Former Jax Oldies Talent Available?

[Radford]

(From Radio and Records)

Veteran air personalities Pat Garrett, Hoyle Dempsey and Dave Murphy were released today by Cumulus/Savannah, GA, as Classic Hits WTYB (Cool 103.9) shifts to all-Christmas music ahead of a Dec. 26 format change. Garrett was also PD of Cool 103.9.

 

[brianv]

> (From Radio and Records)
>
> Veteran air personalities Pat Garrett, Hoyle Dempsey and
> Dave Murphy were released today by Cumulus/Savannah, GA, as
> Classic Hits WTYB (Cool 103.9) shifts to all-Christmas music
> ahead of a Dec. 26 format change. Garrett was also PD of
> Cool 103.9.
>

Wow. That's kind of surprising. Think they'll show up here?

I wish them all the best! If you guys (especially Hoyle and Pat) read this: Our thoughts and prayers here are definitely with you, considering what happened that affected my family last Christmas...gotta love radio!
Brian V.

 

[JohnRadioFan]

It sickens me. Pat shared his concerns with me over a week ago but now this just makes it grim reality.
At first I was surprised that a market like Savannah couldn't keep the format going - after all it ain't the big leagues. But the bottom line is "the bottom line." Radio stations are in business to sell and it's hard to sell oldies (not impossible).

I think the whole situation is nuts. Let's face it folks, with all the radio stations out there all jockeying for a chunk of the same demos, there will always be stations that won't cut the mustard for one reason or the other. 20 stations in a typical market all can't be in the Top 3 in target audience. For stations that are hampered by not having the strongest signal in town etc., you would think that alternative formats would pervail. One such format is oldies. What we have more and more are multiple stations doing the same thing. How does that serve all listeners?

Having the right sales folks on a station such as oldies can help. One of the things I learned recently is that the most effective sales people the old Cool 96.9 had were those 40+. What a concept, it helps to understand the format if you are to sell it. Bring in some 20 something maverick to sell oldies won't work, folks.

Here is one more opportunity for Renda to get some very fine talent back to Jax. Will they do it? Based on their indecision and bent to keep the same old same old and hope for the best is what will probably prevail.

Yeah, I agree. How disgraceful these things happen at Christmas time. One reason I can identify so much with radio folks is the same thing happened to me around a year ago. I was released from a company I had worked at for 25 years.

Pat, Hoyle and Dave. It's easy to feel like you are no longer needed. I fight that feeling all the time. I wish you all the very best and damn I wish that "best" could be your returning to Jax.

> > (From Radio and Records)
> >
> > Veteran air personalities Pat Garrett, Hoyle Dempsey and
> > Dave Murphy were released today by Cumulus/Savannah, GA,
> as
> > Classic Hits WTYB (Cool 103.9) shifts to all-Christmas
> music
> > ahead of a Dec. 26 format change. Garrett was also PD of
> > Cool 103.9.
> >
>
> Wow. That's kind of surprising. Think they'll show up here?
>
>
> I wish them all the best! If you guys (especially Hoyle and
> Pat) read this: Our thoughts and prayers here are definitely
> with you, considering what happened that affected my family
> last Christmas...gotta love radio!
> Brian V.
>

 

[JohnRadioFan]

Timely

It was ironic that this morning in the Florida Times Union, there is an article about Boomers who are turning 60. How's this for stats? As of July 1, there are some 78.2 million boomers in this country. And a boomer is defined as someone born between 1946 and 1964. (Huge core of tradional oldies stations) No surprise here but boomers are wealthier and more numerous than any other generation before or since.

And yet the rules we follow dictate that we discourage this group in listening to our radio stations, watching our TV shows and on and on. Even when I was growing up in the 60s, I remember reading about 25-54 and how that was so friendly to advertisers. Guess what folks. People are living longer and they are staying more active and they spend more money than what others did in their age group (even discounting inflation)decades ago. The thought that most middle age folks are too set in their ways to try new products is ludicrous. You can't broad-brush millions of people like that.

I could understand concern for those over 65 because the vast majority of people in that demo are on fixed income. But there is a wealth of people 55-64 who still buy high end goods including the latest in technology. I have a couple of years to go before I'm 55 but I'll tell you, when I hear an appealing ad about a restaurant, let's say, I check it out...and I spend money. I don't think that will come to an end when I turn 55. And no business has ever refused my money because I'm not 25-35.

