June '20 trends

[davideduardo]

It amazes me what a little man Buddy Shula is! Alan Pergament called him out today for putting up billboards in Buffalo that refer to WECK as Buffalo’s number one radio station. It’s not! Only in Buddy’s mind!

I remember years ago running an ad for one of my radio stations... it said, "We must be #2... because every other station says it is #1".

Puffery in advertising is quite usual.

He admitted as much in Pergament’s article. Shameful! Such billboards affect the credibility of our industry!

Don't exaggerate. Advertising deals in hyperbole. We know that.

I’m happy to support a man with integrity as opposed to someone who has none! I know we’re not supposed to get personal on this board.

So don't.

But I’m stating facts. Shula admitted to Pergament that “in his opinion,” WECK is number one.

And Buddy got what he wanted: free publicity. And you are giving him more.

Then, he goes on to say that WEBR will be history a year from now. Shula should just be happy to revel in the ratings he has earned so far. His station is doing well. Yet, he feels the need to disparage other people posting here as well as other station owners. So, I hope I have the right to call him out on this board.

Buddy is a good self-promoter. In one market I was in, every broadcaster's meeting had someone trying to pass some kind of resolution against my stations or me. I considered it a badge of honor given by people who were losing.

It's just like Randy Michaels and the Power Pig looting WRBQ's trash and doing other psychological moves and making Albertini nervous enough to do a lot of wrong things.

 

[davideduardo]

I agree. The difference is, I’m in it to win.

I don't think you have anything to worry about from a station playing "Take 5" on AM.

Desmond, Brubeck, Morello and Wright must be shuddering at it being played in low-fi.

(Wright is still with us... the rest are jamming in jazz heaven)

 

[DN14224]

So what's the over/under on how soon Sandy Beach makes his WECK debut?

 

[tbolt909]

If WEBR is a "Hobby" station, he can really run amok. He could go to WECK's advertisers and offer them free airtime on his station just for fun. He can do whatever he wants without financial constraints. Meanwhile, the guy in Oldies Land has to hustle to stay afloat...

 

[davideduardo]

If WEBR is a "Hobby" station, he can really run amok. He could go to WECK's advertisers and offer them free airtime on his station just for fun. He can do whatever he wants without financial constraints. Meanwhile, the guy in Oldies Land has to hustle to stay afloat...

The station has limited coverage of one corner of the metro. Advertisers that can't hear it won't waste time, even for free. You are, as the Spanish saying goes, looking for the fifth paw on the cat.

 

[Rusty Bridges]

I remember years ago running an ad for one of my radio stations... it said, "We must be #2... because every other station says it is #1". Puffery in advertising is quite usual. Don't exaggerate. Advertising deals in hyperbole. We know that. So don't. And Buddy got what he wanted: free publicity. And you are giving him more. Buddy is a good self-promoter. In one market I was in, every broadcaster's meeting had someone trying to pass some kind of resolution against my stations or me. I considered it a badge of honor given by people who were losing. It's just like Randy Michaels and the Power Pig looting WRBQ's trash and doing other psychological moves and making Albertini nervous enough to do a lot of wrong things.

Dave, you defend Buddy at almost every turn and it's tedious. You tell interesting, illustrative stories about your experience in South America and Puerto Rico. But there's so much that you don't know about this market. Most readers and many posters here know the history. Let's start with Ben Hommel, aka Randy Michaels who began his career at SUNY Fredonia and Dunkirk radio as Ben Franklin. He cut his teeth in Buffalo at WGR and WGRQ, where he was Chuck Stevens. Extraordinary jock and radio mind. Quite the provocateur and self-promoter. Recall his grand entrance years ago at the NAB, smoking a grand cigar, in a carriage atop shoulders of men dressed as Egyptian slaves.

There are people in this market, some of whom read this board, who have worked with Randy at WGR and WMJQ, and those here who've competed with him. Randy is as much admired here as he is scorned. Most people here, in some way, know Randy, his legacy and his body of work in Buffalo and Cincinnati, Taft, Jacor and Clear Channel.

Which bring me to tactics and strategy. Two distinctly different commodities.

