Nabco Expires, Saga Jumps The Gun

[gabigley1]

Wow. The specific criticisms and advice may vary, but I don't think I've ever seen such a unanimous and unequivocal thumbs-down for a local station as I see here for 99.7.

I know right? But hey, what do we know?

Somebody in the Columbus radio biz told me that 99.7 is now geared towards an older demographic and the Bob and Tom show fits in just fine. I take that to mean an older demographic on 99.7 means more revenue and a happier advertisers base for the station.

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

Wow.  The specific criticisms and advice may vary, but I don't think I've ever seen such a unanimous and unequivocal thumbs-down for a local station as I see here for 99.7.

I know right? But hey, what do we know?

Somebody in the Columbus radio biz told me that 99.7 is now geared towards an older demographic and the Bob and Tom show fits in just fine. I take that to mean an older demographic on 99.7 means more revenue and a happier advertisers base for the station.

How long ago did "somebody" tell you that?  Anyone seen recent revenue numbers?  "More" and "happier" is relative.  If I had been in solitary confinement I'd have more freedom in a regular jail cell and would be happier.

 

[SeanMGilbow]

Don't want to post under the thread, "Is WVKO-AM in trouble" because some people want to see that thread rest in peace. Also, I don't want to start
a separate thread for this...

This is a press release about a former WVKO-AM radio man, Lawerence Nallie, a Financial adviser who pleaded guilty to financial fraud. Click here to read:

https://www.comapps.ohio.gov/admn/admn_apps/admn/pressroom/Display.aspx?ID=1543

This article said he had a show on the OLD "Progressive Talk" WVKO-AM:

http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/03/02/daily44.html

But that is not true, as far as I recall. He did not have an LMA with Cowtown Commutations. Sean do you agree with me??

Here is the Columbus Dispatch article:

http://www.dispatch.com/live/conten...-07-09_C10_J8D53US.html?type=rss&cat=&sid=101

The old progressive talk was before the station went off the air.

 

[willcail]

Since Laura and Savage didn't do anything on 1230AM why would it do anything for WTDA? The ratings will continue to free fall for WTDA. But if Hal Fish wants to continue with the current format and continue to loose listeners that his decision.

 

[SeanMGilbow]

Since Laura and Savage didn't do anything on 1230AM why would it do anything for WTDA? The ratings will continue to free fall for WTDA. But if Hal Fish wants to continue with the current format and continue to loose listeners that his decision.

The free fall continues for WTDA in the latest Arbitrends.

99.7 had another slight dip.

On the flip side, WMNI saw a nice bump up.

Whether Hal Fish will tap an unserved group of disgruntled liberals still remains to be seen.

 

[willcail]

Note WCRS LPFM is planning to carry the Thom Hartmann Program, Thom is working on a non commercial feed for his show.

 

[gabigley1]

Since Laura and Savage didn't do anything on 1230AM why would it do anything for WTDA? The ratings will continue to free fall for WTDA. But if Hal Fish wants to continue with the current format and continue to loose listeners that his decision.

The free fall continues for WTDA in the latest Arbitrends.

99.7 had another slight dip.

On the flip side, WMNI saw a nice bump up.

Whether Hal Fish will tap an unserved group of disgruntled liberals still remains to be seen.

Sean, last night when I first spotted your post, I was wondering what the occasion was. Then you jogged my memory, because I had planned to check out
the newly released ratings last night but forgot. Nice to hear from you again.

Maybe if 99.7 keeps dropping in the ratings, maybe you can write Mr. Fish a letter and politely ask him to consider a Progressive Talk format for the 99.7 frequency. That would be a very good frequency for this format. Some people say the Progressive Talk format needs to be placed on a station with good/great
coverage of the market and 99.7 surly meets this criteria. They go on to say that the Progressive Talk format fails because of it's placement on stations with poor coverage area of the market.

