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I'm Tired of All the Negativity Towards Providence

E

E-Dub

Guest
That's it, I'm breaking the knot! Honestly, I've had it will all the sour remarks about the Providence DMA (i.e. Oh, it's the worst place to work in; all three stations suck; why are they all still on the air; the GMs and NDs don't have a clue (this one is possibly true); ect.)! What is the purpose? It's sickening! The only one that has real problems right now is WLNE, and I strongly wish they didn't have .00000000000001% of problems. The rest are fine. I'm giving improvment suggestions to WLNE to the best of my abilities. Hell, I don't even know why I even give heck with abilities; screw that. I'd like to be forceful in the face of those that run WLNE. I want to get in there again and show them how it's done. Put in Frank Gari's News Source music package, ill graphics from Giant Octopus, the strongest promotional outreach, and combine that with more anchors/reporters and employees that know what they're doing, more newscasts, the right coverage of news 24/7, and incorporate WPRI's flash photography and overnight coverage and WJAR's community outreach, put it at the G-TECH proposed site in Providence, and you got yourself WLNE/ABC6, the best damn news operation in the country, if not, reigon. It would be above the lines of WCVB and WPVI, what y'all call the best things since ice cream. That's how I'd run WLNE, bring it back from the dead. I ain't letting a strapped budget get in my way. I'd bring respect back to DMA #49. Ain't no one gonna touch my style. Hey, if you wouldn't like how I run things at 6, I don't know what else I could do. Finally, my opinion on stations in the Providence DMA................I'm not saying anything.

Ethan Lopez
 
> That's it, I'm breaking the knot! Honestly, I've had it will
> all the sour remarks about the Providence DMA (i.e. Oh, it's
> the worst place to work in; all three stations suck; why are
> they all still on the air; the GMs and NDs don't have a clue
> (this one is possibly true); ect.)! What is the purpose?
> It's sickening! The only one that has real problems right
> now is WLNE, and I strongly wish they didn't have
> .00000000000001% of problems. The rest are fine. I'm giving
> improvment suggestions to WLNE to the best of my abilities.
> Hell, I don't even know why I even give heck with abilities;
> screw that. I'd like to be forceful in the face of those
> that run WLNE. I want to get in there again and show them
> how it's done. Put in Frank Gari's News Source music
> package, ill graphics from Giant Octopus, the strongest
> promotional outreach, and combine that with more
> anchors/reporters and employees that know what they're
> doing, more newscasts, the right coverage of news 24/7, and
> incorporate WPRI's flash photography and overnight coverage
> and WJAR's community outreach, put it at the G-TECH proposed
> site in Providence, and you got yourself WLNE/ABC6, the best
> damn news operation in the country, if not, reigon. It would
> be above the lines of WCVB and WPVI, what y'all call the
> best things since ice cream. That's how I'd run WLNE, bring
> it back from the dead. I ain't letting a strapped budget get
> in my way. I'd bring respect back to DMA #49. Ain't no one
> gonna touch my style. Hey, if you wouldn't like how I run
> things at 6, I don't know what else I could do. Finally, my
> opinion on stations in the Providence DMA................I'm
> not saying anything.
>
> Ethan Lopez
>
Did you not get enough sleep last night or get up on the wrong side of the bed??? Take a chill pill!

In terms of WLNE, they have done all that in the past (in the 80's). They had great theme music in the mid-80's. It was the WGRB 1986 theme on southernmedia's website (it actually started in 1983, not 1987 as the site says). They hired Dave Layman, Ann Conway, Ken Bell, and John Ghiorse. They also had reporters such as Al Vaughters, Barbara Meagher at the Massachusetts bureau, Sean Daly, Barbara Morse, George Colajezzi (sp?), Pamela Watts, Steve Cascione. (They even had Barbara Meagher at the former New Bedford newsroom doing 3 minutes of SE Massachusetts news during their 6pm newscast). Overall, that's a pretty solid team for a market which avidly watches Boston stations. They put together a solid newscast at the time, arguably as good as WPRI or WJAR. Nevertheless, nobody watched them.
 