There are people in this market, stations, owners, jocks, programmers, sellers that could go nuclear on WECK in a minute. But they don't, at least not yet. Why? Because WECK is insignificant, at least at this point. Let's say WECK gets distant, rim-shot 107.7 and goes after WYRK. Does anybody with more than six months of experience in the business think for a minute TSQ is going to let a competitor screw the Queen? Hardly. WYRK has been challenged before and crushed the competitor. WYRK is a legacy. Kiss is a legacy that has also been challenged and won. Same with 97 Rock.

There are a lot of astute programmers, sellers, managers and (corporate) owners in this market, equal to or greater than the self-proclaimed oracle in Cheektowaga. If and when the spit hits the fan, the sharp daggers come out. Buddy would be advised not to bring a knife to a gun fight. TSQ also owns an FM at 92.9 that runs on a server. Its format can be switched faster than you can say "Playing what we want." Say 107.7 goes Country. Jack FM goes balls out Classic Hits/Oldies. Hits the street with a lot of the old school promotional tactics plus a web-based assault; maybe a major ad campaign and cash giveaway. Sure, it's 2020, but promotions like that have a tendency to claw listeners away from a kilowatt AM and three 250 translators. Moreover, it has the power to generate psychological energy. There are any number of ways TSQ will respond should 107.7 flip to country. Notice the word respond, rather that the word react.

When Randy Michaels went to war with the Power Pig vs WRBQ (Q-105) in Tampa, he had an equal facility with which to compete with what was then the #1 CHR in the market. He had money. He had staff. He had nuts the size of Grand Island. He had psychological energy, which is defined as a number of people, former employees or people inside Q-105 who wanted to bring down the reigning CHR. There's a lot of psychological energy that can be directed at WECK. Think John Zack, Dan Neaverth, Steve Cichon for starters. Neaverth, since he was dispatched from WECK, has been on Beach's show a number of times skewering WECK and its owner, with Sandy joining the roast. Those two guys can be vindictive as acid. Townsquare could wreck WECK in 30 days.

Te metes con el toro, obtienes los cuernos. You mess with the bull, you get the horns.

 

[TheBigA]

There are people in this market, some of whom read this board, who have worked with Randy at WGR and WMJQ, and those here who've competed with him. Randy is as much admired here as he is scorned. Most people here, in some way, know Randy, his legacy and his body of work in Buffalo and Cincinnati, Taft, Jacor and Clear Channel.

Randy was an employee. Buddy is an owner. Very different situation. When Randy became an owner with Merlin, the result was different.

 

[Buddy Shula]

Let me set the record and facts straight. I was the first one on this board to congratulate WJJL on his purchase. Go look it up. You know how many of you “ support the little guy” people responded? Zero!

Secondly, before the station even launched its Big Bang, they were trying to call and poach my employees! Real classy.

I have owned WECK over three years. Three on air people have left . That’s it! And those where secondary type positions to our music presentation .

Someone could go nuclear on WECK? Let them. WECK would continue to increase. All they would be doing is copying my idea, and they would do it horribly. Most of WECK listening is done on FM. Do you really think Wall Street companies are going to do anything mire than an automated jukebox?

TSQ is trying to figure out where their next dollar is coming from, as are the other Wall Street companies. They are going to go down, and I will be buying. There are many things going on right now I cannot share, but you will eventually know.

The billboard? Every pizza box says “ best pizza in the world” the breeze says number one at work station. Kiss says the number one hit music station. None of those are provable, especially with Nielson. In fact, they are totally false. But they say them because it’s positioning.

From a marketing standpoint, if I want to say WECK is Buffalos number one radio station, I can. Nowhere do I define what number 1 means. Infact, I flat out say it’s only my opinion It’s great marketing. Your just jealous you didn’t think of it. I don’t live to report the Nielson ratings to the market. I know where we stand with Nielson , and it’s very good.

Pergament also mentioned channel 4 does the same thing. Why didn’t you question them?

Let’s talk advertisers. They are what really matters. I will gladly, and do give my advertisers other competitors names to call. In fact, I OWN an ad agency that represents huge clients in Buffalo. My WECK advertisers get results. That’s all that matters. That’s all I care about. They aren’t going anywhere. Because I help their business in many ways.

