Petition To Deny

[JustinCase]

Well since 2004, our company has changed... fulltime staff on Cool 100 has become entirely in-house. Though we continue to not have dedicated news times during the week, news is still interjected at Shimes discretion during the week and more ridged on the weekend with Kevin. We sift through the news and press releases (though Judith & I tend to do it during the week and Kevin on weekends) to post in studio, in addition to any skim and read the jocks may do too. Plus, passing along traffic issues or accidents that need to be announced... We also have online news services that send us any news/information prudent to NY/PA and major national headlines... As for the automation... I'm not an engineer so I don't know much, but I do know that it calls us if any readings change or spike or if the power changes... all the needed parties are notified and come running in! I've been sitting in studio doing my stuff and have them come in telling me we're off and me not know, because we have 4 frequencies and I'm listening on a different one than is off... so being here doesn't always mean we're aware of everything that happens. The system appears more dependable than someone sitting in the studios doing production or multiple shows, while checking the station's on-air status once an hour, which means stations could be off for near an hour before someone knows... with this, those who need to know, can respond within seconds...

 

[bhuston]

Thanks for the info Justin. The fact that you are making any attempt at news is better then nothing. But it still looks to me like WNBF is the only local radio station with an actual news dept. (just Roger Neel and Bob Joseph AFAIK). WHRW claims to have a news dept., but they mainly read stories from the PSB, Pipedream, off the 'net. etc.

As for the automation... I'm not an engineer so I don't know much, but I do know that it calls us if any readings change

I'm not talking about transmitter control automation. I'm talking about voice tracking, satellite-based feeds, computer-based playlists, canned shows played from tape/cd/computer etc. Like on this page: http://www.cool100oldies.com/meet_djs.php , I see DJs listed from 6am to midnight. The queston is, what happens between midnight and 6am?

 

[JustinCase]

oh... Cool 100 runs in automation mode when there is no jock. Promos, jingles, sweepers and liners run where a jock would usually talk. As our station continues to grow, we add more air shifts to our clocks. The website you sited is somewhat outdated since the collapse of Tier.Net, but is in the process of being replaced with a new site...Monday-Friday:Cool Oldies 12am-6amShimes in the Morning 6am-10amJudith Gross 10a-3pmMichael Gaetani 3pm-7pmJustin Case 7pm-Midnight (9pm-mid is Cool Bobby B on Monday, Blind Tiger Radio is Tuesday)Saturday:Midnight-6am Cool Oldies6am-10am Dick Clark10am-1pm Michael Gaetani1pm-4pm Bill Flynn4pm-7pm Hank Sommers7pm-Midnight Jack MeyersSunday:Midnight-4am Dick Clark (rerun)4am-7am - Cool Oldies7am-Noon Bill FlynnNoon-3pm Hank Sommers3pm-7pm Judith Gross7pm-Midnight Andrew Francis

 

[Classy Fred Blassie]

WCDW broadcasts public service announcements multiple times daily and we often do public appearances promoting many non-profit organizations and events.

Because you HAVE to. Not because you WANT to, right?

No, we do not open our studios for a public free for all, but we do try to announce everything submitted; from cookie and bake sales, to carwashes, bottle drives, and various community events.In addition we have local jocks from NY & PA, who are out in the communities we serve.

Only when ordered to. Again, is the local radio market so indignant to think that playing by FCC community rules because the have to, not because they WANT TO - is some kind of "gift” or “service.”

Radio is supposed to be THE PUBLIC'S AIRWAVES. As such, give us a little dignity with the b. s. you want to feed us. It goes a bit further.

As most know we sponsor a plethora of local events, have our weekly Friday night party (free & open to the public) and we have our ever growing concert dance series.

I shouldn't even get started on this. It's a Pandora's box filled with more of "well look at what we do," when most of the time it's because a station has to, needs to write off some cash on taxes, or it's not really so "free" or beneficial to the community as the station flunkies play it out to be (i. e. making money on the backside by getting local business to foot the bill for your 5 minutes of organizing the event, and thus putting your name all over it for free. Sorry, Matt Guido or somebody taking five seconds from making a bad pun and spending it on promoting the vent that local businesses footed for you so you could go out and present it like your station actually paid for it - DOESN'T COUNT.).


Real GIVING TO THE COMMUNITY means giving them air time that is not at god awful hours - and providing some form of local news that isn't some jock reading type from the local paper. It also means treating the listeners who you claim to cater to some respect.

 

[Classy Fred Blassie]

as someone who travels an awful lot... There are cities of far greater size who have stations that don't match the level of commitment to the product and people we serve than our stations here... and I say that generally as a whole all sides of the radio street.

This had me in stitches. So patently false.

I've lived and traveled and worked in more cities and countries than most people can name. That's the nature of my business (which is not radio).

Binghamton/Broome County's radio market's "level of commitment to the product" is little more than connecting to a network feed/hard drive, and keeping the course of 1997 for the most part (and I'm being generous with that). Its one of the most culturally bankrupt of radio markets for an area of this size. I base this as a listener, not an arbitron, numbers crunching, business hack.

Binghamton radio comes in flavors: "classic rock," "rock that peaked in 1997" like KGB, hate radio (ala Rush Limbaugh), piss poor PBS (in two flavors: Jazz or classical, with endless afternoons of crap happy "democracy now," silliness because the show is virtually free and they have time to fill until they link up with the national feed), WHRW which is mostly Long Island kids imitating commercial radio (and burn outs like Dr. Bartlemania playing the same crap he did twenty years ago - and with zero listeners mot of the time) and regurgitating more pop and classic rock. Kip White is that station's equivalent to Bill Flynn. "Daniel Jan" operates from space mountain and I find it hard to believe he ever has more than 5 listeners who are not friends or family, bad sports-talk radio, and little else.

Local programming that actually addresses the community is barely 1% of what's broadcast. Matt Guido offering free Wendy's coupons in between playing six of the artists KGB plays every day doesn't count.


That's simply the PRODUCT.

I won't waste bandwidth with a magna carta of what little is actually done for the community by the local radio stations here, nor the lack of diversity within it.

I've already set aside a few grand for this holiday season so I can hand out some satellite radios to family and friends in the area. They're sick of the crap, too, but need someone to lay the bridge of alternative out for them before they'll cross it.

I am so glad I can count the days and relocate to a city/market that truly does care about its community and product and isn't controlled by three entities (WSKG, Clear Channel and Citadel).

 

[Dan M]

Wow...You have wayyyyy too much time on your hands, and you obviously have a problem with Guido and KGB since you mentioned both in your posts. Care to tell us more?

 

[Classy Fred Blassie]

Wow...You have wayyyyy too much time on your hands, and you obviously have a problem with Guido and KGB since you mentioned both in your posts. Care to tell us more?

"Wayyyy too much time," on my proverbial "hands?" Please. Don't be a drama queen.

Guido came to mind because - before I brought in the Sirius boom box - the office terrestrial radio ended up on KGB more often than not. Sad but true. So, Guido's a name that came up. I've met the man once - he seemed like a decent person for the most part, but the man and the "on air personality" are not always the same; as anyone with half a brain can tell you. it applies to many forms of entertainment.

No beef. Just using an example I was very familiar with. Next time I'll simply refer to "KGB jock/jocks." Does that make you happy now?