> Did you not get enough sleep last night or get up on the
> wrong side of the bed??? Take a chill pill!
>
> In terms of WLNE, they have done all that in the past (in
> the 80's). They had great theme music in the mid-80's. It
> was the WGRB 1986 theme on southernmedia's website (it
> actually started in 1983, not 1987 as the site says). They
> hired Dave Layman, Ann Conway, Ken Bell, and John Ghiorse.
> They also had reporters such as Al Vaughters, Barbara
> Meagher at the Massachusetts bureau, Sean Daly, Barbara
> Morse, George Colajezzi (sp?), Pamela Watts, Steve Cascione.
> (They even had Barbara Meagher at the former New Bedford
> newsroom doing 3 minutes of SE Massachusetts news during
> their 6pm newscast). Overall, that's a pretty solid team
> for a market which avidly watches Boston stations. They put
> together a solid newscast at the time, arguably as good as
> WPRI or WJAR. Nevertheless, nobody watched them.
>

I would have kept the anchor team of Dave and Ann forever, much like 10 does with Doug and Patrice, but you'd see them both at 6 and 11. It would make a great rep for WLNE. But see, the bozos that run it gave the pink slips to all the best reporters. 6 has always been money strapped, even if they did have the power of CBS, who wasn't doing good at the time. But again, if I was around at that time, I'd have the money pouring in because of good, strong promotion that would attract viewers. Had Dave and Ann stayed today, would the scene at WLNE look different? Either ways, I'm sticking by my point. If I were running WLNE, it would be the best in the country. I have the plans and the stuff to make it happen.
 
If I were running WLNE, it would be the best in the country. I have the plans and the stuff to make it happen.
---------------------

Well you might have the plans.... but unless you have Money then you don't have the STUFF. You can't implement all your ideas without Cash. Who is going to pay for that New SET? Who is going to pay for that New Music Package? Who is going to pay to hire Top Notch anchors? We all have ideas how to make that station better. But it's just tough to do without any money.



John<P ID="signature">______________
Awsome Voiceovers for your station.
JohnChartier.com
206-600-2629
</P>
 
> > Did you not get enough sleep last night or get up on the
> > wrong side of the bed??? Take a chill pill!
> >
> > In terms of WLNE, they have done all that in the past (in
> > the 80's). They had great theme music in the mid-80's.
> It
> > was the WGRB 1986 theme on southernmedia's website (it
> > actually started in 1983, not 1987 as the site says).
> They
> > hired Dave Layman, Ann Conway, Ken Bell, and John Ghiorse.
>
> > They also had reporters such as Al Vaughters, Barbara
> > Meagher at the Massachusetts bureau, Sean Daly, Barbara
> > Morse, George Colajezzi (sp?), Pamela Watts, Steve
> Cascione.
> > (They even had Barbara Meagher at the former New Bedford
> > newsroom doing 3 minutes of SE Massachusetts news during
> > their 6pm newscast). Overall, that's a pretty solid team
> > for a market which avidly watches Boston stations. They
> put
> > together a solid newscast at the time, arguably as good as
>
> > WPRI or WJAR. Nevertheless, nobody watched them.
> >
>
> I would have kept the anchor team of Dave and Ann forever,
> much like 10 does with Doug and Patrice, but you'd see them
> both at 6 and 11. It would make a great rep for WLNE. But
> see, the bozos that run it gave the pink slips to all the
> best reporters. 6 has always been money strapped, even if
> they did have the power of CBS, who wasn't doing good at the
> time. But again, if I was around at that time, I'd have the
> money pouring in because of good, strong promotion that
> would attract viewers. Had Dave and Ann stayed today, would
> the scene at WLNE look different? Either ways, I'm sticking
> by my point. If I were running WLNE, it would be the best in
> the country. I have the plans and the stuff to make it
> happen.
>
Even before the Dave Layman/Ann Conway era, WLNE tried Action News with the "Move Closer to the World" theme. They started additional newscasts at noon and 7pm (as well as 6pm and 11pm -- early am newscasts were not around yet). They hired Magee Hickey (now in NYC) and Chris Conanglia (now in MSP) as their main anchors along with an advanced weather computer system (Weathermation) that ran circles around Hank Bouchard at WPRI and Art Lake at WJAR. They put one anchor in Providence and one in New Bedford to cover the whole DMA. Again, it didn't work!

People in Providence just won't watch WLNE, no matter what you do. Tell me, what has Walter Cryan done in terms of ratings? Has he helped at all?
 
> I have the plans and the stuff to make it
> happen.

