stations.

 

[Soon Yi CIV.V]

If mid-days opens up at WAYV, they're gonna have to get a live jock, right? I mean, they can't expect to be an "at-work" Hot AC station without having someone making that "friendship" connection. Maybe they can get Christina Joyce back. I remember back in the day (when jocks were still allowed to do bits and phoners and have fun), the office workers loved her. And I think the station's mid-day ratings were great too. Reaching out to her could only help!

 

[IknowwhatIknow]

Something tells me that if ACradiofan knew a key employee who was considering leaving he wouldn't have mentioned her by gender, and since he did mention a HER chances are it is actually a HE that acradio fan knows if in fact acradiofan knows anyone there at all.

WZXL has gone up and down before and probably will go up and down again.

 

[mistermicrophone]

If mid-days opens up at WAYV, they're gonna have to get a live jock, right? I mean, they can't expect to be an "at-work" Hot AC station without having someone making that "friendship" connection. Maybe they can get Christina Joyce back. I remember back in the day (when jocks were still allowed to do bits and phoners and have fun), the office workers loved her. And I think the station's mid-day ratings were great too. Reaching out to her could only help!

Let me preface this by saying I am not a fan of voicetracking when it means a lost job...but...you don't NEED to be live to make a persoanl connection with the listeners, you just have to be GOOD.

 

[Soon Yi CIV.V]

Let me preface this by saying I am not a fan of voicetracking when it means a lost job...but...you don't NEED to be live to make a persoanl connection with the listeners, you just have to be GOOD.

I agree in principle that voicetracking can be done well. For instance, here in Philly, WISX does a pretty good job of making listeners feel like they know the jocks...but it's not like a listener could ever call up and talk to the jock. And I kinda wonder what happens when someone tries.

The thing is, I'm not sure I think it's a good idea to voicetrack a mid-day shift every day of the week. If there's an arrangement for the mid-day jock to voicetrack Fridays every week...well, OK fine then. Certainly, they can voicetrack Saturdays. But let's for arguments sake pretend we're talking about mid-days in a market where, oh, I don't know a station like WAYV and a station like WFPG are competing for at-work listeners. Let's say for this example that the stations playlists are similar enough that people could conceivably be pretty OK with leaving on either of them. You see where I'm going with this, I'm sure. Live & local is always gonna be more appealing. Voice-tracking mid-days--especially in a market with competition--just seems like a deathwish. Of course, that's only my opinion! [Only 1 million offers per customer. Results not typical. Your mileage may vary.]

 

[mistermicrophone]

Let me preface this by saying I am not a fan of voicetracking when it means a lost job...but...you don't NEED to be live to make a persoanl connection with the listeners, you just have to be GOOD.

I agree in principle that voicetracking can be done well. For instance, here in Philly, WISX does a pretty good job of making listeners feel like they know the jocks...but it's not like a listener could ever call up and talk to the jock. And I kinda wonder what happens when someone tries.

The thing is, I'm not sure I think it's a good idea to voicetrack a mid-day shift every day of the week. If there's an arrangement for the mid-day jock to voicetrack Fridays every week...well, OK fine then. Certainly, they can voicetrack Saturdays. But let's for arguments sake pretend we're talking about mid-days in a market where, oh, I don't know a station like WAYV and a station like WFPG are competing for at-work listeners. Let's say for this example that the stations playlists are similar enough that people could conceivably be pretty OK with leaving on either of them. You see where I'm going with this, I'm sure. Live & local is always gonna be more appealing.

On average, less than 1% of your cume actually contacts the radio station via the telephone, correct? That being said, we are at a point where most people don't even dial an extension to talk to someone in our office, we just email them. Using that form of communication is commonplace for the average Hot AC/AC listener and is just as effective as the phone...if the jock is good about returning emails.

As for "live and local is always gonna be more appealing." I think most in this business would like to believe that. Talent, focus and compelling content is what is actually going to win...tracked, syndicated, local or otherwise.

 

[HarveyBrowning]

FPG has been voiced since Marlene Aqua left. Doesnt seem to be hurting them.

Though, I do fell if they were live, they would never leave the top spot, b.c they could do so much more with someone in there FT. But, I guess in this economy, any jock is lucky to be on-air, but how do you sell spots without any local hosts, no business wants to buy a jukebox.

 

[mistermicrophone]

FPG has been voiced since Marlene Aqua left. Doesnt seem to be hurting them.

Though, I do fell if they were live, they would never leave the top spot, b.c they could do so much more with someone in there FT. But, I guess in this economy, any jock is lucky to be on-air, but how do you sell spots without any local hosts, no business wants to buy a jukebox.

For an AC radio station, a "jukebox" infused with just enough personality to not interfere with the music is what the listeners want. If the station wins by using that formula, why would you not want to advertise with them?

 

[HarveyBrowning]

You might want to put your spots on with a jukebox, but if I am a business, I want to make sure there is a jock that connects with the listeners.

Hey The BUZZ was a juke box, rated great and couldnt sell.

 

[mistermicrophone]

You might want to put your spots on with a jukebox, but if I am a business, I want to make sure there is a jock that connects with the listeners.

Hey The BUZZ was a juke box, rated great and couldnt sell.

