...is Bob Huntley. From what I understand, he was the Director Of Sales since late last year and was just promoted. This is one tough job! He has to stop the financial bleeding on WCOS (under attack from two signals), WNOK (down to 5th 18-34), WLTY (fading), WVOC (never recovered from losing USC Sports and now lost Paul Harvey), and their top performer, The Beat (#1 18-34) is in a five- station urban war and may be hurting WNOK in the process. All this with Clear Channel's "Less Is More" limiting his avails. Tough gig.
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New Clear Channel Columbia GM...
- Thread starter whopper
- Start date
> ...is Bob Huntley. From what I understand, he was the
> Director Of Sales since late last year and was just
> promoted. This is one tough job! He has to stop the
> financial bleeding on WCOS (under attack from two signals),
> WNOK (down to 5th 18-34), WLTY (fading), WVOC (never
> recovered from losing USC Sports and now lost Paul Harvey),
> and their top performer, The Beat (#1 18-34) is in a five-
> station urban war and may be hurting WNOK in the process.
> All this with Clear Channel's "Less Is More" limiting his
> avails. Tough gig.
Yep, it looks tough. The good news is he'll probably get a long honeymoon. They can't afford to just keep throwing bodies at their most difficult properties. The bad news is he'll have to dodge a lot of "friendly fire".
> Director Of Sales since late last year and was just
> promoted. This is one tough job! He has to stop the
> financial bleeding on WCOS (under attack from two signals),
> WNOK (down to 5th 18-34), WLTY (fading), WVOC (never
> recovered from losing USC Sports and now lost Paul Harvey),
> and their top performer, The Beat (#1 18-34) is in a five-
> station urban war and may be hurting WNOK in the process.
> All this with Clear Channel's "Less Is More" limiting his
> avails. Tough gig.
Yep, it looks tough. The good news is he'll probably get a long honeymoon. They can't afford to just keep throwing bodies at their most difficult properties. The bad news is he'll have to dodge a lot of "friendly fire".
> Yep, it looks tough. The good news is he'll probably get a
> long honeymoon. They can't afford to just keep throwing
> bodies at their most difficult properties. The bad news is
> he'll have to dodge a lot of "friendly fire".
I am not sure that CCU Columbia should be considered a "difficult" property. On the upside: the cluster has some of the better sticks in the market and three stations with 20+ years of heritage apiece (WCOS, WNOK, WVOC). While the competition in the market has heated up somewhat, there aren't 30+ stations all with 3 and 2 shares scrambling over additional .1 and .2 shares, as you would see in highly radioed markets.
Maybe pulling the dents and some new paint would help.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by DudeFan on 06/14/05 04:50 PM.</FONT></P>
> long honeymoon. They can't afford to just keep throwing
> bodies at their most difficult properties. The bad news is
> he'll have to dodge a lot of "friendly fire".
I am not sure that CCU Columbia should be considered a "difficult" property. On the upside: the cluster has some of the better sticks in the market and three stations with 20+ years of heritage apiece (WCOS, WNOK, WVOC). While the competition in the market has heated up somewhat, there aren't 30+ stations all with 3 and 2 shares scrambling over additional .1 and .2 shares, as you would see in highly radioed markets.
Maybe pulling the dents and some new paint would help.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by DudeFan on 06/14/05 04:50 PM.</FONT></P>
> I am not sure that CCU Columbia should be considered a
> "difficult" property. On the upside: the cluster has some of
> the better sticks in the market and three stations with 20+
> years of heritage apiece (WCOS, WNOK, WVOC). While the
> competition in the market has heated up somewhat, there
> aren't 30+ stations all with 3 and 2 shares scrambling over
> additional .1 and .2 shares, as you would see in highly
> radioed markets.
>
> Maybe pulling the dents and some new paint would help.
I know a little about the market but I'm no expert. But what can still make it difficult is that the expectations for a market like that can be pretty high.
I wish him luck.