That's great and your ideas are intriguing, but you must remember, that both WPRI and WJAR also have the plans and stuff to make it happen (which is why they are).

The biggest problem for WLNE is the history. WLNE is really the odd man out. The New Bedford station. WJAR and WPRI are the Providence stations.
History does a lot to a station's ratings and it is a very tough thing to overcome.

I know WLNE has made major strides towards being a Providence station, but its that bugging history that will continue to hurt them.
 
> > I have the plans and the stuff to make it
> > happen.
>
> That's great and your ideas are intriguing, but you must
> remember, that both WPRI and WJAR also have the plans and
> stuff to make it happen (which is why they are).
>
> The biggest problem for WLNE is the history. WLNE is really
> the odd man out. The New Bedford station. WJAR and WPRI are
> the Providence stations.
> History does a lot to a station's ratings and it is a very
> tough thing to overcome.
>
> I know WLNE has made major strides towards being a
> Providence station, but its that bugging history that will
> continue to hurt them.
>

All right, so you're saying that WLNE go back to County Street. I like that decision, because they wouldn't be too far from my residence, hell, right down the street. But the least they could is put a New Bedford bureau there. By the way, what is their history?
 
> > > Did you not get enough sleep last night or get up on the
>
> > > wrong side of the bed??? Take a chill pill!
> > >
> > > In terms of WLNE, they have done all that in the past
> (in
> > > the 80's). They had great theme music in the mid-80's.
>
> > It
> > > was the WGRB 1986 theme on southernmedia's website (it
> > > actually started in 1983, not 1987 as the site says).
> > They
> > > hired Dave Layman, Ann Conway, Ken Bell, and John
> Ghiorse.
> >
> > > They also had reporters such as Al Vaughters, Barbara
> > > Meagher at the Massachusetts bureau, Sean Daly, Barbara
> > > Morse, George Colajezzi (sp?), Pamela Watts, Steve
> > Cascione.
> > > (They even had Barbara Meagher at the former New
> Bedford
> > > newsroom doing 3 minutes of SE Massachusetts news during
>
> > > their 6pm newscast). Overall, that's a pretty solid
> team
> > > for a market which avidly watches Boston stations. They
>
> > put
> > > together a solid newscast at the time, arguably as good
> as
> >
> > > WPRI or WJAR. Nevertheless, nobody watched them.
> > >
> >
> > I would have kept the anchor team of Dave and Ann forever,
>
> > much like 10 does with Doug and Patrice, but you'd see
> them
> > both at 6 and 11. It would make a great rep for WLNE. But
> > see, the bozos that run it gave the pink slips to all the
> > best reporters. 6 has always been money strapped, even if
> > they did have the power of CBS, who wasn't doing good at
> the
> > time. But again, if I was around at that time, I'd have
> the
> > money pouring in because of good, strong promotion that
> > would attract viewers. Had Dave and Ann stayed today,
> would
> > the scene at WLNE look different? Either ways, I'm
> sticking
> > by my point. If I were running WLNE, it would be the best
> in
> > the country. I have the plans and the stuff to make it
> > happen.
> >
> Even before the Dave Layman/Ann Conway era, WLNE tried
> Action News with the "Move Closer to the World" theme. They
> started additional newscasts at noon and 7pm (as well as 6pm
> and 11pm -- early am newscasts were not around yet). They
> hired Magee Hickey (now in NYC) and Chris Conanglia (now in
> MSP) as their main anchors along with an advanced weather
> computer system (Weathermation) that ran circles around Hank
> Bouchard at WPRI and Art Lake at WJAR. They put one anchor
> in Providence and one in New Bedford to cover the whole DMA.
> Again, it didn't work!
>
> People in Providence just won't watch WLNE, no matter what
> you do. Tell me, what has Walter Cryan done in terms of
> ratings? Has he helped at all?
>

Do you know why nothing works for WLNE? They don't promote themselves enough. You see WJAR ads on cable network insertion, radio stations, newspapers, ect.. That's what WLNE has to do to get all of Southern New England watching their station. And about main anchors, if I had a #1 choice, it would be Truman Taylor, Meredith Viera, Brad Field, and Bob Bassett.
 