You missed my point. Live or tracked, you can still connect with the listener if your content is focused and compelling. The listener DOESN'T know if it was recorded two hours before or if it's live. Once again, less than 1% of your cume actually CALLS the radio station!

As for the Buzz, R/CHR is a much harder sell than AC or Hot/AC.

 

[Scott Hamilton]

I think what Harvey's talking about is the business side of it. And it's also perception. In radio you have a different perception than a listener or business owner/advertiser.

A local business will, many times, want to advertise with a local station, i.e. jocks, that they connect with. Many jocks in many markets are more famous than their ratings would suggest, and more connected to the market, etc. Local businesses eat that up. That's why a Bob's Deli would sponsor the Sparky Jones all request lunch hour even though the competing station may have better numbers. That's why Lisa's house of Lipstick will advertise on a rock station tracking Males 25-44. It's not that business owners are dumb, and many do know who they want to reach and go by the numbers. However, they go with what they like and what the perceive others will like.

So, to take it back to the live vs. voice tracked, it's not necessarily about the listeners; it's also about the ad buyers. One percent of your cume calling you is true, but the listening public doesn't know that, nor does the buying advertiser. Putting a phone call on the air creates a localism and a realism that can't be matched w/voice tracking. It's just one more way for a listener and advertiser to think that station and/or that jock is connected to them.

Obviously syndicated or music intensive morning show equals less connection with public and biz owners. Add voice tracking in other day parts and you've got yourself a jukebox.

 

[mistermicrophone]

Obviously syndicated or music intensive morning show equals less connection with public and biz owners.

Sooooo not true. I would say a vast majroity of business owners, and those responsible for ad placement, are going to advertise where they get the best return on their investment, regardless of live 24/7, syndicated, tracked or 24 hours of a test tone. Yeah, some business owners are going to throw money towards those stations with jocks who, as you put it, "are more famous than their ratings would suggest", but if they don't see ROI, that money will dry up.

The BUZZ had great ratings, without a doubt. The issue with them was the demo and the audience. Did they attract enough listeners who patronized the station's clients? Obviously not. They could've been live 24/7 and they still would not have attracted the audience to serve their clients needs. A different stroy for WAYV or WPFG.

 

[HarveyBrowning]

@ mistermic

See, down here, I think very few business owners know one radio jock from the next. They dont know who the morning guy is on 95.1 or the PM drive guy is on 96.9. Then you have some business who do know the jock and connect with them and but them almost to a fault.

If the sales person does their job, they should be able to convience the business that the jock will be able to get listners to your business, its just another sales tool that a jockless station cant sell.

Its all about sales, however, good, creative sales people in this market are few and far between.

 

[PTOCDJ]

Couldn't agree more, Harvey.
Sales Managers don't empower their sales force with the tools to be creative in their pitch, so you can't put all the blame on the sales rep.
Why are there so few spots on in January after the glut in November-December? One obvious reason is the drop off in the holiday only buys, but another is that the contract starts too early to coincide with the fiscal quarter, and not at the start of "the season." If you back off the contract inception to November 1, the bulk of the spots will run in season, and there will still be a good run in January with copy changes in effect, or a return to the sponsor's "evergreen" image copy. Your loyal annual sponsors are open to suggestion...work them and be the guy who gets them to renew every term.
Just my $.02.

 

[mistermicrophone]

If the sales person does their job, they should be able to convience the business that the jock will be able to get listners to your business, its just another sales tool that a jockless station cant sell.

And how does the jock do that for EVERY client? Testimonials? Promotions? Can't service EVERY client that way or else those tools lose value.

 

[HarveyBrowning]

No you cant, do it for EVERY client.

But thats why a morning show, midday host and PM drive host should be in place, so you have 3 differnt perosnalities that can sell for you. They are your on-air salesmen. Radio companies lost focus on that, the on-air people if the PD is good and the sales people and PD are in conversation together, they can can use them as more then liner card readers, use them as on-air sales-people, the 35k your paying them will be worth it in the end.

Which brings up another question...what AC personalities do you think make the most money and what host do you think would be the best to buy if you were a business?

 

[Scott Hamilton]

mrmicrophone, you disagreed with me and agreed with me in two different posts.

While you'd "say" a majority of business owners would buy based on ROI, etc. you have to remember we're talking about local businesses in a small market. Yes, some chain restaurants and chain stores, but a lot of 1 and done type businesses, too.

Studies have shown that people buy based on emotion. So, presented with two or more choices, they're going to go with what feels best for them.

And, unfortunately, not many small business owners actually track their ROI for advertising. They buy an ad in the paper, 'cause that's what they're supposed to do.

Back to radio and emotion. If the biz owner likes a station or a jock, they will most likely buy from that station, period. It's easier to connect with a live jock than it is to a voice track.

I haven't been in radio for a number of years, but I've been in sales all my life. All things being equal, emotions make the sale. And don't put too much stock on ratings, because everyone claims they're number one in something. The business owner's get that all the time. You need a good salesperson, who knows how to sell and can create enthusiasm. However, that salesperson needs to have something they can get behind...and these days stations are like tombs with one or two live jocks and the rest voicetracked. It's tough to get rallied up on that.

Regardless, good numbers, okay numbers, good salesperson, okay salesperson...the added extra bonus is a connection to the live jock.