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Free FM - U are in Charge

A

azenergyfan

Guest
Ok, now I am a big fan of Free FM but there are alot of folks on this board who think it sucks. So I am going to pose this question to you.

You just sat down with the cbs big wigs, they are going to stick with the Free FM format but have given you a task to reorganize the line up. Your task is to provide them with a new lineup, either local or canned, and to also provide them a marketing strategy to get them out of the toilet. Now tell me what you would give them
 
Corolla, good show, keep it. Penn Jillette, why oh why did you lose him? Give him what he wants, put him on in all markets.

Leykis, pure crap for horny 15 year olds, I guess there is a market for that.

Frosti, Heidi and whatever, the dumbest, most repetitive, and completly devoid of quality show on Free. 3 adults yakking about LA, making each other laugh at things the audience doesn't care about, and talking about sex like they are all 30 years younger than they are.

How to make Free FM work? There aren't enough quality shows out there to support a format, just fold up the tent and play music instead.
 
Ok as I tell my staff all the time, don't just complain, bring ideas and suggestions. So if you wanted to tell them to go with a music format. What format would it be? How would you make your station different than all the other music stations in phoenix? Ideas ideas ideas.....
 
Well, for music, I'd go the Radio Free Phoenix route, but that is just the kind of music I like.

If there was a market for Lithuanian polka, there would be a station for it, but unless its really broadbased and safe one size fits all formats, no one is gonna invest the dough.

Does Free FM want to be talk? OK, do they want juvenile wacky hosts, or do they want politics, do they want celebrity talk, issues talk?

I'd love for there to be a Free FM to listen to, I tried, but the only two shows I cared about are off the air now, and nothing is left that interests me.
 
Talk radio is something that you determine is needed on a market-by-market basis. It's not like the Corporate Guys in New York decide that everyone's going to get a new talk station in their individual market tomorrow, and then it appears, and then they listen.

In some markets (in fact, I'd go so far as to say most markets), there is a heritage talk station that's been in place for possibly decades. They might even have more than one. You can't go in and force another talk station to be viable in places like that, be it on AM or FM.

So, bag it. Yes, it would be nice if they could efficiently run a talk radio network by producing all the shows in a few central locations like Free does and then feeding them by satellite to dozens and dozens of stations. Had they thought of doing that 50 or so years ago, it would be a viable idea.

So, do research projects in the individual markets where Free is failing, find the format hole, and fill it. Meet the needs of the marketplace. The marketplace isn't going to adapt to suit your economic model.
 
azenergyfan said:
Ok, now I am a big fan of Free FM but there are alot of folks on this board who think it sucks. So I am going to pose this question to you.

You just sat down with the cbs big wigs, they are going to stick with the Free FM format but have given you a task to reorganize the line up. Your task is to provide them with a new lineup, either local or canned, and to also provide them a marketing strategy to get them out of the toilet. Now tell me what you would give them
Click to expand...
It's hard to imagine anyone liking FREE FM in it's current state--it's absolutely unlistenable. Your premise is that one would have to keep the format? There isn't a way to make the "FREE FM" format work. So, this is what needs to be done.

Immediately change the format to "alternative rock" -- and no, not the Modern AC "Edge" style of alternative we already have, but a real alternative rock station, something between KROQ (Los Angeles) and Xtreme Radio 107.5 in Las Vegas. Bring back the "Zone" brand, but put a slightly harder face on it. You're trying to appeal to the 18-34 male audience, so you need a station that rocks. The station will have jocks that aren't afraid to go out and meet the listeners/hit the streets. Any personalities would need to be loose, new school types--not the pukers on KISSFM. Focus on the music, but make each jock's daypart an interactive experience, not just a liner card reader. Promotions, Promotions, Promotions.

