Actually I found the article to be somewhat poignant not so much for what Rev. Mann had to say about the future plans, but what Alan Serena said about 1360AM.
“WMNY, in its news/talk format, didn't have much of a unique differentiator to separate us from (WPGB) 104.7, KDKA (1020), or even KQV (1410),” Renda senior vice president Alan Serena said. “After the passing of Ron Morris, and the demise of The American Entrepreneur radio program a year ago, that gap grew even wider.”
Let's be honest here, the only differentiator he is talking about is the fact that Ron Morris was paying to be on the air. Once the station had decided to rely solely on Morris's checkbook, while knowing in advance that Ron Morris was battling cancer, well let's just say that they were going to ride that gravy train for as long as possible, until the proverbial wheels fell off.
“When we were based in East McKeesport, and focused 1360 as a Mon Valley radio station, and had a strong presence of local news, high school sports, and community events ... we created a unique brand that was then embraced by local advertisers and we survived. Even I doubt that this concept would work in today's environment,” Serena said.
If this is their governing philosophy, that radio can not survive by serving the local community, they might as well close up shop at their outlying stations in Indiana, Homer City, etc. Far more likely is the notion that one of the biggest mistakes that 1360 AM made was to quit being McKeesport's station, trying instead to be a Pittsburgh station that most of Pittsburgh couldn't get after dark. Plenty of stations get by on superserving their local communities rather than trying to be something that they clearly are not.
“It's easier for sellers to sell advertisers a $10,000 ad schedule on (WSHH) than it is a $300 schedule on (AM) 1360,” Serena said.
All I can say to this is that if I worked at WJAS right now and read this statement, I would be afraid, very afraid. If their focus is only going to be on the big ad buys, then the days of 1320 are probably numbered as well. Management's plan is probably just to cash the checks of the client's that Bogut and Cardille bring in until they too pass away, then perhaps Rev. Mann can have a third station.
