My thoughts on Day 1 of the Ladies Room

[Mamaknowsbreast]

I want to start off by saying I have never met Monti & Brook and its quite possible they may be very nice people, but I am sorry to say that this show has ZERO chance of being successful. Here are just a couple of observations:

1. Why are you starting a Morning Show at 7am? You are giving your competitors a hour headstart to get into the swing of things before you even crack the mic. And if that show has something compelling on the air, most listeners will not switch over to catch the start of your show until that other station goes into break.

2. When running a pre-recorded traffic break from Metro, there is no need to play the guy's countdown on the air before he starts his traffic.

3. There are a ton of gigantic news stories going on these days. Presidental campaigns, Britney being released from the hospital, and oh yeah the Seahawks won a playoff game over the weekend. Instead your lead news story is milk from cloned cows???? And please don't say the Hawks don't appeal to women, because I was at Qwest Field and there was a 50/50 split of men and women. Then instead of delving into a few more stories, you gave a headline and then told people if they want to know the rest of the story, go to the Movin' website???? Newsflash ladies, most cars that commuters drive in don't have computers they can use while driving to log onto the Movin' website.


The bottom line is this. When corporations go cheap instead of bringing in talent that actually know how to run a morning show from Day 1, you can expect these mistakes for the first 4-6 months as they are getting a feel of how to actually run a show. By then though, you are so far behind the pack against other shows in town, that management is already considering what they'll do next if you don't drastically improve by the next book.

I hate to say this because like I said I have never met Monti and Brooke, but I will be completely shocked if you hear their voices in AM drive on Movin' a year from now.

 

[jamesb]

I heard some of the show today, and have some thoughts-
First, I don't think they're starting at 7, I heard them this morning when I hopped in my car at 6:30.

It seems to me, that at the very least, the station is behind them. They have imaging for the show, promos ready to go, the websites up and running, so it seems as though the suits at MOViN are at least attempting to show them they support them.

That said, I think they're going to run out of material real quick.
They don't refresh their news stories.
They don't refresh their gossip stories.
They don't refresh their "tips of the day".
TSL is worthless when you don't have new stuff to talk about every hour.
They're "schticky"
They tag team EVERY BREAK which is really annoying.
Their voices aren't different enough to tell them apart when they're talking over eachother.

I listened on and off throughout the morning and I swear to god if I hear one more time about "we're making history by being the first all female morning show in Seattle" I might blow my head off.

Who knows, maybe they can pull it together. I wonder if they have any behind the scenes help, or if the cheapos at Sandusky are making them do it all themselves. Talent doesn't Produce, they're too busy being talent. They'll probably get a whole stack of interns and make them do it for free.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[milkncookies]

Unscientific test, but my research as to why this show won't work-one of the teenagers hit the Movin' button in the car this afternoon. I said do youlike that? I dunno. Do you mind its 2 women? Only if they have something interesting to say.

We listened. Didn't hear anything "interesting." Just some cackling and OMG's over their first phone call - from the phone company. It was a race to turn the station.

Two female friends listened all day at work. I asked, What do you think of two women on radio together. Answer, it's annoying and they're annoying, but they like the music.

Luck to you anyway

 

[Bongwater]

Did any one of them say "Ya-ya". Even quickly. This may be even a futher clue as to where this is heading.

Sorry, but I'd rather take KWLE 1340's Morning Splash (which musically is a LOT better than the Afternoon Splash-less classic rock sludge. These days, I LOVE anything CURRENT and UPTEMPO. I like you Bryant, but I swear the redundant classic rock stompers played OCTILLIONS of time before HAVE to GO-and I'm almost 40. My biggest hope is KWLE will be Amplitude Modulation for A New Generation.)

I'll take my wife's car tomorrow, but I swear if I just hear even ONE instance of "Ya-ya" on 92.5 MHz. KQMV out. KWLE back in. Got it?

Yes, I still have that '65 Ford F-100 truck with the original factory AM radio. VERY trusty. And I AIN'T giving it up. You'd be surprised at what I have picked up on it lately (WLS anyone?)

