My thoughts on the sale of WMCR

[JakeLongwell]

I wasn't aware of this until earlier today when it was brought to my attention via e-mail. This is a sad day for radio in central New York. In my humble opinion, we are losing the last bastion of all live and local radio in our region. WMCR has been sold to James Johnson, formerly of the BANJO Broadcasting cluster in the Oneonta area.

I'm sorry, but I don't believe Mr. Johnson's claim that nothing will change at the station, aside from "technology upgrades".
Can we say Audio Vault? How about Voice Tracking?

He was a group owner before, and once a corporate owner, always a corporate owner. It won't be long before you start to see programs cancelled because they are too "hoakey", and there will be more reliance on satellite and/or voice tracking. After all, that's how BANJO was run, wasn't it?

I wonder which satellite format will soon grace the Madison county airwaves. "Today's Hits and Yesterday's Favorites"? "True Oldies"? "Today's Best Country, And Your All Time Favorites"? And get this, the plan is to split the AM/FM simulcast. So we'll probably get TWO satellite formats. Just what that area needs.

Oh, I'm sure SOME of the local elements will be retained. Maybe the occasional HS sports broadcast, rip and read news in morning and afternoon drive... so long as they can be "sold". And, of course, listeners won't complain, and advertisers will just accept that this is the way it is. So I don't see any resistance to this anytime soon.

Yes, I am bitter. Why deny it? WMCR was one of the few stations out there that gave us some hope to cling to. That if radio were still done locally and done right, it could survive. But to me, this is just one man's way of getting back into the business so he can build up another empire. Or, at best, two stations run on the cheap that are somewhat profitable.

And before anyone decides to respond with something like "progress has to march on", or "this had to happen sooner or later", I'll just say right here and now that I'm not buying it!

I would like to thank Bill and Vivian Warren for four decades of community service. While I am saddened at their decision to sell, I guess I cannot slight them for wanting to cash in on that service. I'm just not happy with the company to whom they decided to sell.

Lastly, I have a request to anyone who is within the range of either WMCR or WMCR-FM. I would very much like to have some airchecks of the stations, as they are now. Assuming they haven't already gone "on the bird" yet. I would gladly pay for some airchecks, unscoped, of course. I would especially like to have a copy of the sign on and sign off announcements, assuming they're not already 24/7. I think my email address is published in my profile. If it isn't, here it is for you now.

[email protected]

Any assistance in this matter would be greatly appreciated.

 

[JustPastBuffalo]

I wonder what the WMCR AM-FM sale price is. How many of us have imagined owning those stations? Like many radio fans win Western New York, I've driven the Thruway hundreds of times and countless times found myself scanning the FM band to 106.3 just to hear the "uniqueness" that was WMCR-FM. I suspect changes are forthcoming. Every radio person we know has his or her own scenario as to what they'd do with the station if ever they owned it. This being said, we can only hope that the stations maintain their place as servants of the community and prosper in the challenging days ahead.

 

[therealjm12]

I can't say I am very upset with the sale of WMCR AM/FM. Yes, it was locally owned, which I 100% approve of, and was a Mom & Pop operation which is unique in this day of corrupt mega media operations. However, I am not going to miss the present operation. I too, listen to WMCR when I am in the area but I don't find its style of programing "refreshing". If there was a Mom & Pop grocery store down down the street, I would try to support it. If Mom & Pop sold rotten hamburg meat would we still support it and feel nostalgic? No probably not. WMCR sells rotten meat.
WMCR has never had local personalities. Just button pushers behind the board. Automation will make no difference there. The news is (if any) is rip & read from someplace - maybe the A. P., maybe a local paper. The music is all over the place. The FM isn't even in stereo. -Now don't give me that technical crap about getting out further in mono. A better antenna and a little more height will solve that problem.
The only local identity comes from their high school sports coverage, which I am sure will continue under the new ownership. They do remotes from parades, fairs and Elks Lodges meetings, whatever. Anything they can sell which, of course, is the nature of small market radio. Most likely the new owners will keep most of that going on in one form or another. What the people in Madison county deserve is a consistently professional sounding station. A station that doesn't sign off at 10 PM and is in stereo.

I heard a while back that Mrs. Warren wanted to sell the stations and passed the info onto some people I thought might be interested. No one bit. I, also, heard she wanted to sell it to an employee so that the "uniqueness" of the stations would continue after she sold out. I guess the employee just couldn't raise the capital in this economy.