> "difficult" property. On the upside: the cluster has some of
> the better sticks in the market and three stations with 20+
> years of heritage apiece (WCOS, WNOK, WVOC). While the
> competition in the market has heated up somewhat, there
> aren't 30+ stations all with 3 and 2 shares scrambling over
> additional .1 and .2 shares, as you would see in highly
> radioed markets.
>
> Maybe pulling the dents and some new paint would help.
I know a little about the market but I'm no expert. But what can still make it difficult is that the expectations for a market like that can be pretty high.
I wish him luck.
> I know a little about the market but I'm no expert. But what
> can still make it difficult is that the expectations for a
> market like that can be pretty high.
> I wish him luck.
>
My congrats and good wishes, as well. It's a great promotion and a great opportunity. Challenging, yes. But as they say, no one gives you the GM salary for free.
> can still make it difficult is that the expectations for a
> market like that can be pretty high.
> I wish him luck.
>
My congrats and good wishes, as well. It's a great promotion and a great opportunity. Challenging, yes. But as they say, no one gives you the GM salary for free.
> > I know a little about the market but I'm no expert. But
> what
> > can still make it difficult is that the expectations for a
>
> > market like that can be pretty high.
> > I wish him luck.
> >
>
> My congrats and good wishes, as well. It's a great promotion
> and a great opportunity. Challenging, yes. But as they say,
> no one gives you the GM salary for free.
>
Good luck to Huntley with the cluster. He is going to need it. Is he the same DOS that was NOT making budget with the previous GM, so for that, he is named the new Market Manager.
With Less is More and a reduced spotload, plus the former DOS across the street writing business, it's is definitely going to be a challenge. Plus with expense controls being the way their are in the Clear Channel Universe, they didn't have to pay moving expenses. That was probably a big factor.
> what
> > can still make it difficult is that the expectations for a
>
> > market like that can be pretty high.
> > I wish him luck.
> >
>
> My congrats and good wishes, as well. It's a great promotion
> and a great opportunity. Challenging, yes. But as they say,
> no one gives you the GM salary for free.
>
Good luck to Huntley with the cluster. He is going to need it. Is he the same DOS that was NOT making budget with the previous GM, so for that, he is named the new Market Manager.
With Less is More and a reduced spotload, plus the former DOS across the street writing business, it's is definitely going to be a challenge. Plus with expense controls being the way their are in the Clear Channel Universe, they didn't have to pay moving expenses. That was probably a big factor.
> Good luck to Huntley with the cluster. He is going to need it. Is he the same DOS that was NOT making budget with the previous GM, so for that, he is named the new Market Manager.
From what I see and hear, everybody got a little carried away in their 2005 budgeting. I don't know for sure, but I suspect a lot of people are missing budget, even as they are busting their humps to eek out single digit gains over last year. Besides, do they have product problems to overcome or not? I don't know myself but others seem to think so.<P ID="signature">______________
"If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague." - Oscar Wilde</P>
From what I see and hear, everybody got a little carried away in their 2005 budgeting. I don't know for sure, but I suspect a lot of people are missing budget, even as they are busting their humps to eek out single digit gains over last year. Besides, do they have product problems to overcome or not? I don't know myself but others seem to think so.<P ID="signature">______________
"If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague." - Oscar Wilde</P>
> > Good luck to Huntley with the cluster. He is going to
> need it. Is he the same DOS that was NOT making budget with
> the previous GM, so for that, he is named the new Market
> Manager.
>
> From what I see and hear, everybody got a little carried
> away in their 2005 budgeting. I don't know for sure, but I
> suspect a lot of people are missing budget, even as they are
> busting their humps to eek out single digit gains over last
> year. Besides, do they have product problems to overcome or
> not? I don't know myself but others seem to think so.
>
In general radio folks like us tend to think everything is broken and needs to be fixed. I catch myself doing that. But when you look at the Clear Channel Cluster, things really aren't so bad. The days of WCOS and WNOK pulling double digits are over for good. But that doesn't mean start making whoesale changes to the product. The general format selection of the cluster is good and it makes sense. Sure, things can be tidied up a bit, but there isn't a single station in Columbia that you can't say that about.
