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Fall 08 Book - Terre Haute

PTBoardOp94

PTBoardOp94

WMGI (Mix FM) gets over a 10 share for the first time in a couple of years. Top-rated Crossroads station remains WAXI 104.5, and WBOW-FM is down from the last two books. And ESPN Radio gets good ratings with both WFNI-AM and WBOW-AM. Somewhat interesting book.

http://www.radio-info.com/site/markets/grid/terre-haute
 
Speaking of WBOW-FM, have you ever seen a 50kw do so poorly? How could you fix it?? Maybe someone from Crossroads will read this and take some suggestions!
 
Or that the entire Crossroads cluster has less than one third the share of Emmis?
 
I have been hearing rumors that Crossroads is going to change WBOW. Maybe Country to try and take on Emmis. I don't think they have the resource to do it. Anyone else heard anything? It is a great signal.
 
RadioFan89 said:
I have been hearing rumors that Crossroads is going to change WBOW. Maybe Country to try and take on Emmis. I don't think they have the resource to do it. Anyone else heard anything? It is a great signal.
Click to expand...

Who cares if they have a great signal...it's just corn, and/or toxic waste (up by the VX plant in Newport) in the outlying area anyway. I thought "The Crock" with Party Marty was supposed to give Emmis a run for their money. One more country station in Terre Haute would be beyond stupid.

How about taking one silent? Terre Haute has always had too many sticks....sacrifice WAXI and put oldies on WBOW-FM.
 
Puting the oldies on WBOW has been suggested to them for years. When they aquired the WBOW calls they were supose to flip to oldies. I've been told that they want to go after the younger demos. As poorly as the numbers show I can't understand why they won't at least try it. The only thing that will help Crossroads is SELL! Message to Crossroads: You should have listened to Bryan Thomas, if you had your 50kw gem wouldn't be where it is today. Just my thoughts
 
Post Coital Bliss said:
How about taking one silent? Terre Haute has always had too many sticks....sacrifice WAXI and put oldies on WBOW-FM.
Click to expand...
But no news/talk. Maybe WAXI could carry Limbaugh and his ilk.
 
Here is my 2 cents on what I would do....

WBOW - Oldies (Live AM Drive, track Mid & PM Drive, Mike Harvey at night)

WSDM - Active Rock (No offense to Ed & the crew at the River but it's just kind of there and not very fun or exciting. At least last I listened. Go Mike & Mike in the Morning if they really want, lots of stations have, or grab a Free Beer & Hot Wings or Rick & Bubba type show depending who you want to bring in, Live PM Drive and track the rest)

WAXI - All Sports or AC (Sports put an afternoon person in for a few hours and the rest off ESPN's bird. AC, Bob & Sherri, Live jock, track PM Drive and bring back Delilah at night or Tesh)

WSDX/WBOW AM - News Talk or ALL Sports (See above for sports. N/T, grab Rush and Hannity fill out with WOR programs and Doug Stephans Good Day in AM Drive)

For staff
Get a solid on air talent per station track the rest out of market and syndicate what you can to be as cost effective as possible.

One air talent doubles as Group PD/MD don't let this person do mornings because of their workload

One air talent doubles as Group APD.AMD this person can be a morning host

One air talent doubles as Prod. Director don't let this person do mornings they need to be there through the business day

One air talent doubles as Promo Director this is a sure fire midday person

Then have them all rotate weekends on air and appearances plus toss in 4 or 5 part timers to share between the group for weekends and ball games.

In a different time I would be screaming go live 24/7 but lets face it, that is not the world we live in.
 
I nearly forgot.... just because I want to suggest it before he can.... maybe Crossroads could do a dance format!

;D

love ya midwest clubber
 
Here's an idea for the folks at Crossroads--get someone on-board who knows what they're doing.

They had Chris Carter. He didn't do great, but at least he knew how to program.

They had Bryan Thomas. He had some great ideas but was never taken seriously.

They had Ronn Mott. He's legendary. He knows his music better than anyone.

They had John Sherman. The man knows his sports.

They have Party Marty but they aren't doing anything with him but tracking afternoons.

They have Julie Hendricks but they aren't doing anything with her but tracking afternoons.

They have Adam Michaels, who used to be one of the best production guys around these parts, but they aren't getting results from him.

What we can discern from the ratings for the past two books is as follows:

1. The people there are being stretched too far.
2. Nobody cares about the out-of-market talent on WBOW.
3. Oldies is working but it's not being given its full potential.
4. Julie isn't getting out enough.
5. Party Marty isn't getting out enough.
6. Management doesn't know what to do so they are doing nothing.
7. As much as it pains me to admit it, because I thought it was a great idea at the time--The Crock isn't working.

These are my ever so humble opinions. Take them for what they're worth.
 
I have heard Country maybe what they do on WBOW. I agree with everyone else... I think it is a big mistake. WINH isn't doing well at all and the CROCK seems to be trailing off into the sunset too. I don't think anyone can put a dent in HI99 going head on.

