Macon Fall Numbers Out

[trevor2]

In the 12+ numbers...

WRBV, Urban AC out of Warner Robins, jumps into the top spot. WDEN (#1 the last two books) loses a bunch, but stays in second. Third is WIBB. With the exception of WIBB, local Urban stations showed the biggest overall improvements. The market's number two Country station had a very bad book.

The biggest gain after WRBV was for WLZN (Blazin' 92.3).
Biggest losers: WPEZ (Z-93.7) and WEBL (The Bull)

 

[Diamondtwo]

...and the Radio-Info pundits all <<yaaaawwwwwnnnn>> ;D

TDO

 

[warkertoad]

Good luck trying to get any quality talent to come to middle Georgia anymore! 'Course all they'd have to do is take a look at all the street gang scribblings and trashy folk downtown and they would pass. It used to be a good radio town before our mayor looted the city into poverty and before the big chains got hold of radio here. Bring back some people we liked like Oscar, Bill Elder, Todd Wilson, Jim Franklin, Gerry Marshall, or Dan Brennan. They made it fun to listen to our radios. Now I just play CDs in the car when I go to Robins most days. All I hear now is kids and boom boom boom music. Gayle is still good, but I don't get to listen during her show.

 

[Diamondtwo]

Warker-toad...

So because someone has been in the Macon market for 11 years and programs and does afternoon drive for one of the most successful stations in the market... AND has a pretty good track record in voiceovers too... that would make him a less-than-quality talent?

Oh, and he also works for one of the big chains. Downtown too. He doesn't live within the city limits either. Does that make him "trashy" or were you just lumping everyone who lives, works, or loiters in downtown Macon into the same gene pool?

I personally don't give a rip about whether you listen to my radio station, or CD's or iPod, or even 8-tracks. That's why there's personal choice. But save your pontificating about how BAD the talent in Macon is until you've actually spent some quality time on the air and/or in the programming chair at a radio station.

Have a nice day ;D

TDO

 

[olhankster]

You know, I am taken aback at the lack of respect that the local radio folks get. We have tons of talent in this market and each does very well for the tasks at hand. Will there ever be another Bill Elder? Probably not. These days, I am building a great team in Warner Robins. Todd Wilson, Joe Bishop, Bill Boys, Sarah Brady and myself do most of the on air work or production. Todd does Mornings on WNNG and Joe does news for the five station cluster and the only daily Local Noon Newshour around. I do voicework and remotes on the stations, along with programming, sales, long range planning, imaging, management for the group and even take out the trash.

And as someone who was there and had very respectable numbers, especially when I was "driving you home", I know the talent in this market continues to grow. I would not trade any of my staff for anyone else. Period. It is a shame that this market gives more credit to Public Access Princesses or TV jokers and less to the hard working, underpaid and very passionate radio (or broadcast tv) people left in this market.

It is not the bad shape of the City of Macon that keeps people from coming to the market. It is the lack of growth in the business and dollars to sustain local programming. It's tough, but it is something I am committed to. Besides, Houston County is the major growth area and will pass Bibb County in dollars and population in the next few years. What worked in 1987 does not work anymore in 2007. Yet another reason why the headphones are put away and I let the next generation take the wheel.

As Mr. Braswell would say, "Son, you've got bigger fish to fry than worry about this stuff"....so back to Hawkinsville for part two of my day.

I now have to go to Hawkinsville and actually work now. Happy Flamer Day.

 

[radionut925]

You know, I am taken aback at the lack of respect that the local radio folks get. We have tons of talent in this market and each does very well for the tasks at hand. Will there ever be another Bill Elder? Probably not. These days, I am building a great team in Warner Robins. Todd Wilson, Joe Bishop, Bill Boys, Sarah Brady and myself do most of the on air work or production. Todd does Mornings on WNNG and Joe does news for the five station cluster and the only daily Local Noon Newshour around. I do voicework and remotes on the stations, along with programming, sales, long range planning, imaging, management for the group and even take out the trash.

