NJ101.5 FM Radio WKXW June M/S/U cume down Again

[MedianJ]

A smart, savvy and knowledgeable consultant will always advise his clients to make sure to re-set the topic for new listeners, in this case new readers.
In the latest M/S/U the CUME is down again at Millennium NJ101.5 with a pathetic THREE month losing streak!

NJ101.5 is a NEW JERSEY based radio station losing to many New York radio stations IN THERE OWN BACK YARD! Two NY radio stations Q104 and Lite FM are beating them outright by wide margins! Other NY stations like WPLJ, Z100, WCBS-FM, WXRK and WKTU are all trouncing them with higher cume numbers, how embarrassing!

This loss of cume for New Jersey 101.5 could be the result of the format not being followed by the hosts. Hosts like Casey who called their consultant worthless and spineless has a problem getting right into the topics, Dennis has the same problem. Managers like PD Eric Johnson who recently lost the PD position at SoJo 104.9 apparently is being ignored by the employees he’s supposed to be managing. In this environment most PD’s are managing multiple stations successfully yet Eric Johnson who ONLY oversees 101.5 couldn't stop this three month cume slid. Could be NJ 101.5 needs an experienced proven consultant who’s not worthless and has a strong spine.

NJ 101.5’s combination of weak hosts and lack of leadership can cause these embarrassing numbers. Companies that want to win do whatever is necessary starting with a shake up. Putting in place a good consultant is the first move followed by host and management changes to set a station’s upward direction.

The best broadcaster in NJ continues to be NJ Eric Scott. He should move on to NY and a national spotlight to seek out a radio/ TV/web blogging combo deal where he can command a salary starting with at least $500,000 – one million a year rather than be associated with this losing entity. If Craig Carton can move up to the major leagues certainly Eric Scott has the talent to join him.

Ratings in broadcasting should be compared to keeping scores and stats in the sports world. The late – George Steinbrenner never settled for mediocrity, this ratings malaise at Millennium’s NJ101.5 FM radio WKXW Trenton looks to be the definition of mediocrity that only losers are content with.

Some posters will try to make you believe with their spin that lower cume and ratings is a good thing, it’s not. The down numbers are the reality that apparently NJ101.5 is having problems rectifying, with no one successfully guiding them the malaise should continue.

Radio is a business, not a hobby.


http://www.radio-info.com/site/markets/grid/middlesex-somerset-union

 

[SilverTonicFree]

If you're going to say others are "spinning" information, you yourself may want to get the information correct first.

--Eric Scott didn't lose the SoJo PD position. They moved the studios from the NJ 101.5 building down to Atlantic City. It wouldn't have been wise for him to split his time that way, so he turned over the PD reigns and focused on NJ 101.5.

--You claimed 101.5 lost cume 3 months in a row. Um... look at your own link. They jumped April-->May.

Just sayin'. You really don't have any credibility in your posts, but if you want to try to establish some, at least get the information right.

 

[MedianJ]

Silver tongue you have no credibility.

In April the cume for NJ101.5 was 325,900, in June the cume is 324,800. The June cume IS LOWER than April. Anyone with a simple education can see that in three months the cume slid with NY stations beating them in their own backyard, care to adddress that?

Eric Scott is the news star there, he was never PD of SoJo as you wrote, clearly you don't have a clue. The SoJo numbers are poor and the buzz is that Eric Johnson was told he was replaced by Joe Kelly, he didn't have a choice, Eric Johnson handing over the reigns is a joke of a statement on your part and besides I know many PD's who program stations successfully from hundreds of miles away. Just face it Eric Johnson is way over his head and losing ground, his staff apparently doesn't listen or follow his direction making him an ineffective PD. Casey openly mocks their consultant as worthless and spineless, staff won't follow the rules and format if they have no respect for their management, hence the down numbers.

 

[Little Sal]

Here we go again,
MedianJ, give it up, you were fired from NJ101.5 because of your lousy work ethics. Your hatred towards Eric Johnson and NJ101.5 shows. Why don't you find a new job preferably not in radio anymore.

Little Sal

 

[MedianJ]

Laughable that these posters can't defend the poor performance at NJ101.5 with the loss to NY stations in their own backyard!

