Missing the Point

[badbilly]

Hello,

I feel we are missing the point here. If Bruce Morrow abandons terrestrial (ground) radio, he is admitting that the battle against satellite is lost.

Terrestrial broadcasters must also admit that relinquishing their hired talent, past or present, to satelite is giving up on the AM and FM bands.

Corporate America, including Infinity, may believe it doesn't matter. After all, corporations hedge on the future by investing in all aspects of the media, including satellite broadcasting.

But it will be years before the ratings shift to satellite, and the connection with the listener, the exact thing Brucie talked about after he was fired, is what will be missing from his new show. He will no longer relate to "Cousins" in Queens, or in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, or to those on Staten Island. Rather, Bruce will brodcast to a horizon of listeners who never heard of him.

As the ratings disappear for WCBS FM, just as they did for their WNEW FM, Infinity will learn a great deal about the New York market, including this: It does not adapt well to change or any sort.

Bill James
Monticello, New York
Broadcaster since 1972

 

[raydofan]

>
> I feel we are missing the point here. If Bruce Morrow
> abandons terrestrial (ground) radio, he is admitting that
> the battle against satellite is lost.
>
Regardless how I feel about CB, I think terrestrial radio abandoned him. The whole station saw a drop in ratings, so, with the format change, he was put to the curb.

> Terrestrial broadcasters must also admit that relinquishing
> their hired talent, past or present, to satelite is giving
> up on the AM and FM bands.

Well, yes and no. They are abandoning what they see as expendible talent to options-like voice tracking-as to maintain what they see as a dwindling bottom line. As a result, people with talent are going to find outlets that will carry them. Talent=meat. One voice is as good as another, especially when you as an industry simutaineously put fingers in ears while bending over for the government. "Oh, nothing is wrong with our programming. Ipods don't exist. Lalala!" (true, with a few exceptions...)
>
> Corporate America, including Infinity, may believe it
> doesn't matter. After all, corporations hedge on the future
> by investing in all aspects of the media, including
> satellite broadcasting.

Huh? Who owns XM and Sirius? NONE of the major terrestrial holders have a major investment in either.

>
> But it will be years before the ratings shift to satellite,
> and the connection with the listener, the exact thing Brucie
> talked about after he was fired, is what will be missing
> from his new show. He will no longer relate to "Cousins" in
> Queens, or in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, or to
> those on Staten Island. Rather, Bruce will brodcast to a
> horizon of listeners who never heard of him.

"Howard Stern can't Syndicate because morning radio has to be locally originated."

I think that is off the mark. Satellite would not have invested in talent if it didn't think the talent was talented, and could draw some listeners.

>
> As the ratings disappear for WCBS FM, just as they did for
> their WNEW FM, Infinity will learn a great deal about the
> New York market, including this: It does not adapt well to
> change or any sort.

They, along with CCU, already have, but it's probably too late. The lesson? Don't bend over for the government, and don't water down programming to such a degree that people leave the audience in droves. The bottom line is irrelevent when you have nothing to sell.ay for good talent, and let them loose.

I think NYC will be fine. Lotsa Ipods on the streets and the subways. They have already adapted.

 

[peppertree]

Do you really think they will learn? I don't.


> As the ratings disappear for WCBS FM, just as they did for
> their WNEW FM, Infinity will learn a great deal about the
> New York market, including this: It does not adapt well to
> change or any sort.
>
> Bill James
> Monticello, New York
> Broadcaster since 1972
>
<P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>

 

[davideduardo]

>
> I feel we are missing the point here. If Bruce Morrow
> abandons terrestrial (ground) radio, he is admitting that
> the battle against satellite is lost.
>

Bruce is not the owner of a staiton in NY. He is a jock. Since no station will hire him, he is going to the only place that will hire him because it is the only "radio" service that can cater to 55+... satellite.

> Terrestrial broadcasters must also admit that relinquishing
> their hired talent, past or present, to satelite is giving
> up on the AM and FM bands.

Relinquishing? They fired him because they did not want him. He attracted old demos, the format attracted old demos.
>
> As the ratings disappear for WCBS FM, just as they did for
> their WNEW FM, Infinity will learn a great deal about the
> New York market, including this: It does not adapt well to
> change or any sort.

That is an absurd comment. It can be historically disproven over and over.

 

[Mouth1390]

> >
> > I feel we are missing the point here. If Bruce Morrow
> > abandons terrestrial (ground) radio, he is admitting that
> > the battle against satellite is lost.
> >
>
> Bruce is not the owner of a staiton in NY. He is a jock.
> Since no station will hire him, he is going to the only
> place that will hire him because it is the only "radio"
> service that can cater to 55+... satellite.
>
> > Terrestrial broadcasters must also admit that
> relinquishing
> > their hired talent, past or present, to satelite is giving
>
> > up on the AM and FM bands.
>
> Relinquishing? They fired him because they did not want him.
> He attracted old demos, the format attracted old demos.
> >
> > As the ratings disappear for WCBS FM, just as they did for
>
> > their WNEW FM, Infinity will learn a great deal about the
> > New York market, including this: It does not adapt well to
>
> > change or any sort.
>
> That is an absurd comment. It can be historically disproven
> over and over.
>
If I might chime in on these comments. . .from what I understand, Bruce Morrow may have had a personal services contract which might have prevented him from working at another terrestrial radio station in New York. On point number two, Viacom made the move, obviously, to address a sales problem. A station with declining sales over a period of time needs to address the issue. Put bluntly, as David pointed out elsewhere, WCBS-FM's billings dropped by 20% over a five year period and prospects for a 20% sales increase a dim at best. Ultimately, radio is a business and sales drives it.

