Pittsburgh Radio Predictions for 2010

[MsMusicRadio]

Actually WJAS could easily do that. WDUV in Tampa includes some Creedence, Arlo Guthrie, the Eagles, and Wilson Pickett.

 

[Parttimer]

There is a hole in the market for a AAA format (Adult Album Alternative) on the commercial dial. WYEP's numbers as a non-comm are similar to 970 and KQV, which isn't much in and of itself, but it means there's an audience for that music here... frankly WYEP isn't very good, if the format was done well (Spectrum 18 on Sirius, as an example) it could have a chance, and it would be all 25-54's.

 

[argentarius]

Two more local AM's will adopt a talk format. One will hire Lynn Cullen and add syndicated
liberal talk. The other will run syndicated conservative shows not currently picked-up on 104.7
(Laura Ingraham, Mark Levin, etc.)


Interesting. But the conservative viewpoint is already on 104.7, with the A team lineup of Beck,
Rush, Hannity and Savage. To start another right wing station, there would be only B or C list
players available: Bortz is a three time loser in Pgh, first on 104.7, then 1360, then 1020; Ingraham
was on for several years, twice a day for almost a year and never got even Cullen's ratings on 1360;
Salem is never going to let Gallagher anywhere but 730, and could you really build a station around
the shrill Mark Levin? Why bother? Now on the liberal side, it might be worth a shot to see if
someone like Schultz or Rhodes would stick, especially given Big Eddie's tv exposure. I'd like to see
this happen on an FM (106.7??) to put it on an equal signal to 104.7 and see how it all plays out.
More likely, 105.9 goes all sports, 970 goes liberal talk, Stephanie Miller, Schultz, Rhodes, Ron Reagan and
Alan Colmes

 

[kenhawk1160]

That's the one thing that WON'T happen...... WAMO went out of business, you can't sell Urban in this market.

And I give you a 50-50 shot that the WAMO buyer holds it for a very short time and then it ends up in the hands of K-Love or Salem.

1. You can sell urban, you just can't sell hip-hop in the volumes that WAMO was famous (or infamous) for playing. They didn't try to skew older at night with Motown, old school R&B, or jazz. Had they done that, they might have fared better. Those format experiments were dumped on the AM, and never marketed properly.

2. I don't think K-Love has the capital to acquire a major market signal. I'm not talking about a 3kw signal in a major market, but a 50kw or better licensed to the market. Salem does have the capital...but they're in the business of buying 'fixer-uppers' with good signals but crummy facilities. Stu Epperson is not the kind of guy who would overpay for a signal. That's why Salem has been the success story they've been.

 

[Parttimer]

1. You can sell urban, you just can't sell hip-hop in the volumes that WAMO was famous (or infamous) for playing. They didn't try to skew older at night with Motown, old school R&B, or jazz. Had they done that, they might have fared better. Those format experiments were dumped on the AM, and never marketed properly.

I can tell you from a very credible source that when 104.7 was in its last incarnation as an Urban AC, they were considering putting the Tom Joyner morning show on the station. Despite the fact that it might have helped ratings significantly, they did not go with it because there would have been no way around the fact that it was an Urban station. The only way the sales force was able to sell it was to present it as an AC competitor and essentially skirt the issue of it being Urban. So playing old school and more AC leaning product would not have helped WAMO.

 

[Pratte4Life]

A couple of things I'd like to point out-

A- To those predicting 105.9 goes all sports, does anyone realize right now that The X is getting ratings in the 5's?

I understand the idea of potential for such a station, but what then happens to modern rock? Does that format go away, much like urban?

B- Regarding Boortz- I was told that when 104.7 first went on the air he had higher ratings than Rush, so I'm not sure he was a "three time loser." KDKA put him on delay, and WPTT may have sealed their tomb by taking him off after he gave them so much promotion.

This being said, I like right wing talk, but I don't like Boortz. I find him too smug. The last time I can recall losing at him he was going on and on about a story about a cashier shooting dead would-be robbers and telling me how much he loved hearing stories about robbers being killed.

Look, I don't have any sympathy for armed thieves and am very happy they were thwarted. But is anyone really HAPPY someone has died, even if it is an innocent person in self-defense?

Mind you, I don't think the cashier was at fault here. I won't deny there is a part of my male ego that the story appeals to.

But for Boortz to crow about it in the way he did was in poor taste.

 

[Pratte4Life]

However, my criticisms of Boortz aside, if he came to my struggling AM telling me he'd buy billboards like he did at WPTT and showing me his resume that he is the sixth most listened to host in America, or whatever he is, I'm listening. It's a matter of business, and I'm not sure KDKA or WPTT ever gave him a truly fair shake.

