Game on: Riter/WECK declare war on Entercom

[intheeno]

Pickle...excuse my french, "that ain't gonna happen". Pegula had tears in his eyes talking about listening to WGR (AM radio) on a bridge overpass somewhere far away. He won't move it, its sentimental to him. Count on it.

 

[SirRoxalot]

They don't need to move the Sabres broadcasts off WGR. They do need to simulcast on 107.7 to reach their audience at night. The 'GR pattern is very spotty in areas that The Lake services very well. Seems like a no-brainer - and I'd insist on it if I were the Sabres and trying to extend my audience regionally. The Lake's nighttime numbers are weak anyway.

 

[Element9]

They don't need to move the Sabres broadcasts off WGR. They do need to simulcast on 107.7 to reach their audience at night. The 'GR pattern is very spotty in areas that The Lake services very well. Seems like a no-brainer - and I'd insist on it if I were the Sabres and trying to extend my audience regionally. The Lake's nighttime numbers are weak anyway.

Sounds reasonable. But WCMF carries the Sabres in Rochester and since the Lake gets into Roch better than it gets into Buffalo... WGR could just as easily simulcast the Sabres on KB to fill in the Lancaster null. This also would blast the team all over "seventeen states and eastern Canada" as the promo once said. This might better appease the Sabres, but...

If this doesn't force Entercom to simulcast WGR or WBEN on 107.7, nothing will.*

I heard a comment by new Sabres President Ted Black asking WGR (probably metaphorically) to "turn up their amps" to spread the gospel of the Sabres. Maybe the Sabres are also thinking they might find a better home for the Sabres on an FM? Say what you will about WGR's programming, but their sound quality is poor even for an AM, and the signal is spotty at night. I'd watch this situation closely next time the contract is up.

*Tongue firmly in cheek when I posted that. I should have used the [sarcasm] tag. And the [prescient] tag too, apparently.

 

[leelee]

Let's look on the bright side. Maybe it'll force WGR to get off its collective duff and get a little better. I suggest that WGR lets Howard Simon do his own show with guests that actually know something about sports, puts Bulldog in Mid-days and see if he can recreate his WBEN sports days, and puts Jeremy White on with Schopp so we can watch both guys who are too smart for the room duke it out in public.

That's all I want. Some competent local sports talk. Competition is needed for that, compare Schopp from the 107.7 days to now, he doesn't even care or try anymore.

WECK is a joke now, unfortunately. Every new ad specifically names and attacks WGR and WBEN, and the radio hosts that Brad Riter isn't friends with. It comes across as second-rate and so pathetic.

 

[ThePickleReport]

They don't need to move the Sabres broadcasts off WGR. They do need to simulcast on 107.7 to reach their audience at night. The 'GR pattern is very spotty in areas that The Lake services very well. Seems like a no-brainer - and I'd insist on it if I were the Sabres and trying to extend my audience regionally. The Lake's nighttime numbers are weak anyway.

That's more of what I was suggesting. Pegula seems to want to make everything better; the team, the game experience, etc. I wouldn't put it past the new organization to push the envelope in some way.

And you never know, it could be a good thing for The Lake. Maybe it would remind people they're still on the air!

 

[bbb]

Let's look on the bright side. Maybe it'll force WGR to get off its collective duff and get a little better. I suggest that WGR lets Howard Simon do his own show with guests that actually know something about sports, puts Bulldog in Mid-days and see if he can recreate his WBEN sports days, and puts Jeremy White on with Schopp so we can watch both guys who are too smart for the room duke it out in public.

That's all I want. Some competent local sports talk. Competition is needed for that, compare Schopp from the 107.7 days to now, he doesn't even care or try anymore.

WECK is a joke now, unfortunately. Every new ad specifically names and attacks WGR and WBEN, and the radio hosts that Brad Riter isn't friends with. It comes across as second-rate and so pathetic.

I'm pretty sure Brad is still friends with all the radio hosts on GR. I'm pretty sure he's not friends with Andy Roth, though!

 

[SirRoxalot]

I notice you didn't address the "second-rate and so pathetic" portion of the post...

 

[bbb]

How am I supposed to address that? I don't even know what he's talking about "Every new ad." The only thing I've heard is a clip from Brad's rant. I've only heard the same one a few times.

 

[Philip_Airtime]

I checked out WECK at 12:30pm the past couple of days. Apparently, Tom Schuh's comprehensive wrap-up of the day's news has been changed to a half-hour of Corey Griswald pontificating on the top stories of the day. It's just awful! I had to turn it off. If he's taking calls, I didn't hear any reference to that during the short time I listened. I'm sure Corey is a fine young man. But how is he qualified to essentially be analyzing stories of world affairs. He was talking about Libya today. A short time ago, he was talking sports on weekends on WGR. What is Dick Greene thinking? Here, he had a quality half-hour for anyone on their lunch hour wanting to get caught up on the news, hosted by a Buffalo broadcast veteran in Tom Schuh. And Schuh is let go, and we now have this? This is the kind of programming that Brad Riter thinks is superior to what WGR and WBEN are presenting? I can't stop laughing!

 

[MediaBoy4Radio]

I have seen this movie before, but in the original version " The Buffalo top 40 war" it was WYSL (1400) vs KB. Gordon McLendon had 1KW daytime and 250w nights to fight against 50kw. Mc Lendon had more money and more resources than Greene. McLendon also gathered more talent to 1400 than WECK could ever imagine seeing. Spoiler alert.............WYSL did a great job but failed to overtake 1520.

This WECK deal is a very poor attempt at a remake.

