Legends Jingles and Swingles and shouts, Oh my.

[Mark Giardina]

I've seen the numbers... cume is at the lower end of the list, but TSL is through the roof.

I believe your TSL numbers are so high is because a number of people use Legends as background, which isn't a bad thing.

When I worked at the old WEZO back in the 1980s, it's easy-listening format became popular in part because most doctors and dentists offices tuned to WEZO for background music. I think the same thing is happening with Legends.

 

[hypower]

I've sat back and read about as much as I possibly can on this board with regard to Legends, much of it with dismay. So it's time for me to make my first post.

I would have to agree that many here are wannabee's, used to be's, never was etc... I get it... With that said, from a person who is just a "listener" of Rochester radio, I have to say that many of these comments just ooze with jealousy over what WLGZ seems to be doing in the market. First, who ever said that the station has no air talent obviously has not listened very closely. With just a couple of exceptions, the talent is quite good, and nowhere near farm league or whatever was said. KB Cooper is doing a fine job. She has been at some good stations. Mike Vickers is first class, and has been around a long time in the market. Afternoons with Mark sound very polished. Paul Jason is another long time talent with a history of doing mornings and pulling great ratings. As a matter of fact, I remember listening to Mike Vickers doing oldies at WKLX, while Paul Jason did the morning there. What a great era that was. Mike certainly spent time at some other great stations in the market, along with Paul Jason who I remember as going on to be Satellite Radio talent. All of these people are far from Farm League talent. I see comments from people like Scott Fybush who may be an encyclopedia of information about stations, but did very little himself as an on-air talent!!

WLGZ seems to be pulling together a very formatable air staff, and can hold its own with any station in the market. I agree the music needs more tweeking. More oldies and less of the standards would be nice, but overall, I really enjoy listening, and apparently so do a lot of others.

With regard to the charitable efforts of the station, I was very impressed with the Day of Hope last weekend. From what I heard, the station filled a Semi-Truck with clothing and food for the homeless. All of the airstaff did a great job. I really enjoyed listening to KB from "The Island" as well as Mark Shuttleworth, Mike Vickers, and Paul Jason who closed out the event with KB on Saturday. Say what you will, but they seem to really care about the community, which brings me to my final comment.

Someone mentioned their advertisers. If you listen to WLGZ, they don't just play commercials, they actually will talk after the spot, and nurture the business they promote. They refer to them as advertising partners, and I think that the clients really appreciate that. I've heard several of the air talents talking about the clients because they have first hand experience with them. To me as a listener, I appreciate that. They don't just talk the talk, they walk the walk! Good for Legends. I hope they are around for a long time to come!! So if all of you radio "experts" think you can do better, I suggest start walking the walk yourselves!

 

[SirRoxalot]

Just another wannabee, used to be, or never was

Someone mentioned their advertisers. If you listen to WLGZ, they don't just play commercials, they actually will talk after the spot, and nurture the business they promote.

Hmmm. Sounds like they're adding some free advertising time to the commercials. Are they logging that? The FCC wants to know...

BTW, "Oozing Jealousy" would be an excellent name for a band.

 

[Desert Pete]

That extra chatter at the end of the spot is what we call "value added". Nothing illegal about it, but most stations do their value added stuff in the form of sponsoring special weekend programming and news/traffic reports. That way, there's less clutter, and therefore it is less annoying to the listener. The way Legends is doing it is so pre-Bill Drake that it sticks out like a sore thumb.

And, while I'm at it ...

".... ooze with jealousy over what WLGZ seems to be doing in the market ..." Please spare me. I was the one who said they have no air talent, and I didn't exactly say that. I said (in another post) that even the best talent in creation (in this case, KB Cooper and Mike Vickers) can't make a station that stinks to high heavens sound good. Spoken by a former oldies programmer still working in the market (in other words, not a has-been, wanna-be, or never-wuz with no axe to grind).

 

[fybush]

I see comments from people like Scott Fybush who may be an encyclopedia of information about stations, but did very little himself as an on-air talent!!

Beg pardon?

I've been working on-air, in one capacity or another, on and off for most of the last 17 years. Granted, I was off-air as a newswriter and editor at WBZ for a few years in the early 90s (though I was stringing on-air pretty regularly for inconsequential outlets like CNN Radio, ABC Radio News, CBS Radio News and the BBC), and OK, I was off the air again for a year and a half while working the assignment desk at R News (before going back on the air there full-time), and for a couple of years after leaving R News and going into business for myself - but I'm proud of the call letters on my resume, and I'll put my demo tape up against anyone else doing news in a market this size, these days.