If there are issues, it seems to me that they are a result of corporate operations and promotions budget cutting and general cheaping out. Clear Channel made some bad decisions early on that are affecting the stations now.
First, they are probably to thin on the ground on the operations side. You need bodies to do a first class product and the folks there are stretched too thin. Now, even in the major markets, CCU is cutting folks -- from KIIS to KDWB to WEBN to WWWDC, Clear Channel has cut the number of programming and operations folks to bone. That means active formats like WCOS and WNOK don't have the folks they need to really do those formats justice in the face of competition.
Second, losing the Gamecocks was a terrible blow to WVOC. WVOC used to depend on the big kick USC sports gave the station in the fall book. The games by themselves barely broke even given the hefty rights, but the gain in national and regional revenue due to the huge bump in the fall always made up for it.
> need it. Is he the same DOS that was NOT making budget with
> the previous GM, so for that, he is named the new Market
> Manager.
>
> From what I see and hear, everybody got a little carried
> away in their 2005 budgeting. I don't know for sure, but I
> suspect a lot of people are missing budget, even as they are
> busting their humps to eek out single digit gains over last
> year. Besides, do they have product problems to overcome or
> not? I don't know myself but others seem to think so.
>
In general radio folks like us tend to think everything is broken and needs to be fixed. I catch myself doing that. But when you look at the Clear Channel Cluster, things really aren't so bad. The days of WCOS and WNOK pulling double digits are over for good. But that doesn't mean start making whoesale changes to the product. The general format selection of the cluster is good and it makes sense. Sure, things can be tidied up a bit, but there isn't a single station in Columbia that you can't say that about.
If there are issues, it seems to me that they are a result of corporate operations and promotions budget cutting and general cheaping out. Clear Channel made some bad decisions early on that are affecting the stations now.
First, they are probably to thin on the ground on the operations side. You need bodies to do a first class product and the folks there are stretched too thin. Now, even in the major markets, CCU is cutting folks -- from KIIS to KDWB to WEBN to WWWDC, Clear Channel has cut the number of programming and operations folks to bone. That means active formats like WCOS and WNOK don't have the folks they need to really do those formats justice in the face of competition.
Second, losing the Gamecocks was a terrible blow to WVOC. WVOC used to depend on the big kick USC sports gave the station in the fall book. The games by themselves barely broke even given the hefty rights, but the gain in national and regional revenue due to the huge bump in the fall always made up for it.
> > > Good luck to Huntley with the cluster. He is going to
> > need it. Is he the same DOS that was NOT making budget
> with
> > the previous GM, so for that, he is named the new Market
> > Manager.
> >
> > From what I see and hear, everybody got a little carried
> > away in their 2005 budgeting. I don't know for sure, but I
>
> > suspect a lot of people are missing budget, even as they
> are
> > busting their humps to eek out single digit gains over
> last
> > year. Besides, do they have product problems to overcome
> or
> > not? I don't know myself but others seem to think so.
> >
>
> In general radio folks like us tend to think everything is
> broken and needs to be fixed. I catch myself doing that. But
> when you look at the Clear Channel Cluster, things really
> aren't so bad. The days of WCOS and WNOK pulling double
> digits are over for good. But that doesn't mean start making
> whoesale changes to the product. The general format
> selection of the cluster is good and it makes sense. Sure,
> things can be tidied up a bit, but there isn't a single
> station in Columbia that you can't say that about.
>
> If there are issues, it seems to me that they are a result
> of corporate operations and promotions budget cutting and
> general cheaping out. Clear Channel made some bad decisions
> early on that are affecting the stations now.
>
> First, they are probably to thin on the ground on the
> operations side. You need bodies to do a first class product
> and the folks there are stretched too thin. Now, even in the
> major markets, CCU is cutting folks -- from KIIS to KDWB to
> WEBN to WWWDC, Clear Channel has cut the number of
> programming and operations folks to bone. That means active
> formats like WCOS and WNOK don't have the folks they need to
> really do those formats justice in the face of competition.
