LEGENDS 102.7: NOW THAT'S VARIETY FOR YOU!!

[cee]

We had a storm blow through the area knocking out power.
And the Buffalo Bills won their second straight game.

This was their newscast? Um, hey tell us something we don't know already. But, yes, at least it's a step in the right direction.

I'm probably stating the obvious here myself, but now that Metro Traffic has closed down it's Rochester bureau, they don't provide outsourced news people anymore? Even if someone was doing rip and read news from the D&C website out of Metro/Buffalo, it would be something. Of course, actually hiring someone at Legends to do the news(even part time) would be much better.

"Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me)" by the Doobie Brothers into Benny Goodman's "Stompin' At The Savoy".

Ahhhhh!

 

[Mark Giardina]

We had a storm blow through the area knocking out power.
And the Buffalo Bills won their second straight game.

This was their newscast? Um, hey tell us something we don't know already. But, yes, at least it's a step in the right direction.

Yep...that was what I heard. Now to give them the benefit of the doubt I tuned in around 7:15 so perhaps they might have had other stories....but those two are what I heard.

I'm probably stating the obvious here myself, but now that Metro Traffic has closed down it's Rochester bureau, they don't provide outsourced news people anymore? Even if someone was doing rip and read news from the D&C website out of Metro/Buffalo, it would be something. Of course, actually hiring someone at Legends to do the news(even part time) would be much better.

Well that's news to me (about Metro Traffic closing its Rochester bureau). At least Tom George is doing traffic in Rochester.

I agree about hiring someone to do their news for them. All they would need is someone to come in early mornings, write up a few local newscasts, then bail around 9 am. The same thing for afternoon drive.

It wouldn't cost the station that much money to get a part-timer in there and I really believe it would result in more listeners.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

I was on the road heading to Buffalo for business this morning when I heard Legends lame excuse for news. It's noting but rip and reading out of the newspaper. Meanwhile, after posting numerous praises for the station on this site, I've decided to remove 102.7 from my car radio. I'm just tired of the stale jingles, lousy music rotation and lack of information.
I might as well listen to Fickle or Fox if I want to hear a jukebox.

 

[cee]

Has their new morning person started yet?

 

[Mark Giardina]

Has their new morning person started yet?

K.B Cooper was on this morning. I have no idea if she is the permanent morning host or not.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

Has their new morning person started yet?

K.B Cooper was on this morning. I have no idea if she is the permanent morning host or not.

Using past history to answer your question it's very likely that Ms. Cooper will go the way of the previous two morning hosts; either off morning drive, or transfered to the AM station.

 

[Savage]

Legends "PULSE!!! BEAT!!!! NEWS!!!" may have been underwhelming but I was thoroughly impressed with Perry Como's "Magic Moments" followed by "Chick-A-Boom" by Daddy Dewdrop.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

Legends "PULSE!!! BEAT!!!! NEWS!!!" may have been underwhelming but I was thoroughly impressed with Perry Como's "Magic Moments" followed by "Chick-A-Boom" by Daddy Dewdrop.

I was listening to your station last Saturday when you featured several minutes worth of music before a scheduled UofR football game. During that brief time you played a better selection of songs, and sounded more professional than Legends ever thought of being.
Perhaps Crawford should hire you as a consultant/PD and program that station. I know you are busy with your own radio station, but it sure would be nice to hear some real professionals, like yourself, back on the airwaves again.

 

[cee]

I was listening to your station last Saturday when you featured several minutes worth of music before a scheduled UofR football game. During that brief time you played a better selection of songs, and sounded more professional than Legends ever thought of being.
Perhaps Crawford should hire you as a consultant/PD and program that station. I know you are busy with your own radio station, but it sure would be nice to hear some real professionals, like yourself, back on the airwaves again.

And it would be nice to hear a good Oldies station in Rochester again. Nothing like that since oldies-hating Entercom mothballed the old BBF-FM(fomerly WKLX) so many long years ago. I miss that old drake radio style.

 

[Element9]

I agree about hiring someone to do their news for them. All they would need is someone to come in early mornings, write up a few local newscasts, then bail around 9 am. The same thing for afternoon drive. It wouldn't cost the station that much money to get a part-timer in there and I really believe it would result in more listeners.