Cheers!

 

[reverbonthemic]

Am I seriously the only person who noticed that this entire show was tracked? I heard the same "bit" repeated, verbatim, just before and then again just after a commercial break in the 8am hour. Obviously a mistake, but a telling one. This isn't a morning show. This a series of 30 second pre-recorded bits surrounded by WAY too much production. But, "according to Mediabase.com, Movin 92-5 plays more songs per week than any other station." And we can't have a morning show getting in the way of that, now can we?

 

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

Re: Day 2....

Made a point to get up and listen to this for awhile ... and managed to grab the following 4 observations in my 10 minutes of sampling the station:

a) I am now an enlightened person to discover the word "boughten" which I had not uncovered in my five decades of experiences
b) Did 92.5 fire the Optimod at some point? Levels are all over the map between production elements, talent, between talent, etc.
c) For a generation that has such disdain for seventies classics .... why are so many rap songs built around either rewriting those classics, or worse, SAMPLING them as the foundation for their "song"??
d) Musically, I think I could handle the station better than I can handle KUBE. Literally every time I have tried sampling KUBE over the last ten years or so they seem to be in some marathon hip-hop set; where Movin' seems to back away a bit and play less of that on a more regular basis.

As far as the morning show portion, I'm out of target so content didn't connect with me...but I heard some "raw material" that could end up sounding pretty good as they get familiar with each other, comfortable, etc. Takes awhile to build a team show and I can hear where this MAY go somewhere....

 

[AQH]

They might as well do the shows live from down the hill from aisle three of QFC since most of their bits sound like they're direct rip-offs of supermarket tabloids.

In two hours there were zero morning show basics executed. Both of them have the same crutches all the Movin' jocks have.

Hope they didn't buy a house.

 

[leftfeelsright04]

Reading all the wonderful comments on this subject makes me giggle. Obviously you all are successful Program Directors, General Managers, Research Directors, and so on. And you all know what the elusive "P1" is thinking. Hey, save up all your beer money now and go in together to buy your own Seattle radio station and kick everyone's ratings ASS!

I listened yesterday, too. It didn't blow me out of the water. Sure, there were technical difficulties and times when it was a uncomfortable. But compared to some of the other Seattle morning shows – it was par for the course.

Time will tell.

And if you are so sure about their demise then perhaps next you all can try your hand at being a psychic!

 

[lucky82]

What makes me giggle is when people come up with new login names on here to protect their own interests. One post? C'mon...let's not be obvious.

Of course, we all have to be PD's, GM's and etc. to put in out two cents about what WE think will work for radio. Clearly it's not a bunch of burger flippers on here...the conversation seems a little more intelligent than that. AND...I do believe that any show or talent that has been hired at ANY station at ANY point in time that has failed was hired by a PD or a GM that thought they were the best thing sliced bread.

The bottom line is THIS: a TRACKED morning show in Seattle? Airing the countdown for traffic? Who knows what's true and what isn't. But after one failed attempt at a morning show on that station, you'd think they'd be EXTRA CAREFUL and 100% sure that they are on top of things before going on the air, considering clearly they had been planning on replacing Pat and Reiny since November. It's not acceptable...if you're gonna cop the "Ooooh I'm a big market jock and you're not" attitude, have the content to back it up.

However...it's been two days. It is a little funny to see everybody get their panties in a wad over two days of a new show. Even though I do think they should've had THIS show completely ironed out and close to perfection if it's replacing the first one. Give it six months. ;D

 

[jupiter2]

You people are all SAD SAD SAD.

Nobody sounds great on day one, and there is no BULLPEN for talent these days.

These gals should have encouragement. They were inexpensive to hire, and if they get a little time to gel, you might actually be witnessing the birth of a real show. Or not. But why pile up on some beginners, while still complaining that Radio doesn't grow any new talent.

I will listen in 6 months, that;s when we'll see if they have something. At least the idea is original, even if derivative of another show name.