>> Such as it is in radio these days, everybody doing multiple duties at once. Then again, you're right, the talent is there in the midstate, or just about anywhere for that matter. You just have to look harder to find and develop it.

It is not the bad shape of the City of Macon that keeps people from coming to the market. It is the lack of growth in the business and dollars to sustain local programming. It's tough, but it is something I am committed to. Besides, Houston County is the major growth area and will pass Bibb County in dollars and population in the next few years. What worked in 1987 does not work anymore in 2007. Yet another reason why the headphones are put away and I let the next generation take the wheel.

>> The promixity of I-75, as well as Robins Air Force Base, are the main reasons why Houston County will continue to grow. All numbers aside, though, the bottom line here is that the stations that stick around in the coming years will be the ones that continue to be live, local, and relevant, as well as developing and nurturing talent. It beats the alternative, connecting every station to a computer and/or satellite dish, and automating it 24/7.

 

[cannonballhouse]

WarkerToad,

While I agree that radio has changed in the Macon-Warner Robins market, it is still very listenable. There is still some quality talent in the market. Of most of the people you named to be "brought back," only a few remain fulltime in radio. I believe Bill Elder has a production company and web businesses these days. Oscar has retired from TV and radio completely. Dan Brennan has been a big name in Mobile for years now. Jim Franklin was big in south Florida mornings for several years, but has been on the air up north for at least 5 years or more. Todd IS still around, if you could tear yourself away from your CD's for a minute and LISTEN. I think Gerry MArshall has also retired from radio. Nothing lasts forever and things move on. If I am not mistaken, they all left on their own. Yes, they were all good talents around here back in the day, but getting them to return to Macon is unlikely if not impossible. Sadly, some others are no longer with us, like Bill Powell and Ken Mann, R.I.P.

David and Paul are still with Z, so I don't see any problems there. They are both very solid for my money. As for all of the "boom boom bom" you mentioned, have you looked at our population lately? I don't think that you'll win over those listeners with "big bands." If radio stations make MONEY at certain formats, those formats will continue. If they can't sell it, then that will eventually change.

I will grant you that downtown Macon is looking a little bit run down lately, but this goes in cycles too. Always has. That really doesn't have much to do with radio anyhow. The city really doesn't have much to do with how radio is run in the various clusters so I'm not going to address that subject. I think that a lot of stations are trying to keep things local and live when they can. It's a matter of economics. Things are changing here just as elsewhere. I suggest you give Macon radio another try before you condemn the market as a whole.

 

[billelder]

Hi all. I just found this site compliments of John Long and the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame. Thanks for the kind words. It's truly nice to be remembered.

Keep in mind that in the "good ole days" we didn't compete with iPods and "downloadable" music. Every teenager is their own program director. Back when WAYS was on the internet we were the most listened to stream on Shoutcast. I'd get calls from Australia and the UK for requests. We had to pull it offline because the bandwidth got too much and management didn't see any future in it. Fact is we had more people listening on the web than on the air. But, that scenario wouldn't have lasted long either.

My last three years with US Broadcasting were nice. WMAC was in the booth behind me and WDEN in the booth next to me. We had a great time and I miss those talented people. You haven't lived until Laura Starling pulls out her battery operated "fart machine" at 6 in the morning. ;D Hey...the bot deleted that word. Tooo funny! Wat until I tell Laura. Poster, OlHankster can only be one person. Nice to see you here. Congratulations, BTW!

Yup, I've gone on to do voiceovers but have resisted voice tracking radio stations because that would require that I actually wake up and be creative.

I'll be posting again about Hamp Swain. We tried to get him inducted into the Georgia Music Hall Of Fame and that didn't happen. Now, he's been nominated for the Georgia Radio Hall Of Fame. If you're a member of GRHOF.com please consider voting for this radio legend.

 

[Diamondtwo]

Bill - nice to hear from you on the board.