I take issue with the premise that a problem can be solved with a band-aid approach such as the suggested "part time news person." I don't dispute trying to improve the situation and fix the problem, nor do I take issue with Mark's passion for news which is laudable. But it seems to me the "band aid approach" is what has killed and will continue to kill the radio business. The "band aid approach" is what gave us, among other things, voice tracking over multiple markets and out-sourced news. The real solution is, MAKE AN INVESTMENT AND HIRE FULL TIME PERSONNEL WHO ARE EXPERIENCED BROADCASTERS AND PAY THEM A LIVING WAGE. Apologies for being loud.

 

[Mark Giardina]

I take issue with the premise that a problem can be solved with a band-aid approach such as the suggested "part time news person." I don't dispute trying to improve the situation and fix the problem, nor do I take issue with Mark's passion for news which is laudable. But it seems to me the "band aid approach" is what has killed and will continue to kill the radio business. The "band aid approach" is what gave us, among other things, voice tracking over multiple markets and out-sourced news. The real solution is, MAKE AN INVESTMENT AND HIRE FULL TIME PERSONNEL WHO ARE EXPERIENCED BROADCASTERS AND PAY THEM A LIVING WAGE. Apologies for being loud.

9-

I agree with you, but we both know that what you propose won't happen.

Of course the "right thing" to do would be hire full time personnel. But that costs money, and many stations are not willing to do that, especially when it comes to my favoriate subject; news.

You've seen some of the comments on here regarding local news. "who needs it"; "nobody cares"!
That's the mindset you're dealing with in today's broadcasting environment.....especially in commercial radio.

 

[ChuckRoast]

The complete "past history" is this: Scott Taylor was the morning DJ for years on Legends going back through it's AM days. He is now on mornings on 990 AM and part of the station operations staff.

And KB Cooper is no temp by any means. She is permanent. She is great. And her history includes being #1 for WBEE middays. 8)

 

[Desert Pete]

ChuckRoast, you're missing the point of those who have posted here on this subject. Many of these posters are more than qualified to comment because they've not only worked the format, but PROGRAMMED it.

The bottom line here is that playing "musical jocks" is futile. Even the best talent in creation can't save a station that stinks to high heavens. The two main problems with Legends is that the music is all wrong and the imaging sounds too dated. KLX may not have had the best talent available in Rochester at the time, but at least they SOUNDED like an oldies station SHOULD sound.

 

[scooterodell]

The complete "past history" is this: Scott Taylor was the morning DJ for years on Legends going back through it's AM days. He is now on mornings on 990 AM and part of the station operations staff.

And, in fact, he was mornings on WDCZ 102.7/990 for, I believe, three years before WLGZ's initial incarnation was launched on 990 in December 1999. So his move to religious WDCX 990 was a homecoming of sorts for him, and certainly was done with an eye towards helping to establish that station's new format. The only thing short-lived was the co-host for Scott on WLGZ earlier this year... that was an extremely short experiment. The chemistry just wasn't there.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

What's at issue here is the plain and simple fact that we have two sides: One that thinks Legends is a great radio station, going in the right direction with its format. The other consists of people who believe the station plays outmoded jingles and its music selection is a disaster.
My own personal thoughts are that WLGZ could be a formative influence in the Rochester market only if management would heed the advise given by a number of experienced broadcasters who regularly post on this board.
Another thing Crawford executives need to ponder is that Stephens Media has two FM stations that, at the present time, are going no where. If Stephens Media wanted to make an impact, they would air their own oldies format station, with the right selection of music, no hokey jingles, and personalities that know that format.
Until another radio station in Rochester finally wakes up and sees the potential the oldies format has, WLGZ will continue doing its own thing.

 

[Radknowski]

Today's drive-off-the-road music segue ... "Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me)" by the Doobie Brothers into Benny Goodman's "Stompin' At The Savoy". P-U.

I've been away from the board for a while. While catching up on this thread, this segue made me laugh out loud. I can't help but ask if any accidents were reported on the 390 or 490 that morning.

"I'll take Programmers Without A Clue for a hundred, Alex."

 

[scooterodell]

What's at issue here is the plain and simple fact that we have two sides: One that thinks Legends is a great radio station, going in the right direction with its format. The other consists of people who believe the station plays outmoded jingles and its music selection is a disaster.

I'll take it a step further, VOR. On one side, you have people who think that WLGZ is attempting to be an Oldies station. Oldies, of course, is a fairly well-established format, and radio people know how it's "supposed to sound." WKLX was a great oldies station that followed the formatics pretty closely. Obviously, WLGZ is not WKLX, and, if that's what it's trying to be, it's failing.