Someone one day will wake up and recognize that there is still a lot of potential for programs and formats that appeal to older demos. For radio, so much sounds the same nowadays that half the time, I don't have a clue what I'm listening to.

I still say, there are huge numbers of people who are not being served. It would benefit a lot of companies, in my opinion, to sponsor programs appealing to those baby boomers. If it's something those in the group can use, guess what, they will buy.

 

[motherscratcher]

> (From Radio and Records)
>
> Veteran air personalities Pat Garrett, Hoyle Dempsey and
> Dave Murphy were released today by Cumulus/Savannah, GA, as
> Classic Hits WTYB (Cool 103.9) shifts to all-Christmas music
> ahead of a Dec. 26 format change. Garrett was also PD of
> Cool 103.9.
>


Thanks for all of your kind comments and concern over what happened in Savannah. This is just one of those corporate decisions that were made with little regard for what management felt on the local level. There are some fine people that work at Cumulus/Savannah, but beyond that I will reserve my comments.

I will tell you this; we DID have a severe signal problem that was supposed to cleared up within 60 days after I accepted this job in July 2004. The plan was to go from 6k to 50k with a new transmitter, tower location, etc. It wasn't until THIS WEEK that it finally became a reality! Since we began our morning show with Hoyle Dempsey we have had a great deal of STL and transmitter problems (most notable in the morning) that the company refused to correct because they didn't want to put any money into an old, ongoing problem. Quite honestly, we never had a chance at any success. Zero marketing dollars. No promotion money. Basically, a lost cause. But, we all kept a very positive attitude and kept moving forward.

Two months ago, our heritage oldies/classic hits competitor (WGCO/Oldies 98.3)unexpectedly decided to flip to Jack. They handed us almost a 5 share of audience! And now, corporate decides to blow up such a fantastic opportunity to inherit an audience. A smart business decision? Time will tell.

I think that some of the corporate guys get a lot of pleasure out of releasing people during this special time of the year (remember Cox last year?) It used to be that they'd at least wait until January before dropping the shoe! I can honestly say that, this time, I was mentally prepared for it and I'm taking it very well.

The best news is that there are better, much better, things ahead!

Have a great Christmas everybody!

-----Pat Garrett

 

[Sawer]

Re: Timely or too late?

>
> I still say, there are huge numbers of people who are not
> being served. It would benefit a lot of companies, in my
> opinion, to sponsor programs appealing to those baby
> boomers. If it's something those in the group can use,
> guess what, they will buy.
>

Good points. But, you know something? It is probably too late to hope that radio corporations are going to change dramatically. And, if they do, it would be a very slow process. In the mean time, guess what a vast majority of people in their late 40s to early 60s are doing? They are going to satellite radio. That's where they can find ALL of their music from "their day". And, you know what? They don't mind at all of they have to pay a little bit each month to get it! See, corporate radio? There's the money you are looking for. It's not just slipping through your fingers... it's walking out the door to a new "friend" who offers so much more.

 

[pepperadio]

Thanks John Radio Fan and Brian V. for the kind words. Believe me your thoughts and prayers are appreciated. If we could have stayed sixties/seventies hits on Cool Savannah until after the power increase, it's possible some of you could have heard how Pat Garrett had the station sizzling. Pat is a great leader and coach and knows good radio! Dave Murphy was a real in the trenches team player and he sounded fantastic in afternoons.

Like the old saying goes, when one door closes another one opens up. It's always been true and it will be this time for the three of us.

Hoyle Dempsey

PS Also thanks to all my old coworkers and excompetitors who have emailed and called.