> If I were running WLNE, it would be the best in the country.
> I have the plans and the stuff to make it happen.
> ---------------------
>
> Well you might have the plans.... but unless you have
> Money then you don't have the STUFF. You can't implement all
> your ideas without Cash. Who is going to pay for that New
> SET? Who is going to pay for that New Music Package? Who is
> going to pay to hire Top Notch anchors? We all have ideas
> how to make that station better. But it's just tough to do
> without any money.
>
>
>
> John
>

Hey, if I were there, there wouldn't be any money problems. With the right promotion and the best damn newscasts my team would produce, WLNE would be #1 forever.
 
WLNE-6's problems of viewer perception of the station go way back to the station's early years, decades before cable came to the Providence/New Bedford market.

In parts of the market, the signal of the then-WTEV was inferior to those of WJAR-10 and WPRI-12, especially the further north you went.

Had WTEV/WLNE been able to transmit from Rehobeth from the beginning with a signal the equal of WJAR and WPRI, I think the station would today be very competitive in local news ratings via-a-vis WJAR and WPRI.
 
How can you say if you were there, they would have no money problems? How are you going to force the Corporate Stiff Necks at Freedom to give you the bundles of money you want to spend? If the station isn't making the money, you can't spend what you don't have. It's very simple. Out of all three stations in Providence, WPRI is the only who has spent money over the past three years or so. WLNE won't spend a dime...neither will WJAR. NBC doesn't give a crap about WJAR...and Freedom evidently doesn't care about WLNE. It really is a shame, but it's the way it is.

Walter Cryan's presence at WLNE has done nothing for their ratings...despite Walter STILL being a household name in this market. The synidcated "Dr. Phil" program pulls in better numbers at 5:00 then their own 6:00 newscast. Apparently, people are watching "Dr. Phil" but then are switching to WPRI or WJAR for the news.
 
But seriously, folks....

> That's it, I'm breaking the knot! Honestly, I've had it will
> all the sour remarks about the Providence DMA (i.e. Oh, it's
> the worst place to work in; all three stations suck; why are
> they all still on the air; the GMs and NDs don't have a clue
> (this one is possibly true); ect.)!

You're dealing with a much more serious problem than you
perhaps realize.

Some 30 years ago the then-management of WTEV (6) took seriously
then "new" FCC policies relative to "ascertainment" of community
issues with which stations were expected to deal. They
spent some serious money on a team of psychologists who spent
about a month in and around Providence and the New Bedford
area interviewing VIP's, ordinary people, reading the papers
and watching/listening to news.

They produced a list of issues that were holding the region
back. Yeah, drugs and alcohol were on the list but the
#1 item, and it was #1 by a long, long way, was.....

NEGATIVITY

Nobody had a good word to say about anything. Open a new
high school and the lead in print was something like: "School
opens; principal under fire for....."

Management considered what could be done and what might
be accomplished and decided, instead to go the safe
route and run issues programming on the traditional
stuff...drugs, alcohol, driving without seatbelts. Much
safer ground.

Read and watch the content for yourself. Sad, but there's
something in the Southern New England psyche that wants to
self-destruct. Wish I had a solution but the best I
could was move away!<P ID="signature">______________
Appoint a special prosecutor NOW! For any imagined offense by anybody. The trial lawyers need the work; they multiply like rats!</P>
 
> Had WTEV/WLNE been able to transmit from Rehobeth from the
> beginning with a signal the equal of WJAR and WPRI, I think
> the station would today be very competitive in local news
> ratings via-a-vis WJAR and WPRI.


It would have helped. Especially since most antennas were
pointed toward Boston and 6 was originally on a very short
stick in Little Compton, Rhode Island, in a deep null in
the receive pattern of most antennas. The move to Rattlesnake
Hill in Tiverton and the 1,000 foot tower helped but it
was still in a null for most people.

Add to that the original New Bedford Standard Times (part
ownership) intent to bring TV to The Cape and Islands as
well as Fall River/New Bedford, and you had a recipe for
disaster. Essentially zero Providence news for the first
several years.

With DTV and cable coverage it would take a complete
turnover of staff, new call letters, new promotion and
a whole lot more to break the image. Plus, I don't
know what DTV channel they've drawn...but dopping
all mention of 6 and running with the new channel number
might help if there were all new faces overnight.

