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How would you save WPTT?

Because the teens that WMCK and KQV chased are all over 55 now and not the audience advertisers want to reach.

Because people under 45 are accustomed to listening to music on the superior fidelity of FM.

Because when WPTT started the talk format, 104.7 didn't have a talk format. If that had been in place then, they never would have tried talk. As it is, they probably won't stick with it much longer.
 
Bottom line is that with 75% of the AM signals out there, the only way to make money is by brokering the time or going to a religious format, which is just another flavor of brokering.
 
You can see some of the direction coming into focus. John Tesh's syndicated show replaces Mike McGann in afternoon. To answer the question before its asked, yes Tesh is more expensive than McGann's contract but they are trying to breathe life into the demographics. Yes, Tesh would fit better on WSHH but they are trying to throw JAS a lifeline.

That no similar moves are even being contemplated on 1360 should tell you something. That Lynn doesn't have a new contract or a contract extension 50 days out says almost as much.
 
Actually, WJAS had already been air Tesh, the only thing that changed was the time that he is being aired. As for it costing more or less than McGann, WSHH already airs Tesh, though I believe they carry the entire show, rather than just the liners that WJAS uses in the breaks, so I am hedging my bet here and saying that his show on WJAS was just a throw in with the deal that was put together for WSHH.
 
What an awful lineup. Whoever designed this mess (Market Manager, GM, PD--whoever) should be banned from radio--or, at the very least, be forced into watching every Pirates game this year.

There seem to be some of you on this board who think that this horrible mish-mash of liberal (Thom Hartmann ... radical right-wing loony (Laura Ingraham)... local civics (Lynn Cullen)... consumer education (Clark Howard)... faux liberalism (Hannity whipping-boy Colmes)... and Channel 4 news (!!!!!) is somehow representative of "progressive radio." Nooooooooooooooooo.

WPTT is representative of a hare-brained notion that there is a large audience out there for a bunch of extremely different radio talk personalities all strung together on one station. Sort of like a music station featuring Korn, Barry Manilow, the Staples Singers and... Kellie Pickler.

Save WPTT???

It's not the best AM rig in the market, but it's not the worst. A real progressive talk lineup could do 2-3 shares on 1360 with something like this:

6-9 AM: Channel 4 News--this is actually the best thing they do. It's live, local & outsourced!!!
9A-Noon: Stephanie Miller (Jones Radio)
Noon-3P: Ed Schultz (Jones Radio)
3-6P: Thom Hartmann (Air America)
6-8P: Rachel Maddow (Air America)
8-11P: Randi Rhodes (Air America)
11P-6A Whatever--who really cares? How about repeats of Miller & Schultz?
 
jackandcoke said:
What an awful lineup. Whoever designed this mess (Market Manager, GM, PD--whoever) should be banned from radio--or, at the very least, be forced into watching every Pirates game this year...


A real progressive talk lineup could do 2-3 shares on 1360...
Click to expand...

Thank you! It's one of those "No $hit" kinda things that are so obvious it's pitiful.
 
If WJAS actually put Tesh into PM drive, I would assume that total automation is coming. Why not just ditch the music on 1360, put the talk on 1320 and shut down 1360. It is not even receivable in Oakland at night. The one thing WMCK had going was no FM and it was around when the Mon Valley may have been seen as a unique market. Remember the White Elephant ? Maybe putting the station into a time machine and take it back to the Elk's Lodge withh TL, Bill Lynch, and Lou Janis might be the only hope. Or we could go back to the days of WIXZ and Jeff Christie before he went round the bend of the mighty Yough. Or who cares.
 
OldSchoolWoman said:
If WJAS actually put Tesh into PM drive, I would assume that total automation is coming. Why not just ditch the music on 1360, put the talk on 1320 and shut down 1360. It is not even receivable in Oakland at night.
Click to expand...

Tha sad part of it is, I remember listening to WIXZ at night in the East End in the early Seventies. I've heard that someone dug up the groundwave system to sell as scrap copper somewhere along the way and it was never replaced, so the signal can't travel as far as it did before.
 
Just listening to an aircheck of Dick Kemp. Since WPTT is obviously such a losing deal-----why not go oldies with vintage jock airchecks? Let Clark Ingram consult! What do they have to lose and old Pink Lady"s like myself would have a station to listen to while necking with Konicke or Danny Zucco. Tony Renda has to remember when--like yo' Tony-----get with it daddio.
 
All of the Renda-Pittsburgh stations have had a digital automation system in place for almost a year now. It might be something that comes into play at some point, and it might not.
 
I mean, look at it this way.... KD and 1250 are the only AMs in the market with viable audiences, but I'm sure the 620/770 combo is profitable, 810 WEDO squeaks out a living selling hours to churches, 1080 (once the market's top country station, with "Daisy" as the little sister on 107.9) is religious, 730 is all syndicated... do you want to feed your ego and pretend you're competing or do you want to make a profit?

It's pretty much an either/or choice at this point.
 
as it becomes harder to make a profit, there will most certainly be opportunities in the
near future for people with deep pockets who wish to feed their egos.
 
Moo- I'm intrigued by your comment of digging up the groundwave for scrap copper.

Could you please tell me a bit about ground signals?

I think of a radio station getting out via a tower, so this is a new concept to me.
 
Snafu said:
All of the Renda-Pittsburgh stations have had a digital automation system in place for almost a year now. It might be something that comes into play at some point, and it might not.
Click to expand...

They've had them for over 10 years actually, just replaced it with a new system.
 
This tread has gone on way too long. Is there nothing else to talk about in Pittsburgh radio? WPTT made have made changes lately, but I assure you of one thing, its making money. Every radio station in the Renda chain makes money. They don't need to change a thing.

Can we move on now?
 
Maybe we should all stand back and watch the entire AM band die off. Wonder how long it will be before the FCC decides that AM works better in the hands of some new technology and pulls it out from under its present tenants??
 
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