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New WPEN PD

J

John1

R&R reports that the new PD at WPEN is Matt Nahigian, a 13 year veteran of Sporting News Radio, the last 3 years the PD there, also producer of the Tony Bruno show. Sounds like WPEN remains committed to the sports format, but so was the last PD when he came in also with good sports credentials. But the question is, is there anything WPEN can do to make a dent in the sports radio ratings in Philadelphia?
 
The main draw of WFAN is they can rightly call themselves "the home for NY sports." They only share the Yankees with WCBS, and a hockey team, I believe on the ESPN station. But the other two NYC sports stations haven't made a dent in the WFAN ratings.

Philly is so split. The Eagles and Eagle talk on WYSP. Hockey, basketball and guy talk on WIP. The Phillies on WPHT. All that's left is the rather extensive college sports action, which also is split 3 or 4 (or 5 or 6) ways.

As a big shopping mall needs at least one good anchor store, WPEN needs a major play by play anchor. Without either the Eagles or Phillies, WPEN can't battle successfully against WIP (and even having the Phillies did nothing for them last year). Maybe the new nighttime signal can save them, but it does not look promising.
 
it does not look promising.
Click to expand...

Of course it doesn't. Sports is a waste on WPEN. There is already enough sports talk in Philly, and there has been for a long time. With the absence of Sunny, now more than ever they should drop IBOC and go MOR...but without the disco. They should model themselves after WBUD in Trenton, but expand the playlist. That's the only thing that would save that station. MOR is an easy sell, and there is no other viable format in Philly (that's not already on the air here) that would make an AM station successful. Period.
 
Those RRRRs said:
it does not look promising.
Click to expand...

Of course it doesn't. Sports is a waste on WPEN. There is already enough sports talk in Philly, and there has been for a long time. With the absence of Sunny, now more than ever they should drop IBOC and go MOR...but without the disco. They should model themselves after WBUD in Trenton, but expand the playlist. That's the only thing that would save that station. MOR is an easy sell, and there is no other viable format in Philly (that's not already on the air here) that would make an AM station successful. Period.
Click to expand...

They could go head to head with Skin Radio and have a major signal advantage in the AM Alternative battle ;)
 
They could air horse races ... ;D
 
Maybe I am in the minority but I prefer an alternative to WIP. Michael Bradley is a welcome addition to the AM show. Unlike the previous PD (Glen…I forget his name) Bradley is at least well versed in Phila sports history and the culture of sports in Phila. But please, get rid of the stuttering and stammering Foley. Aside form the horrible on-air presence he brings nothing of substance to any conversation. I like Bruno, though I can not listen at work, and I much prefer Jody Mac to Eskin on my way home.
Can the market really support 2 sports stations…maybe, but likely not in the long run. Until the day the station changes to another format I will enjoy the alternative to WIP.
 
WTUX said:
The main draw of WFAN is they can rightly call themselves "the home for NY sports." They only share the Yankees with WCBS, and a hockey team, I believe on the ESPN station. But the other two NYC sports stations haven't made a dent in the WFAN ratings.

Philly is so split. The Eagles and Eagle talk on WYSP. Hockey, basketball and guy talk on WIP. The Phillies on WPHT. All that's left is the rather extensive college sports action, which also is split 3 or 4 (or 5 or 6) ways.

As a big shopping mall needs at least one good anchor store, WPEN needs a major play by play anchor. Without either the Eagles or Phillies, WPEN can't battle successfully against WIP (and even having the Phillies did nothing for them last year). Maybe the new nighttime signal can save them, but it does not look promising.
Click to expand...

WPEN was never all-sports when it served as the Phillies' flagship. WPEN's night signal was also atrocious in comparison to its current night signal when the Phillies were on 950.

CBS Radio has a monopoly on all 4 major pro teams, leaving 950 with Philadelphia Soul and Villanova athletics as its main local play-by-play draws.

What will this PD's philosophy be? The first one (not Gregg Henson) seemed to want to brand the station as more intelligent than WIP. Then Henson came along and decided he was going to try to out-WIP WIP by claiming 'PEN to be younger, and hipper, and not like the old farts down the dial. That didn't fly either.

950 will forever be playing catch-up as long as the reasons to go to 950 over 610 begin and end with Jody MacDonald.
 
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