BEST OF LUCK TO ALL WHO TRY HARD in this sad business filled with negative losers.

 

[djspills]

Therein lies the problem...they are NOT beginners. Brooke is from a station in Spokane (hey...isn't the PD of Movin from Spokane? Seems like he might have brought some people with him), and Monti is the ya ya hero of Movin afternoons. When you are hailing a new morning show as the best thing ever, especiallywhen it's coming off the heels of the first morning show on the station, they have to expect criticism when they don't live up to the hype. And let's be clear...NOBODY in market 14 is cheap to hire.

WE ALL try hard in this business...and it's true that it's easy to become a "negative loser" when two jocks get a great opportunity that, however, didn't begin under the most kosher circumstances...and they don't deliver. I agree...give it six months.

 

[B-Rad]

Oh man. I'm getting awfully tired of hearing about Pat Clark the martyr.[EDIT]The show has plenty of kinks to work out. Maybe they'll be superstars, maybe they'll turn out to be as bad as the original morning show. Who knows. But they will probably never, EVER be as great as the show of the same name in Appleton. I think Lucky will agree with that.

[EDIT-inflammatory]

 

[mammaknowsbest]

This is what ya ya sisterhood radio is all about. I have been predicting this would happen for months now.
Is it a surprise that all of the testosterone postings on this thread don't "get" a female based show with actual FEMALES running it.
That is the ya ya funny part of this whole thread.
Do you really think women 25-44 would rather listen to Kent and Alan, a pair of guys closing in on 60. MOVin already has the KBKS audience and the new morning show will eat into KUBE's upper end and STAR's lower end.
You heard it hear first. Mammaknowsbest. Monti and Brooke ignore the posts and have ya ya fun.

 

[jamesb]

We said "give it 6 months" when we all came on here and bashed Pat Clark as the worst thing to grace Seattle, and the station gave up on him before that time. So maybe we shouldn't be telling each other to give it 6 months before we criticize, but instead try and teach the PD at MOViN that it takes time to develop a morning show and say "Hey Maynard! Why don't you give these girls 6 months before you give up on them too! Your career probably depends on it at this point."
They probably would've been better off developing this show in the afternoon, giving these girls a chance to work together ON THE RADIO instead of in Monti's living room, and then let them make the jump to mornings once they'd gotten their feet wet a bit. At least then they could iron out what works and what doesn't.

 

[lucky82]

Oh man. I'm getting awfully tired of hearing about Pat Clark the martyr. But hell, maybe if I was sleeping with him I'd be singing his praises here too! The show has plenty of kinks to work out. Maybe they'll be superstars, maybe they'll turn out to be as bad as the original morning show. Who knows. But they will probably never, EVER be as great as the show of the same name in Appleton. I think Lucky will agree with that.

Nice touch. While the rest of us are talking about actual radio, you decide to take personal stabs.

And if I may, NO...it will never be as good as the show that had its name taken a month after it began. See, I can have a small market attitude. I wasn't aware there was such a thing...I think I just made it up. It's pretty b-rad.

 

[Seattleradiodude]

Re: Day 2....

d) Musically, I think I could handle the station better than I can handle KUBE. Literally every time I have tried sampling KUBE over the last ten years or so they seem to be in some marathon hip-hop set; where Movin' seems to back away a bit and play less of that on a more regular basis.

Hmm, KUBE has been UC / Rhythmic CHR for how long now? 10 -12 years?

If you are looking to compair music with someone, KBKS would be your better bet

 

[radioprofessor]

Understand the problem. Movin is difficult to define as a format which is leading to its failure here and nationally. In my humble opinion KQMV must adjust to a Mainstream CHR to take on KBKS or a RHY CHR to take on KUBE. It must rid itself of seventies and eighties songs that when looked through the lens of cluster analytics fail to mix with Rhy CHR of the 90's and Today. That is the failure of Movin. To compete as a Rhy CHR they can use their current airstaff of beginners and non-radio professionals providing they only add flavor and ideally track shows to eliminate mistakes. My comrade Steve Smith has used the concept of hiring non radio types to create an unpolished sound with great appeal. The Movin morning show lacks any appeal or execution but their "I was working at Micky Dees before I got this cool job" sound can work in RHy CHR. To win they must attack KUBE directly with a pure Rhy CHR, maybe even hip hop. By just playing 8-10 songs in the rhy CHR format they will hurt KUBE.

