Furman Resigns from 1160

[pioneer71]

Jeff is an excellent choice. I suggest you expand upon just the two hours they are on. I feel you will need Jeff to host some special programming that can be available for sale. Examples would be a Reds special before Opening Day (which can be taped and couple with some live reports from Great American) and a special preview of the Bengals season plus March madness and the such.
Get Jeff out of the studio when you can to bring more awareness to the program and station.

The station needs to find a way to bring some local elements to the day parts when you have the network shows. I am totally bored by these shows but I a sure there is somewhat an audience for them.

The station should explore doing more with the high school broadcasts than they are doing. There are coaches shows, post game scoreboards and more the station can do with the addition of part time help.

 

[XtraXtra]

The station needs to find a way to bring some local elements to the day parts when you have the network shows. I am totally bored by these shows but I a sure there is somewhat an audience for them.

I will always like Rush and go through phases where I kind of like listening to Dave Ramsey, but in my opinion any of the rest of them are pretty worthless. What ever happened to the traditional interview show where you heard someone with something to say, such as the author of a book?

 

[HafDawg]

I would hardly say this is "Andy Who?".

But he's better that some of the people you could have selected, I suppose.

 

[Upper90]

Furball showed up on Zak and Jack this morning covering for them. I have not listened to him in years. There was a time years ago where I enjoyed his game on WLW. This morning reminded me of why I had grown really weary of the shock sports jock nonsense. He was calling people stupid, morons, idiots, etc. over lame topics like is it cool for grown men to wear a team jersey. It is kind of bizarre to run into someone at a mall wearing an O'dell Thurmon jersey but hey, they probably think my adidas sandals are not so butch. The other folks on Z&J's show were clearly not impressed with Andy. Jeff was pretty good when he used to do a shift on the old Homer, solid. Not much of a risk taker but solid sports radio.

 

[jry]

He showed up quicker than i thought he would.

 

[borderblaster]

jry, kudos for being the little engine that could. Merry Christmas sir!

 

[del_griffith]

jry, kudos for being the little engine that could. Merry Christmas sir!

Absolutely!

 

[XtraXtra]

jry, kudos for being the little engine that could. Merry Christmas sir!

Absolutely!

With talk on the Columbus board about Gary Richards simulcasting Cleveland lib talk 1460 on Columbus' 1580 AM, it seems like you do have some critical mass with the ability to cover two markets. I wonder if this would work with a station like 1160. I'm sure the programming is too Cincinnati-centric, but maybe with a little tweaking? Cincinnati and Columbus are two different worlds, right down to the sports teams of interest, but it worked in the old Avco days for TV.

The reason I'm asking: I wonder if it could work now, and maybe give stations enough critical mass to be able to hire live talent again, as opposed to torturing us with the likes of Laura Ingrahm and all the B and C-list syndicated talkers.

Maybe live talent doesn't work with two million people, but might it work with four million (Columbus + Cincinnati)?

 

[jry]

jry, kudos for being the little engine that could. Merry Christmas sir!

Absolutely!

With talk on the Columbus board about Gary Richards simulcasting Cleveland lib talk 1460 on Columbus' 1580 AM, it seems like you do have some critical mass with the ability to cover two markets. I wonder if this would work with a station like 1160. I'm sure the programming is too Cincinnati-centric, but maybe with a little tweaking? Cincinnati and Columbus are two different worlds, right down to the sports teams of interest, but it worked in the old Avco days for TV.

The reason I'm asking: I wonder if it could work now, and maybe give stations enough critical mass to be able to hire live talent again, as opposed to torturing us with the likes of Laura Ingrahm and all the B and C-list syndicated talkers.

Maybe live talent doesn't work with two million people, but might it work with four million (Columbus + Cincinnati)?

Interesting thoughts. Your mentioning Cincy and Columbus being two different worlds is what i have thought for quite a while.
Think about this: If i am correct, when WBOB left the airwaves, OSU football was without an affiliate for 3 or more years. It seemed like no one cared to air them.

 

[jry]

Border and Del...
Thank you so much for the kind thoughts!

 

[XtraXtra]

Interesting thoughts. Your mentioning Cincy and Columbus being two different worlds is what i have thought for quite a while.
Think about this: If i am correct, when WBOB left the airwaves, OSU football was without an affiliate for 3 or more years. It seemed like no one cared to air them.

I'm going to disagree with this common assumption people make. I think there is an interest in Ohio State in metro Cincinnati on the Ohio side of the border, at least among the people I know, but I think between pro sports and all the universities you have in the area (Miami, Xavier, NKU, UC) the fan base is already diluted as it is. Besides, you have -what- 400,000 people on the Kentucky side of the border clamoring for UK?

