NASCAR now on the FM dial in Pittsburgh

[feeball]

And 93.7 whatever it might be here real soon is your home for NASCAR racing in Pittsburgh. If somebody would have told me this two and a half years ago, I would have laughed at them. How much has changed in such a short period of time.

 

[Interested Observer]

And 93.7 whatever it might be here real soon is your home for NASCAR racing in Pittsburgh. If somebody would have told me this two and a half years ago, I would have laughed at them. How much has changed in such a short period of time.

Y108 was cross-plugging it this past week.

I couldn't agree with you more! It's still sad when you realize that it wasn't a bad dream; B94 was really dead!

 

[feeball]

And 93.7 whatever it might be here real soon is your home for NASCAR racing in Pittsburgh. If somebody would have told me this two and a half years ago, I would have laughed at them. How much has changed in such a short period of time.

Y108 was cross-plugging it this past week.

I couldn't agree with you more! It's still sad when you realize that it wasn't a bad dream; B94 was really dead!

Not even that, I was talking about how far K Rock has fallen since Stern made his announcement and jumped to satellite. K Rock had a ton of potential until Stern jumped and it all unraveled from there.

 

[SteelRocker]

Let it go, B-94 is dead, 93.7 is almost dead, we know its switching to a talk format. Having Nascar on the station now isn't such a bad programming decision since it will be evolving into the Free-FM format. Nobody seems to be complaining that The X carries the Pens or that the Pirates will be on 104.7.

 

[feeball]

I don't feel that I am complaining about the NASCAR coverage. It just might be the type of thing that will get ratings for a format (Free FM) that has got zero ratings in all the other markets that have adopted the format.

 

[Interested Observer]

Let it go, B-94 is dead, 93.7 is almost dead, we know its switching to a talk format. Having Nascar on the station now isn't such a bad programming decision since it will be evolving into the Free-FM format. Nobody seems to be complaining that The X carries the Pens or that the Pirates will be on 104.7.

I didn't mention it because I was pining for the "good ol' days" of B94, just that it's still hard to believe that so much has changed over the last couple of years.

It's a damn shame that the strong metro signal of 93.7 FM has become a throwaway like 104.7 and 100.7 used to be...

 

[SteelRocker]

Let it go, B-94 is dead, 93.7 is almost dead, we know its switching to a talk format. Having Nascar on the station now isn't such a bad programming decision since it will be evolving into the Free-FM format. Nobody seems to be complaining that The X carries the Pens or that the Pirates will be on 104.7.

I didn't mention it because I was pining for the "good ol' days" of B94, just that it's still hard to believe that so much has changed over the last couple of years.

It's a damn shame that the strong metro signal of 93.7 FM has become a throwaway like 104.7 and 100.7 used to be...

I understand where you're coming from. Sorry I misinterpreted what your point was. I am glad 104.7 has the strong signal and I listen to it off and on, especially during Ellis' show. I can pick it up on the PA Turnpike east out to near the first tunnel. And, as for 100.7, I pick it up into about the Ohio line going west, then WMMS in Cleveland takes over. (Now, theres a station!)

As for Nascar, I really don't know how they affect ratings of radio stations that they are on but being a Nascar fan myself I welcome the news they'll be on 93.7 this year. Maybe this will help the Free-FM style they're adoping.

 

[feeball]

And, as for 100.7, I pick it up into about the Ohio line going west, then WMMS in Cleveland takes over. (Now, theres a station!)

WMMS in Cleveland is probably one of the best rock stations I have ever heard in my life. Their only problem is Bob and Tom in the morning and it's not because Bob and Tom are unlistenable, but this market has them on 3 different stations and it's overkill.

 

[Pratte4Life]

I've been a big fan of "The Buzzard" since Joe Charboneau gave analysis of the 1980 World Series on their morning show.

Now- THERE'S a reference!

I'm told NASCAR gets the third highest TV ratings in the country in Pittsburgh.

