Pete Povich gets some good words

[Johnny Morgan]

Care of Terry Hazlett in the WashPA Observer-Reporter, on WJPA's Pete "I've Got the Beat":

WJPA doesn't need a computer to program its music.

It has Pete Povich.

Povich, the station's program director and a mainstay at the station since 1983, is responsible for the station's overall "sound." Which by Western Pennsylvania's tightly formatted radio standards is indeed unique - a mind-boggling 5,000 oldies culled from the '50s, '60s, '70s and '80s. And an occasional new tune as well.

"There aren't any other stations around that are going to play the new song by someone like America," the amiable Povich said, "so I'll work in here and there."

http://www.observer-reporter.com/OR/Story/04_23_HAZLETT_COLUMN

 

[Boss Radio]

Good column by Terry Hazlett, and good job by Pete Povich.

Ever since 3WS steered in a direction that didn't appeal to me, I've been listening more and more to WJPA. I'm always amazed at the depth of their library. You really can stray from the tried and true without catering just to the cult of record freaks. They have a solid jock lineup, too. I also like the fact they're the closest thing to an old-school full service station with local news on the hour.

All in all, a very well-run station.

 

[Johnny Morgan]

And, what's even better about WJPA is that they DO cater to the record freaks on the weekends.

Saturday evenings/nights are a bit more late 60s-early 70s album-oriented (with Dave Anthony).

And Sundays are classic Pittsburgh, doo-wop and early R&B, and rare stuff from noon until midnight with Jim Dudas' Mon Valley Memories and with Cruisin' Sunday Nights.

It really does serve everyone and everything, with the daytime news (LIVE AND LOCAL, with local sound as well as support from CNN), local sports (Wild Things and high school PBP), and local community involvement, both on-air and off-air (the Career Fair at Penn Commercial, most recently).

All from a street-front entrance on Main & Wheeling, above the Union Grill.

 

[Mr. Geen]

Care of Terry Hazlett in the WashPA Observer-Reporter, on WJPA's Pete "I've Got the Beat":

WJPA doesn't need a computer to program its music.

It has Pete Povich.

Povich, the station's program director and a mainstay at the station since 1983, is responsible for the station's overall "sound." Which by Western Pennsylvania's tightly formatted radio standards is indeed unique - a mind-boggling 5,000 oldies culled from the '50s, '60s, '70s and '80s. And an occasional new tune as well.

"There aren't any other stations around that are going to play the new song by someone like America," the amiable Povich said, "so I'll work in here and there."

http://www.observer-reporter.com/OR/Story/04_23_HAZLETT_COLUMN

You're comparing a small station to one that is owned by a large conglomerate. I will be frank, i don't know who owns WJPA, but being as small as they are, I bet it's not someone as corporate as Clear Channel.

I've done business with some of the "inside" people at Clear Channel and have written a few letters to the folks. Let me tell you, the choices of songs and the like are those of the consultants and programmers. Those under them are under their power and do not have power to add or subtract songs.

 

[Boss Radio]

It's also refreshing to see a PD programming by sound, trusting his ears to know a particular record will fit in with the rest of the playlist. Research has its place, certainly, but I've always maintained those who are a slave to it are abdicating their responsibility. In some cases, the sample size is too small to be reliable anyway.

I enjoy Dave Anthony's Saturday evening mix. The Sunday doo wop-athon gives me a headache, but that's just me.

 

[Boss Radio]

"You're comparing a small station to one that is owned by a large conglomerate. I will be frank, i don't know who owns WJPA, but being as small as they are, I bet it's not someone as corporate as Clear Channel."


Right, 'JPA is locally owned. It also sells more on the local level rather than pitching agencies, which makes oldies demos less of an issue.

Ultimately what matters is what comes out of the speaker, and 'JPA entertains me a thousand times more than 3WS does.

CC's policies on music are just another of the 10,753 reasons why a giant company shouldn't own hundreds of stations.

 

[kenhawk1160]

As a former employee of WJPA, I can say that one thing that really drives its success is the overall managerial structure, and the people who have been a part of it for so many years.

WJPA is not the success it is by accident. Since adopting the oldies format in 1992, they've stayed COMMITTED to the format. They didn't just say "we'll see how this works for a couple of books, and if we don't get the numbers, we'll try something else." They've always remembered that they are first, and foremost, a Washington County radio station that also happens to serve the southern Pittsburgh suburbs, but on a strictly secondary basis.

Michael Siegel (President and GM), for the most part, trusts the judgment of his people to run that station, and the results have always been positive. Pete's programming instincts have been incredible, he's always been a people person and very receptive to feedback about the station, and he knows how to manage his jocks.

(G-Whiz) George Lasko is also a great engineer who knows how to keep it all sounding good, along with Bob Gregg, operations manager and sports director. Jim Jefferson puts together an award-winning newscast in every sense of the word. This is a well-run, first-class operation, and I was very proud of being part of that team for two years.

Mr. Siegel has had offers from other very well known (and infamous) companies to buy WJPA, and he's refused them all. Obviously, those companies think they can buy the station cheap, and it's just not so.

Pete...congrats on the accolade, buddy. You deserve it!

 

[Johnny Morgan]

The one thing I bet WJPA is kicking themselves over was the opportunity--a long time ago--to up to 50kw, which they passed on (so sayeth a former engineer).

Of course, it turned out better for Washington County as the temptations of green from a large owner for a 50kw FM stick in this area would be very very hard to resist.

 

[Radio_Realist]

I agree with every positive thing said about WJPA-FM. It is possibly the best and most entertaining music-format radio station on the air in Southwestern PA. Everything positive said about the owner, management, and on-air talent of WJPA-FM is true, though some of the praise in some posts is a tad bit understated. WJPA-FM is an outstanding example of what every radio station should be. Forget qualifiers like "small market". Most stations in large markets would be much, much better if they were more like WJPA-FM. Every would-be radio professional should spend a week listening to WJPA-FM to hear how to do radio right.

Too bad I can't say the same wonderful things about WJPA-AM. When they use it to broadcast alternate sporting events, that demonstrates using 1450 to its best advantage. It's just a shame that they waste that signal most of the time simulcasting their FM. A live-and-local news/talk format station on their AM band that did talk programming with the same level of quality that WJPA-FM does music programming would be outstanding!

 

[kenhawk1160]

The one thing I bet WJPA is kicking themselves over was the opportunity--a long time ago--to up to 50kw, which they passed on (so sayeth a former engineer).

Of course, it turned out better for Washington County as the temptations of green from a large owner for a 50kw FM stick in this area would be very very hard to resist.

I did hear about that. I don't think they're kicking themselves over it, though. They're highly successful as a Class A, and even as such, were given offers for the station left and right. They had considered growth back when I was there...when the Charleroi stations came up for sale. They passed on it, though...because the Resicks wanted more than the stations were purportedly worth (but they still got what they wanted anyway).