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Local affiliates of satellite formats

You said; "This is a station that does well with selling commercial time."

Not sure you could tell if the station "does well." Are YOU their accountant? Lots of people who want to sell their station LOAD IT UP WITH "bonus" or even "bogus" ads, so potential buyers will think it's a goldmine. Truthfully, this happens.

You can't tell by the number or repitiion of commercals. I had a few competitors who loaded up their stations "just to sound full."

There are LOTS of local stations that run "help wanted" ads. You just can't tell if it's "paid" or not. You may be right - but maybe not.
 
hammondo said:
You said; "This is a station that does well with selling commercial time."

Not sure you could tell if the station "does well." Are YOU their accountant? Lots of people who want to sell their station LOAD IT UP WITH "bonus" or even "bogus" ads, so potential buyers will think it's a goldmine. Truthfully, this happens.

You can't tell by the number or repitiion of commercals. I had a few competitors who loaded up their stations "just to sound full."

There are LOTS of local stations that run "help wanted" ads. You just can't tell if it's "paid" or not. You may be right - but maybe not.
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Well, what I can tell is that they don't run a lot of national commercials. But did you notice I said they run the same commercials "many, many times"?

As for the help wanted ads, they run about the length of a commercial break and end with "Thank you, [station], for caring about [town]." They still haven't found anyone to fill that chemist position.
 
Depending on the market size, natinal commercials may NOT be able to be sold. LOTS of ststions (like mine) LIVE on LOCAL ads and co-op, and national ads are "frosting on the cake."
 
I'm happy to say they've changed the job listings. Though they are STILL telling people show up May 16 for this one job opening category.

They're doing mostly construction jobs now.

The "Homebound Bingo Number" has changed to the Broadcast Bingo Number. More politically correct, I guess.

I was awake already, but I heard Frank Sinatra followed by "Take It Easy" by The Eagles when my clock radio came on. No Paul Harvey this morning since I heard him Friday. But that's the signal to put clothes in to wash.
 
This past weekend, I listened (in Grand Rapids and Muskegon, MI) to 920 WOKY, Milwaukee for a few hours.

They dropped Dial Global to do an automated 60's and 70's format. The presentation is very good. It's NOT quite "classic hits" but a hybrid of classic hits and easy listening hits (that would no doubt irritate vchimp). It seems aimed at someone in their mid-40's.

Beatles, then Eagles, followed by Elvis, Chicago followed by Every Mother's Son followed by Summer Place by the Lettermen. Nothing older than late 50's. They were obviously having FUN (what a concept).

Lot's of these format stations popping up.

I heard an am/fm from South Haven, MI doing much the same. They NEVER say anything about the am - but even do "frequency FM" liners.
Sound wierd if you listen on am.

Then there is 980 from Plainwell, MI - no satellite and a bit "older" of
a mix that includes Glenn Miller AND 80's easy hits. This comes from ancient "reel to reel" automation, with taped jock liners. The station is essentially a one man operation.

Grand Rapids radio stinks except for "the River" (live FM imitation of Dial Global,but a bit more "hip") and WFGR (oldies-classic hits) programmed locally. WOOD-FM and Lite FM are horrible. WOOD-am is news/talk, a poor excuse for a "local station." They have Rush, Hannity and other big satellite pgms from the bird, but their local talk is a BIG joke.

Muskegon radio doesn't even do local news!

Usually, I just listen to WGN, Chicago. Still the king, above thes "local jokers."
 
I honestly know an owner not far from me who told me recently that he "gladly" gives Dial Global not just the mandatory "two" minutes an hour ... but "four" of the network minutes to them.

Fully expecting to hear that he's not selling a lot of local spots he surprises me with this pearl of wisdom...

"It make my station sound "big time" with national advertising..."

Much of the daytime hours has local spots for being the only locally owned station, we play America's best music, stop in to the such and such bank, store, doctor and thank them for supporting local radio and...that's it.

If I had $12 in my pocket at the time, I'd have offered to buy it from him...
 
hammondo said:
This past weekend, I listened (in Grand Rapids and Muskegon, MI) to 920 WOKY, Milwaukee for a few hours.