Since WAYS is just a "box-in-a-closet" nowadays, I still have to carry on with my stories from "back in the day" on Mulberry Street.

When we first moved in there, US Broadcasting management had not yet built studio furniture for 99WAYS, even though they had bought us a brand new board. Of course, they built a studio worthy of the Taj Mahal for WDEN, even though they hadn't even moved in yet, and wouldn't for another six months. We had a 6-foot folding table for the board, with our E-V speakers on either side of the console, and a door on top of that for CD players, cart machines (remember those?) and computer monitors. They had, however, framed a window between WAYS and 940's studios... except they hadn't put glass in there yet. So you can imagine how Elder's contagious (and loud) laughter while yucking it up with listeners carried over into the next room. Can you say culture-shock after the great digs we had on Gray Highway?

I'm still wondering how Kenny B managed to not completely lose it in the middle of a conservative rant when, at 7:40 or so, Bill would cry out, "BBBBillll's Bbbbbacckkwards Ccclassiicc!!!"

Heck, it was almost as crazy in the afternoons when Rick Knight would start belting out his favorite country songs with the monitor turned all the way up.

Ah, memories...

TDO (the last tenured PD of 99WAYS and its descendants... such as they are/were.)

 

[billelder]

Diamondtwo can also be only one person. You were my last (sober) P.D. Hey man, you're sounding great on "Z." Tell everybody "Hi" for me. Kenny's kept me informed about all you do. Kudos to your professionalism and talent of which you have an superhuman abundance. You are a great PD and I really enjoy you at "Lite Rock."

Yes, we were definitely the step child of the group. To have gone from the worlds greatest control room at 'MAZ ...to a picnic table was interesting. I started the program in 1982 in a production room and finished the "Multimedia Broadcasting Complex" in Bill Powell's Studio A. When we moved to Mulberry St. we only had a couple of bulletin boards as sound proofing. Many days I could wait for Kenny to finish and he would do the same. Sometimes sound did get through but we both did what we had to do. And that was before the Scott's auto assist system!

I'm going to shut up because I don't want to hijack the thread. Fantastic hearing from you. I have an idea for old disc jockeys. Someone needs to start a retirement home for us. Put 6 or so control rooms in where we can do radio and broadcast it live on XM / Serius. Can you imagine how entertaining that would be once dementia sets in?

 

[Terd Ferguson]

Greatest Macon/WR Air-Talent of all time?

hands down, Bill Elder.

I still think it is a shame Bill is not on the air in Macon still. Would you ever consider a weekly specialty show? I know I will never be able to pin Bill down on this. Is there any way you would go on the air again?

 

[billelder]

Thank you, Terd! (With that nick of yours, that just doesn't sound right. LOL!) I can't tell you how flattered I am by your post. I had a few offers a couple of years after I left radio. However, (I'll make the grand announcement here) I'm going to start doing voiceovers for a local Tv station. It's not hard to guess which one as it's the same building from which I did my radio show for 15 years. I'll be sharing the duties with my friend Paul Beliveau who was our Ops Manager and News Director at FM99.
About a year ago I did participate in a podcast named "Southern Rock: Then and Now" with a local band. It had about 1,000 subscribers worldwide. Very fun to do. But the band broke up and I ran out of time. It was fun because it was all ad-lib and the music was original so the RIAA couldn't sue us!
Oh! And they did ask me to do an announcement at a local Kroger about a week ago when they were selling hot dogs for the Children's Miracle Network. I told them I would but only if I got to begin with the words, "Attention K-Mart Shoppers. I've been locked in the freezer for the last 2 weeks. Please help."

 

[radiofreegeorgia]

When are the spring numbers due out?

 

[knozall]

www.arbitron.com

 

[kyscott]

When we first moved in there, US Broadcasting management had not yet built studio furniture for 99WAYS, even though they had bought us a brand new board.

That's pretty much what they had in channel 13's building. ;-)

Of course, they built a studio worthy of the Taj Mahal for WDEN, even though they hadn't even moved in yet, and wouldn't for another six months.