I did notice that the Catholics that took over WVKO-AM have scratch in the newest ratings. If they aren't able to purchase the station, maybe Mr. Richards
will be allowed to bring back the Progressive Talk back to 1580 WVKO-AM. Is he even trying to get the format back on the air or is he discouraged from
doing so? He said that he wants the format back in Columbus.

 

[SeanMGilbow]

Since Laura and Savage didn't do anything on 1230AM why would it do anything for WTDA? The ratings will continue to free fall for WTDA. But if Hal Fish wants to continue with the current format and continue to loose listeners that his decision.

The free fall continues for WTDA in the latest Arbitrends.

99.7 had another slight dip.

On the flip side, WMNI saw a nice bump up.

Whether Hal Fish will tap an unserved group of disgruntled liberals still remains to be seen.

Sean, last night when I first spotted your post, I was wondering what the occasion was. Then you jogged my memory, because I had planned to check out
the newly released ratings last night but forgot. Nice to hear from you again.

Maybe if 99.7 keeps dropping in the ratings, maybe you can write Mr. Fish a letter and politely ask him to consider a Progressive Talk format for the 99.7 frequency. That would be a very good frequency for this format. Some people say the Progressive Talk format needs to be placed on a station with good/great
coverage of the market and 99.7 surly meets this criteria. They go on to say that the Progressive Talk format fails because of it's placement on stations with poor coverage area of the market.

I did notice that the Catholics that took over WVKO-AM have scratch in the newest ratings. If they aren't able to purchase the station, maybe Mr. Richards
will be allowed to bring back the Progressive Talk back to 1580 WVKO-AM. Is he even trying to get the format back on the air or is he discouraged from
doing so? He said that he wants the format back in Columbus.

Two things:

1. I would not advocate that any Columbus station go fully progressive talk. I would like to see Matt and Ramona return also along with Stephanie Miller and Ed Schultz. The liberal faithful, as I've always said, will be happy with a signal that's crappy. Hal Fish would find an audience if he just eliminates and replaces all the conservative talkers on the schedule with the non-political, if not necessarily liberal.

2. There is a music format that will work for 99.7. It just hasn't been determined what that is.

 

[redsfan1966]

Progressive Talk on 99.7?? ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.....I havent heard anything that funny since the last time I saw Don Rickles on tv. Progressive Talk in Columbus is dead folks, get over it and move on....

 

[SeanMGilbow]

Progressive Talk on 99.7?? ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.....I havent heard anything that funny since the last time I saw Don Rickles on tv. Progressive Talk in Columbus is dead folks, get over it and move on....

Just to clarify...the argument regarding progressive talk concerned the slowly decaying 103.9, not 99.7.

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

2.  There is a music format that will work for 99.7.  It just hasn't been determined what that is.

What music format will *work* hasn't been determined, and maybe never will be. But what will be tried is largely a foregone conclusion.  It will always be some form of rock at least as long as Fish is there (which is probably until retirement age, even if the station dips to a 0.1 share).

 

[gabigley1]

2. There is a music format that will work for 99.7. It just hasn't been determined what that is.

It will always be some form of rock at least as long as Fish is there (which is probably until retirement age, even if the station dips to a 0.1 share).

Wouldn't the Nabco owners get involved with format decisions long before it dipped even far to a 0.1 share?

Speaking of 99.7 ratings, the Nabco sales team used to get on Grego's old morning show and boost how good they were each and every time the new ratings book was released. Grego, on occasion, would read the critique of the radio ratings in the Columbus Dispatch and make some comments about the C.D. writer if it was slanted negatively towards 99.7 and/or his show. One time, Grego even called Tim on his show and corrected him right then there. So, apparently
Mabco is very concerned about the ratings, at least they were back then. Then again maybe Grego just had a big ego when he was with the station.

 

[gabigley1]

2. There is a music format that will work for 99.7. It just hasn't been determined what that is.

It will always be some form of rock at least as long as Fish is there (which is probably until retirement age, even if the station dips to a 0.1 share).

Wouldn't the Nabco owners get involved with format decisions long before it dipped any where near a 0.1 share?

