I listened to this station for the first time this weekend. Where do I begin? This station is a cluttered, poorly processed MESS! It's all over the place news wise. It's sound is sibilant (my wife asked me to turn it off because the sound was giving her a headache-if they are trying to get women then they don't have a single CLUE how to adjust processing for women). There are way too many lifestyle things on it-I could care less about what deals I can find at the Dollar store 3 times in an hour. The reverb is way over the top. This station is a mess-and I'll be very surprised if it succeeds. Randy: you need to get some WOMEN involved in your programming. This mess of a station you have sounds like men are programming it to what they THINK women want-and you are failing miserably.
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FM News 101.9 critique
- Thread starter LA_Guy
- Start date
I agree. The reverb makes it un-listenable. It sounds like an amateur station in the sticks. Either that or sounds like some elderly management type is trying to recreate their love of WCBS-FM or WABC in the 60s and 70s by using reverb. It just does not work any more, those days are over and even in those days those stations were not ALL news. Trying reverb with ALL news is ridiculous.
What they are doing is comparable to trying muzac or a Lawrence Welk type format.
What they are doing is comparable to trying muzac or a Lawrence Welk type format.
WCBS-FM didn't switch to oldies untill the summer of '72, and before that was a "Mellow", quiet type of station with an intimate sound containing no reverb.
The NY Daily News radio column states that in last month's abysmal ratings, WEMP barely attracted more female than male listeners. That could well be a factor in the current changes attempting to make the station more acceptable to men.
The article mentions that Merlin Media CEO visited the station this week and indicated he still wanted FM News 101.9 to appeal to an audience younger than the listeners of WINS and WCBS AM, but to men and women alike.
Unfortunately I cannot find a link to the article. It seems that many of the Daily News radio columns do not show up online.
The article mentions that Merlin Media CEO visited the station this week and indicated he still wanted FM News 101.9 to appeal to an audience younger than the listeners of WINS and WCBS AM, but to men and women alike.
Unfortunately I cannot find a link to the article. It seems that many of the Daily News radio columns do not show up online.
It seems to me that they're ignoring the basics of radio in running the format. Say what you will about Blink, they seemed better prepared for this kind of programming. They had the building blocks of an FM info-tainment station, with Entertainment Tonight, MTV, and other CBS TV properties. This station seems to be working from a blank sheet of paper. And that can be tough to do 24/7. There are lots of resources available to a station like this. They don't have to do all the work themselves.
They need something familiar. New Yorkers like familiar. By familiar, I mean they need familiar names and voices. Consider how many radio people (DJs, talk hosts, newsmen) have been on the air in NYC for more than 30 years. That's what they need. They need a star. They're trying to do too much here. They're starting a new format with all new people. No foundation. No wonder they're sinking.
They need something familiar. New Yorkers like familiar. By familiar, I mean they need familiar names and voices. Consider how many radio people (DJs, talk hosts, newsmen) have been on the air in NYC for more than 30 years. That's what they need. They need a star. They're trying to do too much here. They're starting a new format with all new people. No foundation. No wonder they're sinking.
@Barry: 1. Well, at least Merlin can say they've gained more female listeners than male listeners - after all, WEMP had been going gaga for girl listeners!
2. Be grateful the NYDN doesn't put up a paywall.
@BigA: Re: Blink being "better prepared" for their format than Merlin was for 101.9 here and 101.1 in Chicago... three words, buddy: sad but true! I bet the Blink brainchild wasn't calling a mandatory meeting two months into the format.
2. Be grateful the NYDN doesn't put up a paywall.
@BigA: Re: Blink being "better prepared" for their format than Merlin was for 101.9 here and 101.1 in Chicago... three words, buddy: sad but true! I bet the Blink brainchild wasn't calling a mandatory meeting two months into the format.
Neo con talk would be a really desperate act for a NY FM facility. Who's going to listen to conservative Republican talk in the NY Metro, the elderly? Take a look at what's happening on Wall street and throughout the world, yes there are people from every demographic but for the most part the group is made up of 20 & 30 year old's and the last thing they'd support is for some drug abusing talk show (with talent on loan from Oxiconton) host telling them how awful they are and how un-American it is to speak negatively about the owners of this country and their businesses.
R.F. Burns said:
Rush Limbaugh and Hannity are party hacks, they represent the establishment part of the Republican party. The same establishment that was voted out in 2008 with Obama, lost to candidates using the Tea Party label mid-term and had to co-opt that movement to survive and the same establishment that is having difficulty manipulating the Republican primary. Neocon talk has also had a fall off in ratings.
Despite whatever the Neocon establishment is reporting, the real Conservative and Libertarian Republicans do have some things in common with these protests. For example being against bank and corporate bailouts, have issues with the Federal Reserve policy and foreign intervention. These were the same views as the Tea Party before it got co-opted by the Neocon establishment Republicans.
My point is there is wide open market yet to be tapped that can pull from these groups. As long as they avoid a Democrat Progressive left label they could pull listeners from competing Neocon talk and those that have left that format. As long as they avoid getting the R or Neocon label they can pull in those from the left, independents and moderates.
TheBigA said:
By virtue of 24/7 network talk WABC, granny talk WOR and invisible talker WNYM's anemic performances, I'd say the audience is FAR from "well served."
Any station that would go for a hyper-local, gritty, news/talk format, with hosts geared toward the city - and on the FM dial - would clean WABC and WOR's clock. I've said it innumerable times on this board. It's common sense.
It would automatically do better than the absurdly low ratings 101.9 currently sports. So what the hell?
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