A station like this would garner an audience from three places: First, the current FREE-FM crowd would probably stick around to listen for the most part--aside from those busy trying to pick up ugly chicks in bars because Leykis told them too. The Edge listeners craving a more real rock experience would tune over and you could probably siphon some listeners from KDKB's nightmare experiment and KUPD. "But", you say, "we have enough rock stations in Phoenix." Yes and no. We have 1 pretty good rock station (KUPD) and 3 or 4 mediocre to well below standard rock stations. KROQ dominates the L.A. market, KXTE--at one point--did quite well in Las Vegas, I propose a compromise of the two stations and one that really takes pride in being a part of the community, like stations did in Phoenix as recently as 20 years ago.

With this new brand I'd recommend distancing yourself from ANYTHING having to do with FREE-FM--including cutting all the personalities there now. Adam Carolla included, we have enough 4 hour monologues going on in the market.
 
Fire that god awful program director! He drove the zone into the crapper too. It deosn't take a genius to see that he isn't one. How many stations does this guy get to ruin? What a tool!
 
Even though I like the PD, he's in over his head.The Zone was doin well during the Maranville/Mannion era.Just stop the Free FM nightmare,flip it back to Alt/Rock and bring back Maranville or Mannion to run it.
 
"RadioDumbass" - UM YES YOU ARE! I love how old ZONE people get on here and talk crap. Free Fm was not the pd's idea. Give me a market where Free FM is doing well? That was Joel's baby and now that he is gone I am sure that Dan Mason is going to look at doing something different.

The p.d is not the problem and is a good pd with a lot of successes. I always like the Mannion reference... I mean the reason he was replaced was because the zone was sinking that is why the staff left for The Edge and then they hired him there were he tanked a station that was on the way up. If you remember the statement made by RBG that he was the guy to lead them to the championship and then Mannion tanked the station.... YEA HIRE HIM.HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. ;D
 
babylon said:
Even though I like the PD, he's in over his head.The Zone was doin well during the Maranville/Mannion era.Just stop the Free FM nightmare,flip it back to Alt/Rock and bring back Maranville or Mannion to run it.
Click to expand...

Ahhhh, no. After Howard they were doggie-doo. Mannion had them playing Avril. Blow it up.
 
First step, revamp Adam Carolla's show and ditch Danny Bona[EDIT].

Next, pipe in Don and Mike in place of the terrible threesome.

Is squeaky Leykis really holding everything together over there? If not, I say dump that bloated wad.

Bring back Colin Boyd in some fashion or another - either with his own show, or better yet, get Garrett and Powell over there and have a nice PM drive reunion! Just like the days before Dave "the afternoon janitor" was brought into the mix and started the rapid decline of The Zone.

The two r-tards in the evening will pack up the U-haul and head back to the East coast and lackey for the Junkies a little longer. Maybe do some voice training. And figure out what humor is.

Since this is a fantasy, I'll just go ahead and say I'd be able to talk Phil Hendrie into coming back and do nights...

Ahhhh, fantasy.


[EDIT-vulgar]
 
CBS should let the PD program the way he knows how. Even when he took over at the ZONE he was being told how to do things or that he needed to make the station harder and go after KUPD. He was never given the chance to program the way he felt the market would respond. There was always some manager who felt he new better or going behind his back. He also has had to deal with staff members blasting him for decisions that were made from above. It is like Jerry Jones signing players without the couch’s input. He is the one guy who can put a great Alternative product back on the air in Phoenix and I hope that this will someday happen so we can listen to radio again and will not be faced to listen to a station that has no signal, bad music because now I listen to CD’s or XM. It’s funny that The Edge was at one time a station that I would follow no matter what year after year and for about the last year I can’t stand it!
 
I think another active rock station is a great idea....BUt then again I love rock..so of course would. But KUPD has been coasting for quite a while with no real competition since the zone flipped and the EDGE flopped. Anyone remember Z -rock?? I sure would like to see another station like that in the mix. :eek:
 
I agree... We need... another active rock or new alternative in this market.. The edge blows!
 
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