>
> Second, losing the Gamecocks was a terrible blow to WVOC.
> WVOC used to depend on the big kick USC sports gave the
> station in the fall book. The games by themselves barely
> broke even given the hefty rights, but the gain in national
> and regional revenue due to the huge bump in the fall always
> made up for it.
>
The Clear Channel mindset has sent a formerly highly respectable cluster into the depths of mediocrity. A sales guy like Huntley will probably not bail them out; his focus will be on revenue and making the numbers, to get his bonus and keep his job.
> > need it. Is he the same DOS that was NOT making budget
> with
> > the previous GM, so for that, he is named the new Market
> > Manager.
> >
> > From what I see and hear, everybody got a little carried
> > away in their 2005 budgeting. I don't know for sure, but I
>
> > suspect a lot of people are missing budget, even as they
> are
> > busting their humps to eek out single digit gains over
> last
> > year. Besides, do they have product problems to overcome
> or
> > not? I don't know myself but others seem to think so.
> >
>
> In general radio folks like us tend to think everything is
> broken and needs to be fixed. I catch myself doing that. But
> when you look at the Clear Channel Cluster, things really
> aren't so bad. The days of WCOS and WNOK pulling double
> digits are over for good. But that doesn't mean start making
> whoesale changes to the product. The general format
> selection of the cluster is good and it makes sense. Sure,
> things can be tidied up a bit, but there isn't a single
> station in Columbia that you can't say that about.
>
> If there are issues, it seems to me that they are a result
> of corporate operations and promotions budget cutting and
> general cheaping out. Clear Channel made some bad decisions
> early on that are affecting the stations now.
>
> First, they are probably to thin on the ground on the
> operations side. You need bodies to do a first class product
> and the folks there are stretched too thin. Now, even in the
> major markets, CCU is cutting folks -- from KIIS to KDWB to
> WEBN to WWWDC, Clear Channel has cut the number of
> programming and operations folks to bone. That means active
> formats like WCOS and WNOK don't have the folks they need to
> really do those formats justice in the face of competition.
>
> Second, losing the Gamecocks was a terrible blow to WVOC.
> WVOC used to depend on the big kick USC sports gave the
> station in the fall book. The games by themselves barely
> broke even given the hefty rights, but the gain in national
> and regional revenue due to the huge bump in the fall always
> made up for it.
>
The Clear Channel mindset has sent a formerly highly respectable cluster into the depths of mediocrity. A sales guy like Huntley will probably not bail them out; his focus will be on revenue and making the numbers, to get his bonus and keep his job.
> The Clear Channel mindset has sent a formerly highly
> respectable cluster into the depths of mediocrity. A sales
> guy like Huntley will probably not bail them out; his focus
> will be on revenue and making the numbers, to get his bonus
> and keep his job.
>
Unfortunately, that's radio in 2005.
John Hogan once said that Clear Channel wanted to be the McDonald's of radio: consistent everywhere you went. Do you think they've achieved that? Does anyone go to McDonald's because they have "the best burgers?"
Of course, ain't it the American Way to concentrate on getting a bonus and keeping your job?
> respectable cluster into the depths of mediocrity. A sales
> guy like Huntley will probably not bail them out; his focus
> will be on revenue and making the numbers, to get his bonus
> and keep his job.
>
Unfortunately, that's radio in 2005.
John Hogan once said that Clear Channel wanted to be the McDonald's of radio: consistent everywhere you went. Do you think they've achieved that? Does anyone go to McDonald's because they have "the best burgers?"
Of course, ain't it the American Way to concentrate on getting a bonus and keeping your job?
> > The Clear Channel mindset has sent a formerly highly
> > respectable cluster into the depths of mediocrity. A
> sales
> > guy like Huntley will probably not bail them out; his
> focus
> > will be on revenue and making the numbers, to get his
> bonus
> > and keep his job.
> >
>
> Unfortunately, that's radio in 2005.
>
> John Hogan once said that Clear Channel wanted to be the
> McDonald's of radio: consistent everywhere you went. Do you
> think they've achieved that? Does anyone go to McDonald's
> because they have "the best burgers?"
>
> Of course, ain't it the American Way to concentrate on
> getting a bonus and keeping your job?
Amen Brother! Product and community interests goes down the toilet when there's money on the table!
>
> > respectable cluster into the depths of mediocrity. A
> sales
> > guy like Huntley will probably not bail them out; his
> focus
> > will be on revenue and making the numbers, to get his
> bonus
> > and keep his job.
> >
>
> Unfortunately, that's radio in 2005.
>
> John Hogan once said that Clear Channel wanted to be the
> McDonald's of radio: consistent everywhere you went. Do you
> think they've achieved that? Does anyone go to McDonald's
> because they have "the best burgers?"
>
> Of course, ain't it the American Way to concentrate on
> getting a bonus and keeping your job?
Amen Brother! Product and community interests goes down the toilet when there's money on the table!
>
> John Hogan once said that Clear Channel wanted to be the
> McDonald's of radio: consistent everywhere you went.
Wasn't that a Randy Michaels-ism? I used to hear when I worked at Clear Channel's Savannah franchise, I mean cluster, that the company wanted him to stop making that comparison. Maybe because the jokes are too obvious. Picture Kiss FM trainees wearing goofy hats and being trained to ask people if they want to be Supersized and of course, the venerable "You want fries with that?"<P ID="signature">______________
"If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague." - Oscar Wilde</P>
> McDonald's of radio: consistent everywhere you went.
Wasn't that a Randy Michaels-ism? I used to hear when I worked at Clear Channel's Savannah franchise, I mean cluster, that the company wanted him to stop making that comparison. Maybe because the jokes are too obvious. Picture Kiss FM trainees wearing goofy hats and being trained to ask people if they want to be Supersized and of course, the venerable "You want fries with that?"<P ID="signature">______________
"If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague." - Oscar Wilde</P>
> > John Hogan once said that Clear Channel wanted to be the
> > McDonald's of radio: consistent everywhere you went.
>
> Wasn't that a Randy Michaels-ism? I used to hear when I
> worked at Clear Channel's Savannah franchise, I mean
> cluster, that the company wanted him to stop making that
> comparison. Maybe because the jokes are too obvious. Picture
> Kiss FM trainees wearing goofy hats and being trained to ask
> people if they want to be Supersized and of course, the
> venerable "You want fries with that?"
>
John Hogan may have picked up from Randy. John Hogan doesn't seem to be a real firecracker like Randy is. My fuzzy recollection is that John used it in a couple articles when they were trying to use "Kiss" on everything.
What sucks is that McDonalds folks probably make more money than most jocks...
The whole strange thing is that Randy got a lot of heat for voice-tracking and the sins of Clear Channel (some of it rightly earned, I am sure), but he is also someone that really, truly loves radio. He's one of the few folks that can trump Scott Fybush when it comes to station histories.
> > McDonald's of radio: consistent everywhere you went.
>
> Wasn't that a Randy Michaels-ism? I used to hear when I
> worked at Clear Channel's Savannah franchise, I mean
> cluster, that the company wanted him to stop making that
> comparison. Maybe because the jokes are too obvious. Picture
> Kiss FM trainees wearing goofy hats and being trained to ask
> people if they want to be Supersized and of course, the
> venerable "You want fries with that?"
>
John Hogan may have picked up from Randy. John Hogan doesn't seem to be a real firecracker like Randy is. My fuzzy recollection is that John used it in a couple articles when they were trying to use "Kiss" on everything.
What sucks is that McDonalds folks probably make more money than most jocks...
The whole strange thing is that Randy got a lot of heat for voice-tracking and the sins of Clear Channel (some of it rightly earned, I am sure), but he is also someone that really, truly loves radio. He's one of the few folks that can trump Scott Fybush when it comes to station histories.
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Huntley is a real pro, and has been a successful manager in much bigger markets (with a lot more pressure) like Atlanta, Dallas & Tampa. He's very programming & promotions-friendly. I think he'll breathe some fresh air into CC-Columbia.
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