The fact WPTT gave up the rights- and other stations dragged their feet getting it back- shows you how clueless some of the radio stations in this town are.

 

[SteelRocker]

I've been a big fan of "The Buzzard" since Joe Charboneau gave analysis of the 1980 World Series on their morning show.

Now- THERE'S a reference!

I'm told NASCAR gets the third highest TV ratings in the country in Pittsburgh.

The fact WPTT gave up the rights- and other stations dragged their feet getting it back- shows you how clueless some of the radio stations in this town are.

Lived most of my life in eastern PA and it seemed like every station out there in the early 1990s was carrying the Nascar network. When I moved to California, didn't find any stations in San Jose that carried it, in fact I hardly met any Nascar fans. When I moved to Pittsburgh in 1999 I was amazed again that it wasn't being carried locally because of all the fan base. Pratt--I'd have never guessed the TV ratings are the 3rd highest in the country in Pittsburgh. You'd think all the major cities from VA to Florida would have much higher ratings. I believe "clueless" is the perfect explanation. Looking back, I'm amazed someone realized the potential a Jack-FM (or Bob) would have around here and run with it.

WMMS is the only reason I don't mind driving thru the Cleveland area! ;D

 

[thefalcon]

1360am will carry some of the races and 93.7fm will carry some of the others

so it will be a split nascar schedule by which network will carry the race.

 

[Interested Observer]

I've been a big fan of "The Buzzard" since Joe Charboneau gave analysis of the 1980 World Series on their morning show.

Now- THERE'S a reference!

I'm told NASCAR gets the third highest TV ratings in the country in Pittsburgh.

The fact WPTT gave up the rights- and other stations dragged their feet getting it back- shows you how clueless some of the radio stations in this town are.

Lived most of my life in eastern PA and it seemed like every station out there in the early 1990s was carrying the Nascar network. When I moved to California, didn't find any stations in San Jose that carried it, in fact I hardly met any Nascar fans. When I moved to Pittsburgh in 1999 I was amazed again that it wasn't being carried locally because of all the fan base. Pratt--I'd have never guessed the TV ratings are the 3rd highest in the country in Pittsburgh. You'd think all the major cities from VA to Florida would have much higher ratings. I believe "clueless" is the perfect explanation. Looking back, I'm amazed someone realized the potential a Jack-FM (or Bob) would have around here and run with it.

WMMS is the only reason I don't mind driving thru the Cleveland area! ;D

Plus, with 93.7 going talk, it'll need to have a lot of "fill programming" for the weekends. MRN fills that need for at least part of the year.

 

[Radio_Realist]

I'm told NASCAR gets the third highest TV ratings in the country in Pittsburgh.

I've been told by NASCAR fans that they would rather watch a NASCAR race on tape delay after it's over than listen to a NASCAR race on the radio.

I'm only repeating what I have been told. That makes no sense to me, but I've heard it from more than one NASCAR fan.

For what it's worth, fans of professional wrestling will buy DVD's of old wresting matches and watch them over and over, and yet there is no demand for radio broadcasts of pro wresting.

I guess that just because a sport (or pseudo-sport) works on television doesn't necessarily mean it will also work on the radio.

 

[feeball]

I'm told NASCAR gets the third highest TV ratings in the country in Pittsburgh.

I've been told by NASCAR fans that they would rather watch a NASCAR race on tape delay after it's over than listen to a NASCAR race on the radio.

I'm only repeating what I have been told. That makes no sense to me, but I've heard it from more than one NASCAR fan.

For what it's worth, fans of professional wrestling will buy DVD's of old wresting matches and watch them over and over, and yet there is no demand for radio broadcasts of pro wresting.

I guess that just because a sport (or pseudo-sport) works on television doesn't necessarily mean it will also work on the radio.