Yes, I know the new owner has owned stations in the past. Let's hope he comes in and has the love of radio, has fun, and is successful.
It will be a tough road being squeezed in between Syracuse & Utica-Rome and making a go of it.

 

[Element9]

You make some good points, JM. The "rotten hamburg meat" metaphor is a bit overdone (bwa-hahhhah), but you made your point and made some good suggestions.

Question is, what does the WMCR-FM signal cover that isn't already solidly covered by any number of strong signals from Utica-Rome and Syracuse FMs? This is a situation that calls for localism because even a well-formatted WMCR-FM isn't going to crack Syracuse or Rome.

A more distinct set of call letters for the FM while WMCR stays with the AM?

The WMCR-AM signal could be upgraded, but likely would have to go directional at night to protect co-channel 1600 WWRL, New York. Upgrading WMCR-AM may not be cost effective.

Keep the morning show on the AM local, with plenty of news-talk, then run standards for the 55+ crowd the remainder of the day. Or perhaps the AM becomes the colon-blow station with vendor programming that brings in cash that can be used to build up the FM.

The FM is the money. It could definitely be upgraded with better audio processing and a more consistent format that would and should continue to serve the locals. Question is: What format? Country, AC, CHR, Classic Rock, Oldies and Active Rock all are being done better by stations in Syracuse and Utica-Rome. Smooth jazz? Nah!

Applying for a CP to move to 106.5 with a power upgrade might work, but 106.7 WRRQ Windsor, NY also might preclude that.

If high school sports pays the bills, do it on FM and make it sound as professional as possible. Hire a small staff of hungry professionals, keep it local and get the job done. You could make a comfortable living. It ain't a Cadillac, but there's nothing wrong with driving a Chevy.

 

[fybush]

With all due respect to Jake, I think you've got to at least give the new guy a chance before you count him out. I don't know if you saw the Oneida Daily Dispatch article about the sale, but Johnson certainly made all the right noises in his interview. Is he sincere when he says he wasn't happy with how big BanJo got before he sold it, and that he intends to run this as a true mom-and-pop operation? Beats me...but I'm at least willing to wait and see what happens. And Jeff has some good points, too - as romantic as the 10 PM signoff and all that may be, is it really serving the people of Madison County to have nothing on the air all night?

I get the distinct impression that Mrs. Warren has been a very hands-off owner in the last few years. Perhaps a little more hands-on attention from James Johnson will be a good thing for WMCR, if he can find the right balance to bring the station a little more into the present without losing some of what makes it distinct from the many Syracuse and Utica stations that come in just fine in Oneida and vicinity.

(Oh, and Jake...I do have some airchecks of fairly recent vintage, including at least one sign-on...)

 

[fybush]

Applying for a CP to move to 106.5 with a power upgrade might work, but 106.7 WRRQ Windsor, NY also might preclude that.

Methinks you're forgetting Ed Levine's WKRH 106.5 Minetto/Oswego, a class A signal less than 40 miles away. I'm thinking WPYX in Albany might be just barely close enough to be a problem, too.

There's really nothing wrong with the 106.3 signal at all. It's rock-solid everywhere between Syracuse and Utica. If it moves anywhere, it might move to Utica, but I think I'd rather be the only station in Madison County than one of the way-too-many competing for a dwindling listener base in Utica/Rome.

 

[W2JUV_AL]

In reading these posts, I've found plenty of inaccuracies, but I will only comment on one. therealjm12 needs to check the stereo indicator on his radio. WMCR-FM has been stereo for a couple years now.

 

[theradiokid]

Quote From Scott Fybush: “With all do respect to Jake, I think you need to at least give the new guy a chance before you count him out.”

I must respectfully disagree, Scott. One of the stations that Johnson bought under the BanJoe moniker was the combo of WDLA(AM/FM.) Before BanJoe swept in, those stations were local stations. So, what does MR. “local radio guy” do? He puts WDLA in simulcast mode, with the AM simulcasting WCHN (970), and the FM simulcasting WBKT (95.3.) If the loss of local service isn’t bad enough for you, keep in mind that both WBKT and WCHN, under BanJoe, I might add, ran programming from a satellite service. Scott, how is running a satellite service helping or serving the community?

I’m sorry, but I fully expect WMCR to be split, and for the AM to be running “Timeless Favorites,” and the FM to run “True Oldies” any day now.

“Give the new guy a chance?” Nuh-uh! As far as I’m concerned, he had that chance when he bought stations under the BanJoe banner, and he blew it. He blew it by running satellite crap when he should have been serving his communities of license. Mr James Johnson, in my opinion, does not deserve a free pass here. I think that what he did to those stations he owned should be brought up every time he buys again, and should haunt him for the rest of his life in radio.

