• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Macon's 99.1 WDEN Country is Lucky!

R

RadioActiveSales

This Cumulus country station should be paying Clear Channel Macon money for the 95.9 translator 96.5 WPCH has, as it's blocking WQZY 95.9 Y96 out in the Macon Metro, if this was not in place the NEW Y96 could pull a 3 or 4 share. Y96 sounds way better than WDEN!
 
I used to listen to WDEN when traveling through the area several times a year, and became friends with Gail Daniels. Of course Cumulus cut her job. I thought they should have kepy her and let Bobby Reed go instead, based purely on air talent.

Last trip I just made CDs out of stuff I have here and we took those..never turned the radio on
until we were in Tennessee. Then we listenerd to Clear's 101 country in Chattanooga for a little while. I wasn't that impressed with it either.
 
I thought they should have kepy her and let Bobby Reed go instead, based purely on air talent.
Click to expand...

Understand, Alan... NOTHING about corporate radio is based on talent. It's based on who you know that will help you either get or KEEP your job. It's especially true at Cumulus. There's a corporate culture there of arrogance and STUPIDITY that has permeated even the smallest of markets, Macon included. Those who drink the Dickey/Jeffries Kool-Aid are welcomed to stay on and even REWARDED; those who can see through the garbage and don't buy that certain executives and big-shots are the be-all and end-all of radio and that they should be bowed and scraped to, don't.

Gail Daniels is one of the most talented air personalities I have ever had the pleasure of working with. So is Paul McClelland (formerly mornings at WPEZ/Macon). The Cumulus/Macon cluster of stations is much poorer for having turned those two out. Fortunately, both have landed on their feet, and Gail is back on the radio and on TV (albeit in a somewhat limited capacity, but it's great to know).

Personally, one of the most refreshing things I've ever been through was the day that I was shown the door at Cumulus/Macon. It was like a gigantic load of bricks had been lifted off my back. It's unfortunate that the market manager didn't have the courtesy to inform me himself of the decision. It was left to the Operations Manager to do the dirty work. But I honestly felt then that I was going to be much happier in my future career without being in that disaster of a company.

The point is: the big dogs don't care about talent. They want to operate their radio stations as cheaply as possible, and they really just want yes-men and yes-women. I still have friends at the Cumulus/Macon operation (okay, maybe not so much after this post), and there are some true professionals there just hanging on to their jobs for dear life. I wish them well, but I think both Gail and Paul would agree with me that life overall is MUCH better without that fluffy black cumulus cloud hanging over us.

TDO
 
I've noticed that, when changing discs in my car's CD player, I will often hear a voice or some semblance of music.

I'm thinking that might be something called "Radio"....my grandfather used to listen to that sort of thing.

;D
 
Actually, I remember WDEN when it was only an AM station....
127 First Street. Transmitter on South Street (which, for some strange reason is north of North Street). Charlie Witt (Mgr). Charlie Stewart (Production). Charlie McHan (CE), Larry Richter (ACE). Traffic Manager was a beautiful brunette who looked like a young Loretta Lynn. Grady Spires.
Hearing WLAC come up on 1510 at sunset sign-off.
 
All that is interesting but beside the point, Y96 SOUNDS GREAT, much, much better than WDEN! Don't agree tell me why?
Click to expand...

RadioActiveSales, why don't you come out from behind the cloak of anonymity that you're hiding behind and admit that you're a ringer for WQZY?

I have been out of the state for 18 months, so I haven't listened to WDEN or Y96 at all. My post was intended to point out that WDEN, which has been a dominant force in country music in central and south Georgia for decades, is suffering from poor corporate and local management, because the company is in dire financial condition, despite their protests to the contrary. They're running that legendary radio station on a (very thin and tattered) shoestring. If Y96 smells blood in the water and is FINALLY making a concerted effort to better themselves and gain from WDEN's misfortune, then more power to them. But I think it's WAY TOO EARLY for WQZY to have a victory party and for WDEN to concede defeat. Besides, while Y96 has a very good signal, they don't serve a rated market with a full-market signal. So you reach a point of comparing apples to oranges.

I think you jumped the gun and dipped your cup in the poisoned punch-bowl too soon.

But good luck to you.