Finally, if New York City didn't adapt well to change:

1. No one would be listening to the FM band. Remember, AM radio ruled the ratings until 1978 in New York City,

2. WFAN wouldn't be one of the top billers in New York City. It replaced WHN and then replaced WNBC,

3. WABC wouldn't have success as a talk station.

 

[davideduardo]

>
> Finally, if New York City didn't adapt well to change:
>
> 1. No one would be listening to the FM band. Remember, AM
> radio ruled the ratings until 1978 in New York City,
>
> 2. WFAN wouldn't be one of the top billers in New York City.
> It replaced WHN and then replaced WNBC,
>
> 3. WABC wouldn't have success as a talk station.
>

And, of course, the "original" WKTU (The one owned by San Juan Racing) would never have happened (I am trying to provoke a thread where the dance fans and the oldies partisans have a go at it...).

 

[MoldaMania182]

> Do you really think they will learn? I don't.
>
>
> > As the ratings disappear for WCBS FM, just as they did for
>
> > their WNEW FM, Infinity will learn a great deal about the
> > New York market, including this: It does not adapt well to
>
> > change or any sort.
> >
> > Bill James
> > Monticello, New York
> > Broadcaster since 1972
> >
>


I guess what happens to WXRK in January will tell how much they have learned.

 

[autopaint-1]

> Finally, if New York City didn't adapt well to change:
>
> 1. No one would be listening to the FM band. Remember, AM
> radio ruled the ratings until 1978 in New York City,
>
> 2. WFAN wouldn't be one of the top billers in New York City.
> It replaced WHN and then replaced WNBC,
>
> 3. WABC wouldn't have success as a talk station.
>
If the bottom line is billing, WABC is a failure. Granted it's on AM but it isn't a cheap format and although they were the number 8 rated station in the market, they were number 16 in billing. (WABC $24 million - 8). Their are three AM stations in NYC who bill more than twice what WABC earns. Also, the reason Emmis replaced 1050 with 660 was that WHN's signal south and west of the city is poor. They had the oportunity to replace a three tower directional station which protects KYW, Philly and CHUM in Toronto, which a 50 K non directional signal at 660 Khz. The correct statement would be WFAN wouldn't be one of the top billers if they were still at 1050 on the dial.

 

[WizardofProd]

> >
> > I feel we are missing the point here. If Bruce Morrow
> > abandons terrestrial (ground) radio, he is admitting that
> > the battle against satellite is lost.


That's not true, wake up and get real..... its called a JOB. Plus Brucie is an oldies personality, there is no way that anyone would ever give him a show on a current based format nor would he want to do that either. So where else can he do oldies radio and stay in NYC? Sirius, Xm is in DC. DO your homework.
> >
> Regardless how I feel about CB, I think terrestrial radio
> abandoned him. The whole station saw a drop in ratings, so,
> with the format change, he was put to the curb.

That is life son, thats radio. CBS obviously was not the ratings powerhouse you want to think it was, or more importantly wasnt billing and raking in the co re mi like corporate thought it should. Nobody abandoned Brucie, as a jock no matter who you are you're not guaranteed a gig for life, Scott Muni was only kept around for sentimental reasons and because he gave some shred of cred to Q104 considering he played all of those artists when they were new and current, even in the days when Scott was making his legendary name at WNEW, the station's ratings were in the toilet. Brucie wasn't abandoned, its the business.
>
> Huh? Who owns XM and Sirius? NONE of the major terrestrial
> holders have a major investment in either.

Actually Clear Channel does have a vested interest and stake in XM. Something that Howard repeatedly bitched about in being part of the reason that he did not want to go there, that and the fact that he did not want to share any of the limelight with O and A.
>

 

[davideduardo]

> > Finally, if New York City didn't adapt well to change:
> >
> > 1. No one would be listening to the FM band. Remember, AM
> > radio ruled the ratings until 1978 in New York City,
> >
> > 2. WFAN wouldn't be one of the top billers in New York
> City.
> > It replaced WHN and then replaced WNBC,
> >
> > 3. WABC wouldn't have success as a talk station.
> >
> If the bottom line is billing, WABC is a failure. Granted
> it's on AM but it isn't a cheap format and although they
> were the number 8 rated station in the market, they were
> number 16 in billing. (WABC $24 million - 8).

WABC had increased billing by nearly 100% in the last 7 years, twice the rate of growth of the market itself. Out of 13,500 US radio staitons, WABC ranks #73 in billing. This is hardly a bad station. Its billing is totally in line with its 25-54 audinece.

By the way, the format is no more expensive than many music stations with high-priced morning shows... and they rely on some syndication, too. It's a lower cost station for promotion, as it is virtually format exclusive on the lower end of the demos.

 

[davideduardo]

.
>
> Actually Clear Channel does have a vested interest and
> stake in XM. Something that Howard repeatedly bitched about
> in being part of the reason that he did not want to go
> there, that and the fact that he did not want to share any
> of the limelight with O and A.

CCU owns, after the last dilution, less than 1.8% of the XM shares, and has no influence on the company, its programming or its marketing.

 

[RumourControl]

> .
> >
> > Actually Clear Channel does have a vested interest and
> > stake in XM. Something that Howard repeatedly bitched
> about
> > in being part of the reason that he did not want to go
> > there, that and the fact that he did not want to share any
>
> > of the limelight with O and A.
>
> CCU owns, after the last dilution, less than 1.8% of the XM
> shares, and has no influence on the company, its programming
> or its marketing.
>
Im not sure where you got your figures or if theey are at all accurate. Assuming they are though the point being 1.8% is still a stake in the company, hence cc does have an interrest whereas it was posted that one of the big companies had any.