Speaking of 99.7 ratings, the Nabco sales team used to get on Grego's old morning show and boost how good they were each and every time the new ratings book was released. Grego, on occasion, would read the critique of the radio ratings in the Columbus Dispatch and make some comments about the C.D. writer if it was slanted negatively towards 99.7 and/or his show. One time, Grego even called Tim on his show and corrected him right then and there. So, apparently
Mabco is very concerned about the ratings, at least they were back then. Then again, maybe Grego just had a big ego when he was with the station. I liked
his show.

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

2. There is a music format that will work for 99.7. It just hasn't been determined what that is.

It will always be some form of rock at least as long as Fish is there (which is probably until retirement age, even if the station dips to a 0.1 share).

Wouldn't the Nabco owners get involved with format decisions long before it dipped any where near a 0.1 share?

My statement was tinged with sarcasm, but not all that much. Look how they've let Fish run the station into the ground over the last few years. Maybe one good book (in target demos, not 12+) and that's it.

Speaking of 99.7 ratings, the Nabco sales team used to get on Grego's old morning show and boost how good they were each and every time the new ratings book was released. Grego, on occasion, would read the critique of the radio ratings in the Columbus Dispatch and make some comments about the C.D. writer if it was slanted negatively towards 99.7 and/or his show. One time, Grego even called Tim on his show and corrected him right then and there. So, apparently
Mabco is very concerned about the ratings, at least they were back then. Then again, maybe Grego just had a big ego when he was with the station. I liked
his show.

I know "Mabco" was a typo, but it might be appropriate: Most Awful Broadcasting Company

 

[alans613]

NABCO is stupid to stick with the Rock format...There's always the heritage Q-FM 96 if it would go away. 99.7 needs to try something else...the Rock is D-E-A-D on that signal. 99.7 is another wasted big signal in Cowtown(Along with Cheap Channel's 93.3). :

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

NABCO is stupid to stick with the Rock format...There's always the heritage Q-FM 96 if it would go away.  99.7 needs to try something else...the Rock is D-E-A-D on that signal.  99.7 is another wasted big signal in Cowtown(Along with Cheap Channel's 93.3).   : 

That summarizes it well.  97.1's ditching music is also disappointing, but there are valid arguments as to why Sports Talk *might* pay off on that signal.  We'll see.

In any event, nothing can compare to 93.3 and 99.7 for the ineptitude of their format choices and refusal to make a significant change.  93.3 and 99.7 suffer the diametric opposite of the more-common problem of being too *quick* to pull the trigger on a new format.

93.3 would be able to easily segue to a lively-hits-only format, as suggested by Ohio radio man in another thread, without even having to abandon their successful Christmas programming.

 

[willcail]

Well The current crop of TRN talkers isn't helping with 103.9 rim shot signal. The only FM talk I listen to is WLZT-2 HD FM and WCBE FM, WOSU FM, and WBNS FM.

 

[kdavies5]

IMO they can all close up shop... less interference on my FM transmitter for sirius/xm

I think my clock radio alarm is wlzt? I usually manage to turn it off in 10 seconds... that is all the local radio I can stand to listen to.

This is supposed to be a capital city... radio should be at least halfway decent, but whatever. :

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

This is supposed to be a capital city... radio should be at least halfway decent, but whatever. :

It *was* halfway decent, once upon a time. Never more than halfway.

 

[willcail]

WTDA is now at a one share. Franklin County in recent years goes blue in the general elections. Wouldn't be smart to offer some sort of counter programming to WTVN? Since NABCO does have advertising dollars (somewhat) that just put Stephanie Miller and Ed Schultz on WTDA and the rest whatever. True Hal Fish would say that he does have left leaning talkers, if you want to include the host of Science Fantastic and Phil Hendrie.

Since I'm a Studio Capitan at WCRS LPFM and producer our turnout for the Amy Goodman event on Good Friday was great for a low power community radio station over 200 people came. true it was on a holiday, but still a good turnout. The money we raised will go to new towers.