TDO
 
TDO, I think you've posted an interesting and toughtful response, but seeing as how you can not listen to Y96, or WDEN either then you're not really in a position to evaluate just how GREAT Y96, and how average WDEN sounds.

New imageing, new jingles, music spot on, new personalities, Y96 really does sound GREAT!

Agree, Dissagree?
 
I can't listen to Y96 and I think it sucks, simply because of the sickening way you are cheering the station in here. I would rather listen to a 400Hz tone all day than this stupid radio station.
 
This thread particularly caught my attention, since I was PD at WDEN for 14 years. I’ve just been sitting here, shaking my head, still trying to understand why many people in the radio industry just don’t get it! When I read about a station sounding “better” because of jingle packages, imaging, playlists and airstaff, that’s all well and good, but that’s only half of what makes any radio station a great radio station. The entire time I was at WDEN, people would ask, “What is the secret to making WDEN a consistently top ranked station?” The answer was and still is simple: relationships. The establishment of solid, personal relationships with listeners, clients, the community and even staff members is actually the true key to a station’s success. And although a lot of this is done on the air, the bulk of the effort takes place off the air. I was fortunate that WDEN had long ago established a solid community base. My principle job as PD was to maintain those relationships and make new ones along the way. As I’ve said many, many, many times: the radio station itself is the star! The personalities, music, jingles, imaging, et al. are the co-stars. Over the years, they will all come and go, but a great station endures those changes and will withstand the test of time. WDEN is living proof of that. In its 43 year history, WDEN has actually been challenged by other country stations that, at times, featured more “bells and whistles” and came off a bit slicker. But those have also come and gone because every one of them forgot to give their stations a heart. Although it comes down to a matter of personal taste, to some, Y96 possibly may indeed sound better than WDEN right now. But that doesn't make them a great radio station. They're only halfway there with a long, long way to go before they can become great. To look at it another way, it’s just like baking a cake. The “cake” is the station itself, made with the right recipe of serving people in the listening area, solid community ties, integrity, heart and spirit. The jocks, jingles, imaging and promos are the icing on the cake. But if there is no cake, you’re just left with a big pile of sweet goo.
 
LOL! Well, I dunno about your kitchen experiences, but I would be honored to cook up some radio stuff with you again sometime down the road. Dave, you are one of those few people I mentioned who "gets it"! You're one of the "good guys" who can still hang on to what real radio is supposed to be.
 
Something that helps is a clean, loud signal and 105.3 had it. I asked John Timms several times what his "secret" was. He said he didn't have one. 105.3 had a very nice sound with plenty of punch with no distortion.
 
You're absolutely right! A properly set audio chain is another key to having a great station. John's secret was simply that he had a good ear and knew how to get the sound he wanted to hear out of 105.3's setup. He indeed was a master at it!
 
Well said Gerry.

IMHO, Y-96 needs John Timms or Oscar Leverette to clean-up their audio chain. For as long as I can remember, the clipping has been too aggressive and sounds nasty.
 
Don't you just hate shameless plugging on R-I?

Look, RadioActiveSales: You should not be talking about how "great" your station is to industry professionals (supposedly). You should be telling your clients out there how "great" your station is. They might bite.

Also, don't be smug with how "great" the station is. You gotta constantly think of improvement EVERYWHERE. Sales, on-air, promotions, janitor, etc. "Great" just ain't good enough...not when people have internet, Sirius, and a couple other country FM's to pick from.

Radio-X
 
radiodxrichmond said:
Also, don't be smug with how "great" the station is. You gotta constantly think of improvement EVERYWHERE. Sales, on-air, promotions, janitor, etc. "Great" just ain't good enough...not when people have internet, Sirius, and a couple other country FM's to pick from.
Click to expand...

I have a feeling that radioactivesales is a P/T board op for the station. Really, you shouldn't have to point out to other people how great your station is, it should speak for itself. Program it right, and they will come.
 
Gerry,
I would love to re-post your comments on the Utah radio boards. We have the highest number of stations, per capita, of any market, yet they all seem to think that it's all about copying the format of whoever is number one.
Hard to believe a market can have 40+ stations, and they all play Country or Classic Rock.

"It ain't the Format, It's the Feelin' !"
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom