Metheny wants 'GN to be more edgy

[b344077]

If the guy that WGN has on Sunday evening is Metheny's idea of "edgy", WGN will quickly become a laughing stock.

Recent comments in the Sun-Times suggest that WGN will become more like it's competition. It reminds me of what a news director in Dallas once told me: Don't ask someone what people "think " but how they "feel". Asking about thought requires reflection, asking about feelings will give us emotion and that makes for better "numbers". Feelings do not require accuracy or even facts to support anything.

It brings to mind the time one of the reporters did a story on a hit and run where a child was killed. He arrived before the EMT's and other personnel. A lone police Officer was holding the child. The reporter asked the officer how he felt. The officer said that he is going to find that "son of a b@#ch" who did this". That was differentiating between thought and feelings. It had nothing to gathering the facts but everything to engaging the audience.

It appears this may be the direction that WGN is driving. My guess is that Cochran will do well but Williams will struggle.

 

[radioman148]

If the guy that WGN has on Sunday evening is Metheny's idea of "edgy", WGN will quickly become a laughing stock.

Recent comments in the Sun-Times suggest that WGN will become more like it's competition. It reminds me of what a news director in Dallas once told me: Don't ask someone what people "think " but how they "feel". Asking about thought requires reflection, asking about feelings will give us emotion and that makes for better "numbers". Feelings do not require accuracy or even facts to support anything.

It brings to mind the time one of the reporters did a story on a hit and run where a child was killed. He arrived before the EMT's and other personnel. A lone police Officer was holding the child. The reporter asked the officer how he felt. The officer said that he is going to find that "son of a b@#ch" who did this". That was differentiating between thought and feelings. It had nothing to gathering the facts but everything to engaging the audience.

It appears this may be the direction that WGN is driving. My guess is that Cochran will do well but Williams will struggle.

Maybe they can get terrestrial rights to Howard Stern.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Maybe they can get terrestrial rights to Howard Stern.

When pigs (with or without vomit) fly! ;D

 

[radioman148]

Maybe they can get terrestrial rights to Howard Stern.

When pigs (with or without vomit) fly! ;D

Seriously, who would WGN consider edgy--or is Garry Meier their answer?

 

[RADIO-FUN1]

I think it's great that Metheny is shaking things up at WGN. They need a major
facelift in the format department. If I may offer some suggestions to Kevin in his
quest to make WGN hip again, it is the following ideas.

Add reverb
Hire Robert Murphy ( I think one of the funniest and underrated guys in radio. )
Add a jingle package around the NEWSTALK format similiar to WTMJ AM in Milwaukee

 

[radioman148]

I think it's great that Metheny is shaking things up at WGN. They need a major
facelift in the format department. If I may offer some suggestions to Kevin in his
quest to make WGN hip again, it is the following ideas.

Add reverb
Hire Robert Murphy ( I think one of the funniest and underrated guys in radio. )
Add a jingle package around the NEWSTALK format similiar to WTMJ AM in Milwaukee

I like Murphy. What's he doing these days?

 

[talk_radio_nut]

WGN is going downhill and as quickly as possible, it seems.

What's the goal? Lower quality to appeal to more idiots?

 

[KeithE4]

WGN is going downhill and as quickly as possible, it seems.

WGN's been going downhill ever since Bob Collins died.

But they have to get younger - radio advertisers don't target WGN's "traditional" audience, which is age 60-to-dead, with sports (especially the Cubs) being the exception. Trouble is, the folks that they're trying to reach don't listen to AM for the most part, again with sports being the exception, and WGN doesn't have an FM signal to simulcast on.

What's the goal? Lower quality to appeal to more idiots?

Uh, to make some money for a bankrupt company?

 

[radioman148]

WGN is going downhill and as quickly as possible, it seems.

WGN's been going downhill ever since Bob Collins died.

But they have to get younger - radio advertisers don't target WGN's "traditional" audience, which is age 60-to-dead, with sports (especially the Cubs) being the exception. Trouble is, the folks that they're trying to reach don't listen to AM for the most part, again with sports being the exception, and WGN doesn't have an FM signal to simulcast on.

What's the goal? Lower quality to appeal to more idiots?

Uh, to make some money for a bankrupt company?

Getting younger is the key, but doing it in the right way is tricky.

 

[KeithE4]

WGN is going downhill and as quickly as possible, it seems.

WGN's been going downhill ever since Bob Collins died.

But they have to get younger - radio advertisers don't target WGN's "traditional" audience, which is age 60-to-dead, with sports (especially the Cubs) being the exception. Trouble is, the folks that they're trying to reach don't listen to AM for the most part, again with sports being the exception, and WGN doesn't have an FM signal to simulcast on.

What's the goal? Lower quality to appeal to more idiots?

Uh, to make some money for a bankrupt company?

Getting younger is the key, but doing it in the right way is tricky.

The right way is to move to, or simulcast on, FM. WGN can't do that. They haven't had an FM since 1970, when the FCC (with help from a pressure group) forced the Tribune to donate WFMT to Channel 11.

 

[radioman148]

WGN is going downhill and as quickly as possible, it seems.

WGN's been going downhill ever since Bob Collins died.