As for Levin, you can talk about him being "shrill" but he is the hot property the syndicators are pushing these days. Ingram was always on tape delay at WPTT, she didn't have a chance, and I think Gallagher is on tape delay at WPIT and not getting any kind of promotion.

If Salem wants to keep him, they might want to act like it.

That said, the problem with having a secondary right-wing station is that it would be just that- SECONDARY. And though there may be some talent among the names I've listed, if it isn't accompanied by Rush and Hannity you get the idea it might be like trying to sell Duquesne basketball tickets.

 

[Rallen1st]

Someone will be smart enough (hopefully that still exists) to replace WAMO NOT with another rap/hip-hop station but with an Urban/AC or Adult Urban similar to WHUR and WMMJ in DC. A lot has changed in the marketplace since 104.7 did its rendition of Urban/AC. Pittsburgh is a very oldies loving market (albeit somewhat outside what are called the key demos) so done properly with sharp marketing - since WAMO is gone a station such as those above could very well work in the 'burg.

 

[FreddyE1977]

Interesting. But the conservative viewpoint is already on 104.7, with the A team lineup of Beck,
Rush, Hannity and Savage. To start another right wing station, there would be only B or C list
players available: Bortz is a three time loser in Pgh, first on 104.7, then 1360, then 1020; Ingraham
was on for several years, twice a day for almost a year and never got even Cullen's ratings on 1360;
Salem is never going to let Gallagher anywhere but 730, and could you really build a station around
the shrill Mark Levin? Why bother?

Some valid points to be sure. But all of those folks do garner ratings in other markets.
And when the alternative is Medical Horizons alternative therapy infomercials....

Levin's show in particular has experienced healthy growth. Frankly I'm a bit surprised that
104.7 has not dumped Savage to put him on. (with Savage, all other shrill pales by comparison...)

 

[corporateradiosucks]

A- To those predicting 105.9 goes all sports, does anyone realize right now that The X is getting ratings in the 5's?

I understand the idea of potential for such a station, but what then happens to modern rock? Does that format go away, much like urban?

See my Bob Marley comment. I don't listen to the X constantly, but every other time I switch to it, it seems to be a song that is 15+ years old. When it's not that, it's the latest dreck from Green Day.

So I'd argue the point that something that isn't here to begin with can't go away.

 

[Parttimer]

A lot has changed in the marketplace since 104.7 did its rendition of Urban/AC.

Like what?

 

[Parttimer]

A couple of things I'd like to point out-

A- To those predicting 105.9 goes all sports, does anyone realize right now that The X is getting ratings in the 5's?

I understand the idea of potential for such a station, but what then happens to modern rock? Does that format go away, much like urban?

Personally I don't think it will be the X, unless they do it as a pre-epmtive strike (which they could do simply by moving Dan Patrick and Jim rome over from 970). I'd expect more that ESPN will get a signal or another third party will do it.

Also, if a real new rock station hit the market they'd have to quit straddling the fence and figure out what they are, but everyone wants to be A/C or classic hits....

B- Regarding Boortz- I was told that when 104.7 first went on the air he had higher ratings than Rush, so I'm not sure he was a "three time loser." KDKA put him on delay, and WPTT may have sealed their tomb by taking him off after he gave them so much promotion.

You are 100% correct. Boortz on 104.7 was beating Rush on KD. CC pulled a power play with Rush to hurt KD.

 

[california]

When is someone in this stale market going to bring some fun back? Why is it that Phil Hendrie has never played in this market? He is the most talented and entertaining guy in radio. I had to get a long distant radio to pick him up in Youngstown on WKBN? For those who don't know of him, he's out of L.A.......Really, is this boards idea of "FUN" Lynn Cullen, Doug Hoerth, Porky Chedwick, or a host of any other near dead or dead radio personalities? After nearly 10 years, I returned to Pittsburgh to find the downtown bleak, gray and dying, and the radio even worse. Please, can radio here really be much more boring?.....Oh wait, I forgot, we have a casino!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Pratte4Life]

Question- Why did you find the downtown dying?

In the last 10 years, I've found most of the porno shops on Liberty Avenue, which were the shame of the city, have dried up, condos going in the abandoned Lazarus building, Point Park expanding, and Market Square being rebuilt.

Radio being dull- I'll accept that. Downtown being a tough place to park- ditto.

Dying? I've seen more life than in past years.

I'd also like to point out to the people who complain that downtown closes too early- this is a city of neighborhoods. Nightlife is found on the Strip District, South Side, and Oakland. Where is it written it MUST be downtown?