To compete as a Maintream CHR, Movin would have to adjust music and then hire an airstaff. This is an expensive option. KBKS has not been able to compete at this point so for KQMV to go here would be a risky parameter.

 

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

Re: Day 2....

Hmm, KUBE has been UC / Rhythmic CHR for how long now? 10 -12 years?

Absolutely (I think longer than 12, actually)...I really wasn't very clear in saying that I keep sampling them really hoping for more of a R&B MUSIC mix without the emphasis on hip-hop; but what they are doing is clearly on-target and much more successful....just not my thing. Nostalgic part of me liked KUBE as mainstream CHR and I just miss the emphasis on music --- I suspect their "old school" specialty programming would be something I would enjoy. I was certainly a "BEAT" (here) and "MEGA" (elsewhere) and "JAMMIN' OLDIES" (elsewhere) fan, but those all based more on an era than emphasis on the R&B core that Movin' adopted. Frustrates me that none of the R&B oldies-based formats ever sustain for any length of time....

 

[biffhenderson]

Congratulations Sandusky!!

Major props to King Marc! You have got to be incredibly proud that you some how managed to convince the owners of your four radio stations that it makes great sense to hire to beginners to be the morning show at one of your FM stations. Many broadcast operators pay 2-3 hundred thousand per year for a morning show, but you King Marc convinced the owners that plenty of great morning shows are willing to work in this market for a mere fraction of that price. And more KUDOS to you for employing the worst chief engineer in radio: George Bisso. Your stations sound like absolute crap, but you probabaly don't like hearing about ugly comments like that. So let us all raise a glass and toast one of the most slippery executive in radio: Marc Kaye! The clock is ticking....trust me, Marc will be spending and counting his money in South Florida, in less than 17 months...I know this for a fact!

 

[GenXRadio]

Aparently someone forgot how to use the Vox Pro, remember, it's the [ ] keys to edit with, get that pre recorded traffic sounding as live as possible.
Not the end of the world I know but it's those sorts of little things that everyone alway focuses on.

I want to start off by saying I have never met Monti & Brook and its quite possible they may be very nice people, but I am sorry to say that this show has ZERO chance of being successful. Here are just a couple of observations:

1. Why are you starting a Morning Show at 7am? You are giving your competitors a hour headstart to get into the swing of things before you even crack the mic. And if that show has something compelling on the air, most listeners will not switch over to catch the start of your show until that other station goes into break.

2. When running a pre-recorded traffic break from Metro, there is no need to play the guy's countdown on the air before he starts his traffic.

3. There are a ton of gigantic news stories going on these days. Presidental campaigns, Britney being released from the hospital, and oh yeah the Seahawks won a playoff game over the weekend. Instead your lead news story is milk from cloned cows???? And please don't say the Hawks don't appeal to women, because I was at Qwest Field and there was a 50/50 split of men and women. Then instead of delving into a few more stories, you gave a headline and then told people if they want to know the rest of the story, go to the Movin' website???? Newsflash ladies, most cars that commuters drive in don't have computers they can use while driving to log onto the Movin' website.


The bottom line is this. When corporations go cheap instead of bringing in talent that actually know how to run a morning show from Day 1, you can expect these mistakes for the first 4-6 months as they are getting a feel of how to actually run a show. By then though, you are so far behind the pack against other shows in town, that management is already considering what they'll do next if you don't drastically improve by the next book.

I hate to say this because like I said I have never met Monti and Brooke, but I will be completely shocked if you hear their voices in AM drive on Movin' a year from now.