There is a difference between being obnoxious and confident. I don’t think you know that difference or you would put your real name on here. Everyone is a Monday morning quarterback on here. You would not know where to BEGIN when it comes to buying and running a successful radio station that is 1KW.

The ratings are not by default. We work hard. While others are putting their 50000 watt stations on autopilot. WECK markets itself. I pay for all of those TV ads you see.

I truly believe most people on here are jealous that you do not have the opportunity that owners have earned. Like I said, go back on the board and read what I posted about JJL, AND THEN EXPLAIN WHY ZERO PERSONS COMMENTED.

So keep trashing me, the station, the marketing and everything else you don’t understand. You know one side. I know both sides of the story. Now get off the board and go listen to my show on 50000 watt More 101.1 fm. ....stay tuned.

 

[ckg279]

The only thing I have to ask Buddy re him having a show in the near future on 101.1 More FM: Are you SURE that Byrnes Communications or the CRTC will allow that?

 

[Buddy Shula]

The only thing I have to ask Buddy re him having a show in the near future on 101.1 More FM: Are you SURE that Byrnes Communications or the CRTC will allow that?

I already have a show there. So, i think the answer to you question is yes. We are very familiar with the CRTC

 

[davideduardo]

Dave, you defend Buddy at almost every turn and it's tedious. You tell interesting, illustrative stories about your experience in South America and Puerto Rico. But there's so much that you don't know about this market. Most readers and many posters here know the history.

"You don't know the market" has been stamped on my opinions so often I ought to have it tattooed on my forehead. I've had it used when I first came in to a market as a manager or owner or consultant. This has happened so often, prior to a successful change in station operations, that I can say that when someone says "you don't know..." I know that I DO know!

I applaud Buddy because he is a local owner with a live personality lineup serving a demo that others don't want. Radio needs lots more like him (with "like" meaning locals who take the risk of giving up a solid position at a big radio company to go on their own).

Let's start with Ben Hommel, aka Randy Michaels

Many of us have had dealings, friendships or even worked for Randy. The fact that he is from Buffalo or that Todd Storz was from Omaha or that Philip Yarborough, aka Bill Drake, is from some small place in GA named Donalsonville is irrelevant. Growing up in a market does not mean knowing a market.

There are people in this market, stations, owners, jocks, programmers, sellers that could go nuclear on WECK in a minute. But they don't, at least not yet. Why? Because WECK is insignificant, at least at this point. Let's say WECK gets distant, rim-shot 107.7 and goes after WYRK. Does anybody with more than six months of experience in the business think for a minute TSQ is going to let a competitor screw the Queen? Hardly. WYRK has been challenged before and crushed the competitor. WYRK is a legacy. Kiss is a legacy that has also been challenged and won. Same with 97 Rock.

Yet there are countless cases in hundreds of markets over the last 70 years of music radio where smaller operations have been very successful in the shadow of big technical facilities and wealthy owners.

And a station's "legacy" is only as good as how many people listened this week. I would not give a nickle for the "legacy" of WKBW; I respect it's past success but that is of no value today. And that is where Buddy is: today.

Is he sometimes a bit annoying? It seems so to some of us, but we are neither his accounts nor his listeners. So my opinion is based on a local person who has taken the risks nobody else seems to dare to take and has produced a station that succeeds serving listeners that no other owner even wants to have. I applaud that, just as I applaud Saul Levine in LA and I give a standing ovation to Jerry Lee and his near-six-decade success as an independent owner in Philadelphia.

There are a lot of astute programmers, sellers, managers and (corporate) owners in this market, equal to or greater than the self-proclaimed oracle in Cheektowaga. If and when the spit hits the fan, the sharp daggers come out. Buddy would be advised not to bring a knife to a gun fight. TSQ also owns an FM at 92.9 that runs on a server. Its format can be switched faster than you can say "Playing what we want." Say 107.7 goes Country. Jack FM goes balls out Classic Hits/Oldies. Hits the street with a lot of the old school promotional tactics plus a web-based assault; maybe a major ad campaign and cash giveaway. Sure, it's 2020, but promotions like that have a tendency to claw listeners away from a kilowatt AM and three 250 translators. Moreover, it has the power to generate psychological energy. There are any number of ways TSQ will respond should 107.7 flip to country. Notice the word respond, rather that the word react.