But they have to get younger - radio advertisers don't target WGN's "traditional" audience, which is age 60-to-dead, with sports (especially the Cubs) being the exception. Trouble is, the folks that they're trying to reach don't listen to AM for the most part, again with sports being the exception, and WGN doesn't have an FM signal to simulcast on.

What's the goal? Lower quality to appeal to more idiots?

Uh, to make some money for a bankrupt company?

Getting younger is the key, but doing it in the right way is tricky.

The right way is to move to, or simulcast on, FM. WGN can't do that. They haven't had an FM since 1970, when the FCC (with help from a pressure group) forced the Tribune to donate WFMT to Channel 11.

And obtaining one n ow would be way too expensive.

 

[Arbitorn]

AM done right makes plenty of money in lots of markets. It can work here, too, but not by talking about your grandkids.

 

[radioman148]

AM done right makes plenty of money in lots of markets. It can work here, too, but not by talking about your grandkids.

How do they get younger in a hurry--that's the question?

 

[KeithE4]

AM done right makes plenty of money in lots of markets. It can work here, too, but not by talking about your grandkids.

How do they get younger in a hurry--that's the question?

All Cubs All the Time? ;D

That's about the only way they can get younger. WGN is the quintessential old-folks' station, and has been for as long as I can remember (which is close to 50 years). "Younger" hosts (and that means "a bit too young to get Social Security" in Tribune-ese. ;D ) won't fix the problem. Folks under 50 didn't grow up with AM. WGN means "Cubs" to them, and little if anything else.

Their only saving grace in the long term is sports, and after this season they'll at the mercy of the new Cubs ownership, although I can't see them moving to any other station. Sports will be the last mainstream format of AM radio, with news/talk gradually moving to FM (just not in the Big Three markets just yet). But WGN and the Cubs won't have common ownership by the end of this year.

I don't know what their contract situation would be with any owner other than the Tribune Company (where the Tribsters' bankruptcy and the Cubs' impending ownership change could have an effect). Could ESPNonABC make a play for them and put them on WMVP in the future?

 

[radioman148]

AM done right makes plenty of money in lots of markets. It can work here, too, but not by talking about your grandkids.

How do they get younger in a hurry--that's the question?

All Cubs All the Time? ;D

That's about the only way they can get younger. WGN is the quintessential old-folks' station, and has been for as long as I can remember (which is close to 50 years). "Younger" hosts (and that means "a bit too young to get Social Security" in Tribune-ese. ;D ) won't fix the problem. Folks under 50 didn't grow up with AM. WGN means "Cubs" to them, and little if anything else.

Their only saving grace in the long term is sports, and after this season they'll at the mercy of the new Cubs ownership, although I can't see them moving to any other station. Sports will be the last mainstream format of AM radio, with news/talk gradually moving to FM (just not in the Big Three markets just yet). But WGN and the Cubs won't have common ownership by the end of this year.

I don't know what their contract situation would be with any owner other than the Tribune Company (where the Tribsters' bankruptcy and the Cubs' impending ownership change could have an effect). Could ESPNonABC make a play for them and put them on WMVP in the future?

How about WGN going all sports being centered on the Cubs?
Actually you make a good point about the Cubs radio rights becoming available.
Once the connection with the Trib is severed, everything is up for grabs. Whoever's got the most green gets the Cubs.

 

[Racine Radio Head]

Getting rid of the wake the dead voices of kathy and judy is a good start.

 

[talk_radio_nut]

I briefly listened to the replacement they put on yesterday.

Sounds like another screaming, angry man. *sigh*

This isn't progress - WGN is now just another station contributing to the dumbing down of America.

Whoo hoo.

 

[radioman148]

I briefly listened to the replacement they put on yesterday.

Sounds like another screaming, angry man. *sigh*

This isn't progress - WGN is now just another station contributing to the dumbing down of America.

Whoo hoo.

Who was the replacement?

 

[Arbitorn]

Having the Cubs is a huge advantage - because of them, the younger demos ARE aware of and listen to the station. Cross promoting events and programming the younger demos find entertaining during the games is a cost-free, effective way to spread them around the rest of the day. The best promos Kathy & Judy promos in the world wouldn't cause a 36 year-old to listen to them. Growing the right programming is the trick. Using the rest of this season to promote it is a year better than waiting for next Spring.

 

[Racine Radio Head]

Who was the replacement?

Yesterday it was.
from WGN.COM

Shawn Wasson - The News Junkie

Shawn Wasson is about as American as they come.

Shawn is a 27 year old news junkie. (Imagine that.) He is founder/owner/chief content creator of the successful http://www.thenewsjunkie.com/. Shawn recently relocated from West Palm Beach, Florida to create mad content for Tribune Interactive. We persuaded him to bring his WJNO radio program to WGN.

The News Junkie lives in a cardboard box the location of which changes at the whim of the Chicago Police, usually drinks on State Street (ON State Street, not IN the bars on State Street. Out of a bottle nestled in a brown paper bag.) and has an in-your-face opinion on everything. Most of his opinions are at least half a bubble off plumb.

Seriously, Shawn is a rising star in spoken word radio. He is as intriguing off the air as on, and we are pleased to introduce an authentic young gun, to the awesome stable of WGN Radio talent.

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Today and the rest of the week will be Jerry Agar.