They dropped Dial Global to do an automated 60's and 70's format. The presentation is very good. It's NOT quite "classic hits" but a hybrid of classic hits and easy listening hits (that would no doubt irritate vchimp). It seems aimed at someone in their mid-40's.
Click to expand...
;D
And why is that?
hammondo said:
Beatles, then Eagles, followed by Elvis, Chicago followed by Every Mother's Son followed by Summer Place by the Lettermen. Nothing older than late 50's. They were obviously having FUN (what a concept).
Click to expand...
I don't like fun. I like easygoing. If I want to have fun, I can turn to a fun station, but I like to have a refuge from fun. Majic 94.1 and 98.7 Simon are fun. Well, Simon isn't as fun as it once was ...

I don't like this mix anyway.
 
I hate holidays. But at least Jeff Rollins worked Christmas. And Thanksgiving too, I believe.

But I was stuck with local music on the Fourth so they could go to the Fourth of July parade and interview people. And this mean garbage like "Gimme Some Lovin'".

I know, I know, it's this community involvement that makes the station popular.

Yes, I could have listened to a Worthless Classics station. Why would I do that?
 
American Legion Baseball at 9 A.M.?

Yes. And the station owner did play-by-play so his son took over the morning show. "Walk of Life" was the last song instead of "Mr. Lucky". Other samples: "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go", "Old Time Rock and Roll", and "Crocodile Rock".

Wait, how did "In the Mood" get in there?
 
Unbelievable. The owner/morning DJ of my Dial Global station is on vacation. So he puts his son in charge. Now the first thing I hear when my clock radio comes on (not necessarily the first thing I hear when I wake up) is often Sinatra. That's the norm at about this time of morning.

Tuesday, it was "Take It On the Run" by REO Speedwagon. Today, "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey. Someone needs to tell this man what kind of a station he works at! And this is FIRST THING in the morning when people aren't ready to be startled! :mad:
 
That is unbelievable. What they ought to do is just turn the programming over to Dial Global (Jeff Rollins in the morning) when the owner isn't there.
 
BlueHen said:
That is unbelievable. What they ought to do is just turn the programming over to Dial Global (Jeff Rollins in the morning) when the owner isn't there.
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That's what my Worthless Classics station does, though these days that doesn't improve the music quality any more.

But this is a station that seems to get a lot of mileage out of its morning show. I don't even listen to the whole thing, but there are prizes given away for answering ridiculously easy trivia questions, or naming that tune after hearing a few notes, the birthday calendar, news, sports, etc.

Still, I can't believe people don't notice how bad the music is when the son is there. A year ago the station was Unforgettable Favorites, so maybe that explains things, but the owner came from a standards station and still does that kind of music--even if he might include "I Got You (I Feel Good)".
 
Of course, the whole problem is that it's his son.

But mornings?

I think what they would have done when Unforgettable Favorites was dropped was Timeless Classics. But there are affiliates of the format 30 miles to the west and 20 miles to the south. So they took the next best thing. I heard somewhere that they had The Oldies Channel from someone who had it wrong. 30 miles to the southeast they're doing ABC Oldies which isn't that different, but the owner does like standards and Unforgettable Favorites almost passed for standards back when the man bought the station.
 
Back to normal last week. In fact, this morning the first thing I heard on the clock radio was the orchestra on "The Sound of Music", followed by Julie Andrews actually singing. ;D
 
The good news about college football is that up until three weeks ago, the games were all at night. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case since.

Football season is almost over, but the basketball games are during the day. And it's always the GIRLS when I want to listen! ::)
 
I say the best bet for someone who wants to do adult standards on the cheap should consider WRN Networks.

You can literally make your own format with songs that you select. The only thing that WRN really provides is the computer containing the software and music library, plus the jocks.

Of course, if you have a GM that insists on micromanaging everything, nothing is going to help you. Have a PD on site who knows the music and knows what he's doing.
 
My Pointless Classics affiliate (on the local morning show) played "You Belong to Me" for Jo Stafford's 87th birthday. I wonder if the satellite format did anything for her?
 
vchimpanzee said:
My Pointless Classics affiliate (on the local morning show) played "You Belong to Me" for Jo Stafford's 87th birthday. I wonder if the satellite format did anything for her?
Click to expand...

I'd bet that "Music of Your Afterlife" would before Timeless Classics. :D
 
That morning DJ on my Useless Classics affiliate played "Rum and Coca-Cola" by The Andrews Sisters one morning. He mentioned the number to call to request a song, so I guess that was by request.

There's a "Jazzology" program on Saturdays at noon. The station owner hosts and the sound quality is atrocious. I've only heard it on one other station he owns (he has a lot of stations), but that one's country legends now. I heard a great recording by Ray Anthony (who, by the way, did one of the "You're listening to Jazzology" recordings himself).
 
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