Yet at this time, none of them can or will do anything at all out of the mainstream. Cumulus and Entercom are discussed as groups that are violating all their covenants and running out of cash; they are not in a position to erase even low billing revenue producers to go on a risky format excursion against demos that they have proven they can't sell. Townsquare has had to liquidate assets, and its dependence on non-broadcast event revenue has failed monumentally during the pandemic.

So we are left with Crawford. And they are not moving against Buddy.

Townsquare could wreck WECK in 30 days.

But they wont. Buddy is smart in going after an audience and a client base that the big companies don't have the relationships or skills to serve. In fact, in business terms, he has a fairly decent moat.

Te metes con el toro, obtienes los cuernos.

You mess with the bull, you get the horns.

It's actually "Si te metes con el toro, recibirás una cornada" which means if you challenge a bull, you get stabbed by the horns".

 

[TheBigA]

Cumulus and Entercom are discussed as groups that are violating all their covenants and running out of cash;

Not exactly true. Entercom announced a new deal with lenders earlier this week, and here's the Cumulus statement from May:

https://www.cumulusmedia.com/2020/0...operating-results-for-the-first-quarter-2020/

Here's the Entercom announcement:

https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/...ercom-lenders-agree-on-covenant-relief-period

Nobody is "violating" anything. But you're right that neither will be doing anything risky or stupid.

 

[davideduardo]

Not exactly true. Entercom announced a new deal with lenders earlier this week, and here's the Cumulus statement from May:

https://www.cumulusmedia.com/2020/0...operating-results-for-the-first-quarter-2020/

Here's the Entercom announcement:

https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/...ercom-lenders-agree-on-covenant-relief-period

Nobody is "violating" anything. But you're right that neither will be doing anything risky or stupid.

The Entercom deal involved the founder staking personal money. And the ratios do not look good if this situation continues longer than expected. Cumulus does not have a deep well, either, and they are right at the margin of missing the required ratios.

By "violation" I meant that anything that reduces cash flow can put those operators into jeopardy... which in such situations can do things like increase the interest rate or require specific remedies to protect the lenders. It appears, given the postponements of normal life announced in many states in the last two weeks that it is likely that July will not conform for either of those companies.

 

[Tall Thin One]

So what's the over/under on how soon Sandy Beach makes his WECK debut?

Never going to happen! Stick a fork in Beach because he's done! Sandy would never chance losing the friendship that he has with Neaverth, his best buddy and fellow globe-trotter. Don't forget Danny's still smoldering from the way that Buddy dumped him at WECK months ago.

 

[TheBigA]

By "violation" I meant that anything that reduces cash flow can put those operators into jeopardy...

That may be what you meant, but not what you said. Still, even though they're not currently violating anything, it doesn't mean they'll do something stupid.

 

[davideduardo]

That may be what you meant, but not what you said. Still, even though they're not currently violating anything, it doesn't mean they'll do something stupid.

Based on what is been seen at clusters in markets I am familiar with, there is no way they can be in conformance in July. Their only hope is that the rest of the quarter improves, something that does not look probable.

In other words, based on industry trends, it looks impossible for either of those groups to be in compliance with covenants at this point. That's why the senior Field had to pledge some of his personal wealth to secure a stay of execution. That is practically unheard of in a public company of that size.

Of course, what may save several of the highly leveraged broadcast companies is the fact that most banks will give a stay of execution as they are dealing with many companies in many businesses that all have the same issue.

 

[TheBigA]

That's why the senior Field had to pledge some of his personal wealth to secure a stay of execution. That is practically unheard of in a public company of that size.

Most of these CEOs have personal stakes in the company. The Fields have always had a stake in their business. They had been buying up company stock for a few months before this agreement was done. It's hard to have credibility with a lender when senior management doesn't have some of their own money in the pot. My point is they're not "violating" anything.

 

[Rusty Bridges]

Many of us have had dealings, friendships or even worked for Randy. The fact that he is from Buffalo ... is irrelevant.