Do they complain and harp in New Orleans- "OH! NO! Our downtown shuts down early! Why, we have to go to BOURBON STREET to party! WOE IS US!"

 

[kenhawk1160]

I can tell you from a very credible source that when 104.7 was in its last incarnation as an Urban AC, they were considering putting the Tom Joyner morning show on the station. Despite the fact that it might have helped ratings significantly, they did not go with it because there would have been no way around the fact that it was an Urban station. The only way the sales force was able to sell it was to present it as an AC competitor and essentially skirt the issue of it being Urban. So playing old school and more AC leaning product would not have helped WAMO.

Joyner does pull in some pretty impressive numbers, from both black and white listeners alike...in other markets. I'm not sure that kind of demographic would be realized here. You're right on the fact that his show is so identified with Urban there would have been no way around it if you marketed it towards an AC audience. However, if WAMO keeps local control over the morning show and doesn't market it so much as a hip-hop outlet, they could have fared better with the older demographic product I had mentioned earlier. Who was that guy who did mornings at first on 104.7 as "Jammin' Oldies"? I remember he worked at WAMO at one point, and he was a white guy. Someone relatable, though not exactly African-American. The name's not coming to me now...anyone?

 

[MsMusicRadio]

Urban AC does very well in DC and Richmond because the population is a lot different from Pittsburgh. In Richmond, it often is the top rated station 12+ which is all I get to see. In Tampa , which is closer to Pittsburgh in demographics, Urban AC is on AM and a rimshot FM. CC has a "Beat" clone that does well and CBS has a successful Churban. Possibly Tom Joyner and Urban AC on a stagnating AM or a rimshot FM might work. Could not WLTJ add Tom Joyner? Would that hurt whatever they are doing?

I'm ready to be shown that this is totally wrong since WAMO AM was not a big player.

 

[corporateradiosucks]

Could not WLTJ add Tom Joyner? Would that hurt whatever they are doing?

"Whatever they are doing" certainly sums up that station. They're throwing a bone with the Q in the city thing, but I just can't envision them putting Tom Joyner on.

At the tail end of WAMO, hadn't they even gotten rid of the old school Sunday night show, or at the very least reeeeeeeeealllllly stretched their definition of "old school" to mean "W's first term"? kenhawk is right on when he said that marketing WAMO as nothing but hip hop was a terrible idea.

 

[Parttimer]

Possibly Tom Joyner and Urban AC on a stagnating AM or a rimshot FM might work. Could not WLTJ add Tom Joyner? Would that hurt whatever they are doing?

I'm ready to be shown that this is totally wrong since WAMO AM was not a big player.

If the consensus was that Joyner and Urban AC couldn't be successfully sold on a good signal, why would it make sense on a bad one?

 

[Raymond]

Joyner does pull in some pretty impressive numbers, from both black and white listeners alike...in other markets. I'm not sure that kind of demographic would be realized here. You're right on the fact that his show is so identified with Urban there would have been no way around it if you marketed it towards an AC audience. However, if WAMO keeps local control over the morning show and doesn't market it so much as a hip-hop outlet, they could have fared better with the older demographic product I had mentioned earlier. Who was that guy who did mornings at first on 104.7 as "Jammin' Oldies"? I remember he worked at WAMO at one point, and he was a white guy. Someone relatable, though not exactly African-American. The name's not coming to me now...anyone?

That was Dr. Michael Lynn.

This post is actually the first one of yours Ken Hawk that makes sense. Must be one of your New Year's resolutions? ;D

 

[argentarius]

As for Levin, you can talk about him being "shrill" but he is the hot property the syndicators are pushing these days. Ingram was always on tape delay at WPTT, she didn't have a chance, and I think Gallagher is on tape delay at WPIT and not getting any kind of promotion.

My understanding is the for the smaller markets to get Sean, they have to take Levin. That's the sort of "push" the syndicators are forcing down stations throats for that "hot property" Levin, who I still think sounds like a shrill fish wife. Apologies to the fish and wives among us.

If Salem wants to keep him, they might want to act like it.
Salem owns Gallagher, so they are able to use his show as they wish. In Pgh they dump him into overnight on owned stations, which can't be heard at 4 in the afternoon outside of the control room.

That said, the problem with having a secondary right-wing station is that it would be just that- SECONDARY. And though there may be some talent among the names I've listed, if it isn't accompanied by Rush and Hannity you get the idea it might be like trying to sell Duquesne basketball tickets.

I believe that is what I said in my earlier post. A second right wing station, with the B or C team, does not really make much sense.

[/quote]