 

[SilverTonicFree]

I mixed up names. I meant Eric Johnson.

And if you want to beat around the bush... in January, NJ 101.5's cume was 300,400. In May, it was 324,800. That'd be a gain over 5 months. Anyone canpick a timeframe and make a station look bad or good. You are accomplishing nothing with your constant bashing here on the board.

 

[MedianJ]

Silver tongue that's the malaise the station is suffering. No one is making them look bad but themselves. A good consultant can get the station moving and staying up. NJ101.5 is currently losing ground to NY stations beating them in their own backyard! It isn't bashing it's their reality which can be changed with proper management. When a staff member openly labels a particular consultant as worthless and spineless that's a management problem.

Once again, care to address them losing to NY stations in their own backyard?

Radio is a business, not a hobby.

 

[d21ofnj]

I can see if they were losing to the NY TALK stations. Obviously, WABC nor WNYM are beating NJ 101.5. So your posts about NJ 101.5 losing to a couple of music formatted stations means nothing. They are still on the top for their format in their territory.

 

[SoulCrusher]

When someone is outed with their true identity on this board (here's one example: http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=81360.10), they usually retreat and disappear, never to be heard from again. Not so "MedianJ", who at this point everyone knows is Walter Sabo. With nearly every single one of his posts bashing the current direction and ratings of his former employer's New Jersey 101.5 and reiterating his point that they need to rehire Walter Sabo, it's blatantly obvious. The only other person I could think of who would so vigorously go to bat for someone like this would be a family member, but at some point they would quit. Not so for Mr. Sabo. Methinks he is no longer in the industry or working for a smaller competitor right now, and that he really, really wants his job back. Simple as that.

P.S.: I'm not completely thrilled about NJ 101.5's current direction, with a lot of frivolous fluff talk, replacing late-night host Tommy G with tapes of their other shows, and hosts that don't hold a candle to some who were previously with the station. In that respect, I concur with "MedianJ". But at the same time, you have to call a spade a spade. Walter, just come clean and admit that it's you hiding behind this handle. If not, why not explain your motive behind fighting so hard for him ... if you're not him, you have to be a close relative or friend. It's the only explanation for all the time you've spend praising/defending him.

 

[MedianJ]

d21 your post is wrong, NJ101.5 plays music also and besides in this climate you play to win against music and talk. You should never lose to stations outside your state when you're called New Jersey 101.5.

SoulCrusher there are some people out here who respect the wisdom and success of the father of modern day talk radio Walter Sabo. I could be his friend, co-worker, family member or a fan of his incredible work, it doesn't matter, what does matter is the downward ranking and cume that NJ101.5 is currently going through without Walter and the apparent weak management over their hosts.

This is a radio message board open to various opinions, if I want to highlight the good work of a talk radio icon like Walter Sabo then it's an opinion open to debate. No one ever called Walter Sabo worthless and spineless on the air because Walter is highly respected and knowledgeable.

Radio is a business, not a hobby.

 

[ccuphl]

Is NJ 101.5 being beaten in their own backyard?

 

[d21ofnj]

d21 your post is wrong, NJ101.5 plays music also and besides in this climate you play to win against music and talk. You should never lose to stations outside your state when you're called New Jersey 101.5.

According to the ratings books, the format for WKXW is listed under TALK. Sure, they play music on weekends, but their main format is talk. So where am I wrong? They are not losing to another talk formatted station. Z100, CBS-FM, and Lite FM are not their concern.

 

[Zackster]

Walter Sabo (aka MedianJ) doesn't understand that times change.
He tried and failed with an all-traffic station in 1985:

* 1985: KHJ-AM (930) briefly tries a format called Car Radio, with songs (called "car tunes") and traffic reports every 10 minutes.

