C
canitbenow
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Thoughts???
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Not many. The last time I was in Little Rock (September of last year), a major storm came through, and I turned on KARN to see if anything was going on. It just kept right on running satellite programming. I'd guess there was no one in the Citadel building at the time. Granted, it was a Sunday evening, but KARN was the station I turned on when weather got bad in 1994. So, it seems like it's definitely slipped in that area.
Agreed that KARN is not even worth tuning in if the storm hits on a weekend. Last spring there were tornadoes roaring through to the west of Little Rock on a Sunday evening and KARN was still in syndicated programming with canned updates at the top and bottom of the hour. If I wanted current updates I had to tune to the River Valley stations in Russellville or to KHPQ in Clinton for storm tracking. It's also worth noting that KFFB does a great job when it gets nasty in their listening area. Kudos to Bob Connell-he's one guy who takes severe weather seriously.
K
King-Redneck
Guest
About three years ago KARN was becoming the top dog on storm coverage. I was working there when they had Ken Weaver and Brian Harris and Bart Haney in the news department. Those guys would always come in when the weather got bad and anchor storm coverage better than any of the TV stations.
But management ran them off. Weaver is in Idaho and Harris is working in Dallas and Haynie is becoming the Karl Rove of Arkansas.
I also remember listening back in 94-96 when they had another good news crew at KARN. I wasn't working there then, but I'm sure that management ran them off too. KARN just doesn't take any steps to hold onto good talent when they get it.
It seems like Jack Heinritz is pretty competent, though. Maybe he can put up with the coon-poop and stay on a little longer than the rest.
But management ran them off. Weaver is in Idaho and Harris is working in Dallas and Haynie is becoming the Karl Rove of Arkansas.
I also remember listening back in 94-96 when they had another good news crew at KARN. I wasn't working there then, but I'm sure that management ran them off too. KARN just doesn't take any steps to hold onto good talent when they get it.
It seems like Jack Heinritz is pretty competent, though. Maybe he can put up with the coon-poop and stay on a little longer than the rest.
King-Redneck said:About three years ago KARN was becoming the top dog on storm coverage. I was working there when they had Ken Weaver and Brian Harris and Bart Haney in the news department. Those guys would always come in when the weather got bad and anchor storm coverage better than any of the TV stations.
But management ran them off. Weaver is in Idaho and Harris is working in Dallas and Haynie is becoming the Karl Rove of Arkansas.
I also remember listening back in 94-96 when they had another good news crew at KARN. I wasn't working there then, but I'm sure that management ran them off too. KARN just doesn't take any steps to hold onto good talent when they get it.
It seems like Jack Heinritz is pretty competent, though. Maybe he can put up with the -------poop and stay on a little longer than the rest.
I guess I was there about the same time you were. Ken Weaver of course came from the old KVOO in Tulsa, where they lived for the next bolt of lightning. I think the best coverage we ever did was when the tornado hit the Landers dealership at I-30 and Alcoa Road. Gladner and Brian Harris anchored, and everybody else went out chasing. I got out on Sardis Road right as another one went over and ended up getting trapped between two down trees... one in front and one behind. Mike Willingham is also very good in storm coverage... he is always right where the action is.
We had pretty good coverage the afternoon in December the one hit at Mount Vernon and Enola. There were at least ten or twelve touchdowns around Little Rock.
Most of that can be attributed to Ken Weaver. He always took tornadoes and such seriously. I wish every other station would do that.
Fred Baker at KISR in Fort Smith will always be the king of severe weather coverage. He LIVES it! Everybody sing along... "KIS-R Ninety Threeeeeee Weather! Dum dum dumdum....."
K
King-Redneck
Guest
Forgot about our intrepid field reporter.
I had to run by the Citadel Fortress the other day. It seems like half the people I knew in sales and programming have gone. I don't guess there really is a clear weather leader among LR radio stations anymore.
As for that guy in Ft. Smith. He overdoes it a little I think. The last time it rained up there he read the ENTIRE bulletin, right down to the millibars and adiabatic lapse rate. Then he started telling his listeners to build a mighty ship of gopher wood, then go gather up the creatures of the Earth, two of each kind...
Anyway, I hope KARN will once again take wx seriously. Radio stations can cover some aspects of storms that tv cannot. i.e. reporters can get in the field and tell people what is happening on the roads, with the power, etc. Since tv (where i work now) trucks can't pop up their transmitter masts in bad wind and lightning, they can only tell you afterwards.
I had to run by the Citadel Fortress the other day. It seems like half the people I knew in sales and programming have gone. I don't guess there really is a clear weather leader among LR radio stations anymore.
As for that guy in Ft. Smith. He overdoes it a little I think. The last time it rained up there he read the ENTIRE bulletin, right down to the millibars and adiabatic lapse rate. Then he started telling his listeners to build a mighty ship of gopher wood, then go gather up the creatures of the Earth, two of each kind...