Did you see what 105 moved out of? First time I was there, I was disappointed. I was thinking Taj Mahal after listening to them.

We had a 6-foot folding table for the board, with our E-V speakers on either side of the console, and a door on top of that for CD players, cart machines (remember those?) and computer monitors.

Hey, I just built a station like that last month. They way the buy and sell them these days, best not to get too comfortable....or permanent.

They had, however, framed a window between WAYS and 940's studios... except they hadn't put glass in there yet. So you can imagine how Elder's contagious (and loud) laughter while yucking it up with listeners carried over into the next room. Can you say culture-shock after the great digs we had on Gray Highway?

What did channel 13 do with all that space upstairs after 99 and 940 moved out?


Scott Cason
Louisville KY
(worked at 13, 58, and 105)

 

[billelder]

Hi Scott! It's been a while. Great hearing from you.

The first two years of my program were done from Production A right next door to Bill Powell's room, Studio A. 99WAYS eventually moved in that room.

I believe Production A is still a voiceover room and the other rooms on that side of the hallway are video editing suites. I think that's where they edit the promos that I voice for them. Funny how things work, isn't it? I haven't been upstairs at 13 since the new security rules. That means you have to ride piggy back on an actual employee and your feet are never allowed to touch the actual ground. ;D Everyone came back for Irene Ray's retirement a few months ago. It was really great seeing everybody. I mean everybody! Jim Lawhon was there.

Best to you! Enjoy Louisville.

 

[kyscott]

Hi Scott! It's been a while. Great hearing from you.

It's nice to be heard from.

The first two years of my program were done from Production A right next door to Bill Powell's room, Studio A. 99WAYS eventually moved in that room.

That was before Bill became the weather guru. Man, still remember his fights with his weather computer after he moved downstairs in the broom closet. So the room that the FM was in used to be production. Wasn't the AM right next to it? Or was that just where the automation was?

Didn't they also do a bit of format/frequency shuffling? I understand WDEN currently resides on the 99.1 frequency with WAYS moving to a downgraded 105.something frequency. Of course DEN keeping the big class C channel. I was through Macon Memorial Day but it's just do dang hard to pull me away from this XM radio gizmo.

I believe Production A is still a voiceover room and the other rooms on that side of the hallway are video editing suites. I think that's where they edit the promos that I voice for them.

So TV's production department moved into the vacuum created by radio's leaving. not a bad deal since they had the broom closet next to the tape room downstairs.

Funny how things work, isn't it? I haven't been upstairs at 13 since the new security rules. That means you have to ride piggy back on an actual employee and your feet are never allowed to touch the actual ground.

I guess since Lacy isn't at channel 13 anymore, that means John Timms will have to give me the piggyback ride. That's hallowed Gannett ground, don't 'cha know?

I don't think I have been back in the building since I left for TNN when I left channel 13. No, wait I have. Duh, I did some fill in master control for them before I left Macon for the second time to move up here.

Everyone came back for Irene Ray's retirement a few months ago. It was really great seeing everybody. I mean everybody! Jim Lawhon was there.

Irene retired? I thought she'd die in that job. I guess she's the last of the old guard (no pun intended). I know that Lacy Worrell, the chief engineer and my boss, and Don McGuirk retired. Powell, Del Ward and I think Doris Martin have died.

Best to you! Enjoy Louisville.

Thanks Bill. If you are ever up this way give me a ring-a-ding. I have been on my own a few years now. Started an engineering contracting and consulting firm. Playing radio is a whole lot better when you don't have to constantly play the corporate BS game.

 

[billelder]

Scott,

Del Ward is very much alive. I see her all the time and she's doing great. Lacy has passed away as well as Doris.

Yes. You have a great memory. It was (in room order) FM Automation, AM Control and a production room. Yes, those are great offices there.