The demographics of Columbus have changed since it has become more white collar and RINO/liberal. Part of the reason for that change in demographics is that metro Columbus has added 600,000 people over the last generation and a sizeable chunk of them come from NE Ohio and Pittsburgh. I call them economic refugees.

I will say this, Dave and Jimmy (WNCI), Daryll Parks, Sloanie and Tracy and especially Eddie and Tracy sound(ed) local enough to these ears to be regional hosts. I know Gary Burbank also had a following. I know the hosts I mentioned aren't everybody's cup of tea, but I do think you might be able to pull this off with a product of reasonable quality.

It would be interesting if someone would try this. You know the radio business better than I do, but is there really such a huge audience for Laura Ingraham, Dennis Prager, et al? (I'm a Rush fan, by the way so this is not a slam on the conservative point of view.)

 

[XtraXtra]

To jry:

Another thing I wanted to add is that although most of the old Avco programs originated in Cincinnati, some of them originated elsewhere such as Sally Flowers in Columbus and Phil Donahue in Dayton. I don't know how the logistics would work, but it would be interesting to see if it could be pulled off.

Just another thought popped into my head ... what about the old full service/MOR format on 55 WKRC and 610 WTVN? Maybe you can't afford DJ's with a 2.0 share on a 5,000-watt AM signal, but 2.0 times two cities becomes a 4.0 doesn't it? Just thinking out loud.

 

[jry]

To jry:

Another thing I wanted to add is that although most of the old Avco programs originated in Cincinnati, some of them originated elsewhere such as Sally Flowers in Columbus and Phil Donahue in Dayton. I don't know how the logistics would work, but it would be interesting to see if it could be pulled off.

Just another thought popped into my head ... what about the old full service/MOR format on 55 WKRC and 610 WTVN? Maybe you can't afford DJ's with a 2.0 share on a 5,000-watt AM signal, but 2.0 times two cities becomes a 4.0 doesn't it? Just thinking out loud.

Pretty thoughtful, here. On the OSU deal... I was just stating fact on OSU coverage in the market. It took them forever to get a Cincinnati Affiliate. You are right on the Northern KY side of things except the population is way north of 400K.
The MOR idea might be a problem as that audience is now in their late 60s and 70s.
5000 watt signal? I have done pretty with a lot less. WLW has done a great job of selling "the big one" 50KW. BUT, their 1380 has its challenges with their 5000 watt signal and remain profitable.
We have spent a lot on both of our Cincy AMs. Its hard to shake off the old stigma of how our signals used to be. Its just good, old fashioned, pick and shovel work.

 

[XtraXtra]

To jry:

Another thing I wanted to add is that although most of the old Avco programs originated in Cincinnati, some of them originated elsewhere such as Sally Flowers in Columbus and Phil Donahue in Dayton. I don't know how the logistics would work, but it would be interesting to see if it could be pulled off.

Just another thought popped into my head ... what about the old full service/MOR format on 55 WKRC and 610 WTVN? Maybe you can't afford DJ's with a 2.0 share on a 5,000-watt AM signal, but 2.0 times two cities becomes a 4.0 doesn't it? Just thinking out loud.

Pretty thoughtful, here. On the OSU deal... I was just stating fact on OSU coverage in the market. It took them forever to get a Cincinnati Affiliate. You are right on the Northern KY side of things except the population is way north of 400K.
The MOR idea might be a problem as that audience is now in their late 60s and 70s.
5000 watt signal? I have done pretty with a lot less. WLW has done a great job of selling "the big one" 50KW. BUT, their 1380 has its challenges with their 5000 watt signal and remain profitable.
We have spent a lot on both of our Cincy AMs. Its hard to shake off the old stigma of how our signals used to be. Its just good, old fashioned, pick and shovel work.

I was a radio buff as a kid - I never did this as a career, but I truly loved the stuff to the point where I would DX whenever possible and hang out in the library during college looking at broadcast coverage maps. I'm sure part of it is being in middle age, but radio is about as exciting these days as walking into a Sears store. Why would anybody want to DX WLS at night just to hear Coast to Coast (or whatever it is they have on)?

I understand the economics, but I think radio has gone the way of General Motors. It has become so worried about cost (and I know you had to), that as an industry I think it has lost sight of the big picture. I know there are exceptions, but to my ears you guys as a whole are at the point where you are making Buicks, Oldsmobiles and Cadillacs that look all look alike.

