J
Jimc
Guest
New Afternoon guy Thomas actually new PD Jerry Butler?
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
J
Jimc
Guest
think he'll make changes. Awhile back they were shopping for a new Morning Show?
adult chr or hot ac would make the most sense financially, esp. if it got hotter at night to compete against kiss with a bigger stick.
think Star 94 Atlanta ish type format. don't see that happening though...sure they will wave the country flag for a while
if i had a gville only stick, i would do alternative light or modern ac. alternative but not too hip for the room kinda thing.
think Star 94 Atlanta ish type format. don't see that happening though...sure they will wave the country flag for a while
if i had a gville only stick, i would do alternative light or modern ac. alternative but not too hip for the room kinda thing.
J
Jimc
Guest
New PD has quite a Country bg.
Of course he can be new pd until there's ANOTHER New PD, if they change formats.
Of course he can be new pd until there's ANOTHER New PD, if they change formats.
Overall the UF media properties are on target. WRUF-AM becoming Gator sports along with WUFT-FM becoming NPR and local news-talk was an intelligent move. There has been little change with WUFT-TV, while educational WLUF-LP became local commercial weather programming WRUF-LP. WRUF-FM has been in its current format less than a year, so it really has not had sufficient time for management to determine how well a country music format will perform on that 100kw signal.
Speaking generally and not specifically towards WRUF-FM, the former station owner, general manager and current consultant in me says give a new format already in place sufficient time to meet expectations; usually that would be 12-months. That time may be extended if growth signs are present although overall growth objectives have not been reached.
Keep in mind a format change is a costly undertaking with re-branding, imaging, advertising and securing new advertisers to replace the former format sponsors. However, sometimes a tough decision has to be made in terms of cutting losses and a new direction must be decided in an effort to improve the overall bottom-line.
Speaking generally and not specifically towards WRUF-FM, the former station owner, general manager and current consultant in me says give a new format already in place sufficient time to meet expectations; usually that would be 12-months. That time may be extended if growth signs are present although overall growth objectives have not been reached.
Keep in mind a format change is a costly undertaking with re-branding, imaging, advertising and securing new advertisers to replace the former format sponsors. However, sometimes a tough decision has to be made in terms of cutting losses and a new direction must be decided in an effort to improve the overall bottom-line.
There was a story in the Gainesville Sun on July 19th about WRUF-FM firing Ron Brooks and his wife who was the morning co-host. It made UF seem kind of cheesy as both had been working all this time without benefits. UF made it sound like they are doing better in the Alachua ratings than expected at this point but firing the PD makes you wonder.
(I'm out of town so can't link the story on my iPad.)
(I'm out of town so can't link the story on my iPad.)
Here's the Gainesville Sun link:
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20110719/ARTICLES/110719556/1002/sitemaps04
Wow. Talk about scummy. They bring the guy and his wife in to do all the dirty work--taking all the heat for ditching Rock 104 and axing student employees--and getting R. Wright's brilliant new strategy launched... as temporary employees with no benefits--and then fire both of their asses. The people running the University must be so proud. Such a shining example of ethical behavior.
And in the same breath brag about the success these people achieved for UF's FM station: "WRUF was the top-ranked country station in Alachua County in several demographics, including adults older than 25 during weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The local ratings matter most and are ahead of what was expected at this time, said Randy Wright, executive director of multimedia properties for the College of Journalism and Communications.
Here's the kicker, though, per R. Wright: “These format changes in some cases take two or three years to really get where you want to go,” he said."
In other words, save the thoughts on any pending format changes. They're gonna slog through it for another two or three years and then see if it worked or not. Hey, they're already #1 mid-days in A25+ in Alachua...
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20110719/ARTICLES/110719556/1002/sitemaps04
Wow. Talk about scummy. They bring the guy and his wife in to do all the dirty work--taking all the heat for ditching Rock 104 and axing student employees--and getting R. Wright's brilliant new strategy launched... as temporary employees with no benefits--and then fire both of their asses. The people running the University must be so proud. Such a shining example of ethical behavior.
And in the same breath brag about the success these people achieved for UF's FM station: "WRUF was the top-ranked country station in Alachua County in several demographics, including adults older than 25 during weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The local ratings matter most and are ahead of what was expected at this time, said Randy Wright, executive director of multimedia properties for the College of Journalism and Communications.