--The Radio Kid
(Oswego, NY.)
My email: [email protected].

 

[JakeLongwell]

Fair enough. If it turns out that I am wrong in the end, I will be glad to admit it. In all honesty, I hope I am wrong. I guess we'll all have to "stay tuned", and see what happens.

 

[Element9]

Applying for a CP to move to 106.5 with a power upgrade might work, but 106.7 WRRQ Windsor, NY also might preclude that.

Methinks you're forgetting Ed Levine's WKRH 106.5 Minetto/Oswego, a class A signal less than 40 miles away. I'm thinking WPYX in Albany might be just barely close enough to be a problem, too.

Yup, that too, which is an even greater reason to preclude a power boost

There's really nothing wrong with the 106.3 signal at all. It's rock-solid everywhere between Syracuse and Utica. If it moves anywhere, it might move to Utica, but I think I'd rather be the only station in Madison County than one of the way-too-many competing for a dwindling listener base in Utica/Rome.

Yup. That too. It is a good signal for what it is, but with respect to and compared to the stations in The 'Cuse and U-R, it's kind of *out there* in the middle of the cross fire. Wonder where the revenue will come from, especially in this challenging economic environment. Even to people who appreciate localism, hate Citadeath and Cheap Channel, and cheer for Mom & Pop, the station sounds disjointed. Some would say it sounds like crap. Let's just say it could sound a whole lot better with a PD who knew how to run AudioVault, hire good, young air talent and motivate them.

I wanna know what format the radio mavens here would suggest for this potential juggernaut.

 

[Adman4120]

Hello...I think every post so far as valid points on WMCR. Yes, WMCR finally went Stereo a little over a year ago, but their sound quality is very muddy, and even though I'm not an engineer, when monitoring them on a daily basis, I can tell you that they are not close to even 80%. Couple that with absolutely no processing, and you will find it very difficult to even understand the person talking live on the microphone. And, when you hear some ads STILL being played on those Tapecaster cart machines, it makes you cringe.

In my opinion, the least amount of fanfare might have been best with the ownership change. For years, WMCR has probably made more money to their bottom line than the bigger stations in Utica and Syracuse. They have always run a lean ship, high school sports sells every time, which I can attest too first handed, and for whatever reason, EVERY STATION IN UTICA AND SYRACUSE HAS ALWAYS STAYED AWAY FROM WMCR'S LOCAL CLIENT BASE AND TERRITORY. It seems like WMCR has been in its own world. I wonder how much business could have been taken away from them IF, the Utica and Syracuse media pushed into WMCR's back yard, and tried to make a case about WMCR's very tiny audience, which averages over 60 years of age, and programming that is so varied, that you wonder if anyone can listen and be happy.

The other problem has been that Vivian was very tough when it came to ad rates. Hard to justify paying WMCR $ 13-18 ad rates with such a tiny audience, when rates in Utica can be lower than that, depending upon the day and hour you buy.

It will be interesting to see what happens, but I feel if they keep things pretty much "As Is", they will continue to make money and be left alone in their own world. I'm afraid that if they start to play and irritate the bigger players, and try to compete with one of their formats, I think all bets are off and you will see the bigger stations come after WMCR and their loyal advertisers.

 

[fybush]

“Give the new guy a chance?” Nuh-uh! As far as I’m concerned, he had that chance when he bought stations under the BanJoe banner, and he blew it. He blew it by running satellite crap when he should have been serving his communities of license. Mr James Johnson, in my opinion, does not deserve a free pass here. I think that what he did to those stations he owned should be brought up every time he buys again, and should haunt him for the rest of his life in radio.

It must be nice to have that much certainty about why people do what they do.

I can't speak to what happened with Johnson's previous cluster of stations, beyond the obvious - Walton and Norwich and Delhi and even Oneonta are awfully small communities, with very little going their way as far as business growth. I don't know what the books looked like at WDLA when BanJo took over. Perhaps you do. My guess is that the stations were losing money, and that even if Johnson had wanted to keep them local, he had partners and investors and creditors who wouldn't have let him risk their money that way.

I do remember driving past WDLA at one point before Johnson's ownership, and stopping in only to find an open door and not a soul in the building, at least none who responded when I looked around to see about getting a quick tour. So perhaps the previous ownership may not have been as wonderful as it appeared in hindsight, too...or maybe I just stopped by on a bad day.