I have heard the lineup would be a syndicated morning show followed by Julie Middays and Party Marty in his usual afternoon spot. They might do well with Marty back on a big signal but the rest probably won't fly. It seems they need to do something.
 
WINH did it for one book ... Maybe Fall 07. They had an 8 share. Hi-99 was under 20 for the only book in my memory. Not sure why that "success" stopped. Could be the end of the WINH billboard campaign in TH.
 
It would be interesting to see Crossroads try to do country on their big stick, but as was mentioned before--it would be a HUGE mistake. Some stations might be able to pull it off, but Crossroads doesn't have the planning, the intelligence, the money, or the resources to do it the right way. Anytime they get anyone who could have done it, they fire them or drive them away.

Maybe do something with the big stick that hasn't been done in a while. Maybe a new WZZQ. Maybe they go back to AC. Maybe talk. But it's obvious that their current programming isn't cutting it.

The problem is that it really doesn't matter what they do until they get better management and a larger, more knowledgeable staff. Until then, they simply aren't capable of anything better than these numbers.
 
I don't think it's a matter of a bigger staff... it's more a matter of a better staff. I'm not saying the people they have aren't talented but they don't fit the needs Crossroads has, and as the old saying goes 'It's like trying to put a square peg in a round hole.'
And management there likes square pegs because it's their buddies or people who are simply a yes man or woman.
I know people think a lot of Marty and Julie but lets face it, it takes more than a name. You can't just show up, or as I'm told they don't even really do that, and expect results.
So Crossroads has come full circle to where they were just a few years ago...
A few people on air, lots of syndication, low to no numbers and plenty of questions about how to fix it.

Over the last few years they had a few flashes of hope but couldn't sustain it. If I were the owner(s) I would say what and who was working when we were improving and take a long hard look at where my leaders have placed my property since then. And then ask myself is it worth the effort to take what was working (at least starting to work) and go there again? Or do we just let it sit and slide as it has been the last 18 months or so until we have to give it away in a sale?

I think, even in an economy like the one we are in, my dad said it simply but said it well... "If you want to make money, you've got to spend money."

Crossroads needs to invest or call it a day and like any good poker player push away from the table at the right time.
 
The right time to get out of the radio business was in 2006/2007 when Disney sold the ABC stations. For now, folks should hold on to their stations and hope the value appreciates.
 
'06/'07 was a great time. But in today's economy, with expected radio ad revenues expected to take a double digit plunge percentage wise a substandard product (based on continued ratings declines and low spot loads), how long do you say "We hope, we hope" and how long before a business man says we've maxed out the potential of this venture and cut losses?
you can only operate at a loss each month for so long before you have to call it a day! Whether it's a good time to go or not.
And as for hoping to see appreciation? I'm waiting to see that with all my houses so I can sell a few and get out of the rental business but I know it won't happen soon.... or maybe is it soon enough?
 
In looking back a few years in the books, it seems that what Crossroads needs to do is to go back to where they were in 2006. At that time--while they weren't exactly behemoths in the market--they were doing decidedly better than they are now. So who do they not have now that they had then that might be able to make a difference?

And who do they have now that they didn't have then that might be causing the problem?

Also, in checking around to various websites, I learned who exactly is left there and why. Let's examine.

Doug Edge--Sales/General Manager and former cohost of the morning show
Adam Michaels--Program Director and Production Director and former cohost of the morning show
Julie Henricks--Sales and host of the midday show
Party Marty--Program Director and host of the afternoon show
Bill Cook--Sales/Program Director
Kandee Cook--Traffic/Sales
Hannah Farmer--Executive Assistant

I can't find a list of the sales staff anywhere, but that's a good start.

Doug obviously isn't working. Something should be done about that.
Ditto Adam.
Julie Party Marty could be salvaged but they need to do something BIG with them right now.
Sales are dwindling, but one could blame the economy for that.
And why does a station that only has one "executive" need an executive assistant?! There's some money that could go for something more meaningful--dump the EA.
They have no sales manager.
They have no music director.
They have no promotions director.

At this point, I'm amazed they're keeping the lights turned on.
 
Hannah is doing sales when I last heard. I just saw her the other day. Obviously with the book that happened for WBOW some changes have a good chance of being made. Whether they will or not only time will tell. If I was going all in at a hold em table, logic would tell you that it will happen before the next ratings book. I think lots of station PD's would love to have a live 24/7 staff, but the economy and ad sales seem to dictate a different end result.
 
I found this website http://www.radioworksforme.com/gpage3.html that lists a few more people then previously mentioned that work at Crossroads. I recently heard WMGI is replacing their afternoon person. Seems like they keep changing there line up a lot. What a messed up market. Does anyone know if the new MIX morning show was on durring the Fall book? If so how did they do?
 
I heard that WMGI hired a personality who assisted in starting Movin Seattle! They also worked in Louisville radio.
 
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