Here's the kicker, though, per R. Wright: “These format changes in some cases take two or three years to really get where you want to go,” he said."
In other words, save the thoughts on any pending format changes. They're gonna slog through it for another two or three years and then see if it worked or not. Hey, they're already #1 mid-days in A25+ in Alachua...
I was and still am unaware of the circumstances leading to Ron Brooks departure. If he was terminated, there is most definately a reason for it although I will not speculate as to what that reason may be as I am not aware of any facts leading to any such personnel changes. I wish Mr. Brooks and his wife all the best!
Sources say Ron and station management couldn't come to terms on a new contract.
Bob
www.cflradio.net
Bob
www.cflradio.net
Yeah, "failure to come to terms" covers a lot of turf. FWIW, the way Brooks portrayed the situation in the Gainesville Sun just doesn't sound quite like a contractual impasse. More like a shock to a guy and his wife who thought they were in it for the long haul.
Here's a wild guess, though. They're piping in the mid-day chick from Iowa, most likely for barter. The morning guy also does PMD for Triton Digital Media up in godforsaken Burlington, Iowa. Maybe he's in G-O, maybe he's in a midwestern cornfield with Polly Peterson--it really doesn't matter. Digital automation is a wonderful thing. Triton Digital partners with Dial Global syndicating a dozen or so formats in both plug-n-play (24/7/365) and customized voice-track form, mostly for small-market stations trying to do radio on the cheap. Hey, we all do it--for the 4th or 5th FM in our clusters... or for tagalong AMs. Not usually for the lead 100-kw stick, but it's not illegal. No employees means fewer problems. No salaries. No bennies.
People are a bother. And programming really isn't important, anyway. Certainly not worth paying anyone to produce. Just like they teach in The College of Journ & Comm at UF. It's all about the money.
In other words, it could be that UF is running 103.7 extremely inexpensively--and Brooks got lured to Gainesville with the promise--or more likely, the impression--that he & his spouse would be ultimately earning living wage. But by the time push came to shove, management had fallen in love with "extremely inexpensive."
Whatever. It's their sandbox. They can run it any way they want...
Here's a wild guess, though. They're piping in the mid-day chick from Iowa, most likely for barter. The morning guy also does PMD for Triton Digital Media up in godforsaken Burlington, Iowa. Maybe he's in G-O, maybe he's in a midwestern cornfield with Polly Peterson--it really doesn't matter. Digital automation is a wonderful thing. Triton Digital partners with Dial Global syndicating a dozen or so formats in both plug-n-play (24/7/365) and customized voice-track form, mostly for small-market stations trying to do radio on the cheap. Hey, we all do it--for the 4th or 5th FM in our clusters... or for tagalong AMs. Not usually for the lead 100-kw stick, but it's not illegal. No employees means fewer problems. No salaries. No bennies.
People are a bother. And programming really isn't important, anyway. Certainly not worth paying anyone to produce. Just like they teach in The College of Journ & Comm at UF. It's all about the money.
In other words, it could be that UF is running 103.7 extremely inexpensively--and Brooks got lured to Gainesville with the promise--or more likely, the impression--that he & his spouse would be ultimately earning living wage. But by the time push came to shove, management had fallen in love with "extremely inexpensive."
Whatever. It's their sandbox. They can run it any way they want...
ebol said:
Yeah, but I think what bugs some of us with UF roots or ties is that we would hope for more from the University of Florida, that's all.
Plugging into networked programming doesn't teach students anything, does it? They've been plugging and uplugging electronic gizmos into wall sockets since they were 10.
And teaching media management HR skills in this fashion is no better. Kids know how to be A-holes without having to pay tuition and fees!
radiobum said:
I used to love 97 X, which I thought of as kind of AAA. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
WorkingClassHero said:
WRRX 97.7 [97X] (now WSKY 97.3) was, in fact, AAA during the day and classic mainstream rock at night. The reason the block programming was in place was because programming was received via satellite from 7:00 PM to 6:00 AM. WRRX became news-talk WSKY as Sky King 97.3 FM [later shortened to simpy The Sky 97.3] July 7th 1998 with a frequency change, power increase and class upgrade from a class A to a class C2.
- Status