Failing something that radical, they're squirting into the
wind.<P ID="signature">______________
Appoint a special prosecutor NOW! For any imagined offense by anybody. The trial lawyers need the work; they multiply like rats!</P>
 
> How can you say if you were there, they would have no money
> problems? How are you going to force the Corporate Stiff
> Necks at Freedom to give you the bundles of money you want
> to spend? If the station isn't making the money, you can't
> spend what you don't have. It's very simple. Out of all
> three stations in Providence, WPRI is the only who has spent
> money over the past three years or so. WLNE won't spend a
> dime...neither will WJAR. NBC doesn't give a crap about
> WJAR...and Freedom evidently doesn't care about WLNE. It
> really is a shame, but it's the way it is.
>
> Walter Cryan's presence at WLNE has done nothing for their
> ratings...despite Walter STILL being a household name in
> this market. The synidcated "Dr. Phil" program pulls in
> better numbers at 5:00 then their own 6:00 newscast.
> Apparently, people are watching "Dr. Phil" but then are
> switching to WPRI or WJAR for the news.
>

I'd want to be owned by either Clear Channel or Hearst-Argyle, even if I have to hum or use force to do it.
 
E-Dub: You want WLNE to be owned by Clear Channel? Are you kidding? If you want to know about Clear Channel, ask some long-time employees at WPRI about that company when they owned the station! You will hear horror stories. Look at what Clear Channel is doing over at WHJJ Radio. They are driving that station into the ground. You think Clear Channel will do good things if they ever owned WLNE? Come on now. If Hearst-Argyle had an ounce of interest in buying WLNE, I'm sure they would have done that last year, when Freedom threatened to sell all their TV stations.

I respect your passion for Channel 6 and the Providence market. I just wish more young people would be as passionate about this industry we call broadcasting. But some of your requests/demands about what WLNE needs to do are far beyond ridiculous. You are saying the same stuff over on the FTVLive message board also. Just over there, people responding to you can be more candid then they can here. Those anonymous people think you're being ridiculous also. The Good Ol' Days are very few and far between now.
 
> E-Dub: You want WLNE to be owned by Clear Channel? Are you
> kidding? If you want to know about Clear Channel, ask some
> long-time employees at WPRI about that company when they
> owned the station! You will hear horror stories. Look at
> what Clear Channel is doing over at WHJJ Radio. They are
> driving that station into the ground. You think Clear
> Channel will do good things if they ever owned WLNE? Come
> on now. If Hearst-Argyle had an ounce of interest in buying
> WLNE, I'm sure they would have done that last year, when
> Freedom threatened to sell all their TV stations.
>
> I respect your passion for Channel 6 and the Providence
> market. I just wish more young people would be as
> passionate about this industry we call broadcasting. But
> some of your requests/demands about what WLNE needs to do
> are far beyond ridiculous. You are saying the same stuff
> over on the FTVLive message board also. Just over there,
> people responding to you can be more candid then they can
> here. Those anonymous people think you're being ridiculous
> also. The Good Ol' Days are very few and far between now.
>

I know my ideas are ridiculous, but I really want to see WLNE with a better image. Freedom should have sold all its TV stations. As if they've ever done any good with them. They should just focus on newspapers. Last year, potential buyers were Hearst-Argyle and Meredith. I would have pulled 6 out of the Freedom corale and hook up with Hearst. But I'd know as GM, I'd have no control over ownership.
 
>
> I know my ideas are ridiculous, but I really want to see
> WLNE with a better image. Freedom should have sold all its
> TV stations. As if they've ever done any good with them.
> They should just focus on newspapers. Last year, potential
> buyers were Hearst-Argyle and Meredith. I would have pulled
> 6 out of the Freedom corale and hook up with Hearst. But I'd
> know as GM, I'd have no control over ownership.
>
I just want to let you guys know that WLNE spent a lot of promotion money in the 80's trying to build a new image. They had a whole image campaign around We Love New England. They hired the best anchor and promoted the heck out of John Ghiorse's forecasts. (At the time, market research studies showed that people watched JAR primarily because of John Ghiorse.). They had great theme music.

The problem is that you are dealing with a market that essentially has 6 network affliates (3 from Boston, 3 from Providence). WLNE is at the bottom of the totem pole.

As for the Clear Channel ownership, take a look at WOAI in San Antonio (Clear Channel's hometown) and see how many years it has been mired in 3rd place. Come to think of it...it kind of reminds me of WLNE (with a WPRI graphics package).
 
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