It's true, too, that at the moment I'm "only" a part-timer and not on the full-time airstaff at WXXI - that was my decision, based on the sense that I could build more stability, and better support a growing family, by pursuing other paths for full-time work. Recent events have not persuaded me to change that outlook. (Hey, I'm still getting paid something to stand in front of a microphone or a camera, after all, and the number of people in this business who can say that seems to be shrinking by the minute.)

In any case, there's been no shortage of air work for me at 280 State Street - in the last couple of years, I've done just about everything there is to do on air there except, I think, subbing for "Homework Hotline." In the last month alone, I've done several "All Things Considered" shifts, guest-hosted "1370 Connection," co-hosted our live "DTV 101" TV special and hosted our "Voices" lecture/interview series with NPR's David Folkenflik. Sorry you seem to have missed all of those, not to mention interminable hours of pledge-drive pitching...are you even in this market, come to think of it?

And having said all that, I'm still puzzled at exactly what point you're making by singling me out - I've said exactly nothing in this thread, positive or negative, about the air talent at Legends, after all, and I'm not going to start now.

 

[SirRoxalot]

Oozing Jealousy

I've been working on-air, in one capacity or another, on and off for most of the last 17 years.

Gee, I'm just trying to keep up here. Does that make you a wannabee, used to be, or never was? Or do we have a new category here? If so, what do we call it?

"Still am"?

"Mightbee"?

"Legend"?

"Radiot"?

 

[fybush]

Is there a category for, "holding on, in spite of it all"?

 

[SirRoxalot]

Is there a category for, "holding on, in spite of it all"?

Some might say that's the definition of "radiot"....

 

[hypower]

I'm sorry. Looks like I really got Scott Fybush all worked up. Scott, I am sure you are proud of your accomplishments, as you should be! What I meant more precisely is that I have ONLY known you from R-News, which did'nt really last that long. I do not listen to WXXI. I was refering to the mainstream stations in the market. I don't recall you ever working at WHAM, WPXY, WCMF, WVOR, WKLX, WBEE etc... You may have done more, but I am not aware of it as compared to some of the talent at Legends that I've heard on many of the radio outlets in this market. Nothing personal, but WXXI is just not locked on any of my pre-sets. I do however wish you the best of luck, and keep those cool tower pictures coming! ;D

 

[fybush]

I do however wish you the best of luck, and keep those cool tower pictures coming! ;D

As long as there's steel to be photographed, I'll be there...

You're quite correct that I've never worked at any of the commercial radio stations in the market. I left town after high school and didn't come back for a while. No regrets there, either (on either count!)

 

[cee]

I would have to agree that many here are wannabee's, used to be's, never was etc... I get it... With that said, from a person who is just a "listener" of Rochester radio, I have to say that many of these comments just ooze with jealousy over what WLGZ seems to be doing in the market.

I'm a "used to be." So what? Being just a "listener" perhaps you aren't aware of the massive layoffs of air talent in recent years. I could still probably get hired somewhere, but radio is the last thing most of us would want right now - unstable employment in a very unstable economy. I highly doubt anyone here is oozing with jealousy. If were jealous, I would probably try and get a part time gig there myself. I agree that KB Cooper, Mike Vickers and Paul Jason are all very talented people. They all sound great back in the old days of WBEE and WKLX. But it's a real challenge to sound your best on Legends. The formatics, the music, the mismatched jingles, yada yada yada. Also they seem to have bad audio processing. Non professionals don't understand how of a difference that makes.

All this reminds me of the old days when you'd hear some dj on a small market station and you're like "yeah, typical small market sounding guy." Then he(or she) gets a gig in Buffalo or Rochester or some other bigger market at a professional sounding station and you hear them again and you're amazed how good they sound. With Legends it's just the opposite. I don't fault anyone on the staff. Crawford is apparently running it on the cheap. I hope they continue to get sellable numbers because I would like to see everyone keep their jobs. I just wish the whole presentation would get better. That's just my honest opinion.

 

[qman]

That extra chatter at the end of the spot is what we call "value added". Nothing illegal about it, but most stations do their value added stuff in the form of sponsoring special weekend programming and news/traffic reports. That way, there's less clutter, and therefore it is less annoying to the listener. The way Legends is doing it is so pre-Bill Drake that it sticks out like a sore thumb.