In any case, here are a couple of Johnson quotes from the Dispatch story last week.

“When I had the other radio stations, I made them so big that I found I wasn’t really in radio anymore. I was in a corporation.”

“The programming will be up to those who do it now,” said Johnson. “I will build upon the current success.”

Calling himself a “radio romantic,” Johnson said, “I am just looking to be back in the radio business.”

I don't know the guy, but those sound like reasonable sentiments to me. I'm at least willing to give him some benefit of the doubt that he's capable, as he suggests, of having learned from some of the things that didn't go right with BanJo. I'm certainly not in the "haunt him for the rest of his life" camp.

At a bare minimum, I'm reasonably convinced that whatever he's paying for WMCR is a lot less than the money he probably banked from selling his share of BanJo, so he's got a decent chance of doing whatever he's going to do by paying for it out of his own pocket, rather than having to answer to bankers or other investors.

Cam we give the guy a chance before we condemn him to the fiery pits of hell or whatever else it is you might have in mind for him? It's only radio, after all.

 

[BobRoss]

“Give the new guy a chance?” Nuh-uh! As far as I’m concerned, he had that chance when he bought stations under the BanJoe banner, and he blew it. He blew it by running satellite crap when he should have been serving his communities of license. Mr James Johnson, in my opinion, does not deserve a free pass here.

Eh, I have to side with Scott on this one. When Johnson was involved with BanJo, he wasn't the only cook in the kitchen. There were other people equally as involved in the decision making. This time around, Johnson says he's going it alone. No other investors to derail his plans by outvoting him. Let's see what happens. It's not like our judgments here matter anyway... the wheels are already in motion and nothing we say on this forum will impact his plans.

They have always run a lean ship, high school sports sells every time, which I can attest too first handed, and for whatever reason, EVERY STATION IN UTICA AND SYRACUSE HAS ALWAYS STAYED AWAY FROM WMCR'S LOCAL CLIENT BASE AND TERRITORY.

Radio sales reps are lazy. If they can meet their goals right in their own immediate vicinity, why drive all the way out to Oneida? Look around the city... there's nothing in Oneida that can't be found elsewhere in Utica/Rome or Syracuse. Once in a blue moon, a national buyer like Verizon or AT&T Wireless will order a live remote at their Oneida store... but we're talking rare occasions like a new store opening/re-opening, where it's a one-time deal and never again.

Not to mention, if the station is reimbursing for gas and/or mileage, management may be telling the reps to avoid trips to Oneida or other far-flung places. It's a good 30+ miles from either market. A good rep can make several sales calls in their own backyard and drive less than 60 miles a day... or they can drive out to Oneida and back, all for just one or two sales calls, which likely wouldn't net enough revenue to seriously outweigh the cost and time of making that drive.

The other problem has been that Vivian was very tough when it came to ad rates. Hard to justify paying WMCR $ 13-18 ad rates with such a tiny audience, when rates in Utica can be lower than that, depending upon the day and hour you buy.

It's likely the fact that WMCR has a monopoly on Madison County. As noted, it's rare to see reps from Utica or Syracuse trekking to Oneida. And forget about going deeper into the county, to places like Madison, Morrisville or Hamilton. Aside from the big antiques show every year, you never hear spots for anything in Madison or Bouckville on the Syracuse or Utica airwaves.

I also think Vivian's just doing what she has to do, in order to keep the station profitable. The big-market stations do a lot of national sales business, and national rates are usually high enough to "subsidize" the local rates. WMCR is way too far down on the rankings to catch the attention of any national agencies. They don't have any national ad orders rolling in on the fax machine. It's 100% local sales. The rates may be higher, but as long as the competition from Utica and Syracuse do stay away from Oneida, the clients don't know any better. And there isn't much non-radio competition going after those local ad dollars either... the Oneida Daily Dispatch is a pretty small operation paying small salaries, and likely not charging very much for ads. Beyond that, what else is there? Maybe one or two weeklies. TV stations in both markets barely even know Oneida exists.

And in a small city like Oneida, I'd suspect the clients aren't so concerned about examining the demographics or the ratings with a fine-tooth comb. In smaller cities, sales can be based more on the personal connection between the sales reps and the clients. I don't know how many reps WMCR has, or how long they've been there... but I'd say a local business owner is going to be more willing to spend their money with a courteous, local, modestly-dressed sales rep who lives in their own neighborhood... as opposed to someone coming from Syracuse with a slick car, a power suit, a Blackberry, and a bunch of overwhelming charts and graphs looking to spew a bunch of fast-talking lingo, make the sale, and hurry on to the next victim.