No, it's not. Saying so doesn't make it true. This may be your opinion, and you're entitled to it. I don't accept the premise as fact, because...

Growing up in a market does not mean knowing a market.

It does if you're a radio geek like Michaels and so many others from this market who've gone on to prominence or made their marks here. But first, sincere thanks for your extensive retort. The fact is, Michaels knows plenty about Buffalo. It's not solely a matter of "growing up" here. He worked here, consulted here and stayed close to the market because for a long time, his parents still lived here.

"You don't know the market" has been stamped on my opinions so often I ought to have it tattooed on my forehead.

That would be novel. Maybe trend-setting. "You don't know the market" isn't an attack on your overall knowledge or acumen; you don't know the market nuance; just as we don't know the market nuance of San Juan, Quito or Cleveland (which so many people say "is just like Buffalo, but bigger." Cleveland is Cleveland, it isn't a bigger Buffalo.) Every market, whether it's your home base of Cleveland or Palm Springs has an undercurrent, a vibe, a history, even a seamy underbelly of the market. It can take countless months, even years, especially in Buffalo, to understand it. A historical case in point. Many years ago, McLendon sent Hal Martin (Michael Spears) to Buffalo to program WYSL against WKBW. Martin had history with Paul Drew and CKLW, and upon arriving began telling people, especially the record people, that he was going to "take KB apart in six months." Record people talk, and word got back to the powers that be at KB. Martin was sent packing, never having dented KB. He didn't get the market vibe. And if he did get it, he didn't accept it. It sure wasn't reflected in the sound of WYSL. He thought Buffalo was "a small Detroit" and could make WYSL a mini-CKLW. The irony is, CKLW came into Buffalo so well, a lot of radio people listened to it.

The actual guy who took KB apart, or at least set the wheels in motion, was Larry Anderson at WGR. Anderson also hired Randy Michaels. Anderson was a low key guy, albeit with a mighty ego. I'll concede that the guy who owns WECK knows the market. That's an asset. But the guys who really get it done in this market lay low and rarely resort to "puffery" (your word, and a good one) on message boards. Think John Hager at 97 Rock.

Randy was an employee. Buddy is an owner. Very different situation. When Randy became an owner with Merlin, the result was different.

No, Merlin certainly wasn't one of his shining moments, but the guy isn't standing in a food line these days. Randy had an equity stake in Jacor. When he consulted in Buffalo, people who worked in the stations said that he essentially ran programming by proxy. That's having a "stake."

 

[Buddy Shula]

I totally respect John Hager, he is a quiet success. That’s because he has to be. No program director is outspoken in the public. John has the luxury of working for a 50000 watt, heritage , full power FM, owned by horribly run and bankrupt Cumulus. The case at WECK is a little different. I have to be out there, or WECK would never get noticed. Just today, we made headlines in the Buffalo News for a billboard I put up. The writer did not mention that I OWN that billboard. The entire thing! So while I respect most everyone who has a quiet, successful role, I can’t do that. That’s why WECK is beating major stations. It’s not the format...it’s the fact that people are talking about WECK. It’s radio and psychology 101. This is a diary market. What people listen to does not matter. What they REMEMBER that comes to their mind in writing in a diary is what counts. People are noticing WECK. Simple as that. We have made it a 2nd tier player in this market. The top tier is YRK, BLK, GRF, WBEN. The next tier is WECK, HTT, EDG, BUF,TSS,KSE,LKK,GR, MSX. None of these stations other than WECK is a 1KW AM. Yet, we are beating or coming close to many of them. I could give a rats ass what people on this board say. You do not know the things I know behind the scenes. My team is running a tight, great radio station, and I am extremely proud of them, and what we have done together. It’s a big deal! I get writers from radio trades calling me all the time to ask how we are getting the ratings we are getting. There is no genius thinking involved in this. It’s radio and psychology 101. That’s it. So I am going to keep running a great ship and our ratings will continue to go up. Not because of the format, but because people are remembering the station.

 

[tbolt909]

Buddy obviously does give a "Rats Ass" about what people write here. He keeps coming back using various names.

Some older demos like Oldies. The format must matter. If it doesn't, try playing Death Metal for a couple months and see how your audience reacts...