Anyway, I hope KARN will once again take wx seriously. Radio stations can cover some aspects of storms that tv cannot. i.e. reporters can get in the field and tell people what is happening on the roads, with the power, etc. Since tv (where i work now) trucks can't pop up their transmitter masts in bad wind and lightning, they can only tell you afterwards.
King-Redneck said:As for that guy in Ft. Smith. He overdoes it a little I think. The last time it rained up there he read the ENTIRE bulletin, right down to the millibars and adiabatic lapse rate. Then he started telling his listeners to build a mighty ship of gopher wood, then go gather up the creatures of the Earth, two of each kind...
That is quite possibly one of the funniest things I have read in the past year.
K
Keef59
Guest
Tired station. A bad example of N/T. Neal and ''that girl from tv'' are pretty good. They belong on B98.
The rest of KARN is weak. The Kevin Gordon experiment was simply a function of management (the midget)
hiring on the cheap. Dave Elswick mispronounces a library of words. Thank God Big Dave is gone, though.
I'd rather hear bad english than ''I-I-I-I-I-I-I don't know, I-I-I gotta tell ya.'' The news department has had
some good, and not so good, people pass through. Ken Weaver was very good. The young Grant Merrill
might have some adenoid issues but he's a great reader and writer. Shows a lot of promise. Generally
speaking, however, KARN is a three-legged mare in a one-horse town.
The rest of KARN is weak. The Kevin Gordon experiment was simply a function of management (the midget)
hiring on the cheap. Dave Elswick mispronounces a library of words. Thank God Big Dave is gone, though.
I'd rather hear bad english than ''I-I-I-I-I-I-I don't know, I-I-I gotta tell ya.'' The news department has had
some good, and not so good, people pass through. Ken Weaver was very good. The young Grant Merrill
might have some adenoid issues but he's a great reader and writer. Shows a lot of promise. Generally
speaking, however, KARN is a three-legged mare in a one-horse town.
When you're the only N/T in town you don't have to try harder. Being the LR heritage N/T, they'll always have their following. However, since I've been in the market, 7 years, KARN has taken a turn for the worse in most areas. The "First News with..." has been trying to get it right for a while. After Sharon Lee left, Neal and Meg just didn't have the same 'feel'. Now she's gone and they've brought in Bob Steele, who has taken the reins from Neal, with Neal getting a little more sleep and coming in around 7. "First News" has always seemed to have too much clutter in the mornings. The new voices in the news department have given a more professional and authoritative sound to newscasts. After Kevin Gordon left, I was hoping they'd get someone better to take his place, but they went with someone just as bad. You're right about Elswick. He's the champion mispronouncer in the market. I think they made the right choice to carry Limbaugh live, as they said the listeners had wanted. However, I thought that by doing so they'd start Elswick's show earlier, which they did, but end it at 5 so they could carry the entire Sports Wrap with Chuck Barrett. It was a tune out for me when Elswick, for 2 days in a row, covered the Razorback's shake-up for his entire show. Let the sports people(Chuck) handle that! Cover the controversial news items and let people vent. KARN has an Elswick show promo that states, "One of the most influential talk show hosts in the nation". I have to laugh whenever I hear that one. I feel the word "influential" should be replaced by "mediocre". The station has gone downhill over the past few years due to changes in management and, probably, changes directed from Citadel corporate. Just because you're the only N/T game in town, doesn't mean you can rest on your laurels. If you're the station people turn to for breaking news and weather information, you'd better provide it!
When I worked for an oldies FM in another market, the PD told me that the focus was always on the music. And that's what took the station to the #1 spot in the market. A rare spot for an oldies FM. They held that spot for several years, until some corporation bought them and changed the format. However, doing what you do best and focusing on that is what made that station. They didn't carry sports, they did have drivetime news and traffic. But the station provided what the listeners expected and they did it better than anyone else.
For the size of the LR market, you'd expect better from all stations.
When I worked for an oldies FM in another market, the PD told me that the focus was always on the music. And that's what took the station to the #1 spot in the market. A rare spot for an oldies FM. They held that spot for several years, until some corporation bought them and changed the format. However, doing what you do best and focusing on that is what made that station. They didn't carry sports, they did have drivetime news and traffic. But the station provided what the listeners expected and they did it better than anyone else.
For the size of the LR market, you'd expect better from all stations.
K
Keef59
Guest
Blame ownership and management. The Citadel GM (midget) has cut the newsroom budget,
so there are fewer bodies, and the bodies they DO have are usually beginners. In the Talk
area, Elswick and Gladner have probably over a dozen ''live read'' clients....that's gravy cash
for them but really clutters up the station.....however, as long as those premium spots are
being sold, and the revenue's coming in, management and ownership really could care less
about ''quality.'' The GM over there is totally sales driven. He doesn't really grasp programming.