I liked all the spontaneity and interactiveness from before. I think that's the same human instinct that attracts people to boards like this and to Facebook. That's why I'm wondering if there is some way to tweak being local so you can still profitable but at the same time bring that spontaneity and creativity back?

Just thinking out loud again ... and I don't know how practical it is ...

 

[XtraXtra]

Pretty thoughtful, here. On the OSU deal... I was just stating fact on OSU coverage in the market. It took them forever to get a Cincinnati Affiliate. You are right on the Northern KY side of things except the population is way north of 400K.

I probably didn't make my point as clearly as I should have. It's not that people in Cincinnati don't like Ohio State, I think they do. It's just that their attention is going to be devoted to Xavier or UC or Miami, and those games are going to be of more interest than what Ohio State is doing. I think the other issue is that practically every Ohio State game is on TV these days so you really don't need radio as much as you used to.

On the other hand, the TV ratings in Cleveland and Dayton are typically high for the big games, only second to Columbus. But Cleveland doesn't have teams in the area with the same sports pedigree as Cincinnati. Kent State, Cleveland State and Akron's sports programs don't have the stature of UC, Xavier or Miami. That's how Ohio State football can be on a 50,000 watt signal in Cleveland.

 

[pioneer71]

There are several AM stations doing well with Adult Standards or a MOR format today. Some of the stations have been able to reach demos lower than just those in their 60's and 70's.

Is it the right format for 1160? No, because to do the format right the station will have to add new elements such as a news staff and be out in the community and also put on a number of promotions . This is not a knock on the station. 1160 is apparently making some money and that's more than many other AM stations can say.

I just don't enjoy listening to the station because I am not interested in th net shows and I am not a fan of Eric Deters, I liked listening to Andy and 'Pick" will be interesting. However it is a negative he can't be on for every show.

I really want an AM that is not owned by Clear Channel or Radio One make it in Cincy.
I would be interested in 1160 dropping the talk programs ad picking up the new all news format that is now available from TRN radio. You can still keep the local programs. However, the station will have to hire at least one local news anchor. This could generate more buzz than what the station is gettig now.

 

[jry]

Funny that you would know the TRN news product, Pioneer.
I have known the Masters family for well over 20 years. As you know, the only news product that 1160 carries is
Americas Morning News and just one hour of that.
Driving back from Florida, i had a chance to listen to one of their afternoon segments. Pretty darn good.
As Xtra mentions the fun of DXing US radio stations is just not the same. As a kid, i used to sit with my Trans Oceanic
radio or our large console radio and tune in all kinds of AM radio. 700 was one i listened to, often.
Radio can fix itself if it utilizes more local content. The thing you cannot get from XM or Pandora.
DXing? Heck, you can do that from the internet, now.
It wouldn't be too hard or expensive for 1160 to add more local content. There is a foundation for that now.
TC does a bang up newscast. We resisted the urge to go to satellite and preserved the 5 P to 7 P slot.
Oh well...
Merry Christmas!

 

[borderblaster]

Here's a thread about the possibility of re-creating a full service MOR format.

http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=200437.0

 

[XtraXtra]

Radio can fix itself if it utilizes more local content. The thing you cannot get from XM or Pandora.
DXing? Heck, you can do that from the internet, now.

Do you guys remember Mike Motley (is he still around?) I remember him from 92X and from the old WBLZ in Hamilton. After he got canned from WBLZ, he popped up on what was then WNRJ the Power Pig - 105.7 in Marysville (since relocated to Hilliard), one of those 80-90 stations. Despite the fact that it had a crappy signal over most of Columbus, I was really impressed by how professional sounding their morning team. I didn't get to listen that much, and I'm sure he left for greener pastures, but this left an impression on me I remember some 20 years later. I was very impressed that a 3,000 or 6,000 watt station roughly 35 miles away from me had such a professional sound.

One of the reasons radio is so boring is because the theatrical art seems to be missing these days. In the old days you had spontaneity, interraction, creativity, humor, and a bit of showmanship maybe. If any of that is still the case, it doesn't come across anymore. I think that's what's missing and if there's a way to bring that back, then there will be a way to create another generation of radio buffs.

 

[borderblaster]

Problem is it's a whole new generation of listeners who want what they want, when they want, and a wise cracking DJ who's going to talk about what he had for breakfast may well not be of interest to much of anybody. Even when I was growing up in the 70s, some people loved the DJs and some people wanted to listen to automated music or very low key AOR formats. If there is going to be a new generation of on-air personalities, they'll have to be doing what no one has thought of. Thinking that doing radio in the 1970s is going to attract an audience in 2010 who have hundreds of choices is unlikely.