I admit I am guilty of buying the old wrestling DVD's. I say old circa 80's decade when the wrestlers were real personas and not people dressed like martians and stuff. When Dusty Rhodes and Ric Flair were at their biggest, the Von Erichs, Freebirds, etc. Wrestling on the radio was tried, and never worked out ratings wise. I got to argue the NASCAR perspective because it has worked and has been successful. Some stations plug the hell out of NASCAR coverage (WEGW in Wheeling plugs it to death everyday). NASCAR on the radio works for the Sunday back porch drinkers or the weekend warriors tinkering with their cars, which might be one and the same.

 

[Snafu]

There are those of us who were beating up Keith Clark a couple of years ago for not putting NASCAR on Y108. It was too perfect a fit. Three years later he puts it on the other station with zero chance of real cross promotion or significant revenue.

NASCAR is concentrating on Sirius and Dish-TV at this point and stations like K-Rock are afterthoughts. They don't add to the bottom line, they really don't add to the fan base and they can't control the content around them like they can on Speed or Sirius.

And yes a race makes more sense on TV than it does on radio. You couldn't begin to describe the carnage at the end of the 500 yesterday on the radio. It barely made sense to the naked eye.

 

[dtube1]

NASCAR on radio is pretty amazing. MRN and PRN have guys placed around the track who sequence one to another without a producer cueing them. Each guy knows the previous guy's cadence and delivery and naturally picks up where he drops off. I dig it purely for the technical presentation.
-D

 

[Snafu]

There is a producer and they all have a talk-back channel they can use to talk to each other. Same with the pit reporters. With all of the new technology that Nextel has dumped into the sport just in the last year they can also tap into the in car radio frequencies of everyone on the track and have access to the Fox or ESPN video. At some tracks these guys are stuffed into the last row of the grandstand and some places like Indy and Daytona have special hard wired perches. That isn't to say that what they do doesn't take talent but they aren't out there without a net.

 

[dtube1]

I didn't say there wasn't a producer or cue channel - rather, when the race is in motion, the announcers around the track sequence from one to another sans cues. Ultimately though, I believe that NASCAR on radio really only appeals to a fan who is truly familiar with the sport - or is stuck in the car ;D 'Tis the same deal with Hockey for that matter (IMO, of course).
-D

 

[cruz]

Pittsburgh needs a radio station to broadcast NASCAR. I've been saying this for years. It doesn't take a genius to figure it out, all it takes is someone willing to look at NASCAR's demographics, ratings, and the amount of money the sport takes in. It has been the fastest growing sport in the country over the last decade, has a very broad fan base (its fastest growing demographic is women between the ages of 25-35, believe it or not!), and the sport takes in an astronomical amount of money between sponsors, ticket sales, and souvenir/memoribilia sales.

MRN does an awesome job of broadcasting the races. Realist, I'm not sure which race fans told you they'd rather not listen to the race on the radio, but given the choice, I'd rather listen than watch. And more often than not, I will watch the race with the TV volume on mute and the radio on (when I could find a station that would broadcast the races, or when I was in an area that had radio coverage). The MRN broadcasters know their stuff and broadcast flawlessly. If only the TV coverage was as good!!!. I've been to quite a few races in person, and listen to MRN coverage through a headset radio while watching the race live. It makes for a remarkable racing experience.

And by the way, I neither sit on my porch drinking beer nor do I tinker on my car while I listen to the race on my radio.... I am a white-collar, professional female with a passion for cars.

 

[Pratte4Life]

That's interesting you should say that because I have found listening to the NASCAR races while watching them on TV to be very frustrating.

The breaks aren't the same- for one thing- so I might be hearing commercials while I'm watching racing and vice-versa.

Also, TV cameras tend to focus on what the TV annoucers are talking about- the cars they are following- etc.

The radio is totally different. They may be talking about a battle for fifth while the TV cameras are focusing on the lead car.

But what do I know? I like drinking beer on the porch, tinkering on my '70 Chevy, and believe the Rebel Flag is a heritage symbol and should still be a part of Darlington.