 

[TheBigA]

This is why I say to all those who want to change ownership laws, with the hope of more local owners, that it won't necessarily improve content or increase "localism," whatever that is.

 

[BobRoss]

My previous post was mostly a response to what other people have said.

As for the future of WMCR, here's some brainstorming on what I'd like to see. Again, brainstorming... not saying every idea's a great one, but just a raw list of thoughts.

• Increase operations to 24/7. So what if it's automated overnight? As long as they have an EAS receiver and it's properly configured to break in with alerts, that's the main thing. An overnight jock might be "nice" to have, but would be a very unrealistic expectation.
• One consistent format. Or, at least a consistent schedule for each format. It's weird to hear a Beatles classic slammed right up against a Miley Cyrus current, followed by some recurrent country title. I know going with just one format would put WMCR up against stations in other markets, but playing a random mish-mash isn't a big audience-grabber either.
• Updated jingles, liners and IDs. Even if you just get retro-sounding ones, some freshly-produced cuts would sound way better than what's on the air now.
• Buy a newer production music library. Even the Canary Collection from 1980 would be a big improvement.
• Improve audio processing. WMCR-FM may make activate the "stereo" light on my radio, but it sure doesn't sound stereo.
• Keep up with the "hokey" but local features like the Trading Post and live high school sports. These are among the few pluses WMCR has to set itself apart from the rest.
• Technical improvements so HS sports broadcasts sound better.
• Start a website. Post the schedule, jock bios, other basics.
• Beef up news with an actual news department. Super-serve the Madison County area. Nobody else will.
• Post the news on the website as well. People like to read more about stories they find particularly interesting.
• More outside promotion... let people know you exist.
• More live remotes... again, letting people know you exist. Seems like they're only live for HS sports. How about some sales-driven remotes? Get out there, shaking hands, giving stuff away. WMCR bumper stickers, anyone?
• Last but not least, start crossfading songs. If I wanted to hear a song fade all the way out, followed by silence before the next one begins, I'd burn a CD or listen to my MP3 player. Even little ol' free Winamp can crossfade songs.

I'm still not quite sure if splitting up the AM/FM simulcast will be a great idea. On the pro side, running separate feeds theoretically allows for separate commercial logs, and separate revenue streams. But will clients really pay more because their spots are running separately? I think they'd expect the same price they've been paying to get AM & FM together all along. Also to consider: programming. What are you going to fill all that time with? If the AM and FM are to be separated at all times, I foresee the AM going satellite.

However, it *would* be nice if the simulcast continued, with the exception of "special programming." If there's something like HS sports or a city hall meeting, or whatever... the FM could continue normal programming, while the AM breaks away for the special event. It would also be possible to carry 2 games at the same time, should sporting schedules allow. Maybe an Oneida HS game on the FM, and a Morrisville HS game on the AM, for example.

Yes, all these things would take money, and would likely have to be taken one step at a time -- but as mentioned in the list, nobody else is going to superserve Madison County. If WMCR does, they'll be successful with it.

 

[TheBigA]

Yes, all these things would take money, and would likely have to be taken one step at a time -- but as mentioned in the list, nobody else is going to superserve Madison County. If WMCR does, they'll be successful with it.

If Madison County NY was its own market, it would rank at #296, just above Beckley WV. I've driven through both Beckley and Oneida, and I can tell you that radio in Beckley sounds better than what you describe on WMCR. But once again, where does the money come from? This is why rural radio stations near large markets apply to move their transmitters closer to large cities.

 

[JakeLongwell]

Bob brings up some good points, and I like most of his idead.

I will concede that 24 hour operation may be a necessity in this day and age where every other TV and radio outlet is on the air around the clock. But at least keep live people on the air until 10 pm, or maybe even expand it to midnight. Then locally automate overnights, complete with hourly news and weather updates.

I am all for the addition of a website. I would even add streaming audio if the RIAA will give them a break. If nothing else, stream the local news and talk shows and HS sports broadcasts for out of town listeners.

More local news is always a good thing. Superserving that area is what has made the station succeed all these years.