And, while I'm at it ...

".... ooze with jealousy over what WLGZ seems to be doing in the market ..." Please spare me. I was the one who said they have no air talent, and I didn't exactly say that. I said (in another post) that even the best talent in creation (in this case, KB Cooper and Mike Vickers) can't make a station that stinks to high heavens sound good. Spoken by a former oldies programmer still working in the market (in other words, not a has-been, wanna-be, or never-wuz with no axe to grind).

First of all, Pete, thanks for showing Joe Peters some love. There's been a lot of talk, deservedly so, about Paul Jason, Mike Vickers and KB Cooper. These folks are tremendous talents who would even sound good on the worst college station in town. But did you know that Joe Peters has been on the air in this market for nearly 30 years? Of course, many of those years were spent on the old WWWG so you can be excused if you haven't heard him before.

Regarding Legends, I agree that tweaking the format may be in order but "stinks to high heaven"? That's a little strong, brother! I think Legends has found a niche in this market and the ratings reflect how well received it is. Yeah I know, I know, some station will comw along, change their format to classic hits and beat Legends down in the ratings. But as Bob 1370 said, that's a couple of years off and, by then, you watch, Legends will have it's act together.

 

[Element9]

I know, some station will comw along, change their format to classic hits and beat Legends down in the ratings. But as Bob 1370 said, that's a couple of years off and, by then, you watch, Legends will have it's act together.

Why wait? The future is now. Cut out the warts and get a 5 share now. It might be insurance against a 3 share "a couple of years off," make the jocks sound better and ward off a market predator that might take the station apart down the road.

 

[cee]

Why wait? The future is now. Cut out the warts and get a 5 share now. It might be insurance against a 3 share "a couple of years off," make the jocks sound better and ward off a market predator that might take the station apart down the road.

I think you'll see Stephens Media go Oldies/Classic Hits/Whatever you call it nowadays sometime in the first quarter of the New Year. Either Fickle or Zone. Go live mornings, afternoons and maybe mid-days, satellite at night and auto/voicetrack the rest of the time(similar to WSEN in Syracuse).

 

[qman]

There's a better chance of Stephens Media flipping one of its stations to Christian before they flip to classic hits being that it is a Christian company.

 

[Desert Pete]

Pete, thanks for showing Joe Peters some love. There's been a lot of talk, deservedly so, about Paul Jason, Mike Vickers and KB Cooper. These folks are tremendous talents who would even sound good on the worst college station in town. But did you know that Joe Peters has been on the air in this market for nearly 30 years? Of course, many of those years were spent on the old WWWG so you can be excused if you haven't heard him before.


Really? I didn't know that Joe Peters had some history here in Rochester. You're right. I've paid little or, actually no attention to 3WG since the days when they were MOR in the late 70's. There are times when I'm sorry I'm not programming anymore. Joe is very good, and I would enjoy an opportunity to coach him and make him great.

 

[qman]

[
Really? I didn't know that Joe Peters had some history here in Rochester. You're right. I've paid little or, actually no attention to 3WG since the days when they were MOR in the late 70's. There are times when I'm sorry I'm not programming anymore. Joe is very good, and I would enjoy an opportunity to coach him and make him great.
[/q
quote]


Well Pete, I confess I am he and I would look forward to tapping into your expetise. E-mail me at [email protected].

 

[qman]

Oops,that's legends1027.com

 

[qman]

BTW for all the ragging on Legends for it's presentation of it's format, has anyone listened to other stations during their spot breaks? Back to back car dealerships, back to back bars or restaurants. What is the traffic person doing? Their nails? Gossiping on the phone during company time? Surely it isn't doublechecking the logs to make sure the spots are scheduled properly.

 

[Mark Giardina]

BTW for all the ragging on Legends for it's presentation of it's format, has anyone listened to other stations during their spot breaks? Back to back car dealerships, back to back bars or restaurants. What is the traffic person doing? Their nails? Gossiping on the phone during company time? Surely it isn't doublechecking the logs to make sure the spots are scheduled properly.

But you see the same thing going on TV these days. I can't begin to count the number of times different auto dealership ads run back-to-back.

There is no positioning of spots anymore. It's just sell as much ad time as possible and bring in the bucks.

Speaking of ads, I've heard plenty on Legends; far more than when they first went on the air with their current format. So apparently the sales department is either hustling, or word is out that station's audience is growing or both.