Has 3-WZ found its roots?

[shilton]

I was driving tonight doing my typical dial hopping when I stumbled on 3-WZ playing Starship, then coming out of the song, I heard the old familiar liner "The best mix of the 80's 90's and now". A short while later I heard Celine Dion. So I was curious, is this a fluke or has 3-WZ finally decided they can't be all things to all people and they are heading back more to the format that made them a success in the first place?

It would be very good if 3-WZ decided to get back to its roots and be more of an adult variety format instead of the watered down top 40 they seemed to morph into over the past few years. Given the recent dip in their ratings I would not be shocked to see it happen.

 

[mock3]

Add to that--no other AC format in State College (besides K-Love).

 

[fowler]

3WZ has roots in the business community and any tweaking done for rating purposes will only help their top line.
One cannot separate success from sales and good will with clients.
Their top billers are not selling in Pittsburgh and Harrisburg today.

 

[shilton]

3WZ has roots in the business community and any tweaking done for rating purposes will only help their top line.
One cannot separate success from sales and good will with clients.
Their top billers are not selling in Pittsburgh and Harrisburg today.

Business community or not, if people don't like what they hear they tune out which is what probably led to any ratings decline. You just don't monkey with something that works. I realize that 3-WZ is an advertising machine. Heck with channel 4 alone they are an easy sell plus they've been around forever. Say 3-WZ and like it or hate it, everyone knows what it is and that's a good place to be in. All the more reason I was shocked when they started messing about with the magic formula that Dan Barker set up all those years ago.

Just wondering if my ears were deceiving me of if a real drift back to the "center" was in the works? Had it just been a song or 2, I'd say it was a fluke but like I said, I also heard the older liners "best of the 80's 90's and now" which surely told me that either something was up, or they were doing something with the automation and they had to run off of an old backup or something.

Anyway from what I heard, I was pleased. Not my cup of tea, but when 3-WZ was its dead on, A/C self there's no denying that they gave us all more than a run for our money. Especially with Lite being torn apart, the market needs a station that the banks and businesses can listen to all day.

 

[ratingsgeek]

3WZ has roots in the business community and any tweaking done for rating purposes will only help their top line.
One cannot separate success from sales and good will with clients.
Their top billers are not selling in Pittsburgh and Harrisburg today.

Business community or not, if people don't like what they hear they tune out which is what probably led to any ratings decline. You just don't monkey with something that works. I realize that 3-WZ is an advertising machine. Heck with channel 4 alone they are an easy sell plus they've been around forever. Say 3-WZ and like it or hate it, everyone knows what it is and that's a good place to be in. All the more reason I was shocked when they started messing about with the magic formula that Dan Barker set up all those years ago.

Just wondering if my ears were deceiving me of if a real drift back to the "center" was in the works? Had it just been a song or 2, I'd say it was a fluke but like I said, I also heard the older liners "best of the 80's 90's and now" which surely told me that either something was up, or they were doing something with the automation and they had to run off of an old backup or something.

Anyway from what I heard, I was pleased. Not my cup of tea, but when 3-WZ was its dead on, A/C self there's no denying that they gave us all more than a run for our money. Especially with Lite being torn apart, the market needs a station that the banks and businesses can listen to all day.

How about a little objectivity?

Dan Barker never had a "magic formula." He hired nationally-known programming consultants to pump out a conventional conservative AC product that did very well as long as it had no competition. And promoted the hell out of it by working his employees to the bone for little or no compensation. When WBUS crashed the party and grabbed half the 25-54 numbers, he saw the handwriting on the wall and cashed out, quick. DB was neither a broadcasting genius nor a particularly good boss. He did emerge from the experience a multi-millionaire, but his employees didn't.

While you were busy being shocked at the current outfit "messing" with the magic formula, they racked up two #1 (12+) books on you. And--this is hard to believe--you're still behind them.

Although they must be thrilled to know you're "pleased" with their most recent efforts, you should be aware that such critiques usually hold more weight after you've accomplished something. If B's positive movement is any indication, that day may be coming soon.

But you're not there yet.

 

[punjistx]

Actually, Mr. Barker came into money prior to the Z. He was working at the University, and I won't get into all the legal deals, he sued the University and won. So he got a nice chunk of change there to help him start up the Z. And no, Baker was not a radio person at PSU radio prior to his lawsuit. So, yes, he had a successful radio station. No, he didn't program it himself. Though I've heard many a story of him calling the jock on the air because they were playing a song he didn't agree with and tell them never to play it again. Example, a friend of mine worked at the Z and played a very hot Madonna song, Mr. Barker didn't like Madonna and what she stood for, so it was yanked from the playlist, didn't matter that is was number 2 in the nation. Also, he never accepted alcohol advertising. No spots from Hickey's, Nittany Beverage, bar spots mentioning drinks...didn't matter he still made money.