It's all about hitting the number for him. He could just as easily be GM of an insurance co,
a shoe store, or a widget plant. (Midget widgets?)
so there are fewer bodies, and the bodies they DO have are usually beginners. In the Talk
area, Elswick and Gladner have probably over a dozen ''live read'' clients....that's gravy cash
for them but really clutters up the station.....however, as long as those premium spots are
being sold, and the revenue's coming in, management and ownership really could care less
about ''quality.'' The GM over there is totally sales driven. He doesn't really grasp programming.
It's all about hitting the number for him. He could just as easily be GM of an insurance co,
a shoe store, or a widget plant. (Midget widgets?)
Keef59...you're right! When you have someone who is nothing but sales oriented, that's what happens to formerly good (great?) stations. Most corporations only think about the bottom line, but don't consider what affect bad programming can have on the bottom line. Then they cut staff, change formats, etc. What it takes is someone who understands the importance of programming, how it affects the listenership and, in turn, affects the bottom line. Listeners, viable programming, sales and clients...you can't survive if any one is eliminated.
Those live reads, although money makers, can and have become annoying. It gets to the point where there's so many, listeners no longer have the perception that the spots were intended to have. The reader then becomes 'unbelievable'. Listeners aren't stupid. They know the station's being paid to have the announcer say all those nice things about the client. The whole message comes across as just another interruption.
Those live reads, although money makers, can and have become annoying. It gets to the point where there's so many, listeners no longer have the perception that the spots were intended to have. The reader then becomes 'unbelievable'. Listeners aren't stupid. They know the station's being paid to have the announcer say all those nice things about the client. The whole message comes across as just another interruption.
Sounds like a bunch of bitter ex employees of Citadel. Did anyone see the ratings? Move on.
K
Keef59
Guest
Who died and made YOU moderator, Radio Man? If you don't like what's said here,
it's YOUR option to move on, rather than to tell others what and what not to discuss.
A little arrogant, are we?
it's YOUR option to move on, rather than to tell others what and what not to discuss.
A little arrogant, are we?
Sounds like a bunch of bitter ex employees of Citadel. Did anyone see the ratings?
Never have worked for Citadel or Clear Channel. Ratings? Anyone who understands ratings can see past what's shown in Arbitron and realize that when you're the only dog in town you're, naturally, going to attract the most fleas. Being a heritage N/T, KARN can get by with just being mediocre. Plus, the ratings reflect the AM/FM simulcast.
While there are those clusters that are operated with only one thing in mind, the real successes in radio are those who continue to survive while operating a standalone AM.
I've worked for unrated stations, low rated stations and #1 rated stations. But I'm proud to say that every one of them operated as if they were #1. Unfortunately, there are too many nowadays that only see the bottom line. And, as it was mentioned previously in this topic, with that mindset you could be working anywhere. Broadcasting needs to returned to the broadcasters.
M
mrtshw
Guest
As if cretins like Gladner and Elswick didn't elicit the " Gag Response ",one can tune in on Sundays and revel with Glen Beck wanna be , Bill Vickery. All of this almost provokes longings for the grotesque musings of the laughably moronic Pat Lynch.
Good news for those who think that KARN has taken a turn for the worse. Citadel has put KARN on the block to make room for it's ABC bid. We may once again see all that KARN can be OR see it go down in flames.
Hey Keef59...it appears the narrow minded GM at Citadel is at it again. They've dropped the Accu-Weather for the local KARK-TV 'freebie', cross promotion, weather. And, I'm sure traffic reporter Mike Willingham isn't too happy about being taken out of his car and put into the "KARN Traffic Center". Appears they didn't want to pay for his gas. Once in a while, Elswick's shows have some good content, but in general they seem to be infomercials.
radioman1380 said:Hey Keef59...it appears the narrow minded GM at Citadel is at it again. They've dropped the Accu-Weather for the local KARK-TV 'freebie', cross promotion, weather. And, I'm sure traffic reporter Mike Willingham isn't too happy about being taken out of his car and put into the "KARN Traffic Center". Appears they didn't want to pay for his gas. Once in a while, Elswick's shows have some good content, but in general they seem to be infomercials.
I have filled in for Willingham many, many, many times. His relationship with the State Police beats anything I have ever seen. Half the reason he has the accidents before anyone else does is because he is usually sitting with them up on top of JFK.
The return on the few dollars invested in having him out on the street would be MUCH greater than the few dollars that will be saved by pulling him into the jock prep bay and having him talk to his sources by phone.
I always liked flying in the plane... Boy those days are sure gone.
K
Keef59
Guest
Jim Beard is the GM's name. He's an idiot. He'll spend a buck to save a dime. It was funny when Farid Suleman, the Citadel chief, specifically mentioned Little Rock as a market where revenues are down. I'm sure Beard is feeling the heat on that short, stubby little ass of his.
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