There is just one thing I can't agree with, and many people have posted it here. I'm sorry, folks, but I see no need to adopt a rigid format for the station. The eclectic format they have now sets them apart from their counterparts in the big cities nearby. If they adopt a structured, cookie cutter format, how then is that format different from the Syracuse of Utica equivalent? Let's say they go country on the FM, what will make die hard country fans in Oneida switch from 104.3 or 104.7 over to 106.3? If you're playing the same tired songs from the same tired playlist as everyone else, you're not unique. If anything, that makes you a "wanna be". Did it ever occur to anyone that maybe people in that area WANT the variety format that's on the air now? That maybe they don't want some bland carbon copy of a station they can hear elsewhere on the dial? I would think if people didn't want this sound for their local station, if they DID want a structured format with a limited focus group tested playlist, then it would be in place already. I think the reason so many are criticising the programming policies on here is because we've all been taught that a station HAS to have a solid format. That's just how it's done.

Earlier this evening, I had the good fortune to be able to hear WMCR (AM) for a brief time. This was thanks to a remote controled web radio based somewhere in central NY. Out of curiosity, I phoned the station to see if there was anyone there. A friendly young lady answered the phone, and I asked if I could make a request. I wasn't given the typical "i'll see what I can do" answer that most of us were trained to give out to our listeners. Anyway, I made my request, which they had in their library as luck would have it. And after a brief chat with the young lady, I hung up and listened to the stream for a bit longer. Sure enough, after the 6:30 weather forecast, my song was played as promised. Now, I challenge any of you to find one radio station in Syracuse or Utica that has a live jock on Saturdays, AND one that is actually at liberty to take listener requests and PLAY them. That's part of the magic of hometown radio. A station that doesn't adhere to a consulted playlist that is used by every other station in the format across the country.

I wonder if I call the station on a saturday evening at around 6:00 in, say, six months from now, will someone answer the phone? Or, will I get an answering machine? I'm hoping the former, but expecting the latter.

 

[theradiokid]

I would argue that WMCR already has a format in place. It’s called a variety (or as we GenYers would say, Ipod Shuffle) format. I like the idea of hearing The Beatles next to Miley Cyrus next to Garth Brookes next to Frank Sinotra. I don’t see anything wrong with the current format.

--The Radio Kid
(Oswego, NY.)
My email: [email protected].

 

[JustPastBuffalo]

A stimulating discussion here, especially about formatics, news and service; some very good perspectives. It's conceivable that WMCR AM-FM can continue to super-serve listeners with local news; the format can be broad-based and the station can remain localized.

Wearing a manager's hat: I'd first invest in news, putting together a news department that has at least four fulltime employees that report and anchor, depending on need. Economics dictate that these employees won't be driving a Lexus, but they'll be treated well, defended, respected and taken care of with good health care benefits and appreciative perks. They'd also be expected to sign on for a minimum of two years.

Wearing a programmer's hat: It may be closer to the truth to say that some regimentation has to be created in all departments. I don't know how a station can maintain a format that allows the lattitude of going from Miley Cyrus to a Beatles classic and attract an audience. Sure, it's eclectic, but does eclecticism sell? This is a question, not an afront. And yes, there would be live, local bodies and voices behind the microphone. And the audio chain would be clean, bright and loud, but not over-driven.

A respected program director once advised, "When a shopper buys a tube of Prell Shampoo, he/she wants to know the tube doesn't contain Preparation H when he/she opens it in the shower, so make sure you put the right stuff in that tube!"

Listeners have to feel confident with the consistency of the product when they tune to their favorite station. The left field music mixes described in this thread are cool... for radio geeks like you and me; but Joe and Jane Magowski just don't hear it like we do. They're tuning in for Miley's hit and the next song is an "old" Beatles song. Or, they're tuning in for a great Beatles Classic Hit and hearing some tweener hit that they don't particularly get. Bwah?

Jack-Fred-Mike formats make a big deal of the "variety" image. But these stations are far more disciplined than most listeners and even some radio people imagine. My theory is, "your radio station cannot out-variety my iPod." So the variety thing has to be done with a sense of discipline... and day-parting. Jack-Fred-Mike employ a technique known as "ten feet wide, six inces deep" as opposed to "two feet wide, ten feet deep." It's more than symantics. Be careful with that "variety" stuff, because it can come back and bite you in the assets.

 

[TheBigA]

Wearing a manager's hat: I'd first invest in news, putting together a news department that has at least four fulltime employees that report and anchor, depending on need.

In a market this size, those four employees are all you can afford. The rest of the day will have to be some form of automation. Question: Is there really enough news on a daily basis in Madison County to keep a 4 person news staff busy and keep your audience interested?

Even if you get a 20 share (which is unlikely) your sellable audience will be about 8,000 people.That puts your peak spot rate at about $20 (no discounts) assuming a CPM around a 2. If you really want to wear the managers hat, come up with a budget.