 

[Element9]

I have seen this movie before, but in the original version " The Buffalo top 40 war" it was WYSL (1400) vs KB. Gordon McLendon had 1KW daytime and 250w nights to fight against 50kw. Mc Lendon had more money and more resources than Greene. McLendon also gathered more talent to 1400 than WECK could ever imagine seeing. Spoiler alert.............WYSL did a great job but failed to overtake 1520.

This WECK deal is a very poor attempt at a remake.

But even as a competitor, WYSL had some great jocks like Kevin O'Connell, Kevin O'Brien, Roger Christian, Dick Kemp, Rufus Coyote, Jim Connors, Robert W. Taylor, Jack Kelly/Sean Grabowski, John Rivers, Tim Kelly, Chris Clark, Gary Byrd and Hal Martin. The station had good promotions and was an automatic pre-set on listeners' car radios. Yes, WYSL 1400 was usually beaten by KB, but the Toy Bulldog put up a great fight and also competitive ratings before FM gave birth to WYSL/WPHD, WGRQ, WBUF and Rock 102. Your point, "WECK ain't WYSL," stands.

 

[SirRoxalot]

Hey, if you guys continue to discuss WECK on this non-official thread, you risk invoking the wrath of "BRADonWECK". Do you really want war declared on YOU?

 

[Element9]

Hey, if you guys continue to discuss WECK on this non-official thread, you risk invoking the wrath of "BRADonWECK". Do you really want war declared on YOU?

Wrath of WECK. You may have created a new feature for the thread or the station.

 

[SirRoxalot]

Wrath of WECK. You may have created a new feature for the thread or the station.

Sounds like a soap opera. The place is a bit seedy, and the language is salty.

 

[John C]

If WECK sinks in the ratings it's "theme" could be "WECK of the Edmund Fitzgerald".

 

[GeorgeKramer]

Reid and Bauerle must have loved this tweet from Brad.

I still don't believe in Bill O beating Bauerle, but I look forward to seeing how WECK wages the battle:

-------------------------------------

Entercom GM Greg Ried declined comment. Understandable. How long will Tom Bauerle decline to comment upon being target #1? Ask him. #WECK

 

[SirRoxalot]

Why on earth would Ried or Bauerle even acknowledge WECK? What's in it for them? WECK got a little press. If anybody who was a B&B listener sampled them, they sure didn't stay long. Love him or hate him, Bauerle's more entertaining than Bill O’Loughlin. Personally, I'm in the "none of the above", but neither station is going hold my attention for longer than a top of the hour newscast.

Is Riter going after Beach, or the Glummer Twins on 'GR? Even he doesn't appear to know the answer. Most of what I've heard from Riter is him bloviating about topics that interest HIM, and not necessarily the listeners. And why should I care what he thinks? What cred has he got? Are there credible guests willing to share their expertise?

WECKs best chance is to hire a real PD who might be able to rein in the inmates on Genesee Street and teach them how talk radio is really done. Know anybody with experience, a track record, is available at a reasonable price, and might be able to command enough respect to get the job done? The only name that comes to mind is Pastrick, but he'd have to be crazy to jump into this mess without some serious guarantees from Dick Greene. Even then, it might be too toxic to touch.

"Target #1". Heh. Heheh. Hahahahaha. THAT'S funny.

 

[bbb]

Why on earth would Ried or Bauerle even acknowledge WECK? What's in it for them? WECK got a little press. If anybody who was a B&B listener sampled them, they sure didn't stay long. Love him or hate him, Bauerle's more entertaining than Bill O’Loughlin. Personally, I'm in the "none of the above", but neither station is going hold my attention for longer than a top of the hour newscast.

Is Riter going after Beach, or the Glummer Twins on 'GR? Even he doesn't appear to know the answer. Most of what I've heard from Riter is him bloviating about topics that interest HIM, and not necessarily the listeners. And why should I care what he thinks? What cred has he got? Are there credible guests willing to share their expertise?

WECKs best chance is to hire a real PD who might be able to rein in the inmates on Genesee Street and teach them how talk radio is really done. Know anybody with experience, a track record, is available at a reasonable price, and might be able to command enough respect to get the job done? The only name that comes to mind is Pastrick, but he'd have to be crazy to jump into this mess without some serious guarantees from Dick Greene. Even then, it might be too toxic to touch.

"Target #1". Heh. Heheh. Hahahahaha. THAT'S funny.

Actually, I'm a listener and Brad almost always picks topics of interest to me. I like S&B's show, but when they are just talking, doing ten opinions and stuff like that..........But, most of their show is repeating their views on the topic of the day over and over and having Jim from Cheektowaga call in and tell us him, and then Len from Lockport.

I can care less what callers think about anything - last week somebody called in and said we should trade Connolly, Hecht, and Montadore for Jerome Iginla. Yeah, the Flames will surely take that one..........You want to listen to that nonsense, go right ahead.

 

[SirRoxalot]

I can care less what callers think about anything - last week somebody called in and said we should trade Connolly, Hecht, and Montadore for Jerome Iginla. Yeah, the Flames will surely take that one..........You want to listen to that nonsense, go right ahead.

The problem with Brad is that he rarely cares what anybody thinks except him. As I said, some actual experts, or at least a reference to source material, might give him some cred. Otherwise, he's just another loudmouth on the radio.

 

[bbb]

I can care less what callers think about anything - last week somebody called in and said we should trade Connolly, Hecht, and Montadore for Jerome Iginla. Yeah, the Flames will surely take that one..........You want to listen to that nonsense, go right ahead.

The problem with Brad is that he rarely cares what anybody thinks except him. As I said, some actual experts, or at least a reference to source material, might give him some cred. Otherwise, he's just another loudmouth on the radio.

He has at least one guest a day it seems to me - Tim Graham, the guy from SI - Richard Deutsch (sp?), etc.