Leslie Fram fired!

[bclark71.]

If Power 99 had lasted all these years (and it damn sure should have...Rick Stacy are you reading this?) it would sound a lot like Q100 does today.

And Q100 is going to sound incredible on 99.7. As much as I hated 99X, their processing and simple loudness was sonically pleasing.

I somewhat disagree. If Power 99 had lasted, it might have sounded a lot like Q100 did two years ago before Susquehanna sold to Cumulus. But to paraphrase Sen. Lloyd Bentsen in the debate with Sen. (and future VP) Dan Quale in 1988: "Cumulus, your no Susquehanna".

I agree, actually. I don't like some of the changes Q has made over the last couple of years, but as the only real Top 40 in the market, pop radio fans like me don'ty have a choice. I think the Q100 mix was better and the imaging was far superior two years ago. But musically, of course, Power would be playing Fergie, Onerepublic and Timbaland if they had survived.

I would think there might be some tweaking on Q once the slide down to 99.7 is done, since they're the big boy now.

 

[miked5551]

Wow. I remember flying to ATL in 96- 97 for Music Midtown and thinking that 99X was such a great station. We had The Edge in Dallas, but they didnt come close to what 99X was doing. The music, all the cool shows, etc. really was cool when I moved to ATL in 99. Change happens, but I have some great memories from 99x in the late 90's.

 

[DIZ Guy]

When exactly did 99x hit the air. I have always wondered about this...

I used to always check out Power 99's playlist in Billboard in the early 90's...it looked really good and I recall wondering what happened and when did it become 99X??????

 

[grmf]

When exactly did 99x hit the air. I have always wondered about this...

I used to always check out Power 99's playlist in Billboard in the early 90's...it looked really good and I recall wondering what happened and when did it become 99X??????

I believe it was late 1992 or early 1993.

 

[BuckNaked]

When exactly did 99x hit the air. I have always wondered about this...

I used to always check out Power 99's playlist in Billboard in the early 90's...it looked really good and I recall wondering what happened and when did it become 99X??????

1955-1979: WLTA (Easy Listening)
1979-1983: WLTA (Soft Rock)
1983-1986: WRMM and WARM ("Warm 100", AC)
1986-1992: WAPW ("Power99", Top 40)
1992-present: WNNX ("99X", Modern Rock)

Man... Don't you just love Wikipedia? 8)

 

[bclark71.]

When exactly did 99x hit the air. I have always wondered about this...

I used to always check out Power 99's playlist in Billboard in the early 90's...it looked really good and I recall wondering what happened and when did it become 99X??????

Power 99 flipped at noon on October 26, 1992.

I used to always check out the Billboard Power Playlist charts too. Power 99 was the dominant, trend-setting CHR in the southeastern US for several years.

Power had phenomenal ratings for most of its run, but the spring and summer 1992 books were off. It wasn't just Power, many CHRs all over the country had soft books in this period. Rick Stacy decided that "alternative" was the way to go and was able to get away with it, in no small part due to GM Bill Phippen's declining health and hospitalization. I have the tapes of the last day, and I have Rick taking calls from people that told him, "If this is alternative, I'm turning you off." Susquehanna management even told him that if this change was to alternative then do not proceed. He told Creative Loafing that he then went to Turtle's and saw all of the music he had ready to go in the pop/rock bin and went on with the change. Really smart basing the format flip of a $14 million radio station on how a record store organizes its inventory.

So, of course, Rick got fired a month or so later. And rightfully so.

 

[BIGSTICK]

AWESOME

TIME to get rid of the old.

 

[JimStevens]

Leslie Fram watch
« on: November 25, 2007, 10:20:21 am » Quote

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Long time reader, first time poster. I spent my Thanksgiving in Atlanta and had a chance to listen to 99X, a station I long admired during it's hey-day for originality and ratings. Wow, what a shell of it's former self. While I would never relish a person losing their gig, I have to ask....at what point does Cumulus decide they need a new captain for their clearly sinking ship? There is no question Leslie has had an amazing run at WNNX, but even NFL coaches who take their teams to Superbowls eventually get canned if they can't seem to put together a consistent winning team after that fact. I checked the only available posted numbers last night and it is currently showing a 1.5. Now that is 12 plus and who cares about 12 plus, but the demo breakouts can't be too positive if the 12 plus number is that low (maybe someone has some demos to share). It could be that this topic is actually being directed at the wrong manager for 99x. At some point does the arrow start pointing at OM Rob Roberts? I would imagine he would throw Leslie overboard before having the axe swung his way.

As we near December the discussion of format changes inevitably happen for every market. I can't see Cumulus flipping 99X if it is making money and costing little to operate (If they are spending more than $300,000 on that god-awful morning show then I have a bridge in Brooklyn for sale). But they will always be able to make more money if the ratings are higher and it seems the programming minds at 99x feel they are on the right track with the crap they are pushing out of the speakers these days.

