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Noble Experiment?...OR...Fool's Errand?

MarcB said:
Has anyone listened to it? How is it? I tried listening a couple weeks ago and after 2 minutes their stream died and wouldn't come back up.
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I listened to quite a lot the first day.....and tiny bits and pieces occasionally afterward. What I don't understand is....WHY would anyone broker time to do "full-service-style" radio. I don't get it! At least with brokered programs for arthritis medicine or to buy gold and silver.....you know exactly what the agenda is.

What's the point of these poor fools PAYING 1320 to do BADLY what 1480's Happy Hec morning wake-up show does pretty well??.....time and temp checks and traffic.

And...."SOMA-1320" has got to be the worst sounding "handle" for a show/format I've ever heard of. If I didn't know better, I would think SOMA is the name of a new sleeping pill. Wait....on second thought....it IS good for putting you to sleep! ;D
 
Soma is indeed the name of a soporific from Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World". God help those folks on 1320 if their programming energy is that low. I can happily cite the other side of that coin with a small daytimer I've started doing tech work for: WCHE 1520 West Chester PA. Here's the Web site:

http://www.wche1520.com/
These folks are live and local, with local news, talk(even a Swap Shop!)and local sports. This is the kind of operation Dighton and N1WVQ are thinking about. And I guess there's nothing more on the Black Hole up in Burrillville...
 
That's really funny about "SOMA" being from the book "Brave New World". It must have been a fragment of a long-ago memory of my having to read "Brave New World" way......WAY......WAY back in High School Literature class. ;D

Just visited the website for 1520-WCHE.....and....YES!!...It's exactly the sort of operation I've always wished was available in Metro-Providence. It's what I hoped 990-WALE would become during the all-too-brief 2009 revival that fizzled out.

I've had this little wish buried deep in my heart that something like 1520-WCHE could be done with the Greenville-licensed 990.....IF the right combination of ownership / management / talent could somehow fit together. It's filed away in the back of my mind as...."990-WRIB".
 
I was driving around Providence today so I took some time to listen to what's happening on WARL... If it's going to work, it's got a long way to go. The formatics are all over the place and there are some hardcore technical glitches. Two legal ID's into 40 seconds of USA Radio News, cut off by another legal, into Yahoo Sports Radio.

The sports show they had on this morning (Saturday) was okay, but I don't really know what the draw is. I just don't know if community radio really works in a saturated media market, no matter how many resources are available to a broadcaster.

Is there a TRUE demand for what they're trying to sell?

BTW, Soma's also the brand name for Carisoprodol, a powerful muscle relaxer.

Not exactly brilliant branding on this group's part.
 
reelyreal said:
I was driving around Providence today so I took some time to listen to what's happening on WARL... If it's going to work, it's got a long way to go. The formatics are all over the place and there are some hardcore technical glitches. Two legal ID's into 40 seconds of USA Radio News, cut off by another legal, into Yahoo Sports Radio.

The sports show they had on this morning (Saturday) was okay, but I don't really know what the draw is. I just don't know if community radio really works in a saturated media market, no matter how many resources are available to a broadcaster.

Is there a TRUE demand for what they're trying to sell?

BTW, Soma's also the brand name for Carisoprodol, a powerful muscle relaxer.

Not exactly brilliant branding on this group's part.
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OK. A consortium spends their own money purchasing brokered time to attempt to serve the Greater Attleboro area with local programming. On a powerful frequency that covers this under served, local area perfectly. Everyone seems to be only interested in sniping at the new operation.

How many stations can you think of that have people willing enough to establish a local radio presence with their own money? This is the only "support" the radio community wants to give these innovative people?

This is one extremely possible method of restoring at least some local radio in many markets that no longer have any local representation. These guys have luck in this venture and others may also attempt to use similar methods of providing local service for their respective markets. Success here could really give local community radio another chance to serve the public again! Why kill the idea?

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I'm certainly NOT trying to kill this group's idea/dream. I admire the idea that they have the energy and the guts and the ambition to actually TRY doing something to help serve thier local area.

What leaves a bad taste in my mouth is the fact that these poor folks have had to resort to brokering the time. This is something the STATION should be trying to do......rather than Peter Arpin just lazily cashing the checks!

In a perfect world....the "SOMA" people would be the ones holding the license to 1320.....since they seem to be the only ones who have any desire to actually SERVE THE PUBLIC INTEREST.

Semi-Rant mode off...... I feel better now.
 
Dighton Rockhead said:
I'm certainly NOT trying to kill this group's idea/dream. I admire the idea that they have the energy and the guts and the ambition to actually TRY doing something to help serve thier local area.

What leaves a bad taste in my mouth is the fact that these poor folks have had to resort to brokering the time. This is something the STATION should be trying to do......rather than Peter Arpin just lazily cashing the checks!

In a perfect world....the "SOMA" people would be the ones holding the license to 1320.....since they seem to be the only ones who have any desire to actually SERVE THE PUBLIC INTEREST.

Semi-Rant mode off...... I feel better now.
Click to expand...

Mr. Arpin is very much involved in community improvement in several local towns and cities. If WARL currently attempted a go at local programming, they'd (or anyone else, for that matter) sink quickly. Maintaining a 100% local WARL would not generate a viable cash flow in the present economy. Leasing time to people who have the means and desire to make a run at local radio provides a cash incentive for them to succeed. It also provides cash flow and local influence for WARL. The Boros win. WARL wins. The SOMA folk win.

I DO agree that "SOMA" could be changed to an easier, less esoteric name. People can become irked when they feel they are being left out or stupid hearing "SOMA" and not knowing what "SOMA" means. Remember: 98% of the people are NOT Mensa qualified!

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