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Looking for a GREAT traffic personality

GinaMETRO said:
Some of your suggestions are things I've tried to convey to our traffic anchors, and some I hadn't thought about. As people who not only use radio but UNDERSTAND it, your comments carry extra weight. This will prompt great discussions here at Metro!
Anyone else have thoughts on traffic?
Gina
Click to expand...
Please don't call that area on 520 the "toll plaza." I seriously (I'm 28 and not from the Puget Sound) had no idea that 520 was a toll road and had a 'toll plaza.' I had to go search the 'net when that was a recent traffic report. I would think something along the lines of mentioning the east side of Lake Washington would be more appropriate.

Also, I really liked how KIRO-FM would give border waits when they are long, especially around holidays. Then again, that might be because they used to be on "the mighty 7-10" instead of 97.3 FM.
 
Funny - someone posts here with an actual radio job during a Depres, er REcession and it looks like she's been run off. Reading these posts makes it pretty clear a few here really do need a job. But, like others, I'm entertained here and grateful for the laughs.

Especially an adult who chooses "littleboyblue" for his RI name. Now THAT'S funny. I fact, I'd be very entertained by "For Metro Traffic, I'm Little Boy Blue. Now back to the Three Little Pigs on 97.3 KIRO!"
 
WKomm said:
Funny - someone posts here with an actual radio job during a Depres, er REcession and it looks like she's been run off. Reading these posts makes it pretty clear a few here really do need a job. But, like others, I'm entertained here and grateful for the laughs.

Especially an adult who chooses "littleboyblue" for his RI name. Now THAT'S funny. I fact, I'd be very entertained by "For Metro Traffic, I'm Little Boy Blue. Now back to the Three Little Pigs on 97.3 KIRO!"
Click to expand...

I'm glad this thread has presented so many laughs among R-I users. Bottom line, there are many here who love to use this thread as an example of what is wrong with radio today. Perhaps also a lesson where NOT to post job openings. (Myself: guilty!) Little Boy Blue is an extremely intelligent radio professional who has a lot of knowledge to add to this forum. Unfortunately, this thread also attracts many Seattle radio detractors who use it to run down those who are still working in the business and want to kill it off altogether. The radio industry is still alive and well, but there are some who want to use this site to bury it prematurely. Do some of us make mistakes and say things that can be ridiculed? Absolutely. So we will take our licks, move on, and eventually keep this industry alive and well. Radio broadcasting is far from dead. Get used to us, we will be here for awhile longer.
 
WKomm said:
Especially an adult who chooses "littleboyblue" for his RI name. Now THAT'S funny. I fact, I'd be very entertained by "For Metro Traffic, I'm Little Boy Blue. Now back to the Three Little Pigs on 97.3 KIRO!"
Click to expand...

We aim to entertain ... glad I could help!
 
Gina, it looks like you'll have plenty of 'in-house' talent to choose from... from DC. This from dcrt.com:

DCRTV hears that Bonneville's top-rated all-news WTOP radio plans to expand its news department by taking "in-house" all traffic and sports news reporting. Currently, like many DC area radio stations, WTOP uses Westwood One's Metro Traffic, based in Silver Spring, for many traffic and sports news reports. Right now, WTOP does its own in-house traffic only during afternoon drive, with veteran traffic reporter Bob Marbourg. A source tells DCRTV that WTOP will end its contract with Metro, which employs morning traffic diva Lisa Baden, in February 2011. WTOP is in the process of staffing a 24-hour traffic center in its Idaho Avenue newsroom, and is planning to "invest heavily in people and resources to make sure we have the best possible sports and traffic products," according to an internal memo from station head Joel Oxley obtained by DCRTV. Oxley adds that he has nothing but praise for the quality of Metro's traffic and sports reports, and that the decision to take the services "in-house" is a matter of "economics."
 
SeattleObserver said:
GinaMETRO said:
Some of your suggestions are things I've tried to convey to our traffic anchors, and some I hadn't thought about. As people who not only use radio but UNDERSTAND it, your comments carry extra weight. This will prompt great discussions here at Metro!
Anyone else have thoughts on traffic?
Gina
Click to expand...
Please don't call that area on 520 the "toll plaza." I seriously (I'm 28 and not from the Puget Sound) had no idea that 520 was a toll road and had a 'toll plaza.' I had to go search the 'net when that was a recent traffic report. I would think something along the lines of mentioning the east side of Lake Washington would be more appropriate.
Click to expand...

Best reply in the thread.
 
Thanks Guru!

On music stations the traffic reporters have more on air time than the jocks.
As far as adding more wording to the reports, it just add to the length and most local commuters know the reporter are talking about.

During commute times how would a all traffic station do? Might be a good fit for KMO, a non-direct with decent market coverage at 1350 am. Better than going dark. Just let metro have at it?
 
