Herald Laments Lack Of Local Radio

[dumber than a box of hair]

They have NO ratings. They are in the basement. They are the FNX ratings wise of the post FNX era.

Demonstrable nonsense, but that's what you get for going by the 6+ numbers. In men 18-34 and 18-49 (their prime target demos) they are a consistent, competitive top-ten station.

 

[rockcaptain]

Demonstrable nonsense, but that's what you get for going by the 6+ numbers. In men 18-34 and 18-49 (their prime target demos) they are a consistent, competitive top-ten station.

Top ten doesn't necessarily cut it in those demos though. I am not going by 6+. I have the numbers and see them each and every week. They are not in good shape.

 

[reelyreal]

Tell that to the weekenders and other part timers that just got canned...

How could I forget that it's impossible for a station to have local flavor without some minimum wage weekend warriors?

Yep, it sucks that there are less jobs in radio. I've lost my job in radio, and I've been lucky to find full time work again. It's never going to get any better. It's the new normal, time to accept it and go back to college.

 

[DToTheJ]

And by "college", you probably don't mean "The Connecticut School Of Broadcasting".

 

[4CX1000A]

Demonstrable nonsense, but that's what you get for going by the 6+ numbers. In men 18-34 and 18-49 (their prime target demos) they are a consistent, competitive top-ten station.

I thought 18-34's didn't listen to radio any more. That's what the doomsayers and Chicken Littles among my colleagues keep telling me.

I'm glad it's not true.

 

[raccoonradio]

Maybe trying to attract 18-34s is why WODS dumped Elton John and Donna Summer in favor of LMFAO
and Katy Perry.

 

[tvreader]

Radio in this market is boring because radio sales runs it, not programming.

 

[dumber than a box of hair]

Radio in every market is boring because radio sales runs it, not programming.

Fixed.

 

[notlob]

Second, as usual, people just don't seem to want to acknowledge college radio. ... *AND* there's WUMB, which is an excellent music station, too.

Overall I agree with most of your post, but it is unfortunate that you lumped WUMB in with legitimate Boston-area college radio stations that are run by and for their respective student bodies.

Although WUMB is a NPR affiliate licensed to UMass Boston, it is run by a professional, paid staff. There is absolutely no student-produced programming to be found there.

 

[aaronread]

Although WUMB is a NPR affiliate licensed to UMass Boston, it is run by a professional, paid staff. There is absolutely no student-produced programming to be found there.

That was unintentional. I would not consider WUMB a "college radio" station any more than I'd consider WXPN one.

That said, doesn't WUMB have UMB students program the 10pm to 2am hours on weekdays? All pre-recorded and voicetracked, but I thought it was students doing it...?

 

[itsthesong]

Radio in every market is boring because radio sales runs it, not programming.

Fixed.

If you can't make money off of it - what's the point?

 

[TSBench]

Radio in this market is boring because radio sales runs it, not programming.

Thanks for the heads-up. All this time I thought folks with titles like PD, MD, and ND, none of whom I ever met were up from the sales department, were responsible for the on-air product at major market commercial stations, and now I find out that these stations are actually programmed from the GM's and GSM's office.

Now, here's a 'heads-up' for you.

The old 'sales suits have ruined the biz' is a tired, thought-free cliche used by folks who think it makes them look like they actually know how big time commercial radio works.

They are wrong.

Almost every boring, stale-sounding, and unpopular commercial station in a major market has an exec up from the ad sales pipeline in the GM's office. Almost every exciting, fresh-sounding, and super popular commercial station in a major market has an exec up from the ad sales pipeline in the GM's office. Notice a trend here?

PDs and MDs, plus the production folks and air talent, produce what goes on the air. If it sucks, the GM either hired the wrong people and/or didn't fire them fast enough.

So, if a station is boring, or mega-interesting, that former sales dept guy who is the GM, is responsible in the way that, same as a ship captain, he is responsible for everything.

I get a kick out of the armchair PDs who seem to think that if the industry was run by sensitive, come-let-us-reason-together Julliard BFAs in the corner offices, every station would be a mesmerizingly great listen. And maybe they would. Right up to the minute they turned the electricity off.

Regards,
TSB

 

[DToTheJ]

Maybe trying to attract 18-34s is why WODS dumped Elton John and Donna Summer in favor of LMFAO and Katy Perry.

Out: Petula Clark. In: Pitbull.

 

[tvreader]

Not a tired cliche but rather an old one. The PD's, MD's and announcers all work in the limits of what the GM and SM wants. Although it is not a direct relationship between sales and on-air there is a mighty influence. TS you must be in sales. I was on both sides and believe me sales holds "the smoking gun."

 

[raccoonradio]

>>every station would be a mesmerizingly great listen. And maybe they would. Right up to the minute they turned the electricity off.

Or the owner--Mr Mindich--sells to Clear Channel who installs a format that is boring,
predictable--and very, very successful.

 

[DToTheJ]

While Harbor may be a similar format to Mike, remember their commercial-free period is ending soon, if it's not over already - so let's keep our expectations for Harbor at bay. :

 

[rockcaptain]

>>every station would be a mesmerizingly great listen. And maybe they would. Right up to the minute they turned the electricity off.

Or the owner--Mr Mindich--sells to Clear Channel who installs a format that is boring,
predictable--and very, very successful.

Wrong format for that frequency though. Ratings are and will remain poor. Now they may be able to make money with it but not because of stellar ratings (more because the station costs practically nothing to operate).

 

[WNTIRadio]

How long until they make their initial $14.5 million investment back?

 

[rockcaptain]

How long until they make their initial $14.5 million investment back?

Depends if they smarten up and pull off this mass appeal format and put on something a little more focused. But I would say 8 to 10 years to make it back. A lot of the sales for The Harbor will be package/group buys.

 

[raccoonradio]

Good point--and at this point they're trying to make a little of it back with low cost but later it would be nice if they did do a "focused" and needed format (with the limited signal they have). Also they get rid of some costs by shifting 1200 to comedy, losing the salaries of Severin and Katz. (When WFNX was bought by CC, Jeff wrote "welcome to the (Clear Channel) family" on his facebook. Little did he know that in offsetting the purchase price, Jeff would soon be tossed out of the "family" to cut costs.

---
"They tell you you're a family, and then they trade one of the kids."--Bill Lee, Boston Red Sox.
(in this case, they laid off Katz and Severin rather than traded them...)