The "Satan Twins" sold WDEN's 100,000 watt frequency and traded it for cash and a 25,000 watt "105." But they weren't going to let the crown jewel of their dynasty be without 100,000 watts, so they took WAYS' 99.1 and WAYS got the 105 FM frequency. WAYS is now 1000 watts in a box on 1500 AM. I left long before any of this happened. But, you do know that radio is a real estate game and not about broadcasting anymore, right?

Congratulations on your consulting gig. I got out of the game myself but am doing voiceovers from here...mostly TV and some radio stagers and promos vo's. Old (old as in "ole" and not elderly) radio pals Hank and David hang around here. I'm so out of the loop I thought Jimmy Fain had won some pottery.

 

[kyscott]

Scott,
Del Ward is very much alive. I see her all the time and she's doing great. Lacy has passed away as well as Doris.

Oops. My apoligies to Del. I thought I heard she had died. I didn't know Lacy did, however. The last I heard he retired and moved back to Moultrie.

Yes. You have a great memory. It was (in room order) FM Automation, AM Control and a production room. Yes, those are great offices there.

I know some people that would argue that point.

The "Satan Twins" sold WDEN's 100,000 watt frequency and traded it for cash and a 25,000 watt "105." But they weren't going to let the crown jewel of their dynasty be without 100,000 watts, so they took WAYS' 99.1 and WAYS got the 105 FM frequency. WAYS is now 1000 watts in a box on 1500 AM.

1500?! That signal covers just about the swamp it's tower is located in. Sheese. I was very disappointed in WMAC billing itself as "news/talk" then when I tuned in at the top of an hour hearing a minute of Fox News Radio and a six minute stopset. This was the Monday after Memorial day when I was heading to Athens from south Georgia. I have always felt like the potential of that station has never been realized. I had heard about the frequency swap with some station up in north Georgia that neutered the 105 signal. Wasn't surprised the moved WDEN to the remaining class C signal. I think that WDEN is pretty much the engine that drives that cluster.

I left long before any of this happened. But, you do know that radio is a real estate game and not about broadcasting anymore, right?

I like to compare it more to a game of "go fish". I knew Macon radio was doomed when Cumulus and Clear Channel came in and bought up everything. Pretty much the same up here. Dull and boring.

Congratulations on your consulting gig.

Thank ya, thankyouverrrrymucsh. I like not having to deal with corporate politics anymore. I have already had to cut a few clients loose because I didn't like the way they do business. I have made up for it by becoming a member of the Band of Idiots. If you remember the song from the 70's, you know who I'm working with down on his farm near Danville.

I got out of the game myself but am doing voiceovers from here...mostly TV and some radio stagers and promos vo's. Old (old as in "ole" and not elderly) radio pals Hank and David hang around here.

I thought Hank was doing the engineering for Lowell Register? No wait, I'm thinking of Hal. never mind.

I'm so out of the loop I thought Jimmy Fain had won some pottery.

He was the judge for the Anna Nichole trial, right?

 

[billelder]

I think that WDEN is pretty much the engine that drives that cluster.

I'll agree. "Cluster," of course, being the key word. ;D The fact is that the ratings at WAYS as an oldies station never came close to what they were when we were playing even bad Top 40.

I didn't intend to sound like sour grapes before. The company didn't do anything illegal. (I had a 6 month no compete contract so I wasn't going anywhere.) These big groups are doing exactly what our elected officials have allowed them to do with the deregulation of the industry. My complaint here is that 100KW signals were leaving the market that we will never see again. Thus my previous comment. But I think that some have actually been returned. Isn't Z93 100,000 watts now?

Everyone for the three years I was in the American Federal Building (Laura and Jerry, Paul, Kenny, Brad, David, Hank, Laura W, Willie and the 7th floor loonies) were all great to work with. And nothing would have worked if Oscar wasn't a genius. Hal too!

I was very disappointed in WMAC billing itself as "news/talk"

I haven't been listening. Aren't most small market News/Talk's running syndicated programming? I think the Beliveau led four man local news teams are over. Now you have a one man local news team that services four...or seven stations.