About six years ago I was involved in a study regarding the concept of a traffic/weather specific station in several major markets. The results netted an unfavorable business model, which was surprising considering news-related stations frequently won when focused on traffic and weather. A few of the downsides from listener research included:

* AM station listening was in decline, especially with -30 demos. (Now we count 60+ for most AM listeners) An AM station would be the likely operation to place a traffic/weather channel. Even several years ago, listeners had issues with reliable AM reception.
* TSL would be horrible and unlikely that an advertiser message would be heard in it's entirety. That would be a problem when attracting advertisers. A typical ad schedule would be difficult to maintain given the spots would be as long, if not longer than the traffic and weather reports.
 
In the model I had put together (around 1991) the TSL model was based on about 3 minutes ... most spots would be :15 (or :30) in cluster of "1". So idea is that everything based on setting expectation of "minimal wait time" to get at least SOME information on the area you want.

Sample clock might be something like
:15 spot
Lynnwood area interchanges/surface
:15 spot
Tacoma area
:30 spot
LW Bridges
etc.

Some of the "outer" areas may involve a longer wait time .. but the thinking at the time was that if you were PROVIDING the coverage it might be better than the quality of service they were getting now, so maybe worth the extra wait. But, similar to a music rotation, you'd have the "power" rotation of high-volume, high-interest areas ... and the secondary areas.

Other model might involve a fixed clock (Tacoma on the "9"'s ... Ferry schedules on the :15's kind of thing).

But the entire premise was that an ad would stand out becuase it was short, the only unit in a very brief set ... and that the entire TSL was only going to be long enough for the slowest person to make their decision and move on.

Compared to Salem stations and other bird-feeders today, I'd think the model still has legs (AM band issues seem less important than demand for the content). But I don't expect anyone to take a chance.

The model was also based on automation (which, at the time, was not that sophisticated), that the content provider (at the time was trying to see if Metro would work) would load with each piece of information so it didn't have to be 100% live. Maybe that model made it more complex than JUST going live with a 15-year old reader!
 
LITTLEBOYBLUE said:
In the model I had put together (around 1991) the TSL model was based on about 3 minutes ... most spots would be :15 (or :30) in cluster of "1". So idea is that everything based on setting expectation of "minimal wait time" to get at least SOME information on the area you want.

Sample clock might be something like
:15 spot
Lynnwood area interchanges/surface
:15 spot
Tacoma area
:30 spot
LW Bridges
etc.

Some of the "outer" areas may involve a longer wait time .. but the thinking at the time was that if you were PROVIDING the coverage it might be better than the quality of service they were getting now, so maybe worth the extra wait. But, similar to a music rotation, you'd have the "power" rotation of high-volume, high-interest areas ... and the secondary areas.

Other model might involve a fixed clock (Tacoma on the "9"'s ... Ferry schedules on the :15's kind of thing).

But the entire premise was that an ad would stand out becuase it was short, the only unit in a very brief set ... and that the entire TSL was only going to be long enough for the slowest person to make their decision and move on.
Click to expand...

This sounds an *awful* lot like AM 730 "All traffic! All the time!" in Vancouver. When I've listened, it seems to be live a lot of the time, but automated on nights/weekends when things are slower and updated as needed. Of course, this is also the companion station to AM1130, a live newser. So the logical partners in this market would be KVI and KOMO I suppose.

It's kind of cool to hear them play the "sky train" noises for the transLink alerts and the ferry whistle for the ferry alerts.
 
That's what LG 73 is now? A very cool station in its day!

Take down the Alaska Way Viaduct and scrub the tunnel like the Seattle mayor wants to do, and I think you have the new format for KVI. (Seattle's former eye in the sky)
 
Metro Mgmt: "Hey, Gina... any luck after posting at that website?"

GT: "Don't ask....."

Keep the thread going, gang.... LMAO
 
Bongwater said:
To add to that (and I know my regular flamers are going to have a heyday with this), but maybe a nod further north towards Mount Vernon can help.
Click to expand...

To that note, Sprence Arbogast was giving excellent, helpful reports on the holiday afternoon on KPLU in its limited time. I knew I'd see some backup between Arlington and Everett based on her report (that's almost Skagit County, BW!) and sure enough, right after Arlington and Marysville, I hit a chunk of congestion.
 
SeattleObserver said:
Bongwater said:
To add to that (and I know my regular flamers are going to have a heyday with this), but maybe a nod further north towards Mount Vernon can help.
Click to expand...

To that note, Sprence Arbogast was giving excellent, helpful reports on the holiday afternoon on KPLU in its limited time. I knew I'd see some backup between Arlington and Everett based on her report (that's almost Skagit County, BW!) and sure enough, right after Arlington and Marysville, I hit a chunk of congestion.
Click to expand...

Thanks for spotting this too. The traffic snarls out here are as bad as anything between Lynnwood and Seattle or on 405. Any day.

Like I said, anywhere south of that Starbird Road overpass and you're entering traffic badlands......Glad folks at Metro are keeping an eye on this....

Especially if there's roadwork or new construction, which there is and WILL be out there for some time to come........
 
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