(google it for details)

New Jersey 101.5's early success was based on constant weather and traffic updates,
they used to play a couple of songs every hour also, as the DJ's evolved into talk hosts.
That was in 1990. It worked well for a long time. These days, you can get instant
weather updates on your cell phone (should I say mobile device) and traffic reports
that re-route you to better roads on your GPS or phone. The savvy traveler has these
devices, and doesn't need to listen to the car radio for weather and traffic any more.
Walter Sabo, the grandfather of talk radio doesn't understand this. Radio is losing
those listeners. They may not have enjoyed talk radio at all, but hung in there to
hear the now superfluous weather and traffic. I would venture a guess that that
tiny drop in cume is the commuter with the GPS and mobile device that doesn't
need radio for that purpose anymore, and may be listening to his favorite music
on another radio station, CD, HD, MP3 player or who knows what.

Think about it Grandpa Wally.

 

[nd2023]

Traffic reports on the radio are still relevant and will be until cars drive themselves. I am not going to take my eyes off the road to look at a map of traffic on my phone. I won't look at the traffic report online every day for the off chance there might be an accident on my route.

 

[Zackster]

Traffic reports on the radio are still relevant and will be until cars drive themselves. I am not going to take my eyes off the road to look at a map of traffic on my phone. I won't look at the traffic report online every day for the off chance there might be an accident on my route.

Another luddite? Believe it or not, the GPS can talk to you and warn you of upcoming
problems and re-route you automatically. No eyes required. It's technology that is
here now and covers all of the populated areas of the country that actually need
traffic reports. Serious commuters will have the technology. Cars will be driving themselves
soon enough, some are almost there now.

Traffic is a business, not a hobby.

 

[HonestyIsDiamonds]

Just a thought, if Mr. Sabo was so magically delicious for that station, why is he no longer working there?

Median, I think we all know how you'll respond, 'getting beaten in their on backyards...genius consultant Walter Sabo...yadda yadda" We all understand that you think he's the Second Coming, but maybe he just doesn't fit in with Millennium's work force, be it due to personality conflicts or otherwise...

I know you think he could get the station's cume back up and keep it there, and that's fine, but Millennium management clearly doesn't agree...I'm sure they have his contact info. If they wanted him, they'd hire him. But they haven't. So maybe without him, 101.5 will crash and burn, if that's the case, what does it matter to you? Why do you care so much about what happens to that station?

I'm not attacking you, I just don't see the point of discussing the same things over and over again. I know, if it's snowing, you talk about the snow...well, it's been 'snowing' for 4 months. None of us care about the snow anymore. We're used to it. The novelty is gone.

Any other stations we can talk about?

 

[[email protected]]

When it comes to all of this "Change Is Good" ......

 

[NJ VET]

Isn't Holland Cooke the NJ101.5 consultant now? I think he's pretty good. And from what I hear the station is billing more than ever before...I'm talking big numbers. That is what really matters. Because radio is a business.

 

[MedianJ]

You must be hearing wrong NJVet, the highest billing I would say had to be during the Craig Carton era when Walter Sabo was there. During that period employees enjoyed nice raises, are they getting nice raises now? Once the employees get nice raises then I'll believe billing is better then when Craig Carton was there. Dennis complained on air he didn't get a raise.

Thank you all for your interest in the Father of Modern Day Talk Radio Walter Sabo. I have a very busy day so I will respond to all your comments regarding talk radio icon Walter Sabo later.

One positive note about NJ 101.5 listen today at 10 when a talented and smart Ken Matthews showcases how much better he is than Casey. A few things you’ll notice immediately is that Ken doesn’t laugh at himself after each sentence, gets into the topic while getting to the calls very quickly without doing a boring monologue.

Just maybe management is starting to realize you can't have a Muppet sounding Casey who’s been bounced from market to market on the same flagship station as a star broadcaster like Eric Scott.

Ken Matthews will immediately elevate the prestige and listening quality of NJ101.5 if they do the smart move which I think they will and replace Casey with Ken Matthews quickly.

Radio is a business, not a hobby.

 

[SilverTonicFree]

You must be hearing wrong NJVet, the highest billing I would say had to be during the Craig Carton era when Walter Sabo was there.

"Had to be." A statement that means you do not have concrete information, or you are trying to deflect that your statement is false. If they were making more money during the Craig Carton days, you would have said "the highest billing was during the Craig Carton era." That little addition of "had to be" killed the credibility of your statement.