On the other side, you have people who think that WLGZ is trying to be something different, something that doesn't subscribe to sticking with the long-established singular formats we've all come to know and, perhaps, love. It's not quite oldies, and it's not quite classic hits, and it's not quite anything that we've seen before. And if you're listening with well established radio ears, it's enough of a paradigm shift to make your head swim. We're all tired of corporate radio, right? In this light, WLGZ's success will come down to how the general population--the listening public who knows next to nothing of radio formatics--responds. I think it will do well, but then again, I'm probably biased.

 

[ThePickleReport]

From what I've seen posted on the board and from a source I know, I have gathered Legends is what it is because they can't change it right now. This is a classic case of corporate-mandated budgets. Better imaging or hiring "name" talents for mornings or programming isn't going to be in the cards right now, because they're not going to be given the ammo to do it.

I've been in that boat myself. The last radio gig I interviewed for, probably ten years ago now, was for a position that didn't exist....yet. They hypothetically wanted me to consider a position so in six months when corporate updated their budget they would have a viable candidate. I assure you the same thing is happening here and it may never change.

Legends is gaining listeners but as we all know is vulnerable to possible competition if someone wanted to go in that direction.

 

[Mark Giardina]

From what I've seen posted on the board and from a source I know, I have gathered Legends is what it is because they can't change it right now. This is a classic case of corporate-mandated budgets. Better imaging or hiring "name" talents for mornings or programming isn't going to be in the cards right now, because they're not going to be given the ammo to do it.

Just some friendly advise. Crawford better get some ammo and load the shotgun real quick because I have a very strong feeling that WLGZ is going to have serious competition in the very near future.

IMHO branding isn't going help Legends if they continue down the same path they are currently going.
While their audience has grown, please remember Legends started from the bottom and have a long way to go before becoming a major threat to one of the two corporate giants.

Once they become a threat then watch either CC or Entercom change formats on one of their stations to compete with Legends. Even Stephens Media might join the fray; who knows?

Then it's a brand new ballgame.

 

[Bob1370]

"Just some friendly advise. Crawford better get some ammo and load the shotgun real quick because I have a very strong feeling that WLGZ is going to have serious competition in the very near future."

Hey, Mark, which station in either the Entercom, Clear Channel or Stephens clusters do you think is most likely to change?

You could be on to something interesting here.

Every market of 1 million or more metro population can support a personality classic hits format station profitably, even in these tough economic times (maybe ESPECIALLY in these tough times, since if it hasn't got format competition already in place it's likely to be a 25-54 winner). To make it really work you need substantially full market coverage, and that means a full class B or at least a B1 signal. (A smaller, lower power and more limited coverage station won't get the maximum out of the format since it'll need siginificant suburban reach especially to get into offices and suburban homes in the outer ring burbs.) Of the full B's on the air now, almost every one of them except maybe WBEE and WBZA , which are healthy, has both some pluses and some weaknesses. (And Fox 95.1 is clearly off the table since it's about to be substantially rebuilt around Wease and will probably do well with that remake.) But the one that may be the biggest underperformer relative to its signal reach and to its own past is probably Drive 100.5.

If I were CC's cluster manager and wanted to juice up Drive's numbers and billing bigtime, I'd think seriously about recruiting a few popular jocks with market history for dayparts from 6 AM to midnight plus a couple strong weekenders. Then I'd research the WBBF, WAXC and WPXY playlists from about 1964 to 1989, and build a record library around the biggest local hits from that whole period...gets you the middle to late boomers born post-1950 and the leading edge of the Gen-Xers born through about 1977-78. Then I'd try to get the WAXC call letters, call Jon Wolfert at JAM Productions for an upbeat and modern jingle package, and ask my cluster newsroom to add some info content into morning and afternoon drive dayparts even if it meant hiring someone additional to be the voice of it. In short, do a full WCBS-FM style remake. It'd have a good chance to get similar results...a top 5 ranking 12+ and top 3 25-54, and some real $$$ in the door from both local and national spot business at the expense of competing clusters (but with minimal impact on their own cluster's other properties).

Entercom could conceivably tweak one of its underperforming B's, or Stephens might think of repositioning 101.3 to get the same results if they think Warm's really about to get cold. But each of those moves might be a lot riskier in terms of likely reward. Seems to me that CC has the least to lose since Drive's stuck in a low gear...

But hey, I'm just having a little speculative fun here...I'm not a program director, I just play one online.