It sickens me. Pat shared his concerns with me over a week
> ago but now this just makes it grim reality.
> At first I was surprised that a market like Savannah
> couldn't keep the format going - after all it ain't the big
> leagues. But the bottom line is "the bottom line." Radio
> stations are in business to sell and it's hard to sell
> oldies (not impossible).
>
> I think the whole situation is nuts. Let's face it folks,
> with all the radio stations out there all jockeying for a
> chunk of the same demos, there will always be stations that
> won't cut the mustard for one reason or the other. 20
> stations in a typical market all can't be in the Top 3 in
> target audience. For stations that are hampered by not
> having the strongest signal in town etc., you would think
> that alternative formats would pervail. One such format is
> oldies. What we have more and more are multiple stations
> doing the same thing. How does that serve all listeners?
>
> Having the right sales folks on a station such as oldies can
> help. One of the things I learned recently is that the most
> effective sales people the old Cool 96.9 had were those 40+.
> What a concept, it helps to understand the format if you
> are to sell it. Bring in some 20 something maverick to sell
> oldies won't work, folks.
>
> Here is one more opportunity for Renda to get some very fine
> talent back to Jax. Will they do it? Based on their
> indecision and bent to keep the same old same old and hope
> for the best is what will probably prevail.
>
> Yeah, I agree. How disgraceful these things happen at
> Christmas time. One reason I can identify so much with
> radio folks is the same thing happened to me around a year
> ago. I was released from a company I had worked at for 25
> years.
>
> Pat, Hoyle and Dave. It's easy to feel like you are no
> longer needed. I fight that feeling all the time. I wish
> you all the very best and damn I wish that "best" could be
> your returning to Jax.
>
> > > (From Radio and Records)
> > >
> > > Veteran air personalities Pat Garrett, Hoyle Dempsey and
>
> > > Dave Murphy were released today by Cumulus/Savannah, GA,
>
> > as
> > > Classic Hits WTYB (Cool 103.9) shifts to all-Christmas
> > music
> > > ahead of a Dec. 26 format change. Garrett was also PD of
>
> > > Cool 103.9.
> > >
> >
> > Wow. That's kind of surprising. Think they'll show up
> here?
> >
> >
> > I wish them all the best! If you guys (especially Hoyle
> and
> > Pat) read this: Our thoughts and prayers here are
> definitely
> > with you, considering what happened that affected my
> family
> > last Christmas...gotta love radio!
> > Brian V.
> >
>

 

[Superjax]

Pat,

Good luck to you and Hoyle and Dave! Maybe when your feet land (and I know they will) it will be on this side of the St. Marys River! There is a station down here, that also moved in from the Peach State, that needs your expertise!

The Soup




> (From Radio and Records)
> >
> > Veteran air personalities Pat Garrett, Hoyle Dempsey and
> > Dave Murphy were released today by Cumulus/Savannah, GA,
> as
> > Classic Hits WTYB (Cool 103.9) shifts to all-Christmas
> music
> > ahead of a Dec. 26 format change. Garrett was also PD of
> > Cool 103.9.
> >
>
>
> Thanks for all of your kind comments and concern over what
> happened in Savannah. This is just one of those corporate
> decisions that were made with little regard for what
> management felt on the local level. There are some fine
> people that work at Cumulus/Savannah, but beyond that I will
> reserve my comments.
>
> I will tell you this; we DID have a severe signal problem
> that was supposed to cleared up within 60 days after I
> accepted this job in July 2004. The plan was to go from 6k
> to 50k with a new transmitter, tower location, etc. It
> wasn't until THIS WEEK that it finally became a reality!
> Since we began our morning show with Hoyle Dempsey we have
> had a great deal of STL and transmitter problems (most
> notable in the morning) that the company refused to correct
> because they didn't want to put any money into an old,
> ongoing problem. Quite honestly, we never had a chance at
> any success. Zero marketing dollars. No promotion money.
> Basically, a lost cause. But, we all kept a very positive
> attitude and kept moving forward.
>
> Two months ago, our heritage oldies/classic hits competitor
> (WGCO/Oldies 98.3)unexpectedly decided to flip to Jack.
> They handed us almost a 5 share of audience! And now,
> corporate decides to blow up such a fantastic opportunity to
> inherit an audience. A smart business decision? Time will
> tell.
>
> I think that some of the corporate guys get a lot of
> pleasure out of releasing people during this special time of
> the year (remember Cox last year?) It used to be that they'd
> at least wait until January before dropping the shoe! I can
> honestly say that, this time, I was mentally prepared for it
> and I'm taking it very well.
>
> The best news is that there are better, much better, things
> ahead!
>
> Have a great Christmas everybody!
>
> -----Pat Garrett
>