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Oldies...ever again?

Well I can only guess that Praize must have had some sort of falling out with Davidson Media because as long as brokers pay and don’t break FCC rules Davidson Media will usually leave them alone.
 
On the Praize 103.3 message boards, the threads about the oldies format were removed and someone posted:
Praize 103.3 will return.......... They are making some changes and need everyones support. The answer is support.
http://www.praize1033.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=410

If they are able to come back, I guess it won't be on 103.3 From all indications I've heard on the air they seem to be moving forward without Praize. Bill Drake mentioned they signed a deal to carry Furman Football & Basketball games, and also Clemson Basketball.
 
Bill D mentioned it yesterday and said that Praize and Davidson decided it was best to part ways...and that the new format was Oldies. I hope that Praize doesn't come back, Davidson would be silly to let them...We need to get behind them and support the new 103 and let them know we like it.
 
Just heard a promo on 103.3 with Bob Ross (formerly of Oldies 106.3) saying he will be on WOLT Sunday afternoons from 3-7pm.
 
WOLT is really starting to sound good...I wonder if they'll be adding any other hosts besides Ross and Drake? Is Penny Lane formerly of mid-days at Oldies still around?
 
Do we know yet whether Davidson is actually programming the station, or whether Mr. Drake and his team are just leasing the entire day?

I hate that I forgot to tune in when I was down that way on Saturday...
 
Drake has nothing at all to do with the oldies! He brokers the 5-10, and that is it! Davidson has their own guy programming the station.
 
RradioFan said:
Well I can only guess that Praize must have had some sort of falling out with Davidson Media because as long as brokers pay and don’t break FCC rules Davidson Media will usually leave them alone.
Click to expand...

over on the Priaze1033 website at praize1033.com/index2.php they have a notice on what happen to the Praize.
 
Ah, now we have the actual story...financial problems. I suppose this doesn't mean anything apart from the fact that the Praize folks couldn't pay their time-brokerage fees.

I don't want to sound like a pessimist, but if Davidson is programming the station now themselves, I really don't see it lasting. Davidson's business model just doesn't work that way anywhere else. With the purchase price they paid for the stations, they'll HAVE to make money, and they don't make money by programming and running radio stations...they make money by leasing out time. My bet is that the oldies are only temporary, meant to fill the void until they find another time-broker to buy the time. Something has to be on the air in the interim, and this is it. Just my opinion, though.
 
they will be make some money when they start airing the Furman Sports Football and Basketball and some Clemson Basketball games.this fall by been a affilates for these school games.
 
They STILL have to have a salesperson go out and sell the spots...and they would have to pay that person a commission to do it. Unless things have changed in the 12+ years since I was in radio, sports networks don't pay anything for affiliates in markets the size of GSP.

On the other hand, Drake already has a sales team in place who know the market and the station well. Perhaps Davidson could strike up a deal with Drake to sell the sports. Since such deals are seldom a public matter, I doubt we will ever know how, or if, they make money with the station.

Later...
Matt Smith
WGSR-TV
 
Clemson and colleges of that size likely aren't paying small market affiliates but I wouldn't be surprised if they aren't paying affiliates in the larger markets. Also, I know colleges the size of Furman pay stations to air their games. Appalachian State is another one that pays. 10 years ago they were paying the Class A in Elkins about $12,000 a year to just air football.

I think fewer and fewer larger market stations are going to air college sports. Few of the Class C's if any want it in Greenville even with Clemson in their backyard. They will either lose radio coverage except for the smallest markets crazy enough to keep airing it for free or have to pay stations.

Matt Smith said:
They STILL have to have a salesperson go out and sell the spots...and they would have to pay that person a commission to do it. Unless things have changed in the 12+ years since I was in radio, sports networks don't pay anything for affiliates in markets the size of GSP.

On the other hand, Drake already has a sales team in place who know the market and the station well. Perhaps Davidson could strike up a deal with Drake to sell the sports. Since such deals are seldom a public matter, I doubt we will ever know how, or if, they make money with the station.

Later...
Matt Smith
WGSR-TV
Click to expand...
 
Western Carolina University and Mars Hill College in Western North Carolina are two other examples of schools which will pay for clearance in a lot of circumstances. Both of those schools are in the same conference as Furman, too, I believe. I've had a few offers from colleges to pay for clearance on my stations in Southeastern Kentucky, too, but I've turned them down. Crazy as it sounds, I make more money paying over $10,000 a year to carry University of Kentucky football and basketball and selling spots than I would getting paid to carry another smaller school. Then again, Kentucky is a much different place than anywhere I've been. People who can't even read the newspaper will listen to UK on the radio. However, I know from my personal experience in any other small market I've been in that with a college like App State or Furman, you aren't going to make any money unless the school pays for clearance. Trying to sell it is like slamming your head in a door.

That brings me to the point I want to make, though. Sure Oldies could probaby BE profitable in Greenville/Spartanburg, but that requires a sales staff. Davidson doesn't generally employ a sales staff at their stations. I personally think the bottom line is that Davidson's business model is based on the brokering of time on all their stations. I don't see them changing this model, because it obviously works well and is very financially lucrative. If it ain't broke, why try to fix it?
 
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