I ask the board, does Cumulus feel that this station will turn around in the PPM world? Do you think the company is giving her the benefit of the doubt from past years of success? I don't buy into contracts as a reason to hold on to someone if they are not getting the job done. A buyout is a small price to pay to right a ship worth tens of millions. With the past success she obviously knows what she is doing. Is she being held back or dictated to by above? Or is Atlanta really over 99x at this point?

So many questions....and discuss.



***Wow - I'd like to say I had inside information that this day was coming when I wrote this missive above back on Novemeber 25th....but I didn't. All it took was just plain listening to the state of 99X to come to the conclusion that this day was going to happen, and happen soon. Sorry to see her go and hope she lands on her feet. ***

And to Cumulus....no charge for the advice.

 

[pbf1]

AWESOME

TIME to get rid of the old.

Weren't you just another thread BEGGING for OLDIES?? (You can't have it BOTH ways!)

 

[pbf1]

is Atlanta really over 99x at this point?

Judging from the numbers the last several years....yeah

 

[OgOgglby]

In 1992, in addition to looking at the Turtle's racks Rick Stacy was looking at the ratings for WRAS, which aren't in the printed book but in their computer data from Arbitron. He must have figured that alternative was the future, which was right. Burkhart/Abrams were watching 88 in 1975 and 1983 as well. When you move thousands of albums a week (at least back then) it doesn't take too much imagination.

 

[Terd Ferguson]

One of the shows being considered for 100.5 ATL is www.TheMorningBuzz.info
The 'Local Guys' are also in talks with a west coast market were Sean "where is my stupid little book of sayings" Demery spent years being Alive between 99X gigs. Getting the band back together?! ughhhh
99X did not have 10% more lemon freshness as Sean said.

 

[BIGSTICK]

AWESOME

TIME to get rid of the old.

Weren't you just another thread BEGGING for OLDIES?? (You can't have it BOTH ways!)

LOL. I know, but Atlanta really needs a good oldies station. Chicago, LA have one>

 

[pbf1]

LOL. I know, but Atlanta really needs a good oldies station. Chicago, LA have one

Much larger markets. LA's has existed for many years. Chicago's is mostly satellite-fed.

 

[BIGSTICK]

I'll even take a sat feed.

 

[RTibbs]

If you want oldies so much then just got XM. I personally don;t believe thre is a huge audience in Atlanta who want to hear Leader of the Pack four times a week.

 

[raptusregaliter]

Rodney Ho reported on his blog yesterday that Fram is "upset" the AJC used the word "fired" in the newspaper (since she is still technically employed) and is demanding a correction. I guess she has a point, but, as a poster on AccessAtlanta pointed out, when ownership blows up your station from underneath you, quibbling over semantics won't change the reality of the situation.

 

[RAD1]

Rodney Ho reported on his blog yesterday that Fram is "upset" the AJC used the word "fired" in the newspaper (since she is still technically employed) and is demanding a correction. I guess she has a point, but, as a poster on AccessAtlanta pointed out, when ownership blows up your station from underneath you, quibbling over semantics won't change the reality of the situation.

Amen! So tired of anyone trying to be PC to make themselves feel better. Wikipedia.com had text that read, "(Leslie Fram)Recently departed from 99x with the disolution of the station." That's digusting, I mean disguising the truth! Meaning she was fired and the station flipped! Get over it, you were canned! You've been in this business long enough to know that being fired is part of it, like it or not, no matter who you think you are. Yeh, ok, you're still under contract, doesn't mean you weren't let go. Like many other companies do, they'll probably offer to pay you out of your contract. Enough already!

 

[Tibbs4]

Was Leslie that brain washed that she thought Crumulus gave a damn about her or her years of employment?
Certainly she is/was not that vain to think they'd treat her like something special. If you ain't allowed in da
building, you ain't employeed. The contract allows you to be paid in full despite your working status. It will
say "Terminated" on whatever date if you ask Crapulus to verify it in writing.


Oldies is working in a few markets, (and in some much smaller markets than Atlanta, such the small market it is...right)
despite the death notice given to it by media buyers and con-sultants. Nothing great, I agree. I don't see a snowballs
chance of getting Oldies on 100.5....

 

[ATL Girl]

Message:
I have lived in Atlanta my entire life and was one of 99X\'s biggest fans from the start. The music they played, Alternative, is a very special brand to the music fans of 99X. Sunday morings without Oraganic X will never be the same again! Now we have nothing!!!! All the other stations in Atlanta play crap, crap, crap. Like top 40\'s are the same songs over and over and over. Now we have 2 stations playing top 40. Then you have 96 Rock which plays hard rock only, you have soft, country, even spanish stations. My question to anyone out there is where do people like me who loves the Alternative music go now? Is it Sirus radio for me now?

From a very angey 99X Fan.